Back in Canada

It is nice to be back in Canada. It has been an eventful time in my life. I don`t think my grandparents are going live on this side of heaven much longer. They have changed a lot since I last saw them. In someways I am glad I didn`t know about their condition otherwise I would have came back much earlier and wouldn`t have been about to have the change I required.

I am looking forward to being in Canada but I am longing to go back ``home``. I don`t see Canada as my home on this side of heaven. I think it is God who has put this love for my mother country in my heart. There are a lot of problem in my mother country but when I think about the millions of people who do not worship the one true God it greives me. We were made to worship God and it causes me to stay awake at night to think about in the land that is called God`s land or island there are millions who do not worship the one true God but stick and stones or dust.

Being a church with mission and vision

In order to have a church with vision and mission, its members need to have vision and mission. The Bible is clear that a person is either influencing other people or he/she is being influenced. In order to do the former, a person needs to have goals since without a goal a person will person follow the desires of his/her heart and his/her desires which are self-seeking and meaningless (Eccl 2:8-9; Matt 16:26). It is not enough just to have a goal, a person need to set the right goal. According to Proverbs 29:18, the right goal comes from God. Since He does not directly speak to us anymore, we need to find a different method of search out the heart of God. Reading the Bible is a good way of seeking out God’s heart. As we become more and more familiar with His word, the more confident we are in having our desires be His desire.

Although there will be times where we will misread the Bible, we have this assurance: when we make decisions out of our love for Him, things will work out for good (Rom 8:28).God’s calling on is different for each individual but there are some general principals we able to follow. For example, we know that God’s heart is for us to repent so that none of us would perish (Jn 3:16; 2 Pet 3:9). A goal that helped people to repent before God so that they would not come to destruction would be a right goal. 1 Jn 5:14 give us this confidence that we are doing what is right when we are doing God’s will. Therefore, if we have goals that lines up with the principals laid out in Scripture, we would be blessed. When people who are called by God do His will, they will a right vision and mission for their life. A group of Christians who have the vision and mission will help the church be a church with vision and mission.

I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got for myself men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men--concubines very many. So I became great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me and stood by me. (Eccl 2:8-9, Amplified)

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] life [in the kingdom of God]? (Matt 16:26, Amplified)

Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. (Prov 29:18, Amplified)

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. (Rom 8:28, Amplified)

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (Jn
3:16, Amplified)

The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. (2 Pet 3:9, Amplified)

And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. (1 Jn 5:14, Amplified)

Schools are also a mission field

Ever since the beginning of man the human heart and mind has been a place for spiritual battle. Satan knows if he able to manipulate the heart and mind he is able to control whole person. In Gen 1:28-29, God educates humans on the way they are suppose to live but in Gen 3 we see Satan already fighting for the heart and mind. Since neither Adam nor Eva fully trust in God's word, Satan was able to win the battle. Ever since then humans have natural followed the desires of their heart which is self seeking and meaningless (Eccl 2:8-9; Prov 29:18b, NKJV). God knowing this fact sent His only begotten son, Christ Jesus, to redeem the heart and mind so that we can live the life God has intended humans to live. To have the freedom to live this way, humans need to be freed from the fear of punishment so Jesus Christ needed to first restore the human spirit, which has been dead and separated from God ever since the fall of man. When Jesus overcame death and the consequence of being separated from God, he gave this command to his followers,

"All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be)." (Matt 28:18b-20, Amplified)

A lot of times church have emphasized verse 19 but forgot that Jesus' commandment also include verse 20. When Christians think about the Great commission we should not only think about evangelism but also education. If we associate the Great Commission with mission then schools are also missionary fields. Therefore, we should be praying for our teachers and supporting them like how we support missionaries.

My church just went to a country near the border of China for a mission trip to equip teachers and help students have a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having taken Christian Education for 10 days, I see a need to go back to help the teachers over there provide quality education. It is only through quality education people are able to have the skills to live the life God has intended.

Is there a problem with how we are education our children/students?

Is there a problem when there is only 3% of the population in Hong Kong "Christian"? I think so. Parents are paying good money so that their children could be equipped for life but this can only happen when their children come to saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If a person wanted to make use all the features in a particular cell phone, he/she would need to get in contact with the manufacturer to find out what the features are and how to use the phone. Having foresight the manufacture has already written a user manual so that by reading it people would know how to use its phone. The same is true for life. God has also left us a user manual, the Bible, so that we are able live life to its fullest. We know this fact because according to 2 Tim 3:17, the purpose of the Bible is equipping the man God to be thoroughly equipped for life.

