November 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

At work, we are running a Bible Study and a Praying Meeting alternately each week. In the Bible Study this week, the teacher was sharing from Ps. 8, one of my favourite psalms.

[Ps 8]

1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The teacher correctly highlighted God’s majestic love through a number of comparisons:

1) Children / Infants VS Enemies / Foe / Avenger: children / infants are no match of enemies / foe / avenger

2) Man VS Heavens: man is no match of the Heavens

Yet His Majesty is mindful of us; care for us; crown us with glory & honour; made us ruler of His creation!

This week, our grandson Sebby turned 6 months old.

I witnessed his growth week by week from a tiny 6lbs + at birth to about 20lbs today. Indeed from the day Sebby was conceived in his mother’s womb, God the Creator has been at work.

[Ps 139:13-16]

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Like a seasoned craftsman, God’s handiwork continues after Sebby’s birth.

What touched me most about Ps 8 was the contrast of an infant with an enemy!

In New King James version, [Ps 8:2] reads:

"Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger."

A baby is vulnerable, totally helpless. He or she is defenseless in the face of an enemy. Yet, God protects him or her from harm!

From about 2 months, Sebby was not happy just lying down. He wanted to be held so that he could stand up.

At 3 months, he was already quite energetic.

At 4 months, he became more active, moving his arms like a young bird flapping the wings.

At 5 months, he enjoyed bouncing, when he was held standing up. When lying on his back, he could roll over by himself.

At 6 months, he became very agile, finding his feet with his hands and putting them in his mouth. :)

Yet, even at 6 months, he still could hardly sit up properly by himself!

Sebby enjoys singing, esp. praise songs, although he does it in his own way that babies do. But we can see that he is happy although he has not got the understanding of God yet.

Looking at Sebby, I can truly appreciate God’s amazing love towards man!

I claim God’s promises that He is mindful of us; He cares for us; He crowns us with glory & honour and He makes us ruler of His creation!

We are made for doing great things because that is God’s design intent for mankind, the crown of His Creation.

As I live each day with that expectation, I begin to see the promises coming true in my work, in my ministries, in every aspect of my life!

It is the right thing to do to sing praises to our great God. “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn? shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” [Ps 98:1-9 NIV]

Despite of the unfaithfulness of His people, God remains faithful. He patiently waits for us to repent. "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.' I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD. "In that day I will respond," declares the LORD- "I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'" [Hos 2:14-23 NIV]

This is the good news of Jesus Christ. “……..We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” [Titus 3:1-8 NIV]

Justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne; the foundation of His City where we will dwell for eternity one day. These are eternal values that God has established and they hold true even in the sinful world we live in. “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan…….By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down……An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad. The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern…… If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure……When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall…….The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.” [Prov 29:2,4,6,7,14,16,27 NIV]

October 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

Two people I knew passed away in October. The first one I do not claim to know personally, but he was world famous alright. His name was Steve Jobs. He was not a computer scientist. He had no training as a hardware engineer or an industrial designer. He had a semester at Reed College and a stint at an ashram in India. Jobs’ expertise was less in computers than it was in the humans who used them.

In the world of technology, most people can hope to revolutionize one industry at most, but Jobs did it every few years with stunning regularity: computers, movies, music, phones. In 2011, he became the most celebrated business executive of his generation. Apple’s market capitalization passed that of Exxon Mobil, making it the planet’s most valuable company. Steve has made the cover of TIME magazine 5 times – 1982, 1997, 2005, 2010 and 2011. He passed away at the relatively tender age of 56.

The other person I knew who passed away in October was my Dad. Comparing to Steve Jobs, my Dad could not be more different. He was only known to his family and a very small circle of friends and relatives. He was a barber by profession. He used to cut my hair since my childhood days; he still did it occasionally until he emigrated to Canada in 1995, well after his retirement!

