y'know how as young people clean up their room, they try to take a shortcut and put all the dirty laundry in the closet so that as their parents glance in the room, they think it's clean? (i did that once, and my mom opened my closet in front of many aunties thinking it was clean only be undelightfully shocked. )
my point is, if we just glance, yea, it's not bad, but when we take a good look, we'll see that it's not as clean as we thought.
it's the same here in Taiwan.
from the 80s to now, the number of missionaries have dropped significantly. In the early 90s, there were at least 90 OMF missionaries total for Taiwan. now, there are only 30.
the Baptists decided that Taiwan was reached and so moved most of their resources and energies to China leaving their Taiwanese pastors with little spiritual support.
I can't speak for the other organizations, but i won't be surprised if they had a significant drop for Taiwan.
It's true, Taiwan is democratic government. We don't have to worry about getting twitter and youtube blocked from our computers. We don't have to worry about getting arressted and/or deported for passing tracts out to people on the streets. The Taiwanese don't have to worry about the government censoring sermons. Truth can be spoken without legal consequence.
but
most christians here have quite a lot of money and status. there are churches in Taiwan. You come to Taipei, you'll see crosses everywhere in the mix of religious symbols. I'm sure the big cities of Taichung and Kaohsiung have plenty of churches as well. but there's a problem
just because you see churches doesn't mean that they're all healthy. the Presbyterian Church here has been hurt by a certain political party so much that many won't be able to see someone from that party as a brother or sister in Christ. some would go as far to say that if you can't speak Taiwanese, they won't accept you.
unhealthy churches aren't the only problem. Statistics say that Taiwan is 5% Christian. Many missionaries would disagree because some will say they are, but they don't live a Christian life. If you asked a common citizen the difference between Protestant Christianity and Mormanism, they'd say they're the same exact thing. If we're going to give a more precise statistic, I'd say 2%, and most of this percent is made up of people in the middle-upper class economically.
the most unreached are the working class; the taxi drivers, the restaurant workers, the vendors, the sales reps at the mall, etc.
so to answer the question: is Taiwan reached?
the answer is NO.
appearances and be deceiving. we have churches, but many are unhealthy. the working class probably know this Jesus name, but have no clue what He has to do with us, and if and when they do, it'll take them a very long time to accept any of it becaus they've never experienced this Jesus, and they don't know people who've experienced this Jesus. Christian witness is very low.
I believe God will do great things for Taiwan in the future. I hope that you will participate in this great work. I hope God opens your eyes to see that there is a HUGE need in Taiwan. don't let the surface deceive you. if you search deeper, you'll see a huge, dark, ugly void.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ministry 101
Before moving here, my purpose was to 1) learn Chinese, 2) check out different ministries, and 3) get to know the people of Taiwan and their needs.
Something that God has been teaching me since moving here is how to do ministry.
1) Always, ALWAYS do ministry WITH PURPOSE. routine, popularity, and even fun, are secondary to the purpose set before us. all the components/activities of the day should serve that purpose: sm groups, games, crafts, etc.
2) the purpose should gear towards the needs of the people you are ministering. it sounds easy, but what i'm trying to say is that sometimes over time, we need to change our purpose according to the needs of the people. people change.
3) Sin boldly, make mistakes boldly...because that's when grace is even greater and we experience God's love, forgiveness, and grace (or let's hope that our co-workers can do the same)
4) If you're in a team, teamwork is ESSENTIAL. as a team, we need to know who's in charge, what is most important for what we want to teach that day, and to know each other as humans, individuals, friends. we need to trust each other's motives and hearts. but also be able to accept constructive criticism and be able to speak the truth in love.
5) Open and honest communication is important.
6) Be flexible.
7) Plan ahead. If you're in charge of a certain lesson, give yourself ample time to plan out what you will say and do and if unexpected things come up, how you'd respond. bring this lesson before God. Let him do the work. if you're nervous, ask God to calm your heart. Not planning ahead is not just a disadvantage to yourself, but you're cheating the people you're ministering out of some good things. but remember, God's grace is sufficient as well.
