Hanoi Happenings

Winter in Hanoi means mostly cloudy skies and cool temperatures. The cold feels more severe because most people don't travel by car and many public buildings are not heated. We discovered recently that pre-schools and elementary schools (including the one beside us) are suspended if the temperature is expected to drop below 10 C. It dipped to 8 last week. The equivalent of snow days in Canada and the USA. Smile you cold weather Canadians!
The most common mode of travel in Hanoi (my estimate) is by motor bike, 2nd by bus, 3rd by car, 4th by taxi and 5th by bicycle. Many roads are clogged with traffic as motor bikes and cars become more common. Recently, in an attempt to alleviate the traffic congestion, the city government has banned  all taxi traffic from several major streets during both morning and evening rush hours.
This means for us that our most direct route downtown is not available and that we walk for 2 blocks to catch a taxi rather than our normal 1/2 a block. It means that getting a taxi going in the right direction has become more complicated.
We know that as wealth increases and more cars are purchased, the infra-stucture is being overwhelmed. Something needs to be done. Selfishly, since we always travel by taxi, we hope this one month trial taxi ban is not the permanent solution. However I suppose the extra exercise is good for us. 

QUESTIONS EXPECTING FAITH

I remember one professor, a theologian, who was a master at asking questions. His style was "Socratic". He drove you toward an answer - or to see the faults in our thinking - by asking questions. Jesus in the Gospels asks many probing, thought provoking questions.
In Genesis 18 there are two questions asked, both of which are often quoted by believers. We quote them because our answer to one is a resounding, faith filled, "NO" and to the other a resounding, faith filled "YES". Do you know them both without peeking at the passage? They are brief and we should memorize them for recall when we need to affirm our faith filled answer.
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" the angel of the Lord (some feel this may be the pre-incarnate Christ appearing to Abraham.) Sarah was laughing with disbelief at the promise of a natural born child to a husband and wife about to turn 100 and 90 years old respectively. To her doubting laugh comes this challenging question. Of course the angel of God, knowing and seeing far more than humans know or see, had no doubt that God could do what appeared to be "impossible". And we need to keep affirming a positive answer, especially when facing what appear to be overwhelming challenges or trials.
"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" asks Abraham, as he presumes on God's mercy. He hopes to see God spare Job and family from the coming judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. He is counting on God's wisdom and holiness. A positive response of faith to Abraham's question has become for many, a confident place in which to place the questions we cannot answer. Especially those questions which have to do with suffering and with judgment after death.
We do not know, nor can we understand all the ways of God or all the difficult questions of life, death and life after death. But with millions of believers we affirm: "Nothing is too hard for the Lord!" and "The Judge of all the earth will do right!"Amen? Amen!

SURPRISED BY GOD

We like to understand and control. This is true even when it comes to belief and theology. Yet God is beyond our understanding and He is the only One fully in control! Therefore it is not surprising that He often surprises us. We only see and know a little of all that God is doing in our world.
For example, take the story of Abraham. We are introduced to him and his relatives at the end of Genesis 11. We begin to follow his life through the next several chapters as he moves into the pagan, ungodly land of Canaan where "the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." (15:16) It appears that Abraham and his family are the only God fearers in the land. The Genesis story is
Then suddenly out of nowhere appears King Melchizedek who is described as "priest of God Most High" who blesses Abraham and the God of Abraham. (14:18 - 20) Now where did this king of Salem come from? For whom is he a priest? How many other believers in the Most High God are there? How did God reveal Himself to them? None of these questions are answered for us. Melchizedek appears for one brief paragraph; and then disappears and we know nothing more about him.
The inspired writer of Hebrews (12:1 - 17) refers to the mysterious Melchizedek as a forerunner of our Great High Priest who has no beginning and no end.
We would like to "box God within certain parameters" but He cannot be boxed! We see some of what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of others. We know He is at work in people around us - even in some who evidence no interest in God. We know He is at work in countries where the Good News is often opposed. But much of what God is doing remains hidden, even in this age of telephone cameras and twitter. I wonder where God might surprise you - or me - next? Look out!  

MOTIVES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

I had a Canadian moment this morning! I opened the curtains on our home office this morning at 6:30. I was surprised to see frost on the window - oops, it is cool here during winter months, but not that cool! During the night it went down to 9 degrees (48 F.) and that was condensation on the windows - not frost - this morning.

The Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11 raises many questions in the mind of a thoughtful reader. This is one of those biblical passages where we really could wish God had provided a few more paragraphs of inspired description and commentary. However I was struck today by the goal of the people who were constructing the city and tower: "so that we may make a name for ourselves."
How often, even in Christian service, is our desire "to make a name"? Yes, we do want to advance the cause of Christ. Yes, we do want to serve others. But lurking in the background, and if we were honest sometimes actually front and center, is the goal to "make a name." We want people to notice how good we are; how humble we are; how faithfully we serve; how sacrificial is our service; how excellent is our teaching, preaching, leading, organizing, etc. Pride is such a root sin and can influence us in so many ways. God knows, cares and judges our motives. So we should regularly check our motives. (Perhaps rarely 100% pure since we are not yet fully "formed".)
God expects people to live for His glory, which in turn is for our own good. So in Genesis 11, God stopped the people from "making a name for themselves".
Yet notice the contrast: in the very next chapter, we find God promising to Abraham what, as far as we can tell from the text, Abraham was not pursuing. If Abraham obeys by faith; if he leaves his country and his people; if he follows God's direction; then God promises: "I will make your name great."(12:3) What motivated the people of chapter 11, is promised to Abraham who is not pursuing it.
God calls us to live by faith and obedience. Jesus calls us to follow and obey out of love for Him. I should serve others in order to enhance His reputation! I should live a righteous life in order to help people think more highly of my Saviour's name! This should be my dominant (even my only) motive.
If God in His grace should cause "our name, our reputation, our legacy" to be enhanced - well we can be humbly thankful. But we must beware the desire "to make a name" for ourselves. This proud motive can lead to Christian legalism, Christian hypocrisy,  and even competition within the church.
Let's allow God to be in control of all public relations and advertising. Let Him decide whose name is noticed and whose "name" becomes great. We should always remember that "unknown, unnoticed names" here, may be "great names" in heaven and in eternity.
Maybe today is a good day to do a "check up" on our motives for living and for serving.

