HOW TRUE JESUS CHURCH CAN FLOURISH IN SOUTH-EAST
ASIA
Thanks to the grace of our Lord
for giving me the opportunity to work in South-East Asia recently. From what I
observed there are good mission fields throughout South-East Asia. If these
fields are well cultivated, the harvest will be plentiful. Using “How True
Jesus Church can flourish in South-East Asia’
as the title, I would like to write briefly on the impression of my work and to
give suggestions for future expansions as follows:
(1) More attention should be given to Religious Education
Childhood life is a stage of flexibility.
In whatever way we want a child to be, he will be. During this period, if we
are able to train him up with a firm foundation in faith, then even when he is
old he will not depart from it (Prov 22: 6). The reason why Timothy had such
good faith was the result of the faith of his mother and grandmother who taught
him the sacred writings when he was young (2 Tim 1: 5; 3: 15).
If the churches in South-East Asia
were to prosper, the youths in the region should be conscious of their
responsibilities, and such responsibilities are to teach and guide the younger
generation (Ps 78: 2—7), and to set up a proper Religious Education System.
Otherwise, the churches will surely decline.
(2) More youths should be encouraged to join the missionary service
When Jesus Christ was preaching on
earth, He saw that many people were troubled and helpless like sheep without a
shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the
labourers are few’ (Mt 9:36, 37). The lack of workers has been the case in the
past and the condition is particularly so now, especially for the present
churches in South-East Asia. It is indeed a
regrettable state of affairs.
There are many mission fields in South-East Asia urgently waiting to be tilled. The
existing churches themselves need to be nurtured carefully. Encouragements
should be given to the youths so as to build up their determination in offering
themselves to serve the Lord. One way of doing this is to send them to the
Theological Seminary in Taiwan
for training to become missionary workers.
The organisation of the Church
should be strengthened
The church is the body of Christ
and we are individually members of it (Col
1: 24; 1 Cor 12: 27). Though the members are many, there is only one body. As
such, the whole body should unite properly in the Holy Spirit with all the
joints working according to their respective functions so as to upbuild the
body of Christ (Eph 4: 12, 16). Though the churches in South-East
Asia have their organisation, nevertheless it is not without
flaws. Some regions do not have a leading body, so each church administers its
own affairs without any co-ordination with the other churches, thus hampering
the progress of the church immensely. The South-East Asian churches should
therefore strengthen their church organization.
(4) The workers should work in one
accord for the Gospel
Unity is strength. The Bible says,
“A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccles 4: 12). One’s sacrifice will
add to the strength to work in one accord for the Lord. Even Satan knows the
importance of unity. That is why he and his devils are never divided among
themselves (Mt 12: 25, 26).
If the churches in South-East Asia
were to prosper, every one must work with the same mind, in humility and with
the same mind as Christ Jesus (Phil 2: 2—5) and to strive side by side for the
faith of the gospel (Phil 1: 27). Otherwise the church will anchor in a
paralytic position in which prosperity can never be achieved.
