Made in Heaven (& How to Break the 3-strand Cord)

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
Click for "My Valentine for Amoy Sue"

"Two are better than one...If two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

27 tears ago today, Sue and I married in Taipei, Taiwan, where she was born. She lived in Taiwan 13 years, so I like to joke that she is my blond, blue-eyed "Made in Taiwan" wife, but Frank Crowhurst says she is not Made in Taiwan but Made in Heaven. Well, Frank, I agree! And I'm thankful that even after 27 years we are not only husband and wife but best friends. After all, anyone can be a spouse. You just need a legal document from a courthouse, or a quickie wedding in Vegas. But not anyone can be a best friend, especially after 27 years. But that does not mean our made in heaven marriage was always heavenly...

How to Break a 3-Strand Rope A rope of two-strands is twice as strong, but a rope of three strands can be more than ten times as strong! This is because the harder you pull the rope, the tighter the three strands pull together--so the more tension, the stronger the rope. But you can break a three-strand rope as easily as a single-strand one if you:
1) separate the strands, and
2) pull each strand separately, preferably in different directions.

I've certainly learned how this analogy applies to marriage during my 27 years with Sue.

Tying the Double Knot. I fell for Sue when I first met her on Easter Sunday, 1981 (read "China our Matchmaker"). We went out that Thursday, and saw each other almost every day until we were married in Taiwan on Sunday, December 13th. We married twice, actually--on the 10th in the Chinese courthouse and on the 13th in Christ Chapel. So I not only tied the knot but tied a double knot!

Separating the Strands We loved each other, and had a common goal (China!), but we were both young, immature (at least she was! :) ), and we had many issues to work through. I was under a lot of stress because I was working full time at a new business to pay for my full time graduate studies. If that wasn't enough, we had to face a $30,000 medical bill without insurance. It is a wonder we didn't become a statistic and join the 50% of Americans who solve their marital problems with divorce.

The Root of the Problem Sue suggested marital counseling, but I thought, at least in our case, the root of the marriage problems was also spiritual--primarily my own problem, though I had no idea how to deal with it. We did not read the Bible together, or pray together, and though I was doing many "spiritual" things (working with youth, for example), my inward walk was nothing like the outward walk everyone saw.

I had read that a marriage relationship is like a triangle, with Sue and I at two corners and God at the other, but I could not draw close to Sue because of my pride, and past hurts, and I could not draw near to God because I could not forgive either Sue or myself. I had no idea what to do--but happily, my Father took it out of my hands.!

A Surprise Visitor We were surprised when a man we did not know visited one Saturday morning and asked, "How are your quiet times?" What quiet times?! He literally took charge. He organized a weekly Navigators 2:7 Bible study with us and others. We met weekly, and were held accountable for preparing, having daily quiet times, and praying together. How I hated praying in front of Sue. I was embarrassed because 1) I did not pray eloquently like the "religious" people we knew, and 2) I felt hypocritical talking to God in front of Sue when she knew what an absolute mess I was emotionally and spiritually. But I did it anyway, the best I could. And over time the discipline helped us draw closer to our Father--and as we did, we drew closer to each other as well.

Over the years, we have seen repeatedly that when we walk close to our Father, we are closer to each other, but when our spiritual life unravels, so does our marriage. The reverse is true as well: trials in our marriage affect our spiritual walk.

Abandon One Strand for Another? I know some people who have "sacrificed" their families for God, but I can't see how we can allow one strand to unravel and remain strong enough to serve the third. From Adam on down, "man was not meant to be alone." Granted, some do not marry--but for those of us who are blessed with a spouse, to attempt to serve God without them is like trying to sit on a two-legged stool.

A two-strand rope is 2x as strong as a single strand, and a 3-strand rope is 10 to 15 times stronger--and when that 3rd strand is our Father, that strength is infinitely greater--but only when the three strands are close together. Separate them, and they unravel and break as easily as a single strand.

Over the years we've been unraveled and separated and frayed more times than I care to remember. But I'm thankful that, through this, we have pulled together, and are not just husband and wife but best friends.

Happy 27th Anniversary, Susan Marie!

And congratulations to our son, Shannon, who will marry Miki on January 1st, 2009, at Xiamen's Xinjie Church (China's oldest Protestant Church, built in 1848 by the Amoy Mission).

The Ropes Only Bar
A piece of string went into a bar but the bartender said "This is a rope's only bar," and kicked him out. The string simply tied himself in a few knots, unraveled his ends, and then walked back into the bar. The bartender said, "Hey, aren't you the string that I just kicked out of here?"
The piece of string replied, "I'm a frayed knot."

"China our Matchmaker" ..... Valentine for Amoy Sue

www.amoymagic.com

Trust God, and Keep Your Sword Sharp

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house...one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants. Nehemiah 3:28,31(NIV).

When we moved into our Xiamen University Chinese professor's apartment in 1990, the place was a mess, and so were the grounds. First off, we were given a first floor apartment because the Chinese didn't want it. First floor apartments are so humid that water runs down the walls and puddles on the floors. And on occasion, our snakes (cobras, bamboo vipers--like the one I photographed on the right), slither in. Two of our neighbors have been bitten. And part of the reason we had so many snakes is that we live on the mountainside beside the woods, and the grounds outside our door were overgrown, mosquito-infested, and full of garbage that the folks upstairs threw out their windows (after a month of this, I bagged up some of their garbage, carried it back to them, and said, "Excuse me, did you lose this?" That was the last time).

I spent every evening for two months cleaning and fixing the rooms before we moved in, and then I cleaned up the grounds, and planted trees, flowers and grass. I even chiseled a fish pond out of the granite (yeah, I'm a chiseler), and built a 5m. waterfall. But imagine my surprise when the very neighbor who dumped garbage in our yard complained to the authorities that the grass I had planted would breed bugs! Fortunately, that neighbor complained about everything and everybody and was generally politely ignored. But a couple years later, after the garden was completed and had become a local attraction, two university officials showed up and said, "It is illegal to change university grounds. Only we can do that. You must pay a fine!" That was ironic, because so far no one but me had done anything to improve the grounds. But providentially, the very next day, a newspaper reporter interview me about our garden, and then interviewed the school officials, who backpedaled quickly and said, "Oh yes, he has done a great job! Very proud of him!"

Part of the problem back then was that even though Xiamen University is widely considered China's most beautiful university (nestled between the sea and the hills), we had zero money to spend beautifying the campus. But after we made our garden, people in other buildings also planted gardens and fixed up the grounds, and as the economy developed and the school's finances improved, they spent a small fortune transforming the entire campus into one large garden. But I like to think that the little garden right outside our door played a part, even as the Jews who rebuilt the bit of wall outside their doors were indispensable in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls has several lessons"

1. Plan wisely. In Nehemiah 2:11,12, Nehemiah went to inspect the Walls secretly, by night. "I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem." He not only kept his plans secret from the enemy but from the Jews as well, including the workmen who would build the walls (2:!6). Nehemiah was not secretive out of fear, but wisdom. He needed to know the extent of what was needed, and he needed to minimize the inevitable opposition until he had momentum.

2. Expect opposition. Any change always invites opposition by those whose interests are threatened--or simply by those who are too lazy to do anything themselves, so ridicule those who lead change. Sanballat, governor of Samaria, did not want to see the Jews' condition improved, so Nehemiah inspected the walls secretly not from fear of Sanballat but to avoid too much opposition at the start. A lead ball is fairly easy to stop right after it starts rolling, but let it gain enough momentum and it becomes a juggernaut, crushing all in its path. Nehemiah wanted time to rally his forces, to build their confidence, to get some momentum before the enemy countered them.

