Children Playing In Shallom School, DiliScripture
"He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace… because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered" (2 Chronicles 14:6,7).
Observation
I am weary as I walk through the history of Israel watching crowns placed on heads of state that disobey the very one who placed them there. The land too is weary. But finally, a man named Asa arrived with a fresh breeze. And he wasted no time. His first order of business was to restore the preeminence of God and remove the idols. And in no small act of courage, he remanded his grandmother Maacah, to house arrest after having dethroned her as queen mother. I'm sure it made front page news in all the surrounding village papers!
The clean out was brutal, but the final fruit was sweet. Now, in a land of spiritual peace and order, the citizens could "build and prosper". That wasn't an option before. The villages had been aflamed with idolatry, infighting, debauchery, and all that leaches from an infected society. But when God was re-installed as King, the people's hearts rejoiced. Now the towns people could lift their eyes from themselves and look into the future.
The clean out was brutal, but the final fruit was sweet. Now, in a land of spiritual peace and order, the citizens could "build and prosper". That wasn't an option before. The villages had been aflamed with idolatry, infighting, debauchery, and all that leaches from an infected society. But when God was re-installed as King, the people's hearts rejoiced. Now the towns people could lift their eyes from themselves and look into the future.
Application
When the the seas are angry, progress ceases. But when the storms are stilled, seaports bustle with activities: shipbuilding, conversation and laughter, buying and trading … all the things that make for a great life.
The same is true in a nation, a church and our families. Building a culture where an undying devotion to Christ is preeminent paves the road for future building. It cannot happen unless there is a godly, devoted living and a unity of spirit.
This week I was in East Timor with the Love Singapore leadership. It was a joy to meet up with the missionaries who are pouring their lives into East Timor - Brazilians, Malaysians, Singaporeans. These people labour ceaselessly with intense devotion to Christ. The result is the progression of God's Kingdom in that nation.
In the school Agape has adopted (Shallom School) , Isabel Ferrario and her colleagues work day and night to build for the future. We now dream of setting up a secondary class next year so that those kids who had spent their primary years with us will not stray away in those vulnerable teen years. The future of East Timor is in the young we are nurturing today!
Isabel and her dedicated team are doing all they can on the ground to invest in these young lives. The school is therefore bustling with activity, surging with life, growing in strength. We so honour our missionaries and workers in the field who are "fortifying the city" for God.
Fruit can only be born from mature trees. Therefore, churches and peoples that have stepped beyond petty infighting and struggles are the ones that bear fruit for the Lord. Churches, not absent of problems, but churches that know how to resolve each problem in a way glorifies God and builds biblical character. May that be so today!
The same is true in a nation, a church and our families. Building a culture where an undying devotion to Christ is preeminent paves the road for future building. It cannot happen unless there is a godly, devoted living and a unity of spirit.
This week I was in East Timor with the Love Singapore leadership. It was a joy to meet up with the missionaries who are pouring their lives into East Timor - Brazilians, Malaysians, Singaporeans. These people labour ceaselessly with intense devotion to Christ. The result is the progression of God's Kingdom in that nation.
In the school Agape has adopted (Shallom School) , Isabel Ferrario and her colleagues work day and night to build for the future. We now dream of setting up a secondary class next year so that those kids who had spent their primary years with us will not stray away in those vulnerable teen years. The future of East Timor is in the young we are nurturing today!
Isabel and her dedicated team are doing all they can on the ground to invest in these young lives. The school is therefore bustling with activity, surging with life, growing in strength. We so honour our missionaries and workers in the field who are "fortifying the city" for God.
Fruit can only be born from mature trees. Therefore, churches and peoples that have stepped beyond petty infighting and struggles are the ones that bear fruit for the Lord. Churches, not absent of problems, but churches that know how to resolve each problem in a way glorifies God and builds biblical character. May that be so today!
Prayer
FATHER, thank you for Asa! Thank you for the missionary fervour that is invading East Timor today. May your Church advance for that is the only way the harvest will be reaped.
