How to "bless" and pray for God's labourers, such as missionaries & pastors?

BLESS -- an acronym to guide your prayer for a missionary or for a people group

B -- Body

Pray for physical health and nutrition.

L - Labor

Pray for their work.

E - Emotions

Pray for emotional health and well-being of the missionary or people group.

S - Social

Pray for their social relations, their families and extended families. Pray that God will keep marriages together.

S - Spiritual

Pray for their spiritual condition.

contributed by CMA missionary Lisa Miriam Rohrick

我有一個夢想

我有一個夢想… 我渴望成為一個信心偉人！我願像亞伯拉罕般願意把自己最寶貴的都為主獻上… 我願像約書亞和迦勒一樣，在大部份人覺得無可能的時候，仍能看見只要在神手中，凡事都能…

2008年9月至2009年初期間，很多人人心惶惶，當時的全球性 “金融海嘯” 捲走了不少人的財產，也令很多商家和打工人士為前景惆帳起來，因為多處的公司企業均倒閉或裁員。

在當時，我自己也剛落實一個頗大的決定 – – 為讓我們家庭因有了新成員出生而作出的家庭與工作之適應，於08年10月開始成為教會部份時間的同工 (這想法已於半年前，即08年初已決定，所以與金融海嘯無關)，這舉意味著我們家庭固定的收入將大減，得原來的60%而已，為期接近1年，於09年下半年轉為4天工作。我們的信心要經歷考驗…

當我讀到民數記13章，記載以色列人派探子窺探迦南地的情況，我不禁產生疑問，在多數人 (12位探子當中的10位) 認為不可能遷入迦南地的時候，不論是敵人的數目或他們的身量 (參民13:28-33)，都叫當時準備進入迦南地的以色列民卻步，我好奇為何迦勒和約書亞卻有信心，認為「我們立刻上去得那地吧！我們足能得勝！」，他們的信心從那裡來呢？莫非他們看不見敵人都「身量高大」(32節)？莫非他們不知道對方都是「偉人的後裔」(33節)？

我們再看下去便知道以色列人的小信惹來神的怒氣，但迦勒和約書亞的信心卻取悅神！迦勒的非凡之處在於他專心跟從神 (申1:36)，拒絕以人的眼光緊盯著種種不利的因素，反以神的眼光去看整盤的局勢，「有耶和華與我們同在，不要怕他們！」(民14:9) 結果，神祝福他們和那些對神有信心的人。

回顧過往2年的生活和事奉，我感謝神加添了我們的信心。但我的夢想還未實現，所以我渴望在教會的成長和擴堂的事上繼續經歷神，以神的眼光看… ，而你呢？

The last week of "21 Days" (Day 16-19)

Starting from this week, ie the last week of "21 Days" (& judging from the frequency I make a new blog entry), things have started to be more normal. Perhaps it's because I have become sort of slack ...

Coming to the last week, I don't want to let things go and finish plainly. In my heart, I still want God to bring about lasting transformation in my life, as a man, husband, dad, pastor, and ultimately as a dear child of the loving Father.

I am still praying for a stronger hunger for God. What are you longing and praying for?

Online pastoral ministry

This morning, while in front of my laptop with facebook and MSN on, a brother from a few thousand kms away told me a sad news about his family and his frustration ......

He desperately needed some help. So we "talked" for a few minutes, and I was trying to "listen" to his needs and concerns. I could sense a tremendous urge in his heart to be strong and having faith in God. Thus we "prayed" while on MSN as I typed out the prayer and he followed and echoed that in his heart. I shared with him my favourite verse when I'm down.

After those few moments, he felt like a visit from heaven (that's my words), as he's more relaxed and got a sense of great relief.

That's it, that's the pastoral ministry for today's world. It's no less effective, meaningful than a face-to-face house visit when needs arise. Don't you agree?

