振奋 (Zhèn Fèn) Inspire

Dottie's Mother's Day Post

2011-05-07T10:43:00.000+08:00

FRIDAY, MAY 06, 2011

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2).

Mother's Day for Missionary Moms is a difficult day. The sermon for the assembly of the gathered saints is focused on Moms and Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers. Often moms are asked to stand and be recognized by the congregation. After corporate worship children take their moms out to eat, but not you. Your children and grandchildren seem a million miles away. Oh, if they know it is Mother's Day in the States, they will call you or Skype you if they can. They may have already sent an email and email card, but you dread the inevitability of the day. It's another tough reminder that your children are missionaries - not that a day goes by that you don't remember.

Mother's Day is the day children are to spoil their mothers. Images of breakfast in bed or the gift of flowers and chocolates play across tv screens. It is subtley intimated that the number of gifts and cards a mom receives, equals how much she is loved. If you are also taken out to eat, you are really loved.

Mother's Day could become a miserable day for you. I don't know if this will help you or not, but this is a way I cope with special days I can no longer celebrate. My anniversary comes up every year, but I am a widow. My son's birthday, like clock work shows up every February, but he has been with the Lord longer than he lived. What do I do with those days? I celebrate them. I invite a friend out for dinner and I pay the bill. On those days, I even order dessert. Those days are very special days and instead of mourning, I rejoice that I was married for 43 years to a wonderful guy who loved me back and that I was allowed to be the Mom to a special son for 21 years. On Father's Day I will see that my son-in-laws get special cards and I will celebrate. My suggestion is that you celebrate this Mother's Day and rejoice that you are a Mom. Invite another Mom who will be alone also and go out to lunch together. Wear a special dress. Give yourself permission to have fun. Look for the people in your congregation who will be alone and be sure you hug everyone of them. Choose not to mope. Look and list things you are thankful for and remember, on the last day, someone may come up and hug you because your son or daughter lived Jesus before them and so they listened to their words about Him. They will thank you for your sacrifice.

It is far better to know that you will spend eternity with your missionary son or daughter than to have them home for Mother's Day this year.

From Dottie's blog: http://missionarysmissionary.blogspot.com/

We’re Asking For a Different Kind of Leadership

2011-04-14T17:57:00.000+08:00

We’re Asking For a Different Kind of Leadership

Recently I was talking with a guy who was attempting to lead a missional community. He had come from an established church setting. He was used to understanding church in terms of already established structures. He was constantly tempted to lead by edict. “We need to do this!” “These elders should be doing this!” “We need to ensure that everybody leading local house groups is at this meeting and learning “such and such.” So I tried to tell him this kind of leadership won’t do in the process of gathering and nurturing a community of mission. We need a different kind of leadership from you.

1.) We need a leader who puts forth ideas, vision by I saying “This is where/how I see God working. This is where I hear God calling us” and then ALWAYS submits that to the other person(s) asking – what are you seeing? Where are you going? Is this the way you are being called as well? NOT SOMEONE WHO SAYS “OK THIS IS THE VISION GOD HAS GIVEN ME FOR THIS CHURCH – CAN YOU FOLLOW ME? OR DO YOU NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER CHURCH?

2.) We need a leader who leads by listening and then knows when to ask (out of relationship) “can I speak truth into your life?” NOT SOMEONE WHO TELLS PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR/DO BEFORE HE/SHE EVEN LISTENS

3.) We need a leader who never presumes authority but whose very presence and life makes people want to trust him/her and follow him/her. NOT SOMEONE WHO SEEMS TO ALWAYS BE ACTING OUT OF HIS/HER KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE OR PERCEIVED OFFICE.

4.) We need a leader who serves first by example, who embodies the disposition of being in everyday ministry/service to the hurting and then asks someone “can you join me on this?” NOT SOMEONE WHO RUNS THE CHURCH AS IF HE/SHE IS A CEO

5.) We need a leader who can unfurl the reality of the Lordship of Christ in the world and in each one’s life via Scripture, and then invite/challenge people to live there. NOT SOMEONE WHO USES SCRIPTURE TO PREACH A PRE-SCRIBED PRE-DETERMINED AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE ORGANIZATION OF THIS CHURCH.

6.) We need a leader who can cultivate the Kingdom in people, who can sit down with people over a cup of coffee, ask questions, and help each person see that God is “breaking in” through Jesus Christ working for the salvation of this person’s entire life and the people around him/her. And then ask, “how do you respond, how can you be faithful, how will you join in?” NOT SOMEONE WHO HAS A SET OF PRE DETERMINED PROGRAMS THAT HE/SHE WANTS EVERY PERSON TO VOLUNTEER FOR.

7.) We need a leader who can teach many more leaders how to be this kind of leader. NOT THE KIND OF LEADER THAT RECRUITS MORE LEADERS UNDER HIM/HER TO CARRY OUT HIS ORDERS.

I freely admit, that this kind of leadership is most often different than the leadership we have become used to. The other ways of leadership work within an established church systems where there are Christians already compliant and simply content to acquire some necessary Christian goods and services. I should adamently say that there will still be “programs” that develop within a church as a result of this “missional” kind of leadership. These programs however will always facilitate, indeed embody, the rhythms of life with God in His Kingdom/mission. Once we deviate from this, the other kind of leadership habits start to become default. The kind of leadership proposed here however creates certain kinds of habits, certain kinds of dispositions that open the way for God to work His Kingdom among us and around us. There is something of a renewal of this kind of leadership happening among missional communities. I believe it is a recovery of the way Jesus speaks about leadership (did he use that word?). Matt 20:17-28. Read it and take it in. It is the foundation for the revolution (i.e. the Kingdom of God coming).

Perhaps you have an addition or two to the kind of leader we need (this list could be a lot longer!). Please tell us!

From David Fitch's blog.

Sermon in English & Chinese

2011-04-10T22:30:00.003+08:00

Warning... Warning... Warning...

The English version of this sermon is probably not as good as the Chinese version, however, neither are as good as the "in person version". When you are hearing a sermon live there are added little comments that make it so much more enjoyable and relatable. However, if you open your Bible and read along here it says "verse 1-2" or "verse such&such" - then this still might be enjoyable and useful for you. :-)

2 Thessalonians 1-2

1. Spiritual Training, eternal judgement, and being worthy

verse 1-2

This is a standard greeting of Paul's when writing to churches.

verse 3-4

Paul says, You guys are being blessed by God. God disciplines those he loves and you are being disciplined through these hardships. Look how your love is growing deeper and deeper for God and one another, that is just one example. This is why others hear a lot about how you guys are suffering for christ.

We talk about people who are interesting, people who are experiencing something different. We want to be around people who are growing, but we often hide from pain… so we live a schizophrenic life. We avoid the pain that will cause us to grow. We admire challenges others have, once they have come through the hardship. Sadly, while we or others are in the problem, we are shamefully absent.

Paul is present with these people. That is Paul knows their struggles. He is glorifying God for their struggle and their growth!

verse 5-10

Evidence… God shows you to be worthy, because you are suffering. We often think that when someone doesn't suffer, then they are holy and loved by God. Let's specify this is suffering for doing good, for living a godly life, not for sin.

There are only two kinds of people those who obey God and those who don't. Oh wait, everyone except for Jesus is disobedient and needing a Savior. The two kinds of people that will be differentiated on judgement day are those who are clinging to Jesus and those who are not.

If you are really following Jesus, please do not get angry with sinners for being sinful. It is of no use. Besides they are acting as they should. Now, on the other hand, you sure can speak clearly to Christian brothers and sisters when they are being sinful. You are called by God to encourage your brothers and sisters to run from sin and live empowered by God's grace.

Wait for God to judge the wicked. Leave room for God's wrath. Pray for those who mistreat you. Bless them. Love on them. Return good for evil.

verse 11-12

Paul prays for the brothers and sisters to thrive in this time of testing. He prays that their suffering will not be in vain, but continue to produce fruit in them and in others. What is that? Suffering brings glory to Jesus. They are suffering for being light and salt, for sharing their faith. And Paul prays that Jesus will also glorify them.

When you honor Jesus, Jesus honors you. An example of that is when you are baptized. There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels (from Luke 15 - the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost sons). Who is rejoicing? Your Father God, your Savior Jesus, and God's Spirit are rejoicing in front of the angels. So, God gets excited about you when you are excited about God & his glory.

2. The man of lawlessness, standing firm

verse 1-4

People are sending out false reports. There are lots of rumors. Just like when Japan had the earthquake a while ago, everyone ran out to buy salt, thinking it would protect them. Or like during the Sichuan earthquake, when there were rumors of the government forecasting earthquakes. Or how about when the volcano erupted in Iceland and everyone was scared to go outside.

Rumors about Jesus' return have been happening since he left. Today there are always some crazy people telling you the end is going to happen on such and such a day. But no one knows the day or the hour, except Father God (Matthew 24:36).

Before Jesus returns, there will be a great faker that pretends to be God. He will somehow be more than a president, but like a leader of all the nations.

verse 5-12

Paul taught a lot about this… but why? Likely because the people were expecting Jesus to return right away. They were hoping Jesus would immediately destroy the Roman empire. But many of these people were too focused on the present. Paul was encouraging them to think of being a Christian as running a marathon, not just going for a walk. They wanted it easy right away, but God wants us to work through life as a method of purifying us. This is the on going work of sanctification.

This liar will also be able to do amazing things, miraculous even. But all of this will be just a simple magic show from Satan. However, Jesus will show up and just by his breathe he will destroy this charlatan.

Do you love the truth? Are you incredibly honest with yourself? Are you willing to not overlook sin, but deal directly with sin in your life or an others?

If not, then you are likely going to be sent some powerful lie. Your going to deny the truth of your sinfulness, state the case for your righteousness, and thereby unwittingly deny your need for Jesus. At which point, you will be enjoying sinfulness and condemned.

Remember Jesus said, if you deny me, I'll deny you. Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven. You must live an obedient life, a life in love with God, a life of devotion and repentance. Do not trust others to save you. Do not trust yourself to save you.

On your best day, when you worship God, when you read the Bible, when you are sharing your faith with others, that is all equal to a dirty menstrual rag. Your best day, most righteous day, is the day you trust in yourself for salvation is disgusting to God. You must trust in Jesus to save you. You must give glory and honor to Jesus. You need Jesus more than you need anything else. You need Jesus more than you need money, knowledge, self-discipline, power, fame, more than you need food, water, or air to breath. You desperately need Jesus to save you and show you your sin daily.

verse 13-15

Paul says the Thessalonians were living for Jesus. They were doing good. Paul was praising them for sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. The glory of Jesus is always through the cross. Suffering is where the greatest glory, the greatest victory ever happened. We need to join Jesus in suffering if we are to join him in glory.

Do not give up on the teachings of the Bible. Do not trade them for anything else. Do not change the bible's teaching, but be changed by it. Hear the word of God and obey it. Desire more of God's word, it is like honey, better than great riches. God's word provides the path to life. It opens your heart to Jesus. God's word is the mirror that shows your sin - which is TRUTH. And God's word is the mirror that also shows Jesus in you - which is GRACE. John said, grace and truth have come through Jesus.

verse 16-17

Paul prays that they will trust more deeply in Jesus and that Jesus will supply them with all that they need to be faithful. Faithfulness is when you do and say what you know to be true. How can you know what to do if you aren't hearing God's word?

We aren't talking about just making it through today, we are talking about making it into eternity. We are talking about being confident of your eternal salvation. You will not have confidence in Christ if you are not reading the Bible. If you aren't reading the Bible and have confidence, then your confidence is likely very shallow and wrong.

Know God's Word and be confident of your salvation. The Christian life is a life of repentance, with complete confidence in Christ.

帖撒罗尼迦后书1-2章
一、灵性的训练，永恒的审判，和无愧的心
1-2节
这是一个标准的保罗写给教会的问候。

3-4节
保罗说，你们被神祝福。神管教他所爱的，他正通过这些困难来管教你。瞧你的爱是愈加深厚，为上帝和彼此加深，这只是一个例子。这就是别人听到很多你们如何为基督受苦的原因。

我们会谈论感兴趣的人和那些拥有不用经历的人。我们愿意和成长的人在一起，但我们常常躲避痛苦...所以我们活在一个精神分裂的生活。我们躲避促使我们成长的痛苦。其他人面临挑战，克服困难让我们很羡慕。可悲的是，虽然我们或其他人有问题时，我们却可耻的离开。

保罗是与这些人同在的。保罗知道他们的争战。他为他们的挣扎和成长而赞美神！

5-10节
证据：上帝说你是值得的，因为你在经历苦难。我们通常认为，当一个人不痛苦的时候，那么他们是圣洁的，是神喜爱的。但我们说的苦难，是为了让我们过一个良好的生活，敬虔的生活，而不是为了犯罪。

只有两种人：顺服神和不顺服神。哦，等等，除了耶稣大家都不顺服，都需要救世主。在审判的日子，区别的标准是是否顺服耶稣基督。

如果你真的跟随耶稣，请不要为罪人的犯罪而愤怒。这是没有用的。因为他们的行为是他们应该做的。现在，在另一方面，当主内弟兄姐妹犯罪时，你一定能清楚的指出来。你被上帝呼召，鼓励你的弟兄姐妹从罪中脱离，活在神的恩典中。

等待上帝来审判恶人。给上帝的愤怒留下余地。为那些对你不好的人祷告。祝福他们，爱他们，以德报怨。

11-12节
保罗为弟兄姐妹祷告，希望他们能在试炼中成长。他祈祷，他们的痛苦不会徒劳的，而会结出累累硕果。那是什么？苦难将会荣耀耶稣。他们正在为做光做盐，分享他们的信仰而受苦。保罗祈祷，耶稣也将荣耀他们。

当你尊重耶稣，耶稣也会尊重你。一个例子就是你的洗礼。有欢乐的天使出现（路加福音15 - 失去的羊，丢失的银钱，失丧的儿子）。是谁高兴呢？你阿巴父神，你的救主耶稣和上帝的圣灵在天使面前欢乐。所以，当你为神和他的荣耀感动时，上帝也会激动。

二、无法无天的人，站立不稳

1-4节
人们常常发出虚假的信息，会有很多谣言。就像当日本在不久前的地震时，每个人都跑出去买盐，以为它会保护他们。或者像在四川地震时，有谣言说政府能预测地震。或者象在冰岛火山爆发时，每个人都害怕到外面去。

当耶稣离开时，关于耶稣再来的谣言就屡屡发生。今天，总有一些疯狂的人告诉你末日要在这样或那样的一天发生。但是，没有人知道确切的时间，除了天父（马太24:36）。

耶稣返回之前，会有一个巨大的骗子伪装成神。他可能比总统还厉害，就像全世界的领导人。

5-12节
保罗教导很多关于这样的信息...，但是为什么？可能是因为人们期待耶稣立即再来。他们希望耶稣立即摧毁当时的罗马帝国。但是，这些人很多是太专注于现在。保罗鼓励他们把基督徒看做跑马拉松的运动员，不是简单的走几步就到了。他们希望马上很容易，但神要我们一生都奔跑，因为这是他洁净我们的方式。这是神正在进行的神圣工作。

这个骗子也能做出令人惊奇的事情，甚至是神迹。但所有这一切将只是一个来自撒旦的、简单的魔术表演。然而，耶稣会最终出现，“谈笑间，樯橹灰飞烟灭”。

你爱真相吗？你真是对自己诚实的吗？你愿意不忽略生命中的罪，而直接处理吗？

如果没有，那么你很可能陷入一些巨大的谎言。你会否定你的犯罪的事实，认为自己很公义，从而无意中否认因耶稣是你们的需要。在这一点上，你将受到罪恶和谴责。

记住耶稣说的，如果你拒绝我，我会拒绝你。不是每个对我说“主啊，主啊”的人都将进入天国。你必须过一个顺服生活，与神相爱、悔改、为神奉献。不要相信别人能救你。不要相信你自己能救你。

为神提供最好的一天，去崇拜神，去阅读圣经，去与他人分享你的信仰，这一切和一块肮脏的破月经布相等。你所谓的最好的一天，最正义的日子，是你对自己信任的救恩，是对神的憎恶。你必须相信耶稣来拯救你。你必须给耶稣的荣耀和荣誉。你需要耶稣比其他任何事情都多。相比钱，知识，自我约束，权力，名誉，你更需要耶稣，他比食物，水或空气呼吸更重要。你迫切需要耶稣来拯救你，让他指出你每天的罪。

13-15节
保罗说帖撒罗尼迦人为耶稣而生活。他们做的很好。保罗赞扬他们为耶稣而受苦。耶稣的荣耀始终贯穿在十字架上。苦难是其中最大的荣耀，是最伟大的胜利。我们需要加入耶稣的苦难，如果我们要一起领受他的荣耀。
不要放弃圣经的教导，不要把它们不当回事儿。不要更改圣经的教导，但要被它改变。听神之道而遵守它。更加渴望上帝的话，他的话更像蜂蜜，是伟大的财富。神的话提供了通往永生的路。它会打开你的心交给耶稣。神的话是一面镜子，显示你的罪 - 这是真理。上帝的话展示了耶稣在你心中 - 这是恩典。约翰说，恩典和真理已经通过耶稣来了。

16-17节
保罗祈祷，他们会更深入地信任耶稣，耶稣将提供所有这些，他们需要忠诚。当你说你知道什么是真实的，那就是你相信的。如果你没有认真听神的话，你怎么能知道该怎么做？

我们不止在谈论今天，我们在谈论永恒。我们谈论的是成为您永恒的拯救信心。如果你没有阅读圣经，你就不会信任基督。如果你不读经而说自己有信心，那么你的信心是非常肤浅的，可能是错误的。

认识神的话语，并成为你的救恩信心。基督徒的生活是一生的悔改和对基督完全的信心。

Does Abstinence Education Matter?

2010-08-27T07:46:00.001+08:00

HHS Releases Abstinence Study

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has now released the full results of a government study that gives insight into how parental attitudes and social norms are key to promoting abstinence before marriage, rather than sex-ed programs. The Department of HHS had been criticized for releasing only the seven-page executive summary of the study's final conclusions.

The 196-page report titled, "The National Survey of Adolescents and Their Parents: Attitudes and Opinions about Sex and Abstinence," comes as critical funding for abstinence programs is set to end Sept. 30 — after the U.S. Congress and the administration canceled all abstinence-centered program grants for the FY2010 budget. Up until now, cash-strapped states reportedly have been "on the fence" about applying for federal abstinence-only sex education program funds. States have until Aug. 30 to apply.

The abstinence study, which was completed in February of 2009, and was based on interviews with 1,000 matched adolescent-parent pairs, indicated that:

- Seventy percent of parents agreed with the statement: "It is against your values for your adolescents to have sexual intercourse before marriage."
- Seventy percent of parents agreed with the statement: "Having sexual intercourse is something only married people should do."
- "While the majority of adolescents surveyed oppose pre-marital sex in general and for themselves, on average adolescents expressed less conservative general views about sex and abstinence than their surveyed parents."

Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, was elated by the release of the study, but said, "We are greatly concerned that the sex education policy being implemented by this administration does not reflect the values of what most parents and teens clearly want." For the complete report go to The National Survey of Adolescents and Their Parents. [LifeNews.com, CitizenLink.com]

Christian Speed Dating Questions

2010-07-24T21:44:00.005+08:00

Tonight was a get to know you time for the singles of a bunch of churches here in Beijing. They played games, wacky races, ate dinner, then played some more and last they had a sort of speed dating time.

The goal of this dinner party wasn't for them to find a girlfriend or boyfriend, but instead to get to know one another. We spoke clearly and directly about how Christians date and the purpose of dating. It isn't to have a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. It is more like finding a friend, someone to spend time with so that you can know if they will help you get to heaven.

Instead of trying to seek out a mate, first seek God, be satisfied with Him. Then when it is His proper timing, that person will appear at your side. As you run the Christian race, those who are beside you are the ones that would make a good match. They are running with you, not against you. They are seeking after the same goal - heaven. They are striving to be the same kind of person - like Jesus. They are frequently in the same locations - worshiping & serving the same God. This kind of person makes for a great friend and faithful mate.

Here are some of the questions we used for the speed dating time:

What is your favorite color? Why? How does it reflect your personality?

What is your favorite childhood memory?

What is something you would love for God to do in your life? (not money or marriage)

In your life, what are you most proud of?

How often do you watch the news or read the newspaper? What are you looking for? Why do you read/watch?

What is your most treasured possession and why?

What is your favorite month of the year and why?

Who was your hero, as a child?

What makes you laugh/cry?

Describe your perfect holiday.

Are you a morning person or a night person?

What was the last song you intentionally listened to? Why?

Would you like to climb a mountain or trek across a desert or swim in the ocean?

What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

How long have you been a Christian and who led you to Christ?

When choosing a movie to watch what are your criteria?

What is your favorite Bible story and why?

When was the last time you prayed (other than before a meal)? What or who were you were praying for?

What is your favorite vegetable?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? (Don’t answer in the mirror!)

What is your least favorite food? Why?

What is more important to you, money or memories?

Who is more valuable to you; birth family, Christian family, or friends? Why?

What is your favorite Christian song? Why?

What is your favorite tourist site in Beijing? Why?

你最喜欢什么颜色？为什么？它是如何反映你的个性？

你最喜欢的童年记忆是什么？

你最喜欢上帝为你做什么？（不是金钱或婚姻）

在你的生活中，什么是你最得意的？

你多久看一次新闻或读报纸？你一般看什么内容？为什么？

你最珍爱的东西是什么，为什么？

你最喜爱的月份是哪个，为什么？

当你是孩子的时候，谁是你的英雄？

什么事情让你笑/哭？

描述一下你的完美假期。

你是习惯晚睡还是早起？

你有意去听的最后一首歌是什么？为什么？

你想爬山、横跨沙漠，或在大海游泳吗？
你最喜欢的经文是哪一句，为什么？

你做基督徒多久了，谁带领你成为基督徒？

在选择看电影时，你有什么标准？

你最喜欢的圣经故事是什么，为什么？

你最后一次祷告是什么时候（除了餐前祷告）？你是为什么事情或什么人祷告？

你最喜欢吃什么蔬菜？

你的5年期、10年期规划是什么？

你最不喜欢的食物是什么？为什么？

你认为金钱和记忆哪一个更重要？

出生家庭、教会家庭、朋友，你更看重哪一个？为什么？

你最喜欢的基督教歌曲是什么？为什么？

在北京你最喜欢的旅游地点是哪里？为什么？

10 Hard Questions June 3, 2010

2010-06-27T16:17:00.001+08:00

by Perry Noble

Too many times we believe that being busy is equal to being godly…when the Bible says quite the opposite.

Psalm 46:10 SLAYS me every time I read it…CONVICTED!

David said in Psalm 23 that the Lord makes him lie down in green pastures and leads him beside still waters.

The LONGEST, most detailed command in the 10 commandments is the one on rest.

Yet, all of us…especially those in the ministry…wrestle with this. One of our MAIN temptations is being busy…here are a few questions we can wrestle through to see how busy those of us in ministry are…

#1 – How many times a day do you check your email? Is there really any reason to check it as often as we do?

#2 – How many times a day do you check twitter?

#3 – How many times a day do you check your facebook page?

#4 – When you go home to do spend time with your family…or merely “tweet” about how you are spending time with your family?

#5 – Do you tell your kids you are too busy to go to their game…but then go to the game of the church members kid so you don’t get into hot water with them? (BTW…good luck explaining that one to your kids in 20 years!)

#6 – Do you have a time during the day when you turn off your cell phone so that you can uninterrupted study time, prayer time and time with your spouse?

#7 – Do you always have to have noise around you…such as do you always have to have the radio on in the car OR the TV on at home, even if you are not listening to/watching it?

#8 – How much time do you spend commenting on blogs and social media sites? (honestly, don’t know too many certified blog commenters that are actually changing the world!)

#9 – Are you accessible at any time of the day by anyone who needs you? (LOTS of pastors LOVE to make this claim…usually at the expense of their family and their own walk with God. If you want to walk with Jesus you can’t do it by always having a crowd around…you’ve got to have some time set aside.)

#10 – Are you willing to make the adjustments that you need to make based on the nine questions above? If not then you are most likely addicted to noise and being busy…which looks good to others but absolutely destroys our walk with God.

PSALM 46:10!

ONE MORE THING…this is absolutely the most convicting blog post I’ve ever written…He’s PRESSING into me to make some major adjustments in regards to the noise in my life, would appreciate your prayers as I try my best to fully obey Him.

