Asleep in the Light - Keith Green

Asleep in the Light - by Keith Green

Do you see, do you see
All the people sinking down
Don't you care, don't you care
Are you gonna let them drown

How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done

"Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord"
You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts
No one even sheds one tear

But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds
And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back
And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?

Cause He brings people to you door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
"God bless you, be at peace"
And all heaven just weeps
Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets

Open up open up
And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries
So how can you delay

God's calling and you're the one
But like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak
But you keep holding it in,
Oh can't you see it's such a sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark
That the church just can't fight
Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead
When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave
And you, you can't even get out of bed

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead
Come on, get out of your bed

How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done

Don't close your eyes
Don't pretend the jobs done
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love.

Favourite Songs (Current)

No particular order

Be lifted high - Leeland
In Christ Alone - Newsboys
With all I am - Hillsong
Shine Jesus Shine
At the cross - Hillsong
None but Jesus - Hillsong
Hosanna - Hillsong
Never let God - Matt Redmen
Consuming Fire - Tim Hughes
Beauty of Your Peace - Tim Hughes
Facedown - Matt Redmen
Tears of the Saints - Leeland
Lord Have Mercy - Michael W. Smith
Majesty - Delirious?
You Said - Urbana Praise Team
Beautiful Sound - Newsboys
Here I am to Worship - Tim Hughes
He's Walking Her Home - Newsboys
Amazed - ATF
The Father's Song - Matt Redmen
The Friendship and the Fear- Matt Redmen
Somewhere in the Middle - Casting Crowns
Love them like Jesus - Casting Crowns

Day 83-84 - March 29th and 30th

On Saturday morning I worked on a paper. In the afternoon Mike, Gen and I went out with Kevin. We went to a village community in the northern end of Beijing. It sells cheap silver jewelry. After that we went over to a cell-phone store where Mike and Gen bought some stuff. In the evening we had dinner with Kevin and Wei Wei. Kevin's mom and dad are very friendly and hospitable.

On Sunday morning I helped out a friend from fellowship with a teen boys bible study. It went pretty well. We had fifteen guys who for the most part were in grades nine and ten. Once we were done, I headed off with Billy to the English celebration service. Because we got our seats early we were assigned to be ushers for the offering. The sermon was based on the story of Esther and titled "Influence your world for God." The four points were 1) Using your ethnicity for God 2) Be mentored by others to the glory of God 3) Use your gender to the glory of God 4) Sacrifice it all for the glory of God. Sorry, but I don't really have time to comment on each point. However, I will say that I never realized the importance of Mordecai; especially his wisdom, encouragement and obedience.

In the afternoon I attended a seminar called S.H.A.P.E or spiritual gifts + heart + ability + personality + experience. It was mainly geared for those who are staying in BICF for a while but nevertheless, it was helpful. As BICF prepares for the Olympics the need for volunteers has increased greatly. BICF is already huge and is expected to at least double during the Olympics. What an opportunity!

Day 80-82 - March 26th to 28th

Wednesday - The three of us stayed over at Carmen's house last night. It seemed make more sense since we had to be up at the school early in the morning. This morning we reviewed Tuesdays' English lesson with the students. Carmen had to leave early so we didn't really do a lot of teaching in the afternoon. Instead we did a whole lot of laughing and playing games. When I got home I was feeling pretty tired. Mike and I slept for an hour or so before we went over to see our friends.

Thursday - Yesterday I pretty much did homework all day. In the evening I went out to BICF. It was the one year anniversary so they had a little party.

Friday - Today Mike and I went to the gym in the morning. In the afternoon we had Mandarin class. The semester is going by so quickly. We only have a few Mandarin classes left. After class we went to the market to do some shopping for dinner. In the evening I did a little homework before relaxing for the rest of the evening.

Day 79 - March 25th

Today we got up bright and early! Once again we travelled to teach English. We were there the whole day in left sometime shortly after dinner. This experience has been quite amazing. Today we had an opportunity to share with our friends and learn about their lives. One story in particular stands out. Ruth, a dear sister shared about her experience with Hannah on a short-term mission trip. They stayed in a remote, poor and cold village. The hosts gave them the best they had. They slept in a mud hut and share a small blanket. Ruth shared how cold they were during that time and how emotional it was. All they could do was cuddle and cry together. But during this time God gave Hannah a beautiful song that I really want to learn. This is just a snipet of the time of sharing and learning.

