Sunday, November 30, 2008

Daily Bread Comes to Xiamen!

Bill Brown
XICF (outside China) XICF (inside China)

The guest speaker at XICF (Xiamen International Christian Fellowship) yesterday was Albert Lee, International Director of RBC, which puts out, among other things, "Our Daily Bread." RBC is in Xiamen for an international leadership conference. Mr. Lee's message on Naomi and Ruth was quite timely as it touches on the problems we all face today--and our reactions to them. My four pages of notes can't do the message justice, but should give you the gist of it (especially for those who were busy with the youth in AWANA Sunday School).

Albert Lee's Message
Predictability of Humans and Faithfulness of God

Albert UnPlugged: Albert first said he was from Singapore, and speaks Singlish, and then said that his Powerpoint was the Bible, which was neither hi-tech nor low-tech but the right tech.

Ruth 1:1-5. During the days of the judges, there was a famine in Israel, so Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and two sons went to live "for awhile" in the land of Moab. Then Naomi's husband died, her sons married Moabite women, and about ten years after moving to Moab, Naomi's sons died.

DAILY DECISIONS Albert said the problem began with Elimelich's daily decisions (and his greatest decisions are what to eat for breakfast, what to eat for lunch, and what to eat for dinner). When we make decisions, we choose the path of least resistance--the easiest, the best return on our investment. But for Elimelech to emigrate was a difficult decision, especially because he moved AWAY from the promised land to the heathen land of Moab, which was hostile to Jews.

WHY leave the promised land? They did not trust God. The days of the judges were "days of instability, in which each man did as he saw fit in his own eyes." Much like Zimbabwe today. Albert Lee visited, and the plane in was 1/3 full but the plane out was completely full because so many are fleeing famine and problems.

MIDDLE CLASS Elimelech was an Ephrathite, Israel's upper middle class. So even during famine they did not go hungry, but they had more to lose in their minds. They had food, savings, investments, but it was their lifestyle that was affected. It was "not about living, but maintaining their standard of life." So they moved to hostile, heathen, idolatrous Moab--like Fukienese.

Sliding Fujianese. Albert's father moved from Fujian to Singapore because of famine. Fujianese are smart, "sliding" here and "sliding" there as conditions change. Albert said, "We are sojourners, only here for a little while! Don't believe it? Wait a little while!"

Early Death. Elimelech's search for temporal relief led to his early death, much like Jesus' parable of the rich man who decided to built bigger barns to store his wealth, and take it easy and enjoy life. And God said "fool, tonight your soul will be required of you--and then who will enjoy your wealth?"

At a rich man's funeral, a relative was asked, "How much did he leave behind?" And the relative said, "Everything."

A Little While. Elimelich went to Moab "for a little while" but temporary relief became permanent residence. So what was wrong with the move to Moab?

Where was God? The first 5 verses list many names but not God's. God had no part in any of this. Albert quoted Prov. 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Elimelich's name meant "My God is King." His parents must have named him this in the hopes that this would be so--but God was obviously not king. The lesson: never factor out God.

No Strong Christians. Albert has been a Christian 44 years, and has learned, "There is no such thing as a strong Christian, only submissive Christians. If they look strong, it is because God is working his purposes out in their lives."

Dead Ends. What do we do when tragedy strikes? Logic says that When we hit a dead end, we turn around. Only after the death of Naomi's two sons did she turn around, and return to Bethlehem. If God loves you, He will not leave you alone. He allows painful things to make use more like Christ, to present us holy and blameless before the Father. We sometimes have pain because we are "thick, not quick."

Go Back Home. Naomi told her two daughter-in-laws, "Both of you go home to Moab." Why tell the two girls to return to the idolatry of Moab? Because Naomi's concern was still earthly--food, prosperity, husband. She had no husband, no more sons for the girls. She had no hope in God, or in herself.

Sneaky Naomi Another motive for discouraging the girls from accompanying her: Naomi did not want the Jews to see her sons had disobeyed her and married foreign women, which was forbidden. Albert said "I'm a sneaky guy. It takes one to recognize another--and she was a sneaky woman." Prov. 28:13 warns that if we cover up our sins we will not prosper.

The best sacrifice to God is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. God uses most those who are broken. The world urges us to have high esteem, but the Bible teaches us to hold God in high esteem and ourselves in RIGHT esteem. Broken people don't get in God's way. But Naomi was not broken but bitter. In Ruth 1:13, she told her daughters that she had a bitter life because God's hand was against her. And in v.16, Ruth replied, "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God."

Three Kinds of Christians
IF Christians (IF God will, then I ...)
BECAUSE Christians (BECAUSE God, I love him).
IN SPITE OF Christians (Love God in spite of...)

The Israelites were surprised to see Naomi return, but she said, in verse 20, Don't call me Naomi (means"pleasant") but Mara ("bitter") because God had made her life bitter. Ironically, she says she left Israel "full" (middle class, remember) and returned "empty" [so why leave!?" Because they feared not famine but a lowered lifestyle].

Naomi's Theology.

1. God exists
2. God is almighty.
3. God afflicted me and made my life bitter.
Psalm 34:19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers out of all.

Naomi's theology was good but incomplete, because God has his purposes. He is working out his plan. Naomi's God was also the God of Joseph, who said "What you planned for evil God turned to good."

Joseph's Perspective--why was it different from Naomi's? Why did she keep an earthly perspective? Because she still depended upon herself, not God.

V.11, "Turn back, my daughters, why follow me? I have no children in my womb, no husband." It was all about "me me me. I! I! I!" It is all about OUR purposes and OUR plans, but what is most important is God's purposes and God's plans.

Naomi's problem was not "no food" but the fear of no food. She even feared for food in Bethlehem!

CAME BACK EMPTY. Naomi said she returned empty, but she was not empty. She brought back Ruth, who was a great blessing and joy to her, and to all of us as well, because she was a direct ancestor of Jesus. But when everything is "me me me", we do not see God's purpose. When we fear famine, we rush off to some other place. Boaz, whom Ruth married, had also faced famine, but he had not rushed off to a foreign land.

When we have self-focus, and an earthly perspective. we fail to realize that God is at work from the beginning to the end, and if we allow him to, He will work in our lives.

Summary: in the worst of times is the best of times to trust God.
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Friday, November 28, 2008

Micah 6:8 and Sticky Fingers

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Micah 6 and Sticky Fingers
This morning, when I grabbed a mug from the cupboard and my fingers stuck to the outside of it, I immediately thought, "Lixi washed the inside but didn't bother with the outside."

Lixi is our helper, a Sister who has been with us over 20 years. She's part of the family by now; we help each other, and learn fr
om each other. I even wrote an article about her, "Half the Sky," which was published in "Women of China". But sometimes, like today, I get frustrated with her. But I kept my peace and said nothing, consoling myself with "everybody makes mistakes." I put the sticky mug in the sink and grabbed another one--and it was sticky too. This was too much. Fortunately, before I confronted her, I realized that it was my hands, not the cups, that were sticky.

How often do I blame others when the fault is mine, or try to pull a splinter out of others' eyes when I have a plank in my own? In Matthew 7:5, Jesus said, "You hypocrite! [tactful, eh?] First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck out of your brother's eye."

Micah 6:8 is an amazing verse, with 4 key points:
1) "
He has showed you, O man, what is good." C.S. Lewis' central argument in "Mere Christianity" for the existence of God is the undeniable existence of a "moral law" that all peoples follow. Some deny the existence of right or wrong, but if you treat them unfairly they'll not hesitate to scream "unfair!" Yet if we are nothing but the product of amoral evolution, there is no fair or unfair, right or wrong--only survival of the fittest (similar to Darwinian driving in China, or, "survival of the fastest").

2) "And what does the Lord require of you?" The Jews were very religious, but throughout most of the Old Testament they worshiped not God but idols, even while cowering at the foot of smoking Mt. Sinai! They even offered up their own children to Molech and Baal, hence God's repeated reminders that He preferred obedience over sacrifice.

