Pastor's Corner
February, 2001
Happy Lunar New Year! For all Chinese and Vietnamese around the world, this is a time to celebrate, or maybe more appropriate to say, anticipate the coming of new luck and new hope in the New Year. All is well with this thought, but in actuality, what this New Year brings us will depend largely on the decisions we make.
I’ve been preaching from Ecclesiastes since the beginning of the year. This is a reflection journal of an old man who had gone through what many would consider "smooth sailing" in life. At the end, he realized that Life was more than surviving passively or enjoying hedonistically. The thrust of this book is a combination of philosophical and theological approach to life. In order to find true meaning to life, one needs to realize that the activities he chooses have value. In order to find happiness in life, one needs to accept that Life and enjoyment of life is a gift of God. The backdrop is that life on earth is real, but short, and we should try to make the best of it to ensure Eternal Dwelling by putting our trust on the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ and gain happiness by making positive and constructive decisions to benefit our soul and body. Of course, the goal is to engage in activities that will benefit others as well.
We make countless decisions throughout our life. Some are great decisions that will make us proud, while others are silly that will make us question the outcome. Some decisions we make will affect us for a long time, to an extend that they don’t only affect us, but also our children. As I was watching the inauguration of the 43rd President of the United States, I remembered thinking why I, a Chinese, ended up living in the United States. This was a decision I made over thirty years ago—to take a chance to live in this country that is full of opportunities. I am always curious about "what if" I didn’t take that chance. That’s a question I would never be able to find out. Solomon in Ecclesiastes reminded us "what is twisted cannot be straightened." In certain term, he told us not to ask "what if?" Instead, ask "what now?" It is much more positive to ask what we can do with the opportunity we have today. Our future depends on what we do now, not what we did before. Therefore, while we have a chance, capture the moment and make a better tomorrow.
Before I sign off, I would like to say that the Bible reminds us that "now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of Salvation" (II Cor. 6:2). If you have yet received Christ as your Savior, I urge you to capture the moment and do it today. There is no reason to wait.
Pastor Larry