A brother named Will also has encouraged and challenged me. Will is a slow learner and doesn't really thrive in school. But Will is a prayer warrior. Seriously, I have never seen someone so engaged in communion with God. Every day when we are at the school, Will sits on his bed praying. When we are out talking or playing games we know where to find Will - on his knees. Wow!We are so blessed! I have so much to learn about true discipleship. I have so much to learn from these dear brothers and sisters.

Day 76-78 - March 22nd - 24th

The last couple of days have been pretty eventful. On Saturday I worked on my homework in the morning. In the afternoon the three of us went out with Tom and Grace. We took the bus and subway over to the center of the city. In the afternoon we biked around and through the old villages which are known as hutongs. It cost about 10 kuai to rent a bike for the afternoon. That probably somewhat explains why I had to go back and get a new bike - my pedal fell off! Biking in the little alleyways was pretty eventful. We always had to be aware of our surroundings as dogs, wagons and people ducked and dodged through the narrow streets. After our biking adventure we headed over to Wong Fu Jing where we grabbed dinner in an underground street market.

On Sunday we walked over to BICF for the nine thirty service. For some reason I couldn't really focus during the service. Tom and I had a pretty intense theological discussion and I was caught up thinking about it during the service. After the service I looked around at some wonderful art. BICF was hosting the largest Christian local art gallery. Some of the paintings (or rather most of them) were fantastic! Once we were back from BICF we spent most of our time relaxing. On Sundary afternoon we did have an unexpected visitor to our flat. A man with a badge was looking and inquiry into our stay. An interesting experience none-the-less.

On Monday I headed over to the gym at 9am. Once I got back I worked on my Mandarin while getting caught up with my emails. We had to head over to the school a little earlier because Carmen wanted to have a meeting with us and plan out our schedule for the rest of our stay. After class we came back to the flat and cooked dinner. I needed to find a quiet place to study so I headed over to KFC where I prepared my outline for a paper. Before heading home I stopped by to see my friends from hot pot. Once again there were many moments of confusion but also great laughter. At one point the manager asked me a question about the resurrection. I couldn't make out what she was saying. It was a close call when a guy sitting by told me he spoke English. He asked if I needed him to translate but I assured him that everything was ok. Shortly after I headed back to the flat. On my way up the elevator I ran into an overly curious man. Please keep us in your prayers. The manager of the hotpot had given me a piece of paper with some Chinese on it. Once I found it that she was talking about the resurrection I was again overwhelmed with excitment and thanks. I got in touch with Mike (who was at the gym with Tom) and told him that the manager was trying to ask me a question about the resurrection. We ended up heading back over to see them. The store was closing so we ended up walking with our friends back towards our home. On the way home, the manager was talking to Mike about the resurrection. She has been reading the book of John and she is confused and has a lot of questions. She said she mentioned the stories of John to her boyfriend but he insisted that it is just some other fairytale. Please pray for Yi Bo boyfriend too. With that being said, we ended up going out for tea with the manager and the cashier. We talked for about an hour or so. Up until tonight, the cashier had no idea about the gospel. Pray for our friends. When I called Tom and Grace to tell them what we were doing Tom seemed a little concerned. But after sharing and talking with him back at the flat he was so encouraged and excited. Early in the day Tom had met a lady of faith at a clothing shop where he had the opportunity to talk with her for a half-hour or so. Tom also shared a story about his friend, who had encouraged a man who worked at a massage parlor to share his faith with the other workers. Today the whole massage parlor believe in my Father and are seeking to share and tell about this truth. These stories are truly amazing. I am so thankful to be part of the journey. Another day in Him

What if it's true?

Hans Urs von Balthasar once said, "If one does away with the fact of the Resurrection, one also does away with the Cross, for both stand and fall together, and one would then have to find a new center for the whole message of the gospel."

Since its Easter Sunday, I would like to briefly comment on the resurrection. There are no if's ands or buts - The Christian faith lives and dies by the resurrection. The apostle Paul described this reality in 1 Corinthians 15:14 where he said, "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."

