Dec 2006

 

Report on Mission Trip To China by MF members

 

We thank the Lord for the most blessed and fruitful mission trip to 3 places in China.

The team from MF had learned much from the trip. 

The observations and lessons learned can be summarized as follows: 

1.       Their Focus is on the Lord 

Their speed and familiarity with the OT and NT and their ability to recite numerous Bible verses from memory is one of the important spiritual disciplines and asset of being fervent and zealous for the Lord and His work.

They spend more than 2 hrs daily in Bible reading and group prayers, excluding personal devotional time. Their spontaneous and loud amen to the prayers is an expression of their faith and trust in the Lord. Their anguish and tears in praying for the unsaved put us to shame. They had demonstrated their love for their love ones by pleading and imploring for their salvation with the Lord. We just go through the motion of praying while they agonize with passion and tears! No wonder the Lord hears their fervent and effectual prayers and prosper their work.  

We must emulate them in reading the Bible at least 5 chapters a day, if not 20 as they do and be more on our knees in prayer. 

Similarly we are reminded to spend more time in our devotion, prayer and supplication for ourselves, for each other and for the Lord’s work. May we learn from them and pray for our love ones with the same passion and love. 

Even the workers in one factory, spent their lunch hour fruitfully on spiritual matters. Despite their short one hour lunch break, they took their meal within 15 minutes and spent the rest of the time in singing hymns, devotions and/or listening to messages by God’s servant.   

Do we spend our time wisely on spiritual matters or do we waste away our time on window shopping, gossiping, reading newspapers or magazines during our lunch break?  

May the Lord move us to redeem the time by reading His Word and in doing His work. 

2.       Towards Fellow Brethren 

They would readily share what they have with others, for example, when they receive a present even a small gift of chocolate, they would share among themselves with each just having a tiny bit.  

The church leaders are always ready and on the go to counsel, admonish, exhort the church members via visitation. This is carried out despite the fact that besides Sunday service, there are nightly meetings and/or worship services conducted throughout the week due to lack of space for big gatherings, even the Lord’s Supper in one of the churches is conducted over three nights in that week as there is not enough space to house thousands of members. 

Their hospitality is unparalleled. We were housed comfortably in residence and provided with abundant breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even our transport for the return journey was arranged and paid for. 

When we stopped over in one city, the local church leader accompanied us, paying for the entrance ticket to a scenic spot and bought us lunch while he himself was fasting that day. It must have cost him quite a bit but he was adamant on hosting us despite his frugality. (We later gave him a love gift to help defray the cost, he accepted only after much persuasion) 

Do we spend on what the Lord had blessed us with on ourselves alone? Do we share His blessings with the less fortunate?  

Do we use the Lord’s blessings for the furtherance of His work?  

We should learn to treat each other as brethren and accept each other without any reservation and condition like they do. 

3.       The Love of the Lord is Very Evident 

Many who came to the worship service would want to sit in the front row instead of at the back. Hymns were sung with great sincerity and almost all songs are learned by heart and sung spontaneously. Their singing would melt even the most hardened heart and many times brought us to tears. The almost complete silence during the service is a contrast to their normally loud voice. 

They are always eager to learn and took notes during the service. 

The Lord has blessed the Churches there not only in spiritual growth but also in numbers. Members multiplying many times over in a short number of years are common scenes. In some villages, almost all families are Christians.  

Missionaries are sent to many parts and provinces of the country. Most missionaries are tentmakers, without regular income. The mother church only gives a token love gift in a year to each missionary, which is not even enough for transport. They never speak of their financial need nor solicit funds from outside. 

Under difficult and sometimes very harsh conditions, they had to rely by faith on the Lord to provide, sustain and to protect them. Labouring on despite the hardship, they demonstrated their genuine love for the Lord by their deeds, not just in mere words. The Lord honoured their faith, love and labour by increasing their numbers and the mission stations and sending a great revival to China. 

Is the love of the Lord evident in our lives? Do we feel the joy in going to Church and when listening to His Word? Are we a good testimony for the Lord? 

Do we love our neighbours? How much do we care about the “Great Commission” given by our Lord? How often have we shared the Gospel message? Have we brought anyone into the Lord’s kingdom? 

May the Lord forgive us of our luke-warmness on spiritual matters and the lack of zeal in spreading the Gospel message.  

May the Lord be pleased to use us for the furtherance of His work while He tarries. 

4.       Demonstration of Simple Childlike Faith 

Many of the early leaders were not educated nor properly trained for the ministry. They simply rely on reading the Bible for their knowledge and went about teaching and exhorting whatever they know! Their limited understanding and knowledge did not hamper them in the Lord’s work. 

Relying by faith and the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct them, they delivered God’s Word for up to six hours in the early seventies. No service or meeting is shorter than four hours then, even now, messages alone last about two hours!  

By faith, they trusted the Lord to provide and protect them as members were too poor to provide for them. Venturing into the field without support or proper training, they had only the zeal and simple faith to see them through, not knowing what tomorrow will bring or when their next meal will be. The Lord protected them and strengthened their faith through all these difficulties and persecutions.  

What about us? Do we trust the Lord to lead, guide and to provide? Or do we insist on knowing what to expect or that we know and can control the situation before we do anything for the Lord? 

Do we rely on our wisdom or trust the Lord in faith? Has our knowledge, instead of encouraging us, hampered us in serving the Lord? 

May we have the simple childlike faith to go forward and serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Prayer request: 

Please pray for the Lord’s servants and His people in China for: 

1.                  Safety and protection for the Lord’s servants as they serve Him faithfully in China.

2.                  The Holy Spirit to move and guide them in all they do that God be honoured and glorified.

3.                  Daily provision and needs so that they can continue to serve Him without distraction.

4.                  More labourers into the field as it is vast and harvest is plenteous and labourers are few.

5.                  That they be cohesive and not be troubled by personal or denominational strife.

6.                  Protection from infiltration by the Cults into the local Churches, as many do not have full time pastors or preachers.

7.                  Their beliefs – that they remain conservative and fundamental and not turn charismatic.

8.                  Spiritual health of the leaders that they be not distracted or taken away by riches as the country develops and wealth increases.

9.                  Good teaching material and staff to train the missionaries and would-be leaders so that the Lord’s servants can be properly equipped. 

Report prepared by the mission team