What God Wants? Micah 6:6,7 asks, "With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" And in Micah 6:8 God replies that people know what is right, and that the Lord requires not sacrifice but obedience.

3)"To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Act justly: throughout the entire Bible, God calls us to justice, to treat others as ourselves, fairly, to protect the poor, widows, and orphans. Jesus said that the sum of the law and prophets was to Love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves. And who was our neighbor? Anyone in need.

Love mercy: our family, friends and neighbors make mistakes, but so do we. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus' first request was for daily bread but the second was "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Luke 6:37."Judge not, and you will not be judges, condemn not, and you wont' be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgiven."

Walk Humbly: we are who we are, and have what we have, only by the grace of God. I cannot guarantee my own next breath or heartbeat. Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, because you do not know what another day will bring forth."

I am weak and faulty, but that is okay, because my weakness is transformed into strenth--if I obey
Micah 6:8's last 3 words:

With your God: I am to walk humbly not on my own, for then my very humility can become pride (proud of being humble), but with my God. If I walk with God, and not ahead of Him, behind Him, or even for Him, He works as I walk. He works on me, changing my heart, and He works through me, using me for his purposes. Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared long ago to be our way of life."

Though weak, if we are humble, and walk with God, our very weakness, and total surrender, allows our Father to work through us more freely and unhindered.
In Hebrews 11:32-34, Paul wrote that "I do not not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised....whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle..."

Our Heavenly Father does not want religious people; He wants obedient children who act justly, show mercy, and walk humbly. Only such as these will see "his kingdom come, his will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

F.B. Meyer, in
"Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894) wrote of Micah 6:8
THE perfunctory sacrifices of lambs and rams, rivers of oil, and of tender children, were eagerly practised by the surrounding nations such as the Moabites, but were abhorrent to God. What to Him is the outward rite without the holy purpose, the child's form of obeisance, apart from filial love? Grave questionings as to the utility of mere ritualism suggested themselves in the old-world religions. It appears that the questions of this chapter were put by Balaam; and the words before us were uttered by the divine Spirit to his heart. But however that may be, it is matter for our adoring gratitude that God has stepped out of the infinite to show us what is good, and what He requires.

TO DO JUSTLY is to preserve the balane of strict equity: if an employer, treating work-people with perfect justice; if a manufacturer or salesman, making and selling what will thoroughly satisfy the just requirements of the purchaser; if an employee, giving an exact equivalent of time and diligence and conscientious labour for money received.

TO LOVE MERCY is to take into consideration all those drawbacks which misfortunes, which enfeebled health, or crushing sorrow may impose on those who owe us service or money, or in some other way are dependent upon us.

TO WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD implies constant prayer and watchfulness, familiar yet humble converse, conscientious solicitude, to allow nothing to divert us from his side or to break the holy chain of conversation. We must exchange our monologue, in which we talk with ourselves, for dialogue, in which we talk as we walk with God. Ask Him to make these good things the ordinary tenor of your life.
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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Ask with Thanksgiving (Santa Bless You!)

Bill Brown .... Xiamen University

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, and thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." Philippians 4:6-7

When I read the verse above, I feel like complaining, "But Lord, this isn't nothing!" But the verse has 3 important lessons:
1. Don't worry ["continually"]
2. Ask.
3. Ask with thanksgiving.

1. Don't worry. Jesus said, "Which of you by worrying can add an inch to his height?" He taught us that if our Father cares for the countless sparrows of the fields, and cares for them, how much more will he care for us. In the sermon on the mount (Matthew 6:25-34), Jesus said "For this reason I tell you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"

Jesus did not say food and clothing were unimportant. Without them, we die (or get arrested for indecent exposure). Jesus merely said that if our Father blesses us with life (and we are all only one heartbeat, or one breath, from death), then He can feed us, and if He can create our body, He can clothe us, even as He clothed Adam and Eve. But if we are mature, He will usually give only after we ask--and some healthy anxiety may precede the asking.

When Paul wrote, "be anxious for nothing", he did not mean to NEVER be anxious. The Greek meant, "do not be CONTINUALLY ANXIOUS." If my children hunger, I will be anxious--but I will not wallow in anxiety. That solves nothing, and only makes me sick. Instead, my anxiety prompts me to solve the problem by asking the Father who gives me life and health to give my children food and clothing. (And He probably won't just drop them out of the sky, but instead give me opportunities to obtain them).

2. We Must Ask. When my sons were at home, I fed and clothed them whether they asked or not. Now that they have left home, I still help them, but because they are mature [sic] adults, I expect them to know what they need, and to ask for it. When they ask (and they do!), I help meet their needs, and sometimes even their wants, though sometimes I delay giving because of my own financial limitations.

Our Heavenly Father has no limitations, but He too sometimes delays giving if 1) what we ask for is not best for us, or 2) we do not ask!

In John 14:14 Jesus said "Ask anything in my name and I will do it." That is an amazing statement! But the operative word there is "ask." We must ask. And as Paul elaborated, we must "ask with thanksgiving!

3. Ask with Thanksgiving. We should ask with thanksgiving because 1) in spite of our need, we already have much to be thankful for, and 2) we know that our Father will meet our present and future needs.

It's a cliche, but true: the man with no shoes is better off than the man with no feet. And you and I are especially blessed, especially in these turbulent times. If you can read this, you are 1) literate, 2) literate in English, 3) you can use a computer, 4) you have access to the internet. You and I have much to be thankful for--but do we ever thank our Father?

Santa Bless You! In 1993, Xiamen shops sold Chinese Christmas cards that read "Santa Bless You!" I wish I had bought one! But there may have been some truth in it, because we tend to come at our Father with a year-round wish list as if He were a Heavenly Santa Claus.

Parents are happy to help the child in college, but if they only wrote to ask for money, and never bothered to thank us unless they were buttering us up to ask for more, how would we feel? We could probably relate to our Father, when His children speak to him only when reciting their wishlist for the heavenly Santa Claus. Let's do more than just ask. Let us ask with thanksgiving. And better yet, let us sometimes give thanksgiving without asking for more!

Belated Thanksgiving. Several of my Xiamen University Chinese MBA students asked me on Thanksgiving, "Did you have turkey today?" I answered, "How could I? I have six hours of class today!" But rather than feel sorry for myself, or let them feel bad, I hastily added, "but I'm having it Friday night, with my family, and about 150 people in our Xiamen International Christian Fellowship."

I could have complained that I had to teach on Thanksgiving (and they've scheduled me for six hour on Christmas Day as well!) But I choose to be thankful that I have a job. I can complain that I have 260 grad students this semester, with no assistant. But I choose to be thankful that these 260 students are 260 opportunities to touch the lives of those who are shaping China's future. I can complain that Xiamen government is increasing taxes every year, but I can also give thanks I have income to tax. I have much to complain about--but much more to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving! And may every day be a day of Thanksgiving, not just for what we've received, or for what we are promised, but for who our Father is, and who He has made us.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Jonah's Gourd & Deadly Statistics

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"The Lord provided" Jonah 4:6,7,8

While in the fish's belly, Jonah sang the praises of a merciful and forgiving God. Once freed from the fish, he went his merry way, ignoring Nineveh's need until God's second call.

After the Ninevites repented, the man who had earlier praised God for his mercy was now so angry that he said he wanted to die. But God wanted Jonah to live, and learn. Rather than let Jonah die, God provided him comfort--a vine to shade him from the sun. And once Jonah was comfortable, God kindly provided a worm to kill the vine. And lest Jonah still missed the message, God provided a scorching wind, and a glaring sun to bake Jonah's bald head. But rather than repent, Jonah complained that he was again angry enough to die--because God had not spared the vine. And the book ends with God's patient remonstrance, "If you care for the vine, how much more do I care for the 120,000 people of Nineveh, and the cattle?"

How easily Jonah took for granted his own deliverance and comforts, yet had zero compassion for others. No wonder Christ urged us to "treat others as ourselves." But what does it take for me to really see others "as myself?"