But what if the claims about the resurrection are true? What if Jesus really is the resurrection and the life?

I should say that while there is credible evidence for the resurrection one cannot undermine the need for faith. We cannot come to faith in Jesus Christ through or by any human effort. Salvation is the gracious invitation of God. Here are a few points that add credibility for the resurrection.

The Eye witnesses - The amount of witnesses chronicling the resurrection are great and numerous. If a court room were filled with this many witnesses the judge would not be able to merely throw out a well established claim.

The Empty Tomb - Historical Jewish and Roman records speak about the empty tomb. But what really happened some 2000 years ago. Jesus was wrapped in linen that was weighed down with about 100 lbs of spices. A large stone that weighed about 2 tons or 4000lbs was placed in front of the entrance. Moreover, a trained Roman soldier stood guarding the tomb. The Roman seal would have acted as a deterrent for anyone thinking of defrauding the buried body. If someone did such a thing they would be subject to the wrath of the Roman law - meaning being crucified while hanging upside down. Secondly, the early followers of Jesus preached the resurrection in the most unthinkable city of Jerusalem. Paul Althaus states that the resurrection "could have not been maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour, if the emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned." Thirdly, why would the Roman guard vanish and disappear? He would automatically be subject to death under Roman law. Fourthly, how can one describe the unaltered and unmoved grave clothes which lay in the empty tomb? Some suggest that we have identified the wrong tomb. But really, would the Roman army (who was asked to guard the tomb) have been mistaken about the location? It can neither be considered geographically inaccurate because the Jewish authorities would have immediately replaced or come up with a body. Another suggestion has been that the body was stolen. The disciples were scared and were in no position to risk death under Roman law. Equally, one cannot say that Jewish and Roman authorities moved Jesus body. As Josh McDowell explains saying, "If the authorities had the body in their possession or knew where it was, why, when the disciples were preaching the resurrection in Jerusalem, didn't they explain: "Wait! We moved the body, see, He didn't rise from the grave"?

The Embarrassment Factor - Why would the disciples preach a embarrassing message - one that would lead to endless persecution and for some death. Why would they lie. As someone once said, "Lies don't make a martyr." Lies die out. If it weren't true, John would have been back fishing, Matthew would have been back collecting taxes, and so on and so on.

The gospel records are brutally honest. They convey emotions of doubt, fear and joy. Why would the gospels write against cultural norms and address doubt if they were trying to convey anything but the truth. For example, the testimony of a women would have been seen as non-sense or insignificant. Yet, the first persons to encounter the risen Christ were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Mary. The Bible also doesn't seek to cover up the fact that initially some of the followers doubted this "absurd claim." But Thomas one of the twelve was truly taken back when Jesus appeared to him saying, "Put your fingers here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side." Thomas response was simple, "My Lord and my God!"

Day 75 - March 21st

Today it was somewhat of a gloomy and rainy day - pretty fitting when you think about it. Mike and I went to the gym in the morning. I didn't get to finish my workout because the electric breaker that powers the treadmill blew up. Right when I got back from the gym I got a call from Carmen. We kind of have a bit of a different schedule for the rest of our time. Instead of teaching English on Tuesday and Thursday we will now spend two full days with our students on Tuesday and Wednesday. With that being said, we will only have Mandarin class on Monday's and Friday. I think because it was good Friday we didn't have class today. As a result, I spent the afternoon working and reading for my other classes. Mike and I also visited our friends from hot pot in the late afternoon. We had a really amazing home cooked meal - thai green curry. The only downfall was that we were a bit rushed for the good Friday service at 7:30. We ended up taking a taxi to the service. Because it was rush hour it still took us fifteen minutes. Nevertheless, the service was special. We took communion together and sang some songs. I was tearfully moved by the Passion of Christ video and the music that played along with it. After the service we walked back home. Mike and I stopped off again to see our friends from hot pot. Although I was pretty full, they really wanted to treat us to some homemade dumplings. I don't know why but I was pretty clumsy and dropped two of them. Hey I am using chopsticks right. Until next time,
Jon

Day 74 - March 20th

This morning we traveled back up to the school. Unlike most mornings, today we shared our testimonies, sang and played games. I tried to share my story in Mandarin. Pretty amusing. It truly is amazing how God has brought people from all over the world into His family no matter their race, gender or social status.

