Life Lessons
Praise God for the Pastor Couples’ Camp last week. Pastors from Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Malaysia and Hong Kong participated. Evidently, it is His Will to plant Trees of Life everywhere, through the revival of the pastor couples’ relationships.
A glorious Church revival begins with a glorious nurturing of the pastor couples’ relationships. The various difficulties that the pastor couples were facing were difficult to counsel. Despite this, we were fully aware that assisting the senior pastor couple’s marriage is in fact assisting their church. It was also auspicious that we were able to welcome three local pastor couples! Indeed, we are looking forward to taking in more participants from Hong Kong, so as to bless Hong Kong churches.
“Relationship before ministry” is one of the Core Values of 611. Many pastors and leaders have visited us, hoping to find the “secret” of church revival. Yet every time, I sincerely tell them that we know of no secrets: our flourishing ministries are simply the fruits of our life. The real key to revival is to lay aside our own ways, and to boldly embrace the couple’s relationship. Then, all problems shall readily be solved.
Next week, we shall again receive an in-depth visit from a pastor delegation. From previous experiences, our visitors came with great passion, and came away brightly inspired. However, not many were able to discover and put into practice this essence of “relationship before ministry.” It is because we do not teach them the way to grow ministries: instead we teach them how to be a pastor (or a pastor’s wife) well, and how to build team relationships (especially the couple’s relationship etc.) These are all life issues: how to live out God’s truth and His Kindness. “Ministry success Formulas” we have not: rather, with an open heart, we genuinely and honestly share the work of God in our lives with others. Hopefully, this upcoming in-depth visit of pastor delegation and “Expository Preaching Camp” will continue to enable pastors to partner with God in building His church.
Life lessons are never easy to take, but they are indispensable. I am thankful that as I turn 64, my life continues to experience breakthrough – this time, through this pastor couples’ camp. During the “Covenant- Making” session at the camp, before everyone, I confessed my weaknesses as a husband and pleaded deeply for C-Mo’s forgiveness. Due to feelings of inferiority and self-pity, I have been unknowingly passive-aggressive toward my wife – only in recent years have I experienced breakthrough in this area.
Dear brothers and sisters, we thank God because even when we are weak, He still uses us and builds up the church as a Tree of Life through us. I made a birthday wish to God on my 64th birthday: From this year forth, every birthday, I shall thank Him greatly. He created myself, C-Mo, our co-workers, our cell leaders, our church – He created the whole world, and He never stops supporting and using us.
“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:2) It is true that only by God’s Grace, we may be devoted to serving Him. May the Lord continue to use us mightily. • [2018.11.04]