Deadly Statistics. The news bombards us daily with so many disasters that we cannot cope, and we shut it out, becoming spectators but not participants, and atrocities in Afghanistan are no more real to us than a Tom Cruise movie. Eichmann, Hitler's right hand man, was asked if the world would not notice the disappearance of millions of Jews after the war. He replied, "A hundred dead is a catastrophe. A million dead is a statistic."

Today, not only are the "million dead" a statistic, but so are the 100 dead, and the suffering family next door. Does our own vine need to be destroyed in order for us to see others as ourselves?

A few years ago I saw a magazine article with dozens of photos of war-torn Serbia. I was of course horrified, but Serbia is far away, and the peoples so different. I felt compassion, but it was a comfortable compassion, not at all the same grief that I'd have felt had it been someone I knew personally. And then I saw a photo of a blond-haired boy of about five, sobbing beside his dead parents. He looked just like my own son, and instantly, I was overwhelmed with grief. Fora few moments that child was my child, and I was no longer spectator but participant. That one photograph did much to further open my mind and heart to the needs around me and to the reality that those people are indeed me.

Of course, I can't influence what is happening in Serbia, or Afghanistan, or Iraq, but I can touch a life here in Xiamen, and I daily remind myself (and I do need daily reminding) to treat those around me as I would myself--or my own son. Let us learn to truly see, and serve, those around us, lest our own vine perish,as Meyer relates below.

F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily (London, 1894), wrote of Jonah's "The Lord prepared":

This book is full of this word prepared. We are told that the Lord prepared a great fish, a gourd, a worm, and a sultry east wind.

HE PREPARES THE FISH (chap. 1.17) When we are at our wits' end, apparently going to destruction, He interposes and arrests our progress, and brings us back again to Himself.

HE PRPARES THE GOURD, that is may come up to be a shadow to our heads, and deliver us from our evil case.

The gourd of friendship, of property, of some cherished and successful achievement. Ah, how glad we are for these gourds; though not always sufficiently quick to attribute them to the loving providen of our Heavenly Father.

HE PREPARES THE WORM, AND THE EAST WIND. Jonah would have regarded Nineveh's destruction with equanimity, whilst he mourned over his gourd; and there was no way of awakening him to the true state of the case than by letting worm and east wind do their work. He must be taught that what the gourd was to himself, Nineveh was to God. Yea, it was more; because God had laboured for it, and made it to grow through long centuries (ver.11).

How often our gourds are allowed to perish, to teach us these deep lessons. In spite of all we can do to keep them green, their leaves turn more and more sere and yellow, until they droop and die. And when they lie prone in the dust, the east wind is let forth from the Almighty hand--the malign breath from which the gourd would have delivered us...

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Jonah's 3 Calls

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"The word of the Lord came unto Jonah a second time." Jonah 3:1

I appreciate the short book of Jonah because it shows that 1) our Father does not give up on us, regardless of how we fail him, 2) he uses our mistakes and faults to teach us, and 3) He does not give up on others, but has great compassion for all living creatures, both "man and beast."

1st Call Jonah fled when he was called to warn the Ninevites of coming destruction unless they changed their ways. And we all know how he was swallowed by a great fish, and then vomited onto dry land after he "repented"--but note what he did next!

While in the fish, he sang a nice religious song about how great God was for delivering him, and Jonah promised to fulfill his vows--and then Jonah must have done nothing, because God had to call him a second time! Jonah probably thought his nice hymn of praise, his contriteness, his humility--his "religiousness"--was enough. But God wanted Jonah (and us) to practice not religion but obedience.

2nd Call Jonah obeyed the second call because he knew there was no escape--but he still had much to learn. He preached to the Ninevites, they repented, and God spared them--and Jonah was angry. When he was in the fish belly, Jonah was full of praise for God's mercy, but now he lays the blame on God for him running away in the first place!

In 4:1, 2, Jonah complained, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Or Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

3rd Call God's third call to Jonah was a call to look within and examine his heart. God gave him a vine to shade him from the sun, then prepared a worm to destroy the vine, and a scorching wind and a blazing sun upon Jonah's head. Jonah then bemoaned the death of the vine. In 4:9, God asked, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" Jonah replied, "I do. I am angry enough to die." Jonah was indeed angry--and truthful about it!

I appreciate that Jonah could be truthful about his feelings, as ridiculous and selfish as they were. God did not strike him down, or abandon him, but replied, calmly and patiently, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

And thus the book of Jonah ends, quite abruptly, with that question.

Like most people, I've run away like Jonah--and learned that running away from our Father eventually ends up running towards Him. When I was eight, I saw the poverty of my Mexican and Native American friends in Texas, and I decided to work in a poor country when I grew up. There was no flash of light from heaven, no great call--just recognition of a need, and the decision to help somehow. So I set my sights first on Australia, then Africa, and by high school was headed for either Guatemala or Nicaragua--and ended up in Asia!

That sense of "call" never left me, but when the time came for college, I was seized with doubts, and abruptly joined the Air Force instead--to "see the world." By day two of boot camp I was certain I'd made a big mistake, but I stuck it out, and the Air Force was a great learning experience, teaching me discipline and persistence. And had it not been for the Air Force sending me to Taiwan, I'd have never had any interest in China.

While in Taiwan I decided I wanted to live in China, so I applied for college to prepare--and then decided to stay in the Air Force (different field). While serving in Turkey, I left the Air Force to prepare for China--but went into business instead. I was running away, but with every decision I learned and matured, and was in a sense running toward China, not away from it--but it took a long time to get here because I was definitely not ready when I was younger (I'm not sure I'm ready for China even now, and I've been here over 20 years).

I'm still making mistakes even today, But I'm grateful that when we are in our Father's hand, no matter how far we run from Him, He ensures that we eventually end up running to Him, and that he does "make all things work together."

F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894) wrote of Jonah 3:1

We must not presume on this, but we may take it to our hearts for their very great comfort. God's word may come to us "the second time." Jonah evaded it the first time, but he was permitted to have a second opportunity of obeying it. Thus it was with Peter; he failed to realize the Lord's ideal in the first great trial of his apostolic career, but the Lord met him on the shores of the lake, and his word came to him a second time.

God is not waiting to notice our first failure and thrust us from his service. He waits, with eager desire, to give us the joy and honour of being fellow-labourers with Himself. He waits to be gracious. Therefore, when in our madness we refuse to do his bidding, and rush off in another direction, He brings us back, amid bitter experiences, and says, "Go again to Ninevah with the message that I gave thee originally."

How many times He will do this I do not dare to say. He forgives indefinitely, unto seventy times seven, but how often He will re-entrust the sacred message and mission, it is not for me to say. But there is, without doubt, a limit beyond which He cannot go, lest our own character suffer, and the interests of other souls, who may be dissuaded from obedience by our example, should be imperiled.

How wonderful it is that God should employ us at all! Yet it is like his work in nature. He is ever calling men to co-operate with Himself. He lays the coal up in mines, but man must excavate; He puts the flowers in the wilds, but man cultivates them. He gives the water, but man irrigates the fields. So He longs over Nineveh, but summons sinful men to carry his word.



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Monday, November 24, 2008

3 Reasons Why 6 > 7

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27
“Viewing flowers on horseback" 走马看花 Chinese proverb.

The Sabbath: Three Reasons why Six is Greater than Seven

In "The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", Max Weber wrote of Christians' drive for success but he neglected that Christianity is also the only religion that drives us to rest, because is we obey God we can accomplish more in six days than in seven.

With over 260 grad students and no assistant, plus my many other responsibilities, and various works, I am busy. But in spite of this, I almost never work on the Sabbath--and if I have to work on the Sabbath for some reason, I make up for it by taking off another day.

I do this for three reasons.

