October 1, 2020As you know, today is the first day of a new month which is an exciting one for children who love to collect candies on Hallowe’en. Last year (or was it the year before?), the event was postponed due to heavy rain. When I flipped the page on my office calendar this morning, I noticed that Hallowe’en is on a Saturday this year. Since there is no hockey this month, there will be one less excuse for parents who might want to take it easy that night. I have many memories of wearing costumes that my father made for me when I was young, including a space outfit and a mailbox. I didn’t know then that I would work in a mailroom for three summers after I finished high school and several years later, I would be going to the post office five days a week, as I joined Global Outreach Mission (now MissionGO) and became involved in the follow-up of a gospel radio ministry. As for space, I love looking at the night sky and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. Aren’t you glad that God made the moon perfectly round, so that perfectionists don’t wonder what is wrong with it, and placed the sun at just the right distance from the Earth so that we don’t burn up or freeze instantly?
Now that we are in a red zone because of a recent surge in cases of COVID-19, some restrictions on being with others have been declared. In checking emails, I was glad to receive a letter from a friend who has been serving in ministry in Asia for many years, after leaving a career at a large company in Montreal. Here is part of what he wrote:
“During this worldwide COVID pandemic, the expression of “Waves” has been used to describe the impact and spread of the virus situation. Every country is going through the different highs/lows of the infection waves. Hong Kong is in the midst of the “Third Wave” in which the number of infections were increasing but have now declined following tighter restrictions.
As Global Workers in Missions, the understanding of “Waves” in missions history has a different meaning. We could say that the “First Wave” of the Christian advance started in Acts on the Day of Pentecost. In our modern times, the “First Wave – Coastlands” would be recognized as the time William Carey, First Protestant missionary, went to India in 1792. The “Second Wave – Inlands” began with the start of inland missions work into the interior of continents with men like David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor and others. The “Third Wave – Unreached Peoples” was marked by the outreach among unreached hidden people groups. Some now say we are in the “Fourth Wave – Global” in which people of all nationalities and ages are reaching out to everyone in the world.”
Many people are experiencing anxiety because of the global pandemic, but believers in Christ can rest in the promises of His Word. Do you know which promise is found in two books of the Old Testament and one in the New Testament? It is the promise that God will never leave us or forsake us – Deuteronomy 31: 6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5.
Scripture for the weekend: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “It is not how much knowledge you have but the choices you make that reveal a heart of wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to go through all of the options and then commit yourself to the right course of action.” – from my friend in Asia
Steve