Sunday 28 February 2010

Weeks 07 & 08 (10) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

I landed at Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday 18th Feb. evening. I moved into the serviced apartment the next day because I could only check in before 6:00pm. I thank God for the apartment because it only takes me 30 min. to get to work door to door. The apartment is part of a 4-star hotel which is well facilitated with a Health Club and swimming pool, which I have yet to visit. :o)

My apartment is on the 15th floor, with a nice view of a bay, although the 3 famous bridges could only be seen from a different part of the building. The apartment is a studio flat, but its 400 sq. ft. is the size of a normal 2-bed flat in Hong Kong! It has a double bed-room area, separated by a blind from the living room / study area. It also has a nice sized pantry equipped with fridge, microwave cooker and a small stove, if I am keen enough to cook something simple. It also has a hotel - style toilet / shower room. The apartment is serviced twice a week, including cleaning and reprovisioning of fresh bed sheets, pillow cases, towels etc.. It is plenty of space for myself, and for Kim when she visits.

On Saturday 20th I conducted a water baptism for my cousin sister who came to faith in Christ last October when her husband was facing terminal cancer. The husband also became a Christian although he has now gone home to the Father. The baptism was done in the bath tub of her flat and it was witnessed by my sister, her daughter, her son-in-law, sister of the son-in-law and 2 of her grandchildren. It was followed by a yummy hot-pot dinner making the whole occasion joyous and celebrative. The date was actually the 7th Day of the Chinese New Year which is called “Yan Yat” – everyone’s birthday. This will help her and myself to remember the special day easily. :o)

My cousin sister is the 3rd daughter of my father’s older brother. Like our family, they were also from working class background. Whilst on our side, only father & mother work to raise 5 of us, a few of their 7 children had to support their father in selling fish door to door since young. I am not sure how many of the children actually completed primary schooling. The oldest son became a policeman, who was found dead in a cemetry one day some 25 years ago. He committed suicide and I subsequently found out that he was in serious debt which he couldn’t repay! I can imagine that their upbringing must be much tougher than ours, because our parents managed to put all of us through primary & secondary schoolings. I was the only child who went on to college and training as a structual engineer in the UK. It therefore blesses my heart to see my 3rd cousin sister becoming a Christian. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw the glowing joy on her face when she shared about her faith before the baptism. It could only come from knowing the true and loving God!

On Sunday 21st evening, the day before I started work, I did a Jericho prayer walk around the office building where I will work in the next 6 months. It was already dark and the whole place was deserted except one security guard. After about the 4th round my prayer walk caught the attention of the guard. He must be wondering what I was up to, but he did not do anything because I was walking on the public footpath. :o) After the 7th round, the building did not fall down, but I knew in my spirit that some of the strongholds had been demolished. I believed that God had acknowledged my prayers and prepared the place for me to minister and be His salt & light.
I have just completed a full 5-day week at work. The project has already been going for a good 9 months, so I was thrown into the deep end on Day 1. I praise and thank God that He gave me the strength and wisdom to cope. I also thank those of you who have been praying for me. I will share more in my next e-mail as this one is getting rather long. :o)

The joy of my cousin sister is a testimony of our great God. His glory fills the whole earth. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…….When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? ……..Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! [Ps 8:1-9 NIV]

For my marketplace ministry, I expect very intense warfare going forward. The prayer walk was my acknowledgement of God’s power & help, without which my labours would be futile. Nehemiah recognised this in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. He positioned watchmen in strategic locations and he mobilised every worker to be on guard. “…….Wherever you turn, they will attack us. Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows……..From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked……. [Neh 4:10-23 NIV].

As I pray about the next 6 months and beyond, I try to contemplate what God has installed for me. I am reminded of Apostle Pauls’s encouragement to Timothy. "I Have been reminded of your sincere faith......For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord……..But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace…….Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you-guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us……...” [2 Tim 1:5-15 NIV].

As I make plans about the future I also understand that “To man belong the plans of the heart,but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends — even the wicked for a day of disaster…….Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil. When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him……In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps……The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. [Prov 16:1-7,9,11,20,33 NIV]

Amen and amen!

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