Disappointing (& scary) statistics

Some statistics gathered about 2 years ago from Focus on the Family and Ministries Today etc have revealed 1 single scary phenomenon - pastors and pastors' families are at grave risk. Thanks to a tweet of Dr. John A. McGinn.

Here are just some of them:

- 50% of pastors' marriages end in divorce

- 70% of pastors continually battle depression

- 70% of pastors only study God's word when preparing a message

- Nearly 40% of pastors have had an extra-marital sexual affair since entering ministry

... ... ... the list goes on

After reading just some of these stats, how do you feel?

For more statistics, please see the original post here ("Interesting Statistics about Pastors").

But what should we be doing? Complaining about the pastors' failures? Or praying for them?

It's a big day indeed (Day 40)

It's big day indeed. I've never imagined that this day would come into being, when I came to Perth exactly 15 years ago in April 1994. I came to Perth as a non-believing "seeker" and I wanted to know God in a personal way.

God found me shortly after I arrived, and called me into full-time ministry a couple of years later. To many people, that a 2-year-old Christian said God has called him to ministry is not very trustworthy, as it could be out of an impulsive feeling. God has shown me that His calling is for real. The preparation is not easy, nor straight-forward. I've learned a lot down the road, through stumbling, rejecting God (& being rejected by people), being disobedient, hurting others (& being hurt of course), and discipline from God etc.

It's a long long long way to this day. Yet it's just another beginning. I'm convicted that God chart our course and will have great plans for me and my family if we trust and obey.

Something's gonna change ... (Day 36-39)

Tomorrow (Sunday) will see some significant change to my status or title, from Ps to Rev. It can be historic and is usually likened to a "promotion" from a secular point of view. Indeed, the laying on of hands by other senior and respected pastors is a privilege and it's symbolic of God's gift and anointing. More importantly, it's a life-long calling and commitment to serve God and make Him known through what I say and do.

Yet deep inside, I couldn't see any change or at least I haven't felt anything different as of now. I may feel differently tomorrow when the "actual thing" happens. Anyway, that special something (God's love for the undeserving me) will never change. Alleluia!

Avoid failing fatally - by Craig Groeschel (Day 14 & 15)

I'm so glad to come across teaching/advice by a rather young and godly pastor (mid 40's) on setting up accountability safeguards.

This should be re-visited from time to time. In summary, the few guidelines are:

1. I never travel overnight alone;

2. All my internet activity is monitored;

3. We block TV stations with bad shows;

4. We have the highest governing standards for financial accountability;

5. I am never alone with a woman (except my wife - italics added).

To read further, and all the responses to it, please see: http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2009/03/11/avoid-failing-fatally/

I had a nightmare (Day 6)

I have not had any bad dreams for a long long time, but I had a nightmare last night.

In the dream, I was told over the phone call that a respected pastor committed suicide. I was shocked to hear the news. That pastor was a well respected pastor who's very committed to the Lord in everything he does. Yet it seems to me in the dream that one of the reasons behind it is that the pastor has long been torn between ministry and family. To be more precise, somehow ministry always comes before family in his priority.

Then I woke up during midnight after I had that nightmare. Immediately I knew I should pray for that pastor, pray for his safety, his family, and his mind to set things right before it's too late ...

In the morning, I had a chat with my wife about the dream, and somehow we all agreed that as ministers, we should maintain a healthy balance between ministry and family. If we can't look after our family well, how can we nurture and pastor God's church?

By the way, today I'm feeling much better, and am very glad to hear another person feeling burdened to engage in fasting and prayer. Praise the Lord!

