FROM THE HEART OF ERIC FUNG / Executive Director, Asian Outreach Malaysia

GOD USES US DISPITE OUR FLAWS

This year has been a gruelling year for me as I was required to travel the length and breadth of the country to minister in the local churches. Driving outstation during my younger days was something I looked forward to but when age catches up I find it stressful as it saps my energy and for longer distances I have to make several stops . The field trips are demanding due to the harsh environments and the ministry problems and as I reflect over the years I can truly say: ‘Only God’s grace has seen me through.’ The only reason I am able to do what I have been doing for the last 30 years is through God’s strength and love for the unsaved from the injustice they are suffering and the poor. The other motivating factor is that God has given me all of you to give me moral and prayer support. In this 30 years  I have seen thousands upon thousands come to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and many more lives have been reached, touched and transformed in the their spiritual, physical and mental being.

I returned from Cambodia on the 24^th of October and while there I fell ill with high fever, chills and body aches. The programmes for my visit had already been arranged so I could not cancel and had to carry on though all I wanted was to get back to bed. Even after my return I continued to be ill and on the 2^nd November I was hospitalised for three days to treat a lung infection. Praise God I have fully recovered. My spirit is ready to scale new mountains but my body is dragging its feet. In my course of reading I came across this short story that inspired and encouraged me. No matter what our circumstances are, God will always find a way to use us for His kingdoms glory, if we are willing.

Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”

A water bearer in India carried water daily in two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water while the crack pot always ended up half full only.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After some time, feeling like a failure the crack pot spoke to the water bearer: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The bearer smiled and said to the pot: “Did you notice that there were flowers on your side of the path but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Never doubt your value to God and how you can be His vessel, no matter how ‘cracked’ you appear to be. You know most of our foot soldiers are lowly educated man and women, simple in their ways and live simple lives. They live by faith, that God will provide their every need for their family and ministry. What sets these men and women apart is their faith in God and their desire to serve Him? They do not focus on what they lack but are fully focused on what God has called them to do.

God has been so faithful to them and the miracles, signs and wonders they have experienced is simply amazing. Now with the rise in persecution it cannot be easy for them but they have never once complaint or grumble that life is too hard or they want to give up. 

Our foot soldier in India, Ps Praveen encountered a lot of trouble with a villager who hated Christians. He would constantly shout at Ps Praveen whenever he saw him, even walking on the street to curse and swear at him. He vowed to drive Ps Praveen and his family out of the village. Ps Praveen never answered back or retaliated in any way, but would pray for this man while he was being shouted at and cursed. The man never saw anger or hate in the Pastor’s eyes and slowly he began to change and became curious to know the God Ps Praveen loved and served, the God that teaches tolerance and love. It spoke volumes to this man who would expect anyone who was being tormented to either retaliate or leave. Today that man has accepted Jesus and Ps Praveen was overjoyed to baptize him. 

Ps John Ramesh whose ministry is reaching out to the special peoples group in India must have often felt how he could, a simple villager, reach out to people so entombed in their own faith. He has seen their stand with regards to their faith and how extreme they were, not only in India but all over the world. He read about the atrocities they were doing all in the name of religion, he wondered how he was going to save them. He knew he had a daunting task ahead of him but he was determined to do it.

 One day he met a man at the bus stop from this special peoples group. He looked extremely upset and worried. Ps John felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to reach out to this man and he did. The man, his name was Khadhar, poured out his heart to Ps John. He married his daughter to a young man a few months ago and had to give a dowry to the young man’s family, as was the custom. He was unable to fulfil that promise of a dowry and his daughter was sent back to him and his family. This was a terrible shame for his family and he still had a younger daughter yet to marry. He was just too poor to provide his daughters with a dowry and this was a heavy burden for him.

Ps John shared with him about Jesus and prayed with him challenging him to pray to Jesus and believe that Jesus would help him. There and then Khadhar began to pray and ask Jesus to come into his life and help his family. Ps John kept meeting him and praying with him. Within a week his son-in-law came to the house to take his wife back home. He assured the father that he loved his daughter and no dowry was necessary. The father could hardly believe it.  A week later a family approached him for the hand of his youngest daughter and they also told him that a dowry was not necessary. That day Khadhar gave his heart to Jesus because he knew that God had worked a miracle for him.

Powerful testimonies like these about the miracles that come from God and how people are witnessing first the reality of the Kingdom of God, more and more are accepting Christ.  These Foot Soldiers greatest desire is to be used by the Lord to bring in a great harvest of souls and to give God all the glory. God can use anyone for fulfilling His purpose, if that person chooses to be useful to Him. God has blessed everyone with one talent or the other. Some have the gift of being a listener, encourager, writer, prayer warrior or financial supporter for the Lord’s work but we must be willing vessels.

As I mentioned before not all of us are called to preach or go to the mission fields. Some are given the task to pray and others the privilege to give and support the work of the Kingdom. Whatever we are called to do, let us do it with a willing heart and out of love for our Saviour.

Rom:10:14 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”