8) Let go. sometimes as leaders we don't feel like our coworkers can do the work; only we can do it effectively and right. this will lead to a burnt out soul. it's the same as not trusting God to work through them.
9) you don't need status to have an impact. we don't have to be on the forefront to be influential. we don't have to be on stage all the time or up front and center to have an impact on their life.
10) be teachable. granted we're doing the ministry of Jesus Christ, He still has stuff to teach us on how to teach and love like He does. our love for Jesus Christ is never perfect.
10 seems like a good number for now.
Something that God has been teaching me since moving here is how to do ministry.
1) Always, ALWAYS do ministry WITH PURPOSE. routine, popularity, and even fun, are secondary to the purpose set before us. all the components/activities of the day should serve that purpose: sm groups, games, crafts, etc.
2) the purpose should gear towards the needs of the people you are ministering. it sounds easy, but what i'm trying to say is that sometimes over time, we need to change our purpose according to the needs of the people. people change.
3) Sin boldly, make mistakes boldly...because that's when grace is even greater and we experience God's love, forgiveness, and grace (or let's hope that our co-workers can do the same)
4) If you're in a team, teamwork is ESSENTIAL. as a team, we need to know who's in charge, what is most important for what we want to teach that day, and to know each other as humans, individuals, friends. we need to trust each other's motives and hearts. but also be able to accept constructive criticism and be able to speak the truth in love.
5) Open and honest communication is important.
6) Be flexible.
7) Plan ahead. If you're in charge of a certain lesson, give yourself ample time to plan out what you will say and do and if unexpected things come up, how you'd respond. bring this lesson before God. Let him do the work. if you're nervous, ask God to calm your heart. Not planning ahead is not just a disadvantage to yourself, but you're cheating the people you're ministering out of some good things. but remember, God's grace is sufficient as well.
8) Let go. sometimes as leaders we don't feel like our coworkers can do the work; only we can do it effectively and right. this will lead to a burnt out soul. it's the same as not trusting God to work through them.
9) you don't need status to have an impact. we don't have to be on the forefront to be influential. we don't have to be on stage all the time or up front and center to have an impact on their life.
10) be teachable. granted we're doing the ministry of Jesus Christ, He still has stuff to teach us on how to teach and love like He does. our love for Jesus Christ is never perfect.
10 seems like a good number for now.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Learning the Hard Way
My Bible reading partner and I have been going through the book of Daniel, and we're at Daniel 5. After reading and listening to some of Chuck Swindoll's thoughts on this chapter, I am reminded of something a friend of mine said to me that i couldn't agree with, 覺得不以為然. she said, "I find it more meaningful if I learn something the hard way."
I remember clearly how I was telling her about my parents and how I (hopefully most of the time) heed their advice because for some reason they're pretty much right all the time. She looked at me and was nodding her head as if saying, "okay, i guess that works well for you, but not for me." And we don't just hear advice from parents, we hear it from other brothers and sisters in the Body. At such times, it's even harder to hear than the advice and exhortations of our own parents.
sure, learning something the hard way is effective in teaching you what you need to learn, but it also brings so much unnecessary baggage. I am reminded of the Israelites who lived 40 years in the desert. Learning the hard way meant that they would never get to see the Promise Land. And as I read Daniel 5, I am reminded that not heeding advice or not learning from the mistakes of others is not only something that disallows you from experience something great, but it is a mark of arrogance.
Israelites were hesitant to go in because they were fearful. They didn't believe in God's promise that this was it. In another way, Belshazzar knew of his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar's 7 years of turmoil (see Daniel 4). He knew of all the warnings that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar in dreams. I'm not sure if Belshazzar knew this, but the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians was recorded in both Jeremiah and Isaiah, YEARS before Babylon was ever established. Nevertheless, he was forewarned.
