God of the City….

Welcome to Morning Muster, Warriors.

Status Brief: while we were sleeping….
2280 seconds later… our 4 men and 3 ladies reached one of their final destinations. Eager and full… living the mission. I am not sure if the luggage arrived, but nevertheless, sleeves are rolled up, armor on and excitement is building. God has prepared them for this journey. So it is only fitting that we acknowledge His sovereignty in this matter.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.

The climate of this city is humid and subtropical with plentiful precipitation, receiving 66 inches of annual rainfall! The winters are short, relatively dry, and mild. It is winter now with a current temperature of 68 degrees with partly sunny skies. Winter is bridal season! Many young women take advantage of the cool and mild temperatures and plan for winter nuptials.

The city itself is an old city inhabited since 3000 BC. It is the capital city and is one of the main cultural centers , where many dynasties have left their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Approximately 2.6 million people live in this city and of those people, there are 1.5 million working-age people. It is the city which has the highest qualified labor force with skillful occupations. Moreover, the people who live in this city are young, very young with the average age being 27 years old.

Many of the major universities are located in this city. Students from other provinces wishing to enter university often travel to here for the annual entrance examination. Such events often take place in June and July, during which a large number of students and their families converge on the city for several weeks around this intense examination period. In recent years, these entrance exams have been centrally coordinated, but passing marks are decided independently by each university.

The city is beautiful and is a city between rivers, built from lowland. It has many scenic lakes and it is sometimes called “city of lakes”. The Old Quarter, near a particular lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old city. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties can be found here. There is a night market in the heart of the district that opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.

As you can see, this city has much opportunity. Since most of the people who live here are young, eager to practice English, it is a rich environment for the gospel and therefore much is at stake. Please pray this passage today. Yes, it is rather long and a stretch, but the Spirit will assist and show us where to focus our prayers for the team. Tip** If you post the passage in a prominent place, God will bring it to mind and it will be handy for meditation. 😉

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak; knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God. Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” ( 2 Corinthians 4: 1-18).