All the stories were great but one particularly stood out. Here is a brief overview of Kathy's story. Kathy grew up with both her father and mother. Her father was always away working and making good money for the entire family. After awhile Kathy's father stopped sending money home to support his family. One day Kathy's parents got into an ugly argument. Out of these difficulties, Kathy's parents abandoned the children. For a long time, Kathy was overwhelmed with looking after her family. She was angry at her parents. She wanted to end her life. She hated her past, her family - her sin. One day a friend from stopped by and invited Kathy to church. The rest is history, praise God! Today Kathy prays that both of her parents will come to know Jesus. Will you to pray for Kathy and her family.

These students or rather brother and sisters are my age. They have no formal education let alone theological education. They lack the status and prestige and they carry little with them. But one thing I cannot deny is their overwhelming joy and trust in our Maker.

This evening we headed back for another time of fellowship at BICF. For the past few weeks a wonderful couple from South Carolina has been speaking on relationships. Today we broke into gender specific groups and talked about purity and living a life worthy of the calling. Our time of fellowship ended with worship. What a wonderful time it was.

Before we went to bed, we had a miniature like Maundy Thursday service. Tom, a pastor from British Columbia suggested that we celebrate the Lord's Supper together. Gen and Grace were sleeping so the three of us celebrated this sacred meal. We didn't have any wine or grape juice but I am sure the good Lord doesn't mind that we used orange juice. It was a special! We read and reflected on Scripture from Luke 22-23 before praying together.

Cost of Discipleship

The last week of so I have been really challenged and stretched. The gospel message really is hard to believe. Jesus didn't promise wealth and health but an abundant life in serving and abiding in Him. The Bible is not some self-help book but a song of His faithfulness and gracious invitation. The gospel is not built on hyper-grace and limitless forgiveness and bliss. It's built on the bedrock of death to self.

Here in Beijing it is Good Friday. Today we remember our sin, the very sin that put our Redeemer on the cross. Today we find hope in our sufferings and pain because we have a great high priest who sympathizes with us. We know the ending or rather the climatic moment. We know or rather ought to know that sin has truly lost its grip on us. While we once lived in shame we now live under grace.

To many who read this, the gospel message seems simple. But the reality is that the gospel message is totally hard to believe. In fact without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit it is impossible to believe.

I pray that this Easter holiday God will touch, convict and minister to you in new and marvelous ways.

Day 71-73 - March 17th- 19th

On Monday I went to the gym in the morning with Myke before working on my Mandarin. From class we went over to the market to buy food for dinner. Tom and I cooked a curry-like dish. After dinner I relaxed and did some reading for one of my classes.

On Tuesday morning we headed back to the school to teach English. I really feel so blessed to have this opportunity. These twenty or so young people have sacrificed so much for His mission - not to mention their families and churches. Each Tuesday we spend a full day with them teaching English. After an hour or so, we usually split off into smaller groups. I love my small group! I was greatly moved by our time of prayer. My friends have little education, little money and little status but they carry an incredible joy and trust in Christ. On Tuesday evening the three of us went out for dinner with Tom and Grace. I spent a good part of the evening reading for one of my courses.

Yesterday morning I got up early and went over to the gym. Mike was busy and couldn't join men. I spent the rest of the morning studying Mandarin. After that Mike, Gen and I went out for lunch at a restaurant near our school called Kung Fu. After class we came home and cooked dinner. For the rest of the evening I continued to read for one of my courses. The book is over 600 pages but thankfully I should be done in the next couple of days.

Blessings

Day 69/70 - March 15th and 16th

Yesterday I finished my reading summaries for my course in Eastern Religions. I also did a bit of reading for my other courses. Mike and I met up at hotpot and talked with our friends for an hour or so. Once we were back at the flat Grace and Tom hinted that they wanted to try hot pot. So once again we headed back to see our friends. The last couple of days I have been feeling discouraged with my Mandarin. Tonight I was encouraged by the managers kind words. She said that she appreciated my sincerity and admired my hard work. I don't say this to toot my own horn, but to return praise and thanks to God who is the author of all good gifts.