Yet in the midst of being attacked, he still held a banquet for 1,000 as if being under seige was nothing serious. He even fearlessly took vessels that were meant to worship YHWH and use it in his boisterous and shameless party. Talk about not giving any heed to anything he's seen since childhood. He's seen and heard of the Most High God's acts and deeds. He's seen how God did certain things to show of his omnipotent power. Yet he still acted as if the God Most High didn't exist, as if he was the "master of his own fate, the captain of his soul."
Not heeding advice is like saying,"Yea thanks for telling me, but I think I'll still do it my way because I know better and you have no clue what you're talking about. It is a possbility you're right, but I'll still do it my way thank you very much." There's so much arrogance in these words. We say and feel this stuff many times, and yet we're still deaf and blind to our own arrogance.
O Lord, open our eyes and ears. May we receive your Word with open hearts, may we heed your warnings, may we hear it as an act of love and not condemnation.
I remember clearly how I was telling her about my parents and how I (hopefully most of the time) heed their advice because for some reason they're pretty much right all the time. She looked at me and was nodding her head as if saying, "okay, i guess that works well for you, but not for me." And we don't just hear advice from parents, we hear it from other brothers and sisters in the Body. At such times, it's even harder to hear than the advice and exhortations of our own parents.
sure, learning something the hard way is effective in teaching you what you need to learn, but it also brings so much unnecessary baggage. I am reminded of the Israelites who lived 40 years in the desert. Learning the hard way meant that they would never get to see the Promise Land. And as I read Daniel 5, I am reminded that not heeding advice or not learning from the mistakes of others is not only something that disallows you from experience something great, but it is a mark of arrogance.
Israelites were hesitant to go in because they were fearful. They didn't believe in God's promise that this was it. In another way, Belshazzar knew of his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar's 7 years of turmoil (see Daniel 4). He knew of all the warnings that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar in dreams. I'm not sure if Belshazzar knew this, but the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians was recorded in both Jeremiah and Isaiah, YEARS before Babylon was ever established. Nevertheless, he was forewarned.
Yet in the midst of being attacked, he still held a banquet for 1,000 as if being under seige was nothing serious. He even fearlessly took vessels that were meant to worship YHWH and use it in his boisterous and shameless party. Talk about not giving any heed to anything he's seen since childhood. He's seen and heard of the Most High God's acts and deeds. He's seen how God did certain things to show of his omnipotent power. Yet he still acted as if the God Most High didn't exist, as if he was the "master of his own fate, the captain of his soul."
Not heeding advice is like saying,"Yea thanks for telling me, but I think I'll still do it my way because I know better and you have no clue what you're talking about. It is a possbility you're right, but I'll still do it my way thank you very much." There's so much arrogance in these words. We say and feel this stuff many times, and yet we're still deaf and blind to our own arrogance.
O Lord, open our eyes and ears. May we receive your Word with open hearts, may we heed your warnings, may we hear it as an act of love and not condemnation.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
God's always on our side, but the real question is...
are we?
Joshua is about to go take the promise land back from Jericho. In his past experience, it's always been about war whoops, swords, horses, and bloodshed, just like any other war. but Jericho seems impossible. They've got the thickest walls that anyone has ever seen. How could they ever penetrate that monster of a wall?
Then this dude comes up to him while he's alone, and this dude's got his sword drawn. my first thought would be, "shoot. i'm gonna die." the other would be "is he on my side or Jericho's?" Joshua asks this question to this man (which i think is kinda brave of him, and the angel says "neither."
neither....
normally, a man like that would say his or his enemies, but he says neither and proceeds to say he's a commander of the army of God....
neither...
i mean, why would he say that? it's so strange. i've never really known the meaning of it until this past week when Vickie shared from the pulpit.
the question shouldn't be whether God is on our side, but if we are on His.
God will always be on our side. He always has been. We may not think so bc of the wars, poverty, famine, and broken hearts, but y'see...it's bc we don't choose him. It's bc we as a human race are not on His side. The scary thing is is that what happens if we choose to be on His side? will we get what WE want?
my question is, does that really matter? how long will that last you? most likely just this lifetime you have here on earth, but we have a chance to have something GREAT that will last for eternity.
nothing is ever more important that our relationship with God.
