Weeks 37 & 38 (10) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

25 years ago, I was the Project Director in charge of the redevelopment of the Hong Kong side of a township named Sha Tau Kok, that straddles the border between Hong Kong & China. It was for some 4000 people who were living in tin huts on stilts.

Since the opening up of China in 1978, many mainland Chinese came to the China side of Sha Tau Kok to buy gold ornaments, jewelleries and Hong Kong clothing, plus taking a peep at cosmopolitan Hong Kong. But because the Hong Kong side of Sha Tau Kok looked more like a slump than the “Pearl of the Orient”, Hong Kong’s renowned name, the HK Government decided to give it a facelift. Over HK$100 millions were spent on just 4000 people, to provide them with new housings, a primary school, a community centre, a police station, a fire station and a sewage treatment works.

Shenzhen, the region that is immediately north of the border, where Sha Tau Kok (China side) is a part, is one of the fastest growing region in China. It recently celebrated its 30th Anniversary since Ex-Chinese Leader Tang Shiu Ping declared it as a Special Economic Region. Today’s Shenzhen, boasting a population of over 15 millions, rivals Hong Kong in terms of skyscrapers, hotels, shopping malls, luxury boutiques, eateries.....

Because of the relatively lower housing prices, a lot of Hong Kong people bought homes in Shenzhen and commute into Hong Kong to work.

Two recent trips to Shenzhen gave me a glimpse of the vast expanse of territories and the huge populations (1200 millions) that made up China today.

The more recent visit was to celebrate our elder son Nic’s 33rd birthday. My Shenzhen friend borrowed a chauffeured driven 7-seater to show us around the city, ending up with lunch in a posh Chinese Restaurant in Pot Portofino, a nice resort with a Mediterranean feel. The young ones plus yours truly spent the afternoon in Happy Valley, an amusement park, enjoying the many crazy & fun rides. :o)

The previous trip to Shenzhen was to meet a pastor who is leading an underground church of over 100 people. They got to know me through the sister of our Hope London member (Hason). They invited me to speak in their church retreat from 1st – 4th October.

The pastor is a Swiss who has been in China for 10 years. He married a Chinese lady from Hunan. I am ashamed to know that he can speak better Putonghua (Mandarin) than I do. :o(

I am very excited about it and I look forward to preaching/teaching the Word of God for the very first time in China. I want to know and understand what the Chinese are thinking in post-Communist China. May the Gospel of Christ reach and impact them before they are corrupted by materialism brought about by modernization and opening up to the “free” world. :o)

I recently listened to a sermon about the Chinese and the God of their ancestors. I was encouraged to know that our ancestors, for the past 4500 years, worshipped the God of Heaven, not Buddha. Our forefathers worshipped their ancestors, not unlike Catholics worshipping the Saints. This is a fact the later generations did not know!

Today, if a Chinese becomes a Christian, his or her unbelieving parents would call him or her betraying the ancestors. This is the work of Satan, deceiving multitudes of Chinese.

Today, many Chinese are proud to call themselves the descendents of the Dragon (Satan), not knowing that they are the descendents of God!

I pray and hope that many would realize this deception and turn around before it is too late. One day, all will see the glory of God. Yes, “The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty…..Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity……O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea — the LORD on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD. [Ps 93:1-5 NIV]

When prophet Isaiah saw the glory and majesty of God, he was humbled. “…… I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty……" [Isa 6:1-13 NIV]

Sadly, today many religious leaders are not doing the will of God….. “Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach…….Everything they do is done for men to see……they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues……."Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!......You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? [Matt 23:1-22,33-39 NIV]

May the wisdom, the understanding and the knowledge of God come to you that you may know good from evil. God says that “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion……Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power. By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full. [Prov 8:12-21,32-36 NIV]

Amen and amen!