One of the few things I remember about my Dad was that he was a very good Mahjong player. I guess he had a lot of practice; there seemed to be a Mahjong game going on at home almost every evening. I hated it because the noise prevented me from concentrating on my study or homework!

Like a typical Chinese father of his generation, my Dad hardly communicated with his children. I guess he did not know how. His job was to put food on the table and paid the bills. For someone who had only the equivalent of a primary education and had 6 children to raise, he did a pretty good job as a father. One thing I did remember all my life was his exhortation to me when I finished secondary school. On the Book of Memorandum of my graduation year, he wrote in Chinese something like “A man should make his body his slave; enduring hardship and trials”. I have truly benefited from that sound advice ever since!

He and my Mum became born again Christians in 1994, after a Christmas celebration service, where I shared a testimony. As we came out of the service, I asked them if they would like to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour; they promptly said yes. I led them through the sinners’ prayer on the street pavement!

In 1997, 2 days before Christmas, I received a phone call from my sister in Vancouver that my Dad had a stroke. He was already 86 years old and we thought it was time to bid farewell. I caught the first flight out from Hong Kong and arrived on Christmas Eve. My Dad was lying in the hospital bed sleeping, looking very frail and pale. I laid my hand on his body and asked God to heal him!

The next morning was a sunny Christmas Day and a White Christmas; it had been snowing the night before. We received news that Dad woke up and the doctor thought it was a miracle that he recovered. I gave all the glory to God!

In the intervening years, Dad led a very active life in Vancouver, playing Mahjong and billiard at his favorite community centre. He and Mum had a good time travelling to Hong Kong and China, catching up with old friends and relatives. They also visited us in London including attending one of the Sunday services!

In the past couple of years, my prayer for my Dad was for him to make 100, God willing. Came 2011, we made plan to celebrate his 100th birthday. He had been in an old folks home for over a year and his health was clearly deteriorating rapidly. When the family gathered in July to celebrate his 100th birthday, we had to do it in the hospital because had a chest infection. Most of his children made it to the celebration, including granddaughter Elsie and great granddaughter Nikki. I showed my Dad pictures of our grandson Sebby (his great grandson) who was just over one month old at the time!

On 10th October, when Taiwan celebrated her 100th birthday, we received news that my Dad passed away peacefully. The Lord had brought him home in his sleep. On the 20th, I flew to Vancouver to conduct a memorial service for my Dad. It was held for a small family gathering at the burial and the Lord blessed us with dry weather despite of the rainy forecast. On his tombstone he was remembered as having “lived a long and good life”!

The Bible says that our days are numbered by God. Whether, one ends at 56 or 100, God is the one who decides. No one can add another day to his or her life without God’s blessing. He is the Lord of our lives! I am not sure where Steve Jobs went after his death, but I know for certain that my Dad is with the Lord. That is God’s promise for everyone who believes in Jesus!

The Lord is the name of our God. Besides being the Creator, He is also the Lord of our lives. “You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." ……. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning? though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered…….The length of our days is seventy years? or eighty, if we have the strength……Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom……May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us? yes, establish the work of our hands. [Ps 90:1-17 NIV]

The story of Daniel’s 3 friends may not ring true in the minds of modern men, but it was true all the same. When they did not worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar made, they were thrown into a blazingly hot furnace. “Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?......if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"…… his advisers…..see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."…….They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” [Dan 3:1-6, 12-15, 22-30 NIV] The God of Creation whom they believed in saved them!

If we truly believe in God, we shall be a people of courage and power in testifying about Him. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit burn strongly in us. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…..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……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. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…” [2 Tim 1:2-14 NIV]

Here are a few worthy sayings that embody the wisdom of God. “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way…..He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers……A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense…..He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die…….Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails……The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble…….Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. [Prov 19:2,8,11,16,20,21,23,27 NIV]

September 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

Our chapter of church planting in Europe finally closed when God helped us to complete the sale of our house in London on Friday, 30 Sept., 2011, although I already relinquished my role as Regional Pastor for Hope West Europe at the Euro Leaders Conference in September, 2010. The house sale was a miracle considering the economic situation in the UK and the price was a good one too. In addition, God reserved a seat for Kim to fly Upper Class back to Hong Kong 2 days after the sale; she only had to pay airport tax of HK$3269. God’s favour is amazing!