Joshua is about to go take the promise land back from Jericho. In his past experience, it's always been about war whoops, swords, horses, and bloodshed, just like any other war. but Jericho seems impossible. They've got the thickest walls that anyone has ever seen. How could they ever penetrate that monster of a wall?
Then this dude comes up to him while he's alone, and this dude's got his sword drawn. my first thought would be, "shoot. i'm gonna die." the other would be "is he on my side or Jericho's?" Joshua asks this question to this man (which i think is kinda brave of him, and the angel says "neither."
neither....
normally, a man like that would say his or his enemies, but he says neither and proceeds to say he's a commander of the army of God....
neither...
i mean, why would he say that? it's so strange. i've never really known the meaning of it until this past week when Vickie shared from the pulpit.
the question shouldn't be whether God is on our side, but if we are on His.
God will always be on our side. He always has been. We may not think so bc of the wars, poverty, famine, and broken hearts, but y'see...it's bc we don't choose him. It's bc we as a human race are not on His side. The scary thing is is that what happens if we choose to be on His side? will we get what WE want?
my question is, does that really matter? how long will that last you? most likely just this lifetime you have here on earth, but we have a chance to have something GREAT that will last for eternity.
nothing is ever more important that our relationship with God.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Since mailing out the newsletter, i've realized that it's been a while since i've posted something. I have some random thoughts here and there.
I read Joshua 7 this past week because the church I've been attending has been going through the book of Joshua these past several weeks. It was depressing chapter. Achan (everytime i read that name i think of 啊強. hahaha i guess only Chinese speaking people would understand that) had just stolen some stuff that God specifically told the Israelites to destroy. Because of this, Joshua and his army were defeated at Ai. Before Achan was found out, everyone knew that the culprit for their defeat rested on a man who disobeyed God and that this man would be stoned and burned along with everything that was his (including his family). One could see that God was giving Achan a chance to come out and confess, but he waited until the end, confessed, and met his surmise.
Normally, when reading something like this, people would rather have a happy ending where the people and God forgive Achan and they defeat the people of Ai and everyone lives happily ever after. But when i read that Achan and Achan's children were stoned and burned by the very people he lived with and has known for his entire life, my heart sunk. I thought to myself, "well, this isn't a very good ending." But as I was trying to collect my thoughts, God told me that holiness is more important. A right relationship with God is more important than anything in this world. While I hated the fact that lives had to be lost, but it was for the sake of holiness. I wonder what it was like for the Israelites that had to throw down rocks to kill Achan and his family. I wouldn't be able to do it....
I've come to notice that we as human beings try and justify things that the Bible says are clearly wrong, pushing themselves to the edge of moral behavior. They say, "eh, this doesn't really matter. What harm could it REALLY do?" the answer is, a lot. It starts to add up and become a disaster. and slowly but surely, you will be pulled so far from God, you won't know who he is anymore.
or it maybe a friend that has a bad influence on you. because they were present in your life through thick and thin, or maybe they just give you a good feeling every now and then, it's hard to leave this person behind saying,"i just can't be with you anymore because it's pulling me away from God." i bet it'll feel kinda similar to stoning your friend, and sometimes, you just aren't able to do it...
I hated to see Achan go, considering that he is a human being and that he eventually confessed, but God is still in control. God is still good, and God desires us to be holy just as he is holy so that we can have a right relationship with him. i know that to attain this level of holiness is impossible, and i know that those people who seem to have it all together disgust at times because we can't get it together. truth be told, they don't have it all together. none of us do. we all have our small moments where we disobey like Achan. but you see, the good news, the great news, is that God made a way for us to be holy so that we can once again have that same relationship with Him as Adam and Eve once had. All it takes is the simple faith that Jesus Christ was that way, and the only way. The most important thing in this world is to have a right relationship with our Creator, our God because it's the only thing that lasts beyond our lifetime here on earth. I hope that those that read this would understand that or at least contemplate on what's written here.
