Grubb Mission Report - January 2016

“Happy New Year”

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ,

Chestnut Mountain, Georgia USA

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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT

HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!

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A Review of 2015 Mission Trips and 2016 Plans

      It has been a good year of helping to carry the gospel to the world. I made my 55-58th mission trips during 2015. I started out by going to New Zealand and working with a number of congregations on the north island and speaking at the annual camp. Depending on the desires of the congregations in New Zealand, I will be willing to make another trip there in 2017. In May and June, I traveled to Singapore and Malaysia for a major effort in the city of Kampar. A very successful campaign was accomplished there. The other major effort was the 10th Annual Asian Bible Lectureship. During the month of September, I made my regular annual trip to Taiwan to work with the churches there. A typhoon almost prevented me from getting off of the island on time. Another highlight of the year was my first trip to China since 2003. I spent almost all of my time in Shanghai with one trip to Anhui province.

      Much good was accomplished in these trips with a number of baptisms and brethren being built up in the Faith.

      The current plan for 2016 is to make three mission trips to Indonesia/Malaysia (May-June), Taiwan/China (Sept.-Oct.), and in Nov.-Dec. to Singapore/Malaysia.

UPDATE ON MY MOTHER

      My mother continues to live in a nursing home in Terre Haute. She has to have 24/7 care. Because of the stroke she had in August, she has now lost all of her short-term memory. You can send cards to: Barbara Grubb, 1716 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. Please continue to remember her in prayer.

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Remember the Lost

      In the history of America we have been urged to remember many things. In 1836 it was “Remember the Alamo!” In 1898 it was “Remember the Maine!” In 1941 it was “Remember Pearl Harbor!” We remember war, family, birthdays, etc. Remembering is part of our lives.

      The word, remember, is also found in the Bible. It is used 237 times in God’s Word. The Bible urges people to remember. The Jews were urged to remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8), deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 13:3), and the law of God (Numbers 15:39). Christians are encouraged to remember the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection (l Corinthians 11:23-26), and the truth (2 Peter 1:12; 2 Timothy 2:14; Jude 3).

      We must remember the lost! Why did Jesus come to this earth? “To seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10; Matthew 1:21). That was His mission and it must be ours. We need to remember the lost souls who live just blocks from the church building and those in the far reaches of our world who have never heard the gospel. We must remember that all souls are important in the sight of God (1 Timothy 2:4). We need to remember the lost!

      A new Christian once asked me why there are not more missionaries in Asia helping to preach the gospel to the Chinese people. When she asked that question I thought of those who wanted to come, but couldn’t find enough people to send them. I thought of others who need to come, but who still have not come. How would you answer this question? I tried, but my answer seemed feeble. Yes brethren, we must remember the lost. They are waiting for us to find them and throw them the lifeline so that they might be saved. Will you help? JMG.

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Materials Available

       There are sixty Chinese lessons currently posted on YouTube. You can access them at: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheCoJC. I update my Facebook page all the time. Be sure to check my Facebook wall for pictures and news about my trips and activities. Be sure to check out my website: www.grubbchinese.org. http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com is my blog address. I post my monthly report there too.

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

2016

Jan. 17 AM. College Rd.

             PM. Attending Beville Rd.

Jan. 19-20 Attending FSOP Lectures

April – WVBS

May 4 – June 6 – Indonesia/CABL

   Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, Manado, Lampung

   Batam

   Malacca, Malaysia

September/October – Taiwan – China

Nov. – Dec. – Singapore/Malaysia

   Attending Four Seas College Lectures

   Section 17

   Subang Jaya

   Kota Kemuning

2018

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

If anyone would like for me to come and give a report of my work,

I would be happy to schedule it.

– John M. Grubb

Grubb Mission Report is a monthly publication under the oversight of

Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, P.O. Box 7450,

Chestnut Mountain, GA 30502, USA

Email addresses:jmgrubb@yahoo.com, guyuehan@earthlink.net

Cell: (678) 538-7601

Chinese Website: http://www.grubbchinese.org

Grubb Mission Report December 2015

 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, P.O. Box 7450 Chestnut Mountain, Georgia 30502 USA
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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
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Trip to China and Taiwan

      On October 29, 2015, I began my 58th mission trip. This trip included three cities in China and a lectureship in Taiwan. I had a good trip from Atlanta to Shanghai. B.X. met me at the airport and got me to the hotel for my first three nights in China.

