Lightness of being#47 Formosa (27 July 2014)
Dear....
'The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that we can pray. And above all love each other deeply....'
1 Peter 4:7-8
Curiosity kills the cat. In my case, it did not happen as my attempt to experience the recent typhoon Matmo from the rooftop of my Taipei hotel died a still death, as the hotel closed off that level to all and sunder.
Formosa, the beautiful land, a name the Portuguese of old ascribed to the slice of verdant land off the Chinese mainland. The less populated mountainous east of Taiwan, a lovely stretch facing the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, took the brunt of typhoon Matmo.
It was a mighty storm, with collateral damage, but not on the scale to evoke the sense of impending doom. But if it were, would we as committed children of our Sovereign God be willing and able to live out the above verse 1 Peter 4:7-8?
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14
Save for the detour to Vietnam in May, our good Lord has, in the past one year, brought me to the troika that He has called me to back in April 2009. China, Japan and Thailand. What underlines these three countries is the spiritual stirring in what was once and still is very hard ground. And what about Taiwan? A largely Buddhist/Taoist oriented population, yet a hybrid of China/Japan as a result of the confluence of history. For Japan was gifted Taiwan by the defeated Qing Dynasty, and the fifty odd years of Japanese rule ended only in 1945, only for the fleeing Chinese Nationalist(KMT) to make Taiwan their last stand, in the face of Mao Tse Tung's communist onslaught.
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:15
On my first near one week trip to this lovely and friendly land, God provided me the opportunity to make acquaintances of very nice devout Buddhist business counterparts , but also the privilege of gathering with a small congregation of a newly planted church. A handful of very committed Christians, who have managed to bring in an equal number of non Christians to their Sunday worship.
This speaks volumes of the enormous tasks at hand, yet showcases the broad possibilities of a largely unreached population.
The near 6 hours two way trek was tiring, but meaningful. And it pales in comparison to this non Christian local lady who regularly made the arduous journey( from another town) of lugging her two young boys to attend Church service. The oasis of love exuded in this small Church draws the spiritually hungry to our Lord.
"Lord, help me remember that there are no small places or small people. All are precious in Your sight. May I see the value of my work and cherish it as You do."
( Our Daily Bread Sunday July 20)
But much more needs to be done to share the good news of the gospel.
The deaths of many in the air disaster in the storm buffeted island of Penghu just 3 days after brings home this stark truth exclaimed in Romans 10:14.
'For the vision is yet for an appointed time; ..... it will surely come.'
Habakkuk 2:3
The deeds of men cannot thwart the purposes of God( Our Daily Bread Sunday July 27).
Like most, there are times I do feel quite overwhelmed by circumstances and people around me. Do we still have the capacity to minister to our neighbors, to love them more than ourselves?
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
你恩典够我用
With men, it is nigh impossible. But with a God all things are more than possible.
These past two years journey of actively placing God above all else has not been without its struggles. The dichotomy though is in the lessons learned. When I focused less on Him and instead upon my self preservation, I literally drown in my woeful understanding. But when I totally let go and let God, it has always been a delightful experience of joy and peace, as I witness His grace and power work through me.
Therefore turn thou to thy God:keep mercy and judgment,and wait on thy God continually.
Hosea 12:
As people who are blessed to have the veil lifted from our hearts. Knowing about God is not the end all. Knowing Him is what we must work on, for it will be dreadful come the day we meet our Maker, and He does not know us. And beyond our comfort zone, out there are many who knows not the love of God. It is not just our call, but privilege that God chose us to be His lamp.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:2
God blesses
Eng Hieang
27 July 2014
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,and not to covetousness.
Psalms 119:36
