Weeks 15 & 16 (11) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism is a rich resource of Christian learning. One Occasional Paper I came across is No. 40 - Marketplace Ministry.

Mark Greene says in “Evangelism Isn’t Working” that the workplace is incredibly strategic for mission and ministry. We spend 50 to 70% of our waking hours there. It is:

• the one place where Christians and non-Christians have to meet

• the one place where the playing field is even, where Christians and non-Christians are subject to the same corporate culture and the same pressures

• the one place where the non-Christians can actually see the difference that Christ can make to a life – not for a couple of hours over dinner but for 20, 30, 40, 50 hours a week over a couple of years or more.

Often the people who know us well don’t live next door; they work at the next desk. Many TV shows are set in the workplace – police, law firms, offices, hospitals. That’s where the drama and life-changing decisions take place.

We need a rediscovery of the priesthood, prophethood and kingship of all believers, teaching/pasturing, proclaiming and wisely ruling/managing God’s people and creation respectively [Jeremiah 18:18].

Spirituality is about discovering and responding to the presence and purposes of God in every context, every task, every relationship and every moment of every day.

The dominant model of spirituality in today’s evangelical community depends heavily upon ‘monastic’ practices of withdrawal and disengagement. The following comparisons highlight the problem.

The ‘Spiritual’ Realm vs The Marketplace

Withdrawal vs Engagement

Solitude vs Community
Silence vs Noise
Stillness vs Movement

Serenity vs Chaos

Peace vs Stress

Simplicity vs Complexity

Meditation vs Multi-tasking

Order vs Interruption

Centred vs Scattered

Focused vs Busyness

Seriousness vs Humour

Quietness vs Raised voices

In order for Christians who spend a large part of their daily life in the marketplace to discern and respond to the presence of God ‘in every moment of every day’, we need models of spirituality that engage the realities and challenges of daily life in the marketplace and not away from it.

The post-conversion counseling commonly given to a new convert comprises (i) begin daily Bible reading and prayer; (ii) find a Bible-believing church to attend and (iii) tell someone about your decision. These 3 indicators, commonly known as ‘edge’ activities become the measure of spirituality of the believer. But what do the daily activities of work, recreation, sleep, shopping, friendship, family life, eating, commuting – activities that take up so much of the average Christian’s day – have to do with living in the presence of God?

Marketplace Christians can expand their understanding of spiritual discipline – typically understood as ‘edge’ activities – to include activities more often associated with the everyday. If a spiritual discipline is broadly understood as any activity undertaken intentionally and routinely that nurtures us into the likeness of Christ, then such activities as nurturing friendship, acts of service, perseverance, providing for the family, community building, the sharing of meals, attentive listening, helping a colleague, doing one’s best in the job etc. can be embraced in a new and liberating way.

Marketplace Christians can reclaim aspect of their work as spiritually significant when they see what they do as a reflection of the work of God. A simple exercise list of some of the working roles of God – Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Judge, Architect, Gardener, Healer, Teacher, Reconciler, Administrator – and then to reflect on what aspects of his or her daily work connect with the work of God.

Marketplace Christians can find support and fellowship in naming and responding to the presence of God in their work by linking up with other Christians in similar profession or fields of work.

Spirituality in the marketplace is not an exercise in solitude but one pursued in community.

Indeed our job in the marketplace can be a mission and a ministry if what we do glorifies God. God is glorified when our activities reflect His glory.

Being Christ-like in a predominantly secular world is challenging, to say the least. And we can only do so with God’s help. God will back us up when we walk in His way. God will come to our help when we cry out to Him. “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends……..I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD…….Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you…….Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. [Ps 31:9-18 NIV]

For us to be an effective Marketplace Christian, we need to have confidence in the might of our God. "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses……."Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He…..is the Maker of all things…….the LORD Almighty is his name. [Jer 51:12-19 NIV]

Marketplace Christians can grow spiritually if they are determined to do God’s bidding in a secular world. They shall not remain as babies like the Corinthians whom Apostle Paul addressed. “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready………So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow…….By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds…….If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work…..” [1 Cor 3:1-15 NIV]

Let us seek God’s knowledge, understanding and wisdom. “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers…….[Prov 24:3-7 NIV]

Amen and amen!