      On Saturday morning, I taught a lesson on the principles of obedience as it applies to New Testament music. After lunch, I had the opportunity to go and walk along the Bund, which is next to the Whang Pu River, something I have wanted to do for many years. On Saturday evening, I worked on getting tests ready for the first week of classes.

      On my first Sunday in China, I started out in the west part of Shanghai. There were about 35-40 who were present for the morning worship. I had met some of the brethren there at the Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship in Malaysia. In the afternoon, brother X took me over to the east side of Shanghai for the afternoon worship service there. This is also the location for the school where I taught for a month. I spoke to about twenty people at the afternoon service.

      On Monday morning, I made a final stroll along the Bund before making the move to the school location, where I would stay during the week while teaching my classes. There were four students who attended the classes each day. A normal day was two and a half hours in the morning, then three hours in the afternoon. The evening was left open for Bible studies and additional class time. The very first night I was at the school location, I began a study with the parents of one of the members there.

      On Tuesday morning, after walking and eating breakfast, we began classes. They were from 9-11:30 in the morning, then 2-5 in the afternoon. I had my second Bible study with the husband and wife on Tuesday night.

      The day on Wednesday started out about the same way. The only difference was instead of three hours in the afternoon, we only studied two hours to allow the students to do their cleaning of the apartment. The Bible study with the Chinese couple continued Wednesday night.

      We only had class on Thursday morning. The afternoon was reserved for review for the test on Thursday evening. On Thursday evening, the students took their first two tests. They did quite well.

      On Friday after lunch, I went back over to the other side of Shanghai for a Friday night class, a Saturday morning class, and Sunday morning worship. The class on Friday night is with members of a third congregation in the city. There were thirteen present for the Friday class and six were present for the Saturday class.

      On Sunday morning, I was back to the west side for the second time. After preaching there, I headed back to the east side for afternoon services and to get ready for a new week of teaching classes in the school. I also had a Bible study on Sunday night. Through the first ten days here in Shanghai, I had already taught thirty hours. I had good response to my lessons through the first week.

      The second week was a continuation of the first week of teaching. I also was conducting a Bible study four nights a week with a couple who lived nearby and their daughter is already a Christian. I also had the privilege to teach a Bible class on Friday night and speak at two different congregations on Sunday.

      The first two weeks the weather also cooperated. It did rain occasionally, but it was not too cold. As I started the third week, the warm-ish weather continued to hold. However, it would not hold through the whole trip. During the last week I was in Shanghai there were three days of really cold weather.

      Some observations so far: a lot of horn honking here in Shanghai. It reminds me of Taiwan back in the 1980’s. There are a lot different phrases used in Shanghai that are not used in Taiwan. The brethren have been very good to me during the trip. I try to return the favor. I have not had much time to sightsee, but I hope to spend the last Saturday afternoon in a tour of the city.

      Week Three classes began on November 16th. I continued to teach the materials I had prepared for the four week period. During the third week I was not able to conduct a private Bible study with the couple I had been studying with. The daughter had to have surgery, so they were not able to attend. On Wednesday evening we went to the hospital to visit her before her operation. We visited with her and her parents.

      After class on Thursday, I headed back to the west side to get ready to head to Anhui for the weekend to visit with G.J. and his wife, L. That night I had the opportunity to conduct a Bible study with two people, one of which was very close to becoming a Christian. B.X. went with me on the weekend trip. Both of us taught on Saturday and Sunday.

      It was a seven hour train trip to Anhui. G met us at the airport and took us to the hotel. (G told us in just 10 days the bullet train would go from Shanghai to Anhui – only about three hours instead of seven.) Then we had dinner with G, L, a member of the congregation and some friends who are studying the Bible.

      On Saturday morning, G took B and me to breakfast before going to his house for a morning Bible study. I taught for about two and one half hours to about twelve people. In the afternoon, we were able to see some of the sites in Anhui, including the Yangtze River. In the evening, we had dinner with some of the members.

      On Sunday morning, B and I had breakfast and then headed for G and L’s house for morning Bible study and worship. There were about sixteen present for Bible Study and worship. B spoke at the Bible study hour and I spoke for worship. Right after worship, we headed for the train station to catch our train back to Shanghai. After about a six hour trip, we had dinner together with brother K.