"When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews...'Can they bring the stones back to life from these heaps of rubble--burned as they are?' Tobiah...said, 'What are they building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!'" Nehemiah 4:1-3

When I built my garden, I did it so gradually that it took two years for the powers that be to confront me, but by that time I had the support, rather than the opposition, of those around me.

3. Build your own wall first. A Chinese saying goes, "Sweep your own courtyard first." Nehemiah 3:28,29 (NIV) is a detailed account of how each person built the sections right in front of them: "Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house....Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters.

4. Build according to your resources. The poorer people rebuilt only the walls in front of them; the wealthier people, such as merchants and goldsmiths, rebuilt much larger sections, according to their resources: "Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs." Nehemiah 3:30-32 (NIV).

5. Every person is indispensable. You may wish you were a stonemason instead of a guard, or a cook, or someone hauling materials, but each person is needed. There are no "supply" troops when doing good a good work; all are front line. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:20-23, 'So there are many parts but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you,' or the head to the feet, 'I don't need you.' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable." (ISV)

Why would the weaker parts be indispensable? Perhaps because the diligent efforts of the poorer or less gifted people can inspire those blessed with skills or resources to greater effort. I had almost no money to build our little garden on campus, but I gave it lots of loving labor, chiseling through granite with a sledgehammer and pick, and hauling literally tons of rock and soil in baskets slung over my shoulders. People watched, and talked, and some laughed--but eventually they got involved, and people with more money (and knowledge) than me helped expand the garden beyond what I could have dreamed of doing on my own.

The CEO of BMW once said, "When my workers see a BMW on the highway, I want them to think, 'I made that car!'" Of course, no one person makes a BMW, but if one person fails to tighten a bolt, the BMW may not make it to the highway.

5. God is our strength--But Carry a Sharp Sword! Nehemiah encouraged the fearful Jews. He said in Neh. 4:14 "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord." Although God gave Nehemiah the vision to rebuild the wall, and gave him guanxi (connections) with the King, He did not remove all resistance. In this life, we will always face resistance. If there's no resistance, it's probably because we're just going with the flow; we only feel resistance when swimming upstream, not down. So we should prepare for resistance wisely, and use common sense. As Jesus said, "the children of this world are wiser than the children of Light" (Luke 16:8).

Pulling Dog's Ears Nehemiah inspected the walls in secret not because he was afraid but because he was wise, and knew the truth of Proverbs 26:17, which says that to meddle in others quarrels is as foolish as grabbing a dog's ears. It is just as foolish to engage in a quarrel before you've marshalled your arguments.

Nehemiah =used his God-given brains; he also used his God-given brawn. Neh. 4:17,18 says that workers carried materials with one hand and a weapon with the other. They could only carry half as much, but they were always ready to fight. Even the stonemasons wore weapons as they worked. On top of this, Nehemiah had half the men working and half on guard. He was not fearful, but he also knew the enemy would attack if they felt the Jews were weak or afraid. As a Chinese pastor in Xiamen told me years ago, "Never show fear before the pack!"

We too will continually face opposition but we need to persevere, and to use our own God-given weapons, including wisdom and common sense, skills, resources, prayer, guanxi (as Nehemiah used his guanxi--"relationships" with the king). As David would have said had he lived in China, The Lord is my Guanxi, I shall not want!

6. Build the Kingdom, Brick by Brick
If you've seen the news today you'll know we're not in the Garden of Eden anymore, but that's okay. Jesus prayed "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." You and I are building that kingdom, here and now, one brick at a time--starting right in front of us.
www.amoymagic.com

Up a Tree in China (Did you hear...?)

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"A devious person spreads quarrels. A gossip separates the closest of friends." Proverbs 16:28

"To indulge in gossip and spreading rumors is to abandon virtue." Confucius

"Everyone Pushes a Falling Fence" Ancient Chinese Proverb

When we moved into our Xiamen University hillside apartment almost 20 years ago, the grounds were covered in scraggly trees and bushes, and no flowers or grass whatsoever. So over the next few years I cleaned up the area, planted fruit trees and flowers, and built a 5 meter high artificial waterfall (from stones, bricks and concrete left over from renovating the apartment).

The crowning touch was my "Sino-U.S." pavilion, which I made with concrete water pipes and a chicken-wire covered iron frame, which I then covered in green Chinese tile. And I of course built a tree house for the boys (which they grew out of, but I did not).

Up a Tree My Chinese neighbors had never seen a tree house and everyone that saw me perched up in the tree, hammering and sawing, asked, "What are you doing, Professor Pan?" (Pan is my Chinese name).

"Building a house!" I replied with a straight face, "so I can sleep here when my wife is mad at me."

"Ai-Yo! Really?!" And that was that--or so I thought. But they told others, and word spread, and next thing I knew the entire university knew that the American professor slept in a tree when his wife was angry. And when this got back to Susan Marie, I really was up a tree!

Even after the children had played in it for years, I think my neighbors still thought I really built it for myself, and only let kids play in it to save face.

This was a good lesson in the power of gossip, and I used it to my advantage a couple years later when I was trying to get a phone installed.

Getting a Line Today, Chinese are ahead of Americans in some things, such as phone technology. China simply bypassed landlines and went straight to cheap, efficient cell phone service. Even the beggars ask for handouts while chatting on their cell phones (no joke!). And if you do want a landline, for internet service or FAX machine, for example, it is installed usually within 24 hours, and for a pittance. So young Chinese nowadays find it hard to believe that less than two decades ago I spent over 400 USD and waited over three years for our first phone--and then got it only because I evoked the power of gossip.

Strategic Gossip After 2 1/2 years, the phone company finally installed lines and phones for our Chinese neighbors but not us. After I'd waited another 1/2 year, I decided to speed things up a bit. I grabbed some electrical tape and wire cutters, propped my wobbly bamboo ladder against the side of the apartment, and spliced a line so we could use the old community phone in our own apartment. I could have added the line in ten minutes but I perched on that ladder for over two hours so as many people as possible could ask, "Professor Pan, what are you doing up there?"

"Oh, don't tell anyone, but I'm connecting the community phone to our apartment. No one uses it now but us, since as you know everyone but us now has a private phone. But I don't want the university to feel bad about it, so don't tell anyone!"

And of course they told everyone, and one week later a work crew knocked on our termite-ridden door (it had more paint than wood), and said, "Professor Pan, we've come to install a phone for you!"

"What a surprise!" I said. And now we had two phones because I kept the other one as well. In one week we'd gone from no phone to two phones--a distinct coup in those days.

Gossip is powerful. With the tree house, gossip got me up a tree. With the phone, gossip got me a line. But both incidents reinforced the fact that, especially in China, we live in a fishbowl, and we should not say or do anything that we don't want shouted from the housetops.

The best thing is to avoid gossip (unless you need a phone installed), because as Paul so tactfully put it, gossip is depravity. In Romans 1:29,30, Paul wrote that mankind, in its depravity, engages in "every kind of evil," and Paul listed "gossip" just before "God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful."

Proverbs 20:19 warns that we should not just avoid gossiping but avoid gossipers as well: "He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets. Therefore do not associate with a gossip." (God's Word Translation). And Proverbs 16:28 warns, "A devious person spreads quarrels. A gossip separates the closest of friends.

Intent: Build up or Tear Down? There is, of course, a difference between gossiping and sharing information. The difference is intent. We share information to build up others; we gossip to build up ourselves by tearing others down--or by giving them a little shove when they're tottering. As ancient Chinese said, "Everyone pushes a falling fence."

