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Most of us just experienced Hurricane Irene’s wetting power. With the already soaked soil and heavy downpours, my house was one of her victims around the area – we were having water problem in our basement. We had to relocate our stuff in the basement and swept out water on last Sunday. Initially I thought the problem was from my window wells being over flown by rain. Later I realize that water was coming from soaked ground soil, compounded with neighbor’s rushed-out water from his swimming pool, sipping under our baseboards. It is the first time we had such a scope of wet condition after so many years at this house. My neighbors have had problems too. One of them had their swimming pool water over flown into their house and the other had creek water entered their garage by a few inches. We are so grateful to have a few families in Christ came to aid us in cleaning up. It is great to have a family of brothers and sisters in need.

There are a few things I have learned from this wetting experience. Firstly, the mistake I made is I was overly confident in assuming my house would not run into problems. So, I didn’t check around my house condition thoroughly. This reminds me of our recent study from 1 Thessalonians.

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly人正說平安穩妥的時候、災禍忽然臨到他們 (1 Thessalonians 5:3a)

It is a gentle reminder to me….

Then, I find that it is easier for people to chat with each other if they are under the same situation. Under current society, it is not easy to bump into neighbors due to each other’s busy schedules. Not even mention to make friends with them. I don’t know about you, I seldom have an opportunity to talk to my neighbor. This time, to my surprise, my neighbor came to our house voluntarily to ask our condition and to brief their situation – creek water entering their garage. Sometimes, I was wondering how to practice “to love our neighbors as ourselves” commanded by our Lord. From this experience, I discover that it is the feeling of empathy that I need first in order to raise my awareness of my neighbor’s need. Then I would show my love to them if I could follow it with an action of kindness. Sadly to say, I was busying in cleaning up my own house and I didn’t have a chance to help them.  Finally, I was touched by our brothers and sisters came to rescue us. They spend numerous hours in helping us. We thank our Lord for their act of love.

My dear brothers and sisters, this wetting experience lets me think again of my attitude toward my neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ – I need to improve!

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On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong, one of the astronauts in the Apollo 11, stepped down onto the Moon and made his famous statement, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong and his fellow astronaut, Aldrin, spent about two and one-half hours walking on the Moon collecting samples, doing experiments, and taking photographs. This is a historic moment of mankind which explored a completely foreign planet. It also reminds me of the famous quote from Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek TV series, “Space… the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” Ha…ha…ha…now you know I used to watch this TV series.

Last weekend was my daughter’s historic move-in day as a college freshman. I was thinking that this could be a “small step” to my family – the beginning of our empty nesting. But on the other hand, this would be a “giant leap” to her – being departed from her comfortable home. My wife and I accompanied her throughout the weekend. It was a special memorable moment for us to share with her “alone” without her brothers around.

In the college campus, I find that she was not quite tuned into her situation even after we unloaded and moved her stuff into her dormitory. I guess she was overwhelmed by the new environment – she will need to learn how to share space and make friends with the other 3 roommates, and a lot of things she needs to take care of by herself from now on. This will be a brand new experience to her, certainly. We also spent time in meeting with a family from a local Chinese Christian church which was an old acquaintance to some brothers and sisters in our small group, in hoping to help her quickly settle in a new spiritual home in the campus. The family was very hospitality and we thank God for His provision. In my mind, our daughter will be in good hand if she learns to trust our Lord completely.

I still remember my own experience of college freshman years. Being the 1^st child left to a location that is far away from home, I was confused and overwhelmed too. At that time, it was quite a challenge for me to share my room with 7 classmates, with different living styles and sleeping schedules. After the 1^st year, however, we became good friends. You see, all I need is a small step out of my comfort zone.

My dear brothers and sisters, sometimes I view our journey of life as a series of small steps. Each step we took, it may produce a giant leap effect later on. The effect, however, could be profoundly detrimental if it was a misstep. Therefore, my brothers and sisters we need to be sure that those small steps we took would lead us to the right path – a gracious path that was devised by our Lord Jesus. When King David was facing plights in his life, he wrote psalms to express his feeling and situation to our Lord. This in turns gave him courage and hope to continue his steps of life. His famous psalm #23 probably is the most well known one to us in the Old Testament. From this psalm (as attached below), we can see how his walk with our Lord was. May we all learn from him…..