Like the cell phone's user manual, there are certain prerequisite be the user is able to understand the user manual. For the Bible one need to be a man of God. What does it mean to be a man of God? When Adam and Eve sinned, they and their offspring became spiritual dead and hence separated from God. According to John 3:5-6 we need to be born again in order to be man of God. Therefore, teachers need to help students to be reborn so that their students can be men and of women of God.

If teachers are suppose to help students to know God, they would need to have a method. The user manual God has given to man is also a teacher's manual. 2 Tim 3:16 states this very clearly. God word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteous which are the duties of teachers. Therefore, if teachers study this manual they will know what and how to teach.

Studying God’s Word will give teachers the teaching method and curriculum they need to teach. Teachers will find out that they need to help their students become God’s children before their students can be fully equipped with the skills required to live life to its fullest which is the goal of teachers.

Are we exasperating our students/children?

According to the report done by Education Commission (EC), the reformed education system would have no-losers in the classroom. However, teachers in Hong Kong tend to assess and reward their students based on their achievement. For example, teacher rank their students and the top 3 students are only ones who get the praise of the teacher, which may cause the other students to feel like failures. Therefore, to truly create an environment that produces no-losers we need to change the way teachers assess and reward their students. Jesus Christ was the greatest educator. He was able to take 12 ordinary people and changed their lives in such a way that they spent their lives spreading the teachings of Christ. If we, as educators, follow Jesus’ teaching method, we would not only be achieving what the Education commission has set out in its report but also impact our students’ lives the way Jesus impacted his disciples. Hence, an important question to answer is how did Christ create such a dramatic change in these people's lives?

The Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30 gives a glimpse into what Christ did with His disciple to create such a drastic change. In this parable, there is a master who was going on a journey but before he left, he entrusted his three servants with 5 talents, 2 talents and 1 talent respectively. On his return each servant presented the investment and the money they had gain. The servants who receive 5 and 2 talents presented 10 and 4 talents whereas the other servant just present the talent he was given.  The servants, who double their master's money, were praised for being a good and faithful servant; however, the other servant was rebuked for being wicked and lazy.  The master did not care about how much he had gain but the attitudes of his servants.    I believe Jesus did the same thing with His disciples. He praised them for their attitude and not the results of their work. In Mark 6:7-32, Jesus sent His disciples to tell people they should repent and on their return they report what they had done.  However, Jesus didn’t praise them at all but ask them to go to a secluded place and rest for while since there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

The Hong Kong students are motivated to get the A. However, traditionally an A emphasized student’s achievement but if we change the meaning of A to represent student’s attitude then we can have the whole class receiving As. We could have a letter grade follow by a number where the letter grade represents the student’s attitude and the number represents student’s performance (A – great attitude; B – average attitude; C – poor attitude; 1 – knows 80% or more of the material; 2 – knows 70% or more of the material; 3 – knows 60% or more of the material; 4- knows 50% or more of the material and 5 – knows less than 50% of the material). For example, a bright student will a poor attitude would get a C1 and a low achieving student who has a great attitude would get an A4.

With this system of grading we would not only be creating a class with no-losers but also training students to have an important life skill, which is also part of EC’s report on how the new Hong Kong’s education system should bring.
   

My Ultimate Goal in life and the way I live

What God will say:

²²After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'

~ Acts 13:22 (NASB)

When I appear before God's throne I would like Him to be able to say, "I HAVE FOUND ALBERT the son of Alexander, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.

What I will be able to be able to say about myself:

⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

~ 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB)

At my death bed I want to be able that I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

How I want to live my life each day:

²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. ~ 2 Timothy 4:2

The way I want to live my life is to be ready in season and out of season; preach the word; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Praise God from whom all blessing flows

I have finally got my teaching certificate. Now comes the important question what is next. What bugs me the most now a days is not looking stupid while waiting for God's answers. Actually I'm at peace with the fact that I might need to move back to Canada for a time period until I am able to support myself. My prayer is I would return as an adult - able to plan, able to manage the resources God has given me (time, money, relationships).