Why is Atheism increasingly popular and what can we do about it?

2010-06-24T19:21:00.002+08:00

By Holly Ordway

At the heart of atheism is an appealing premise: “My will be done, not Yours.” If atheism is true, and there is no God, then everything really is all about me, and what I want, and what I can get.

No wonder it strikes such a chord in our self-obsessed culture.

Put your finger on the pulse of modern culture: it throbs with “me, me, me.” Advertisements tell me: “Indulge yourself! You deserve it!” I can buy my lunch and my coffee made “my way.” I flip open a magazine, or browse the best-sellers, to find ten easy tips on how I can have what I want, right here, right now.

Put one way, this is selfishness. But the spin on it in our post-Christian culture is that it’s empowerment, self-actualization. We are told to follow our hearts, seek our deepest desires, do what feels good. Indeed, if atheism is true, there is no ultimate purpose to life, so we might as well go for self-indulgence, whether through hedonism or through constructing one’s own “meaning” in life.

In contrast, if the Triune God is real, then such a focus on the self is ultimately destructive. Christians believe that we are alienated from God by the Fall, and damaged by our own sins; if we are left to our own devices, we will go wrong. To follow our own whims is to wander without guidance farther away from the path that leads to true self-knowledge in relationship with God who knows us completely.

If God is who Christians say He is, then our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, not toys for abuse or pleasure. If God is who He has revealed Himself to be in Christ Jesus, then the path to true selfhood is the narrow way, the way of the Cross, the way of denial of self and love of God.

In other words, the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a significant obstacle to self-indulgence.

No wonder atheism is so popular.

Yet atheism is a curious hybrid. On the one hand, it provides for a rejection of civilization entirely. If there is no God, then there is no ultimate source of objective values, and we can make or break rules as we please; good and evil are reduced to preferences. I like chocolate ice cream and laws against murder. You like vanilla and enjoy killing small children. Sure, why not?

On the other hand, atheists don’t generally advocate anarchism and a return of barbarism. (Who would run the publishing houses to print their books?) In fact, atheists show a remarkable streak of optimism about human nature. The atheist feels, almost as an article of faith, that the human race is perfectible. Despite all the colossal failures of utopianism, especially the ones of the 20th century that ended in mass slaughter, there remains the idea that this time, we can get it right all by ourselves. We can perfect ourselves through legislation; through restructuring society; through genetic manipulation; through drugs. We can make ourselves be happy – or so we think; it never works, but the atheist can only try again.

Atheism claims that we are in control of our selves, and thus our own destiny; it is the perfect faith for a culture that is obsessed with both perfection and self-will.

If we allow our Christian faith to be described in terms of personal gratification, we are buying what the world is selling, just under a different brand name. Christ did not die for us so that we would be comfortable and happy today. He died for us so that we would be saved.

To die to self, to die to sin, is not a comfortable experience. Confronting one’s own sin and repenting of it yields sorrow, not happiness. Hope and peace lie on the other side of that repentance, but we must go through pain to get there – not around it.

If we allow Christianity to be all about fulfilling my needs, getting my prayers answered, feeling good about myself and my family, and improving my relationships, then we are making the same pitch as the atheists: it’s all about me.

And trust me, atheism is a lot less demanding than Christian faith. I’ve been there; I know.

But in our frantic consumer culture, as we become less real and less present to each other, and even to ourselves, as we desperately project ourselves outward into the media to remind ourselves that we exist -- we may slowly realize that atheism may promise easy self-fulfillment, but it delivers nothing but despair.

Christian faith is harder. It costs more; in fact, it costs everything. It also happens to be true. Jesus told his disciples to count the cost. Why are we afraid to recognize that there is a cost?

In the face of atheism, let us not be afraid to speak the truth: the Christian life is the way of the Cross. Let us reject the idolatry of personal fulfillment. Let us remember that Christ calls us to come and die.

Then those who have sought to find themselves, searching high and low, grasping after all the good things of the world only to find them slipping from between their fingers, may be ready to listen when they hear something new: the hard, true words of our Lord: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)

My Top 10 Most Popular Twitter Links

2010-06-10T13:13:00.002+08:00

#10. 27 Clicks
Beijing, make that Asia's Sandstorm Seen from Space: http://ow.ly/1qHFG

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360° photo of Chinese National Day, nice photo of Beijing! http://ow.ly/wqaR

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You can be sure, ACLU doesn't want you to know "The Twelve Rules of Christmas" - http://ow.ly/JtRB

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If you are a doctor working on Medical Trials ... check out this TEDMED. It will blow your mind! http://ow.ly/15pFr

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This is a very interesting view of creation... try it out. Let me know what you think. http://ow.ly/1VEWX

#5. 43 Clicks (http://ow.ly/1NuJW)
The Porn Event - May 23-28 http://ow.ly/1NuJW Acceptable for work and home. Might want to read this: http://ow.ly/1NuTD

#4. 44 Clicks
This is most direct, powerful, & intrusive thought I have ever heard presented on masculinity. http://ow.ly/LldZ

#3. 60 Clicks
Loving this message to non-believers from Shane Claiborne, in Esquire! http://ow.ly/EwDp

#2. 62 Clicks
I speak Chinese on national TV, CCTV6, translation: "Brother, I'm going for a walk!" Bad quality: http://ow.ly/yRsT

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Old Camel commercial! http://ow.ly/1eRcy *God's original camel http://ow.ly/1eSHU *A "Camel" for Muslims http://ow.ly/1eSGx

Love as Being (my title)

2010-05-11T15:49:00.004+08:00

Apologetics: Good or Bad? (Written by Peter Mosley, 05/2010, taken from Facebook.)

"My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don't really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don't believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it's about who is smarter, and honestly I don't care."

--Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

How important is apologetics?

Many have sentiments like Donald Miller and claim that it doesn't really matter what you know about theology and apologetics when you talk about God. God will use the words you say to help the other person. So because it doesn't matter that much what we say, we don't need to really worry that much about what we say. What we should do instead is help people in more practical ways instead of theologizing things and believing we can convert them with a "formula."

I think this thinking can encourage the same principles it tries to condemn, because many times I hear people use this way of thinking to say something like, "Forget about the apologetics -- do enough good deeds, and you'll convert people to follow God." That sounds similar to, "Know enough apologetics, and you'll convert people to follow God." Both ways of thinking are missing something.

I Corinthians 13 shows this. In the first few verses, Paul says that you can be the best speaker imaginable (speak in the tongues of men and of angels), or be the most generous and sacrificing person imaginable (give all you possess to the poor and become a martyr), or have a strong faith and thorough knowledge of God (can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and have a faith that can move mountains) -- and yet still be nothing because you don't have love.

Which means that it is possible to be a great speaker, a generous person, a sacrificing person, an individual with strong faith, and someone who knows everything there is to know -- and still not have love.

That's a pretty big deal. I mean, that means that you can be doing service projects until you're blue in the face and still not be showing love.

What is love?

It's patient, kind, doesn't envy, doesn't brag, isn't proud, isn't rude, doesn't look out for number one, doesn't get angry easily, and doesn't keep a ledger of things that other people do wrong. It doesn't rejoice at evil, but takes deep joy when someone approaches truth. It always protects the other person, always trusts that there is hope for the other person, and doesn't give up on the other person (according to I Corinthians 13).

Here's my point: There's a lot more to loving people than merely reading a book on theology. There's also a lot more to love than giving money to a homeless person. There's definitely more to love than handing someone a tract.

These things should be done as MANIFESTATIONS of love, not as replacements for it. Otherwise, they don't count for squat (at least, according to the first few verses of I Corinthians 13).

And that's how theology and apologetics matter. They doesn't matter as pure information. But if the person studying is genuinely motivated by love for others, then it is of immense value.

And now, a page from my diary...

I don't want to be a Pharisee, but I want to get to know the God I love better. Because of this desire I really treasure old memories of conversations late at night with me and another person debating a theological issue. I enjoyed it most when it wasn't about who was smarter, but when our motivation for talking was our love for God. We both loved God so much that we wanted to get to know Him better. And we also cared enough about what the other person thought to take that person's thoughts seriously. It wasn't about one-upsmanship. It was a way of showing we cared.

I wasn't always that way. Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I would avoid theological debates. That changed when I realized that when I get really serious about following God's command to love someone, I can't help but care deeply about the relationship between what they think and what I think and what God thinks.

I'm finding out that love isn't a one-trick pony. It's an internal motivation for all your external actions. It's the blood running through the veins of your thoughts, actions, conversations, and so on. When we say "love is physical action, not intellect," then we are cutting off the bloodflow of love that is keeping us alive by basically telling love: "You can be involved in these actions, but leave my way of thinking alone."

I mean, you are commanded to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You can't focus on just loving God with your strength and leave your heart at the wayside. And you can't love God with your heart and leave your mind at the wayside.

That's because whatever part of your life you don't strive to love God with, Satan will use for his purposes. And, as I John 2:9 and 4:20 makes clear, you can't love God without loving people. If you love God, then what He thinks becomes important -- but if you love God, you also love people. If you love people, then what they think becomes important.

Here's what I'm getting at: If you don't care about what other people think, you don't love them, and if you don't love other people, you don't love God.

That's why apologetics is important. It's not about being seen as smart. It's about loving people enough to care about what they think, and loving God enough to think about his relevance to what people think.

If you practice apologetics without loving people -- whether you're doing it with a Ph.D. in Philosophy or a simple five-step tract -- you're missing the point. And something else I've observed is that you may not have a very effective ministry -- people aren't often convinced by those they think don't really care about them, no matter how much they know. If you aren't loving people, chances are you aren't really loving God (see I John 2:9 and 4:20), and if you aren't loving God, you may need an evangelist more than the people you're "ministering" to.

If your discussion on apologetics is motivated by loving people -- whether you're doing it with a Ph.D. in Philosophy or a five-step tract -- you've got the right idea. And I think people notice this. I've seen people give tracts half-heartedly, and not make an effect on me. But I can also remember people giving out tracts who seemed to genuinely care about me -- and the effect was powerful.

And when I say "care," I'm not just talking about a fuzzy feeling. I'm talking about people who lean over and listen and sincerely want to hear and interact with what you say. Not as a contest of wits, but as a manifestation of genuine love and concern.

So apologetics are important because God can use us most when we strive to love people practically, emotionally, and intellectually. But how can we love people if we don't care about what they think and feel? And if we avoid apologetics in our Christian walk by doing things for people without wanting to hear and interact with their lives and the beliefs they have, how much can we really say we love people? And if we don't really want to bother striving to love people emotionally, physically, and intellectually, then how much can God really use us?

I try to keep these questions in mind when I live my life. I don't always do the best job, but these questions motivate me and tell me that what I'm learning to do for living doesn't force me to become a heartless intellectual. One the contrary, love is my fundamental motivation -- love for God and love for people.

As a side note -- intellectual struggles concerning God are, I think, God's challenge for us to dedicate our minds to understanding him better and loving people more -- that's my direct answer to Donald Miller. More to say about that -- perhaps in a seperate note.

Great Churches Use Holy Spirit Model of Missions

2010-04-27T07:10:00.001+08:00

I figure some folks aren't as likely to click links, so I like to provide some the best stuff on my blog/website/Facebook. Here is Mark Woodward's latest!

http://markwoodward.org/2010/04/26/great-churches-use-holy-spirit-model-of-missions/

Great Churches Use Holy Spirit Model of Missions

April 26, 2010 by Mark Woodward

In our fellowship, fulfilling the Great Commission is the responsibility of local congregations, not a large sending agency or mission board. Let me put it another way: for the most part, men (elders and missions committees) who have never done foreign missions nor received special training of any sort are deciding who goes to the field, how they will work when they get there, how long they will stay, how much they will receive for personal support and for working funds, and if they are doing a effective work. Does this make sense to you?

These good men—all volunteers who can be commended for their willingness and the best intentions—are put in untenable positions of controlling large amounts of money, the lives of numerous individuals whom they may or may not know, and are answering to a congregation that usually knows even less about both the people and the mission efforts.

What these men naturally do is fall back on a model they are familiar with from their own experiences. Most are business people so they use one of the following models:

Business model: you hire a person that convinces you they can do the job, you pay them enough, but not too much, you give them time to prove themselves, and if they don’t produce, you let them go and look for somebody else.
Investment model: You invest in either a person or a site! You put what you can afford into the investment (which changes often with your priorities), you watch it for a while, and if it produces good results, you hold onto it—until a better investment comes along
Venture Capital Model: You find a young entrepreneur who has a good business plan, you decide whether you like the person or the plan enough to put money into it. You establish timetables and benchmarks to evaluate the work, and if you are displeased with the person or they do not meet the pre-established conditions, then you simply stop funding them.

Granted, some better congregations actually attempt to educate themselves about missions, usually by either attending missions conferences or bringing in missions consultants. No doubt these churches do missions better—for a while, but what I see is that there is such high turnover in missions committees and/or elderships that all it takes is one new person on a committee or one experienced person dropping off for the whole mission program of that congregation to be tossed into the air and reinvented.

Here are some positive suggestions for great churches:

Search out people in church (men and/or women) who have mission experience—the longer the better–and give them the mandate to coordinate your mission program.
If no one in your congregation has mission experience, then give up the desire to control some mission work until God gives your church someone with the gift of missions. Instead, send some of your members to the field on short-term mission projects to work with established missionaries and contribute directly to works that you have experienced and trust—with no strings attached.
When looking at new mission work, consider creating a spiritual relationship with this work instead of a financial relationship! The two key words here are spiritual andrelationship. When your church figures out what it means to have a spiritual relationship with a missionary or site first, then the financial side of it will be framed completely differently. Completely rid yourself of the employer/employee relationship model. That one does not work well.
Base the length of your congregation’s spiritual/financial commitment on something other than results. If you believe that “God gives the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6), then are you not trying to evaluate God’s own work. The planting and watering are all your missionaries can do, and for that they should be evaluated.

We need a new model for missions! I don’t have this worked out, but I believe it is probably the Acts 13 model:

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Let me just put this verse into my own words:

As the Antioch church was together, worshipping the Lord and fasting, it became clear to them that two of their leaders Barnabas and Saul were called by God’s Spirit to go out from them to deliver the Good News to others. They knew these men, one who had been their mentor at the establishment of the congregation and the other who was a fairly new convert from Judaism, but had been gifted by God to work with non-Jews. The both wanted to go to their home regions, but they didn’t really have a specific schedule, route, or cost estimate for the time afterwards. After further prayer and fasting, the church still recognized these as God’s plans, so they sent them with all they needed that the church could gather, they put their hands on them as a symbol of their relationship, and with great love and anticipation, they sent them off.

Great churches will use the Holy Spirit Model for missions. I cannot fill in the details of this model for you, but I believe God will—if you will!

Are you driven by Emotion? Or Character?

2010-04-24T08:38:00.002+08:00

This is so very true and important! I have seen it played out in my own life and those around me thousands of times.

From John Maxwell's blog:

Are you driven by Emotion? Or Character?

April 20th, 2010 · 28 Comments

Earlier this week on Facebook and Twitter, I shared this statement from Dick Biggs:

The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing.

Life would certainly be easier – and success more simple – if all it took to achieve was to KNOW the right things and DECIDE to do them, right? But I think it’s more accurate to say that a decision is just one bookend of achievement. The other is discipline. Decisions can only help us start. Discipline helps us finish.

That’s where character comes in. Emotion might drive us to make a decision. But character is what keeps us going, even when it gets hard.

In Developing the Leader Within You, I wrote about some differences between character-driven and emotion-driven people:

Character-driven people…

Do right, then feel good.
Are commitment driven.
Make principle-based decisions.
Let action control attitude.
Believe it, then see it.
Create momentum.
Ask, “What are my responsibilities?
Continue when problems arise.
Are steady.
Are leaders.

Emotion-driven people…

Feel good, then do right.
Are convenience-driven.
Make popular decisions.
Let attitude control action.
See it, then believe it.
Wait for momentum.
Ask, “What are my rights?”
Quit when problems arise.
Are moody.
Are followers.

The late Louis L’Amour is one of the best-selling authors of all time, with over 300 million copies of his popular western novels and short-story collections sold. When asked the key to his prolific writing, he responded, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

Great Churches GO!

2010-04-18T08:48:00.001+08:00

I am so encouraged by Mark Woodward's post, I just had to repost it in its entirety!

From Mark Woodward's blog: http://markwoodward.org/2010/04/14/observations-on-great-churches-10-great-churches-go/

Observations on Great Churches #10 – Great Churches GO!

April 14, 2010 by Mark Woodward

One of my favorite heroes of faith is the Thai minister of a church in Bangkok, who truly understands that there is not a distinction between mission field churches who are “receivers” of missions and churches who are “doers” of missions. Although working in Thailand, itself a Buddhist country and the object of mission work, the Thai churches that he has planted are reaching out in Laos and Myanmar—and he has plans and dreams for preaching to the 40 million Thai-language Chinese people.

We know a church in Moscow, less than twenty years old itself, who is launching a mission effort into Istanbul, Turkey. Singaporean Christians are sending missionaries into Cambodia and China, while Christians from Ghana have planted large congregations in Western Europe.

One of the most impressive examples of great churches focusing outside, not in, is the Back To Jerusalem movement among Chinese Christians. Christians from Mainland China have committed to send each other into ALL the countries of the countries, where 90% of the non-Christians of the world live.

If you go to the question and answer pages for mission efforts like Back To Jerusalem, the first question is always: why are you sending people other places; don’t you have enough to do at home? Every missionary and every mission-minded church has been confronted with the same question. Here is my answer: Of course, the Great Commission includes home, but who will share the Good News with the billions who have never heard of Jesus, if the biggest churches with the most Christians in every country all stay home??

Great churches—wherever they are and whatever size they may be—understand that they are a part of the call to the Body of Christ to “go into the entire world.” Here are some practical suggestions for leading your church to go into the entire world:

Put the whole world on display. What do your members really know about your own mission work? What do they know about the persecuted church? What do they know about the inspiring mission efforts of Christians around the world? If your members are ill-informed, then they are uninspired. What can you do to change this?
Talk about world Christians. Many of my personal heroes of faith are men and women that are virtually unknown in the United States. They do not make the lectureship circuits, they are not widely published, they are not center page spreads for Christian newspapers. If you are a church leader, you should get out, meet these unknown heroes, then come home and talk about them!
Avoid protectionism. The era of allowing foreign evangelists and missionaries to talk, to preach, to show their slides in our assemblies has been over for decades. Most leaders decided their members needed protecting, although it may have been more motivated by efforts to keep their contributions at home. Don’t be afraid. Raise the vision for global work by providing platforms—often—for those who are going out from among us!! Don’t be afraid. The local work will grow as people’s vision for the world grows.
Abandon the idea of “mine” and “God’s”: Our members travel. We fly, we cruise, we RV, we camp, we hike, we backpack, we tour. How can we give this part of our lives more to the Will of God instead of thinking of it as OUR special time? At LST, we hear constantly from adult Christians who take their two-week vacation and go somewhere to share their faith that it was work, BUT it was the most re-creational activity they have ever done. Great churches help their members give all of their life in God’s work.
Great churches have leaders who GO! I really believe that every preacher/minister, every church leader would be a greater leader and better able to inspire if he/she would regularly be personally involved in evangelistic mission efforts—preferably outside of their own culture.

Great churches understand that they are not exempt from going into the entire world.

Next: Great churches understand the relationship between benevolence and evangelism!

Chun-Xiao Shares the Blessing of Spring

2010-04-11T08:03:00.002+08:00

Chun-Xiao is our new sister! She speaks here for her new appreciation of Spring as she has become a child of God. She is such a blessing, so positive, we pray God continues to use her to bless those around her with the Good News.

God created everything. Of course the four seasons are God’s wonderful creation too. I don’t know what your favorite season is. Mine is Spring.

I like Spring. I was born in the morning on a spring day. So my parents gave me the name “spring morning”.

I like Spring. It gave me a curious childhood. Remember when I was a child, every early spring, when I saw the budding grass from the corner of the wall and the side of the road, I would run to them with joy, keel down to watch it in wonder for a long time. The surrounding area was still yellow and dry. The wind was still cool. But the grass extended their head to welcome the first spring wind and the first warm sunshine.

I like Spring. It brings me hope. As I grew up, I realized that not long after I saw the first grass, the whole earth would be clothed in green. The yellow flowers would show their smiling face. I knew that before long mom would put the long-waited flower dress on me.

I like Spring. It represents new life and symbolizes hope. After I went to the middle school, I learned the essay from Mr. Zhu, Ziqing “Spring”. He described Spring so beautifully that I liked it more. I knew that it will bring the new life and hope.

I like Spring. I was married in Spring. I knew that he was not the best man in the world. But he was the best one for me.

Now I like Spring more. In this spring, I gained new life and became a child of God. I was so happy, and so proud. I know that God create everyone. But not everyone can become his child. I thank God for loving me so much and choosing this spring to give me a new life!

When I came out of the water, I knew all of my sins were forgiven and I was saved. I became a Christian and a new member of God’s family.

Before this, I was like a blind person. I didn’t know God and didn’t understand God. My education from my childhood, my family, my friends and co-workers prevented me from knowing God sooner. Every time when I had difficulties, I was lost and alone. I tried to solve the problems on my own. But I couldn’t. Sometimes I just thought, everyone had their own problems, not just me. But when the problems got bigger and bigger, I had no choice and I was in a dead end. What was the purpose of my life? What was the meaning of life? How should I resolve my problems?

Earlier this year I met Andrew. He brought me to God. At first he didn’t push with a big theory. He just gave me a Bible and told me that it could help me. I was in doubt. But after I read just a few pages, I was grabbed by it. I read the Bible every day to get more from it. At the same time I saw many people’s sermons on the website. They helped me a lot. I felt I was a dry sponge trying to absorb every drop of water (just like the dry land trying to absorb the rain drops). At that time, I asked myself why I hadn’t read the Bible earlier and why I didn’t know there were many sermons on the Internet. Was I too late? But I believe all these were arranged by God. He let me to know him when I needed him the most. After that, I had many questions when I read the Bible. Every time when I asked Andrew, he would explain it to me in great details and encourage me to learn more. He told me that we can’t understand everything in Bible. Some people still have questions after a whole life of studying. But it doesn’t affect their love to God and God’s love to them. I participated some activities from the local church. The Sunday sermons helped me to understand more about Bible. The sisters’ singing often touched me deeply. Sometimes I felt that I was lack of confidence and belief. I asked Andrew to pray for me. He told me that he had already prayed for me many times. He said I could pray to God also and God will hear my prayer because He loves me. I’m so thankful for God’s love. I’m thankful that God didn’t abandon me. Gradually I learned to pray to God, just like a child talking to the father. I admitted my past mistakes and sins. I asked for His forgiveness. I told Him my problems and difficulties. I asked Him to help me. Little by little I saw the changes happened in my life. It was a true joy to see that. The joy reminded me of the feeling when I saw the first grass in the early spring days of my childhood. I believe and I know that there will be greater change in the future. Thank you God! Thank you for loving me!

Now I am a new born baby. I know that Satan knows about my weakness. He will attack me at any time. So when I ask God to protect me, I also need to learn more about how to fight Satan’s attack.

Thank you Andrew and Jaime, thank you the brothers and sisters in JingSong church! Thank God for He loved us!

Easter Sermon

2010-04-03T17:07:00.005+08:00

Thought I'd share with you all my Easter Sermon. Well, my part of it anyway. I've got the intro and the wrap up. I'll start with Genesis and the creation to get us into the understanding of sin and the initial hint of a Savior. Then other brothers will hit the plagues and Passover, Isaiah 53, Jesus' Passover with disciples and his prayer, then I'll conclude with Romans 6:1-14. This is all in Chinese, thanks to Wang Yu. I wrote English, he translated and edited.

(Something happened to the text & background, don't know what's up with that.)

