Sir, Can You Spare a Chopstick?

*Caution: my keyoard is roken, so the second letter of the alphaet really doesn't work

I enjoy reading missionary stories of those who have gone before us to clear the path so that we can walk the one God has called us to. One thing that they all had in common was the desire to do as the Father said, and in doing so, they were willing to lay down their lives -- and often their childrens lives.
I wonder how deep does my commitment run? Am I willing to e placed in the hands of those who hate me ecause of my Lord, and then allow them to do the same to my children?
I was thinking of these things while Jonathan and I were alone on a grocery shopping trip. Somehow, it's on these child-less trips that God rings to us the people of the street. I'm sure they're always there, ut when I am with my children I am in mommy-mode making sure they are safe and hardly have a chance to look up and around.
A man -- who had apparently een drinking -- asked us for some chopsticks. A simple request. Then he went into more Mandarin than my simple Ni Hao (hello)-level could decipher. I told him I don't understand him. ut somehow in the Spirit I knew I needed to just "listen" to him with my heart.
At times his voice seemed soft and pleading, other times his eyes and words were piercing me with sharp tones. All the while all I could feel was total compassion and love for this man. This man, for all I know, could e cursing my "foreign-ness."
God had answered a portion of my question that night. Yes, I could love like the man ecause Jesus is with me. I purchased a $1.50 candle holder from that store to remind me that my little light could shine for Him, the One who is the Light of the World.

Meekness Isn't Weakness

This week I'm teaching about gentleness twice. Hmm, God must want me to know something about gentleness. So, I thought I'd share my thoughts with you ...

As I minister to the people here in China I only have one solution to any of their problems … Jesus Christ … all roads lead to the cross.

It’s at the end of this same road that we will find the answer to the question, “what is gentleness?” How can we live a life of gentleness? All I can say is “Jesus Christ!”

When we ponder that day on the cross almost two thousand years ago, “gentleness” is probably the last thing on our minds.

But in the moments before the final nail was hammered, before the wooden cross was put in place, before our Christ said “It is finished” we witness total obedience and can’t help but wonder, “how would we have reacted if we were in His place?”

The prophet Isaiah knew hundreds of years before what Jesus would choose to do … “He was beaten down and made to suffer. But he didn’t open his mouth. He was led away like a sheep to be killed. Lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn’t open his mouth.” 43:7

The prophet gives us the picture of the coming King being like a lamb – the perfect sacrifice. But what I want to focus in on is the temperament of a lamb. What is a lamb like? It’s gentle.

In the same way, Jesus shows us true gentleness lived out. In those hours before his death, he was beaten, stripped naked, mocked and spat upon.

Yet He didn’t resist.

Pilate says to him, “Don’t you know that I have the power to crucify you?”

Yet He didn’t resist. He remained gentle.

The chief priests and Jews chanted, “Crucify him, crucify him!”

Yet He didn’t resist. He remained gentle.

Why did the King of Kings allow Himself to be as gentle as a lamb? How did He endure the ridicule and abuse with such grace and mercy? Because before the beginning of time, the Father had a plan for Him. It was the greatest rescue mission ever conceived and ever accomplished.

So in total obedience and agreement to the Father’s plan He walked the path that led to the cross.

I think it’s the same way for us. When we no longer have to fight for our own plans, our own agendas, or protect our own reputation and self-interests, then we are able to walk in the freedom that God wants for us. When we are truly going after and obeying His commands knowing without a doubt that we are where He wants us to be, doing what He has planned for us to do then we can walk in gentleness. And through our gentleness and submission, He can accomplish amazing things.

Justice's Experience

 There I stood my eyes darting around the strange place… on April 19-20 I went to Liannan, a town north of Guangzhou. After living in the city of Guangzhou, I knew that this would be an adventure! There the schools don’t teach English (in Guangzhou they teach English in the schools). 

We went to a ‘ethnic minority village’ on the 20^th. They wear traditional clothing and are poorer than most people. Their village is deep in the mountains (about a 15-20 minute drive). We saw women and men working in their rice fields. A few lucky ones have their fields next to the village, while others need to walk for two hours to get to their fields.

