so many things to think about...

Jamie and I have some friends who are missionaries in China. They aren’t, of course, there under that pretence, they’re also working as teachers. But it’s been amazing to hear how God has been working through them since they’ve been there. Having said that, I received this letter from Jason yesterday. The following is just part of it.

“To make a long story less long, we stayed really late at our friends house talking about all kinds of things both meaningful and non. As a result, Sara and I left the house near to midnight, and had about a mile to walk to get to our apartment. About half- way home Sara and I saw a man who seemed to be wrestling with a bush. Thinking this didn't seem right, we got a bit closer and saw that he was not wrestling a bush, but strangling a human being with his hands around the persons neck. As I saw that it was a woman he was strangling, I approached the man - yelling at him to let go or be knocked down, to which he responded by backing away from the girl and from me. The girl was in pretty bad shape, but could still get up and stand and walk. After recomposing themselves, both the man and woman explained to me that everything was all right, because this woman was this man's wife... she kept saying.. its OK.. I'm his wife.. its OK... I'm his wife... I had enough Chinese to ask the woman if she would like to walk home with Sarah and myself which she declined, and then I asked if she would like us to walk to her families house, which she declined - because she was OK.. this was her husband, which she said as she was bleeding freely, which I didn't discover until I had reached my own home, and found that my own hands were covered in her blood.

Going home was a sad thing. Being congratulated by Sara on rescuing the woman was a sad thing. Thinking that the real problem that these two were facing was probably not helped was a sad thing. Thinking that as we went to sleep - completely safe and secure, while so many others are not, was a sad thing.

The next morning I had to teach Sunday school, and we are following a small group lesson book, which I don't even look at until two hours before Sunday school on Sunday morning. The topic was our motivation to not sin, when we have a full license and freedom to sin. The scenario fit perfectly. We are dead in sin - if not dead then dying - crushed, strangled and beaten by sin. And Jesus is our rescuer - and he will rescue us from our love of sin EVERY time we ask him. And he will never tire of the rescuing and the love that he is our rescuer... but.... that doesn't mean that it hurts to be the rescuer… bad...There is no glory in the rescue, and there is no satisfaction in the rescue. There is no pride in the rescue and there is no long-term solution to the rescue UNLESS we put our sin behind us - then the rescue has been successful.

That is why we are allowed to sin - but to do so is a smack in the face of our father - and it is a re-punishment to his son. It is so tempting, and sometimes so desirable to use the sin license to enjoy, or make excuses for our un-holiness, and say that 'I'm only human' But to the spirit who made himself human on our behalf and continued to remain in his holiness, I'm quite sure that this excuse extends no sympathy.

So many things to think about... “

Unfortunately, our friends aren’t able to read our blogs because the Chinese government censors anything with references to God, church, etc. Even our emails are typed in code. But we love them dearly and they are in our thoughts often.

What have you done lately?