Genesis 1-3 as related to Chinese Characters

我们从创世之初讲起，很有趣吧？我们将从开始讲到最后，来看看复活节和创世之初上帝救赎计划的关系。我们会讲到：亚当和夏娃、以赛亚的预言、耶稣与逾越节、耶稣被钉十字架、耶稣在周日复活、以及这些事件与我们今生和来生的关系。

圣经的第一句话是：“起初神创造天地。（创1：1）”这句话非常重要。为什么呢？因为圣经就是上帝与我们人类分享的关于爱的信息。

他造(土＋口＋丿＝告＋辶＝造)了我们，是为了和我们分享他的爱。神在第六日以他的形象创造了我们。亚当是第一个(丿+ 土＋儿＝先) 被造的人。他使那人管理园子（田），并和他在一起，那人就被称作有福。 (礻＋一＋口＋田＝福)

当神把人类放置在伊甸园中的时候，他是这样说的：我给你们两种选择—你可以爱我和我永远在一起，或者选择不爱我，离开我。我给你们两颗树作为你们选择的标志—一颗是生命树，吃这颗树上的果子，你们就可以获得永生；另一颗是分别善恶的树(木＋木＋示／礻＝禁)，吃那颗树上的果子，死亡就会来临，最终你们会死去。

当然了，我想大家都知道接下来发生了什么，对吧？他们吃了禁果！为什么会这样呢？因为他们被蛇欺骗了。他们听从的魔鬼的谎话，起了贪婪(木＋木＋女＝婪)的心，想拥有上帝一样的能力。（创3:6-8）

那，蛇又是谁？蛇就是魔鬼 (丿＋厶＋田＋儿＝鬼) (广＋木＋木＋鬼＝魔)

他们偷食了禁果，用神本给他们做食物的果树的叶子遮盖自己，并且躲进树林里来遮蔽他们裸体的羞愧。 (衣＋果＝裸)

结果他们受到了上帝的惩罚。夏娃要忍受生产的苦楚，而亚当要忍受终身劳作，荆棘刺身的苦楚。 (古＋艹＝苦 —— 正＋木木楚－苦楚)

然而悲哀的是，自人类第一次失败受罚以来，我们仍然试图使我们自己成为上帝。只有当我们认识到我们不是神，我们才能得到神的宽恕，重新获得上帝的祝福。

此外，创世纪3章还提到了非常重要的两点内容：一是神的宣判里救赎的承诺。上帝说：“蛇会伤他的脚跟，而你的后裔要伤他的头”。二是上帝用皮子（羔羊的皮）做衣服给他们穿。上帝在将人类赶出园子以前，为他们预备了皮子做的衣服。神为什么要给我们做衣服穿？是为了提醒我们是上帝在保护我们，我们犯了罪，我们的罪需要被遮盖。

(手＋戈＝我＋羊＝義／义)

Romans 6:1-14
在罪上死，在基督里活（罗6:1-14）

通过洗礼，我们与耶稣同死，我们也与耶稣同活。

罗马书是保罗写罗马的教会的书信，鼓励他们更全面深入地了解福音，与众人分享福音，使他们转变，为上帝而活。

在罗马书的一开始他写道：“（罗1:16）我不以福音为耻;这福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的，先是犹太人，后是希腊人（外邦人）。“保罗明确地告诉我们，福音来自犹太人：耶稣是犹太人，众先知是犹太人，摩西是犹太人... ...甚至耶稣最初的追随者大都是犹太人，最初的5000个基督徒也都是犹太人。

保罗随后说，如果你不认识上帝，那么上帝就不认识你。上帝会任凭你在罪恶中堕落，但这并不意味着在末日他不会审判你。因为人们心里其实明白神的存在，借着所造之物就能晓得，叫人无可推诿（罗1:20）。神是信实的，他会审判那些不尊重他的人，而会把喜乐加给荣耀他的人。然而，事实上我们都不能真正的尊重上帝，因为我们都是罪人，因此我们都需要一个完美的救主。信（信心，信仰）是我们接触这位救主的唯一途径。亚伯拉罕因着信被称为义人，得到了上帝的救赎。只有耶稣是救主！耶稣是后来的 “亚当”，第一个亚当带来了罪，而后来的“亚当”带来了救赎。

第6章1节的意思是：既然耶稣是完美的，而我不是，那么，我是不是可以多犯罪，然后使我得到的恩典更多吗？这是一种危险的逻辑：上帝在伊甸园中创造了完美的人类，而人类犯罪了，上帝将死亡作为对他们的惩罚。但耶稣的到来使我们脱离死亡，所以我们应当多犯一些罪，使耶稣的救赎显得更有价值。

是这样吗？多犯罪可以让上帝高兴吗？这是他牺牲耶稣的目的吗？或者我们这样问：你问什么要给自己和他人带来更多的痛苦呢？保罗在第二节就明确地告诉我们：断乎不可！

我们在受洗的时候，首先是全身浸入水中，代表我们与耶稣共同经历了死亡。而当我们从水里出来的时候，代表我们与耶稣一同复活。我们既然在耶稣的救赎中脱离了罪，就不应当再次陷入罪中。

那么，为什么我们必须经历死亡，耶稣才能成为我们的救主？因为我们充满了罪，耶稣正是为了这些罪才在十架上为我们受死。

耶稣就是逾越节的羔羊。他除去了自亚当以来人类的罪，使我们恢复到伊甸园时期人类的纯洁。这样，我们的罪就被耶稣“遮盖”，披戴上基督了（加拉太书3 :26 - 29），就像亚当犯罪后用羔羊的皮做衣服来遮盖自己的罪一样。

耶稣的复活打败了罪和死亡，这样我们就不必害怕死亡，而应当为了荣耀上帝而活着，因为上帝恩赐我们活在耶稣基督里，和他同享永生！

实际上，中国的春节和逾越节的道理是一致的：传说春节期间，有一种叫做“年”的怪兽会从山上下来，偷吃百姓家里的牲畜和小孩子。只有在家的门框上贴上红纸（春联），才能摆脱怪兽，才能“过年”。而我们知道，逾越节的时候，上帝派来的“死亡天使”会杀死不信仰上帝的埃及人家头生的孩子和牲畜，因为他们不按上帝的吩咐将羔羊血涂抹在门框和门楣上。

今天，我们知道是耶稣的宝血使我们获得自由。十字架同样也是门框的象征：十架横边和竖边涂满了耶稣的血。这就是以赛亚书53章所提到的“神受苦的仆人”。

所以，我们都应当称赞耶稣，敬拜他，因为他使我们脱离了罪的束缚，使我们充满了上帝的荣耀。他使上帝在我们的心中说话，告诉我们：“你们不再肮脏，你们不再有罪，因为我已经除掉了你们的罪。来吧，与我同在一起，享受永生的欢乐！”

Christopher Hitchens Gets It Exactly Right!

2010-04-03T06:53:00.003+08:00

During a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, noted atheist Christopher Hitchens laid down some seriously good theology. Most people recognize Hitchens as the author of the bestselling book God Is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything. Since the book's publication in 2007, Hitchens has toured the country debating a series of religious leaders, including some well-known evangelical thinkers. In Portland he was interviewed by Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell. The entire transcript of the interview has been posted online. The following exchange took place near the start of the interview:

Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I'm a liberal Christian, and I don't take the stories from the Scripture literally. I don't believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make any distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Hitchens: I would say that if you don't believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you're really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

Sewell wanted no part of that discussion so her next words are, "Let me go someplace else."

This little snippet demonstrates an important point about religious "God-talk." You can call yourself anything you like, but if you don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins and then rose from the dead, you are not "in any meaningful sense" a Christian.

Talk about nailing it.

In one of the delicious ironies of our time, an outspoken atheist grasps the central tenet of Christianity better than many Christians do. What you believe about Jesus Christ really does make a difference.

http://preachingtoday.com/illustrations/weekly/10-03-29/7032910.html

Praying in Mandarin

2010-03-21T08:15:00.003+08:00

This is my first written prayer in Mandarin Chinese, now with corrections. God knows my heart and my intent, and a dear brother helped me to fix it up. I pray it is also a blessing to you!

我们在天上的亲爱的阿爸父。。。
Our precious Abba Father in heaven...

我们都赞美你，因为你是上帝，你是创造者，所以我们要一直感谢你。
We all worship you for being God, the Creator God, and because of who you are we are always thanking you.

感谢你给我们这个机会可以一起赞美你，也可以来到你的面前跟你说我们自己的事情。
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to come together and worship you, and to be able to speak before you all the situations that concern us.

请祢赦免我们的罪，我们都太自私。。。我们常常不知道我们有多自私，因为我们一直就这么自私，好像在自私中游泳。
Please continue to forgive our sin. We are too selfish... we are so selfish we often cannot see the depth of it, because we are always swimming in it.

神啊，我们常常渴慕你的祝福，但是求你更要给我们一颗渴慕你的心。我们都是你的仆人，愿意效法耶稣基督去服事人，荣耀神。
God give us a heart that thirsts for you, more than we desire your blessing. We are all your servants imitating Jesus Christ's service.

我们都赞美感谢你，奉耶稣最宝贵的名祷告，阿门！
We all praise and thank you, in the most precious name of Jesus we pray, amen!

Yes, the English sounds strange, but that is because I'm translating from Chinese; that is, I didn't write it first in English.

Maybe you'd like to offer additional thoughts on this prayer, please add on, please help me to pray for all of us.

Blessings to you in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord!

Answers in Genesis Explains Biblical Young Earth Ideas

2009-08-16T07:24:00.002+08:00

From the News to Note Section of the website:

5. USA Today: “We Believe in Evolution—and God”

Two Christian evolutionists send a broadside our way with a USA Today opinion piece this week. But do they bring up anything new?

The authors of the piece are Eastern Nazarene College professor Karl Giberson (whom we wrote about last November) and Point Loma Nazarene University professor Darrel Falk. Both are co-presidents of the new BioLogos Foundation established by Christian evolutionist Francis Collins (see the May 16 edition of News to Note).

The two begin with an unsurprising assertion: “We find no contradiction between the scientific understanding of the world, and the belief that God created that world. And that includes Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.” They add that molecules-to-man evolution “unifies the entire science of biology,” and that “evolution is as well-established within biology as heliocentricity is established within astronomy.” Then they bring out their biggest guns:

The “science” undergirding this “young earth creationism” comes from a narrow, literalistic and relatively recent interpretation of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. This “science” is on display in the Creation Museum in Kentucky, where friendly dinosaurs—one with a saddle!—cavort with humans in the Garden of Eden. . . . Science faculty at schools such as Bryan College in Tennessee and Liberty University in Virginia work on “models” to shoehorn the 15 billion year history of the universe into the past 10,000 years.

And hence the misinformation begins, which we will answer in turn. Here, we wonder if Giberson and Falk dismiss plain readings of other Bible passages as “ narrow” and “literalistic” even if those passages, like Genesis 1 show the hallmarks of being plainly worded historical accounts. And the early church fathers’ supposed doubt concerning a literal Genesis has also been dramatically exaggerated (see The Early Church on Creation). Also, as we have explained before, the saddled dinosaur in the Creation Museum is not an exhibit, but rather a fun photo opportunity for young children; it is in the basement, far from the Garden of Eden display. And the authors merely beg the question when they write that our friends at Bryan College, Liberty University, and elsewhere must “shoehorn” old-earth ideas into a young-earth framework.

Challenging accepted ideas is how America churns out Nobel Prize-winning science and patents that will drive tomorrow’s technology. But challenging authority can also undermine this country’s leadership in science, when citizens reject it. . . . [We aim] to counter the voices coming from places such as the website Answers in Genesis, which touts creation scientists, and the Discovery Institute, a think tank in Seattle, that calls on Christians to essentially choose between science and faith.

First of all, the professors have conflated operational science with origins science—a common problem we point out. Also we have made clear many times, we certainly do not reject science; we just do not believe that everything labeled “science” or that everything believed by scientists actually is good, objective science. Likewise, we regularly emphasize that the supposed dichotomy between religion (or faith) and science is false. The issue is not that we fight the encroachment of science; rather, we believe that one’s starting point is an inherently religious belief that determines how one interprets the results of the scientific method.

Darwin proposed the theory of evolution in 1859 in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. This controversial text presented evidence that present-day life forms have descended from common ancestors via natural selection. Organisms better adapted to their environments had more offspring, and these fitness adaptations accumulated across the millennia. And this is how new species arose.

Natural selection is a readily observed, experimentally verified scientific fact that requires no historical speculation, and as such, our Creation Museum has an exhibit that explains it. We agree that natural selection can lead to new species within a kind as it reduces the genetic information in a population, resulting in sexual incompatibility where there previously was none. But Darwin and those who follow him extrapolate backward from these observations all the way to a single ancestor of all life. That assertion can never be proved right or wrong from fossils or any other present-day scientific study.

We are trained scientists who believe in God, but we also believe that science provides reliable information about nature. We don’t view evolution as sinister and atheistic. We think it is simply God’s way of creating. . . . Evolution is not a chaotic and wasteful process, as the critics charge.

We agree that the scientific method can show certain hypotheses to be more reliable than others through the process of attempted falsification. However, “science” does not provide anything—saying as much is to commit the fallacy of reification. We also would ask if the authors believe in the true, bodily resurrection of Jesus, given that such is as “scientifically” unverifiable as creation. Next, by using the word “sinister,” the authors imply that young-earth creationists are afraid of evolution. Rather, we understand the idea of evolution; it is simply that we don’t believe it is true for biblical and logical reasons. And the authors seem to be deluding themselves by writing that evolution is not “chaotic and wasteful,” given that young-earth creationists believe God created a world of life in one week without any death. The fossil record, however, is a record of death and includes evidence of violence and disease, such as cancer. Why would God call that “very good” if death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26) introduced by sin, which could not have occurred before man (Romans 5:12–14)?

We understand science as a gift from God to explore the creation, a companion revelation enriching the understanding of God we get from other sources, such as the Bible. Many do not realize that making the Bible into a textbook of modern science is a recent development. What we learn from science cannot threaten our belief in God as the creator. If God created the universe in a [b]ig [b]ang 15 billion years ago, guided its development with elegant mathematical laws so that eventually there would be big-brained mammals exploring things such as beauty, morality and truth, then let us celebrate that idea, not reject it.

Again, we agree that science can help us explore creation. But the authors’ description of it as a “companion revelation” forces a question: is everything reported in a scientific journal automatically as valid as Scripture? What about when the two come into conflict—such as if an archaeologist alleges that the Bible’s history is inaccurate? Again, the church fathers overwhelmingly believed in a recent creation as the Bible taught. And of course we do not make the Bible a “textbook of modern science,” since it is a book of history. And again, the authors fallaciously reify “science.” What Richard Dawkins believes the scientific method shows certainly does threaten one’s belief in God. Finally, there is the word if: “If God created the universe in a [b]ig [b]ang 15 billion years ago . . . .” The authors seem to misunderstand our perspective entirely, again, falsely implying that our position is due to fear or unwillingness to consider what it would mean to celebrate the big bang, etc.

Sadly, the visibility of Giberson and Falk’s piece will surely misinform many who don’t actually know what we and other young-earth creationists believe. Even while lobbying tired old defenses of theistic evolution, the authors did not answer a single of our substantive problems with compromise (which are documented in the articles linked below). Still, we are thankful for the continued attention on the Creation Museum, which continues to be the best chance many have for beginning to understand the creationist’s perspective—and for meeting the Creator.

For more information:

Plea for Forgiveness and Reconciliation - Japanese to Chinese

2009-08-08T21:48:00.003+08:00

This is from a Japanese brother in Christ, spoken on Sunday 2 August 2009, before a gathering of about 200 believers made up of Asians and missionaries throughout Asia. Some of the countries represented: China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Philippines, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Russia, and USA.

Plea for Forgiveness and Reconciliation

I. Story of Fushun （撫順、抚顺）

I was born in 1956. That same year, about 1000 Japanese soldiers returned to Japan from Fushun Prison which was located in the Northeastern part of China. After Japan surrendered, a number of war courts were held in different countries, and many Japanese war criminals were tried and executed. The war courts conducted by America, Britain, Australia, Holland, Taiwan, France, Philippine, all together 971 were executed and 479 were given lifetime imprisonment. In the war court conducted by the People’s Republic of China in 1956, no one was sentenced to death or to lifetime imprisonment. 1017 were found guilty but pardoned and immediately released. Such gracious treatment of the war criminals was unheard of.

Japanese invaded vast areas of China. We committed most atrocious and brutal crimes imaginable to unarmed Chinese civilians, women, children and even to babies. We were worse than animals. We were called Japanese “sons of Devil” and we were.

Many of the Fushun prisoners after their return to Japan, dedicated the rest of their lives for promoting the friendship between China and Japan, for publishing books and giving speeches to confess publicly what they did in China, to appeal to Japanese people never to engage in war and never to repeat the same mistake.

What changed these Japanese prisoners? About 600,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians were captured by the Soviet army at the end of the war. They were sent to the work camps in Siberia. Since the Soviet government only gave them very little food and clothing, many died of malnutrition and illnesses. In Siberia Japanese soldiers were treated as Japanese used to treat their prisoners of war in Asia.

After five years of forced labor in Siberia, about one thousand Japanese were transferred to China. They were handed over to the Chinese authority. Many thought they were going to be killed by Chinese because of what they did to them previously. On the train to China, Japanese received a delicious meal which they had not eaten for years. Some thought this was the last meal before execution.

Chinese prison staff treated the Japanese prisoners with kindness and love for 5 years in Fushun Prison. They fed them nutritious meals three times a day. The prisoners did not have to work. The sick received good medical treatments. For the first year or two, the Japanese soldiers were still arrogant and disrespectful to the Chinese prison staff and nurses. They still acted as if they were better than Chinese people.

The Chinese Communist Party had a policy in Fushun to treat the Japanese soldiers humanely. Japanese prisoners received much better food than the Chinese prison staff. This was when Chinese people did not have enough to eat. Why not? Because Japanese army took all the food and destroyed the land. The prisoners could have second servings if they wished. Many staff thought there was something wrong. Many did not want to work in the camp to take care of Japanese. At first many thought this was the opportunity to take revenge on the Japanese soldiers and to give them what they deserved. One of the prison guards actually found among the prisoners, the soldier who killed his family members. He became so furious. Still he had to follow the party’s command not to abuse them either physically or verbally. He was ready to quit. The director of the prison persuaded him that if he quit then these Japanese would pick up guns and invade China again. He assured him that what they were doing was to help the Japanese change so they would never become aggressors again. So he continued and persevered.

Gradually Japanese started to change their attitude. They knew in their heart that they did not deserve what they were receiving especially after what they have done to the Chinese people. Japanese started to show their appreciation and respect for the kindness of the Chinese. Japanese were trained to think that Japan was the divine nation and that they were a superior race and the rest of the people were inferior, but they started think differently. This experience in Fushun not only changed the Japanese prisoners but also the Chinese staff as they saw that their kindness was changing the Japanese prisoners. Their hatred toward Japanese was softened and they actually felt friendly toward them by the end of the five years. They became friends.

The Chinese officials and workers at Fushun prison practiced Ro 12:20f. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” They fed their enemies and treated them with kindness. By so doing they put burning coals on the heads of Japanese soldiers. At first Japanese did not know what to do but they gradually changed. Chinese people overcame evil with goodness in Fushun. You defeated and destroyed our prejudice, arrogance and malice not by force, brutal treatment, threat, or torture but by love, mercy and kindness. We tried to defeat you and control you with force, violence, threat and sword, but we could not.

The Chinese Communist party and the prison staff proved to the world that Ro 12:20f is true by practicing it on most hateful, prejudiced and hardheaded and hardhearted Japanese soldiers. All truth is God’s truth. Even communism which denies God’s existence, holds much truth, God’s truth in it. Communists, Buddhists, Muslims, and even Japanese sons of Devil are created in the image of God the Creator. We are made of God’s truth and love.

Gandhi, a Hindu practiced and proved to the world that Matt 5:39 is true: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” He showed us the way of non-violent resistance. India defeated British Empire not by force or by weapon but by the teaching of Jesus. He inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and many others. In America, the African Americans won their civil rights not by violence but by the truth of the Bible. Our God is big and powerful. God’s truth is big and powerful.

II. Story of Stephen Metcalf

A British man, Stephen Metcalf was a son of a missionary to China. During his teenage years he was in China when Japanese army was occupying many cities of China. He was a high school student, studying in a boarding school with other missionary children.

Japanese army wanted their school campus so they moved the school to another location and they were under Japanese control. Metcalf hated Japanese for what they did to them and what they did to Chinese people. In their Bible class they were studying the Sermon on the Mount. Their teacher who was a missionary asked what they thought of Jesus teaching: “love your enemies.” (Matt 5:44) When they heard the word “enemy,” Metcalf and his classmates automatically thought of Japanese soldiers and thought it was an idealistic teaching but not a practical one. He thought to love Japanese was impossible and that God surely did not expect them to do that.

The teacher told the students that he felt the same way as they did at first. But he read the words followed the teaching, “love your enemies”: “and pray for those who persecute you.” The teacher encouraged the students to do that. The teacher said when you hate someone, you are the center of your thought. But when you pray, God is the center. And you cannot hate someone that God loves. Metcalf at first could not even pray for Japanese. But as he started to pray, his prayer changed and he was changed.

You may know Metcalf’s teacher. His name was Eric Liddell. He was a gold medallist for 400 meter run in Paris Olympics of 1924. His story became a famous movie, “The Chariots of Fire.” During the Japanese occupation, Liddell sold his gold medal in the black market and with the money, he fixed some of the sports equipments so that the students can enjoy sports even in the camp. Eric Liddell died of brain tumor in the camp. A couple of weeks before Liddell died he gave his running shoes to Metcalf. He wore those shoes when he carried Liddell’s body to the tomb. He promised to God then that if God allowed him to come out of the camp alive, he would become a missionary to Japan to evangelize Japanese people. He kept the promise and came to Japan after the war and preached for over forty years. Metcalf said, "The best thing (Eric Liddell) gave me was his baton of forgiveness. He taught me to love my enemies, the Japanese, and to pray for them."

Liddell taught Metcalf to pray. As he prayed, his attitude toward Japanese changed. He remembered that Jesus prayed for those who tortured him and humiliated him and who were nailing him to the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Metcalf thought Japanese did not know that they were doing. They did not know that every human being was created by God in his image. Japanese were also created by God and that they were hurting God when they were mistreating others.

III. God suffered with you

Before and during the war Japanese were trained to believe that their emperor was a living God. In the basic training of the Japanese Imperial Army they would beat you, hit you and kick you for no reason but break you until you become a robot to follow the command of your superiors without asking a question. They believed that when they obey the command of their superior, they were doing the Emperor’s will or God’s will. We were deceived by Devil and we became sons of Devil and did devilish things.

When you groaned and screamed with pain God heard you. When you cried God cried with you. He suffered with you with all the injustice, cruelty, and humiliation that we inflicted upon you. God saw every act of injustice and cruelty Japanese soldiers committed and tried to conceal. Only God knows how much you suffered because of us.

Gandhi said this: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.” Japan fell and so did Nazi Germany.

IV. Let us make the Lord’s prayer our daily prayer

I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. I ask you to pray. There is a prayer in the Bible that teaches us to pray. It is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. It is called the Lord’s Prayer but it is disciples’ prayer.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

When we put God first and in the center of our life then everything else falls in its proper place. If we do not, things fall apart. (Matt 6:33) Jesus taught his disciples to call God “Father.” So this prayer is an invitation to us from the Father for an intimate relationship. This prayer begins with praise to God. We are not here to see how great we can become but to know how great God is and to praise him and love him.

We pray “Your Kingdom come and your will be done.” Why do we pray this? Because we have rejected God’s rule and His will. Our world is corrupted and twisted because of Satan’s deception and of our sins. This prayer knows our pain, suffering and groaning. (Ro 8:22-23) This prayer longs for God’s order, justice, and healing.

This is a prayer of invitation to God to rule our lives as our King. How does God’s Kingdom expand? It expands by conquering us with his love. And we join his conquest as his soldiers. This prayer is a prayer of dedication. We dedicate our lives so that God can rule us. We dedicate ourselves to God who first dedicated himself for us.

Give us today our daily bread.

The first half of the prayer concerns God and his kingdom. That teaches us the purpose of our existence. Our aim is not to please ourselves but to please God and glorify Him. This is a prayer of trust: our declaration of dependence.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

We live because of God’s forgiveness and by his grace. We receive so much mercy that we should be merciful to others. (Eph 4:32) The church cannot exist nor can we witness to the world without this kind of love for one another. John 13:34-35

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

We acknowledge our weakness. We must know our enemy, the Devil. (1Pet 5:6-11) We also must know our ally. (Ro 8:31) If God is for us, who can be against us? We know our weakness but we also know that God can work powerfully through our weakness. (2Cor 12:10)

Prayer is not about letting God know what we want. It is about letting God do what he wants through us. This prayer is God’s daily invitation to live as his children. This is our invitation to God to rule our life and our heart. This is our daily prayer of dedication, our offering ourselves in his hands and for his service. This prayer allows God to mold us so we can become more and more like Jesus.

Let us learn to pray this prayer and live this prayer. God can mold and shape us through this prayer.