It was a beautiful chapter of our lives that started on Friday, 22 May, 1998, when, by faith, we left Hong Kong and landed in Heathrow Airport, London. On the Sunday of the same week (24 May, 1998) the Lord gave us a word of confirmation and encouragement from a prophetic preacher, a total stranger, when we visited Kensington Temple, the fastest growing church in London at the time. The prophetic word had helped to launch our church planting work in London and beyond.

It was a Call to Sacrifice, leaving Hong Kong at the peak of my career as a Director in a top international consulting engineering firm. I had no idea what Kim and I were getting ourselves into. We came out of Heathrow Airport with fear and trembling, hanging onto the belief that it was God who called us to Europe. The prophetic word on Sunday though was a tremendous boost of my faith to start the 1st church in Europe!

It was a chapter of our lives that is full of wonderful memories and thanksgiving – our first meeting of 4 people in our small flat in North London on our 1st Sunday in London. After receiving the prophetic word, I preached to 3 people with zeal and excitement on the message of Fulfilling God’s Given Vision :).

Then we had our first public service on 2 Aug., 1998 in London City YMCA where 12 people and a dog attended. In the same month we held our first camp on 30 Aug., 1998. Ps. James Loke, an Elder of Hope of God International and 23 other people joined the historic event. It was at the camp where I met our dearest sister Adelaide who became my faithful prayer partner since. Together we won many battles in the heavenly realm as we advanced the Kingdom of God in Europe in the intervening 12 years. Thank you Adelaide; your rewards in Heaven shall be massive!

In the years that follow, Kim & I met many beautiful people, in the UK and different parts of Europe, through mission trips, camps, conventions…….There are many people I wanted to give thanks to, esp. the European church pioneers and co-workers – Tor & Wander, Albert & Claire, Marcus & Stephanie, Joel & Olivia, Reto & Christine, Ondra & Jana - you are history makers in Hope Europe. You now have many off-springs that are spreading out to eventually touch the whole continent of Europe. It is exciting to see the mustard seed parable becoming a reality!

I am of course greatly indebted to my core leaders in the UK – Vincent, Twin, Aaron, Eldos & Esther, Jo (now back to Hope Brisbane), Roger & Lorisa, Dexter & Precious, Nong …. your partnership in the Gospel has blessed so many lives who are serving God with you in the UK or serving God back home. They are just too many to name, but you all have a special place in my heart. I must not forget my Leaders in Asia who provided the spiritual covering!

When we left for London in 1998, we thought it was one-way. Who knew that 12 years later God had other plans?

The BBC Ministries were launched in Hong Kong on 6 Nov., 2010, the day when I was invited to a Freemason dinner & dance party, which I politely declined :). BBC are parallel ministries of church planting (Building Biblical Churches) and marketplace outreach (Building Bridges for Christ).

On the church planting ministry front, we meet every Saturday for church fellowship in an office I rented in the heart of Kowloon – the Worldwide Centre. Now we have 10 regular people attending. We are going to have water baptism for 2 new believers soon in the beach next to where we live before the water gets cold. :) I will also conduct membership class and leadership training soon.

On the marketplace ministry front, I am building bridges for Christ in a 200 people consulting engineering company I work for five days a week. I am trying to reach out to the people there through good work and example. I taught Principles of Good (Biblical) Leadership. I also write a monthly message on Work Hard Work Smart and started a weekly explorer class. The Owner of the company, who is not a believer, recently asked me to be his family counsellor!