One: Rest: my body, mind and soul need all need it.
Two: Reward: the Sabbath is a weekly foretaste of the rewards promised by our Father. If we don't stop to enjoy, we are racing through life like the Chinese viewing flowers on horseback.
Three: Trust: resting, in spite of my hectic schedule, demonstrates my faith that my Father will multiply my labor so that I can bear more fruit in six days than seven.

1. Rest. We were created both for work and rest. For example, consider sleep, which is our Daily Sabbth. No one really understands why we must sleep 1/3 of our life away, but we do. Those who do not sleep (there are some) die early. Those who sleep too little fall ill. Rest is necessary for both body and mind.

In MacBeth, Shakespeare wrote,
Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast.

D.H. Lawrence wrote that sleep is how God recreates us nightly:

And if tonight my soul may find her peace
in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.
~D.H. Lawrence

Adequate sleep prolongs our lives:
"Sleep is the interest we have to pay on the capital which is called in at death; and the higher the rate of interest and the more regularly it is paid, the further the date of redemption is postponed." ~Arthur Schopenhauer

2. Reward Our mind, body and soul need rest weekly as well as daily. Many speak of eternal rewards, but even as sleep is the "little slice of eternal rest" now, so the Sabbath is a weekly foretaste of eternal enjoyment. Sleep is a nightly inner renewal; the Sabbath allows us to enjoy a weekly outer renewal.

God Himself gave us the example. He created heaven and earth in six days but on the seventh He rested, to enjoy what the fruits of his labor. We need the rest, and we need the time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We rest each Sabbath, and enter each week a renewed creation.

Breaking the Sabbath Breaks You Jesus warned against making the Sabbath a mere religious ritual. "Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." But he never said we could break the Sabbath with impunity. Breaking the Sabbath will break us, even as going without nightly sleep will destroy our health and, eventually, curtail our lives.

3. Faith. In this hectic day and age, many of my friends work around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up. That is because they work from their own strength and not the greater Inner Strength our Father gives us within--or that fount has dried up because they have not taken their nightly and weekly rest. Ironically, many say they are working 24/7 for God, but if you are driven instead of led, you might want to consider who is in the driver's seat.

Success requires 1) Direction, and 2) Energy to persevere.
If we do not stop, if we do not take the time to hear that still small voice, we will go our own way on our own steam--and we will run out of steam.

Why 6 > 7? When I was in business I learned the hard way that I could accomplish much more in six days than in seven. I learned that I could succeed where other much more capable people failed when I was led, not driven, and they were driven but not led.

Plan to Rest It does take faith to stop, but come Saturday night, I put the computer away and don't work until Monday, and if something is urgent, I trust my Father to work it out, or help me avoid getting in such a bind in the first place. This, of course, requires planning as well as faith.

And I continually remind myself that Sabbath-Keeping is not a ritual for show but a gift to grow, and if I trust my Father, and dismount long enough to smell the roses in the garden He has given me, He will do more through me than I could ever do through myself.

With God, 6>7.
Without God, 7<6, 7="0.">


Dismount that galloping horse and smell the roses.

It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it. ~John Steinbeck The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more. ~Wilson Mizener
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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Fujianese in America; Possessing our Inheritance

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance." Obadiah 17

What makes verse 17 especially meaningful is its context: Jacob is promised its inheritance even as verse 15 warns the nations: "The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you, your deeds will return upon your own head."

Today, as we face economic, natural and political disasters, many claim this is the End--as many have so claimed over the centuries. But this End in verse 15 is immediately followed by the promise of a new Beginning for God's people--if they turn to Him. (Note that the Jews are referred to here as the house of Jacob, not Israel; God always reminds them of their likeness to their slippery ancestor Jacob when He's warning them).

Verse 17 suggests 2 main points:
1. Jacob will possess its inheritance on Mt. Zion when it is again "holy" (note that holy does not mean "religious"; throughout the Bible God warns against futile, meaningless religion and sacrifice; He demands justice and righteousness--right life, not religious life). The lesson here is that we will possess our inheritance only if we are not like the nations around us.
2. We must "take possession" of our inheritance, not just sit on our inheritance.

Lessons from Fujianese in America.
Whenever I travel around the U.S., I am amazed at how many Chinese I meet in Chinese restaurants who are from our province, Fujian. More specifically, they are from Changle, an area of Fuzhou, the capital, which long has been famous for smuggling out emigrants. What amazes me about these Fujianese (Fukienese) in America is their upbeat spirit. They start out working for almost nothing in Chinese restaurants and save every penny. Where the average American may earn $3000 and spend $4000, a newly arrived Fujianese will somehow earn $3000 and save $4000! They eventually get permanent residence, buy a house, start up a kindergarten for other Chinese' children, save more money, but another house, start a small business--and in 10 years they are wealthy. I have personally seen this happen!

At the same time as Fujian Chinese are making America their inheritance, and possessing it, some Americans who have been there for generations are sitting on their inheritance and waiting for government to rescue them! And while the abuses of big business show that we need protection, there is a balance as well. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is, is strong enough to take everything you have."

If the average American fails to take advantage of what his forefathers have helped provide, how much more do we Christians fail to both appreciate and appropriate our Father's provisions for us.

Acres of Diamonds In 1894, F.B. Meyer wrote about Obadiah 17, and how we fail to take possession of our inheritance. Meyer's comments reminded me of Russell Conwell's speech "Acres of Diamonds," A man in Africa sold his farm and spent the rest of his life seeking diamonds. The man who bought his farm found one of the largest diamonds ever on that very farm. The lesson: "dig in your own backyard." (Suggestion: first check with city council to make sure there aren't any buried electric wires, cables, or pipes).

F.B. Meyer, "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894), on Obadiah 17:

"As long as Edom invaded and annoyed the house of Jacob, the people were unable to possess their possessions in peace. No sooner did the harvest or vintage appear, than their hereditary foes swooped down to carry off the fruits of their toils. But Edom's dominion was to be ended; and then there would be no cloud in the sky, no barrier to their uninterrupted joy.

There are many instances of people not possessing their possessions. Such are those who put their plate and valuables into furniture depositories, and for years leave them to neglect; who have shelves of unread, uncut books; who do not realize that coal and iron mines lie under their estates; who never enjoy the wealth of love and tenderness in their friends' hearts; who refuse to avail themselves of resources which are well within their reach.

But too many of God's people are like this. The Father has caused all his fulness to reside in the nature of Jesus; He hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness in Him; He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus; im our Saviour are treasures of wisdom, of purity, of prevailing power, of love and patience. The divine Merchantman has come to us to give us gold tried in the fire, white raiment, and eye salve. But we go blundering on in our own selfish, sinful, faltering way. We do not possess our possessions. We do not call into practical use the boundless reinforcements awaiting us, at every hour, within the tiniest beckoning of our faith. We are like the manufacturer who refuses to use the steam-power, though it is laid on into the mill; or the householder who refuses to touch the button of the electric light.

Thanks to Dr. Tom Sawyer (yep, that is his real name!) for the quotes below:

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
- Thomas Jefferson

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.
- Ronald Reagan

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
[Caveat from Bill: I fully support foreign aid! I think it is a Christian imperative. But I also understand its abuse. So give, but give wisely]

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
- P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
- Frederic Bastiat, Economist (1801-1850)

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
- Ronald Reagan (1986)

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
- Will Rogers

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
- Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.
- Mark Twain (1866)=

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
- Mark Twain

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
- Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed."
- Mark Twain

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Why There's no "Complaining Day"

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

Thanksgiving vs. Complaints Day

As usual, my Sunday morning at XICF turned out to be the highlight of my week--and hopefully I can take to heart Luke Wong's message (I hope this is not the Wong spelling?) about "Thankfulness--a Healthy Habit" because I too easily get into the other habit--that of complaining.

I am generally, I think, a thankful person. After all, through no merit of my own, I am blessed with a wonderful family, friends, meaningful work, health that is better than some others. And I usually do look on the bright side of things; I've lived in some pretty bad places, but still enjoyed almost every place I've lived, and most jobs I've had. I've tried to follow my parent's advice, "Always leave a place better than you found it," and dwell not on what is but on what could be, and then try to help bring that about.