Motives and Methods: There is a time and place to share information--even uncomfortable information, but we should examine both our motives and our methods. Jesus himself gives us the right method to handle problems with others (Matthew 18:15-17):

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation may be verified by two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

The day will come when God brings to light the secrets of the heart (1 Cor. 4:5). Until then, let us avoid gossip, and ensure that our conversation builds up others, not ourselves. And in closing...

Are You a Gossip? How often do we open a conversation with "Did you hear about?"
Consider these questions:
1. You see a friend do something wrong. You:
a. talk to them
b. pray for them
c. E-mail all all your friends and say, "Don't tell anyone, but I feel burdened to share with you that Joey.... Please pray for him!"

2. You hear Britney Spears is pregnant, getting divorced, and lip synced her last concert:
a. You go online to get the details so you can pray for her.
b. You tell all your friends about her so they can pray for her too.
c. You ignore it because the media inundates us with such juicy news and 1) you only have 24 hours in a day and 2) you have your own circle of friends who really need your prayers and help (unless, of course, you happen to be Britney's friend).

3. A friend at a party tells lies about another of your friends:
a. You listen closely so you can defend your friend later when you tells others about the malicious gossiper.
b. You tell all your friends what was said, and ask them to pray for such gossipers.
c. You, fortunately, are too spiritual for this, and simply walk away.
d. You tell them that you think it is best to discuss such matters face to face with the person they are talking about.

4. You read People Magazine.
Enough said!

Take the "Are You a Gossip?" quiz at Beliefnet.com!
www.amoymagic.com

Love, Joy, Life--The Fruit of the fruits

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things." Galatians 5:22

"I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." John 10:10

"So I give my life for my sheep." John 10:15

When I agreed to give a short Christmas message for the Xiamen Christian Businessmen's Fellowship, they did not tell me they'd already picked out the topic: "Love, Joy, Life!" Usually we say "love, joy, peace," but the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the twist, because while love and joy are some fruits of the spirit, the spiritual fruits in turn bear the precious gift of life—as I've seen in my own experience.

1. Love--a Rare Commodity. The word "love" has been watered down. I "love" Chinese food, I "love" to travel, I "love" my car. It was "love" at first sight when I met my wife Sue (true, actually!). But as a child I learned that perfect love is a rare commodity.

After my mother divorced she married another man who had also been divorced. Divorce is a hard habit to break, so when my new father argued with my mom, the word “divorce” was often fired back and forth. One day, I came home from school to find mom and dad waiting on the porch. "I'm leaving," mom said. "Decide who you want to be with—who you love most. You have one hour.”

That was a tough question for a seven-year-old. I could not choose between them. I loved my step-father, who for all his problems was a very good man, but I also loved my mom. So I stuffed some clothes in a pillow case, stole out the back door, and ran away from home. They found me a few hours later and brought me home. Though they continued to fight over the next 40+ years, I never heard them use the dreaded word divorce again, but the seeds of fear and insecurity were already deeply rooted. “Will I have a home tomorrow?” Or worse, “Am I really the cause of their fights?” (As they sometimes said).

Hermit For the rest of my childhood my family called me “hermit” because I spent most of my time alone in my room, reading, or out in the woods. The less contact, the less I could hurt others or be hurt--but how I longed to be loved (regretfully, I withdrew from my sister as well, who suffered as much or more than me; I'm thankful we're now best friends!).

Fortunately, I did find love--in a book. Our family had an old Bible, which no one read, but I read it cover to cover. My family did not go to church but that was good in some ways, because I learned to see the Bible not as a religious book but as a collection of vivid stories that gripped my heart and imagination. I was especially moved by the life of Jesus, who said that God was love, and that He wanted only two things of us: 1) to love our God, and 2) to love others as ourselves. Is this possible? I wondered. Can it be so easy?

Love in Action Jesus gave many examples that touched my heart: the prodigal son, whom the father loved in spite of squandering his inheritance. The good Samaritan, who stopped to help a Jew—even though Jews despised Samaritans. And in Mark 9:33-37), when the disciples argued about who would be greatest, Jesus did not rebuke them. He gently explained that whoever would be greatest must be the servant of all, and he took a child in his arms and said, “Whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me, and my Father.” How I wished I could be that child in Jesus’ arms—but I still had questions.

I read books on other religions, just to be sure, but I kept coming back to Jesus’ life and his simple message, and when I was eight I decided to be a Christian. I had no idea how to go about it so I just prayed a simple prayer, but it worked. I felt my heavenly Father’s acceptance and love, and though I’ve wandered from Him at times, He has never left me, regardless of my failures.

Not Who but Whose. Fortunately, God loves me not because of who I am, or what I do or don't do, but because I am His, and His acceptance of me has helped me accept and appreciate others-especially my parents. The older I grew, the more I appreciated that my parents did love me, but they too had been hurt in their youth, and it is hard to break the generational cycle of pain and fear, as I saw when I became a father myself. I would give my life for my sons, and yet I also get angry over trivial matters and say hurtful things that can be forgiven but never unsaid. Who am I to judge my parents! I can only love them, learn from them, and hope that, someday, this cycle will be broken.

Fortunately, my sons also know the unconditional love of their Heavenly Father, and that love has helped them to accept, and love, their very earthly father—and to have the security that is the only source of true joy.

2. Joy—not emotion but knowing. Happiness can be a good movie, a walk in the park, or a Thanksgiving meal with family, but these are like sugar-highs: short lasting, and they leave you craving more. But lasting joy is born not of emotion but of knowledge—the knowledge that my Father loves me not because of who I am but because I am His child, and that He is with me forever, regardless of circumstances. And this deep-seated sense of security and joy leads to life.

3. Life—here and now. Christ promised eternal life but he also promised abundant life, here and now—a life of more meaning and purpose. And as even scientists have found, this can lead to a longer and healthier life.

"The Will to Live" vs. "Self-Willed Death" Scientists studying the new discipline of “psychoneuroimmunology” have seen that cancer patients who simply give up succumb to what doctors call “self-willed death.” But patients with the “will to live” often recover faster, as I learned in 1999 when I spent two months in a Hong Kong hospital during surgeries for cancer.

After two months of numerous complications, I was depressed, and it didn’t help when American visitors asked if I planned to return “home” if I got out of the hospital. By home, they meant the U.S., but I wanted to go home to Xiamen, though I could not see how anyone in my condition would be of much use there. But then the governor of Fujian Province sent a couple of men with best wishes and flowers, and shortly after Mayor Hong Yongshi of Xiamen sent two men with flowers and a letter saying, "We hope you get well and come home soon." For Mayor Hong, “home” meant Xiamen, and from that moment my spirits took a turn for the better. I recovered, returned to China--and my past 8 years here have been much more meaningful and fruitful than the first twelve.

An Alternative to Self-willed Death Cancer patients are not the only ones who succumb to self-willed deaths; 100% of us will do the same unless we embrace our Father's energizing love and joy. But if we choose love and joy, then the fruit of life, which was denied Adam and Eve, is ours for the taking.

Love, joy, life. It's our decision.
www.amoymagic.com

Amaziah's Two Hearts

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"The man of God replied, 'The Lord can give you much more than that.'" 2 Chron. 25:9b

Buddhist pilgrims at nearby Nanputuo Temple offer up endless sacrifices. They also seek answers or prosperity by tossing the joss sticks [see bottom]; if they are not satisfied with the answer, they keep tossing the sticks until the gods tire out and give them what they want. In reality this is not worship but magic, and they think that by their sacrifices and joss sticks they can manipulate the unseen to give them their desires. The Jews of the Old Testament were much the same--following the forms of worshiping God, but also engaging in daily "magic" in case God failed them. Amaziah is a good example.

