I have just returned from a 2-week trip to Asia. I thank God for the blessed time in Chiang Mai, Thailand where we had our Hope International Ministries [H.I.M.] Global Conference. It has been many years since I was in Thailand and it was great to fellowship with our Thai brethrens again. They have always inspired me in their zeal and faith
in serving the Lord.I also spent a week in Hong Kong, catching up on many old friends, besides, of course, our 2 amazing sons and wonderful daughters-in-law. Among my friends were my old Technical College classmates of 40 years. We had a reuni
on lunch and had some very interesting conversations. Most of them have started enjoying their well earned retirements, after successful careers in civil/structural engineering. One of them, however, has just completed a Master Degree in Divinity and will start his ministry next month. We used to share a studio flat when we first went to the UK for our engineering training some 40 years ago. It is amazing that we both come to faith in Christ fairly late in our lives and both are now in ministry.
There were 8 of us at the lunch. There was one other born-again Christian and a Catholic. We tried to share our faith with the other 4 not-yet believing classmates. The exchanges were interesting and challenging at the same time. One of them has become a fervent Buddhist who believes in becoming a better person through hard work. He confessed to feeling depressed many times when he failed to attain his ideal of being good all the time. The Word of God in [Rom 7:18] “…For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” came to mind. God certainly knows us better than we do. :o)
As I walked the streets of this tiny city (in size) of 7.5 million people, I really feel for the vast majority of them who live each day without knowing why they are here. Money becomes their god and main goal in life. I was like them 20 years ago, so I can relate to them. It will be great if they can have what I have now in Christ – peace that transcends all understanding! 
I was jogging in a nearby park one morning and a young man caught my attention. He was sitting on a bench with his eyes closed and his head bowed in prayer. There was a bible on his lap. I ran past him a couple of times, and he was still deep in prayer. After my run, I purposely stopped close to him and kept an eye on him while I did some stretching. When he opened his eyes, I greeted him and started a conversation. He was uncomfortable with a total stranger disturbing his quiet time and he tried to decline my fellowship by telling me he h
ad to leave for work soon. When I commended him on his quiet time early in the morning, he politely described his fairly long devotion as “fast food”. I told him that I was a pastor in London having my holiday in Hong Kong. He told me with a hint of sadness in his tone that less than 2% of the population is confessing Christians. I really admired his faith and I quietly asked God to bless him as he departed in a hurry.
This young man’s devotion reflected the heart of this psalmist who cried out to God. “O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief……I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land…..Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul……Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” [Ps 143:1-12 NIV]
Whilst I can understand the young man’s disappointment with the small Christian population, he should be aware of a deeper problem of Christians’ unwillingness in giving to God. Unlike the Israelite exiles returning from captivity, who gave generously towards the rebuilding of the house of God, out of the little they had. “Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town…..When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings towards the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments….... [Ezra 2:1,68-70 NIV]
But I am confident that as we faithfully give to God (in time, energy, talents, finance…) we will see His Kingdom advanced all over the world. “For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed — God is our witness……We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” [1 Thess 2:1-20 NIV]
Finally, “….pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” [Prov 4:20-27 NIV]
Amen & amen!
I was jogging in a nearby park one morning and a young man caught my attention. He was sitting on a bench with his eyes closed and his head bowed in prayer. There was a bible on his lap. I ran past him a couple of times, and he was still deep in prayer. After my run, I purposely stopped close to him and kept an eye on him while I did some stretching. When he opened his eyes, I greeted him and started a conversation. He was uncomfortable with a total stranger disturbing his quiet time and he tried to decline my fellowship by telling me he h
ad to leave for work soon. When I commended him on his quiet time early in the morning, he politely described his fairly long devotion as “fast food”. I told him that I was a pastor in London having my holiday in Hong Kong. He told me with a hint of sadness in his tone that less than 2% of the population is confessing Christians. I really admired his faith and I quietly asked God to bless him as he departed in a hurry.This young man’s devotion reflected the heart of this psalmist who cried out to God. “O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief……I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land…..Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul……Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” [Ps 143:1-12 NIV]
Whilst I can understand the young man’s disappointment with the small Christian population, he should be aware of a deeper problem of Christians’ unwillingness in giving to God. Unlike the Israelite exiles returning from captivity, who gave generously towards the rebuilding of the house of God, out of the little they had. “Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town…..When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings towards the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments….... [Ezra 2:1,68-70 NIV]
But I am confident that as we faithfully give to God (in time, energy, talents, finance…) we will see His Kingdom advanced all over the world. “For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed — God is our witness……We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” [1 Thess 2:1-20 NIV]
Finally, “….pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” [Prov 4:20-27 NIV]
Amen & amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment