Whiling staying in Reno, I attended a small Sunday service right next to the hotel I stayed at. (picture above) The early morning service had a total of 8 attendees, and I was starting to question why I came. But the message was exactly what I needed to hear. I felt in my spirit that God says, "you wanted to know the purpose I sent you to Taiwan, it's simple: to love God and love the people there as Jesus did."
I don't always go to church when I travel because it's easy to just go on live stream Calvary Chapel Fremont. But for some reason, as I first noticed the historical building next to the hotel, I was curious. I grew up in Formosa UMC church, and we often called it FUMC. This church is also called FUMC because it's Reno's First United Methodist Church. I think it is the first church here that's why it's a historical site. When I saw that they had an early morning service at 8:15am, I figured that's the one I would go since it still left me plenty of time to go places after church. You can't see it from the front but the sides and the back of the church had beautiful stain glass windows. I didn't know how nice it looked when the morning sun shines through. Pastor George greeted me warmly and he said he was recently transferred from Lodi. I have passed by Lodi before, a small rural town in CA. I am embarrassed to say that I had low expectations from him. I didn't expect a full house but when only 8 people showed up, I was surprised as to why they still have two services when clearly the first service isn't needed. He told me that the second service has a choir but the first service would be quiet. I expected that so I nodded.
When it came time for the message, pastor George came alive. He spoke with such passion and strong emotion. I was moved to tears and I cried most of the sermon. Usually when I felt the Holy Spirit moving, I cry. He spoke about how God had intended us to live in community to love and serve one another because it fulfills His purpose for us to be like Jesus. Jesus on the cross demonstrated that even in His suffering, He loved and forgave those who did wrong. So what happens when you find yourself all alone, suffering with fear and anxiety, physical pain, and the whole world is watching you? You LOVE. You love as Jesus did on the cross and fulfill the greatest commandment to love God and love people. How did Jesus do it? Of course His strength came from a strong relationship with Father God. Daily spend time with God and walk with him. Yoke with him and go in the same speed and direction as Him, then we will be able to love others as Jesus.
This to me was a very familiar message I have heard hundreds of times, even taught it in Sunday School. The Bible can be summed up in two commandments, Love God and Love others. We all know that. But this time, it stirs my spirit. I have been asking the Lord to clarify my purpose for going to Taiwan, and in this message, He answered. It's simple, love God and love the people there. I know that when I leave all of my kids and friends and possessions, I will be able to spend more undistracted time with Jesus. I already dedicated the first 40 days to spend that time to seek the Lord. It's like the training for ministry. Then what? Love the people you come in contact with. There are only 4% Christians in Taiwan so most people don't know the one true living God. It's likely that most people I come in contact with don't know anything about Jesus. I will be the weird one, they will be watching me for sure. I get to love on them the way Jesus would.
In California, water is scarce, and our rainy season is short. So when it rains, I collect rainwater in the big buckets my Dad gave me. I use a water pump to pump it to all my containers and I cover them. As the weather dried up, I pump out the rainwater to my fruit trees in the backyard as needed. I only started doing that after Dad is gone because it was something he did for his garden. There are lots of things I do because I miss them though at the time it seemed so ridiculous. Saving rainwater not only it saves money, it provided me a wonderful word picture of this great commandment. Receiving from God, fill ourselves with His love, then give love out to other people. In fact, this mission should start here in the U.S. It doesn't need to start until I arrive Taiwan. This is God's will for me and all of us. God's definition for success is to love Him with all our heart, strength, mind, soul and love others as ourselves. This can start today. He will empower us to do so because it's his desire for us.
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