I sometimes pinch myself to see if I am dreaming or not. Why would the Most High God choose ordinary me to be a part of His Kingdom plan on earth? I guess it is because I am a fool in the eyes of the world whom God can manifest His wisdom and power. :)

Indeed our God is mighty. If we want to serve God, we need His wisdom & power. But how? This Psalmist explain how -  “Sing for joy to God our strength……Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre……He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt……He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud……..You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it………"If my people would but listen to me……how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!......." [Ps 81:1-10,13-16 NIV]

Daniel understood God’s command of not bowing down to an alien god. God granted him and his 3 friends wisdom far above the magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom. “………To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” [Dan 1:1-21 NIV]

Apostle Paul says “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” [1 Tim 1:12-19 NIV]

Here are some trustworthy sayings. “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends…….The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil………In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps……..Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making…….Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD…….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!

August 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

I am always very interested in God’s time table and His timing. As I sit quietly and meditate on the major events that have been and are happening around the world, I would very much like to know the time we are in, and of course only God knows :).

[Matt. 24:1-35] provided a lot of the Signs of the End of the Ages, which we are witnessing them happening right now.

Whilst the Old Testament is the forerunner of the New Testament,

the Old Testament Feasts are symbolic of the New Testament events,

events after the birth of Jesus Christ.

The first 4 feasts have been fulfilled in the New Testament time. Believers are eagerly waiting for the trumpet call that signals the 2nd coming of the Lord in glory and power.

The question every believer is asking is - When will this happen?

Jesus’ 2nd coming will be a repeat of the Day of Noah. Noah became the father of Shem, Ham & Japheth after the age of 500 [Gen. 5:22] and the flood came when Noah turned 600. So the ark probably took Noah and his 3 sons a good 50 years to build. But during this time, people took no interest in what Noah was doing or simply ignored Noah’s warning of the flood.

Then God says in the verses following the Signs of the End of the Age in [Matt 24:36-39]:

“No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Today, people in the world are showing a lot of interest in eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, despite of the many Signs of the End of the Age - “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places”!

Here are a few scriptures to encourage all Christ followers to be alert and ready for Jesus’ 2nd coming as if He will return tomorrow:

[Rev 19:7] Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

[Rev 21:2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

[Eph 5:25-27] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

[1 Thess 5:1-6] Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety", destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

The Church of Jesus Christ – the Bride – should be alert

and ready for the 2nd coming of the Lord.

Besides the Bride (a lover of Jesus), there will be 2 other groups of believers at the wedding – the Bridesmaids and the Guests.

If you are a bridesmaid (a very good friend of Jesus),

make sure that your lamp is full of oil (the Holy Spirit)

and you are not sleeping (alert).

[Matt 25:1-5] "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

If you are a Guest of the Groom (an acquaintance of Jesus),

make sure you wear wedding clothes at the wedding (truly born again & walking with God).

[Matt 22:11-13] "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The best way of staying alert and being ready is to practice the 3Ss:

1) Stay close to God through (understanding) His Word and (walking in) His Spirit and living in His presence (in prayers),

2) Strive for holiness, and.

3) Serve God

This is a good prayer to pray at this time – “Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth…..come and save us. Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved….O LORD God Almighty…....Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. …..Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted…….Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” [Ps 80:1-7,14,15,19 NIV]

If anyone doubts the love of God, he or she should observe the faithfulness of God towards a rebellious people Israel. "'…This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel……..all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD…….I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him……..And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' [Ezek 38:17-23 NIV]

We are living in a time of great deception. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. [Col 2:8-15 NIV]

These are some of God’s promises who choose to walk in righteousness. “A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted……Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm……The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes……..An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble……..No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.” [Prov 12:3,5,7,10,12,13,21,26,28 NIV]

Amen and amen!

July 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

Lately, the issue of leadership is very close to my heart. The problems and turmoil we witness in the world today are the results of poor and/or ungodly leadership.

God has established 4 principal institutions that govern the world – family, workplace, government and Church, and God appoints leaders in each to govern on His behalf.