I read Joshua 7 this past week because the church I've been attending has been going through the book of Joshua these past several weeks. It was depressing chapter. Achan (everytime i read that name i think of 啊強. hahaha i guess only Chinese speaking people would understand that) had just stolen some stuff that God specifically told the Israelites to destroy. Because of this, Joshua and his army were defeated at Ai. Before Achan was found out, everyone knew that the culprit for their defeat rested on a man who disobeyed God and that this man would be stoned and burned along with everything that was his (including his family). One could see that God was giving Achan a chance to come out and confess, but he waited until the end, confessed, and met his surmise.
Normally, when reading something like this, people would rather have a happy ending where the people and God forgive Achan and they defeat the people of Ai and everyone lives happily ever after. But when i read that Achan and Achan's children were stoned and burned by the very people he lived with and has known for his entire life, my heart sunk. I thought to myself, "well, this isn't a very good ending." But as I was trying to collect my thoughts, God told me that holiness is more important. A right relationship with God is more important than anything in this world. While I hated the fact that lives had to be lost, but it was for the sake of holiness. I wonder what it was like for the Israelites that had to throw down rocks to kill Achan and his family. I wouldn't be able to do it....
I've come to notice that we as human beings try and justify things that the Bible says are clearly wrong, pushing themselves to the edge of moral behavior. They say, "eh, this doesn't really matter. What harm could it REALLY do?" the answer is, a lot. It starts to add up and become a disaster. and slowly but surely, you will be pulled so far from God, you won't know who he is anymore.
or it maybe a friend that has a bad influence on you. because they were present in your life through thick and thin, or maybe they just give you a good feeling every now and then, it's hard to leave this person behind saying,"i just can't be with you anymore because it's pulling me away from God." i bet it'll feel kinda similar to stoning your friend, and sometimes, you just aren't able to do it...
I hated to see Achan go, considering that he is a human being and that he eventually confessed, but God is still in control. God is still good, and God desires us to be holy just as he is holy so that we can have a right relationship with him. i know that to attain this level of holiness is impossible, and i know that those people who seem to have it all together disgust at times because we can't get it together. truth be told, they don't have it all together. none of us do. we all have our small moments where we disobey like Achan. but you see, the good news, the great news, is that God made a way for us to be holy so that we can once again have that same relationship with Him as Adam and Eve once had. All it takes is the simple faith that Jesus Christ was that way, and the only way. The most important thing in this world is to have a right relationship with our Creator, our God because it's the only thing that lasts beyond our lifetime here on earth. I hope that those that read this would understand that or at least contemplate on what's written here.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
我最好的朋友
上禮拜， 我的老師叫我們寫一片文章。她叫我們寫的題目是 “我最好的朋友。” 這跟我們念的課文完全沒有關係，不過她覺得是滿簡單的題目，所以叫我們寫。