But...a good friend told me two days ago "I have too much on my plate..." and I realize that I do as well. I've let too much pile up on my plate, and rather than taking it in bites I've tried to push it off on to others' plates by complaining about it. The best thing, of course, is to not take such a big plate in the first place. My Father certainly makes us grab the biggest plate on the rack, but we do it anyway (for Him, of course, not ourselves).

A couple years ago I wrote in a song that I sang at XICF, "Am I driven by the devil's din or by that still, small voice within? Let me not be driven, Lord, let me be led." I pray this for others' sake as well as my own, because when I am led, I can lead. But when I allow myself to be driven, I do not lead but drive those around me--and burn out myself, and them, and then the complaining starts...

One of my favorite points in Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" is that the book is not about doing more but less. As I teach in Organizational Behavior at Xiamen University, it is better to do a few things well than to do many things badly. If I take a smaller plate, and learn to discerningly say "No," those I turn down will be upset, but the few things I do well will bless others. But if I try to do everything for everyone, I will do nothing well, and everyone will be angry with me. And I in turn will be angry with myself, and pity myself ("I did it for them!"), and complain. I need to be a wise steward of my time, and resources--and replace the habit of complaining with the habit of thanksgiving, as Luke Wang (or Wong?) taught us this morning in his message at Xiamen International Christian Fellowship .

This was one of the best messages about complaining vs. thanksgiving that I've ever heard, and I took notes as best I could. I hope it blesses you as well. Dr. Bill

Thankfulness--A Healthy Habit
or... Thanksgiving Day or Complaining Day?
XICF, Nov. 23, 2008, by Luke W.

Luke 17:11-19. Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to thank Him. Why only one?
For companies to be healthy, they must learn to celebrate.
For people to be healthy, they must learn to be thankful. In fact, research has proven that thankful people are more resistant to dissease.
Thankfulness is not natural, but complaining is. This is why we have a Thanksgiving Day but not a Complaining Holiday. We all complain quite naturally, without a holiday to remind us.
We may feel a little better after complaining, but complaining is unhealthy, and leads to depression, anxiety, and sickness.
Complaining is like junk food: it tastes sweet at first but makes you sick later.
If you want to maximize your health, don't complain. Be thankful, as Jesus was thankful. Jesus gave thanks to His Father. He did not have to, because he and His Father were one, but He gave thanks as an example for us.
Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing.

1. BREAK THE HABIT! Children come into the world complaining. When ripped from the womb they wail, "Why take me out of this comfortable place!" Of course they can't speak yet so they cry because they're diaper is wet, they are hungry, they are thirsty, they are.... it can drive you up the wall! And so complaining becomes a habit that continues even after we learn to talk--and most of us never break the habit even after we grow up.
Complaining is like bad breath: you notice it when it comes out of other people's mouth but not your own.

2. DON'T COMPLAIN AS A HABIT TO GET SYMPATHY OR RELIEF. Mark Twain said we should not complain because 80% of the people don't care and the other 20% think we deserve whatever we're complaining about.
Complaining puts us in a foul mood, and makes us negative--and makes us sick [and here, Luke shared how he complained while in a Xiamen hospital for a week, and how it hurt his health!].

Turtle's withdraw, and keep it inside; skunks stink up the whole place. Don't be a skunk. Complaining may be the easiest way to seek relief, but it is not the healthiest. It festers resentment, anger, potential hatred, and destroys objectivity.

But....

COMPLAINING VS. EVALUATING

Complaining is not the same as evaluating a person or situation. Evaluation is necessary--but if not careful, evaluating can become complaining.
What is the difference between complaining and evaluating? (Sue answered, "One is positive, one is negative". Another replied, "The motive, and the results").
Complaining is more reactionary. Evaluating is more objective, and INTENTIONAL.

BREAK THE HABIT? REPLACE BAD HABITS WITH A GOOD HABIT: BE THANKFUL!

1 Thess. 5:18 "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will..." Not "Be thankful FOR all circumstances" but "Be thankful IN all circumstances..."

1. ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR BLESSINGS. We often compalin because we cannot see the blessings. Our focus is wrong. If we stop focusing on blessings, we stop noticing our blessings. If we stop noticing our blessings, we stop appreciating them. If we stop appreciating our blessings, we stop being thankful for them.

New couples fall IN love because they pay attention to the good in each other. Later they fall OUT of love because they pay more attention to the problems and forget the good in their spouse. We DO need to evaluate, of course, but we must be careful not to focus too much on the negatives.

Matthew Henry, the great Bible commentator, was robbed, and afterwards wrote in this diary that he was thankful because 1) he was robbed but not killed. 2) they took everything, but he did not have that much to take). 3) that he, and not someone else, was robbed. And 4) that he was not the one doing the robbing.

2. HUMBLE YOURSELF. The one leper who returned to give thanks humbled himself and fell at Jesus feet. It must have taken courage to return, for he was used to hiding from people, yelling "Unclean." On top of this, he was a despised Samaritan, a "foreigner." But he returned.,
Humility is a choice, but we must make it. Pride and Independence is an illusion. We need each other [here Luke shared his pride when an old Chinese lady who spoke no English in New York Chinatown asked for his help--and then how helpless he felt after coming to Xiamen and needing Chinese' help for the simplest things, like reading his electric bill].

3. BE THANKFUL BY OVERCOMING CIRCUMSTANCES. Only the Samaritan gave thanks. He overcame his fear, and went to see the priest as commanded, and was healed on the way. And he overcame his fear and returned to give thanks. And Jesus said "Your faith has made you well." [and here Luke made a point I never thought of--though folks who know me are aware that I rarely think anyway]. When Jesus said the leper's faith had made him well, he did not mean just physical health, because he had already been healed! Jesus meant that he was also emotionally healed.

Overcome your impediments, your biases, your fears, your doubts.

And here my notes runneth out! But that was aobut the end of Luke's message. I am very thankful, Luke, for your message on Thanksgiving, and I will try not to complain so much.

Now if I can only figure out how to save this thing. This Microsoft program makes me so angry, and then there's MS Windows, which is more like MS Culvert is you ask me, and the crazy internet browser, and the....

Xiamen International Christian Fellowship
www.amoymagic.com (Guide to Xiamen)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Amos the Herdman

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"The words of Amoy, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa." Amos 1:1

Amos is one of my favorites books because it was written by a common man, a herdsman, about the theme of "social justice as the indispensable expression of true piety" [from the NIV Study Bible]. It was written when Israel was very wealthy and secure, and yet had grown lax morally and spiritually, and was oppressing the poor. It is ironic that, throughout the Bible, and subsequent history, the wealthier people become, the more they tend to oppress the poor, rather than using their wealth to help the poor.

In 1970, Alvin Toffler wrote, "Future Shock", about coming changes that would be too rapid for us to be able to accept. In fact, even he could not have imagined how life would change in 30 years. But many also suggested that our technology was leading to a society so wealthy that there would be no poor, that all would be cared for, that we could basically work or not in whatever interested us--a Utopia. But that has not happened. If anything, there are more impoverished people today than in 1970. There is greater hunger than ever, even when we have great food surpluses. The causes are too complicated for this blog to go into (read Sider's "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger")

We face the same problems today as ever--and today God addresses these problems through the same kind of people--common people who are willing to be used. God called Amos, a common herdsman to preach against the oppression in Israel. Throughout the Bible, and history, God called not the rich but the common people to serve Him. Perhaps they were more willing, because they had fewer vested interests, less to lose!

Joseph was the youngest son, yet ended up ruling over Egypt. Moses was the son of a slave, yet grew up in the palace. Gideon delivered Israel, but he was just a farmer--and a coward at that, hiding as he threshed. Jephthah delivered Israel; all that is known of him is that he was a prostitute's son. Speaking of prostitutes, Rahab was one, and one of her descendants was Jesus. David was the youngest son, and became King. Matthew was a despised tax collector.

