If all of that is contained in the characters of what we would call one "word", what a wonderful language it must be. The lesson, as you have laid it out is the heart and core of the Gospel message to all mankind, regardless of race or language. Thank  you for using this wonderful example to teach of the perfect sacrifice of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Your post reminded me of what I write below, which I consider a high point in my life.

Twenty years ago I had the privilege of working with a brilliant Chinese scientist who had been a professor of Plasma Physics at the University of Beijing. His name was Wu Cheng and we became very close during the time he and I worked together at a remote research site in Alaska. His English was poor and he felt a need to learn the language better so that he could communicate better with our staff and researchers. This resulted in my offering to teach him English and he, in return would teach me Chinese. lol...the result was a 50% success rate, he learned English and I failed in Chinese miserably.

But through our friendship we became close friends, with him visiting my house for dinners and casual conversation about each others lives. He was able to teach me many things in regard to Chinese culture and I was able to do the same for him. I have had very few friends in this life that were as close as he and I became. This friendship and mutual sharing of cultural differences and similarities led him to become extremely interested in my life as a Christian and Christianity in general. He attended church with me on Sundays as well as mid-week services.

In our time together we had many many opportunities to not only talk about my faith, but to actually hold Bible studies, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Before long his interest in my religion and walk with our Lord bore fruit. Our friendship, his keen interest in Christianity, as well as his professional thirst for truth as a scientist, was the mechanism that God used to bring him to Christ. His conversion was very obvious to me; he developed an insatiable thirst for God's Word as well as a burning desire to be able to take God's word to the Chinese people once he returned to China. He spent a lot of time devising ways to be able to bring Bibles back with him when he finally had to return to China.

I thank God for the opportunity to use a working environment to develop a friendship resulting in the salvation of a soul that had never heard the Gospel message. Wu Cheng went to be with our Lord shortly after his return to China. I will miss him here, but rejoice that our parting is but for a short time. We will renew our friendship and fellowship once again in the land that is fairer than day, for death has given way to victory. 

Jim,

Thank you for your testimony concerning your relationship with Wu Cheng. We are very thankful that you were able to led him to a salvation experience with the Lord Jesus. Sometimes, as with Wu Cheng, due to their background, culture, religion, ancestor worship, and other situations, their salvation experience is often dramatic and life changing.

It was also a blessing to hear that your personal relationship with Wu Cheng was a blessing in your heart and life. I am sure that you were a blessing to Wu Cheng as he was to you. A Christian Chinese as a friend is a wonderful blessing.

Chinese is a very hard language to learn: both spoken and written. Deep within the history of the Chinese race is the work of God among them to bring them to Christ. Although written Chinese is a complex language; as you said, it is a wonderful language, and God has His hand in it in order to show His love to the Chinese race. In eternity we will understand the work of God in all of the races of the world and spend eternity renewing friendships as you had with Wu Cheng.

I am sure that all of us enjoyed hearing your testimony.

Alan

Hope you enjoy the music.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-ddc-linuxmint&hsimp=yhs-linuxmint&hspart=ddc&p=youtube+free+christian+music+classical#id=1&vid=f284b64cd1294984d5fc44fab48ef721&action=click

A Ranch in the Colorado Mountains near Guffey, Colorado

Linux - GIMP 2.8

Photo by Alan

May the Lord bless all of you.

Alan

Thank you for the Chinese lesson as well as the teaching, brother Alan.

And brother Jim, What a wonderful joy to have been used of the Lord to help lead Wu Cheng to salvation in Jesus! It's been a while since I have felt that thrill of exhilaration and pure joy that we get when someone isn't just interested, but actually believes and accepts Christ, even more when they (as had did) has the desire to evangelize his Chinese friends and family. (And as you said, his thirst for God's word being insatiable, you knew he truly had come to Christ). While there have been several people take an interest in God's word lately as I witness to the unsaved world, sadly, they are soon "turned off" (so to speak) when they find out that God isn't going to guarantee to grant their every wish nor fix all their worldly problems. 

