Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2023.01.03

Hello from Macau. Happy New Year 2023! We trust your year is off to a good start and full of potential. Thank you for praying with us and for us through 2022. It was a long and challenging year. As we move into 2023, I have been thinking about this:

“Our souls are like musical instruments. As time goes by, our souls drift out of tune with the Gospel. Our anxiety, our anger, our discontentment, is the dissonance. So, for 2023, in what ways can I re-tune my soul to Jesus?” — Sharon Hodde Miller

The battle to stay “in tune” last year was exhausting. Some disciplines helped, others proved insufficient. We would love to hear from you about ways you are staying “in tune” this year. I am learning how to lament well. Not complain, actually lament before the feet of Jesus. Part of my dissonance has been a sadness I can’t shake. Lament may be the path to release.

Thank you for joining us in prayer for these matters:

1. So many of our friends in Macau are sick and struggling due to COVID. Several have been hospitalized. May this wave of infection recede and people be healed.

2. An unusual number of elderly church members have passed away over the last several weeks. Pray for the ministry staff to have words of comfort for the grieving family members and may the Lord protect our older members.

3. Please say an extra prayer for our Guest Worker friends. They don’t always have time to really rest and heal well. Their work exposes them to repeat infections. May the Lord protect and heal them.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.12.27

Hello from Macau. We hope your Christmas season is off to a good start. In our Sunday morning Bible study on Christmas Day, we explored Matthew 20:1-16 - a vineyard parable. The landowner demonstrates generosity in giving the same wage no matter what time a person started work. We discussed the fairness, generosity, patient persistence of the landowner. One aspect of the parable we didn’t spend enough time on is the desire of the landowner for shalom. Shalom is a communal practice of peace and harmony. No one knows shalom until everyone knows shalom. The landowner paid everyone a living wage, one denarius. In this way, by grace, from last to first, shalom happened. Jesus Christ Prince of Peace, by grace, from last to first, is bringing shalom to our world. But until everyone knows shalom, do any of us really know shalom? That is why we pray, “Our Father in Heaven … give US … forgive US … lead US not …”

Thank you for praying with us:

1. Macau (all of China) continues to experience widespread illness from COVID. Over 25% of Macau health care providers are out sick. Shops are closed indefinitely due to staff being sick. Lord, have mercy.

2. Over half of the Macau Baptist Church staff members have been out sick this past week. Many members are sick or caring for sick family. The wife of one member has been hospitalized with pneumonia. She is in her early 30’s. Lord, have mercy.

3. The funeral for our friend’s mother was Monday night. A remembrance of a life lived for Jesus the Christ. May the family continue to know the comfort of the Lord. And may the Guest Worker employed by our friend’s mother find a good place to work.

At years end, may you know joy for next steps and confidence in God’s grace to light your path.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.12.20

Hello from Macau. Today is Handover Day in Macau. 23 years ago Macau’s administration was transferred to the PRC and the Macau Special Administrative Region was born. It is a bit difficult to celebrate much these days because our city, like all of China, is being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Church members and friends are home sick. Our downstairs neighbor is home sick. We are doing our best to stay well. The regular strains of ambulance sirens remind us to keep praying for mercy. Thank you for praying with us.

1. Last week you prayed for our friend’s operation. The report is that the mass was benign and she is recovering well. We give thanks for her health.

2. Our church is scheduled to host a Christmas Eve worship outreach. May we meet in a way that guards people’s health, celebrates the coming Christ and gives glory to the Lord.

3. Our dear friend’s mother passed away Monday morning. The funeral will be on 26 December. Pray for the Lord’s grace and mercy to cover her and comfort her.

This is the last week of Advent. My favorite Advent hymn is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. I’ve been listening to every rendition I can find this month. The sixth stanza says, “O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar! Dispel the shadows of the night and turn our darkness into light.” We are going through some dark times in Macau. We pray in confidence that Jesus can turn that darkness into light. May the light of Jesus be everywhere experienced this week. Thank you for praying with us and for us.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.12.13

Hello from Macau. Last week the government rescinded most all COVID-19 based policies. This 180 degree turn left some (many) people feeling anxious and afraid. Perhaps you have seen news about the change and potential negative effects. Since the change, the number of COVID-19 positive cases have doubled daily in Macau. Please pray for Macau/China as these next weeks to months hold potential for great hardship. May the Lord have mercy on us all.