Chronicles 25:2 (and 2 Kings 14) notes that Amaziah, who became king of Judah at age 25, was one of the few kings who did what was right, "though not wholeheartedly". Amaziah in fact had two hearts--serving God and the other serving the pagan gods around him, just as the Jews had done ever since they created the golden calf at the food of smoldering Mt.Sinai.

Amaziah "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord," but he lost his kingdom because he failed to remove the pagan altars on the high places. He allowed his people to worship his pagan gods because he himself did not fully trust in God, even though God had given him a great victory over the Edomites.

100,000 Hired Hands In Amaziah's first war he relied upon God because he had no choice. He was a new king, still struggling to consolidate his power. But by the second battle he had power and wealth, so he hired 100,000 soldiers to fight for him. When a man of God warned him that if he relied upon foreign troops he would fail, "for God has the power to help or to overthrow" (Chron. 25:8), Amaziah complained, "What about the 100,000 talents I paid for them!" And the man of God replied, "The Lord can give you much more than that."

Amaziah's heart was not yet totally hardened, for he dismissed the troops, and went on to win a great battle. But v. 14 records that after winning the battle, "he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them."

Another man of God asked Amaziah (v.15) ,"Why do you consult this people's gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?" Amaziah' heart was now hardened by his own success, and he warned the prophet to either shut up or be struck down. And Amaziah's fate was sealed. In his pride, he challenged the king of Israel and was defeated. Earlier he had moaned the loss of the 100,000 talents paid to the hired soldiers, but now he lost everything he had.

The Lessons?
1. No compromise. Amaziah failed his own people by allowing them to worship idols. The idol-worship was a poison that in the end seeped into his own heart. We must be wholehearted, not two-hearted. As Christ said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand (Luke 11:17)." Once we ally with anyone but our Father, we fall. Even the wisest of men, Solomon, in the end turned to idolatry, influenced by his foreign wives.

2. Trust, not Magic. Zechariah 4:6 says "Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord." God had Gideon whittle his army down to only 300 men so that all would know the victory was God's, not Gideon's. God will fight for us--but not because we make him bless us. We don't need to resort to Buddhist joss sticks, or tea towels blessed by televangelists, or Christian incantations such as the "Prayer of Jabez", or audio CD prayers that you can play in your car, and will automatically bring answers (I kid you not!).

3. Humility. We must not let blessings turn our heads. God punished Israel when David numbered his army because he looked to the size of his army as the source of his strength. And intoxicated with power and wealth, David had others fight his battles (which led to his adultery in 1 Chron. 20:1). And God initially blessed Amaziah because of his obedience, but once he grew wealthy and powerful, Amaziah began to trust in his wealth and armies rather than God. Pride does go before the fall, and the higher we go, the farther we can fall if we forget Who is behind our success.

F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894) writes of 2 Chron. 25:9

AMAZIAH had many good qualities, but he did not clearly see how impossible it was for Israel to be allied with Judah without invalidating the special divine protection and care on which Judah had been taught to rely. We must understand that God cannot be in fellowship with us if we tolerate fellowship the ungodly. We must choose between the two. If we can renounce all creature aid, and trust simply in the eternal God, there is no limit to the victories He will secure; but if, turning from Him, we hold out our hand toward the world, we forfeit his aid. O child of God, let not the army of Israel go with you! Do not adopt worldly policy, methods, or partnership. However strong you make yourself for the battle in alliance with these, you will fail. Indeed, God Himself will make you fall before the enemy, that you may be driven back to Himself.

But you say that you have already entered into so close an alliance that you cannot draw back. You have invested your capital, you have gone to great expenditure. Yet it will be better to forfeit these than Him. Without these aids, and with only God beside you, you will be able to rout Edom, and smite ten thousand men. Would that men knew the absolute deliverance which God will effect for those whose hearts are perfect towards Him!

The soldiers of Israel committed depredations on their way back. This was the result of the folly and sin of Amaziah's proposal. We may be forgiven, and delivered, and yet there will be after-consequences which will follow us from some ill-considered act. Sin may be forgiven, but its secondary results are sometimes very bitter. We must expect to reap as we sow.

JOSS STICKS, recorded in Rambles in Eastern Asia: Including China and Manila, During Several Years ... By Benjamin Lincoln Ball, 1856, p. 328

Saturday, October 20th.—About noon, started, in company with Mr. Tait, Mr. Patten and Mr. Craig, to visit the White Stag Temple. Mr. T., who was well acquainted with the country, led us through the streets of the city, passing the White Heart Temple on our way.

We ascended the mountain by crooked flights of stone steps, passed over, and by corresponding flights of steps descended into a deep valley beyond. When part of the way down, we stopped a few minutes to look at an ancient tomb, built into the hill-side. ...Two women were chin-chinning Josh at tho shrine, on which, in front of the gods', the incense, or Josh-sticks, were burning and smoking. The women tried their luck with a bunch of bamboo slips, and the casting on the floor of two pieces of dice-wood. One of the women shook the bunch of slips in a bamboo box, until one gradually worked up and fell out on the ground. This, like all, having a motto engraved on it, the woman carried to the priest, who interpreted it, and gave her a corresponding response, for which she paid a number of copper cash.

These responses are small pieces of paper written on, and prepared and kept on hand by the quantity. If I mistake not, the writing is a note-of-hand running to the departed friend of tho bearer, and entitling them, after it is burned at the altar, to a certain sum of money in the next world. The two pieces of dice-wood are made from a bamboo root, cut about five inches long and split in halves, much resembling the two halves of a kidney-bean. The two parts are placed together and dropped upon the floor': if they fall opposite sides up, they are lucky ; but if they come with the same sides up, they are unlucky. One of the women took the two pieces in her hands, advanced to the idol, prostrated herself, knocking her head on the stones several times, and chin-chinning the idol, addressing petitions for its aid and favor, held up her hands with a countenance indicating entire faith in the power of the god, and let fall the two pieces of wood. These rebounded in different directions. With what anxiousness did her eye rapidly glance from one piece to the other ! and how pleased did she appear, on seeing one of the pieces with the round side up, and the other with the flat, to find herself lucky! The other, an older woman, now advanced with her half-sized feet, in a half-hobbling gait, and took her turn. She was not so lucky. She tried them over and over with alternate chin-chinnings; but either the two round sides came up, or the two flat. She went on, finally, with such desperation, that I really pitied her. She continued, however, to pick them up and let them fall as fast as she could, until she was really lucky; and then, with an air of satisfaction at having conquered, she gave the idol a look that seemed to say, "Well, you
see I did succeed, notwithstanding;" and then she left the temple.

After they had gone we all tried our fortunes, much to the amazement of the priests. Some of us were lucky, and some unlucky: I was among the unlucky ones, but, persevering, became lucky.
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Lessons from a Sundial in the Shade

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
Visit XICF (Xiamen Int'l Christian Fellowship)

"Hide not your talents, they for use were made.
What's a sundial in the shade?" Benjamin Franklin

"Ex hoc momento, pedento eternitas" (Now or never). English sundial motto, Leadbetter, 1737.

While strolling through the old Amoy Christian cemetery on Gulangyu (Kulangsoo)Islet I saw a grave with a sundial, but it was not much use to the owner or me because 1) it was in the shade and 2) time had ended for the grave's occupant. But the shaded sundial got me to thinking about how quickly my own time has flown (20 years in Xiamen already!).