As a Japanese I am so ashamed for what we did to your people and I am so sorry.
I have no right or reason to ask for your forgiveness. I can understand if you cannot forgive us. I will not ask you to give us a chance but to give God a chance to do a miracle: His miraculous work of reconciliation and healing.

Father, make us one as your children.
Rule us and use us as your servants.
Give us grace to live and love one another.
We are weak. Protect us from Satan’s deception and our own deception.
Father, heal the wounds of Chinese people and others. These are the wounds that we Japanese inflicted and the wounds go so deep. Reach your healing hands deeper, Lord, and touch and heal them with your love for your glory.
This we pray in the name of our crucified Savior Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Read the Bible in 31 days!

2009-04-28T22:47:00.002+08:00

Someone took the page numbers from the ESV Reference Bible and the time required from the Max McLean ESV audio Bible. You can modify these numbers for your favorite Bible translation.

* NT 18 hours (1,080 minutes)– ESV 279 pages
* OT 57 hours (3,420 minutes) – ESV 968 pages

To read through the entire Bible in a month with 31 days:
* Read 35 minutes or 9 pages of NT per day
* Read 111 minutes or 32 pages of OT per day
* So, by spending only 2 hours and 26 minutes per day, 41 pages, you can read through the entire ESV Bible in one month.

Isn't 2 hours and 26 minutes close to 10% of 24 hours? Wouldn't that be a daily tithe?

*Actual daily tithe would be 2 hours and 24 minutes.

Restoring Worship?

2009-04-26T15:27:00.002+08:00

I really like this idea from David Plotz, in Blogging the Bible:

Chapter 7
7:22-23: The grimmest verse so far: "All in whose nostrils was the merest breath of life, all that was on dry land, died. All existence on earth was blotted out—man, cattle, creeping things, birds of the sky; they were blotted from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark."

What a chilling account of the flood, and of the loneliness of Noah. Even the good man, even the righteous man, is alone in the world, and always subject to God's awesome power. This is pretty raw. It also seems to me to offer at least a clue about why God destroyed the earth. It seems clear that the Pre-Deluge evils were not crimes of men against other men, but crimes of men against God. As men mastered agriculture and metalwork and built cities, which earlier verses suggest they did, they felt they didn't need God. They came to see their laws, achievements, and prosperity as their own, accomplished independently of God. So, perhaps the point of the flood was not to restore ordinary moral behavior—day-to-day decency, law, etc.—but to restore faith, or at least fear. We thought we didn't need God, and that was what angered Him. The Flood—this verse in particular—reminds us (or at least the one righteous man who is permitted to live) that we are never independent of God, but always floating alone, vulnerable, at His mercy.

_*_*_*_*_*_

What do you think?

Super Sweet Time Lapse

2009-04-14T15:28:00.000+08:00

http://vimeo.com/3156959

Thinking in Chinese

2009-04-03T08:06:00.001+08:00

I used to wonder what it would be like to think in Chinese. Last night I put in a couple of earplugs so I could rest and started thinking in Chinese. It didn't require much effort, just happened. When I got to something that I couldn't say in Chinese, I would switch back to English, then I would have to "flip" that same simple switch to go back to Chinese. It was great!

I really feel like my pump has been primed. Now to really get this thing to full throttle. I need to put more Chinese in so I can get more Chinese out!

This simple, wonderful revelation came because I was having hypersensitive hearing from a bad seating location at lunch. Strange how these things work.

Praising God in all situations, hope you are too!

Take it by force!

2009-03-20T15:22:00.001+08:00

What do you think about the following verses?

1. "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." - Matthew 11:12

What kind of violence is this?

2. "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it." - Luke 16:16

Who is forcing their way into the kingdom of God?

3. "For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." - Matthew 13:12

What is Jesus talking about? What is that these folks have that he is giving more of and taking more away from?

4. "Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." - John 15:2

Who likes getting their life pruned? Who doesn't like getting a greater harvest?

5. "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" James 4:6

What is God's definition of "proud" - how about "humble" - and tell me again how do I get more grace?

I would like to sum all of this up with another couple of questions... consider these and tell me what you think:
1. What do we call the people that are the first to jump into a new idea that costs them everything?
2. Why would people risk everything with the promise of being treated poorly?
3. What do you have that you want more of? Less of?
4. What are you holding on to? What do you not want to sacrifice?
5. What area of your life needs more of God and less of self?

The business world calls people willing to try a new product, risking financial and personal safety, early adopters. What are spiritual early adopters? These people are from every walk of life, they are poor, hurting, and lonely; rich, happy, and have loads of friends... but they all recognize a great opportunity. And with great opportunity comes great risk!

God is asking us to trust him, to step out in faith and share in his life. Jesus had a great life, sure he died a horrible death, but look at the victorious new life!

Are you forcing your way into an increasingly deeper relationship with God?

iGoogle

2009-03-14T06:45:00.001+08:00

I have begun using iGoogle as my homepage... they really have improved it! I am writing this post from iGoogle and doing so much more. Now I have one page I look at instead of 10!

Stem Cell Drama

2009-03-13T13:27:00.001+08:00

President Barack Obama on Monday signed an executive order to lift restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. "In recent years, when it comes to stem-cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values," Obama said. "In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent." Both the president and most media outlets rarely make a clear distinction between embryonic stem-cell research and research using other types of stem cells, but simply use the generic term "stem cells" when referring to embryonic stem cells.

But the president did more on Monday than to just force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem-cell research, which requires the destruction of human life. He also rescinded an executive order President Bush put into place that funded adult stem-cell research and new research seeking alternative technologies, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are now the talk of the scientific world. (See PWB, 3/6/09.) Even Dr. James Thomson, who first grew human embryonic stem cells in 1998, has pulled his resources from embryos and invested in iPS cells, because, apart from satisfying the moral dilemma, these cells are easier and cheaper to reproduce.

"I can think of only two reasons for this action, for which I saw no advocacy either in the election or during the first weeks of the administration," said bioethics attorney and watchdog Wesley J. Smith. "First, vindictiveness against all things 'Bush' or policies considered by the Left to be 'pro-life' and, second, a desire to get the public to see unborn human life as a mere corn crop ripe for the harvest."

Many believe that Bush could have been ahead of his time in promoting both adult stem-cell research and alternative research, such as regression, also known as direct reprogramming. In this process, differentiated cells from adults are reverted into stem cells, with no destruction of human life. As recently as last week, researchers announced that they had successfully turned ethically created cells into the neurons that break down in Parkinson's disease. The week before, scientists produced evidence that they had treated Parkinson's in a patient with his own adult stem cells. Almost daily, researchers are celebrating new breakthroughs without compromising a single human life. Over 70 diseases and conditions have already been treated through adult stem cells, helping patients overcome everything from juvenile diabetes to heart disease. "While the Obama administration and its supporters claim to be on the cutting edge of science, the new President is pursuing old technology," said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. Smith says the Obama decision to also reverse the Bush order funding adult and alternative stem-cell research shows that Obama is really the anti-science president, not his predecessor.

A further misconception is that embryonic stem-cell research was made illegal and terminated. However, only federal funding of such research was banned by the Bush administration. Privately funded and commercial embryonic stem-cell research has continued for many years, but has yet to produce a single cure or benefit to a patient. In fact, in recent weeks, embryonic stem cells have been condemned for causing tumors in one patient in Israel. "Embryonic stem-cell research is the research of the past. Millions of dollars have been spent on embryonic stem-cell research and it has failed," said Americans United for Life president Charmaine Yoest. "To pour more money into it is simply a waste."

House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a written statement immediately after the signing that said, "Non-embryonic stem-cell research is not only showing great promise in the laboratory, but its applications are already being used to treat scores of diseases and medical conditions. Indeed, science and respect for human life can coexist. Politicians in Washington would be well-served to recognize this fact before they ask taxpayers to subsidize the destruction of innocent human life simply to advance a particular agenda." [LifeNews.com, Washington Update, OneNewsNow.com, FoxNews.com]

From The Pastor's Weekly Briefing

Sick day...

2009-02-12T12:01:00.001+08:00

Today I am not feeling well. Woke with a fever of 102.7... went directly to the local clinic had a chest x-ray, blood work, then received some IVs.

I'll be trying to catch up on this later on today or tomorrow. For now it is bed time.

Describing Jaime

2009-02-11T16:26:00.003+08:00

I want you all to know praising your wife can reap great rewards! I won a book for describing Jaime... the following is copied from the City Weekend website:

WIN a copy of CW Parents & Kids Columnist Tania McCartney's newest book!

You can read the review here!

Answer the following question in the comment box below. The best answer will be chosen by Tania herself and win a copy of her book! Preference is given to those that are active in the City Weekend online community.

Tania says: "Tai Tai (noun. f.) wife (the word is also used by expats as a tongue-in-cheek description for a woman who lunches, shops, has her nails done and probably fills her house with orchids)"

Here's the question: Give us your own definition of a Tai Tai!

Contest ends Jan 24.

Contributed by cityweekend

4 weeks, 1 day ago

Comments Add a public comment

ryanx

TAI TAI =

My Girl new name after marry, The one who understanding me well... Love LV & Cartier, The only one that I love and respect in my life.

4 weeks, 1 day ago

dnmoggy

Ohhhhh......Tai Tai.......I thought you said Mai Tai.....Hic......

4 weeks ago

acaralla

Tai Tai...the little-known substitute Fuwa, ready to step in at any moment should anything incapacitate the first five. Alas, no shot at glory came his way...

3 weeks, 5 days ago

smileybella

HIS?

3 weeks, 5 days ago

pjsheeps

HAHA.... someone about your response Smileybella is just hilarious!!!!

3 weeks, 5 days ago

cj750

someone who has lots of leisure time, lots of money to spend and lots of gossip to exchange.

3 weeks, 3 days ago

eugenebj

Tai-Tais ...

are Tai-Tais ... the rest are just housewives, mothers, "yellow-faced ladies" ...
are into competitive shopping to see who have the newest, biggest, most exclusive, most expensive bags, shoes, ...
are ardent fans of Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Dior, ...
love fur, lace and leather?!
form cliques (membership to groups by introduction or connection only)
frequent nail, hair, massage and beauty parlours ... to while away time, (or loneliness?)
have wealthy hubbies or hubbies with certain social status (a must)
have well-groomed children (or at least they try)
are often members of Parent Associations in their children's schools
have tea and brunches with other tai-tais
(those who work-out) have young, cute male personal trainers ... and are all dressed-to-kill in the gym!
(those who don't work-out) have young, cute god-sons that they keep for .... (use your imagination)
is a term we use, much like 'Yuppies', 'Hippies', 'Metrosexuals', etc., to describe this unique and interesting social group of homo-sapiens!

3 weeks ago

caseysmyth

A lady of leisure. A woman with too much time on her hands! While her husband is out working, she wiles away the hours attempting to keep busy with shopping, short courses and the gym! Generally succeeding!

2 weeks, 4 days ago

inspiresme

A wonderful woman with a servant heart. Giving graciously to others beyond their ability to accept, yet in a way that is humble and true which causes them to be gracious in return. A woman deserving of rubies and diamonds, yet content with love and affection.

2 weeks, 4 days ago

yanyue3300

Congratulate to inspiresme win the Beijing Taitai Book, and thanks for all your attending.

2 days, 4 hours ago

inspiresme

Thank you!

2 days, 4 hours ago

Happy Niu Year!

2009-02-05T07:14:00.002+08:00

Happy Spring Festival! This is the Year of the Ox.

We just got back from our trip to Harbin. This Northeastern city is famous for an Ice Festival that starts in late December and runs until mid-February. We spent three full days there and stayed at our friends' apartment, which was located about one hour from the downtown. Thank you J & J! We had four students help us while we were there, acting as our tour guides were Enya, Daniel, Tony & Shirley. We really enjoyed our time together, they wonderful, cooking dinner for us every night. On our last night there they made hot pot for Andrew's birthday and picked up his cake for us. We attached a photo of them below from the night of Andrew's birthday. Please pray for them. Two of them are Christians, and two of them are not. They are staying in Harbin for the Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. Tony is a college graduate and is looking for a job, Enya and Shirley are both Juniors in the local school, and Daniel attends a school about 2 hours from Beijing. We were very blessed to have them with us.

Sunday our worship was in the evening due to folks heading back to work this weekend. We had a great time on Saturday night celebrating Gray's 50th birthday at Gary & Danita Jackson's home. Danita cooked a great Mexican feast, we played games together, and ate cake. There were about 30 people that attended.

Ski Trip: Before we left for Harbin we went skiing with Andrey, a brother from church. We had a great time with Andrey. Andrew could not find a ski boot to fit him, so he decided to snowboard instead, which he has done once before. There was one ski lift and one long trail. The other much shorter trails for beginners were on the same hill, which used skit tows.

Orphanage and plans: Almost every week Jaime goes to the local orphanage and spends time with the children. She enjoys exchanging English lessons for Chinese lessons with the children. This week will be her last visit for awhile, because she is heading back to the States to visit family for one month. Please pray for her to have a safe and enjoyable journey. Also please pray for her cousin, Kathleen, who was just diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. Kathleen is getting treatment now and has to remain in the hospital for 30 days. Please remember to pray for Andrew as he remains in China for his continued work and studies. Keep us both in your prayers as we will be apart for a month.

Trip to Sichuan: Gary & Danita and two members of the Wangjing church are in Sichuan this week visiting the 9 families that our church is sponsoring. Please pray for their safety and time with them.

Marcus & Julia Rodriguez: Please continue to pray for Marcus & Julia as they have gone to Julia's hometown for Spring Festival and will be enjoying hiking in Yunnan province too.

Facebook photos:
Skiing in Beijing
Harbin Ice Festival
Harbin's Songhua River & St. Sofia Church
Harbin's Tiger Park

How to make your church guest-friendly by Rick Warren

2009-01-15T23:10:00.001+08:00

I like his suggestions... some of them won't work in certain churches, but can be adapted and adopted fairly easily. May the Lord bless you this year as your serve Him! - Andrew

________________________________________

A guest’s first 12 minutes dramatically influence whether they’re coming back or not. You never get a second chance to make

a first impression.

Rick Warren

There are a lot of reasons a church might grow. Sometimes people come because of the preaching. Sometimes people come because of the music. Some people like the great programs for kids and youth.

But I’m convinced there’s an often overlooked factor in church growth: Growing churches are friendly to guests. All churches think they’re friendly, but when you take a good look at them, you often discover they’re friendly to people who have been attending for 15 years or more – not to new people.

A guest’s first 12 minutes dramatically influence whether they’re coming back or not. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. When non-Christians come to your church for the first time, their number one emotion is fear. What will people think? What are they going to do? Am I going to have to sign something, sing something, sacrifice something, or say something? They don’t know what’s going on, and they’re scared to death.

Your first goal with guests (and by the way, I never call them visitors) is to get them to relax. Then you can communicate with them. When people are afraid, their barriers are up and it’s like, “I dare you to teach me something!” No matter how good your sermon is, they won’t listen to the Good News about Jesus until they get past those fears. You need to put guests at ease.

How do you do that? Here are some ideas:

Reserve your best parking spots for guests. It just shows you’re thinking about them. If you had guests for dinner at your house, you’d probably do whatever it took to make them feel more comfortable. You’d give them your best silverware and your best dishes. You might ask them about food preferences before you plan the meal. You should show the same type of courtesies to guests at your church.
Station greeters outside your building. You need people strategically placed around your campus to greet guests. At Saddleback, we used to play a game. I would dare people to get into the building without having their hand shaken at least three times. We place greeters way out in the parking lot. Why? We’ve found that people hate to be greeted publicly during the service, but they love to be greeted personally.
Set up an information table. Put all sorts of information on the table that might help people find their way around. Put maps out with classrooms and restrooms easily marked. Put out brochures about the church that give people information they can take home and read at their convenience. Most importantly, have hosts stationed there to help people find their way around. Make sure your hosts know where the restrooms are and where the children should go!
Have taped music playing when people enter. In America almost every public building has music playing. Even in the elevator, music is playing. You go into the restroom and music is playing. You go into a restaurant and music is playing. Why? Because people expect to hear music. If you walked into a church right now and everyone was dead silent when you walked in, you’d probably be uncomfortable. On the other hand, if you heard fairly loud praise music playing, you’d feel much more comfortable.

Here’s something interesting I’ve found: If you play soft music, people talk softly. But if you play loud music, people talk louder. When non-Christians come into your church, they want it to be noisy. They want to hear what’s going on.
Allow guests to remain anonymous in the service. Please don’t make guests stand up. The three greatest fears people have are going to a party with strangers, having to speak before a crowd, and being asked personal questions in public. So when we ask our guests to tell us their name and where they are from in front of everyone, we subject them to all three of their greatest fears at one time. Bad idea.

How do you identify guests if you don’t have them stand up? Have them fill out a welcome card. Then someone from the church can connect with them later.
Offer a warm, casual public welcome that relaxes people. If you want to make guests feel welcome, you’ve got to be at ease yourself. That’s what most people expect – just watch the late-night TV shows. Like it or not, how the pastor and the worship leader interact with each other sets the tone for good or for bad in a service.
In early years at Saddleback we used to say, “If this is your first time at Saddleback, we’re glad you’re here. We want you take a deep breath, sit back, relax, and enjoy the service.” You know where I got that? I heard someone say it on an airline once! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. All we’re trying to do is help them relax and then make them feel comfortable.
Begin and end each service by having people greet each other. Five times in the New Testament Christians are told to greet one another and share affection. I’ll say during the service, “Turn around and give somebody a hug. Turn around and give somebody a handshake.” I’ve been told by some that’s the only physical touch they get all week. And human beings need touch. It’s a great way to help lower the barriers of your guests.
Offer a refreshment table at each service. Today in our society, it’s not appropriate to just stand in a crowd doing nothing. You have to have something in your hand. That’s why they have cocktail parties. People like to have something in their hand when they’re hanging out and mingling. Out on the patio, I’ll see a 300-pound guy who thinks he’s hiding behind a Styrofoam cup! He’s very comfortable as long as he has something in his hand if somebody looks at him and he’s not talking.

You have to break down the fear barriers before people will ever open up to your message and consider coming back to your church. Try these guest-friendly tips in coming weeks, and help your church grow in 2009.

Latest & Greatest

2009-01-14T14:50:00.002+08:00

Praise
1. Our new minister Jacky (English name of course). He has been acting as the minister for quite some time now, so it wasn't difficult for the church here to begin paying him for his service. This is a great step for the congregation! Their first local minister. Jacky is a great servant. He has a wife and child. Please keep them all in your prayers.
2. Praise God! We had several guests on Sunday! Our church family is growing in many ways, one of which is evangelism.
3. Thanking God for fun times! Jaime arranged an ice skating trip on Sunday. Children from the orphanage, some folks from Haidian, and our group were all represented quite well. (The rink didn't have Andrew's size skates, so he went to the coffee shop to keep warm.)

Plans
1. Our team will all be doing a bit of traveling January and February. Some to the US, others to former ministry locations, and still others for a bit of vacationing.
2. The university area group is planning to start a new church this year and they have already targeted an area in the southern part of the city. Praise God!
3. Our church is reading through the Bible in two years. What we read through the week will be used for preaching on Sunday.

Ongoing Efforts
1. The Sichuan families have been receiving regular prayers, phone calls, visits, and 1000RMB/monthly from a fund that churches in the States and a few throughout China have contributed to. We ask you to faithfully lift up these children and their families to our Father:

Tong Zhong Cheng (boy--14)--lost one leg
Ma Cong (boy--11)--lost one leg; lost his father and older sister
Luo Ying (girl--9) lost one arm and one leg
Shang Ting (girl--10) lost one eye, index finger on one hand, and both legs; buried more than 120 hours.
Wen Jing (girl--12) lost right hand; 2 broken legs
Wang Xiao Wei (boy--12) lost one leg
Jiang Ping Ping (girl--10) one leg badly broken and mangled
Zhao Chen (boy--11) broken shoulder
Ren Si Yu (girl--6) severe leg injury; nerve damage on one side of body; lost her father

The major injuries have been listed above, yet nearly all the children had severe cuts and wounds all over the body. Many of them have deep scars in their scalps from head injuries. All of them, except for Si Yu, were inside school buildings that collapsed during the earthquake. Si Yu ran outside with her class (first grade being on first floor) but they were all covered up by the landslide when a huge piece of the nearby mountain can down. She was the last one out the door with her teacher so her teacher put her arms around her to protect her. The teacher and all the other children perished, only Si Yu survived.

2. Wednesday Night Seekers Study
We have had a new wave of people coming to our Wednesday night studies. It might be a blessing, but we are not sure how just yet because many of them are already believers and their English is quite good. We have asked a few to allow the non-believers to be involved more and reminded them of the purpose of the study - to reach the non-believers.

3. Building Relationships
On different occasions, we had folks over for Mexican and a pizza & game night. While we are busy with language studies, Bible studies, and various other appointments, we are wanting to reach out more. We really want to deepen our connections with the local brothers and sisters. Of course the difficulty is that we are not even close to being conversant in Chinese.

My Facebook account (or Jaime's) has recent pictures of travels and fun times.

The Seven Foundations of Jesus’ Leadership by Rick Warren

2009-01-08T20:26:00.002+08:00

There are no perfect leaders. I’m not a perfect leader. Neither are you. But Jesus is. There’s no better teacher on leadership than Jesus. What made him such as effective leader? Lots of reasons. In this article I’ll give you seven of them.

1. Identification: I must know who I am. To be a leader you’ve got to know who you are. All great leaders know their strengths and their weaknesses. We’re a bundle of both. Leadership is not ignoring one in favor of the other. It’s being honest about them. Good leaders don’t try to be something they are not. They are self-aware.

Jesus had no doubt about his identity. He said:
• I am the light of the world.
• I am the Son of God.
• I am the way.
• I am the truth.
• I am the life.
• I am the bread of life.

Jesus defines himself 18 times by saying, “I am…” He didn’t let other people define him. He defined himself. If you’re going to be a leader, you must know who you are.

2. Clarification: Know what you want to accomplish. You must clarify what God has called you to do with your life. The direction of your life is your choice. If you don’t like the direction your life is headed right now, change it. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head. Nobody’s making you a victim. Nobody’s forcing you to serve in the manner you’re serving.

Jesus knew exactly what God had called him to do. He was a straightforward leader who established clear-cut goals. In John 8 Jesus says, “I know where I came from and I know where I’m going.” Jesus had a clear purpose. He knew not only who he was, but what was he trying to do with his life. He truly was a purpose-driven leader.

God has a purpose for your life and ministry. If you don’t fulfill it, you have wasted your life. You were put on earth to live for the purpose God created you for. A leader knows that purpose and pursues it with passion.

3. Motivation: Know who you’re trying to please. You need to settle the issue of motivation. You can’t please everybody. Just about the time you get one person happy, you’ll tick someone else off.

Jesus lived for an audience of One. His whole purpose was to please his heavenly Father. Jesus says this in John 5, “I only try to please the One who sent Me.” Jesus wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest; he just wanted to please God.

That’s a lesson we have to learn as leaders. You’ve got to learn not to care about the opinions of others. You’ve got to focus on God’s opinion of what you’re doing. Don’t pay attention to those who cheer you or jeer you. Either one will sidetrack you.

4. Collaboration: Work with a small group. You never lead by yourself. You always do it in context of a team. All great leaders are great team builders. In fact, if you don’t have a team, you’re not a leader. You’re a loner. The test of leadership is whether anyone is following you.

Jesus modeled this kind of ministry. He never did ministry alone. Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Jesus enlisted other people to serve the cause with him.

If God gives you a vision for your ministry, he’s going to bring other people with the same idea together with you. If nobody agrees on your idea, guess what? It’s not from God.

5. Concentration: Focus on what’s important. Leaders must focus on what’s important. Life is filled with things that will distract you from what’s important. Sometimes we can be distracted by good things as well. If Satan can’t mess up your life by getting you to do wrong things, he’ll mess up your life by giving you too many good things to do.

Jesus was a master of concentration. He focused his life like a laser. He refused to be distracted. Luke 9:51 says, “As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will.” He headed toward Jerusalem to die on the cross for us. He did it with an iron will. He would not let anything distract him from what was important.

Your ministry has incredible potential. But that ministry potential won’t be realized until you decide what’s really important. Settle on what’s most important, and God will use your life like you could never imagine.

6. Meditation: Listen to God. Make listening to God a habit of your life. Jesus did. Prayer was a regular part of his life. The Bible tells us in Mark 1:35, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

If Jesus needed to get alone and listen to God, don’t you think that you need to? You need quiet times to reflect, renew, and recharge. You need time to just get alone, be quiet, and listen to God.