There the village is very sensitive and the chief won’t allow Christians to teach about the Bible in the schools. I felt strange as I wandered through the village. They need our prayers. Memorize these verses and when you pray for them repeat these words: ¹Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my [prayer]. ²Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. ³My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm5:1-3 (KJV) ²Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2(KJV) and: ¹⁷Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. ¹⁸He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. Psalm 5:17-18(KJV) also: ¹Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. ²From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed [.]

Keep praying for them because they’re made in God’s image. In Matthew 28:19-20 it speaks Jesus’ final words: ¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy [Spirit]: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)

Pray and ask God what is your call? I would like to see more people on the mission field. One source estimates that there are about 400,000-700,000 Christian missionaries, not including short term missionaries; but that does not even come close to the 6.8 billion people around the world! “The Lord would expect everyone who believes in Him to be a missionary, but those who serve full time missions must run into many thousands.” Anonymous.

Thanks for reading,

Justice

Created for a purpose

There are some moments that are so God-breathed you can feel His pleasure and goodness all around you … this was one of those times.

We spent the week sharing with four college students about the love of the Creator and why they were created.

Day 1: Who are you – discovering your gifts and talents God gave you. We did a “Chopped” style challenge to create works of art. Just as the chefs needed to use everything in their baskets, God also asks us to use everything we were created with.

Day 2 & 3: Dealing with disappointment – what happens when things don’t go the way you want? The movie “Soul Surfer” inspired us to continue to follow our dreams and use it for God’s glory no matter what happens.

Day 4: Shunde's Got Talent – celebrating our gifts. We enjoyed seeing “how fearfully and wonderfully made” each of us are!

Day 5: We were made for others – following the greatest commandment to love God and love others. Each group was given a mission to follow God’s leading on how to be a light to those around them.

And the winner is ...

There seems to be a measuring stick for everything. How good you are doing at school, how much weight you have lost, how much your investments have grown (or not) ...

But somehow there's not a fool-proof way to rate our success in China the same way that the world does. There's no percentage scale, numbers or letter grade that could accurately portray our time here.

At times the non-information makes me feel anxious. I wonder if I'm doing a good job? Am I doing enough? Have I shared the gospel enough? Did I do it well? Did I turn someone away from God? The doubts and questions can go on and on.

But, in God's lovingkindness He reminds me that what He's after is my obedience -- is my heart so fully submitted and abandoned to Him that that's the only thing that matters to me? It's in those moments that I need to step away from believing that the fate of the world depends on me, and remember that it rests on Him.

Whose measuring stick are you standing next to?

Screaming Without Words

I saw her even before I saw her sign.

She was sitting there, hunched over, hood on, face to the ground, a nameless person on the streets of Guangzhou.

I knelt beside her and put my hand around her.

I asked if she spoke English. Nothing. I explained in Chinese that I don't speak Mandarin. Nothing.
I came around to her front and looked into her face and said, "I see you. I see your pain. God sees your pain and He loves you. And we love you. You were made with a plan and you have a purpose."

I silently prayed.

As I walked away I knew full well that she could be a fraud, there are so many in the city. After all, who just carries around a piece of chalk to scribble on the sidewalk?

But, one thing is certain. She is a girl who somewhere along the way got broken.

We're all broken in some way.

Thank God that He is the master craftsman who can put us back together!

Loving the Unlovely

One of our main ministries is to go into a company and run an English Corner Bible study, which means the people have a chance to speak with a native English speaker and we teach them about the Bible.

This was set up by a Christian manager, who has since left the company.  The new management is allowing us to continue teaching from the Bible, but wants us to include other “more interesting” things like celebrity gossip, sports stars and songs.
I explained that wasn’t the heart of why I come every week and that I’m more interested in seeing lives changed than in talking about the latest fashion trends.

Last week’s teaching was about servanthood and loving the unlovely (Luke 6:32, 33, 35, 36). I issued a challenge to the group and encouraged them to show love to someone they didn’t particularly love.

A couple of testimonies came back, but one man’s really touched my heart. He had grown up with a friend from his hometown. But, as they grew older, there were things about his friend that he didn’t like. So he avoided him for the past five years.

As soon as he heard the week’s challenge, God (but he doesn’t recognize it as God) put his friend on his mind. He took the step of faith and called up the friend and invited him to go back to their hometown together because it was a national holiday. The man said he felt so much happiness in his heart when he called his friend on the phone!

This is real, lasting change that you can’t get from a supermarket tabloid!