As you pray, please lift up these three concerns as well:

1. A dear friend is having surgery today to remove a mass from her back. Her husband is still recovering from chemotherapy and of course there is concern. May she be healed completely, being filled with peace through it all.

2. Larry had coffee this past Saturday with a man he had recently met. This man said that he used to believe but now he doesn’t. May the love of Jesus shine through us so that the light of Jesus can guide this man into faith.

3. Thank you for praying about the sharing at Macau Baptist Secondary School. May the words shared find their way into receptive hearts.

In the Advent season, this is Joy week. “Joy is not just about being happy. Joy is a rigorous spiritual practice of saying yes to life on life’s terms.” (Mark Matousek in Living Well Through Advent) Life’s terms are not always easy. In the difficulties of life we can still say yes to LIFE because of our life in Jesus Christ. May you know joy overflowing this week as we anticipate with joy our celebration of the Light of the World.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.12.06

Hello from Macau. We trust you are doing well as we wait our way toward Christmas Day. In our area of the world, there has been no lack of drama. Policies changing, a former leader passing away, and with his passing many questions about the present and future. Through it all, Jesus is still the Light of the World and the Hope of Humanity. Thank you for sharing His light and hope by praying with us.

1. Next Monday Larry will be speaking about “The Greatest Gift” at the Macau Baptist Secondary School Christmas assembly. May his words reveal the Goodness and Grace of Jesus.

2. The grandfather of our co-worker passed away this weekend. Pray for the family to know peace and comfort through this time of grieving.

3. Our friend who went to Thailand is heading back to Macau where she will have to quarantine for 8 days. She had a great experience at the international conference. May she stay healthy and well.

In Matthew 18, Jesus warns us against causing trouble for children. As we prepare to remember and celebrate Christmas, perhaps we can give extra thought to the children of our world. They remain vulnerable and at the mercy of war, famine, political corruption, and human abuse. That the Lord Jesus came to us as a child never ceases to amaze us. May our worship of the child in the manger lead to our action in support of children everywhere.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.11.29

Hello from Macau. Sunday we explored Matthew 18. A reminder of how valued every single person is to the Lord Jesus. We identified that to be like a child is to be humble: (1) secure in our identity so we neither denigrate ourselves nor elevate ourselves over others, and (2) open to learning and growing. Prayer is an act of humility as we come in child-like confidence to the throne of grace with a heart open to hear from the Lord.  Thank you for carrying these items to the place of grace in your prayers:

1. A local Guest Worker friend is in Thailand for the International Migrants Alliance 5th Global Assembly. May the time equip her for helping people in Macau. May she stay safe and healthy.

2. Our area of the world faces continued stress ad chaos due to COVID-19. Pray for leaders that we may live peaceful and quiet lives.

3. We give thanks for last weeks limited gatherings. Much gratitude was expressed as hearts revealed a readiness to give thanks even through difficult times.

The season of Advent is upon us and growing anticipation as we count down the days until we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ. I’m loving this Bonhoeffer quote, “Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” As we plan, prepare, and pray over the next few weeks may our hearts find strength and comfort in this expectation.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.11.22

Hello from Macau. To our friends in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving! Even in good times, giving thanks is refreshing, humbling, inspiring. At the Guest Worker outreach we shared about giving thanks in difficult times. For many of our Guest Worker friends, life is a struggle. Sharing words from the Psalmist and Prophets we learn how to give thanks, especially when times are difficult. Let the whole world Thank the Lord.

1. This week we are trying a modified Thanksgiving celebration with our H.I. Class students. Pray for us to remain healthy and C-19 free. May this time reveal grateful hearts.

2. The Guest Worker outreach was great. Friends from Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, Macau, Mainland China, USA, Hong Kong, and New Zealand gathered to be thankful. Pray that their hearts will know Jesus cares for them and turn to Him.