7. Relaxation: Take time to recharge. Leadership is draining. It’s hard work. We all need time to just relax. Jesus encouraged his very busy disciples to take some time for relaxation. Mark 6:31 says, “Crowds of people were coming and going so that they did not even have time to eat. He [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], ‘Come away by yourselves, and we’ll go to a lonely place to get some rest.’”

Jesus realized the disciples had been busy serving, and they were tired. They needed a break. So he told them to get away and rest. Rest is so important that God put it in the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment says this: every seventh day you take a day off. Pastor, this applies to you as well. You need a day away from the church.

Years ago I learned a key to lasting in leadership: divert daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.

Divert daily means doing something fun every day. Get a hobby. Do something that relaxes you.

Withdraw weekly means you take a day off every week for relaxation and restoration.

Abandon annually means you get away and forget everything for some time each year.

Your leadership is a key ingredient to helping your church become what God has called it to be. In fact, the Bible says this in Proverbs 11:14, “Without wise leadership a nation is in trouble.” That’s true of every single area of life. Without wise leadership, your church is in trouble. Learn about leadership from Jesus. We have no better guide.

Blogging...

2009-01-08T07:59:00.003+08:00

I have been keeping my new blog www.daily-discipline.blogspot.com pretty faithfully for the past 35 or so days. In that time, I have come to realize maintaining to blogs is a little difficult and time consuming. I have not decided what I'll do about it, but maybe this one will become a place to post a few pictures, share those inspirational links that I find, and ... but wait, I do all that and more on Facebook!

For all those reasons, I am just not sure what will become of this blog... any suggestions?

How to Be Thankful in Tough Times by Rick Warren

2009-01-03T08:36:00.001+08:00

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

*** *** *** ***

1. Don’t worry about anything. Worrying doesn’t change anything. It’s stewing without doing. There’s no such thing as born worriers; worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That’s good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned. Jesus says, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34 NLT).

2. Pray about everything. Use the time you’ve spent worrying for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you’d have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He’s interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

3. Thank God in all things. Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love, but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities; it makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They’re never satisfied; it’s never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

4. Think about the right things. If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think. The way you think determines how you feel, and the way you feel determines how you act. So if you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.

This involves a deliberate, conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things: focus on the positive and on God’s Word. Why? Because the root cause of stress is the way you choose to think.

When we no longer worry, when we pray about everything, when we give thanks, when we focus on the right things, the apostle Paul tells us the result is, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NLT).

What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind.

© 2009 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

The Quarter of Remembrance

2009-01-02T13:20:00.001+08:00

The Quarter of Remembrance by Mike Cope (reprinted)

I actually got to meet Dr. Channing Barrett, though I don’t remember the meeting because I was too young. But that doesn’t change my picture of him as a young man walking a marathon of miles every weekend. In my mind, I see him returning home to Blissfield, Michigan around the turn of the century.

Channing Barrett was one of eight boys and was the first ever in the Barrett family to go to college. From his medical school, he walked twenty-five miles home each weekend, always returning a couple days later with clean clothes, a food packet, and a dollar.

Dr. Barrett became one of the first ob-gyns in Chicago, practicing at Cook County Hospital. He was known widely both for his innovative surgical techniques and for his ambidextrous skills that allowed him to change hands during long procedures.

There was no patient whom he wouldn’t accept. He delivered many “tenement babies” for fifty cents and many babies for the wives of Mafia dons for a good bit more!

With a growing, respected medical practice, a wonderful wife, and three children, this young physician seemed to be living the idyllic life. He enjoyed riding horses and lifting weights, and was an early member of the Polar Bear Society–that “unique” group that takes to the chilly waters of Lake Michigan in January each year to prove–well, who knows what they’re trying to prove?

And then World War I interrupted this Norman Rockwell life. Dr. Barrett left Chicago to run a field hospital in France, followed shortly by his 17-year-old son, who fought in the trenches.

As long as he could, Barrett sent money back to his wife and daughters. But by the last year of the war, his funds were nearly exhausted. He had no more to mail home. Mrs. Barrett sold most of what they owned, trying desperately to keep her daughters fed and clothed without having to lose their house.

By the time Christmas rolled around in 1918, there were no presents to place under the tree. They were lucky to have a place to live.

But Mrs. Barrett had managed, despite all the financial scrimping, to save two quarters. So on Christmas morning, when the girls emptied their stockings, under the paper dolls their mother had cut out for them and under a couple pieces of candy, they each found a coin.

Previous Christmas mornings had been more lavish, filled with frilly dresses and expensive toys. And there would be more such mornings in the future. But this was the Christmas the family would always remember.

In the future, even during the years of plenty, when the girls emptied their stockings, they always found–under the apples, oranges, nuts, and candy–a quarter.

It was a reminder–a reminder that some years are good while others aren’t too good. Some years deliver new babies, promotions, raises, and great promises. Other years offer sickness, failure, death, and deep disappointment.

The quarter reminded them about both possibilities. It warned them not to write off all the pain of the past as if it didn’t exist. It taught them that the sorrows and wounds of their lives had shaped their characters as much as their joys and accomplishments.

Anyone who takes seriously the Christmas stories of scripture knows that the first Christmas had more than angels, shepherds, wise men, and a mother nursing her baby. There was also the anguish of childbirth. There were the pungent, impolite odors of an animal pen. There was an old man who held the baby and told his mother, “A sword will pierce your own soul too.” There were the voices of many mothers screaming for their baby boys being slaughtered by a demented ruler named Herod. There was a breathless escape to Egypt.

The entrance of God’s Son into the world meant peace–but it didn’t assure that people would get along. It meant great joy–but it didn’t mean we’d always be happy. And it meant unconditional love–though it never implied that everyone would act lovingly.

And so one family, year after year, continued dropping a quarter of remembrance into the bottom of each child’s stocking.

At least one of Channing Barrett’s children picked up that tradition. Every year through the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s, her five children, Dr. Barrett’s grandchildren, pulled their stockings off the chimney on Christmas morning to find quarters buried under fruit, nuts, and candy.

And at least one of those five passed it on to her four children. And at least one of those four is passing it on to his children.

The quarter has mysteriously tied this family together–binding even generations who never met. Together they have remembered that bad year in 1918 and other bad years since.
- One year brought the safe birth of a new nephew; another brought the self-inflicted death of a relative who couldn’t keep fighting the demons of his life;
- One year brought the thrilling news from the gynecologist that a baby was on the way; another brought the news from the pediatrician that the baby wasn’t developing right;
- Some years brought joy; others brought deep, deep pain.

The quarter is a remembrance that the meaning of Christmas is deeper than our triumphs and sorrows. It is a joy that can’t fully be expressed, a peace that passes understanding.

For years my children have followed this tradition started by their Great, Great Grandmother Barrett. Together, we’ve experienced the love of God, woven through the fabric of good days and dark days.

Eleven Christmases ago [fourteen Christmases now] the quarter represented a burden that was crushing our hearts. Not long before Christmas of 1994 our ten-year-old daughter, Megan, took her last breath in the pediatric ICU at Hendrick. Her death was surely the darkest moment in our lives. We felt very connected to Matthew’s Christmas story, the one that tells of “Rachel weeping for her children” (Matthew 2:17).

And then five Christmases later, our family returned to that grief, for in June of 1999 my brother’s son, Jantsen BARRETT Cope, died suddenly and unexpectedly after lifting weights with his high school football team. We barely survived as we gathered in my parents’ living room that Christmas without my nephew’s big, joyful laughs. Fifteen is too young to die. Our quarters were quarters of grief.

But by God’s grace, we have survived. We’re still together, we still love, we still hope, we still believe in that one who was born in Bethlehem.

This Christmas there is still that gaping hole of absence. And yet our quarters will also represent joy. For when people gave money as a memorial to Jantsen, my brother and sister-in-law prayed about a place to let that money be used in the name of Christ. Through a ministry of their church, they traveled to Vietnam to visit an orphanage. They only went intending to give money. But there in a foreign country, across an ocean, on soil where American and Vietnamese soldiers had died, my brother looked into the eyes of a little guy whose name was Vihn, but is now Van – Van Cope. A year later in the same place they looked into the eyes of a sweet Vietnamese girl who is now Tatum Cope.

As Randall Frame has written, “Christmas does not deny sorrow its place in the world. But the message of Christmas is that joy is bigger than despair, that peace will outlast turmoil, that love has crushed all the evil, hatred, and pain the world at its worst can muster.”

That’s why this Christmas Eve, late in the evening, my wife and I will slip a quarter into the bottom of the stockings of our boys and our daughter-in-law.

The quarter will always remind them of a story that is truer than life: that God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son. There in that simple manger in Bethlehem, “the hopes and fears of all the years” found their fulfillment. God had broken into a world of great darkness with the light of his Son.

And yet while the Kingdom of God came in Jesus Christ, we haven’t yet experienced it fully. That’s why the church has continued to pray for 2000 years, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In the meantime, in the words of scripture, we groan, we long, we wait, we hope.

We live in the belief that our simple acts of kindness and giving are not without meaning because Christ has come. And we live in hope that one day the Lord Jesus will come again and all tears will be wiped from our eyes.

That’s the story of Christmas. I know it’s true. I’d bet you a quarter!

Happy New Year! 2009 is Here!

2009-01-02T07:08:00.002+08:00

This is from our newsletter... if you would like to receive our newsletter, send me an email.

Welcome to 2009! We can only believe that this year will be more blessed than last year.

In 2009 we saw God greatly at work in our life. We have been blessed with:
1. a deeper love and appreciation for God and one another
2. a sponsoring congregation that is generous, loving, Christ-centered, and very globally focused
3. a home in Beijing complete with a great ministry team, wonderful church family, and a bunch of enjoyable Chinese teachers at our school
4. more personal discipline in reading, praying, and studying God's Word
5. increasing understanding of our families' relationship to us and one another.

We celebrated Christmas in Shiyan with our old church family, friends, and students. Andrew was blessed to be able to preach on Sunday morning sharing a message about discipleship, "Who is your Rabbi?" This message primarily focused on following Jesus with full dedication, using every moment as both a learning opportunity and a witnessing opportunity.

On the way there and on our return trip, we were able to share the Word of God with many people. We gave out 17 Bibles marked with Genesis, Proverbs, and Matthew 5-7 to our taxi drivers, and families & individuals on the train. For more info read the blogs from 12-25-2008 to 12-30-2008 at http://daily-discipline.blogspot.com/.

Before leaving for Shiyan, we copied our friends cookie ministry (click for Facebook photos) idea... and are praying for a great harvest not of cookies, but of new found followers of our Father. To read more about this check out my blog (click here).

Prayers & Plans for 2009 (http://www.stephencovey.com/community/goal_manager/ is going to help with many of our goals!):
1. Grow closer to God and love our neighbors more
2. Tell more neighbors about God's love (and find more ways to do it)
3. Build an even closer relationship with family
4. Speak Mandarin more fluently
5. Increase in healthy living practices

A great article about the changing culture of China:
With Strikes, China's New Middle Class Vents Anger

No Internet Connection...

2008-12-25T15:19:00.001+08:00

We are in Shiyan, getting our old apartment in order. There were many things that disappeared over the summer, a few things needing taken care of ... and since we are here for Christmas, we thought we'd give these as gifts to the tenants of our old place.

Merry Christmas to all! Happy New Year!

I'll be posting more upon returning to Beijing or when the school decides to give us the gift of internet.

Cookies, Christmas Party, and More Cookies

2008-12-21T20:54:00.004+08:00

Jaime, Sunni, Li Shan, and Nikki (and I) made something like 700+ cookies (most were bit size). We gave them to floors 30-13 in our building. We ran out of cookies, so when we return from Shiyan, we are making more and blessing the rest of our building! We then attached this little note to the baggie that held 5 little cookies:

圣诞快乐!
新年快乐!
邱安路 Andrew Hill 先生 (86)15901173497; inspiresme@gmail.com
希珍米 Jaime Hill 太太 (86)15901173498; jaime.myjourney@gmail.com
我们是基督徒。我们住在望京新城418-2203。我们给您这个礼物因为耶稣给我们他在十字架上的生命。我们为您祷告，上帝给您爱，给您平安，很多祝福。如果您有圣经的问题或者想学习英语，我们家每星期三晚上七点有英文的圣经学习小组。我们还在同一时间有全中文的圣经学习小组。

It says:

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!
Chinese name, English name, Husband/Wife; mobile phone, email address
We are Christians. We live at 418-2203 Wangjing Xincheng. We give you this gift because Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. We pray that God gives you love, peace, and many blessings. If you have any questions about Christianity or English, we have an English small group Bible study in our home every Wednesday night at 7. At the same time, but in another place is another small group meeting in Chinese.

Last night we invited them to our Christmas Party that was this afternoon! And for the ones we handed out tonight, we invited them to our study. If their English wasn't great we gave them Gary's info!

The Christmas Party was great! I juggled... it was a lot of fun. There was a professional violinist, another musician was 15 yrs. old - she played an ancient Chinese "guitar", then there were a couple of singers, but the most precious were the kids from the orphanage. There were tiny, some of them only 4 and up to 6, they did two little dance numbers to Chinese praise songs.

Worship was great too! We had so many blessings from God throughout this day... I'm sure I'll remember this for the rest of my life. One day I'll finally be able to talk with some of my Chinese friends about it too.

A Wedding & 2 New Sisters

2008-12-08T07:47:00.003+08:00

On Sunday we were triply blessed... a wedding and two new sisters! I'll have to post some photos sometime soon.

I've begun a new blog, just for me, Daily Disciplines is about making the changes I desire. I often think about how people (others) should be, the type of person I want to inspire me. I think about those that have lived faithful lives in the Lord's service and that is who I want to be. I want to be an inspiration to others... I want to live a faithful life, a life worthy of imitation, a life I want my children to have, but haven't been keeping the habits that make for this kind of life. So... time to get serious!

I am using that blog as a way to be intentional, to have accountability, to keep a record of my spiritual maturity, and if it is a blessing to others, bonus!

10 Steps to Goal Getting by Zig Zigler

2008-12-05T10:03:00.005+08:00

I like Zig Ziggler! I think I have listened to a few of his books, read a few others, and heard him quoted a few thousand times... Bruce Stopher just posted this list on Facebook. I have been struggling with getting some goals accomplished, so I am going to take these ten steps seriously and hope you will too!

These ten steps will help you achieve your goals now or as you make them for 2009.

1. Make the commitment to reach your goal. "One person with a commitment is worth a hundred who only have an interest." Mary Crowley.

2. Commit yourself to detailed accountability. Record your progress toward your goals every night, and list the six most important things you need to do the next day. Daily discipline is the key to reaching your goals.

3. Build your life on a sold foundation of honesty, character, integrity, trust, love, and loyalty. This foundation will give you an honest shot at reaching any goal you have set properly.

4. Break your intermediate and long-range goals into increments.

5. Be prepared to change. You can't control the weather, inflation, interest rates, Wall Street, etc. Change your decision to move toward a goal carefully--but be willing to change your direction to get there as conditions and circumstances demand.

6. Share your "give-up" goals (i.e., give up smoking, being rude, procrastinating, being late, eating too much, etc.) with many people. Chances are excellent they're going to encourage you.

7. Become a team player. Remember: You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.

8. See the reaching. In your imagination see yourself receiving that diploma, getting that job or promotion, making that speech, moving into the home of your dreams, achieving that weight-loss goal, etc.

9. Each time you reach a goal your confidence will grow so that you can do bigger and better things. After accomplishing any goal, record it in your journal, Weekly Planner or Palm Pilot.

10. Remember, what you get by reaching your destination isn't nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals--what you will become is the winner you were born to be!

--------

There are many things I already do that have become wonderful habits, others not so good that need curtailing. Here are the items I need to work on a little more diligently. Anyone up for accountability? I mean real accountability?

Daily Goals:

Pray, read portions of the Bible and another good book, and journal it. (30 min.)
Mandarin study. In class time (3 hours) and studying outside (3 hours). Going to class is easy, studying outside will require accountability - anyone interested? I should spend 3 hours to preview, prep, and review. Then I want to study other material for an hour or so... maybe this is unrealistic.
Fitness - going to the gym at minimum 3 times each week.
Check Facebook, email, and such less than 2 times a day.

Weekly Goals:

Take a Sabbath (12 hours at minimum)
Call family
Email Newsletter

Monthly Goals:

Have a full Sabbath day

Yearly Goals:

Read the Bible through - accomplished in daily goals
Take a relaxing vacation with Jaime

Do you know of any other goals I should have?

Distinction

2008-11-26T16:21:00.002+08:00

What do you think about this idea, "We have to keep our (insert your brand of Christianity) traditions or else we will not be different from other religious groups."

In thinking about this comment, what is this person's worldview? (My idea: If people are serving God, loving God, and don't get everything just right... wait, that is all the people of this world who serve and love God. So, I will do my best to relate to them in love, while learning from them and sharing my understanding of the Gospel with them.)

The point is this: We, believers in Jesus, are to be distinct from everyone else, non-believers, on this earth ... but how?

Then he (Moses) said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?"
_Exodus 33:15-16 (NASB)

This is the most important distinction for us today. God must be in our presence, we must daily seek the presence of God.

Seeking God's presence brings humility into my heart. It helps me to admit my weekness, my sin, my pride, then God is able to heal those broken places so that I can in His confidence love and bless others. Yet, God has placed his confidence in us. He gave us the message of the Gospel. He told us to become like Him. He thinks you and I are able to be like Jesus! I think that is the most ridiculously amazing thing ever. God thinks I can be like Jesus. I have a long way to go, but God says it is so, so it must be so!

God, our Savior, Master, and Friend, we pray that you will lead us into your presence each day. May we search for you, may we know you, may we demand your presence in our lives. We ask you Lord to bring revival to our hearts, to bring a daily hunger and thirst for your Word, for your Spirit. Heal our hurts, bless us with your love, so that we can help others to know you and your love for them. In the name of Jesus - Amen!

Advice on Marriage

2008-11-13T16:14:00.001+08:00

Mark and Valinda (Director's Cut) from Chris Johns on Vimeo.

Sacrifice & Honor

2008-11-09T17:55:00.002+08:00

God calls all to sacrifice and honor.

Whether we are senior saints, middlers, or preteens we are to become more and more like Jesus. Which means we are increasingly sacrificial. We are called to sacrifice our wants and wishes for others.

So how do we determine who receives greater honor? Jesus taught that the one who sacrifices the most, that is the slave of all, will be the greatest. Does that mean they receive the greatest honor? If so how do we honor them? Or is it God that truly honors them and we just struggle with them?

There are others that receive great and abundant honor...

1 Corinthians 12:22-26:
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Who is it that "seems" the weakest? Why is "seems" so important? What about that "deem(ing)"?

When one member is honored ... we are all honored! So, does it matter who is honored? We are called to rejoice! We are also called to suffer, but does that mean we murmur about something we don't like? Or does it mean we sacrifice and keep our preference to ourselves?

May God be gracious to us all. May we all learn to sacrifice. May we all put Christ at the forefront, center stage, and follow his lead.

Harmony Outreach

2008-11-08T23:06:00.003+08:00

www.HarmonyOutreach.org - a great ministry for special needs orphans, foster care, major surgeries, then adoption. They also assist with the basic needs of many orphanages throughout China.

I randomly met Lisa and 4 of her children at Bite-a-Pitta here in Beijing. We got to talking about how we came to China, ministry, and so much more in a rather brief conversation. Then Jaime and I met with Wayne Barnard, a board member, for dinner at Peter's Tex-Mex to talk about getting involved in the work of Harmony Outreach.

Everything we have heard has been positive. They are well publicized, but the ministry is quite expensive, considering all the surgeries and daily costs. The Bentleys continue to step out on faith as they partner with a number of other orphanages throughout China.

Here are some wonderful video links about the ministry of Harmony Outreach.

John Bentley, a co-founder, talks about their story, ministry, and life in Beijing.
http://www.youtube.com/user/harmonyoutreach

Lisa Misraje Bentley, John's wife and co-founder, talks about Levi.
http://www.lisamisrajebentley.com/index.cfm?pg=doc&id=261

I have committed to raising $480 for Harmony outreach before January 1st. If you are able to help with a few or few hundred dollars, that would be great!
https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=59784&fundraiser_id=1262&m=a8965384

You can also donate via the Stateside site:
http://www.harmonyoutreach.org/pages/donate-now/

The Best Cancer-Fighting Foods

2008-10-25T08:46:00.000+08:00

The best cancer-fighting foods
A doctor with a malignant tumor changes his diet to stave off his disease
by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, Prevention
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26559677/?pg=1#Health_EdibleHealing

I was diagnosed with brain cancer about 16 years ago. I received chemotherapy and went into remission, but the cancer came back and I endured two surgeries and 13 months of chemotherapy. I asked my oncologist if I ought to change my diet to avoid another recurrence. His answer was perfectly stereotypical: "Eat what you like. It won't make much difference."

He was wrong.

The extensive research published in the last decade alone proves that what you eat can have a profound effect on your protection against cancer. But my doctor's answer was hardly surprising. It's a little-known fact that nutrition is barely taught in med schools, where the solution to most problems is a drug. And doctors don't trust patients to make lifestyle changes. I recall a conversation with a fellow physician at a conference after I spoke on the importance of a healthy diet in fighting disease. "You may be right, David, but people don't want to change," he said. "They just want to take a pill and forget about it." I don't know whether he's right, but after all the study I've done, I know it isn't true for me.

I spent months researching the healing powers of food before I fully grasped my own natural cancer-fighting potential. I met with a variety of researchers, scoured medical databases, and combed scientific publications. I traveled all over the world and consulted experts from nearly every continent.

In my quest, I discovered that the list of anticancer foods is actually quite long. Some foods block natural bodily processes such as inflammation that fuels cancer growth. Others force cancer cells to die through a process that specialists call apoptosis. Still other foods assist the body in detoxifying cancer-causing toxins or protecting against free radicals. But most of them attack the disease on a variety of fronts. And they do it every day, three times a day, without provoking any side effects. To avoid the disease, it's essential to take advantage of this natural protection, and nurture it.

I've learned that the anticancer diet is the exact opposite of the typical American meal: mostly colorful vegetables and legumes, plus unsaturated fats (olive, canola, or flaxseed oils), garlic, herbs, and spices. Meat and eggs are optional. Through extensive research, I devised a list of the most promising cancer fighters, along with recommendations on how to make the most of their potential. Include at least one, and preferably two, at every meal, to maximize your protection.

To date, there is no alternative approach that can cure cancer, and I believe that the best of conventional medicine — surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and soon, molecular genetics — must be used to treat this disease. But to neglect your own natural cancer-fighting capacity is folly. I've kept cancer at bay for 8 years now, and I attribute my survival largely to the changes I've made in my diet and lifestyle. I exercise and meditate more and eat wholesome anticancer foods on a daily basis. Still, the medical establishment is slow to embrace this approach. After my last screening at the university's cancer center, I stopped at the cafeteria and discovered eight different types of tea: Darjeeling, Earl Grey, chamomile, and several fruit-flavored herbal teas. Sadly, there was not a single packet of green tea in the lot.

Japanese green tea
Green tea is rich in compounds called polyphenols, including catechins (and particularly EGCG), which reduce the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors. It's also a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier (activating enzymes in the liver that eliminate toxins from the body), and it encourages cancer cell death. In the laboratory, it has even been shown to increase the effect of radiation on cancer cells.

Japanese green tea (sencha, gyokuro, matcha, etc.) contains more EGCG than common varieties of Chinese green tea, making it the most potent source on the market; look in Asian groceries and tea shops. Black and oolong teas, commonly used to produce popular tea blends such as Earl Grey, are less effective because they've been fermented, which destroys a large proportion of their polyphenols. Decaffeinated green teas, which retain the polyphenols despite the process of decaffeination, are also an option if you're sensitive to caffeine.

How to drink it: Sip 2 to 3 cups a day within an hour of brewing. Green tea must be steeped for at least 5 to 8 minutes — ideally 10 — to release its catechins, but it loses its beneficial polyphenols after an hour or two.

Pomegranate juice
This juice, which tastes like raspberries, has been used in Persian medicine for thousands of years. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are well confirmed; studies show it can substantially reduce the development of even the most aggressive prostate cancers (among others). In addition, drinking it daily slows the spread of an established prostate cancer by more than 50 percent.