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

1﹝大衛的詩﹞‧耶和華是我的牧者‧我必不至缺乏‧

2他使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊‧

3他使我的靈魂甦醒，為自己的名引導我走義路‧

4我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷，也不怕遭害‧因為你與我同在‧你的杖，你的竿，都安慰我‧

5在我敵人面前，你為我擺設筵席‧你用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢‧

6我一生一世必有恩惠慈愛隨著我‧我且要住在耶和華的殿中，直到永遠‧

Summer days are usually meant for outdoor activities.  You can have picnic, barbecue, swimming and fishing, etc. Fishing, however, becomes a challenge during hot summer days. Some of my fishing buddies mentioned that they were skunked recently at used to be good fishing spots. I told them that God didn’t promise that sky is always blue (神沒有應許天色常藍) 🙂 Apparently the new challenge for us – fishing bums – is either we have to learn how to cope with our recent rejections by fish or we have to find better locations for fishing.

Last time, I shared with you about a successful fishing would need right location, right timing, right tackle, right baits and right skill. Can you count how many things have to be right in order to catch a fish? Ha…ha…ha…. no wonder someone used to say that, “10% of fishermen catch 90% of fish.” Because those 10% of fishermen did everything right. Of course, sometimes all you need is a dumb luck (the other 10% of fish) but it is 可遇不可求.

To catch a fish, first of all is finding a spot which you knew (or learned) would hold fish. Fishing a spot that is not holding any fish, you are doomed unless you don’t mind to spend time in sharpening your casting skill and exercising your arms. Of course under today’s hi-tech environment, you can always use a fish finder to help you finding a good spot that is holding fish. For average people likes me, I have to rely on more traditional way – learn to read water and its environment by trials and errors.

In the Bible, our Lord Jesus had a teaching of good fishermen that is very interesting to me. We learned that He called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to be fishermen of souls (Matthew 4:18-19). Comparatively, this is a completely different profession from Peter and Andrew used to be – from fishing for fish to fishing for souls, from working on the seas to working on the lands, from casting a fish net to casting a relation net, and from working for themselves to working for the Lord. What a change!

Then you may ask, “How to become a good fisherman of souls?” First of all you will need to find a spot that is having lost souls, of course. You can’t fish for lost souls where they are not holding, correct?  Then, you need to go to the spot and become friends of the lost souls, just as Apostle Paul said,

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.向 軟 弱 的 人 ， 我 就 作 軟 弱 的 人 ， 為 要 得 軟 弱 的 人 。 向 甚 麼 樣 的 人 ， 我 就 作 甚 麼 樣 的 人 。 無 論 如 何 ， 總 要 救 些 人 。凡 我 所 行 的 ， 都 是 為 福 音 的 緣 故 ， 為 要 與 人 同 得 這 福 音 的 好 處 。(1 Corinthians 9:22-23)

It is very important that the friendship building is the one with genuine love that is flowing from our Lord. Otherwise, there would be no true friendship in between and as a result it would do more harm than good to the Gospel.

My dear brothers and sister, if we merely go to the spot with all Christians, then we are fishing for lost souls where they are not. After finding the lost souls, we need to have a heart filled with genuine love in order to build a true friendship. Below is a prayer that I was touched deeply from recent Daily Bread devotional:

主，當我今日與不信的人同在，願我傾聽憂鬱的聲音，關懷疲憊的面容、下垂的眼神。願我能放下自我，願我渴慕從祢的愛而來的活泉，願我今日能傾聽他人的心聲、展現祢的恩慈、傳揚祢的真理。

“Lord, when I am with nonbelievers today, may I become aware of the cheerless voice, the weary countenance, or the downcast eyes that I, in my natural self-preoccupation, could easily overlook. May I have a love that springs from and is rooted in Your love. May I listen to others, show Your compassion, and speak Your truth today.” DHR