3. An earthquake in West Java struck this morning. Pray for the people who lost loved ones, the people with destroyed homes, the aid workers seeking to help. May the grace of Jesus help them all.

This past Sunday our Bible study discussed what it really looks like to have faith like a mustard seed. We decided that at the very least, it means to persevere. We leave you with this word of prayer: “Jesus, teach me to place my trust in You and help me to persevere with patience when the fulfillment of what You have said takes longer than I would like.”

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.11.15

Hello from Macau. Thank you for taking the time to read this note. It is impossible to measure the impact of one prayer said in faith. It is impossible to deny the importance of every prayer said in faith. With faith the size of a mustard seed mountains are moved, lives are changed. Thank you for saying just a word of prayer for these matters:

1. Our Egyptian friend has returned to Macau with the promise of a new job. May he see the reality of Jesus and have faith to believe that Jesus is Lord.

2. On Sunday we are helping with an outreach to Guest Workers. Pray that the Zero-COVID policies don’t hinder our gathering. May the the gathering bless the Guest Workers and bring glory to the Lord.

3. Recently a young restaurant worker shared how they had been tricked out of a huge sum of money. This has left her ashamed and struggling. Pray for her healing and the Lord’s protection upon all the people working away from home and social structures that might help them.

This past Sunday morning we explored Matthew 17: The Transfiguration. Theologian Michael Kibbe asks, “What if the glory that burst from Jesus on the mountain wasn’t just divine glory but human glory as well—the kind of glory that all those united with Jesus will one day share?” Well, what if? What if that glory can even now burst forth from us as we worship and walk in the way of Jesus? May the glory of the Lord shine for all to see.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.11.08

Hello from Macau. Monday’s headlines declared “Macau Gets Back to Work after No New Cases Found…” Yes, Macau is back to work and we are once again at Zero-COVID cases, for now. Thank you for your prayers as we weathered the storms of typhoon and COVID outbreak. With the emergencies passed, we can return to previous needs.

1. Our friend is still in Hong Kong undergoing radiotherapy for cancer. Pray that the treatment works, that he is not exposed to COVID-19, and that he and his family know peace through this process.

2. Macau’s Guest Workers continue to find life challenging. Due to the quarantine requirements, they are not free to make visits home. Some of them are still struggling financially as well. May they know that Jesus loves them and is here for them.

3. Please pray for us. This has been a difficult and  draining year. The sense of isolation, changes in our ministry, and the persisting sadness of loss due to being separated from family and friends. Running through it all is the stress of life in a Zero-COVID environment.

Our devotional teaching this morning came from Psalm 84: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set our hearts on pilgrimage.” A reminder that we are still pilgrims, still making our way through a place that is not exactly ours. In Matthew 16 Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. None of this is easy. Much of it is joyful, but not always. That is why we pray. Thank you for praying with us.

Maranatha!

Holding the Ropes in Prayer - 2022.11.01

Hello from Macau. Our city is once again dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak. This means the whole city is heading to testing centers today. If that weren’t enough, a typhoon is bringing stormy weather and strong winds our way. Please join us in praying for our city in the following ways:

1. Health Care Workers: Many of them worked over night to prepare for today’s testing. They are dealing with a stressful situation, and people under stress and anxiety. May the Lord protect their whole being as they serve us through these challenging days.

2. Government Leaders: Constantly having to make difficult decisions in a very complex context is exhausting. May they have strength for all they face, courage to do the right thing and wisdom to know what to choose.

3. Macau Residents: Our response to these challenges makes a huge difference for everyone here. May people be slow to anger/frustration, quick to forgive, and patient in all queues.

This past Sunday morning our Bible study group discussed the incident of Peter getting out of the boat and going to Jesus (Matthew 14). We looked at the story in light of Peter’s faith. Sarah remarked, I think rightly so, that we don’t have to lose faith to be distracted and that being distracted is not necessarily a matter of weak faith. We are easily distracted. Our lives are full of distracting situations and problems. May we all stay focused on Jesus today and every day as we tread the path of life.

Maranatha!