How to drink it: Have 8 ounces daily with breakfast.

Ginger
Fresh ginger, or gingerroot, is a powerful anti-inflammatory that combats certain cancer cells and helps slow tumor growth. A ginger infusion can also alleviate nausea from chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

How to use it: Add grated fresh ginger to a vegetable stir-fry or fruit salad. Or, make an infusion by slicing a 1-inch piece of ginger and steeping it in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes; drink hot or cold.

Turmeric
Found in curry powder, this spice is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory available today. It encourages cancer cell death, inhibits tumor growth, and even enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Some research shows that turmeric is most effective in humans when it's mixed with black pepper and dissolved in oil (olive or canola, preferably). In store-bought curry mixes, turmeric represents only 20 percent of the total, so it's better to obtain ground turmeric directly from a spice shop.

How to use it: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a teaspoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and add to vegetables, soups, and salad dressings. Use a tablespoon if you already have cancer. If it tastes too bitter for you, add a few drops of honey or agave nectar.

Cabbages and other cruciferous greens
Cabbages and other cruciferous greens
Brussels sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower all contain sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinols (I3Cs), two potent anticancer molecules. These molecules help the body detoxify certain carcinogenic substances and can help prevent precancerous cells from developing into malignant tumors. They also promote the suicide of cancer cells and block tumor growth.

How to prepare them: Cover and steam briefly or stir-fry rapidly with a little olive oil. Avoid boiling cabbage and broccoli, which destroys their cancer-fighting compounds.

Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, chives
The sulfur compounds found in this group (the alliaceous family) promote the death of colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. Epidemiological studies also suggest a lower risk of kidney and prostate cancer in people who consume the most garlic.

How to eat them: The active compounds in garlic are released when you crush the clove, and they're much more easily absorbed if they're combined with a small amount of oil. Sauté chopped garlic and onions in a little olive oil, mix with steamed or stir-fried vegetables, and toss with black pepper and turmeric. They can also be consumed raw, mixed in salads, or layered on sandwiches.

Soy
Compounds called isoflavones (including genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) prevent tumor growth and block the stimulation of cancer cells by sex hormones (such as estrogens and testosterone). There are significantly fewer breast cancer cases among Asian women who have eaten soy since adolescence, and when they do have breast cancer, their tumors are usually less aggressive with higher survival rates. Isoflavone supplements (in pill form) have been associated with an aggravation of certain breast cancers, but whole soy, eaten as food, has not.

How to eat it: Replace conventional milk products with soy milk or soy yogurts for breakfast. Also, use tofu, tempeh, and miso in soups and stir-fries.

Fatty fish
The risk of several cancers is significantly lower in people who eat fish at least twice a week. Several studies discovered that the anti-inflammatory long-chain omega-3s found in fatty fish (or in high-quality purified fish-oil supplements) can help slow cancer cell growth in a large number of tumors (lung, breast, colon, prostate, kidney, etc.).

How to eat it: Have a seafood-based meal two or three times a week. Choose small fish, such as anchovies, small mackerel, and sardines (including canned sardines, provided they are preserved in olive oil and not in sunflower oil, which is too rich in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats). Small fish contain fewer environmental toxins such as PCBs and mercury. Wild salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fats, and the level of contamination is still acceptable. Choose fresh over frozen whenever possible, because omega-3 content degrades over time.

Citrus
Oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruit contain anti-inflammatory compounds called flavonoids that stimulate the detoxification of carcinogens by the liver. Certain flavonoids in the skin of tangerines — tangeritin and nobiletin — can also help promote the death of brain cancer cells.

How to eat it: Sprinkle grated citrus zest (from organic fruits) into salad dressings or breakfast cereals, or steep in tea or hot water. Eat whole fruits out of hand, toss with other fruits in a salad, or use in a salsa to season grilled fish.

Strawberries
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries contain ellagic acid and a large number of polyphenols, which inhibit tumor growth. Two polyphenols found in berries, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins, promote cancer cell death.

How to eat them: At breakfast, mix fruit with soy milk and multigrain cereals. (The best cereal options combine oats, bran, flaxseed, rye, barley, spelt, and so on.) Frozen berries are just as potent as fresh.

Dark chocolate
Chocolates containing over 70 percent cocoa provide a number of antioxidants, proanthocyanidins, and many polyphenols. In fact, a square of dark chocolate contains twice as many as a glass of red wine and almost as many as a cup of green tea properly steeped. These molecules slow the growth of cancer cells and limit the blood vessels that feed them.

How to eat it: Enjoy about one-fifth of a dark chocolate bar a day guilt free. Milk chocolate isn't a good alternative because dairy cancels out the cancer protection of the polyphenol compounds.

Adapted by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. From "Anticancer, A New Way of Life" by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, published in September 2008. Copyright by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, 2008.

Wednesday...

2008-10-22T15:01:00.004+08:00

Today is Wednesday... but what is new about this Wednesday?

1. Gary Jackson is having back surgery.
2. I am excited about Cross Fit (www.CrossFit.com) and p90x.
3. I am ready to seriously start my Chinese schedule.

1. Gary Jackson is having back surgery.
He should be out any time soon. So many people are praying for him. I pray that he will recovery quickly! He is an active guy, he needs to be active. :-)

We have all been praying for him since the beginning of his pain. We pray everyday, all day long for the Father's Spirit & strength to be with him.

2. I am excited about Cross Fit (www.CrossFit.com) and p90x.
I have begun getting ready for some intense workouts. Not that I am going to be doing any major competitions, but if I am going to the gym I want to see results. I am not one for playing sports lightly, I compete with myself to always improve. Naturally results will be needed in the gym. Eating habits are getting modified so that weight can be added (for the first time in my life). This weight will be muscle mass.

3. I am ready to seriously start my Chinese schedule.
I have established a serious schedule of 7-8 hours per weekday of studying Mandarin. I will be getting this into high gear really soon. I have had delays all this week - needing to add pages to my passport, getting my schedules all synced, visiting friends, etc. I will probably need to make a contingency plan, because schedules always get interrupted, changed, and mangled.

Hope you all are excellent! May He provide for all your needs!

Working Out

2008-10-16T20:38:00.002+08:00

This is our first week to go to the gym. It is a real gym, with a swimming pool, nautilus style machines, treadmills a plenty, and of course free weights. I have begun designing a regiment for a rotational full body workout and soon will be over that initial pain of starting physical conditioning. Then sometime later, I hope to do a p90x workout...

Language school is another kind of workout. My brain feels like it is going to pop in class - my teacher's liquid fast procession of Chinese gives me a serious workout. I am amazed at how much I understand, but I'm still translating everything. I want to push past that. The good thing about the linguistic workout - my brain won't actually pop. A physical workout can snap-crackle-pop muscles from their connective tissues... but I can keep cramming stuff into my brain for a long time. However, the more that goes in, the more tired it makes me. Language learning really takes a toll on the entire body.

Here is something fun - when I first start working out my body doesn't know how to handle it. I don't have much extra energy hanging around on my body, so I get really jittery and need to eat every couple of hours. I eat fruit when I wake, breakfast with Jaime, a mid-morning snack, lunch, then something mid-afternoon, and a nice simple dinner. I feel like a Hobit: They enjoy at least six meals a day, when they can get them - breakfast, elevenses (sometimes known as 'second breakfast'), luncheon, tea, dinner and, later in the evening, supper.

First Day of School

2008-10-11T11:32:00.002+08:00

Monday was the beginning of New Bridge, our language school. Jaime and I are finding that being a student again is a lot of work. Jaime is in the beginning class and I am one level up from that. With all of our classmates being Korean, we are doubly challenged. Koreans are taught 1,000 Chinese characters as children and use them to some extent in daily life. They are ahead of us to put it mildly. Imagine a Korean taking Spanish classes with a bunch of Texans... that's about the equivalent.

We have already met with fellow teachers & new friends from Shiyan! We went to Pete's Tex-Mex near the Lido Hotel - a Holiday Inn that is famous, very famous, yet many people have never heard of it - go figure. Then we met up with Yulin, a friend and LST Reader from the University at Buffalo work. And a few of our Chinese friends/students from Shiyan are here in Beijing studying or doing internships. We hope to get a group going from these friends - one of them is a faithful brother.

We are working on preparing our home for all of you to come visit us! We will have an open house policy something like this: 1. Tell us when you are coming to visit, 2. Consider working with www.LST.org (a separate apartment is provided!), 3. We will arrange for your arrival with a special reception and tour.

We are still needing to spend a good couple of days buying small appliances and most everything for the kitchen. The kitchen came with a fridge and a cooktop with two gas burners - that tells you how much we need to shop! However, we like to eat cheaply in the local hole in the wall restaurants, so the kitchen isn't super important - until you realize our next endeavour.

We are wanting to establish ourselves in our building and community. The building has 30 floors with 10 (?) apartments each. Let's say that 75% of those apartments are rented. 300 x .75 = 225 families in this building. If we made a dozen cookies for each family, that would be 225 x 12 = 2750 cookies... I don't know that we'll be able to do that. 12 is a good number in the states when making cookies, but 8 is a good number here! What if we only made 8 cookies for each family? 1800 cookies? That is still a lot of cookies!

Our friend and family member told of his cookie conversion. "When I ate the cookies that Marcus & Julia made, my mouth opened and my heart opened, and I began learning about true Love from the Creator. I kept eating cookies, the cookies changed me, but the Creator's Love changed me more." (This is a very poor translation of a great story!) This is why we want to make cookies... we'll start with the families on our floor, that'll only be 72 cookies.

Many of our friends in the States are asking how they can get involved in the work here. Some are wanting to come to China as teachers, others with Let's Start Talking, and still others just to visit. We want you to know questions are welcome, we would love to share more with you, and to share China with you! So bring it!

IKEA

2008-10-07T22:51:00.005+08:00

We went to Ikea... it was great, it was horrible, it was too much, yet not enough.

We have been going through a lot of discussions about all the things we need, want, and have differing opinions about. If you have ever done a lot of purchasing all at once, you know that it is a great opportunity to learn about preferences, ways of making decisions, and build a deeper relationship, if you are willing to work through all the underlying issues.

There is always a wonderful anticipation in going to Ikea, then the prices get in the way. Then the choices get in the way. Then the reality of needing to get it all into a taxi, out of the taxi, and into the house in one trip gets in the way. We would like to have a lot of stuff from there, however we are not made of money.

We got a few things for the apartment: rolling end tables that will triple as storage, coffee table (together), and computer work station (did that somehow quadruple?). Let's add some excitement and talk about the food! We got some lingonberry jam, huge round crackers, and a small assortment of cookies.

Dinner was nice - hotdogs, sadly without relish. Oh, how I relish my relish! Hotdogs seem to be best when they have a good mustard and relish combo. We shared the soda fountain cola.

Oh, back to the stuff - a set of dishes, silverware (which we only use when eating non-Chinese foods), cute smallish coffee mugs with little saucers... let me just say we got some good deals and will have some nice things.

So this blog is named "Inspire" - but what is inspiring about all of this? Maybe you can help me out, provide me with some answers, comments, questions, something. I am trying to revive this mostly dead blog, maybe qouting from The Princess Bride will help!

Miracle Max: He probably owes you money huh? I'll ask him.
Inigo Montoya: He's dead. He can't talk.
Miracle Max: Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.
Inigo Montoya: What's that?
Miracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change.

Starting School

2008-10-07T16:17:00.004+08:00

Jaime and I started school on Monday. Mandarin classes in Mandarin with very little English. We are at different levels, but the same style of teaching is employed. First we listen to the teacher read all the new words twice as we recite them. She adds more words for us to know and use, while she tells stories using an almost pantomiming body language to illustrate and explain everything. They constantly ask, "Ming bai ma?" which means, "Do you understand?" If you don't get it... they do it again a little differently.

These teachers have great attitudes! Jaime and I are the only Americans in our classes, the others are all Korean. We live in Little Korea or Korea Town or whatever the Chinese would call it.

We signed up for a year of language classes, so tomorrow we'll go get our physicals for the visa in the Haidian area - about an hour from us. The exams will take about 2 hours, starting maybe at 8:30am, we'll get done around 10:30 and need to hurry back for our 11am class.

Today, our landlord had the painter come to fix a set of cabinets in the kitchen. He mixed up something very foul smelling to smooth out the cracks, then painted a base coat. That foul smelling compound was rank, I really wish I could share it with you, like a glass of sour milk - "Hey taste this, isn't it awful?"

We are truly thankful here - so many opportunities. We met up with our friend Yulin from Buffalo - she lives here in Wangjing, just a few bus stops away. We invited her to our Sunday meeting and she accepted.

We are working on connecting with our other friends from Buffalo, Shiyan, and everywhere to see about getting a group together for learning more about our Wonderful King.

Let us here from you! We are so thankful for your petitions on our behalf, support, and general relational encouragement.

Of course I am going to plug our favorite way to visit us: www.LST.org - Let's Start Talking uses conversational English to share the Good News with people all over the world. Are you interested in visiting us and sharing the Good News? Check out www.LST.org!

Finding Health

2008-08-08T10:39:00.002+08:00

I struggle, yes, I sin

In my travels I have been made more self-aware. I recognize my own struggles more easily and openly these days. I want to be transparent, but I also want to have nothing for you to find when I am transparent. We all want others to be honest, but are fearful of being too open ourselves.

In worship last week I thought deeply about these ideas as the preacher talked about the heartache he brought to God throughout his life and how he really loves God and doesn't want to hurt Him. I realized we usually don't say too much about our personal struggles, other than that we have struggles. When do we admit we aren't perfect? Many times we wear masks and attempt to look like we have it all together.

So there is a message I want to share: "Saints are Sinners Saved by Grace"

The message goes something like this...

Please note to yourself where you have failed this past week, let's start with "The 7 Deadly Sins":

Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
Pride

These are all found in the Bible, but aren't exactly in one easily found list... so let's collect up a few other lists:

Romans 1: 28-32
"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." (ESV)

Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (ESV)

Revelations 21:8
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (ESV)

There are other lists... but I think you get the point. We all struggle, we all need forgiveness and grace. God knows this, individually we know this, and collectively we know this, however we struggle to admit it for fear of ______ (fill in the blank). Are we afraid others will know our secret - that we are not perfect? Or is it that we are afraid we'll have to admit what that struggle is to another person? What are we afraid of really? Being judged by others? I think there are many more fears and concerns I haven't addressed, and all of these are why we prefer to simply talk with God and only God about our struggles.

We need to purify our hearts and minds. We need to find a friend that can be our confidant - someone that isn't just keeping a secret (that would be far to simple), but someone who can encourage us to grow in God's grace and love. Someone who will bless us with God's blessings of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and accountability.

Talking with a new friend she said it like this, "What is the most popular isle in the store? The discount isle - the ones with all the stuff that has been used, nicked, dented, scratched, broken, worn and returned, all these things are really desirable. The same goes for people." The ones that are broken in, well worn, aware of their flaws and accepting of others - these people are also desirable, not just to other people, but to God.

Humanity Wrapped in Humility
An older preacher friend told me about his ministry before failure - it was nonexistent. He didn't really connect with people. They thought he was too perfect. Then he went to Africa and failed. The team he was on didn't get along and they all came back early... and he immediately was able to connect to the people around him.

Why? Because he was more aware of his own failure and so were they. They could see he had experience as a human being that was real, not something he learned in a book. They could see it on his face, they could hear it as he preached, they could watch him live in God's grace daily. His life was meaningful because he could embrace his humanity with humility.

Focus
What I propose is this... don't focus on your sin, focus on God's grace! Recognize your sin, accept that you are a person and therefore sinful. Seek God's grace and mercy through forgiveness and if needed baptism into Christ. Then keep your focus on Jesus. Think more about your goals than the gutter. When we focus on the gutter that is where we will end up. If we focus on our fears - they will arrive. However if we focus on our goals of godliness then they will be our destination.

I write all of this because I have been afraid of becoming like so many others - sick, sinfully sick to the point of utter life failure. I am reminded again and again that I need to focus on health, not my fears. I need to find healthy spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical goals that represent a balanced approach to life.

So, I ask for your prayers, encouragement, and blessings as I journey towards Jesus focusing on a healthy hearing of His word and obedience to His Spirit.

Find the Vice, then find the Virtue to focus on:

Lust vs. Purity = Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of body and thought through education and betterment.

Gluttony vs. Self-control = Practicing restraint, self-control, abstention, moderation.

Greed vs. Generosity = Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.

Sloth vs. Diligence = A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness. Putting forth full concentration in one's work

Wrath vs. Patience = Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.

Envy vs. Kindness = Love, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.

Pride vs. Humility = Modest behavior and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.

Injustice vs. Justice = Honesty, and the giving of righteousness. Being fair or telling the truth. Doing what is right and not what is wrong. It is the light of truth that conquers the dark of the wrong. Equity, impartiality.

Accepting God's Grace
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (ESV)

Romans 3:21-28
"Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. What is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith. We see that people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law." (CEV)

Matthew 28:18-20
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" (CEV)

Earthquake!

2008-05-13T06:53:00.000+08:00

We are thankful to report that no one we know was injured during the earthquake. If you haven't heard, it was West of us (Shiyan, Hubei) in the Sichuan Province. Most of China felt the earthquake, even most of Asia. Here is the AP article: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBr_dOzJ9Pnc_U9gSgtTgE-cR-KwD90K8VFG0

Please pray for those still trapped and the families of all the victims.

We are currently finishing our semester here at the medical college. When the quake struck Jaime and I were both at the very beginning of class. Jaime was not sure what was happening, her classroom didn't move as much. I was in a different building and felt the earthquake a little more. The video projection unit mounted to the ceiling began swaying, then the ceiling fans, and finally everyone felt it and we all became a little quiet. The duration was about 2 minutes, then I began teaching.

There was no damage or injuries here. The students immediately began receiving text messages from friends and family from all over China. Everyone was reporting on their experience and warning that more earthquakes were scheduled to arrive later in the evening, probably 7:30pm (like you can schedule earthquakes).

Driving without lights

2008-04-21T22:38:00.000+08:00

The Earnshaw Vault

Driving without lights

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn, April 18, 2008 12:58 PM

U.S. State Dept. Map of Beijing 1981 - source

Graham Earnshaw was the Daily Telegraph correspondent in Beijing from 1980 to 1984, and he's been looking through his clippings, which seem to prove both that China has changed completely and also that China has stayed exactly the same. This spring and summer, Danwei will be publishing a series of these reports from the past. This is today's resurrected item:

Legal hazards facing drivers in Peking
March 5, 1981
By Graham Earnshaw in Peking

A good way of causing a traffic accident in Peking is actually to drive according to the letter of the law.

Not only is it illegal to drive at night through the Chinese capital's dimly-lit streets with headlights on, but trying to respect the law on pedestrian crossings appears to only increase traffic chaos.

As a test, I drove down the length of Peking's busiest street, the Avenue of Everlasting Peace, trying to stay within the law. I failed, and probably avoided an accident as a result.

Zebra crossings were painted across some of the main roads last year and regulations enacted which state that drivers must give way to pedestrians on the crossings.

But no driver in Peking takes the slightest notice of the regulation despite the law's clear warning that any accident involving an injury in a zebra crossing is automatically assumed to be the fault of the driver.

My attempt at driving lawfully not only failed, but I also caused confusion amongst the pedestrians uncertain of why I was stopping, anger amongst drivers behind me convinced that I had the right of way, and impatience in the case of one policeman who testily waved me on as I stopped to let pedestrians cross.

One car almost ran into me as I slowed to remain within the law.

The utter confusion which reigns on Peking's streets appears to be getting worse despite attempts to deal with the problems.

For years the biggest hazards have been swarms of jay-walking pedestrians and the cyclists zig-zagging amongst the traffic in death-defying fashion. Few Peking citizens seem to realize that cars can kill.

But the twin nightmares of serving cyclists and darting pedestrians have been joined recently by another danger - a corps of novice taxi drivers conscripted on to the roads to help deal with a recent influx of foreign
tourists.

Driving at night down Peking's dark thoroughfares is particularly hair-raising because of the law banning headlights.

When asked the reason for the curious ban on headlights Chinese officials have said that it is to stop the cyclists being dazzled.

- - - - - - -

Author's note: At the time, there were almost no cars on Beijing streets except for a few buses, army jeeps and the occasional Red Flag limo. It was all bicycles. It was possible to drive very fast, and I once did Jianguomen to Beida in 15 minutes. Madness. At night camel trains of several camels, as well as donkey carts, would pass along Jianguomenwai Dajie, so deathly quiet after 9pm that it was possible to clearly hear the Peking station clock playing the East is Red on the hour every hour. Another explanation given for the ban on headlights was to prevent giving the US imperialists or Soviet revisionists guidance on any possible bombing run.

At 13 months old she started reading!

2008-03-13T18:33:00.003+08:00

I just want to share an excerpt of this amazing story!

...

Katy Barrett and her husband, Michael, are speech pathologists, and when Elizabeth was born they started teaching her sign language along with spoken language. They read to her often, and her favorite television program — the only one her parents let her watch — was a PBS show called “Signing Times,” which teaches kids sign language.

Yet, as much as her parents worked to stimulate her language skills, they were as astonished as anyone when she started picking out words and reading them, especially as they never attempted to teach her to read.

“We tried to do everything we could to try to stimulate her language growth,” Michael Barrett told Curry. “From day one Katy has been using sign language with her. We think anything relating to language is a good thing to nurture.”

Even so, he went on, that wouldn’t be enough to teach Elizabeth to read. “I think there’s more to it than that,” he said. “I think she has some special abilities that have just been a fortunate thing she’s been born with.”

“This is something we never expected,” added his wife. “We didn’t teach her this. We don’t sit down and drill her on words. She loves reading books.”

...

In fact, they said, the reason they called their local NBC affiliate with their daughter’s story was because they wanted to reach out to experts who could help them deal with Elizabeth’s abilities.
On Monday, they were surprised to discover that Elizabeth had talents they weren’t aware of. While Schwartz was talking, Curry wrote a word in script on the back of a sheet of paper, then showed it to Elizabeth.

“That’s cursive,” Michael Barrett started to say.
“Ba-by,” Elizabeth interrupted.
“She reads cursive?” Curry exclaimed.
Replied Katy Barrett, “We didn’t know that.”

The full story! http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23556514?GT1=43001

Man was made to serve.

2008-03-10T14:09:00.002+08:00

Genesis 2:8; "The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed."

Now check out Philippians 2:7; "(Jesus) ...emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men."

What am I getting at?

I have heard it before, but connected it again this past Sunday: Man was made to serve.

God made man. God made the Garden of Eden. God put man in the garden. God gave man the responsibility of taking care of the garden (and everything else in the world). God gave us power over all living things. God also gave us choice.

So, we were made to serve God and each other. Adam served Eve, and vice versa. Adam was made first, Eve as his helpmate (perfectly matched companions, responsible to each other).

But we exercised our choice to eat the fruit. By doing so, we experienced pain for the first time. Some want to say we got smarter, but, no, we just realized we cut off our ability to have eternal life, sadness. We realized our nakedness, shame. We realized the inherent power structure, slavery - or so we thought.

We tried to compensate for our sadness, shame, and slavery. We sought out a variety of coverings, like masks, just hiding the wounds, until we came to know God's providence through sacrifice.

Trip to the States...

2008-02-05T06:44:00.002+08:00

While visiting at my mom's we were blessed to get together with all my brothers and meet my oldest brothers fiance. We had a great time near the New River Gorge, staying in a very large cabin/house. We cooked, cleaned, and updated her computer. Jaime was able to visit with her friends from college and a friend from the AmeriCorp. I just finished reading The Heavenly Man, very interesting. What are your thoughts?

Since the beginning of the year I have also read or finished reading Clarence Thomas' Memoir My Grandfather's Son and Saving Fish from Drowning, Searching for God Knows What, The Heavenly Man The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun, God's Secretaries The Making Of The King James Bible.

After staying at my Mom's, we visited with the Prestoncrest C of C in Dallas! This was a great experience. We met many nice people, had some great BBQ, and got support for our time in Beijing!

While at Jaime's Mom's... I did a little reading, some of those mentioned above. I also studied Chinese sometimes, watched TV, took the dog for a walk, cooked and washed the dishes, cleaned her car, and shoveled the drive.

Since returning to China, I have begun studying Chinese more frequently. I want to be able to speak to people... I really look forward to living in Beijing, studying the language full time, and sharing Him with the wonderful people there.