God does on occasion call the elite but most often He depends upon common people like us because then it is very clear that our success is not because of ourselves but because of Him ("my strength is manifest in weakness").

F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894) wrote about Amos 1:1

"God does not hesitate to employ a herdsman, if only his heart is pure and devoted to his service. He calls such a one out of the midst of his fellows, designating him for his sacred ministry. And when the fire of God burns within, very common clay becomes luminous and transparent. An ox-goad, a ram's-horn, a sling of stone, will serve his purpose. It is not what a man has, but what he is, that matters.

As we look through this strong book of ancient prophecy, and notice how it abounds with references and imagery peculiar to a herdman's life, we feel that a noble spirit of devotion to God may elevate the meanest employments and difnigy the most ordinary subjects. The common incidents of the farm may convey the divine meaning not less than the sacred scenery of the Temple, which was familiar to Ezekiel. There is nothing which is intrinsically common or unclean. We profane things by a profane spirit. But if we view all things from the divine standpoint, we shall find that a sacred light will beat through them, like that which transfigured the coarse garments of Christ so as no fuller on earth could whiten them. The glory streamed through from his heart!

It is comparatively seldom that God calls one of the upper classes of society to conspicuous usefulness. 'Behold your calling, brethren, how that not many wise are the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God chose the weak things...the base things... and the things that are despised." Here and there a noble of great authority, a Zinzendorf, a Shaftesbury; but most often fishermen and publicans; Luther, the miner's son, Tersteegen the ribbon-weaver, Carey the cobbler.

Notes: Gerhard Tersteegen (November 25, 1697 - April 3, 1769), a German Reformed religious writer, for some years apprenticed to a merchant, who after being influenced by Wilhelm Hoffman, after 1728 devoted himself to writing and public speaking. He wrote a hymn collection (Das geistliche Blumengartlein (The spiritual flower-garden), a volume of Gebete (prayers), and one of Briefe (letters), besidestranslating works by French mystics and of Julian of Norwich. He died in Mülheim, North Rhine-Westphalia.


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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The New Sodoms and Gomorrahs

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"And Babylon shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah." Isaiah 13:19

Sodom and Gomorrah are usually referred to because of their gross immorality, but it is interesting to me that the rest of the Bible does not say that this was the specific reason that they were destroyed. In Ezekiel 16:49-50, we are told "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned: they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me."

Ezekiel did not list immorality (though undoubtedly it was a big problem). He said Sodom's sin was that is was arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, and did not help the poor. And in their arrogance, they did detestable things (not specified, and I'd rather not think about it!).

Amos 4 reinforces this. Amos starts out his message to Israel with, "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, 'Bring us some drinks!..."

But these were depraved religious people! Verse 4: "Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offering--boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do," declares the Sovereign Lord.

Unwanted Sacrifices and Evil Worship And finally, in Isaiah 1 God says Israel is Sodom and Gomorrah, and that he does not need their sacrifices ("I have more than enough burnt offerings...I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls..."). As for this "worship," in verse 13, "Stop bringing meaningless offerings...I cannot bear your evil assemblies." Verse 15: "When you spread your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you...Take your evil deeds out of my sight..."

And what are the evil deeds of this new Sodom and Gomorrah? Verses 17 and 18: "Take your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop during wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, pelase the case of the widow.

In Luke 17, Jesus talks about Sodom in the days before it was destroyed. He did not mention specific sins, only that they were "eating and drinking, buying and selling," planting and building." There is nothing wrong with any of those--unless, as Amos and Ezekiel claimed, Sodom was doing those things with the fruits gained from oppressing the poor.

Israel's Fate?
1st, economic disaster. Amos 4:6: "I gave you empty stomachs in every city, and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord.

2nd. Destructive weather, plagues, and war. God -withheld rain, or sent it at the wrong time (and no global warming at the time)

3rd. Plagues God allowed plagues like those of Egypt, and finally allowed war--yet still Israel did not return.

4th War. Israel was finally told in Amos 4:11, "I will overthrow some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah...Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel."

Sodom was of course very immoral and depraved. But lest we simply highlight those sins that we ourselves are less likely to commit, let us note that the rest of the Bible says that the reason God finally overthrew Sodom was because of its arrogance, oppression, injustice. This does not mean we can ignore immorality--but it is a warning that we must also search ourselves, and our nations, let we suffer Israel's fate.

God punished Israel with economic disaster, destructive weather, plagues and war. This is sobering for us today. For centuries, some nations have exploited poorer peoples. And today we face economic disaster, destructive weather, new diseases (HIV, the recurrence of antiobiotic-resistant pneumonia, leprosy, etc.), and war. So far the war is on a small scale; let us hope we learn our lesson now, and that we do not engage in another global war.

Let us reason together Verses 18-20: "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Let us hope that we do not suffer the fate of Britain 20 years after H.B. Meyer, in 1894, warned in his "Our Daily Homily", when Britain was engaged in her nationalized opium-trafficking, among other things:

In H.B. Meyer's "Our Daily Homily", written in 1894, for Isaiah 13:19 he talked about the oppression and injustice by which Britain and other Western nations came to power, such as the opium trade, and noted "But let our country [Britain] beware!" But his other others' warnings were ignored, and 20 years later the planet plunged into war.

Meyer's passage:
"And Babylon shall be as when God overthew Sodom and Gomorrah..."
These prophecies have been fulfilled with marvelous accuracy. It si a pity that so few of our young people in these days study the evidence of prophecy. "Keith's Evidences" [see below] would be a wholesome introduction to this marvellous field of investigation; but every year is adding to the store of proof. Unlike the evidence of miracles, that of prophecy increases with every year of increasing distance from the hour that the prediction was given.

There is a God that judgeth in the earth. Nations, as well as individuals, must stand before his judgment bar. Indeed, the judgment of the nations is now in progress. Already before the Son of Man all nations are being gathered, and He is dividing the sheep from among the goats. Men do not see the sentence of the divine Judge put into execution, since the operation of his Providence is so deliberate. But in the landscape of history, as we view it from the eminence of the years, we can detect the condign vengeance of the Almighty on the cruel, rapacious, bloodthirsty kingdom of Babylon. She had served God's purpose, but she had committed such enormous crimes in the process of serving it, that she must be condemned.

The wrongs of the West Indians have, in this generation, been requited upon Spain. It is not possible that modern Turkey should escape. The blood of 100,000 Armenians cries against her from under the altar. [See note] But let our beloved country beware! Her opium traffic, her connivance at the sale of firewater to native raced, her permission of gross impurity in her streets, her drunkenness, must be telling very heavily against her in the scale of divine justice. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!"

Turkey's Genocide of Christians: From 1900 to 1923, Turkey killed as many as 4 million Christians. Today, Turkey generally denies that such wide-scale genocide occurred, though in fact it was national policy from the highest level.

Note: "Evidences of Prophecy" Dr. Alexander Keith, Minister of St. Cyrus, Kincardineshire, Harper and Brothers, NY, 1836 Full title: "evidence of the truth of the christian religeon, derived from the literal fulfillment of prophecy, particularly as illustrated by the history of the jews, and by the discoveries of recent travelers".

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I think because I am--but why?

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"Take captive every thought." 2 Corinthians 10:5
"I think therefore I am." Descarte
"I think because I am." Bill Brown

Descarte said "I think therefore I am," but equally valid is my twist, "I think because I am." In fact, we cannot stop thinking. If you don't believe it, try to think of nothing half a minute. I doubt even a Japanese Zen master can think of nothing for long. But what do we think about, and why?

Yesterday, at Xiamen International Christian Fellowship (XICF), Kirk P. told us to metacognate. That is the verb form of metacognition, meaning to "think about what we think" (and it implies that we then can influence what we are thinking). Kirk quoted the saying (attributed to Thoreau, among others:
Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny."