This grave's occupant once cavorted about Gulangyu Islet as merrily as I do now, as if time would never end. Now they have been dead for decades, and trees have grown to shade both grave and sundial. It was sobering, even a bit chilling, and I stepped back into the comforting sunlight, and thought about the lessons one could learn from a shaded sundial.

USEFUL SUNDIALS MUST BE:
1) Upright. If they lean, they are off. We too must have standards, and values.
2) Pointed True North. You cannot set a sundial by a compass; it must point true north. In the same way, we must point True North, unwavering, in spite of the magnetic attractions of this life.
3) In the Light. A sundial in the shade is just an ornament; so too our lives are useless, swallowed up by darkness, if we are not in the light. We are the Light of the world only when we are in the light.
4) In the Right Light. No matter how carefully a sundial is placed, if illuminated by artificial light it will cast the wrong shadow. And so the one who "became an angel of light" can use us to cast the wrong shadow for others if we do not stay in the Right Light, pointing True North.

THE MAKER AND ENDER OF TIME
Our Father makes amd measures out time, and until He ends time as we know it, our lives are measured out day by day and breath by breath as the sundial's shadow crawls inexorably across the dial. But though we can no more stop time than we can stop the sun in its tracks, the Maker of Time can increase or decrease the amount of time allotted to us, as King Hezekiah learned in Isaiah 38:8: "Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down."

Why Hezekiah Received More Years. God reversed the shadow upon Hezekiah's sundial (the palace steps, used for telling time), giving King Hezekiah more time for two reasons:
1) Hezekiah asked for more time. "Ask and you shall receive." (Matt. 21:22)
2) Hezekiah had a use for it. How many on their deathbeds regret wasted years and wish they had a second chance? Our second chance is now, before our first chance, like the sundial, has run its course.

Stewards of Time Christ repeatedly taught that the Kingdom of heaven is about stewardship: use what we have well, and more will be given to us. Waste it, and even the little we have shall be taken away (Luke 12:48).

Of all we steward, nothing is more precious than time. Lost fortunes can be regained; lost time can never be recapture. But the Law of the Kingdom is that what we use well we are given more of, and what we waste we lose. It is no wonder that so many healthy people die within months of retirement.

Youthful Retirees in China We see many retired Americans in China teaching, and living fulfilling lives--and in their 80s have more vigor and zest for life than many half their age. Yet I've also seen others back home who, upon retiring, were like the rich man in Luke 12:16-21, who said he would build bigger barns to store his grain, and eat, drink and be merry. And that night his soul was required of him.

We cannot hoard time; we use it or lose it. That does not mean we should work ourselves into an early grave, but it does mean that we must use invest our time if, like Hezekiah, we are to be given more time. He is the vine, we are the branches. Unfruitful branches are removed, that others may bear more fruit. And what fruit shall we bear? Now that is another bowl of noodles.

NOTES:
"The best sundial that was ever constructed will not SUNDIAL tell its owner the time of day if he is so ignorant as to put it in the shade. Just as it is with that engine, and that sundial, so it is with the Bible. When men read it without benefit, "the fault is not in the Book, but in themselves." J.C.Ryle (1816-1900)

Also see,
E.W.Bullinger, "Ten Sermons on the Second Advent; II The Interpretation of Prophecy" (Preached at Oxford,1892).

Leadbetter, Charles, "Mechanick Dialling: or, the New Art of Shadows : freed from the many Obscurities, Superfluities and Errors of Former Writers upon this Subject . . , To which are added a choice Collection of Mottos in Latin and English. ." At the Black Swan,London,1737

Henslow, Geoffrey T., “Ye Sundial Booke”, W. and G. Foyle, London, 1935 (download the entire 1914 1st edition from Internet Archives):
Excerpts from Henslow:
Page 6: Herodotus, writing in 443 B.C., says that the Greeks acquired their knowledge of the sundial from the Babylonians; the Roman writers in turn give evidence of their acquisition of this instrument from the Greeks. Although the Romans were backward in the science of gnomonics and slow to adopt any particular form of horologe, they eventually constructed many a beautiful dial of varied design. The first sundial was erected in Rome in the year 290 B.C., this being taken from the Samnites by Papirius Cursor.

Another was brought to Rome by Valerius Messala from Catania 261 B.C., but it was not until 164 B.C.that, as far as we know, a dial constructed at Rome was set up by order of Q. Marcius Philippus. Cicero, writing in 48 B.C. to Tiro, mentions that he wished to place a sundial at his villa in Tusculum, and at a later date we see Romans erecting sundials in every possible corner of their villas and grounds.

Page 9: Until watches began to be made in numbers the sundial ruled supreme ; clocks did not in any way diminish their popularity, and if the truth were known doubtless only helped to cause a greater number to be erected, since not only could they be relied upon to keep accurate time, but also to serve for the setting of a clock when it had stopped.

Page 30 Sundial Motto:
"Believe me, mortals, when I say,
The past is what we make to-day."

Page 30: Poem called "Change"
CHANGE.
Learn a lesson from this dial,
Dwell not on the past;
Greet the present with a smile,
For future cannot last.
To-morrow soon becomes to-day,
The present falls behind,
And as each moment glides away
My maxim comes to mind.

Page 39.
SUNDIAL AT DENTON, Nr. CANTERBURY
If some hardship you do mourn,
Remember hours soon flee.
Thus every living creature born,
Though by some distraction torn,
Must take things as they be.

Page 42.
SAXON SUNDIAL BUILT IN OVER A
NORMAN WINDOW.
The Saxons divided time into tides,
The Normans for hours found place;
But the English with minutes and seconds besides,
Added more lines than my dial divides,
And now fractions I'm likely to grace.

Page 45
SUNDIAL IN ECCLESFIELD CHURCHYARD,
YORKSHIRE.
Dated 1862.
Finite men with finite minds,
Can measure finite things ;
But limitation always binds
Each power, and Nature ever finds,
Infinity needs wings.

Page 49
SUNDIAL AT CATTERICK, YORKSHIRE,
Now patience, mortals, patience know,
Who seek an hour to swiftly go,
For time when gone ne'er comes again,
And what's achieved will not remain.

PAge 287
SUNDIAL IN ILFORD CEMETERY.
As the tolling of a bell,
Proclaims a life that ends,
So I, though silently, do tell
The death of hours God sends.
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Confucius' 3 Paths to Wisdom (whom I met yesterday)

Bill Brown .... Visit XICF (Xiamen International Christian Fellowship)

"If you seek her [wisdom & understanding] as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures..." Proverbs 2:4,5

"Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it." Confucius

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." Confucius

We met a young man with the English name of "Wisdom" yesterday at the Loving Hut, a delightful little fast health food (sound like a contradiction in terms?) place in the Forward Center outside Xiamen University. He told Sue he got the name from the Bible. He may have been only a waiter in a fast food (fast healthy food!) but he's young, and I'm sure he's going places. He has to be smart because he has excellent English, which isn't easy to pick up even for university students here, yet he was content, and cheerful, and talked to us about his work, which he seems to enjoy.

To speak such good English, he must have ambition, and yet he is content where he is now, at this time. Truly the name "Wisdom" fits our new young friend, for how else can we live but in the here and now?

We can't change the past, and no one knows the future. Whether we live ten years or a century, each of us has only today, here and now, to make a different. Debilitating and demoralizing regrets, and vain imaginings for tomorrow, are not helpful. Forgetting what is behind (but learning from it!), we press forward, hands to the plow today, in this field, working towards this harvest that our Father has blessed us with. And the point of our daily plowing is to grow spiritually, learning wisdom, and the truth.

