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What sufferings for Christ?

“.. not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” (Php 1:29)

John Wen

As our mission Taiwan 2009 was coming soon, I wondered what made last year’s mission so successful. Was it because of those kids having fun in learning songs, listening to Bible stories, reciting verses, learning English, enjoying puppet show,  playing games,  having free luncheon for a week, and receiving gifts, etc.? Or was it more than that?

I think it is because we suffered for his sake, especially for those new adult believers. When Pastor Lin said at the end of the farewell night that we had left our comfortable homes in the US, arrived in Ligang at midnight, then sprung out of bed to work next morning and working non-stop from early morning to evening every day, people were touched.

They knew we suffered from sacrificing finances and vacation time to come to this poor place to introduce Jesus to them, the one true God. And the parents saw us living in a simple old hotel away from our comfortable and spoiled homes in America, empathizing with our suffering, but feeling our love in how we patiently cared for their kids and seeing us joyfully believing in God.

During last year’s mission, we were supposed to sleep on the small church’s floor. A month before we departed, God provided us a hotel to protect us from floods and bugs, so we had the strength to lead two camps. This is out of God’s goodness. He alerted me by sending an unknown lady to show her bug bites while I was in Sonar at my daily work out place. I have never seen her before, but she kept on showing me those bites from staying in Marriot during her frequent business trips. It was kind of embracing to look closely at her body as she asked me to do so. After she left, a worry about our sleeping on the floor in Ligang church occurred to me, I called Pastor Lin that night, and confirmed my concern: the heavy rain had just flooded the church right then. But, I was told by him there are no hotels there. I started to search internet for hotels in neighboring countries during my meeting breaks, and unbelievably found one right close by the school where we have VBS camp, not even known to pastor Lin. God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that we may be able to endure it. (1 Col 10:13). Interestingly, until today, I haven’t seen this lady stranger again.

This year, we are to stay in a real nice resort hotel. And it’s so near by, large enough to accommodate our team of 30 folks, and deeply discounted just for us. This is again from God’s goodness and mercy.

Before this, Pastor Lin has arranged two hotels to accommodate us, other than the old hotel we stayed last year, he found another hotel 20-minute drive away. Besides it’s quite expensive, I worry about the team spirit from staying in two hotels. As I prayed about it one night, I searched the internet by entering a keyword: Kaohsiung hotel, the Kaohsiung farm hotel is the first one came up.  After looking into its site, I was amazed to find out the hotel is so nearby, although it is located in another county, and even better it is a modern resort seated in a huge orchard. At first call, the hotel gave me a deep discount, later I called Pastor Lin about this, he was totally surprised by the deep discount we received without any local connection, and he said that’s God’s grace.

Typically when searching the internet, the luxury or famous downtown hotels show up first, small hotels are pages away. For this little known hotel in a rural area to show up first, it surprises internet experts. Interestingly, I can’t find this hotel anymore by just entering the “Kaohsiung hotel” keyword to search in the internet.
I have to say this is from God.

So in what are we to suffer? For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake (Php 1:29) God never makes us to be miserable, but Jesus did want us to suffer for Him, He himself suffered for God in dying on the cross. And from where our salvation and its gospel came out, today, it’s right for us to suffer in order to spread His gospel.

Sufferings can mean many things: financial loss, injury, sickness, troubled relationship, arguing co-workers, family feud, naughty students, anti-Christ Buddhist, humiliation, even carelessness, accusation and criticism from church people and etc. Thank Lord for giving us this opportunity to fight on a victorious outcome won by Jesus, so we can experience His glory in extending the kingdom of God at Ligang in our home country.

Pray us being watchful in engaging this spiritual fight, and be prayerful in seeing through the sufferings, like Tim was once told by Paul to fight the good fight by focusing on the God-given vision, holding true faith, a clean heart and a good conscience(1 Tim 1:5, 18-19). By God’s grace, Mission Taiwan 2009 has two worship teams to lead two VBS camps in two elementary schools. The uniqueness about this year’s worship team is being led by worship leaders from FCBC and CCCFC, and co-lead by eight young people from high school and college. With additional nine elementary students, half of our mission Taiwan team consists of our sons and daughters, PTL!

For our ACC folks who can’t go to this year’s mission to Taiwan, you still have opportunities to participate, to demonstrate God’s love to people in Taiwan. There is a need of $1500 left to provide two camps’ lunches for 250 kids, majority of them are from poor families. Your financial sacrifice is your suffering for Christ.

為主受什麼苦呀？

“我們蒙恩, 不但得以信服基督, 並要為他受苦。” (腓1:29)

溫正祥

在台宣2009即將到來之前, 我回想我們去年到底做了什麼, 使得那次的短宣這麼成功? 是里港的孩子們會唱些詩歌? 聽懂了些聖經故事? 背誦些經句? 學些英語? 看了木偶戲? 打球? 玩遊戲? 吃豐富的午餐? 還是得了些禮物嗎?