I was talking with our friends here about how much time I plan to spend studying the language. I said I'll take the minimum from the language school 1.5 hours a day and hire someone to practice talking with me 1 on 1 in our home, but then I started thinking about it more. I can do better than that... using Rosetta Stone, the language books I already have, the many practice books for writing characters, and Pimsluer, I could easily occupy the entire day. So, as always I'll work out some grand scheme for how to best do this and it'll be phenomenal, then I'll scale back to something realistic.

Podcasts!

2007-11-05T07:45:00.000+08:00

I have recently found podcasts! Most of you have already been using them, right?

Since being here in China, I have missed listening to sermons, NPR, and so much more on the radio... but now I have podcasts! I have downloaded the following and a lot more:

Church Planting Movements: Dr. David Garrison answers some commonly asked questions about church planting movements.
CPM Training Resources
Richland Hills Church of Christ
CSLPOD - Chinese as a Second Language
Classic Sinai Podcast
12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of the Byzantine Empire
NPR: Car Talk; Intelligence Squared; Technology (and a few others)
Big Ideas
Answers in Genesis Ministries
Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar

I am half way through the first installment of CPM Training Resources - it is called Your Prayer Network. I learned that the people making the greatest impact on their communities are the ones praying the most. Is this a surprise? Not really, but how much do you think they are praying each day? A few minutes? An hour? Try 4 hours! That is a lot of praying!

If you really want God to work in your life, what should you do? Pray.
If you really want God to work through you and get the lives of those around you, what should you do? Pray!

This has caused me to rethink how I spend my time (or should I say His gift of time).

Beijing 2008

2007-10-27T13:30:00.000+08:00

Originally posted on October 18 as "News, Plans, and Randomness."

We hope you are doing well and enjoying the beginning of fall. We are doing some fall cleaning. Jaime is giving away clothes she doesn't wear to the students... they love them! I have yet to, don't know if they will enjoy swimming in my clothes and I haven't gone through them just yet.

We are into fall weather here in Shiyan. The nights are cool to cold and there have been a few brisk days. The cool weather here is enjoyable. Jaime loves the rainy days, I get bored with them after 3 in a row, but she seems to like as many as we get.

There have been 4 new sisters this semester! Jaime and I are really ramping up our studies with students here, there has been a sudden interest. And we are making plans to have a big "English Corner" for all of our classes - this will be an opportunity for all of them to hear the Message through cultural teachings on family relationships, friendships, dating, marriage, school studies, self improvement, and so on. We are really excited about this, but we haven't had it approved yet (shouldn't be a problem).

One of the Chinese English Teachers gave a great homework assignment - she asked all the students to report on S*lv*tion! Then the students asked me in class to help them with their homework. This is seed sowing at its finest; and the teacher will be coming to our home to talk about the Story. This is wonderful!

Our city's original teachers, Dave & Mary Broaddus, are visiting for a while! They are 70+ and were here when they were in their 60's, February 1997 to June 2001. They are very encouraging and brought along wonderful DVD's to share with folks here.

We also have two visitors from Hong Kong. They cooked tonight! One is a friend we met traveling last year - Gabe - and she brought her friend Veronica. They are a lot of fun and easy going, but tonight Gabe got sick – maybe something like the flu.

Jaime and I need to raise support for our life in Beijing - we are planning to live there for 5 years starting next fall. We think we might need about $35,000 a year... we will prepare a budget to send home soon. We are hoping to study Chinese full time for the first 6 months to a year, then continue studying the language part time while sharing the Message full time. I am seriously considering beginning a Masters in Chinese Language & Culture for my ongoing Chinese studies. This would hopefully give me good footing for teaching in the States (when/if we return) at Harding University, Ohio Valley University, or another of our schools. I think it would be great to help prepare the students for working in China!

We aren't sure yet, but would like to come home for about 3 months in the summer. This will give us enough time to visit with as many of you as possible. We also hope to spend time with family: Andrew's brother James will return from 16 months in Iraq; Phil (Andrew's oldest brother) just got engaged and we'll miss the wedding, maybe we hope to spend some time with them soon.

I grew a beard, Jaime took a picture, and I just shaved it yesterday. Those things are itchy!

To see photos related to this post go to this link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17574&l=9a6e5&id=601795676

Thanks and love you all!
Andrew & Jaime

Does God Make Mistakes?

2007-10-27T11:36:00.000+08:00

When viewing the Old Testament people often look at the way God "changes" or how God must have messed something up, however I believe we need to look instead to one simple fact.

Humanity chose to eat the forbidden fruit.

Adam and Eve were made without flaw, with complete knowledge of the world around them. We have been in error since eating the fruit; and we all choose to eat the "fruit" and reject God.

What we see throughout the Bible is God's ongoing revelation of himself to man. Man rejects God and pushes God away again and again. Yet God is patient, loving, and kind, continuing to reveal His will for man. When we think God has changed, we should ask instead, "How have I changed?" or "How has humanity changed?"

As Adam & Eve's descendants followed in their footsteps, they became increasingly less aware of God's love and wisdom. So God continues to teach us through ongoing revelation - He isn't changing, we are. Instead of humanity becoming increasingly spiritually (and generically) intelligent we are actually becoming increasingly detached from true love and wisdom. Jesus is the answer!

When Jesus lives within our hearts we can know God!

What do I mean by continuous revelation? Simply that we are always learning more about God, but we need to have more relationship with God. In relationship we continue to learn about our friend, we never say, "I know you completely!" (1 Corinthians 13:12) God can say he knows us, but we can't say we know anyone, not even ourselves.

Six Worldviews ... Let's Say Seven Worldviews

2007-09-28T12:43:00.000+08:00

Worldview matters. Clarifying worldviews is not an academic exercise, intellectual theory, or a philosophical concept. A worldview is an integral part of our lives. It determines our relationships. It determines your successes and failures. It determines our goals and motivations. If someone wants to change their life, they’ll have to change how they look at the world first.

Here are some worldviews and the Biblical response.

1. The one with the most toys wins.
This is the worldview of materialism – and it can be summed up with one world, more. Materialism says that the only thing that really matters in life is acquiring things. Those who subscribe to this worldview live mostly to collect things.

The Bible’s answer: Jesus said this in Luke 12, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (NIV). He tells us not to judge our lives by how much we’ve got. The greatest things in life aren’t things.

2. I’ve got to think of me first.
We live in a “me first,” serve-yourself world that says it’s all about you. Commercial slogans cater to this viewpoint. Slogans like, “have it your way,” “we do it all for you,” “obey your thirst,” “you’ve got to think of what’s best for yourself,” and “You deserve it.”

For the last 40 years, the Baby Boomer generation has been called the “Me Generation.” This “me first” idea has infected entire communities. It has torn up marriages (“I don’t care how divorce impacts my spouse or children; it’s all about me”), destroyed workplaces (“I don’t care how my laziness impacts my co-workers; it’s all about me”) and even ruined churches (“Serve my needs first, forget about the lost”).

It’s a self-centered, individualistic way of life that says we should ignore the community and other people.

The Bible’s answer: Jesus says, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matt. 16:25 NLT). Jesus says you only begin to live when you give your life away. Significance in life does not come from serving yourself; it comes from serving God and others.

3. Do what feels good.
This is hedonism – the belief that the most important thing in life is how we feel. The number one goal of a hedonist is to feel good, be comfortable, and have fun.

It’s the worldview that Hugh Hefner founded Playboy magazine on. He willingly acknowledges he is a hedonist.

It’s not just playboys who are hedonists, though. In fact, someone who lives for the goal of retirement is a hedonist. If the whole goal of a person’s life is to simply do nothing, live a self centered life, and make no contribution to the world, that’s hedonism.

The Bible’s answer: “Are you addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied” (Prov 21:17 Msg). Mick Jagger’s been singing: “I can’t get no satisfaction” for 40 years. Why? The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.

4. Whatever works for you.
This worldview says it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. It doesn’t matter if it hurts anybody or not. If it works for you, fine. As that great theologian Sly Stone says, “Different strokes for different folks.”

In our multi-cultural, pluralistic world, this is a very popular worldview. Nobody wants to tell someone else that what they are doing is wrong. In fact that’s the only way you can be wrong in our society today – if you tell someone else they’re wrong.

The Bible’s answer: The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12 NIV). Our ideas may seem right, but in the end our ideas lead to death. “Whatever works for you” leads to death. You don’t break God’s universal laws; they break you. (Another quote I like, "You can't break God's laws, you only break yourself against them.")

5. God doesn’t exist.
This worldview is naturalism or atheism. Naturalists believe that everything in life is a result of random chance. We’re all accidents of nature. There is no grand creator or grand design. God either doesn’t exist or he doesn’t matter.

If there is no God, there’s no plan or purpose for life. If there is no purpose, then your life doesn’t really matter. Your only value comes from the fact that God loves you, created you, and thought you up. For naturalists, life has no value, meaning, or purpose.

It takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to believe in God. When you look at creation and how the world is set on an axis, it proves the existence of God to me. If it were one degree one way, we’d freeze up. If it were one degree the other way, we’d burn up.

The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Romans 1:25 (NIV), “From the beginning of creation, God has shown what he is like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse. They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him...They claim to be wise, but they are fools.” In other words, we can look at nature and see a lot about God. We know God is creative, powerful, organized, and likes diversity. There are lots of things we know about God just by looking at nature.

6. You are your own God.
This worldview, otherwise known as humanism, is very popular in the Western world. It says we are the mastermind of our own fate, the determiner of our destiny. You’ll hear this in the new age movement as well: “You’re divine. You’re a god.”

It’s ironic. God wired us to worship something. And if we don’t worship God, we end up worshipping ourselves. The self-made man usually worships his maker.

The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Rom. 1:25 (NIV): “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped created things rather than the Creator.” You can go all around the world and find people worshipping little idols that they made – stone idols, rock idols, crystals, and wooden idols. They’re worshipping something that they created themselves or somebody else created. In America we have our own idols – they’re called cars, homes, and status symbols. The Bible is clear that God is God, and we’re not.

All of these worldviews have consequences. Every day we’re affected and influenced by them. We’re often not even aware of it. These worldviews affect our happiness and success. They matter greatly.

There’s only one worldview that is consistent with the Bible. The biblical worldview says God made us for his purposes. It says that we exist for his pleasure. It’s 180 degrees different from the other worldviews above.

Do you want to change your heart? Change your mind – and your worldview – first, then you can know the will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

(Thanks to Rick Warren! I just reworded this so it would better apply to all of us!)

Ch-ch-changes... Changes

2007-09-28T07:07:00.000+08:00

Yunyang Medical College has a new president, head of foreign affairs, and a few other new officers... plus a very large freshman class. This means there will be a rearranging of many schedules, ideas, and probably even more positions will be juggled in the coming months. Many of the Chinese teachers have almost double their normal class loads. And the American teachers have picked up a few more classes as well. This means we have more opportunity to Share!

We are learning Chinese once a week with Violet, a Chinese English teacher. And I have many students willing to tutor me, I just need to arrange the schedules... hopefully my speaking, reading, and writing of Mandarin will improve dramatically and soon!

Language is like exercise, daily practice is best. Hitting it in spurts often causes frustration because I think I know something, but have never really mastered it, so there is even more need for review and repetition. Oh, and Jaime has begun studying more too! So we are both learning Chinese and talking about moving to Beijing next year to really study the language and work full time for Him!

Our Shiyan group has more teachers this year, but no teens... we have 12 teachers, and Brad's wife Min, she is Chinese - so this would bring us to 13. (Hopefully we can get one big group photo sometime soon!)

Jaime and I have begun having more open meetings, reflecting the CPM model. So we welcome new people and are really trying to get out into the community more. We may even move the meetings into a local restaurant. We are trying to encourage a more healthy, native, and maturing local population for our Meetings. Please keep this in your Thoughts.

My knee is improving little by little, but the recovery time is 6 months, so it is also slow going just like language learning. (It has been 6 weeks since the surgery.)

Who Am I?

2007-09-10T09:24:00.000+08:00

09/6/07
Who Am I?
I'Ching Thomas

Many world religions today accept the man Jesus within their belief system. Muslims call him a prophet; some Buddhists consider him a bodhisattva, and New Age practitioners call him a social activist. Amidst such diverse claims of the identity of Jesus, who is the real Jesus? This reminds me of Jesus's own question to his disciples in Matthew 16--namely, "Who do people say that I am?" A brief look at the backdrop of his question would help us better grasp the significance of this passage.

First, consider the location. The incident occurred at a place some miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee in the domain of Herod Philip.(1) It was also the reputed birthplace of the god of Pan--the god of nature and fertility--and he was staunchly worshipped there. The surrounding area was also filled with temples of classical pagan religion. Towering over all of these was the new temple to the Emperor Caesar. Thus, the question of Jesus's identity was aptly and significantly posed to his disciples against a myriad of gods and idols.

Second, consider Peter's response. The answer Peter accorded to Jesus's question--"You the Christ, the Son of the living God"--was a title with implications that the original audience knew perfectly well. Peter was describing Jesus as the Promised One who would fulfill the hopes of the nation. The interesting thing, though, is that the original audience was expecting a Messiah or savior who was more of a political figure. Of course, Jesus, the disciples were discovering, was much more than this. He described himself as the divine Son of God, and the salvation he was to bring as something not just for the Jewish nation but for peoples of all nations.

Peter's insightful confession was key in the disciples' eventual recognition of Jesus and the turn of events that would follow. Though given divine insight, Peter was as unaware as the rest of the disciples that the victory of the Messiah they professed would come in the most unexpected way. Yet from here on, God's plan was further revealed, Jesus's suffering and impending death more clearly voiced. Jesus revealed that his Messiahship involved taking on the role of the suffering servant as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. His very identity would ultimately lead him to his cursed death on the Cross.

Of course, how Jesus lived and died has implications as to how his followers are to live as well. That is, we, too, are to deny our self-importance and self-focus and be willing to lose our lives in standing up for what is true and right. The earliest Christians understood this very well as many were persecuted for their faith and betrayed by their own families. The laying down of one's life was a literal reality for those who would become martyrs.

Today, most of us live in environments where the question "Who do you say that I am?" is still asked in a world of distractions. We live in a context where we have endless options to choose from: a plethora of religions, pleasure and wealth, recognition, and so on. The question is as pressing to us as it was for those who first heard it. Who do we say Christ is? Our response is both personal and public. If we claim that Christ is supreme over all other competitors for our allegiance, how is this confession evident in our lives and in the world?

Regardless of what we may have been told, the way of Jesus is ultimately the way of the Cross. Signing up with Christ won't give you worldly benefits, but all the forms of suffering that arise from carrying one's cross. As we proclaim in our religiously pluralistic context that Christ is supreme over all other gods of this world, we need to be reminded that his supremacy and victory cannot be divorced from the heavy price that he paid.

Often, like Peter, we tend to expect a Lord who fits our preconceptions or ideas--perhaps one who is always "successful," or one who is validated by signs and wonders. Even the disciples were not spared this temptation. All of their questions about who would sit at his right hand and what one would secure from discipleship reveal that they were expecting glory as they walked with the Son. Their expectations likely did not include getting killed.

However, as they soon learned, any commitment to Christ that does not feature the Cross is merely devotion to an idol, for following Christ is costly. For some, following will mean death itself. It will mean taking up the Cross. It will mean living beyond our comfort zone. It may mean you will have to leave the country you call home. It will mean stepping out in love and conviction and perhaps undertaking a calling that many will scorn. Choosing to call Jesus the Christ may mean losing our lives, but then, this is the only way to truly live.

I'Ching Thomas is associate director of training at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Singapore.

(1)NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005), 1589.

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Jaime Arrives Today

2007-08-28T10:49:00.000+08:00

Jaime arrives today, so what have I accomplished in Beijing for the past 4 weeks?

Connected with the local family
Visited with Marcus & Julia, Ryan, and Gary and Danita
Made new friends
Knee surgery and a good bit of healing
Finished the last Pimsleur lesson (30+ were completed here in Beijing)
20+ hours of 1-to-1 Mandarin classes - learned many sentence structures
Worked on Rosetta Stone (but not enough)
Traveled throughout many parts of Beijing - learned the bus, subway, and light rail systems
Taught a little to compen$ate for time in Beijing
Had soul searching experiences
talked with God about my purpose
His plans for me & Jaime
explored reasons for personal decisions
Went to Ikea (laugh, this is supposed to be funny)

What will we do in the next few days?

Have dinner with Glen & Joana
Jaime will get reacquainted with China - time zone, culture, food, etc.
Meet with Marcus & Julia, Ryan, and maybe Gary & Danita
Scout out apartments, schools, and various other arrangements
Do a little shopping
A store here sells Uno Attack, Scrabble, and Risk
Ikea
Maybe a mall
Metro or Carrefour
Go to Shiyan 4:30pm Friday, 31 September.

What will we do next year at this time? We don't know... Please keep us in your Thoughts! We are talking about full time work here in Beijing! This is an exciting possibility.

Stupid Me, Stupid Knee

2007-08-21T09:48:00.000+08:00

Did you see my surgery photos on Facebook?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11746&l=39cea&id=601795676

This is why you don't spin around and run backwards in the middle of a long run. And it is probably a good example of stacking too many miles too quickly into a training schedule while running an impossible number of stairs.

So, what is the punishment for my excess?

I can't use my right leg to go up and down stairs for 2 months. It must not bend like that in weight bearing situations. (This also means that sitting and standing require an abnormal methodology.)
I must exercise said leg for many hours a day:
Doc says 6 to 8 hours of constant motion or it will become scar tissue.
I must do extension - 200 reps/day to build the Vastus Medialis head.
I can't ride a bike for 3 months. In 3 months when I can ride a bike, nothing intense, no hills, not fast, and the bike must allow full extension.
I can't run for 6 months. (This is about the time that I'll probably have the same surgery on the other knee.)

SURGERY STORY:
No eating after 2am Wednesday, 12 hours before the surgery, and no drinking 6 hours before the surgery - 8am Wednesday August 15, 2007.

I went in early for the pre-op tests, making sure I am not sick, have no heart or lung conditions, and a last round of x-rays, this was at 9am. Then they said I could go home, but I decided I would just wait there. I was thinking I would be hanging out in a waiting room or go to a local cafe if the waiting rooms are all full. However, they decided to give me a room!

I then got ready for the surgery around 1:30pm, but there was an emergency case - it took a few hours. I waited. I was getting my knee shaved and cleaned around 2:30pm and then got moved back upstairs to the room I was just in. The emergency case was a very loud drunk, they didn't want me in pre-op with him. I thought that was a good idea!

They wheel me into the operating room, have me slide onto the table, begin connecting some arm boards, and Dr. Cui says, "Let's shave the entire leg." I am thinking, no your joking, right? Nope. They start up on the inner thigh, which tickles... and then they start to shave the left leg... but just a patch for some electronic monitor. Dr. Cui was saying, "Let's just shave both of them, in fact how about everything below the belt."

At this point I was glad to be given the sedation and pain killer injections!

I woke up briefly after the surgery, speaking Chinese a lot! This was on the way to my recovery room. Don't really know what I was saying, but it was funny thinking about the possibilities later. I think I was saying I am really hungry, tired, and thirsty.

I didn't wake up again until midnight. The radio was on in my room. I didn't know if I could get out of bed. The call button was disconnected. So, I phoned the operator and asked for the nurses station. I wonder why my call button was disconnected. What was wrong with me? Was I a pain in the neck, asking too many questions? I know there was a time when I had a nurse and doctor on each side of me... I was asking a bunch of questions, but don't remember any of it now.

So, I wake up the next morning and find out I am allowed to walk! I was given a walker on getting out of bed, but soon realized it wasn't required or completely necessary. So, I packed up and went home.

This has been the story: "Stupid me! Stupid knee!" by Andrew Hill

P.S. Oh, if you ever have to get this surgery ... ask about irrigating the innards before and after!
Muy importante!

Different Thoughts on Church

2007-08-18T22:34:00.000+08:00

This is from my brother's email... it really woke me up to a different reality.

loved ones,

everyone here is doing okay.
i have been getting a little more sleep lately 5-7 hours.
but i switch from day to night so sporadically i am always tired.

it is good that andrew is recovering well.

we had our 1st church service last night.
background:
we are living in the middle of the desert on a well fortified small combat out post.
25-35 guys and one girl (chaplains assistant)
all faiths attended the same service.
in a single wide trailer with cardboard over the windows to block the light at night.
some haven't showered in 36 hours
some are wearing the same uniform for the 6th day (daily high temp 125-130)
we all have weapons and lots of ammo.
the only bible is the chaplain's
no song books.
a few handkerchiefs are spread across the table with a piece of bread, one cup of grape juice, and a small cross.

we sang amazing grace 2 times.. everyone knows the words.
the preacher read psalms about david during some trying times.
the one about his faith being a rock, the Lords rock.

he started communion.
he walked around holding the bread. we each pinched of a small piece. (some of us haven't washed our hands)
we held the bread until every one who wanted to participate had some.
then he walked around with the cup. we each dipped our bread into the cup.
(some of the guys had to get bigger pieces to dip)
we said a prayer and then all ate the dipped bread together.
the whole service took about 20 minutes.
we went out on patrol looking for bad guys doing bad things and things that go boom.

i try to read a few verses each day and we say prayer prior to going on missions.
out here there is no difference in days of the week.
i never know what day it is. (sometimes) it is hard to know what month it is.
i looked at my watch, it was a nice friday night service.
the chaplain won't be here on sunday and won't be back for few weeks.
it makes you think a little differently about church.

love,

JP

Comfort & Opinions

2007-08-14T06:16:00.000+08:00

I feel like a man who has many tools, but has never really learned how to use them. Then why do I have them? What does He want from me? Where am I supposed to be? What am I supposed to do? What do You want from Jaime and I? Where do You see us? Where will You call us to serve You and Your people?

The people are all without a Shepherd. They are in danger of going to the worst unimaginable place. If we aren't serving them, sharing You with them, and giving our lives for them, how will they know You? How will they be rescued? How will they find Home? Is this worth my life? Really ... what if I loose it? More close to reality, are these people worth my safety and health? Even closer still, are they worth my time and comfort? Can I be disciplined enough to serve them for You? Can I give up some of my precious free time so others won't suffer forever? (This sounds ridiculous, but isn't it the truth? I never really thought about it so simply, so directly, until He broke open my heart and showed me how calloused I am.)

Is my life supposed to be about them or me? What is most important here? What others think? What I think? Or what my Father thinks?

I struggle with strange waves of emotion. I am aware of my inadequacies, I know some of my shortcomings, but when it comes down to it, I simply haven't given up on my comfort and other people's opinions. I like it when others think I am smart, successful, doing a great service for my King, and really adventuresome. But taking pictures of remote places, teaching people His Word, and even making Disciples isn't what He wants. He wants me truly to give my heart, daily, continually, opening each little corner so His Glory will fill my life - so that His Glory can shine in this world.

He doesn't fill my heart so I can feel good about myself, that is a byproduct. It isn't so that others can think, "Wow, Andrew really loves his Savior" - that is too Pharisaical, and again it is a byproduct with purpose if I am humble. Then why does the Lord of Lords fill my heart? So that His Glory can receive honor, so that His Glory is upheld, and so that I can have a relationship with Him as I serve Him as my Lord and Master forever.

From this, He is longing for my friendship. He is tugging at my heart, asking me to open it to Him, so that He can show me how to have Life, how to Love, and He really wants me to learn His ways of understanding this world, His children, and myself.

I need to experience something of this daily. I need to keep some part of this moment fresh in my heart, so that I am useful to my King.

This is for me... it doesn't matter how much I clean myself up, I still need His cleansing. Yet, I am responsible to prepare myself for service to my King. No matter how old I get, this verse is fitting. No matter how mature I think I am, this verse is useful. No matter, He calls me to strip away the old ways and prepare anew for His service!

2 Tim 2:21-22, "If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work. So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart."

You Know You've Been in China Too Long When...

2007-08-13T10:13:00.000+08:00

1. You go to the toilet you start bringing your own toilet paper.

2. You can pick up any type of food using just your chopsticks... even peanuts.

3. The footprints on the toilet seat are your own.

4. You wear the same shirt for 3 days in a row without washing it.

5. You no longer wait in line, but go immediately to the head of the queue.

6. You stop at the top or bottom of an escalator to plan your day.

7. It becomes exciting to see if you can get on the elevator before anyone can get off.

8. You park your bicycle sideways across the sidewalk to impede any walking traffic.

9. It doesn't surprise you that the only decision made at a meeting is the time and place for the next one.

10. You like to stand and retrieve your carry on luggage while the plane is on final approach.

11. You can shake your hands almost perfectly dry before wiping them on your pants.

12. You regard traffic signals, stop signs, and copy watch peddlers with equal disdain.

13. It doesn't bother you any more that people pick their nose and examine the treasure they found before flicking it across the restaurant floor.