This morning I headed over to BICF. I was hoping to help out one of my friends from Thursday fellowship but I couldn't find him. Next week I hope to assist him with the teenage guy fellowship group. I met up with Grace, Tom, Mike and Gen at the Mandarin/English service. Today was Palm Sunday! We had a guest speaker from Texas who spoke on prayer in a message titled "The kind of prayer that get's heavens attention!" It was good. After the service I headed back to the apartment and had lunch before lying down for an hour or so. Once Gen and her friend returned home from the second service all of us headed off to see the Forbidden City. It is truly something spectacular! You really can't understand the magnitude of the Forbidden City unless you see it first hand. I especially enjoyed walking through the Imperial Gardens. There were some unique and ancient trees that were pretty interesting. I am sure that this experience will be etched in my life memory bank for a long time. From the Forbidden City we headed off to the street markets in Wong Fun Jing. I bought some lamb and tried some of Mikes ostrich and deer. The ostrich was really good. I was rallying the guys up to try fried scorpion. We tried it and actually it wasn't bad at all. It tasted kind of like a potato chip. As much as I love the experience of the street market I absolutely hate the smell of stinky tofu. Even many of the local Chinese plug their nose when walking by stinky tofu vendors. After we had dinner at the street market, we browsed around some of the shops. Mike has been feeling kind of sick the last few days and wanted to get going. I really couldn't complain, most of you know how much I love shopping. Back at home I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and getting caught up on emails and things like that. In Him

Praise and Prayer

Praise and Thanks

1) Thank our Father for His wonderful provision in my life.
2) Thank our Father for orchestrating and directing our many relationships
3) Thank our Father for sowing seeds of unity in my hometown
4) Thank our Father for blessing me with great fellowship
5) Thank our Father for the amazing work He is doing in China
6) Thank our Father for giving me the opportunity to serve and work at the factory again this summer
7) Thank our Father for the privilege of education
8) Thank our Father for music and song
9) Praise our Father for the gift of hope
9) Praise our Father for His grace and mercy

Prayer for Requests

1) Pray for our friends from the hot pot restaurant. Pray that God will draw them to Himself through the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray that His glory will fill the whole restaurant as it fills and will fill the whole earth. Pray that we will be wise in our actions and with our words. Pray that we will not neglect the urgency of the gospel message. For His name

2) Pray for BICF as they prepare for the Olympics. Pray that in the coming months China will experienced the mighty power of the Holy Spirit in new and marvelous ways. Pray that our Father will open up doors which will impact and transform China as well as the entire world.

3) Pray for my family and friends who don't yet know or have yet to embrace the gospel message. Pray that our Father will bring faithful witnesses into their lives who will faithfully join in prayer and walk in love. Pray that the prodigal son (daughter) will return home to the Father.

4) Pray for the factory I will be working in again this summer. Pray that our Father will be glorified in incredible and miraculous ways. Pray that I will be persistent and faithful in prayer.

5) Pray that God will open doors for the coming year. Pray that I will know where He wants me to live and what He wants me to be involved in or not involved in.


Some nice quotes on prayer
When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.
~Corrie Ten Boom

Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons; but they are helpless against our prayers. -
~ J. Sidlow Baxter

Day 68 - March 14th

Today I got up around 8:00am. Tom and Grace moved in last night so I spent a bit of the morning helping them get settled in. Mike and I rushed over to the gym for a quick workout. We had to meet Tom, Grace, Carmen, Karma and Grace for lunch at the office. Mike and I got held up a bit at the gym. One of our friends there had gone out to get Mike a cake for his birthday. Quite a nice gesture. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will be able to hang out with them a bit more. At the office I had lunch with the whole group. Mandarin class was a little shorter today. Even still, it is getting a little overwhelming. After class we did some shopping at the nearby market and grocery store. At the grocery store I talked to the manager of the hot pot for a little bit. When I say talk I really mean interact with. Back at the flat, Tom and I made a stir-fry and rice dinner. It was pretty good. After dinner Tom, Mike and I sat around talking for a good hour or so. In the evening I got caught up on my emails and of course my blogging. Tomorrow I have a lot to do. Saturday is really my only day to do school work. In Him