Confucius said, "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

1) Reflection. Reflection is good, but what do we reflect upon? Upon ourselves, our navel? Fortunately, our Father has given us a road map for life, an "Owner's Manual" penned by our Maker. I first read the Bible (click to see why it is my favorite book) through when I was seven. My family was not religious and did not attend church, so I read it out of sheer curiosity--and the truths gripped my heart--especially the life and words of Jesus. I had no guidance so I also read other books--Jewish, Islamic, even Buddhist--whatever I could get my hands on in our small library. I enjoyed them all, but as Justin the Martyr discovered (see below), nothing stuck a chord like the life, love and down-to-earth wisdom of Jesus.

2) Imitation. Confucius said that imitation is easiest, and that is probably true--but what if we imitate the wrong person! By the time I was 8 or 9, I had read the lives of many people, ancient and more recent (George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington Carver, Gandhi). I learned from all of them, but none were like Jesus. And I was fortunate, in some ways, that I learned about him not as a "religious figure," which would have turned me off, but straight from the Bible, as a real man--the Son of God and the Son of Man, a man of compassion whose only real enemy was hypocrisy and injustice. And so I decided, early on, to imitate Jesus. I have never even come close, of course. Like Paul, I "die daily" and not just daily but hourly! But I press on, and day by day learn--and that leads us to Confucius third point.

3) Experience. Confucius said experience is the bitterest way to learn, but it is the only way to transform the borrowed wisdom of reflection and imitation into our own wisdom, that we can apply to our own lives. And it is indeed bitter at times, especially if we persist in experiencing the wrong things. But I'm thankful I have a Father who lets me mess up only so far and then gently brings me back to Him, over and over.

Yesterday I met a man named Wisdom, but someday I shall face true Wisdom face to face.

* * * * * *
F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894) wrote of Proverbs 2:4,5

THERE is a beautiful illustration of the truth of these words in the life of Justin the Martyr, who died for the Gospel in the second century. As a young man he earnestly sought for truth, specially that which would arm him with self-control. He took up one system of philosophy after another, trying them as a man might explore mine after mine for silver. Finally, he found that every effort was futile.

"All at last did faithless prove,
And, late or soon, betrayed my love."

At length, wandering in despair on the seashore, he met an aged man, a Christian, who spake as none had ever done to his heart, and pointed him to God in Christ. Beneath those words, that afternoon, he understood the fear of the Lord, and found the knowledge of God.

Thomas longed for evidences of the Resurrection, and Christ came to him. The Chamberlain, as he sat in his chariot reading the book of Esaias the Prophet at chapter 53, was desirous to know the truth, and Philip was sent to him. To Saul of Tarsus, groping in the midnight, there came fuller revelations than ever Gamaliel gave, through Stephen and Ananias, led by the Spirit of God.

But you must be prepared to sacrifice all. He who seeks diamonds, or pearls, or gold, will leave his native land, and what other men hold dear, and centre his whole attention on his quest. Not otherwise must it be with those who would understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. They must be willing to count all things but loss, to sell all they have, in order to boy the field with its treasure-trove.
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Over 130 English Sayings from the Bible

Bill Brown .... Xiamen University

This list is extracted from my post, "My Favorite Book, Movie and Song" (from a 30 minute interview with a Beijing radio station). Please send more!

Over 130 English Phrases from the Bible still used today include:
The apple of my eye Deut. 32:10
A housed divided cannot stand Luke 11:17
The eleventh hour Matthew 20:1
Fly in the ointment (Eccl. 10:1
Cast the first stone John 8:7
At my wit's end Psalm 107:27
A man after his own heart 1 Samuel 13:14
Can a leopard change his spots? Jeremiah 13:23
By the skin of our teeth Job 19:20
Don't cast your pearls before swine Matthew 7:6
Drop in the bucket Isaiah 40:15
Blind leading the blind Matthew 15:14
Dust of the earth Genesis 13:16
Raising Cain adapted from 1 John 3:12
Thorn in the flesh 2 Corinthians 12:7
Oh, ye of little faith Matthew 6:40, Luke 12:28
Where there is no vision, the people perish Proverbs 29:18
Eye for an eye Exodus 21:24 Matthew 5:38
The powers that be. Romans 13:1
Eat, drink, and be merry Ecclesiastes 8:15
Fall on rocky ground Matthew 13:5
Fall from grace Galatians 5:4
Keeping your head 2 Tim. 4:5
Scattered to the four winds Jeremiah 49:36
My cup runneth over Psalm 23:5
False prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing Mark 13:22
Golden calf Exodus 32
Written in stone. Rev. 2:17
The root of the matter. Job. 19:28
Straight from the horse's mouth. Numbers 22:28
Physician heal thyself Luke 4:23
Like mother, like daughter Ezekiel 16:44
Let there be light. Genesis 1:3
Fruits of your loins Isaiah 13:18
To the bitter end. Amos 8:10
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41
Sour grapes Ezekial 18:2
Heart of stone Job 41:24
Render unto Caesar Mark 12:17 Luke 20:25
Go through fire and water for Numbers 31:23
Forbidden fruit Genesis 3:3
Nothing but skin and bones Job 19:19-20
Stumbling block Matthew 16:23
Vanity of vanities Ecclesiastes 1:9
All things must pass Matthew 24:6-8
Wives' tales 1 Timothy 4:7
Woe is me. Job 10:15
Sharp tongue Psalm 52:2
The gospel truth Galatians 2:14 Col. 1:5
A living dog is better than a dead lion. Eccl. 9:4
False prophets in sheep's clothing Matthew 24:24,
Strait and narrow Matthew 7:14
Have his head on a platter. Matthew 14:6-8
Do as I say, not as I do Adapted from Mt. 23:2-3
A multitude of sins James 5:20
Spare the rod and spoil the child. Proverbs 13:24
Scapegoat Leviticus 16:9-10
Bite the dust. Adapted from Psalm 72:9 [lick the dust]
All things to all men 1 Cor. 9:22
Knees knocked together Daniel 5:6
Pin him to the wall 1 Sam. 18:10-11
From strength to strength Psalm 84:7
Thorn in the flesh 2 Corinthians 12:7
Living off the fat of the land. Genesis 45:18
Either with us or against us. Matthew 12:30
Fight the good faith 1 Timothy 6:12
Letter of the law 2 Corinthians 3:6
Nursing a grudge Mark 6:18-19
In deep water Proverbs 20:5
Laughingstock Exodus32:25
Going the extra mile Matthew 5:41
Lamb to the slaughter Jeremiah 11:19 Isaiah 53:7
I wash my hands of it. Matthew 27:24
A still, small voice 1 Kings 19:12
Feet of Clay Adapted from Daniel 2:33
He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. Matthew 26:52
Don't go to bed angry Eph. 4:26-27
Get thee behind me. Matthew 16:23
Weighed in the balances and found wanting Daniel 5:5
The blind leading the blind Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39"
Labor of love 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Faith will move mountains 1 Cor. 13:2
As old as Methuseleh Adapted from Gen. 5:25
To everything there is a season Ecclesiastes 3:1
Sweat of your brow Genesis 3:19
Suffer fools gladly 2 Corinthians 11:19
As old as the hills. Adapted from Job. 15:7
Handwriting on the wall Daniel 5:5
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adapted from Gen.3:19
Hammer swords into plowshares Isaiah 2:4
He gave up the ghost Luke 23:46
He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone John 8:7
Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37
How are the mighty fallen 1 Samuel 1:19-27
Out of the mouths of babes Psalm 8:2
Pride goes before a fall Proverbs 16:19
Many are called, but few are chosen Matthew 22:14
More blessed to give than to receive Acts 20:35
Signs of the times Matthew 16:3
Stood by the stuff (troops guarded supplies) 1 Samuel 25:13
Soft answer turns away wrath Proverbs 15:1
Twinkling of an eye 1 Corinthians 15:52
Put your house in order 2 Kings 20:1, Isaiah 38:1
There's nothing new under the sun Ecclesiastes 1:9
Wars and rumors of wars Mark 13:7
What is truth? John 18:38
The truth shall make you free" John 8:32
The patience of Job Book of Job
Doubting Thomas John 20:27
Casting pearls before swine Matthew 7:6
A coat of many colors Gen. 37:3
The salt of the earth Matthew 5:13)
Being thrown to the lions Daniel 6:7
Turn water into wine John 2:9
A Judas John 6:71
A law unto themselves Romans 2:14
[love of] Money is the root of evil 1 Tim. 6:10
Forty years in the wilderness Deut. 29:5
A camel through the eye of the needle. Mark 10:25
The Wisdom of Solomon I Kings 4:30
Man does not live by bread alone Matthew 4:4
My brother's keeper Genesis 4:9
Venison --first used in the Bible, referring to a goat kid. Genesis 27:3
Facing a Goliath 1 Sam. 17:23
Sod (an insult, from Sodom, in Genesis 19
Sixes and sevens Job. 5:19
No rest for the wicked Isaiah 48:22
Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in morning, sailor's take warning (first appears as Christ's comments in Matthew 16:2-3)
Hammer swords into plowshares Isaiah 2:4
He gave up the ghost Luke 23:46
Handwriting on the wall Daniel 5:5
How are the mighty fallen 1 Samuel 1:19-27
Last gasp From the Bible's Apocrypha
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My Favorite Book, Movie, Song?

