Count With Me: 1,2, 3...60

Last Sunday, I learnt a heartbreaking lesson about poverty in my beloved "Perspective" class. That was so powerful, so intriguing, causing long lasting impact.

But the unpleasant reality about poverty began last Saturday, when I was reading the related article "State of World Need" (from World Relief).

Count these:

• "Industrialized countries comprise only 20% of the world's population but consume 80% of the food resources..."
• "In the United States, we spend $30 to $50 billion every year on diets & related expenses to reduce calorie intake...Many North Americans literally eat themselves to death."

I was sick when I read:

• "For nearly two out of every three people today, hunger is not merely an occasional pang felt before lunchtime. It's a lifestyle."
• "Malnutrition is the underlying cause of more than half of the deaths of children under five..."

I almost dropped my tear when I read:

• "Over 30,000 children die every day of hunger and preventable diseases..."

I was pondering the meaning, the faces, tragedies behind these figures. I was sad. Then came the voice of mom talking to 3 little boys: Caleb, Joshua & Issac (my friend's son). It was lunch time. Mom put forth fried noodles to the table, while they responded, "Aga...in!" I jumped up from my study & talked to them. How could I let them know they are so blessed? How could I help them appreciate life? How could I let them know the tragic reality of poverty in the other side of the world?

I told them 30,000 children die every day out of hunger. But the figure means so little to you as well as to the kids until a different perpective is introduced. So I asked them to count with me from 1-60. And they counted with me. I invite you to join us the counting now, ready:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,

11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,

21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,

31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,

41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,

51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60.

24 children just died. For every 60 seconds. Because of hunger.

The kids were silent. And started eating their lunch. How about you? The world will not be a better place. People lives will not be changed. Broken lives will not be healed and helped, if Christians only remain in just counting our blessings.

God bless us, the true sons of Abraham, for a purpose. We are blessed so that we could be blessings to the world. From now on, use a new formula to count. Do not just count your blessings. Rather count the blessings through you to the lost & broken lives! Now how many had you counted?

May you be blessed abundantly that you can bless the world around with all your might! Remember when you count from 1 to 60, there are 24 kids like your lovely kids were taken away from the arms of their parent because of death, dead of hunger, dead of indifference & apathy. May God forgive our indifference, our selfishness & our apathy.

Pray for me. I will be making an important decision concerning our future church planting. I'll take a personal retreat from Tuesday to Thursday for prayers and reflections.

It's a beauty.

Today, 8 years ago, my first son was given to us. I'll never forget that day April 19. He's our beauty. Always.

I'll always remember the next day, April 20. My seminary graduation day. My seat was empty. A beauty not obvious to many.

That evening in April 19. We had to decide a "Go" for Cesarian section, cause my son didn't want to show up long after due date. That was a crazy night. But God's there. Caleb was "giant baby" as the doctor described. 8.lb.5. That night I had made another decision. Never regret. After 3 years of hard working, numerous cups of coffee, overnights, hundreds of thousands of pages for reading...I chose not to show up the next day for graduation ceremony. I chose to stay with Aden who suffered a deep cut. I chose to stay...even though April 20 was another big day. Empty seat. Self-giving. Like Jesus.

Did a no show in the ceremony make me less a servant of God? Or should I be made more qualified to serve by a formality, a ceremony, an ordination...only? That decision put me, equip me, in the right direction to be a better servant of God. That is self-giving. Self-sacrifice. For the sakes of others. That is basic. That is "love others" of the Great commandment. Empty seat. A beauty.

Following Jesus for the sakes of others. Isn't it the Loving God & the Loving Others? Now say 200 fellow Christians chose to make a difference. Not meeting in a church buildings. They split into 10 simple churches. 4 meet in houses. 3 meet in campus. 2 meet in Starbucks or restaurants. 1 meets in office or factory. They chose deliberately doing this. Not for them. But for others. That $15000 rent saved. Can make a huge difference for say 57 orphanages in Africa, i.e. in 570 fatherless & motherless lives. This is following Jesus for the sakes of others. This is love. Self-sacrifice. Not just word but with deeds. This is a beauty.

This is the future church: "Within the next ten to fifteen years, I believe these new house church networks will dot the landscape of North America just as they already do in other nations of the world. Places like China, Central Asia, Latin America, India, and Cambodia have experienced tremendous growth through house churches and disciple and empower each member to be 'be the church'"(Larry Kreider).

Above all, it is ancient. It is what we did in the very beginning since churches began:

• Church in the house of Mary (Acts 12:12)
• Church in the house of Priscilla & Aquila (Romans16:3-5)
• Church in the house of Nympha (Col.4:15)
• Church in the house of Archippus (Philemon 2)....Lots more

What counts most is its simplicity & intentional focus on the essential things. Making disciples of all nations. Following Jesus. Loving God to the point that we love what He loves: the world (John 3:16). House / Simple churches are not for all. Sorry to say that. It is for those who are hungry for more. Believing there is more out there from Jesus, for Jesus. It is for those who want to do the simple things. Do the important things. Besides that, period.

Want to write more...but I have to hurry back to Caleb's birthday. I've bought a cake.

What Matters Most?

Yesterday I had a very meaningful lunch with a pastor. He is a God's servant with integrity and leadership. God bless their church & they grow to about 200 people in 3-4 years. But they are now struggling if to recruit one more full-time pastor. Every month they use up $15,000 for renting. Their budget is too tight to recruit another pastor, though there's a need. What's more important? A church building. Or building people. All of us can reply with no doubt. Of course building people is more important & it's biblical. But in reality, our concern & our investment is reflected in our budget and spending.