The Church has the single most important role to play:

[Eph 3:10-11]

10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God made known His wisdom through the Church and He expects His Church to set an example for the world to follow. But ungodly leadership in the Church has allowed Satan to persuade unbelievers in the world to discredit God and believers (God’s people)!

I am teaching A Kingdom Church at BBC, and indeed the domain of God’s Kingdom covers the entire universe – everything visible and invisible. And each individual believer has a significant role to play in advancing God’s Kingdom, whether it is in the family, in the workplace, in government or in church.

God’s original intent is that top leadership is male – father in a family, male boss in a workplace, male president or prime minister in government and male pastor in a church. But when men fail God in exercising leadership God’s way, women rise up to take the leadership role!

Mothers are raising up families; bosses in workplaces can be both male & female in the modern world; women are taking up top leadership in government in many nations and we have seen women as top leaders in ministries. Although not ideal, I believe God would rather see good female leadership than poor male leadership governing His world!

Now, as a Christian in the marketplace, I am trying to introduce Godly principles in leadership. Recently I gave a talk on Principles of Good Leadership in our company. Although good leadership includes many aspects, I set out 5 aspects using the word DREAM (i.e. dream leadership :)). I used 5 principles in a workplace context:

D for Delegation

One particular boss in our company does not know how to delegate. He micro-manages the projects, resulting in a lack of ownership and frustration of his sub-ordinates. Lack of ownership leads to lack of responsibility and pride in the work they do. The boss also ended up doing a lot of the junior work himself!

R for Respect

Every worker is valuable because he or she can contribute to the success of a project, if motivated correctly. In this sense, every worker deserves respect. A good leader needs to recognize the strengths of his or her sub-ordinates and assign them in roles that will maximize their strengths and optimize the performance of the project team.

E for Example

Good leaders lead by example. When we expect our sub-ordinates to work hard, we should not be taking time off to play golf or shopping during office hours :). When we expect them to work smart, good leaders should teach the principles of working smart and apply them to their own lives.

One recent example was that I taught my sub-ordinates the importance of having a strong and healthy body and the ways to achieve and maintain it. By way of example, I shared with them what I do. When they see a 62 year old working hard and energetic and not falling sick easily, they may want to follow :).

A for Authority

A good boss cannot expect someone to be responsible for a project without providing the right level of authority. This includes support of resources and manpower.

Recently, we are getting complains from the client on a number of projects because a certain project engineer did a sloppy job. But the truth was that he did not get enough support from management!

M for Mothering

Mothering includes both encouragement and discipline. When someone does a good job, the boss should praise the person for a job well done. This builds loyalty and trust. On the other hand, a mistake should be corrected and bad behavior should be disciplined out of love [Prov. 13:24, Prov. 29:15].

I look forward to seeing the above principles being implemented in our company as my way of seeing God’s Kingdom advancing in the marketplace :).

A nation will be blessed when its king follow God’s principles. “Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.” [Ps 72:1-11 NIV]

God demonstrates His ways through the nation of Israel in the Bible. When people of God did not walk according to God’s principles, He disciplined them. “…..when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman's monthly uncleanness in my sight. So I poured out my wrath on them……I dispersed them among the nations……for it was said of them, 'These are the LORD's people, and yet they had to leave his land……the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.” [Ezek 36:16-28 NIV]

Whilst God expects leaders to lead correctly, He also expects followers to obey their leaders. ‘“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honour your father and mother" — which is the first commandment with a promise —"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."……Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.’ [Eph 6:1-8 NIV]

Many families are broken when the father commit adultery. God expects all men to love and honour the women of their youth. “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well……Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer? may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths……He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.” [Prov 5:15-23 NIV]

Amen and amen!

June 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

After 6 months of waiting and praying, I officially launch the marketplace ministry in my workplace by sending out my first message “PK COLUMN – Message No.1.2011” to all 150 staff, with the big boss’ permission. It titled INTRODUCTION, a life testimony of where I came from and where I am heading. The key points were:

1) Graduated from Hong Kong Technical College (now Hong Kong Polytechnic University) as a top student in 1969.