Destiny--a big word! Many of us think of it rather like karma--something that happens to us. Kirk's point is that it can happen because of us. What we become is not just because of what happens outside of us but of what happens first inside us--in our heads and hearts. The Kingdom must begin within us before it can manifest outside of us.

Kirk's key points:
Our beliefs/thoughts produce behavior [though I would also note that our behaviour also influences our thoughts].

John 13:3-5 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power. And because he knew where he was from, and where he was returning to, he then washed his disciples' feet. He knew clearly who he was, and did not need to put on airs. He knew he was in charge, so he served. Servant leadership.

Helping from Solid Footing Kirk noted we can help others only when we are sure of ourselves, and gave the example of climbing rocks (my sons I have repelled off the rocks of Xiamen with Kirk and kids; unnerving at times!). If your companion falls and you reach out to grab them, but you yourself do not have a good foothold, your overwhelming thoughts are on yourself, not the person you are trying to help. But if your footing is firm, you can concentrate entirely on helping the other person. Jesus was on solid footing, and so was able to serve wholeheartedly.

It is because of this that Kirk noted that the quality of our relationships with others depends upon the quality of our relationship with our Father. If we are secure with Him, we will be secure with others.

Kirk then urged us to "metacognate"--to think about what we are thinking so we can, as Paul said, "take captive every thought." Kirk said that when angry or irritated, metacognate! Think about what you are thinking about yourself, or the person with whom you are angry.

Kirk then pointed out many cultural and religious lies that we tend to fall for. One of the ones that struck me was "If circumstances were different, I would be different." That has a lot of implications, but before I write about it, I'll need to do some more metacognating!

Notes about metacognate:
Cognition" ability to think.
Metacognition: ability to know you are thinking (or what you are thinking).
Many argue, pretty heatedly, that metacognate is not a word. My response is--get a life. It is common in English to transform nouns into verbs, and metacognate is an excellent adaptation of metacognition because it describes, simply and succinctly, as no other English word can, the act of thinking about thinking. If the use of this word upsets you, you might want to do some metacognating yourself and ask why.

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Xiamen International Christian Fellowship XICF

Xiamen International Christian Fellowship (inside China)
Xiamen Int'l Christian Fellowship (outside China)

One of the things I enjoy most about Xiamen International Christian Fellowship (XICF) is getting to hear different speakers weekly. We don't have a pastor (yet), so half a dozen or so of us take turns speaking, and we also invite guest speakers. I like it this way because most of us are not "professional" speakers; we just share from our own experiences (our own daily noodles). Lindel T. is one of my favorites. You can tell he's an accountant because he doesn't waste a word. His delivery is calm, measured, almost dry--and he cracks us up with his insights. And Bill J. comes up with some interesting ideas, such as his passport for eternity, and the drawing he did to show the relationship of our 70 years to the whole scheme of things. And of course there's Ben, and the fellow I call Sean because he reminds me of a Hungarian-Australian Seannery. In his last message he said that his unusual accent was a great asset because it forced people to listen more closely to him.

Yesterday we had Kirk P., whom I enjoy because of his humorous, straightforward delivery of ideas that really get us to thinking (I also envy his attire. My wife made me change out of my jeans before we left Sunday morning; Kirk delivered his message in jeans, with his shirttails out. Of course his wife is out of town; I'll make a note to see how he dresses when she's home, and if he's still in jeans, I'll have him tell my wife that our Father looketh not upon outward appearances).

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

Egypt My People (and Assyria, Israel...)

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"Blessed by Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." Isaiah 19:25

"Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?" declares the Lord. "Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?" Amos 9:7

In 1975, while I was an airman at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, I visited a Christian bookstore. Like many such stores, it had few books but endless "Christian" knickknacks, scrolls, paintings, mugs, pencil holders, key chains, bracelets. Of course, stores stock what sells, so people must not read much (last year I was surprised to find that many malls in America no longer have bookstores!). It was easy to see why some people's understanding of the Bible, or God, was about as shallow as the cutesy sayings on the Christian paraphernalia. That went for the well-heeled, educated store owner as well.

When the shop owner saw me in uniform, she began talking to me about the problems around the world, and how OPEC's rise in oil prices portended the end of the world, but she smiled and added, "Fortunately, believers will be raptured before they must suffer."

I was astonished! "Christians are suffering right now!" I said. "They're being tortured and killed in Russia, Asia, Africa..." What about the martyr John Moiseyev!" (below)

"Oh, but they are overseas!" she said.

I thought she had to be joking, but she was not--and her five-word reply opened my eyes to just how shockingly narrow is our view of ourselves, our world, and our God. True, few Americans are quite that narrow or naive, but we do seem to have the notion that, because we are blessed, we are and always will be immune to accountability. In fact, we will be held more accountable, not less, and if we don't use our blessings to bless others, our Father will use other nations.

1. Sheep in other Folds. The fact that one nation is "chosen" does not mean that others are forgotten, or unloved--or not used. In Isaiah 19:25, the idol-worshipping Egyptians were described as "my people," and the Assyrians as "my handiwork." And Amoy 9:7 says, "Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?" declares the Lord. "Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?"

We talk much about the Exodus of Israel, but our Father has clearly loved, and led, many other nations as well (read Don Richardson's book "Eternity in their Hearts").

2. Accountable. Even if we were the "chosen," that is no guarantee of immunity from harm. On the contrary, Israel has suffered more, not less, than others nations, because it has not used it has so frequently squandered its inheritance. The text notes in the NIV Study Bible say of Amos 9:7, "Israel could not rely on God's past blessings as an assurance of his future benevolence. Her stubborn rebelliousness robbed the exodus of all special meaning for her; her journey from Egypt is reduced to no more significance than the movement of other peoples."

A sobering lesson is in 2 Chronicles 35. Josiah, one of the few really decent kings of Judah, tried to stop Neco, Pharaoh of heathen Egypt, from passing through his land on the way to war with Babylon. Neco said, "What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war." Neco added "God has told me to hurry, so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you."

But Josiah, chosen king of the chosen people, was not afraid. Why should he be? He was chosen! He was God's instrument. As verse 22b noted, "He would not listen to what Neco had said at God's command but went to fight him..." And Josiah was killed.

3. Engage or Escape? If Israel was held accountable, can we expect differently? Can we with impunity preach one Gospel on Sunday and live another gospel Monday thru Saturday and expect to be rescued from the consequences, perhaps with a "Get out of the World Free" Monopoly card? Instead of hoping to escape the world, we should engage the world, without fear. Jesus taught us not to seek escape but to work that "they kingdom come thy, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In John 15:17 Jesus prayed, "I do not pray that you take them out of the world but to keep them from the evil one." That did not mean none would suffer. Their hearts were kept from the evil one, though all but one was eventually martyred--as was John Moiseyev.

The 20-year-old Christian soldier John (Vanya, or Ivan) Vasilyevich Moiseyev wrote his last letter to his parents on June 15, 1972; he was tortured and killed July 16th. He told his parents not to grieve if this was his last letter. He admitted some fear, but he did not expect or ask for escape, but rather to live, to the last, a life that did not flee the darkness but dispelled it. Here is an excerpt:

Written June 15, 1972
“My dear parents, the Lord had showed the way to me...and I have decided to follow it.... I will now have more severe and bigger battles than I have had till now. But I do not fear them. He goes before me. Do not grieve for me, my dear parents. It is because I love Jesus more than myself. I listen to Him, though my body does fear somewhat or does not wish to go through everything. I do this because I do not value my life as much as I value Him. And I will not await my own will, but I will follow as the Lord leads. He says, Go, and I go.

“Do not become grieved if this is your sons’ last letter...."

One month later Vanya was dead, but he is more alive today than those who live only in hope of escape, neglecting the great opportunities and responsibilities our Father has given us, here and now. To him who has much, much is given. To him who has little, even that little shall be taken away.

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Pressing Forward without the Baggage

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Confucius

In our action-oriented society it is easy to relate to the "press on" part, but "forgetting what lies behind" is much more difficult--yet until we abandon the baggage that weighs us down we will never press forward.

