Dear Supporters of CEDAR,
Poverty and injustice often result in “hopelessness”. One common goal of our projects is to restore hope. That is why I often ask our project participants this question – “What is your dream?”
[ ‘SHARE’ May-Jun 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE
Author: Dr. Mok Chiu Yau (CEDAR China Programme Advisor)
In the OT, Ruth was the very definition of an underprivileged sojourner as she had to leave her home in Moab to Israel, an anti-Moabites community, to take care of her mother-in-law.
[ ‘SHARE’ Mar-Apr 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE
Author: Dr. Bernard Wong (Assistant Professor (Theological Studies) & Associate Dean, China Graduate School of Theology; CEDAR Board Member)
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:24-34)
Jesus taught us to not worry over what to eat, drink, and wear, as God knows and will provide for our needs. He reminded us of our worth compared to birds of the air and flowers of the field, where we shall not have any doubts in God’s provision when even the birds and flowers were fed and clothed. He further reminded us that to worry and work solely for monetary gains is in fact serving money over God.
Continue reading Cared for by the Creation (Matthew 6:24-34)
Dear Friends of CEDAR,
“You are the light of the world… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14 & 16)
Happy Chinese New Year!
[ ‘SHARE’ Jan-Feb 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE
Author: Dr. Chan Nim Chung (CEDAR Board Member)
A common response to Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:11 that we often hear is that, “Why should we prioritize helping the poor over evangelizing?” Such argument has dwindled in recent years (people might just have been too embarrassed to talk about it publicly) until Rick Perry, one of the 2016 US president candidates, Texas’ former head of state, and a conservative Christian, definitively reciprocated the exact thoughts while being interviewed by the Washington Post about the large income gap in Texas. Today we are going to take a closer look into some possible explanations of this verse.
Continue reading The Poor You Will Always Have with You, But…
[7th Week “Micah Sunday” Prayer]
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)