2) Won a place to be trained in the UK as a structural engineer.

3) Returned to Hong Kong in 1976 with a MSc(Eng) degree, a Chartered Structural Engineer status, a wife and a British Passport.

4) Joined Mott Hay & Anderson HK (now Mott MacDonald HK) as a Senior Structural Engineer in 1981.

5) Spent the next 16 years with Motts, becoming a Director in 1992. Motts was involved in 5 of the 10 mega projects in Hong Kong at the time – the HK International Airport, the Tsing Ma Bridge, the Tung Chung New Town, the North Lantau Express Way and the West Kowloon Reclamation.

6) Became the first Chinese to win the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers President’s Cup in golf in 1988.

7) Became a born-again Christian in 1991.

8) Responded to the Call of God to be a missionary in the UK in 1998, at the peak of my professional career.

9) Spent the following 12 years planting churches in many cities in UK and Europe, while working 3 days a week, initially as an Associate Professor at the London South Bank University and later as a Consultant with major consulting firms in London (the WYG Group and AECOM Europe).

10) In Jan., 2010, whilst on holiday in HK, was offered a 6-month contract with AECOM Asia as Project Manager on the iconic Station Entrance Building of the West Kowloon Terminus (WKT) of the Express Rail Link project, managing a 300 people team including Aedas (Architect), Buro Happold (Structural Engineer on the complex geometry roof), Meinhardt (M&E Engineer), ALT (Cladding Engineer), BMT (Wind Specialist), MVA (Transport Engineer), Widnell (QS) and AECOM Asia (Civil, Structural, Fire and Planning Engineers).

Then I told them that it was God’s plan for me to return to Hong Kong. The rest of the Message is reproduced in the following:

“At the beginning of 2011, I joined Canwest/DAAL as a Director through Mr. Lawrence Wong and Mr. David Au, who were long-time friends and fellow professionals.

In the 6-months of working in Canwest/DAAL, I got to know quite a few people in the company through working directly and indirectly, and through the Christian Prayer Group.

At 62, I have learnt many valuable lessons in life through over 40 years of my working life and 20 years as a Christian and a church leader. I am thankful for the full life that God has given me and I want to give all I have learnt in life back to the construction industry and my fellow professionals.

I believe I can work with you to make Canwest / DAAL

one of the top consultants in HK

and one of the best workplace that people want to join.

I know you are all working very hard. I am no exception. From Monday to Friday, I come to office at 8:00 each morning and I leave the office at 7:00 in the evening, unless I have other engagements. On weekends, I am planting a church and spend time with my family. I also constantly think about how I can improve myself and the company. You will seldom see me riding the MTR without a book in my hands, unless I was travelling with someone. :)

I believe each person is valuable and has the potential to achieve great things in life.

To reach one’s highest potential, working hard alone is not enough.

One also needs to work smart.

These may include improving all aspects of one’s life. I will share more about this in future. To achieve better results, the company will also need to improve its facilities. I understand Senior Management is taking steps in achieving this.

I will keep you posted on my thoughts and on the development of the above.”

After the message was sent, I could see the different responses, as expected. But all in all, they were positive. One of Christian Prayer Group members – a Senior Architect told me that one of her team members wanted to know more about Christianity. Praise the Lord!

My next message in the PK COLUMN will be entitled – Work Hard / Work Smart. :)

We are God’s workmanship and everyone needs the Lord. We are made to worship and we will only be satisfied when we find & worship the true God. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” [Ps 63:1-11 NIV]

Out of pride, many people still refuse to believe in the LORD of creation. They are in effect their own god. But, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you. You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" [Ezek 28:1-10 NIV]

“it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [Eph 2:1-13 NIV] This mystery of God’s plan for mankind can only be understood by those who chose to humble themselves and accept Jesus as Lord & Saviour!