It is odd that I can remember my parents' mistakes much more easily than I can the good that they did during my 18 years at home. And psychology says that is common. In fact, we all tend, quite naturally, to overestimate others faults and underestimate our own. But I can also remember my own faults quite easily. In fact, I don't have to remember them; they pop up of their own accord.

When younger, I promised myself that I would be a better parent than my own, and not make their mistakes. I may have avoided some of their mistakes but I have certainly come up with my own mistakes and errors, and it is hard to put them behind me. Part of it is guilt (how could I?) and part is fear (can my family really accept me, knowing me as well as they do?), and part is worry (will I fail again?). I've failed in so many ways that it is depressing just to write about it. But at least I'm in good company.

Biblical heroes were invariably just like me (and maybe you)--great failures who, in spite of their enormous faults, pressed on and eventually reached the prize. Noah, the one rightous man before the flood, afterwards was a drunkard. Joseph was arrogant. Moses had a hot temper and murdered an Egyptian. Jacob was a slippery cheat. Abraham, great man of faith and father of Israel (and the Arabs as well), was a coward, hiding behind his wife's skirts not once but twice. David, God's "friend", committed adultery, and murder to cover it up. Peter, the "rock," was impetuous and weak-willed. Thomas doubted. Paul got depressed. And on and on.

I too have a past, and it can easily haunt me, reminding me that I've failed before and probably will again. And it is true--I probably will fail again, but they will be new mistakes, and hopefully I will learn from them, as I have learned from some of my past errors. We learn through overcoming, and pressing on.

So today I'm forgetting what is behind me (again, and I'll probably have to forget it again tomorrow, maybe even this afternoon). Today I again toss the heavy baggage of my past and press forward.

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Monday, November 3, 2008

Eden's Master of Misperception

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5

"Where are you?" Genesis 3:9

Most people think the image on the right is a dog because, as William James said, we learn new things by comparing them with the old things we already know. This image is actually just random splotches of ink--it is nothing--but it is impossible for us to see nothing because our brains have to make sense of everything, so we organize all new things to fit with the old. This image looks more like a dog than anything else so we "see" a dog. This is automatic, almost instantaneous, and we cannot stop from doing it. This is how we learn, and there is no shortcut, the serpent's promise notwithstanding.

One of my MBA students at Xiamen University had seen the image before and knew its origin so he proudly insisted, "Well, I see nothing!" I finally said, "The only way to see nothing is if your brain has nothing in it to compare it with. So are you sure you see nothing?" As the other students laughed, he said sheepishly, "Actually, I do see something. I see two pretty girls facing each other."

"There you go!" I said. "Motivation affects perception too!"

If we learn the new by comparing with the old, imagine what a bright and exciting world it was in Eden, where everything was new! Adam and Eve were put in Eden not just to enjoy it but to learn--and what a capacity for learning mankind was given. Adam was given not just the responsibility but also the ability to name every animal on the planet. (Which leads us to think he must have been there a long time before being evicted).

Master of Misperception's Shortcut There was (and is) so much to learn, but learning is a process, and the master of twisted perceptions offered what appeared to be a shortcut, but Satan was subtle. Rather than lie, he asked a question that in itself twisted the truth. "Is it true you cannot eat of any of the trees' fruit?" Eve protested that only one tree was forbidden, but the seed of doubt was planted, and the promise of instant God-like knowledge was too much too resist. It was like graduating from college without having to take classes or do homework, and Eve and Adam enrolled.

Where are You? After they had eaten the one fruit that had been forbidden, Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden in the cool of the evening for the very last time. He called, "Where are you?" He of course knew right where they were, but they had never hidden from him in shame before, and rather than ripping the bushes open and dragging them out, He called to them, and left it up to them to answer. And then He sent them into the world to learn on their own, as they wished. But like the parent of a prodigal child today, He hoped that after they had matured and learned, they would return.

Our Father still seeks us today, even as He sought Adam and Eve in the garden. He seeks us because He wants a restored relationship--but the decision is up to us.

Our Father does not force himself on us, even as He did not force himself on Adam and Eve. It was they who left Him, and not the other way around. But He meant the separation to be only temporary, until they were ready to return, and accept the inheritance they had given up.

Back to the Garden? Adam and Eve chose to learn on their own terms, and we do the same today. All of life is a journey of learning, each day building upon the old, as William James said. But when we see the seemingly random world around us do we see the same as those who have gone before us, or do we see the new creation in progress that Christ said must begin not in the world but within us? "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you," he said. And if that is true, imagine how that affects our perception, and our lives, and our Hope.
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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Judging without eyes and ears

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hers with his ears, but with righteous he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth." Isaiah 11: 3b, 4

"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire." Confucius

A college teacher handed out a brief half page biography about the guest who was about to lecture, but the students did not know that there were two bios. The left side of the class was told that the guest speaker was warm, humorous, funny and a popular speaker. The right side of the class was told that he was serious, professional, efficient, nonhumorous. The man gave his talk, left, and the teacher had the students rate the speaker and his talk.

Though both sides heard the same man give the same speech at the same time, their reactions were very different--skewed by the preconceptions they had from the brief bio they'd been given. The left side rated him as funny, warm, friendly, a good speaker. The right side rated him as more professional, serious, less humorous, and, surprisingly, not such a good speaker. The brief bios not only twisted their perception of the man's personal traits but also of his competence!

In my Xiamen University Organizational Behavior classes I teach how easily our perception of things, and especially of people, can be twisted. I even pull a few tricks on the students, and they invariably fall for them, even when warned in advance, because our minds all pretty much work the same way, and we are much less objective than we think when we look at the world around us. If I meet a person for the first time with someone I distrust, that influences my thoughts of them. If they disagree with me on important subjects, that too can bias me against them. And when I read the daily news in the paper or on the internet, clever but slanted reporting (we're 'patriots' but they are 'nationalists', our 'government,' they're 'regime') can close our eyes to the truth.

If others easily influence us, we also easily influence others. Just one word from us can plant a seed of doubt or mistrust in others--or a good word, timely spoken, can lift up. A friend who visited Xiamen said of a waiter who was having a bad day, "Their lives are so fragile. A complaint or a wrong glance from a customer and they might be fired, and not easily find another job."

Our minds' perception is easily twisted, but fortunately we also have a heart--and the Spirit of our Father. Ask for understanding, clarity of thought and perception, and seek to judge fairly, not just based on preconceptions or personal interests.

Our words can lift up or tear down. Try to make it a point today to lift up.

Isaiah 11:3 says of the coming Prince of Peace that he will "be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord," but F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894), notes that the Hebrew for "quick understanding" is "quick scent":

"QUICK of scent! This is the prerogative of all who have received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We all know the great advantage of having a keen scent. Those who can instantly detect an ill-odour are saved from going into places where pestilence and fever lurk in ambush for life. The whiff of ill-odour startles the unwary passer-by, and warns him that influences inimical to health are brooding nigh. Thus he is arrested and saved.

"It's a blessed thing when a man's spiritual senses are exercised to discriminate between the good and bad, the healthy and unhealthy, in literature, amusements, fellowship, and many of the questionable or doubtful things which professing Christians permit. There are many of these which appear innocent enough, like some deadly spot of a jungle where miasma and fever breed; but the deadly scent of corruption will instantly be detected by the Spirit-taught spirit, and the child of God, whose sense are exercised to distinguish between good and evil.

"The sense of smell is greatly quickened by inhaling pure air, full of ozone and health, such as breathes about the mountain-brow or the ocean wave. If we return from such scenes, we are more sensitive than ever to foul odours. Live with God's Spirit in holy fellowship, so will you become spiritually quick of scent.

"The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that our sense become quick to distinguish between good and evil by reason of use (Heb. 5:14). In the first stages of Christian living, temptation may have stolen in upon and mastered us before we were aware of its presence. But, as years pass, and we become mature through feeding on the meat of the Gospel we become 'quick.'"
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