這是我的文章：
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
吳慧苓 01.21 我最好的朋友
我最好的朋友是誰？ 一個最好的朋友應該是怎麼樣子？ 我最好的朋友永遠在我的身邊，會了解我， 也會為我做很多的事。我最好的朋友比我父母請還要關心我。 如果我有甚麼困難，他會幫助我。 雖然有的時候我對他不好，或是我忘記我以前跟他做的承諾，他還會原諒我。 不過對人家來說我最好的朋友比較奇怪因為他是無形的。他兩千年以前降生到世界上。 我最好的朋友是耶穌基督。
他怎麼是我最好的朋友？ 我不能跟他一起去逛街。我也不能跟他一起丟飛盤。不過我做錯，他會透過聖經跟我講，讓我改變。 因為他，我現在能跟上帝有關係。 這不是因為我住在美國受到西方的想法。我相信耶穌是因為我覺得他所說的是真理的。因為他， 如果我這世界上沒有別的任何的朋友，我不會孤單。如果我遇到困難的情況，我不會怕。
我知道這一定要很大的信心。耶穌是神，我怎麼幫助他？因為我是人，我沒有辦法。 不過我沒辦法，他還是這麼愛我。 太美好了！所以我全生命在他的手中。如果他要去哪裡我會去那裡。 如果他要我做甚麼事情，我會做。 雖然有的時候我會擔心，不過祂永遠不會改變。 他說甚麼，祂就會做。 我很希望全世界可以知道我所有一切的幸福是因為我相信耶穌基督是我的救主。因為祂，我沒必要犯罪，因為祂給我能力避免誘惑。 雖然我給祂的愛不完美，不過祂此給我的愛是完美的而且永遠不會改變。
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
然後，這讓我想起來一首歌：
＿＿＿＿＿＿
祂了解你， 在意你的感受，
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離
祂真愛你， 為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
無論在何處，何時，何地
祂都願意輿你為伴，不讓你孤單
你或憂，或苦，或愁，
祂都了解你心，為你分擔，
祂了解你， 在意你的感受
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離；
祂真愛你，為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
這是我的文章：
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
吳慧苓 01.21 我最好的朋友
我最好的朋友是誰？ 一個最好的朋友應該是怎麼樣子？ 我最好的朋友永遠在我的身邊，會了解我， 也會為我做很多的事。我最好的朋友比我父母請還要關心我。 如果我有甚麼困難，他會幫助我。 雖然有的時候我對他不好，或是我忘記我以前跟他做的承諾，他還會原諒我。 不過對人家來說我最好的朋友比較奇怪因為他是無形的。他兩千年以前降生到世界上。 我最好的朋友是耶穌基督。
他怎麼是我最好的朋友？ 我不能跟他一起去逛街。我也不能跟他一起丟飛盤。不過我做錯，他會透過聖經跟我講，讓我改變。 因為他，我現在能跟上帝有關係。 這不是因為我住在美國受到西方的想法。我相信耶穌是因為我覺得他所說的是真理的。因為他， 如果我這世界上沒有別的任何的朋友，我不會孤單。如果我遇到困難的情況，我不會怕。
我知道這一定要很大的信心。耶穌是神，我怎麼幫助他？因為我是人，我沒有辦法。 不過我沒辦法，他還是這麼愛我。 太美好了！所以我全生命在他的手中。如果他要去哪裡我會去那裡。 如果他要我做甚麼事情，我會做。 雖然有的時候我會擔心，不過祂永遠不會改變。 他說甚麼，祂就會做。 我很希望全世界可以知道我所有一切的幸福是因為我相信耶穌基督是我的救主。因為祂，我沒必要犯罪，因為祂給我能力避免誘惑。 雖然我給祂的愛不完美，不過祂此給我的愛是完美的而且永遠不會改變。
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
然後，這讓我想起來一首歌：
＿＿＿＿＿＿
祂了解你， 在意你的感受，
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離
祂真愛你， 為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
無論在何處，何時，何地
祂都願意輿你為伴，不讓你孤單
你或憂，或苦，或愁，
祂都了解你心，為你分擔，
祂了解你， 在意你的感受
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離；
祂真愛你，為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
Why do I serve?
Lately, I feel like I need to ask myself, why do I feel compelled to serve the Lord? And I sit here in this cafe watching this man worshiping something with incense and closed eyes, I feel even more compelled to continue in the work that God has called me to do, but I feel like I need to understand these people and that's why I'm here.
I need to clarify what I'm doing here in Taiwan, because I've been constantly asked,"How's teaching?" when I'm not here to teach.
I'm here to learn Chinese, to know it well enough for people to think I'm from Taiwan, to be able to express my feelings, and me to understand them when they do. I'm here to understand the Taiwanese people, to understand why they feel so compelled to burn "spirit money" outside or to wave incense in front of a statue. I want to know what it is they treasure the most, and show them that there's something better.
I do have a student, but that's to supplement my income.
So, back to the question, why do I serve? I'm beginning to see that some people just make up different ministries without really thinking how this ministry would benefit the public or a vision of how this ministry could be used by God. They just open it bc other churches have it, or it sounds great, and they want to have in their church as well. But without a clear vision, a clear calling, it's not going to work. you can have the man power, the gifts, or even the praises of other men, but without God's blessing, how could it possibly work?