I spent a good deal of time answering (with scripture) questions from a secular  friend. She had (sadly) been watching a TV evangelist and was under the belief she would be healed and receive riches and prosperity in this life if she found a "prayer partner" to "pray in agreement" with her. It angers me greatly the harm that these false teachers and wolves have done. It was rather a long ordeal trying to deprogram her. And so I first started with the gospel. Sadly, she wanted to SKIP that.... and as you know we can't do that. Over the course of a few weeks, I then also explained to her that God doesn't work like waving a wand over us and fixing all our problems here on earth... but rather I took her to the scripture pertaining to eternal rewards instead. There is much more to this account, but in a short summation she really wasn't interested in eternal salvation, she (sadly) still was of the belief she is a "good person", even though I'd used much scripture to explain to her that we are all sinners in need of a savior, and all our good works of what we call righteousness are like filthy rags to God. I explained Rom.3:10 to her, and many others. I also explained that Jesus was the one and only acceptable propitiation (payment) for our sins, etc.  She just wanted interested... she wanted immediate gratification, and all her worldly problems fixed "right now". She'd been brainwashed by the TV evangelist into believing if she just had someone to "pray in agreement" with her, all her worldly woes would be over :(   She wanted immediate health and wealth... she didn't want to admit she was a sinner in need of  savior, and there are no short-cuts to that! She wasn't willing to believe that Jesus died for her sins, was buried and rose the third day (1 Cor.15:1-4), in fact as long as she still thinks she is a "good person", it's not likely she will see her need for salvation at all, no matter the scriptural warnings. 

And that is one of the "better" experience I've had of late... most often I am cussed out, threatened, given "facebook jail" (24-72 hour bans) for posting Bible verses that offends anyone, and mocking... always the mocking from those who believe their "god" is false science (1 Tim.6:20). I truly hope it is not this way for everyone, and that there are still some coming to Christ in the world. These are truly the perilous last days forewarned of in 2 Tim.3:1-7,13. Not just that, but a marked increase in those whom God Himself has turned over to a reprobate mind (Rom.1:18-32).  Receptivity of the unsaved is at an all time low that I've ever seen in my lifetime. And hostility towards the gospel, or even any of God's word, is also increasing greatly. Nonetheless I will keep posting the gospel and scripture to the unsaved world in the places they most need to hear it, it may be that I plant or water, and it's up to God whether there be an increase. 

Maranatha!

Ronda,

Thank you very much for your comments. It is a blessing to my heart to know that the devotion was a blessing to you.

I also appreciate your dedication in trying to bring others to Christ and His righteousness. As you stated, so many in the Charismatic Movement (the leaders and the followers),  as so caught up in emotions, seeking wealth, health, and the things of the world, they miss the eternal blessings of salvation and the righteousness of Christ.

Keep up the good work in witnessing; in person and online.

As always, I do enjoy your comments and testimony on how the Lord is using you in these last days.

May the Lord bless and keep you.

Alan and the Mrs.

Chinese, to me, is the most difficult language to learn in the entire world; not to mention the variety of dialects such as Mandarin, Cantonese, etc. I'm thrilled that more churches are being planted in China, and I have seen them prosper mightily in the Lord.

God Bless!

It is exciting to see how in these last days the Lord is working among the Chinese people.

On 9/18/2017 at 9:10 AM, Jim_Alaska said:

If all of that is contained in the characters of what we would call one "word", what a wonderful language it must be.

I have seen the beauty and depth in Hebrew ,   where much more Yahweh's Life is Revealed, Present, Conveyed, as the Father in Heaven Reveals to little children.  Some things difficult or argued about in English,  became perfectly simple truth in Hebrew, when read and God Gave Understanding as His Word Says He Delights To Do.

"The Lord Jesus was sinless and totally righteous. A Chinese proverb says,「義刑於色」Translated, that means, “Righteousness manifested in one's appearance.”"

This may be of note - the underground, persecuted, martyrs in the house churches/meetings in China were almost the only ones I've ever heard of or read about or met

who lived totally changed lives abiding in Jesus the 'same' as did the Apostles and disciples and ekklesia (set apart ones) in the first century/ in Scripture described with God's Revealed Description. 

They lived such lives that "without a word" observers of their remarkably different lives were converted to be born again believers.   To be converted for them, to be born again,  also meant and still means today a potential beating, arrest, imprisonment, and executions.  They , the ekklesia in China,  knew this before being converted,  and chose to repent and be immersed in Jesus' Name instead of pretending to be saved quietly so their hearts were indeed and in truth circumcised by the Father in heaven in a circumcision not made with hands.  They received a brand new heart and He created in them a clean spirit (i.e. re King David, a man after God's Own Heart).