Arrogance and Deception

I read and pondered Genesis 3 this morning. As if reading the narrative for the first time, I paused and was overwhelmed with the arrogance of the serpent, the great enemy of God. How dare he question the words of truth of the Creator? How dare he question the motives of the Creator? Yet he did and Eve listened.  And he still dares to oppose and to deceive, and we foolish humans still listen and are enticed.
I was moved as I thought about what was lost in those moments of disobedience. How dare the Evil One step between the innocent, naive humans and their loving Creator? Yet he did and Eve, then Adam disobeyed their kind, generous Maker. He did and he still does, leading us to think that obeying our Father, following our Lord, will somehow cause us to miss out on what is good and best for us.
How furiously he opposes the One who created him. How foolishly our blind world follows his leadership instead of the leadership of the One who died to save us all.
If you pause and spend time meditating on Genesis 3, you may as I did, come close to weeping. What a terrible tragedy at the beginning of human history. How drastically the fall has affected us all and all of our planet. What gigantic wounds scar human history as a direct result of what happened on that terrible day. How sobering to think that the great deceiver, though defeated, is still active and deceiving millions.
I thought hard on that devastating spiritual defeat; but then moved on to rejoice that the Second Adam has won the victory for all of us who believe. Praise God!

AMAZING GIFT

We've been looking for a space heater for our kitchen/living/dining/ room. We have reverse air conditioners in the other three rooms that warm things up nicely. But the large AC unit in the common room does not reverse. We know to Canadians, weather that is dipping to 13 degrees (and lower) sounds awfully warm at this time of year. But in our common room during these 3 - 4 months of winter, the temperature is dipping to 16 or 17 and we'd really like to get a space heater. We can find them - but with very limited language ability it sure is hard to figure out what the various heaters will and won't do. And any heater we read about on the internet cannot be found in stores here.

I began today to read through the Bible as I usually do each year. I marvelled again at the Genesis 2 story of creation. Especially since I've been more than happily married to Jan for 4 plus decades, I give much thanks to the Creator for providing a "helper" for the first man - and for me. What an amazing gift God has provided in making the two sexes so similar and yet so different. What a marvellous experienc is the marriage between one man and one woman, secure in that relationship for life. How tragic that some still try to deny any difference any difference between the sexes (other than biology) instead of rejoicing in our differences.
Jan and I are so grateful for a stress free, fulfilling marital partnership. We love living and working together here in Hanoi as we have in other cities through the years. We grieve that this most gracious gift of marriage becomes such a painful destructive experience to so many. We grieve that many married Christians are not growing in the fruit of the Spirit and are not growing their marriages. We also are saddened that many Christian singles come to the place where they think marriage to almost any marital partner will be better than living alone. Even though surrounded by overwhelming evidence that too many marriages become a nightmare, they hang onto that foolish dream.
Marriage is provided by God as one of his greatest gifts of grace. We celebrate all of you who are working hard at developing first, a more Christlike character, and second, developing a strong, Christ centered marriage. And we thank God for you Christian singles who are serving God faithfully here in Hanoi and around the world.

REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING

2012 provides us all with a kind of new beginning. We have 365 days ahead of us, days we have never lived before. We have not ruined even one evening or wasted even one day in this new year. It is all in front of us.
Actually, for me in this time zone, it is already January 2nd. The first day is gone; but it was good. Starting the New Year on a Sunday was very nice. First, we don't leave our apartment until 9:00 am, so the day starts slowly. Second, beginning the New Year with people who love our Lord and with them to sing His praises and open His Word was appropriate. Third, we shared Communion together, which we do on the first Sunday of every month.
Without planning to do so, at the beginning of the day, I found myself reminiscing for a few moments about years gone by. Even at my age, I don't spend a lot of time looking back. However yesterday, some regrets entered my mind. Not so much about 2011, but looking farther back. Some situations I might have handled differently; some leadership moments I would like to replay; some words that cannot be retrieved. This kind of remembering is humbling. Hopefully it can prevent mistakes from being repeated.
I confessed my failures and sins to the Lord and gratefully thanked Him for His unending mercy and forgiveness. Later, as I received Communion with other believers in our Sunday Service, I remembered the One who experienced no failure and no sin. I remembered His great sacrifice for our sins; for my sins. I remembered, worshipped and rejoiced!
Reminiscing about the failures of the past? I refuse to do that kind of remembering very often, for it is usually not helpful. It can be depressing; it can hinder me from enjoying the now and preparing well for the future. I choose to live like the Apostle Paul who wrote: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13, 14
As we move into a New Year, may you live with gratitude that the past has been forgiven; may you fully enjoy the present, it is all you have; and may you prepare for a future that is centered on Jesus Christ.
Speaking of the future and new beginnings: since we live in Asia, we get to start another New Year in just three weeks. The big celebration for most Asians is the start of the Lunar New Year, which this year comes in January. In Vietnam it is referred to as Tet. Our bonus for living in Vietnam: two new beginnings in one month!