Weeks 13 & 14 (11) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

With Easter coming, one remembers the Passover Lamb Jesus and the Feast of Passover that the Jews still celebrate each Jewish New year.

History tells us that our Chinese ancestors worship the God of Heaven who created all things. It could not be further from the truth to claim that Buddhism is the national religion of the Chinese. All one needs to look at are the similarities between ancient Chinese worship and the Old Testament practices in the Bible.

1) Chinese New Year / Jewish New Year (Passover)

The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites how to celebrate the New year (Passover).

[Ex 12:1-6 NIV]

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household…….The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect…….Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.

In the New Year, the Chinese offer suckling pig (instead of suckling lamb) to their idol of worship and put new writings of blessings on red papers (blood coloured) on the door frame to protect the household and to warn off evil spirits.

[Ex 12:7-8 NIV]

8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.

In the New Year, the Chinese eat steamed cakes without yeast.

[Ex 12:19 NIV]

19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses…….

The Chinese have New Year housing cleaning to remove all the molds (yeast) in hidden places.

2) The Most Holy Place

The Most Holy Place, where God dwells, is separated from the Holy Place by a curtain. Only the High Priest is allowed to enter it once a year, to seek God’s forgiveness and blessings for His people.

[Ex 26:33 NIV]

Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

The Chinese also have a curtain in front of the god figure or idol of worship.

3) Blood

Old Testament – animal sacrifice

[Lev 1:5 NIV]

He is to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

New Testament – Jesus the perfect sacrifice

[Heb 9:12 NIV]

He (Jesus) did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

Red (colour of blood) is the main colour theme in the Chinese altars and places of worship.

4) Incense burning

Incense burning as an offering to God is found in Chinese worship, not found in other religions. It is similar to the Altar of incense found in the Old Testament which God instructed Moses to build. It has 4 horns at the 4 corners, which one can find in Chinese altars or places of worship.

[Ex 30:1-4 NIV]

"Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high — its horns of one piece with it. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.

5) Idol worship

God commanded the Israelites to worship Him alone, the one who brought them out of slavery in Egypt.

[Ex 20:23 NIV]

Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.

Sadly today, a lot of Chinese worship all kinds of wooden or stone idols made by human hands, exactly the sort of thing God commanded the Israelites not to do.

6) Chinese writing

There are many Chinese words that have meanings connected to stories in the Bible. One outstanding example is the word “righteousness”. It consists of the word “lamb” and “I”, i.e. I am righteous through the Lamb Jesus in me.

I can believe that our Chinese ancestors worshipped the God of Heaven.

I pray and hope that the day will come when many Chinese will find their root and return to worshipping the true God!

Christians have a continuous relationship and dependence on God through prayers. We cry out to God in times of need and trouble; we cry out to God for mercy & grace. Prayer and worship are active demonstration of our faith and trust in God. “To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place……Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. [Ps 28:1-7 NIV]

It is most insightful to see how God deal with a rebellious people, His chosen people. They will be punished by God when they disobey, yet God will save them at the end when they repent. “The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past," declares the LORD. "Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you," declares the LORD. "Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished." [Jer 46:25-28 NIV] We should understand this principle as God’s people. God disciplines us because He loves us!

As we walk with God, we will understand God’s way more. If we persevere with God even in tough times, we will grow in faith and gain God’s wisdom and power. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power…….as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" [1 Cor 2:1-9 NIV]

Our Lord God is in control of everything that goes on in the world. “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice……..There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. [Prov 21:1-3,30,31 NIV]

Amen and amen!