I'm beginning to see that there's a line between going forward in something with courage, and stupidity. as long as you have God's calling and faith that He'll provide everything, that's going forward with courage. stupidity is when you go with it when it feels right, but don't have God's blessing or calling. The thing is, when people nowadays base so many decisions on their emotions, it's hard to distinguish whether this "high feeling" is God's calling or the result of something you ate 30 minutes ago. This is where we come before the Throne of God. Where we say, "God, I don't know if this is from you or the result of what i ate 30 minutes ago, but guide me. Show me what it is you want." This is when we read the Word like we should everyday. This is when we allow the Lord to speak to us.
I have a clear calling, that's why I do what I should do. And that's why I don't do what I could do. I could stay in Dallas, but God's called me here. God gave me this burden for this country to truly know Christ. I could serve at DCBC with the choir and youth group and do other stuff that I've been known to be gifted in and have been praised for, but God's told me to come here away from it all.
I'm here simply because I'm called. I try to live everyday under God's graceful guidance to see the needs here.
I do miss it in Dallas. Even as I am trying to find a new church now, I am all the more wanting the sort of fellowship I had among my brothers and sisters in Texas. A church with great preaching and gifted members who seek to follow and imitate Jesus Christ. It's hard to find here, I have to admit. I haven't been to a church that's anything like the ones in the States. I know there's never such thing as a perfect church, but each one I've attended have been lacking in something that I find to be KEY to any God-loving church.
So, I guess a prayer need for me is to find a church but to also be gracious to the flaws of that church God has called me to wherever that may be. And to catch a better glimpse of the work that He has for me here.
I need to clarify what I'm doing here in Taiwan, because I've been constantly asked,"How's teaching?" when I'm not here to teach.
I'm here to learn Chinese, to know it well enough for people to think I'm from Taiwan, to be able to express my feelings, and me to understand them when they do. I'm here to understand the Taiwanese people, to understand why they feel so compelled to burn "spirit money" outside or to wave incense in front of a statue. I want to know what it is they treasure the most, and show them that there's something better.
I do have a student, but that's to supplement my income.
So, back to the question, why do I serve? I'm beginning to see that some people just make up different ministries without really thinking how this ministry would benefit the public or a vision of how this ministry could be used by God. They just open it bc other churches have it, or it sounds great, and they want to have in their church as well. But without a clear vision, a clear calling, it's not going to work. you can have the man power, the gifts, or even the praises of other men, but without God's blessing, how could it possibly work?
I'm beginning to see that there's a line between going forward in something with courage, and stupidity. as long as you have God's calling and faith that He'll provide everything, that's going forward with courage. stupidity is when you go with it when it feels right, but don't have God's blessing or calling. The thing is, when people nowadays base so many decisions on their emotions, it's hard to distinguish whether this "high feeling" is God's calling or the result of something you ate 30 minutes ago. This is where we come before the Throne of God. Where we say, "God, I don't know if this is from you or the result of what i ate 30 minutes ago, but guide me. Show me what it is you want." This is when we read the Word like we should everyday. This is when we allow the Lord to speak to us.
I have a clear calling, that's why I do what I should do. And that's why I don't do what I could do. I could stay in Dallas, but God's called me here. God gave me this burden for this country to truly know Christ. I could serve at DCBC with the choir and youth group and do other stuff that I've been known to be gifted in and have been praised for, but God's told me to come here away from it all.
I'm here simply because I'm called. I try to live everyday under God's graceful guidance to see the needs here.
I do miss it in Dallas. Even as I am trying to find a new church now, I am all the more wanting the sort of fellowship I had among my brothers and sisters in Texas. A church with great preaching and gifted members who seek to follow and imitate Jesus Christ. It's hard to find here, I have to admit. I haven't been to a church that's anything like the ones in the States. I know there's never such thing as a perfect church, but each one I've attended have been lacking in something that I find to be KEY to any God-loving church.
So, I guess a prayer need for me is to find a church but to also be gracious to the flaws of that church God has called me to wherever that may be. And to catch a better glimpse of the work that He has for me here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)