Day 66-67 - March 12th and 13th

On Wednesday Morning I got up early again. Before heading to the gym I studied a bit of Mandarin. Before class Gen and I tried to no avail to get Mike's gift finished. We had made a video for his birthday. I went around to some of our friends and got them to say something brief. Anyways, once we were at the office we were able to finish his gift. Carmen and Grace had got Mike a cake so we had a brief celebration before class. Today's class was pretty long. I wasn't really physically exhausted but more mentally tired. After class Carmen, Karma, Grace and the three of us went out for dinner. The meal was delicious! We had sushi and chicken wings. Once we were back at the flat, I relaxed for a bit before heading out. Wednesday evening we went out with our friends from hot pot to celebrate Mike's birthday karaoke style. It was a fun evening. There were a lot of English songs, even one by Michael W. Smith. I am really going to miss our friends when we leave. Sometimes I get caught up thinking about the goodbyes. From my time in Zambia, I know that this is a hard and emotionally draining time. While I hate it I know that I ought to keep engaging and building relationships. If you are new to my blog I have seem to talk about our friends at hot pot a lot. We call them our hot pot friends because they work at a nearby restaurant. Hot pot itself is a traditional Chinese cuisine where you individually cook and boil various meat and vegetables. Please remember our friends when talking to our Father. He is opening up wonderful opportunities to share and trust Him. By the time we were finished karaoke it was 2am. A late night indeed, especially since we had to be out the apartment at eight in the morning. Almost all day Thursday I was running on built up adrenaline. In the morning, we returned to northern Beijing where we are teaching English. We got back by the early part of the afternoon. Carmen and Grace went to pick up a couple that will be staying with us for the next little while. In light of the soon to be new arrivals, the three of us spent the afternoon thoroughly cleaning up the apartment. I did manage to get a quick nap in before heading over to BICF. Although tired, I once again had a great time! In Him

Day 64-65 - March 10th and 11th

Yesterday the weather was great! I didn't even need to wear a coat. At 9am I went over to work out at the gym. Mike joined me a little later on. I worked on some Mandarin for the rest of the morning before heading over to the office for class. Grace met us a class. She has just gotten back from a research trip in Hong Kong, Philippines and Thailand. We will be sad to see her go this coming Saturday. Actually this week another couple is coming to live with us. After class we headed out for hot pot. Gen didn't come because she was tired and had to finish a paper. The last couple of days or friends have been really tired and overwhelmed with work. It was good to see them smiling a little more. After dinner we did some grocery shopping. In the evening I worked on my Mandarin before getting to bed early.

Today, I woke up at 5:30am. We left the apartment at 7:45am to begin teaching at 9am. Today we spent the full day with our students. They are great and lots of fun. In the morning we sang and reviewed some material. After lunch we broke off into small groups. There are six students in my small group. They are James, Joseph, Will, Ruth, Victoria and Rachael. I really enjoy my group. With that being said, I don't know what I am learning more Mandarin or broken English. By the time we got back at five I was pretty tired. I stopped off briefly to see our friends from hotpot and put the finishing touches on our gift for Mike's birthday tomorrow. After I had a brief nap we all headed our for dinner. I got to be honest the food was pretty bad. After dinner I worked on my summaries for eastern religions. Another day in Him

Day 63 - March 9th

This morning Kevin and Wai Wai joined us at BICF. If you can't remember, they are Mike's friends from back in Canada. For the past couple of weeks it has been harder to access BICF. The communist party has been holding their annual meeting; which if I am correct has been going on for over a couple of weeks. It really only is a challenge to enter and find parking. This morning all of us attended the Mandarin/English service at 9:30am. BICF is now finished the series on Contagious Christianity and has started one on prayer. After the service we surveyed and spoke with people about various service opportunities. BICF has the impact fairs to promote and encourage service in the community of Beijing and around the world. Being in China I have found out more and more just how many opportunities there are to serve. What did Jesus say in Luke 10:2, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Our small group study had finished last week. Since Kevin and Wai Wai were with us we headed out for lunch with them. Kevin and Wai Wai took us to a small restaurant in the north west part of Beijing. It was probably one of the best meals I have had hear in Beijing, and it wasn't expensive. From the restaurant we drove over to the international university. Kevin had hoped to get in and show us around but he didn't have a permit. Instead we stopped off at one of the largest Three-Self churches in Beijing. We walked in and looked around for a bit. We also sat in on ten minutes or so of the service. The church was full and this wasn't even there many service. From the church we headed off to the electronic shop we had been to before with Kevin. We spent a little while looking around. I bought a new battery for my pda and a SIM card. The stuff was still cheap but there is no question that businesses are gradually elevating prices for the Olympics. We ended up getting home around 4:00pm. I pretty much relaxed for the rest of the day.

