Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap, and be faithful even unto death, who will lose their lives for Christ’s, flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously, and be reckless in this service? Where are the men of prayer? Where are the men who count God’s Word of more importance to them than their daily food? Where are the men who, like Moses of old, commune with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend? Where are God’s men in this day of God’s power?
~Howard Guinness
I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you…. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in portions of John 16
Oh beloved, it is true.
Fear, I feel it gnawing at the edge of my heels. But, the beautiful part is where it is biting. What kind of joy is this? To actually not care where one lives, or what one does, as long as it is in accordance with His will; this is true freedom.
“What?,” you say. “What are you talking about, you fool of a writer?”
Just 13 days ago, my wife and I walked into work. This is quite normal for a Monday. But, what was not normal was that we were scheduled to talk to the Head of School at 8:30am – together. And, when we arrived, the Headmaster dropped a bomb on our lives.
She got straight to the point. The regulations surrounding our permit to work in China, were now being enforced in a different way than before. And, all bureaucratic gobbledygook aside, my wife was out of a job. And my job will end at the end of the school year.
Surprised is way too small of a word. We had thought that we were to come to work in China until, perhaps, the end of our race. We were both studying the language. And my Chinese was getting better. I had mastered nearly 600 characters, and felt like I was actually starting to ‘get it’ a little bit. Further, we were doing jobs that mattered, and we were helping to advance His Kingdom, in the Middle Kingdom of 中国。
And, basically, what we are beginning to see, is that this beautiful nation is undergoing a tightening of restrictions on sharing His Great Love, and doors are closing for many in this country. So, it is time to honor the wishes of our host government and bid farewell in June, 2018
Stuck, in so many ways, on the other side of the planet – is a very uncomfortable place to be.
Can we see it?
Jesus already told us that weird stuff is going to happen to people who serve Him. And, in all of this, we have not even been counted worthy of suffering physically, or giving our lives. When we are doing good, when we are following His will – we will encounter resistance.
But, that’s not all. In the midst of the dark, and confusion, and pain about decisions on visas, and work permits and learning impossible languages, He does speak to us. This makes all the difference. His Word is always full of guidance. And, in the stillness of our inner man, His Spirit also speaks and tells us of the next steps.
So, just as surprisingly as us losing our jobs, is the calling He has for us now. He is leading us to move to Arizona and to bring His message of His Great Love to people there in that dry and dusty land.
So again, are you wondering why something just happened? Are you honestly trying to listen to Him and follow His lead? Good. You are probably in just about the right place. Let the bombs go off. He will protect you. And then… be ready to hear His Voice. He will tell you of things to come.
Tonight is your night. Wait. Listen. Obey.
The soul that loves God has its rest in God and in God alone. In all the paths that men walk in in the world, they do not attain peace until they draw nigh to hope in God.
~St. Isaac the Syrian