In general, churches in N. America use up about 64 % of its budget in staffing ( Take it easy, Chinese churches are less generous!!!), & another 30 % for building(but we are higher on this)! This is truth! Ask any church. So it leaves less than 10% for ministry local & aboard. Richard Stearns, CEO of World Vision, said, "we find that just about 2% of it goes to overseas missions of any kind, whether evangelistic or to assist the poor."

What if we do not need a church building, rented or mortgaged? For my friend's church, the rent is $15,000/mth supported by 200 Christians. For operating an Christian orphanage in Madagascar (Africa Island country), it takes far less than $1500/mth to care for 57 African orphans. It is 10% of my friend's church rent.

What if these 200 Christians don't care where to worship God? What if they split into 10 groups of 20 people...4 groups meet in houses & apartments, 3 groups meet in school campuses, 2 groups meet in Starbucks or restaurant, and 1 group meet in office or factory? Then each group will save $1500 from rent. With this $1500, each (house/simple) church can adopt a whole orphanage like this one. Each church can make a huge difference in the lives of these 57 kids, who are fatherless & motherless!!! So the $15000 that should have been spent in renting will be impacting not 57, but 570 ( 57X10). 570 flesh & blood, with soul & spirit, human being. They will know Jesus there. Being taken care of. Discipled. Have future. Believe there still a Father in Heaven loving them so much & so real. This can be achieved easily through an incarnational & missional Body of Christ - house or simple church.

Does meeting in house, campus...not church building make us less Christian, less loved by God or love God less? No. Not a bit. It could even make us a better follower of Jesus. The types that preach the Cross & bear the Cross & marked by Cross. I'll show you later.

Building doesn't matter much to God. Building people does. Why it matter to us? Why are we not broken with the things that break God's heart? Let's matter what matters to Him.

You probably heard this. But it still speaks. "An old man was on the beach. He kept bending & picking up a starfish & throw back to the sea. Because of the retreating tide, thousands of starfish were left in the sand. They would die of dehydration very soon. This old man bent, picked & threw. Each at a time. A young man noticed him. He thought that was foolish 'cause they were countless in the sand. So he challenged the old man, "this beach goes on hundreds of miles & thousands of starfish washed up every day. Surely you don't think what you do is going to matter?!" The old man picked up another one while replying. "It matters to this one."

Look at the faces of the picture. The orphans from Madagascar. It matters to them! It matters to God! It should matter to us! Go Go, Go MAD( Go Make A Difference).

Pray that we shall be always challenged by God to think out of the box. Pray that we dare to express our love to God & to people creatively.

Row or Throw if Jesus SOS?

I am in the boat. Jesus is no more walking on the water. Jesus SOS. Stands On Shore. Out of nothing, you discover "It's the Lord!" What'll you choose: Row or Throw?

I am so much touched by John 21. Yes. This episode as well.

The dawn was misty, foggy. Not much we could see. Jesus appeared. He's always there. He loves to be with us. But we, not knowing, not awaring. Eyes always fail us when comes to spiritual moments... the Jesus moments. But love fails not. Not with intimacy. Not with the life shared by the shepherd and its sheep. Somehow, someone knows "it's the Lord." It's like a light or a gleam out of the darkness. It's like a lightning. It's shocking. Then the bursting of joy. "Oooh...it's the Lord!!!" When is your last Jesus moment? Just too preoccupied to discover him. What if Jesus SOS? What if now you know "it's the Lord?" What do you do now if your Jesus moment comes? This counts most.

Some people chose to row the boat. But some just can't wait. Put on the jacket & throw himself right away into the sea. "I want to see you Lord. I want to see you now now now now now now. Miss you Lord." Water is nothing, the depth nothing, distance nothing. Not even its coldness. "Here I dive. Here I throw myself. With the jacket, I come slow. But excuse me Lord, I can't wait to be with you! " Some call this rash. Some think it's stupid. I call it Passion. The passion for Christ. No need for second thought. It's there. It's in the blood. It's in the DNA. Peter chose to throw! And you?

The same Jesus. same cross. same love. Some choose wait and row. Some choose throw & now.

"One day ev'ry tongue will confess You are God

One day ev'ry knee will bow

Still the greatest treasure remains for those,

Who gladly choose you Now..." ( Come Now Is The Time To Worship - Brian Doerksen)

Jesus I choose you Now. I can't wait till heaven. Yes. my body no more 20. My troubles and doubts not less than a ton. Yet. There is no excuse for not throwing all I have and who I am in the sea, right here, right now. I swim and swim with joy with hope... to see you SOS.

I pray that all of you choose Jesus now. And don't wait. I pray that all of you will throw & go crazy for Jesus. He's worthy of our every single passion & all our love.

Do pray for our unceasing passion & faithfulness to fulfill His calling for me. We are up. We are down. We are WOW. Your prayers are precious!

Could you pray for us?

I am stepping out of my boat. And I'll be walking on water. I am not doing this for fun, for adventure, or for any personal ambitions. I am walking my way towards Jesus. The one who called me out & on. I will be doing somethings totally new to me. "Big" it may sound. But I prefer "global" And Aden & I are called by God to see these come true:

• Church Planting Movement: simple/organic/house churches networks
• They are missionary & reproducing communities
• Radical discipleships
• Taking care of the poor, local & global

Hudson Taylor once said: The works of God have certain formula. First it seems "Impossible" Then it becomes "Very Difficult" Lastly it is "Accomplished." What facing us is very impossible if without His hands. Pray for us that we have strength, courage & His guidance!