You know you read the words of Jesus and think "ya that's good and all", but the implications and promises are really quite radical. Matt 16:19 says, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." The message of the gospel is the only key to heaven. Interestingly it doesn't say whatever is bound/loosed in HEAVEN shall have been bound/loosed on earth. It is the other way around. There is a heavenly authority behind our earthly actions. This is crazy stuff! Today I was also thinking a little bit more about the Church. (I have purposely capitalized) Unapologetically, I love the Church! When we the Church pray and ask for God to heal, restore, revive and bless, are we limiting ourself geographically. God is indeed working all over the world and answering prayers from all over the world in and through His sovereign will. Jesus taught us to pray this way in the Lord Prayer. Lots to think about.

Day 59-62 - March 5-8

The past few days have been busy. On Wednesday morning I headed back to the gym with Mike before heading off for my Mandarin class. Mike and Gen didn't go to class so my teacher did a bit of a review. It was helpful. In the evening we had dinner with Carmen at a nearby noodle shop. Because we had to leave early the next day, Carmen stayed over at our apartment.

On Thursday morning the four of left around 8:30am to teach English in northern Beijing. I would love to elaborate more but that will have to wait for another time. Before leaving we were treated to hot pot. It was ok. Once we got back Mike and went to the gym before heading over for young-adult fellowship. Once again I had a wonderful time of fellowship. There were probably about 50 people at BICF. For the next few weeks a couple from South Carolina will be teaching and sharing on relationships.

On Friday morning the three of us had to be up early. The land lord had called the night before and there was some paperwork that needed to be looked after. After it was taken care of Mike and I headed off to the gym. The gym also has a ping pong table. Give me one week and I will be able to beat Mike. I had the Subway special for lunch before heading off to class. After class Mike and went and talked with our friends from hotpot. Again my great Father facilitated a time when we could answer and share. The manager of the hot pot is really thinking and at the same time confused. For our friends, the stress of work and life don't always leave time for meaning centered reflection. I never really thought about it from this perspective. Back at the flat I did a bit of work. Mike and Gen went out for dinner at KFC. I didn't go because I had half a sub left over from lunch. It worked out well. I was able to call and talk with my grandmother. At ten or so Mike and I went off over for a cheap massage.

Today I got up pretty early. In the morning I headed over to see our friends at hot pot/ I have asked them to help me with a gift for Mike's birthday on Wednesday. Unfortunately I didn't get to the gym however, I was able to get some work done.

Day 57-58 - March 3rd and 4th

On Monday morning we headed over to the gym were I listened to a couple podcasts. Surprisingly, I just recently found out about sermon podcasts. Some of my favorites are John Piper, Ravi Zacharias, James MacDonald, John Macarthur and Tony Campolo. Monday night I relaxed and did a bit of studying before heading over to see our friends at hotpot.
Yesterday after Mike and I got back from the gym I worked on one of my papers. It's almost done! For dinner, Mike, Gen and I had hotpot. Back at the flat Mike and I watched a movie before hitting the sack. In Him

Day 55-56 - March 1st and 2nd

These past few days have been interesting. On Saturday morning I worked on my Mandarin for a couple of hours. In the afternoon I read a bit for my courses before we headed off to Carmen's house. It takes a couple of hours to get to her house in the south. Carmen's house is very nice. We had a nice pasta dinner and time of fellowship before staying the night. The next morning we went for a unique time of singing and learning. It was pretty neat to experience. By the time we got back home, the three of us were pretty tired. Mike and I slept for a couple of hours before heading out for dinner and then bubble tea. I also was deeply impacted today by one of John Pipers podcasts titled "[kneel] like this." In Him