14. You go out in public in your pajamas.

15. You have developed an uncontrollable urge to follow people carrying small flags.

16. Taking 6 pieces of carry on luggage on an airplane is no problem.

17. You run the air conditioning in your home with the doors and windows open.

18. You blow your nose or spit on the restaurant floor (of course after making a loud horking noise).

19. You look over people's shoulder to see what they are reading.

20. You throw your trash out the window of your house, your car or bus you are on.

21. You would rather SMS someone than actually meet to talk 'face to face'.

22. You honk your horn at people because they are in your way as you drive down the sidewalk

23. You regularly fumble for five minutes to find 5 jiao despite 10 people waiting in line behind you

24. You have a pinky fingernail an inch long.

25. You forget that the other person needs to finish speaking before you can start.

26. You burp and fart in any situation and don't care.

27. You like to spend 10 minutes at the ATM just to see all the options even if there are 20 people in line.

28. You cross the road without looking or caring if the light is red or green.

29. When having conversations with your friends you start leaving unnecessary words or letters out of sentences and end up talking like an imbecile.

30. Your eating manners in restaurants are now totally shot. Elbows on tables and spitting food out onto your plate is now seen as being dead classy.

31. When you turn the volume on the television in the restaurant up so high that you cannot hear what the person across the table from you is saying.

32. Small children defecting and urinating in public doesn't bother you any more.

33. You eat your food with your mouth open and make load smacking noises.

34. You like to stare into other people's shopping carts to see what they eat.

35. You are not surprised when three men with a ladder show up to change a light bulb.

36. You can tell a good tasting watermelon from a bad one simply by tapping it with the palm of your hand.

37. You talk on your cell phone while sitting on the toilet.

38. You think all trucks should be painted blue.

39. You understand all the above listed references.

Beijing Practices for the Olympic Games!

2007-08-09T11:03:00.000+08:00

Each breath seems fresher,
there are shadows on the ground,
distant buildings capture my imagination,
happiness is abundant,
the birds are singing clear blue sky songs,
melodies float unhampered to my ears,
Beijing is practicing for the Olympics!

For two weeks the city will be clearing the air of smog, because few or no factories are in operation, there are a third fewer cars on the street, and they even plan to make it rain!

The downside? I think the temperature will rise by 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit. But that is no problem... considering how beautiful everything is now!

Life in Beijing

2007-08-07T12:27:00.000+08:00

I have been in Beijing for almost a week and am getting acclimated. It isn't too difficult. I went for a long walk, maybe two hours long. There are many good western stores here, nothing like in Shiyan. I feel like I am in a huge Chinatown in a US city.

I decided to go with private Mandarin lessons for an hour a day. I study a good bit on my own: Rosetta Stone (computer program) for an hour, Pimsleur (audio only program) one or two lessons a day - each lesson is half an hour, www.chinglish-online.com for half an hour, and then I look over my lesson books. In addition, I talk with the taxi drivers, restaurant people, and anyone else I run into that seems to be interested. Language learning hurts the brain, but it is fun! I hope to spend about an hour or two each day practicing writing the characters too!

Here is my address for the month (express mail only - or else I'll be gone before it gets here):
Andrew Hill
Unit 601, Entrance 5, House 6
Tu Er Hutong, Jiadaokou Dong Dajie
Beijing 100009
China

I am staying in a three bedroom, sixth floor apartment with some nice expats, Joe and Joana. Joe is an architect from Canada and Joana is a Fulbright Scholar who worked in the China Program a few years ago. Joe is single. Joana is dating a very wealthy Australian who offered to let me stay at his executive apartment after my surgery. He has an elevator!

I will have surgery this Friday or next Friday for a torn lateral meniscus on my right knee (http://www.leadingmd.com/patientEd/meniscus/overview.asp). Everything else should be okay. I am still not happy with the constant aching in my knees, but he doesn't seem to have a reaction for that. I'll ask him again after the MRI. I have four MRI sheets from Shiyan, but the pictures are too small. My doctor is a sports medicine doctor with Beijing United Family Hospitals - probably the best hospitals in China! His examination was quite a bit more specific and thorough in comparison to the Shiyan Hospital. From the website, it seems that the other injuries to my knees could heal without surgery, but maybe I need to get extra vitamins specific to joint tissues for quick healing. (Any ideas? -of course, I'll be asking the doctor about this.)

Lao Wai in America

2007-06-30T04:06:00.000+08:00

I went to a Chinese restaurant with my friends Lingyin and Hui... they often eat there. The owner is Chinese... I order Vegetable Chow Mian (noodles). There are two styles of this dish - American and Chinese. The owner gives me the American kind... but because I am a foreigner! Even with Lingyin there the owner gives me the cheaper American version of the dish. Then the owner talks with Lingyin in Chinese and mentions that I am a foreigner (lao wai) so he gave me the foreigner dish! And I am listening and understanding some of this conversation... feeling kinda stupid. The owner tells me that next time I should order the Chinese Noodles.

I think this is a little funny... maybe you do too?

Yichang, 250 Feet of Ice, Understanding Fully

2007-06-10T18:27:00.000+08:00

We just got back from Yichang. We hung out with our *friends* and saw the Three Gorges Dam. It was so nice to go to a different place, eat different food, and meet new people! I love the people of Shiyan, the city, and most other things... however, it is very refreshing to visit friends and see how they live.

When serving Him in another country, there seems to be an awkwardness about having too much fun. We are here to work, to serve, to give our lives for others, but we are also normal disciples living normal lives.

How can I explain this strange phenomenon? We can't say as much as we'd like about our favorite things. We can't talk about His work in ways which are instantly understandable. We struggle to replace the common daily communication about Him with simple and easy to recognize substitute words. All the while, wanting to yell from His mountaintops how wonderful the view is! How great the Spirit works through His followers!

And then, we take a little time for R&R... and wonder if we are having too much fun. We ask how much fun should we have? How much fun should we tell others about, especially since we struggle to speak freely about His service?

Does any of this make sense? And if it did, how could you tell me? How could you be sensitive to my needs for careful communication?

All the while, I am enjoying reading about and am continually amazed by the Creator!

How many years does it take to form 250 feet of glacial ice? Check out this article "The Lost Squadron" or go to: http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v19/i3/squadron.asp

"For now we see as if looking into a very poor mirror, but later we will see Him face to face. Now we understand only a little, later we get to understand everything, just like He completely understands me."

I am looking forward to sharing face to face how much His life has impacted lives here.

Three detained for high-tech exam cheating

2007-06-10T17:52:00.000+08:00

Three detained for high-tech exam cheating
Fri Jun 8, 2007 1:21 PM ET
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained three people for running a high-tech cheating scam involving wireless microphones during the national college entrance exam, Xinhua news agency said Friday.

A record 10 million Chinese high school students sat for the exam Thursday and Friday, competing for just 5.7 million university places.

It means make or break for the students and has spawned a string of cheating scandals in recent years.

Police in Jiutai, in the northeastern province of Jilin, became suspicious when a mini-bus remained parked outside a school hosting the exam Thursday, Xinhua said.

Inside, they found three people, "two of them staring at a computer screen and talking into a walkie-talkie," Xinhua said.

A student in the examination hall used a wireless microphone to read out the questions and received the answers from the van, Xinhua quoted their confessions as saying.

The three had charged the student 12,000 yuan ($1,500) for the service, it added.

Security for the exam is tight and exam papers are considered state secrets before the tests.

Authorities in neighboring Liaoning province spent 100 million yuan fitting over 8,000 exam halls with metal detectors and cameras to prevent tech-savvy students from cheating on national university entrance tests.

Police had found some 42 pairs of so-called "cheating shoes" with transmitting and reception ability, selling for about 2,000 yuan each, in a flat in Shenyang, the provincial capital, state media said Thursday, adding that they -- along with "cheating wallets" and hats -- had proved popular this year.

Three men in the southwestern province of Sichuan received suspended jail terms of 8-12 months last year for using pinhole cameras to send out images of the entrance exam papers to be worked out by "hired guns" for 19 students.

Tired

2007-06-07T11:24:00.000+08:00

Today I am tired. It could be the constant thought of going back to America where I have no job, no real income, possibly a borrowed car, a lot of travel, and still working on the schedule of everything. Or the idea of leaving our home in Shiyan, knowing some of our friends will leave for employment in other provinces and some returning to the States. What about the change in the weather, it is much hotter here now. Or maybe it is that I haven't been running since the Great Wall. Then again, it could be giving finals and having to grade them. Or maybe it is my digestive system that hasn't really liked the food, although I have liked it a lot. Maybe trying to plan which language school to attend in Beijing is what's doing it.

I suppose it could be all of these things added together that is making me tired...

So, if you can Remember me I'll Remember you. We all need strength and encouragement from Him. We all need Dad to refresh our spirits and give us wings like eagles.

I need to finish making plans for Beijing, let my friends know how much they mean to me, and prepare for journey to the States ... this also helps the energy flow!

Facebook Puzzle Page

2007-06-06T14:49:00.000+08:00

Come check out my Facebook Puzzle Page - click here or go to this site:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5158&l=75d0b&id=601795676

See what you can do... and send me a few more puzzles, I'll add them to my site!

I got them from Freddy Genius Xu, he got them from the web, which got them from who?

You've got Questions, Here are some Answers

2007-06-04T09:56:00.000+08:00

You can read this book online or purchase a copy...

The Revised & Expanded Answers Book
Is there really a God? Where did Cain find his wife? What about the gap theory? Are radioisotope dating methods reliable? How did ‘bad things’ come about?
If you have friends or relatives who are asking these questions too, email them and let them know they can get answers at www.AnswersInGenesis.org. Or purchase your own copy of The Answers Book—Revised & Expanded at our online bookstore.
Chapter 1: Does God exist?
Chapter 2: Did God really take six days?
Chapter 3: What about the ‘gap’ and ‘ruin-reconstruction’ theories?
Chapter 4: How about carbon dating?
Chapter 5: How can we see distant stars in a young universe?
Chapter 6: How did bad things come about?
Chapter 7: What about similarities and other such arguments for evolution?
Chapter 8: Cain’s wife—who was she?
Chapter 9: Were the ‘sons of God’ and/or nephilim extraterrestrials?
Chapter 10: Was the Flood global?
Chapter 11: What about continental drift?
Chapter 12: Noah's Flood—what about all that water?
Chapter 13: How did the animals fit on Noah's Ark?
Chapter 14: How did freshwater and saltwater fish survive the Flood?
Chapter 15: Where are all the human fossils?
Chapter 16: What about the Ice Age?
Chapter 17: How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia?
Chapter 18: How did all the different ‘races’ arise (from Noah’s family)?
Chapter 19: What happened to the dinosaurs?
Chapter 20: What can I do?

Mosquito Food

2007-06-03T00:49:00.000+08:00

Lately, we are being eatin by mosquitos. It is kinda crazy, cause we are waking up some mornings with 5-10 new bites. This isn't much fun, but we are remembering/relearning somethings about the mosquito from here:

When mosquitos are adults, only the females search for blood because they are the only ones who need it. The reason that the female needs blood is because it helps egg production and makes them fertile before they lay them. The male searches for nectar, sugar, plant juices, and other sweet things. The sugar serves as fuel for their bodies. The females mostly go out at night to find some blood to take in. A female mosquito is usually attracted to humans because of our warm, moist bodies. They can sense hosts from up to 35 meters away. When a mosquito finds something to suck on, it will first put some saliva at the place it plans on sucking on. The saliva causes a red bump on people's skin. Once the mosquito is on you, it will take in about five millionths of a liter of blood from your body. When you hit it away and don't kill it, the mosquito will come back for more blood again.

Written by Mike P., Nathan S., Nick B. and Max K.
and compiled by the Twin Groves Virtual Wetland Preserve Team
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/wetlands/Mosquito/MosqFood.html

-----

There is a Chinese Lotion that should make the bites shrink, and not eat you.

Darwin's Real Message

2007-06-01T18:07:00.000+08:00

This article shows Darwin was completely against God. Here is a qoute:

Harvard’s renowned Professor Stephen Jay Gould 1 is a vigorous anticreationist (and Marxist), and perhaps the most knowledgeable student of the history of evolutionary thought and all things Darwinian.

It goes on to say:

Gould argues that Darwin’s theory is inherently anti-plan, anti-purpose, anti-meaning (in other words, is pure philosophical materialism). Also, that Darwin himself knew this very well and meant it to be so.

If you would like to read the entire article and see the evidence click here for this or you can go to this site:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i4/darwin.asp

Pig Photo Op!

2007-05-31T10:00:00.000+08:00

Out on a hike, we came across this pig.
Jaime took the photo, but I have since used it everywhere!

This is the Year of the Pig...
so share this lively little porker with all your friends!

You can see who got tagged on Facebook by clicking here or cut & paste this:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4742&l=ae907&id=601795676

States Visited...

2007-05-30T11:47:00.000+08:00

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Visited Countries

2007-05-30T11:46:00.000+08:00

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

Facebook...

2007-05-29T21:41:00.000+08:00

I have invited almost everyone I have ever known to join Facebook. Why?

Well, it is a nice way to keep in touch. It is better than just blogging, because there are so many updates about my friends, their photos, changes in relationships, and a lot more - all of this is wonderful!

Facebook doesn't require as much work on my part. I don't have to read so many blogs, or should I say try to read the blogs - xanga.com, blogspot.com, and a few others are not always visible here in China. I can never read xanga.com directly, there are few tricks to get through to it, but really it isn't fun, isn't easy, and doesn't always work. Blogspot.com comes and goes... right now it has gone. However, I am able to post, edit posts, and a few other things, I just can't see the blog the way you do.

Run Easy

2007-05-26T08:43:00.000+08:00

Facebook has a "RBK-Go Run Easy" Group ... I joined, created a running club, and created a run on www.goruneasy.com. I hope you like it! (Of course you'll need to change the map style from "Map" to "Sat" or "Hyb.")

Maybe some of you would like to know your distances and invite others to run your routes. "Go Run Easy" uses a Google Maps application to give you distances anywhere in the world (permitted they have the map at that zoom level)... as long as you can run it, you should be able to map it, and you should be able to share it with others!

I am not running again yet, waiting a little while to let everything heal. I have been doing a lot of walking. Soon, I will begin walking with purpose, adding a little more running every week. Hopefully, I'll be back up to running some long distances soon, but I am not going to push it!

Jaime and I are looking for our next marathon.

http://www.goruneasy.com/RunEasy/#section=ViewRun.aspx%3FRouteId%3D6086

Marathon Musings

2007-05-21T23:08:00.000+08:00

The Great Wall Marathon was the greatest physical challenge I have ever undertaken. My body said no more, but I had to finish the race.

At the beginning of training, Jeremy and I ran a lot together, but mostly, I trained alone. To have so many people running together, all so positive, so encouraging, this was amazing! (Except towards the end ... there were a few guys talking about death and torture - this didn't work well for me.) Throughout the race I had so much help (encouragement) that at times I was overwhelmed, vklempt, without words, and ready to burst forth in tears and laughter from shear exhaustion mixed with the excitement of so many people. There was Drew Fralick who got me through the Wall the first time, a Mexican man who shall remain nameless (don't know his name), then along came Peter the Dane from the ING Team - he must've run and walked with me for 10k, Mr. South African and Okey Army gal stationed in South Korea, and last was Lars Hoffman - he helped me get all the way to the finish line!

From the beginning of the race I started to feel a strange sensation in my lower left achilles, my knees were sore, my buttox was too tight, and I felt imenent doom. This is not a good way to start a marathon, especially the most difficult one this world has to offer.

With a little under 2k to go the legs cramped fiercely ... Lars Hoffman to the rescue! He was such a great encouragement, very nice guy (great kids, Hailey and Noel, and wife, Jill) ... and he wouldn't let me quit (not that I wanted to, but my body did). Then at 100m from the finish I was dry heaving so loud and so strong my stomach muscles cramped. I think I finished in 7:30.

Upon finishing, I received my Great Wall Marathon Medal and went directly for the First Aid. I got a saline IV along with some meds to make me relax. I was twiching, hyperventilating, and basically a complete wreck. I think it took me 20 to 30 minutes to come back to Earth. The rest of the day was spent hydrating, in fact I haven't really stopped. I still feel very crispy at times.

I am extremely thankful to Him for keeping my body healthy enough to finish and to not require immediate surgery... maybe one day I'll need orthoscopy on my knees, but it isn't today!

I learned a lot from my first marathon (and the toughest one I'll ever do). The list?

Wear shoes I have thoroughly broken-in
Even if I feel like throwing up, drink the nasty electrolytes and eat the energy gels
The Dr. (who ran a 2:20 marathon) said I need to do 3 - 30k training runs so my body knows what to do at the end of the race
Don't over train
Get the "magic" salt pills
Small goals for each section
Finishing is great! (Finishing faster is greater still!)

I might just ask my brother John to come over and run The Great Wall Marathon with me in 2008 (James in 2009)! I will train smarter and then who knows... maybe I'll pass the goats.

Running Great Wall Tomorrow!

2007-05-18T12:01:00.000+08:00

Jaime and I are in a smokey internet cafe in PingGu, Beijing. We are 1 hour from The Great Wall, but I can't remember which gate we will go to...

I have tried to find it on Google Maps and other things, but to no avail.

I'll soon be back in Shiyan having finished this madness and will find it exactly and put it on My Google Maps!

Leaving for Beijing Tomorrow

2007-05-15T00:44:00.000+08:00

I am needing to pack for our week long trip to Beijing. I have only partly begun - by partly I mean that I have taken out 5 things to take with me.

Our train departs at 5:30pm (arriving in Beijing at Noon:30 the next day, that is 19 hours) and the Lewis family will be sharing the same car, same immediate area - we will quickly breath each other's air. This will make the trip more interesting. We will have so many Chinese people staring at this large group of loud foreigners. The Lewis family has 3 teenage girls that like attention 90% of the time.

While on the train, I usually like to read, play Chinese Chess, study Mandarin (Chinese Language), and sleep. I don't know what will happen this go round, but I do plan to read, play chess, and study the language.

I have downloaded this book into my Pocket PC (PDA): The Revised & Expanded Answers Book ... I have already read most of it, very interesting ideas about Science supporting Biblical Creation. Oh, these guys are serious scientists! If you want some amazing ideas about the Big Bang Theory and the New Creationist Cosmology supported by "gravitational time dilation, black and white holes, event horizons and so on..." you should read Chapter 5.

Oh, I will have about 3 classes tomorrow... which means I will go to 2 of them and Brad, thank you Brad, will take care of the other one for me.

I'll try to come back to Shiyan in one piece, with my knees still moving, and blogging about the journey... maybe even putting a picture of the run on here!

Questions about Age of Earth?

2007-05-13T07:21:00.000+08:00

Radio-Carbon Dating, is it reliable? Is the earth really billions of years old?

Maybe you have some curiousity about this and would like a perspective that sides with Creation according to Genesis. If so, try this:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dating.asp

Guns, Germs, and Steel

2007-05-12T11:11:00.000+08:00

If you haven't read Guns, Germs, and Steal, please do. For me it is just the very beginning that is a little off. I will find some research to show what I think is more likely and then I'll write my own book.

Here is the beginning of my book: "Have you ever thought about the oldest living trees on the planet? Bristlecone Pine Trees in Great Basin National Park are known to be close to 5,000 years old... and one that is still standing but dead should give a record of the previous 5,000 years... this makes for 10,000 years of history. What is the oldest extent language? Chinese. How old is it? Nearly 5,000 years old. What might be a common historical activity for the death of one tree, the birth of another, and the birth of the Chinese language?"

Back to Guns, Germs, and Steal - which is about why and how we earthlings have developed such diverse cultures from hunter-gatherers to industrialized nations... why did one continent develop more quickly than another? How was it that one culture can overtake another? What is the origin of these empires of today?

I like the game Settlers of Catan because it shows the answers to these questions in a small way, especially the Cities and Knights of Catan.

I haven't finished reading the book, but I have some questions I hope he will address:

Why does one culture often set the pace for the world?
Technology has been such a great divide, especially the internet age... What will be the next great leap forward and how will that separate or combine cultures?
How can we keep ancient cultures alive, while learning and adapting to the cultures we learn?

Maybe I'll post more questions later.

Money is Relative

2007-05-11T00:27:00.000+08:00

I have been thinking about the post on the Rich List... I should mention that our China Salaries are almost the same numerically in Yuan/RMB as they were in Dollars.

What am I trying to say? If you got paid 20,000USD a year in the States, then you could enjoy life at 20,000RMB. This is something funny that I have noticed here... does this have anything to do with the conversion ratio? Or is this something of a normalcy in developing countries?

Also, we have noticed that the money you can make from teaching English in a country will usually more than do for living in that society. However if you begin to travel more frequently to developed countries you will have little or no money.

Maybe I'll run The Great Wall Marathon

2007-05-10T14:05:00.000+08:00

I am a little frustrated with my body... specifically my knees. I have been pretty healthy while here in China, but since April 26 I have had some troubles with my knees. On that day I ran about 16 miles, 5 to 6 of which where on the stairs at Tai He Hospital and the rest was running across town and back.

Maybe they (my knees) have reason to be angry with me, but now they should be happy! I am seeing the great and wonderful Doctors of Tai He Hospital, two of which are German Doctors from Hamburg. They are here for two months. Today I got my knees wrapped with some Traditional Chinese Medicines. I will have this done everyday until I leave for Beijing (Tuesday May 15). The Doctors were all so nice! They didn't make me pay for much of the help they gave and they want me to come back again.

I also so the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine for a full health review. They are asking me to drink some bitter herbs, take some pills to make me less "regular", and then some other pills for something else... the pills are all traditional medicines so I am not concerned in the least. It is all natural and should help to heal my digestive tract, which is then supposed to allow the rest of my body to heal itself.

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to run the Great Wall Marathon, but now the doctors are saying it is possible, but there will be pain and some swelling. Let's so how quickly they will be able to heal my knees - they have ten days! Then I will destroy them on the Great Wall Marathon and they will have to heal them again... so I hope to run the race... I'll let you know what happens.

Tall Man in Short World

2007-05-07T07:21:00.000+08:00

Did you notice all the fun new sidebar activities? ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

When I first arrived in Shiyan there were many signs that I was living in a world of short people. I happen to be 1.9 meters (6'3") tall. Ducking is required every time I enter the kitchen in our home and depending on the shoes I wear every other door in the house too!

When walking on the street I must pay attention to the trees and signage. Most trees seem to be trimmed somewhere between 5'10" and 6'. The signs all hang at roughly the same height.

Early in the Fall Semester on our Yunyang Medical College's campus, I hit my head on some signs and suggested to President Zhang jokingly, but with a serious tone, that all the signs, doorways, and trees should be no lower than 2 meters! The next day I noticed the signs that I walk past the most were moved up to that height!

They haven't changed the height of the doorways yet. I'm not holding out for it either.

Another interesting thing, most shops here have metal roll down doors, like the ones you see in rough neighborhoods to protect the entire shop from vandals. Of course, this is not a rough neighborhood, but they really like to lock things up! When they open the shop for business they roll up the door to a typical Chinese height of 5'8" to 5'10", which means I often need to duck going into many businesses! I feel like Yao Ming or Shaq.

When we go out into the countryside, all the doorways are sure to be low. But if you really want to talk about a low ceiling, just visit the outhouse. Almost all of the ceilings are under 5'6"! Then there is the wonderful odor of the fertilizer-to-be, open cesspool visible through the floor's "toilet" - a large hole in the floor!

Did you notice all the fun new sidebar activities? ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

How rich are you?

2007-05-06T11:08:00.000+08:00

This is a cool site! http://www.globalrichlist.com/

It shows just where you are in terms of the world's richest and poorest people. Where do you think you are? Are you in the top 25% or the top 5%?

Even with just my income in China (about $5,000 per year), I am the 863,571,764 richest person in the world! I am in the TOP 14.39% richest people in the world! Now isn't that just crazy!

IF you are an average American, you make more than $35,000 per year and are richer than the 277,391,305 richest person in the world! You are somewhere above 4.62% richest people in the world!

IF you are above average and you make $50,000 per year, then you are the 59,029,289 richest person in the world! You're in the TOP 0.98% richest people in the world!

Isn't that just amazing! And often we think we are just poor, helpless, struggling souls doing our best to get by in this world.