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.