“A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy…….A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor….. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” [Prov 29:1,3,6,9-11,13,20-23,25,26 NIV]

Amen and amen!

Weeks 21 & 22 (11) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

On 2nd June, at 22:35, Sebastian Matthew TSE was born in Kwong Wah Hospital, Yau Ma Tai, Kowloon, Hong Kong. About 23 hours earlier, mommy Wai-wa felt the water broke. Father Nic was not yet home, working on a late assignment. The superwoman made her own way to the hospital by taxi, after descending the 100 steps of their 5 storey building by herself. Nic met her in the hospital a few minutes later.

Kim and I went to the hospital the next evening to visit Wai-wa, who was already in the Labour Ward. I prayed for her for a smooth delivery and for God’s protection of both mother and child. I have forgotten to ask God to remove the birth pain, but praise God that Wai-wa managed to go through it later like a brave woman! The same evening Kim and I went to meet a friend for dinner in a nearby restaurant. By 22:00, Kim & I were back in the Hospital and Wai-wa was taken into the delivery room. Shortly past 22:35, Nic came out weeping uncontrollably. It was a cry of joy. Apparently he was stunned by the birth experience. He witnessed God’s amazing design firsthand!

Although Sebastian was generally healthy, weighing 6lb 6oz, he had a minor infection. The doctor put him on antibiotics. So he was housed in an incubator and strapped to a drip for the duration of the drug. It had been most difficult for the parents, being separated physically from him for a period of some 5 days!

Because only the parents were allowed to visit Sebastian during the incubator time, daddy had been taking lots of pictures and videos and kept us updated on Sebastian's development on Facebook. The parents said he seemed to look bigger every day, always hungry for more milk. :)

I praise and thank God for the smooth delivery, a natural birth without any surgical aid. But Wai-wa has always been an amazingly tough woman. She is also a handy woman around the house. Our son Nic is a blessed man indeed!

Sebastian is our first grandchild. It is a surreal feeling to become a grandpa for the very first time at the age of 62. Also in July, I will fly to Vancouver to celebrate my father’s 100th birthday. It would be great to have a picture of the 4 of us – great grandpa, grandpa, daddy and Sebastian!

As I write, Sebastian is still not yet home. Whilst I cannot wait to meet and hold him, hopefully in just a few days’ time, I composed the following poem to welcome him:

Hi Sebby

Sebastian 敬 Matthew 予 is your name,

given by your parents Wai-wa and Nicholas.

Your family name Tse 謝 stands for thanks-giving,

thus your full name means “Thanking The Reverent for His Gift”.

God says you were fearfully and wonderfully made,

how true indeed is His Word.

We saw you grown in your mummy’s tummy,

since the happy announcement some 7 months ago.

Despite of God’s perfect plan,

you were born into an imperfect world.

I know your minor infection is only a blip,

because I am sure the Almighty will see you through.

God says children's children are a crown to the aged,

indeed you have made an old man very proud!

I praise and thank God for a smooth delivery,

that both you and mummy were safe.

I cannot wait to see you face to face,

and give you a big welcome hug and kiss.

Little Sebby is God’s workmanship and he belongs to God. That applies to every creature that ever lived. "The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth…..He summons the heavens above, and the earth……."…every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine……for the world is mine, and all that is in it. [Ps 50:1-6, 9-12 NIV]

People who fail to recognize the Lordship and Sovereignty of God today will one day be shocked. "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it……Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives……And then you will know that I am the LORD.'" [Ezek 13:13-23 NIV]

Here I would like to borrow Apostle Paul’s words to exhort you - "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses……in hard work….in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on……sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. [2 Cor 6:1-10 NIV]

These are God’s Word for all of us. “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. The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. 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……Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. [Prov 16:1-7,11,20,33 NIV] In my 20 years of walking in the LORD, I certainly can testify to it.

Amen and amen!