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

After a 30 minute interview with a Beijing radio station yesterday, the host said, "Now we'll record the second episode." "What second episode?" I exclaimed.

They had forgotten to tell me to be prepared to spend another half hour telling the audience what are my favorite book, movie and song. I asked how this could take half an hour! And they said they want me to tell the audience why these are my favorites. So this is what I''ll them...

Favorite book: The King James Bible, for 3 reasons:
1. Beautiful English (called "the noblest monument of English prose").
2. Real life--tales of real people (not white-washed, not embellished).
3. Purposeful and directive; not a "religious book" but a guidebook for living a meaningful and useful life--my owner's manual.
[Note: I love KJV because I learned to read from it, but I'm not in the KJV-only camp. I read many English versions, as well as a couple of Chinese versions (and a bit of Greek still, though I've pretty much forgotten the Hebrew!].

1. Beautiful English. In our province of Fujian, many Buddhist temples have sutras written in blood. One might also say that the first printed English Bible was written in blood. Handwritten Old English bibles dated back as far as the 7th century, but Tyndale put out the first printed English bible--and was burnt at the stake in 1536 for heresy. His crime was translating the Bible into the words of the common people, and breaking the monopoly upon scripture that gave the church a stranglehold upon its parishioners. When John Bell criticized him, Tyndale replied, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scripture than thou doest."

When he was martyred, Tyndale's last words were, "Lord, Open the King of England's eyes." The king's eyes were opened, but it was another king, 75 years later. In 1611, the King James Bible was printed. The work of 54 independent scholars, 85% of the words were from Tyndale's work. Three committees undertook the task--one at Westminster in London, one at Cambridge University, and one at Oxford University. They spent 7 years on the revision, and then committees from each of the three groups met together. There has probably never been another work in English, or any other language, in which so much care was taken to produce not only an accurate but beautiful translation. Read aloud, or silently, it resonated in the hearts and minds of plow boys and priests alike. Even though some words are obsolete today, when read aloud by someone like Morgan Freeman, the King James Bible is as compelling today as when it came out almost 400 years ago. We owe a great debt to Tyndale.

Ironically, the King James Bible was opposed by many, and it succeeded eventually because of political and economic reasons: the king forbade printing or importing the highly popular Geneva Bible. Today, the KJV is still a treasure of the English language, unsurpassed in prose and verse, and it continues to wield great influence upon English, even upon those who never read it. (The British Crown, by the way, still holds copyright on versions printed in England).

Esteemed literary critic Prof. Northrop Frye, University of Toronto, wrote in "Words of Power" (1990, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich), "few would deny that some of the greatest poetry the world has ever seen is included in it [the Bible]." Frye also wrote in The Great Code (1982), "I soon realized that a student of English literature who does not know the Bible does not understand a good deal of what is going on in what he reads; the most conscientious student will be continually misconstruing the implications, even the meaning."

Over 130 English Phrases from the Bible still used today include:
The apple of my eye Deut. 32:10
A housed divided cannot stand Luke 11:17
The eleventh hour Matthew 20:1
Fly in the ointment (Eccl. 10:1
Cast the first stone John 8:7
At my wit's end Psalm 107:27
Etc. Etc., or as Chinese say, "Deng deng!" Click Here for over 120 more contemporary English sayings from the Bible.

2. The Bible is Real Life. The Bible is about the triumph and failures of ordinary people, heroes and villains alike--and quite often the hero was also the villain because, in real life, that is what happens. Joseph was a dreamer, and probably proud and arrogant, and he ended up ruler of Egypt but only after the pit and the prison had toughened his mind and softened his heart. David was a shepherd boy and became Israel's greatest king--and an adulterer and murderer. He returned to God, who forgave him, but he still paid the price. Abraham, man of faith, was a coward, and henpecked as well, and to please his wife he sent Hagar and Ishmael, his firstborn son and, legally, his heir, into the desert. They survived, birthed the Arab nation, and the Jews (and the rest of us) are still paying the price. Peter was a hot-tempered but cowardly fisherman, but became the rock upon which Christ built his church. Paul was a narrow-minded zealot, but became the most open-minded and open-hearted apostle, spearheading the mission to the despised Gentiles.

The Bible does not whitewash its heroes, but exposes them for what they really are--and then shows that our Father loves them anyway, and forgives them--though they must still bear the consequences of their actions.

3. Direction and Purpose --Owner's Manual by my Maker. Most people look at the Bible as a religious book, but through most of it God makes it clear that what He wants is not religion, rites and rhetoric, but a right lifestyle. In Luke 10:27, Jesus summed up the entire Bible in one sentence: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself." He drove the nail home in Matthew 22:40: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Favorite Movie: "Lord of the Rings." When I was a child, long before Tolkien became a household word in America, I read, several times, the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I loved the sheer scope of the tale, the rich language, the epic battle between good and evil, and the fact that the heroes were insignificant little hobbits--common people. It reminded me much of the biblical tales in which the youngest son of an insignificant tribe becomes the hero.

It is not possible to capture Lord of the Rings on film, but the Peter Jackson trilogy was an admirable attempt.

My favorite quotes from Tolkien include:
"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
[mine led to China, even though I was originally headed for Australia!]

The last line, "And whither then?" is one we all ask. Frodo, when faced with a quest from which he would probably not return, said:

"I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way."
Elrond raised his eyes and looked at him. "This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields, to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it?"

And of course this dialogue from the film"
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.

Finally, I like:
All that is god does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by frost.