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Every morning when I drive to work, I need to enter a two-lane merge road before I can enter my working location. On one of the lanes on the right, there is a “Yield” sign for those who are coming from route 9. The lane then becomes in parallel with the lane I am entering. Oftentimes, I would run into someone who does not even bother to observe the “Yield” sign. He / she would continue to drive without stopping and watching if there is any car on the other lane would need to enter his / her lane. Worse yet, he / she would sometimes cross into my lane directly without looking. After a few times of these kinds of thrilling occurrences, I have to watch myself carefully in order to “yield” to “bold” drivers from the other supposed-to-be “yielded” lane. You can call this is my frequent practice of “defense driving”. 🙂

This gives me an idea to share with you my perspective of “Yield” action. In general, “to yield” is meant to give up or to surrender oneself to something. This something could be either superior power, or certain situations, or lust and temptation. The action of yield, from my view, could be taken willingly or unwillingly. In the traffic situation I just mentioned, we were required to follow the “yield” sign because it is a law and also is for safety. But one could ignore it completely or follow it either willingly or unwillingly.

How about Christian belief? Do we observe “Yield” sign in our journey of faith too?  Certainly! This action of yield is called “act of submission”.  We submit to God because He is (partial list only, not meant to be exhaustive):

• Abba
• Almighty God (’El Shaddai)
• Avenger
• Bridegroom
• Builder of All things
• Builder of Jerusalem
• Compassionate and Gracious God
• Creator of heaven and earth
• Deliverer
• Everlasting Father
• Faithful God, God of Truth
• Father in Heaven
• Father of the Fatherless/Orphans
• Forgiving God
• Glorious Father
• Glory/Strength of Israel
• God of All Comfort
• God of Love and Peace
• Great and Awesome God
• Healer
• Heavenly Father
• Help/Strength
• Hiding Place
• Holy
• Holy Father
• Holy One
• I AM WHO I AM
• Israel’s Creator
• Judge of All
• Just and Mighty One
• Keeper
• King of Glory
• King of kings
• LORD (Yahweh)
• Lord of Lords
• Loving God
• Maker of heaven and earth
• My Glory
• My God and my King
• My Song and my Strength
• Portion
• Potter
• Prince of Peace
• Redeemer, Kinsman-Redeemer
• Righteous One
• Rock of My Salvation
• Rock of Refuge
• Savior
• Shelter, Shield
• Shepherd
• Sovereign Lord
• Spring of Living Water, Fountain of Living Water
• Strong Fortress
• The Almighty (Shaddai)
• The Alpha and the Omega
• The LORD is Peace (Jehovah-Shalom)
• The LORD is There (Jehovah-Shammah)
• The LORD of Hosts (Jehovah-Sabaoth)
• The LORD is our Banner (Jehovah-Nissi)
• The LORD is our Righteousness (Jehovah-Tsidkenu)
• The LORD who sanctifies  (Jehovah-M’Kaddesh)
• The LORD will Provide (Jehovah-Jireh)
• The LORD is our Healer (Jehovah-Rapha)
• The LORD is My Shepherd (Jehovah Roi)
• Upright One
• Who Is and Who Was and Who Is to Come
• Wonderful

The act of submission (i.e. Yield) is in response to the realization of how great God is. C. S. Lewis once said, “If Christianity is untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however helpful it might be; if it is true, every honest man will want to believe it, even if it gives him no help at all.”

Because of His grace and unfailing love, we were saved and are called His children. With a thankful heart, we should be submitting to His command and guidance. In fact, our Lord Jesus set a perfect example of submission to God in Philippians 2:6-7

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 他本有神的形像，不以自己與神同等為強奪的‧反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形像，成為人的樣式”

Isn’t this an amazing example that the very nature God – Jesus Christ – was willingly to submit himself to God to give us our salvation? Therefore, my brothers and sisters, let us learn from our Lord. We should set our mind on submitting ourselves to God instead of yielding to our flesh as Apostle Paul told us,

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 體貼肉體的就是死．體貼聖靈的乃是生命”