Now my heart's desire is to know you more (Day 3)

Today, God revealed to me the fact that I don't know Him that well. 人們會認為你是傳道人，知好多聖經，知好多神的事情。我撫心自問卻認為我對神其實不太認識，無怪得我仍然有很多弱點、盲點等。

"Knowing You" 這首歌裡面的其中一節："now my heart's desire is to know you more" 變成我的目標和方向。

專心 VS 多心

今年，我好想專心帶領堂會經歷：「禁食禱告遇見神    謙卑靠主迎復興」。

禱告是我比較弱的一環。以往的事奉則重於做做做、計劃、開會等等。不是沒有禱告，只不過在事奉中，「它」的比重較少而已。

禁食則是比較陌生的；也不是未試過禁食，只不過是在有crisis的時候，或好想神開路才禁食的。畢竟，在母會中，禁食不是經常全教會性推動的。

在堂會的事奉開始時，突然有一些全國性事奉的學習機會，自己本來一口推卻，不過再細想，會不會這是神今年要我學習的呢？！反覆思量，再加上禱告，也詢問我最信得過而又有insight的太太，經過一晚後，我決定open自己看看。

這個事奉（... 把它叫做學習比較合適）又不是我想做就得，是要全體澳洲宣道會的牧者及代表選出來的，所謂「選」，不是教會內的引證票而已，而是好像選美國總統一樣，有對手與你爭的。我的對手係全國青年事工的統籌人。論暴光率，論知名度，我跟本比不上。就是有這因素在內，我決定試試，看是否神的心意。

一輪點票後 ... 選舉結果係 「Andrew Choy was elected ... 」，這是出乎我意料之外。這樣被選出的話，我一年要飛去Canberra或Sydney只少4次，參與開會。

問題來了，究竟神是否真的在此有帶領？我好想知 ...

The reflection from the L-walk

As I reflected about this stage in my life (while walking the Labyrinth in the rain), I reckon that there are road-blocks & detours (caused by falling branches), and there are times of sunshine & times of rainfall. Sometimes, it is easy to walk, but sometimes it is hard even to walk naturally (because of muddy terrain). Such reflection comes just in the right time. There are seasons for everything. I need not be burdened or worried, should I have to "do" less outwardly. If people did comment that I am not as productive as before, or the church now lacks a "fully-devoted" pastor, I'll be sorry to hear that but I'm just a normal person who lives a 24-hour day to be equally and faithfully shared by my different responsibilities and commitments as a man.

Full-time Minister / 全時間的僕人

每個跟隨耶穌的人都是一個minister（意即僕人），不論我們做甚麼（工作、讀書、家務、娛樂、呆坐、運動...），我們應該都是全時間的minister。（西3:22-24; 林前10:31）

雖然我們有些人係做「世上」的工，有些係做「屬靈」的工，但不一定要成為傳道同工（pastor）才算得上是主的僕人。

當我地在家裡與孩子一起，與朋友相聚，發掘自己的興趣，又或在工作中，只要時刻知道並活出神賜予我地的角色、崗位，珍惜那時那刻，凡事為主而作，以主的事為念，已經是一個討神喜悅全時間的僕人了。

男傳道都放"產假"？

女人放產假係正常，男人放產假好似有D奇怪？！不過唔講唔知，美國加洲係2004年就通過法律，容許新任父親最多放6星期的有薪假期。瑞典及一些歐洲國家更容許父親放最多16個月的有薪假期！

對於一般傳統華人男性來說，男人放產假依然係怪！這是無可厚非的。但若果我地從聖經睇下夫妻間關係之親密，「兩人成為一體」的真理係講緊丈夫與妻子缺一不可，那麼要妻子（特別是開刀生產的那種）一個人獨自面對產後的身體恢複，及對新Baby的照顧，未免有點不負責任。生小孩對於婦女來說，係最痛的一樣經歷之一，無論係生產那刻，產前產後的身體及心靈需要，都是我們男人不能全部明白的。一般的媽媽一生人最多生產幾次，有D仲只會生一個或兩個，丈夫一生人前前後後花幾星期陪伴太太渡過並協助她康復，這實是微不足道的事。

各位主內弟兄，要好好思想及準備將來如何愛及照顧你的太太，好像基督愛教會，為教會捨己一樣。