Favorite Song: Theme to Chariots of Fire, by Vangelis. When I exercise or jog, I like soul-stirring music, and this song always lifts my spirit and quickens my pace. Even if I knew nothing about the movie, I'd love it--but knowing the story behind Chariots of Fire allows it to fire my imagination and spirit, even as it lifts my pace on the track or treadmill.'

Eric Liddell, the Scottish gold-medal winning Olympic athlete, had principles, and stood on them, even if it jeopardized his Olympic golds. He also stuck by his goal to reach China, where he served wholeheartedly, and died in a Japanese prison camp. I admire Liddell for his convictions, and for his love of China, and for giving all that he had.

The theme to Chariots of Fire stirs me to give my all when exercising. And the story behind it, of a Scottish Olympian who loved China, reminds me to give my all to the people with whom I live and work.

In closing, I am reminded of a story that happened over 80 years ago...

In 1926, Xiamen University leaders were praising Tan Kah Kee, the "Henry Ford of Asia", for donating so much to found the university. The famous writer Lu Xun tossed a penny on the table and said, (I paraphrase), "He's given just some of his great wealth. but I've given all I have--my life." His comment reminded me of the widow who gave a tiny coin, and Jesus said it was more than the rich people gave because she had given her all (though unlike Lu Xun, she did not boast about it!).
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A Candle in the Gale

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?" Zechariah 4:12

"Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Chinese saying.

During our early days in Xiamen we bought candles by the case because the power was often out. I even carried candles shopping, because several times the power went out while we were in windowless stores. At least two or three times I browsed Zhongshan Rd.'s Xinhua bookstore by candlelight!

We don't need candles nowadays, but I still love to use them. Nothing beats dinner by candlelight, and sometimes I just sit and watch a candle, gazing deep into the heart of the flickering flame, and imagining what it will be like someday to see the Source of all Light, face to face.

Candles amaze me. The darker the room, the brighter they become, yet the wick is not consumed because it is the fuel, not the wick, that burns. The wick is simply the catalyst that allows the fuel, be it wax or oil, to burn. Only if the fuel is exhausted does the wick burn out.

Jesus said we are "the light of the world," but whether we flame, or flicker, or simply burn out depends upon how well we replenish that Fuel within, and where we burn.

Replenishing the Source If a candle consumes all of its wax, or a lamp its oil, the wick burns and the light is extinguished. We should seek, daily, to ensure that nothing impedes the flow of that inner Fuel from our Father.

Candle in the Gale. Elton John sang that Marilyn was a candle in the wind, snuffed out early. But she burned on her own strength, and in circumstances that her Father never intended for her to be in. She was not a candle in the wind but a candle in the gale. Even Jesus resisted Satan's temptation to prove his deity but leaping from a cliff, forcing angels to catch him. He replied, "Don't tempt the Lord your God.

In the same way, as long as we, the light of the world, are candles, we should illuminate where He places us. And if, over time, our Father sees fit to allow us to blaze and cast a greater Light, he will transform us from a flickering candle into a blazing firebrand that not even the storms can't extinguish. But that is His timing, not ours.

For now, I'm still a candle, and a pretty weak one at that--rather like the tiny candles on a birthday cake==though I like to think I'm one of those "magic candles": I may get snuffed out occasionally but there is still a spark in there, and after a few seconds I sputter back into life!

F.B. Meyer ("Our Daily Homily," London, 1894) gave an interpretation of Zechariah 4:12, "Two golden spouts..." (R.V.).

WHAT a sermon there is in a wick! Sit beside it, and ask how it dares hope to be able to supply light for hours and horus to come. "Will you not soon burn to an end, you wick of lamp?" "No, I do not fear it, since the light does not burn me, though it burns on me. I only bear to it the oil which saturates my texture. I am but the ladder up which it climbs. It is not I, but the oil that is in me, that furnishes the light."

Yes, that is it, and when we anticipate the future, our hearts might well misgive us if we were counting on meeting its demands from our only slender resources. But this is not necessary; we do not give light to the world; we only receive the oil from the Holy Spirit and the spark of his fire; andif we burn steadily through the long, dark hours, it is because we have learned to translate into living beauty those supplies of grace which we receive in fellowship with Jesus.

But how necessary it is that nothing interrupt the flow of oil; that there be no uncleanliness permitted to clog and obstruct the narrow bore of the golden spout of faith. Let us daily see to this; let us watch and pray, that there may be no hindrance or impediment; let us draw from our King-Priest more and more of his grace, to enable us to persevere. It cannot be too often repeated, that it is not what we do for Him, but what He does through us, which really blesses men. Be satisfied then to be only a wick, unseen amid the glory of the light that crowns it, and willing to be consumed by the daily removal of the charred fringe. Delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus may be manifest in your mortal flesh.
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Instructed Tongues, Daily

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught." Isaiah 50:4

“The Chinese language is one of the most beautiful in the world in which to enshrine the sacred Scriptures, and there is a flexibility and grace about it, that render it capable of expressing all the tenderness, and pathos, and poetry, and sublime thought of that most wondrous book.” John MacGowan, "The Amoy Mission," (1895, p. 17)

Instructing Common Tongues Christ chose the most common people to be his disciples. Several were common fishermen, Matthew was a despised tax collector. Yet after Christ's resurrection, they preached so eloquently and persuasively that the Jewish leaders marveled. Acts 4:13: "Now when the Jewish leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus."

Today, our Father will also awaken our ears and our tongues, to know the right words to say, the right actions to take--not just once but daily, preferably "morning by morning."

1). It takes times. Joseph and David started out as the youngest sons, of no consequence, and both rose to become rulers--but it took time. They had to learn.
2) Morning by morning. If you don't seek direction in the morning, you won't hit the day--the day will hit you. Wise warrior put on armor before the battle, not during it.
3) Listen like one being taught. During morning quiet times, we need to not just talk but to listen, and more importantly, to learn, lest we have to repeat the same lessons over and over.
4) Sustain the weary. While we yet have life, we have purpose--and that purpose is to help others. It is no wonder so many people in seemingly good health die retire one day and expire the next. They've spent their entire lives working, but not truly living, and when work ceases, so does life. But in China I have met many people from other countries whose lives have been richer since retiring--because they have a purpose.

This day, ask for open ears and eyes to know this day's purpose--and an instructed tongue to pursue it.

F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894), wrote of Isaiah 50:4:

THIS is a beautiful image. Morning by morning, the Lord God draws near his chosen sevantand awaknes him, calling him by name, giving him some sweet message; and preparing him for the day's errands, duties and sufferings.

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNER. The sense of the original is somewhat obscured by the use of the word, "learned." It should be "disciple": one that learns through being taught. We must be disciples before we can be apostles, and be taught before we teach. We shall never do our best work for God until we accustom ourselves to receive and take his messages; and there is no such time as the early morning for the lowly posture of sitting at the Master's feet to hear his word.

TO HIM THAT IS WEARY. Notice that God's messengers are sent to the weary. There are somany of these in the world that special provision must be made for their sustaining and comfort. God needs a great company of Barnabas's sons of consolation, who having been comforted shall know how to comfort others. No king of ministry needs such careful preparation as that exercised towards the weary and heavy-laden. To learn how to do this involves some months of lonely suffering.

WAKEN TO HEAR. In softest whispers God draws nigh, uncovering the ear, putting back the locks that might intercept his gentlest accent. Only let us see to it that we are not rebellious, or turn away back. Let not the lowliness of the work, the weary mind, the worry about tiny questions, put us off from this sacred enterprise. And let us not be dissuaded by those who would smite, and pluck out the hair. Neither pride nor fear may deter from this sacred work.
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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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