我想是因我們的吃苦，對那些新信主的父母猶其是印象深刻。當林牧師在告別晚會結尾時說到我們离開在美國舒適的家, 午夜時來到里港這個小地方，次日清早便馬不停蹄的, 每天從早忙到晚, 教營會直到現在, 大家聽了都深為感動。

他們知道我們付出金錢和假期來這個小地方, 為了向他們介紹耶穌這位真神。看到我們住在一間老舊的旅舍吃苦, 卻滿有愛心、耐心的教他們的孩子, 更是快樂的相信神。

在去年計劃短宣時, 原本要睡在當地小教會的地板上。 在出發前一個月, 神臨時供應了一間旅舍給我們一群廾人住, 免得我們遭虫咬和水淹, 而能適度的休息, 這都是出於神的美善。 原來有天我正在健身房泡桑納時, 一位素昧平生的女子前來一直要我看她身上因常出差而遭到臭蟲螫的疤, 當時叫我有看得有點尷尬。但她走後, 我擔心起了要在教會的地上睡, 當晚便打電話找林牧師。 他說教堂正要遭水淹進門跌檻了; 可是他說附近並沒有旅館。 於是, 我便上網找鄰縣較遠的旅館, 想不到電腦才一顯示, 便出現了一家本地的旅館, 且鄰近小學, 雖然老舊, 卻可全部包下, 給我們二十人的台宣隊專用。神是信實的, 他叫我們所遇見的試探、無非是人所能受的, 必不叫我們受試探過於所能受的。在受試探的時候、總要給你們開一條出路、叫我們能忍受得住 (林前 10:13)。奇妙的是, 直到今天, 我再也沒有看見那個女子。

今年，我們將住在一家很好的度假旅館裡, 離小學不遠, 足以容納我們三十人的台宣隊, 這又是再次地出於神的美善及憐憫。

在此之前，林牧師為我們安排了兩家旅館, 把我們分成兩隊, 除了住在先前那家老舊旅館外, 又找了一家車程二十分鐘外的旅館。 我擔心沒有合一的團隊精神, 難以打屬靈的爭戰。一晚禱告時, 想到上網找鄰縣較大的的旅館, 好讓全隊住在一起。便進入關鍵詞“高雄旅館”搜尋。 第一個出現的是“高雄農場旅館”, 我從未聽過這個地方, 進入細查後, 才知道是間建在一個龐大果園裡的現代化旅館。雖然它位於別縣，但離我們辨暑假聖經營的小學不遠, 還可搭乘公車往返; 且首次打電話問詢，旅館就給了我很大的折扣, 正好符合了我們的預算。後來, 我把這事告訴林牧師, 他以我們沒有靠關係竟能得到這麼好的价錢, 大為驚奇! 通常, 當我們搜尋互聯網時，豪華或著名的鬧區旅館總是首先顯現，而這家鄉下無名的小旅館卻在那時排上第一; 奇妙的是，我後來再用“高雄旅館”的關鍵詞搜網時, 便再也找不到這個旅館了, 叫我不得不說那是神的供應。

那我們在受什麼苦呀？我們蒙恩, 不但得以信服基督, 並要為他受苦(腓1;29)。神絕不使我們淒慘的, 但是, 耶穌確實要我們為他受苦。他自己則是為了我們的罪承受痛苦, 直到死在十字架上, 我們就從耶穌受難那裡得著了從神福音所賜的救恩。 所以, 如今我們本該為他受苦。

為主受苦可以意味著許多的事：金錢和假期的損失、南台灣盛夏的酷曬、身心的交悴、人際關係的煩惱、同工間的爭執、家人的不和、學生的搗蛋、反基督佛教徒的羞辱、來自弟兄姐妹的漠視、甚至指責和批評等等。

感謝神, 給了我們這個在里港擴建天國的机會。請為我們這次屬靈的爭戰代禱, 叫全体都能警醒的看透將要為主所受的苦及難處。就如保羅曾經交待提摩太的: 照從前指著你的預言, 常存無偽的信心、清潔的心和無虧的良心, 叫你因此可以打那美好的仗(提前1:5, 18-19)。
因著神的恩典, 我們今年的台宣有了兩個敬拜團, 分別由FCBC和CCCFC的領詩, 和八位大學、高中青年人組成, 一起來帶領兩所小學敬拜神。值得一提的是, 加上九名小學生後, 我們的兒女成就了這次短宣的一半團隊。感謝神!

至於今年未能成行的弟兄姐妹們, 您仍然有機會參與這次的台宣，在台灣傳揚神的愛。目前我們還需要籌款$1500, 為兩處營會的250多個孩子供應一週的午餐, 他們其中且多有來自窮困家庭的。您犧牲的奉獻, 便是你為主所受的苦。