      On Monday morning, I headed back to the east side for my last four days of teaching in the school. Brother K went with me to the school on that morning to visit with the students. The last week included teaching the last two topics and giving the last tests of the course. I was fortunate to teach four students during the weeks I was there – brethren W, C, and C, as well as sister J.

      Tuesday and Wednesday were the last two days of teaching the students. I finished up the rest of the materials I had prepared for the month of lessons. I gave them the morning of the last day to prepare for the two tests on Thursday afternoon. After the tests were completed and graded, I took all of my luggage back over to the other side of town for the long weekend before heading for Taiwan on Monday.

      I was privileged to attend the two Bible studies on Friday and teaching the night class. I also taught the one on Saturday, and then attended my last two worship services in Shanghai on Sunday. On Sunday morning, we had two baptisms. I had a small part in both of them. Also, there were two dinners for my departure on Sunday. It was also a privilege to be here for a month and be able to meet and try to help so many Christians.

      On Monday morning, brother X took me to the airport to board my plane to Taiwan. We rode the mega train that traveled from Shanghai to the International Airport in seven minutes. The top speed was 431 kph (about 269 mph). After arriving in Taiwan, I took the bus to the High Speed Rail Station and took it to Taichung. Brother Yo met me at the station.

      On Tuesday morning, we had a Bible study with a young lady who had been attending for a long time. She had some questions and we were able to answer them and baptize her into Christ. On Thursday afternoon, I spoke at the Assisted Living Home. The lectureship was Friday through Sunday. I spoke on Sunday morning. There was good attendance with about 50 attending each day.

      On Monday morning, I headed back to the states via Tokyo. I arrived safely and on-time. Thanks for all your prayers. 

      If anyone would like for me to come and give a report of my work, I would be happy to schedule it.    

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UPDATE ON MY MOTHER

TERRE HAUTE, IN: My mother is living in a nursing home in Terre Haute. She has to have 24/7 care. Her vitals are all good and she recognizes all the family. You can send cards to: Barbara Grubb, 1716 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. Please remember her in prayer. During the month of November, mom had difficulties with her kidneys and was in the hospital for several days. At this writing is doing OK.

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

2016

April – WVBS
May 5 – June 7 – Indonesia/CABL
   Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, Manado, Lampung
   Batam
   Malacca, Malaysia
September/October – Taiwan – China
Nov. – Dec.  – Singapore/Malaysia
   Four Seas College Lectures
   Section 17
   Subang Jaya
   Kota Kemuning

2018

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

– John M. Grubb

Grubb Mission Report - November 2015


“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia USA
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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
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NOTE: This report is being sent early because I leave for China and Taiwan on October 29th. I am scheduled to return home on December 7th. Your prayers are appreciated. JMG.

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WORKING AMONG THE CHINESE (2)
John M. Grubb

 

NOTE: In the September 2015 issue, we started an article on this subject. We talked about why Christianity is resisted. Please remember, most of the world has never been exposed to real New Testament Christianity. Here is the other part of the article. JMG.

 

HOW TO MEET THIS OPPOSITION

 

     In order to overcome these obstacles there are several things that we can and must do. 

 

1.  No compromise is possible. Over the years many religious groups have compromised with the philosophies and practices of Chinese tradition and religion. If we compromise, we have negated all our efforts. One of the comments we often hear is: “Other churches say it is OK to worship ancestors, so why don’t you?”

 

2.  Teach the Bible, not Americanism. We do not work among the Chinese to turn them into Americans. We are trying to turn them into Christians. If the traditions and practices of the local people do not violate the Word of God, we do not try to change them. We need to make it clear that our purpose is to simply preach the gospel of Christ.

 

3.  Unity. We know that division keeps many people from paying attention to the gospel just as Jesus said it would (John 17:20-22).  One of the most frequent questions we are asked is:  “Why are there so many different churches?”  Yet, even in our own country, there are people who encourage new denominations.  One lady said that if you don’t like what is going on in the church you attend, start your own!  We need to encourage unity not only among members of the church, but also to encourage those who are in the denominations to leave those man-made churches and cleave to the church for which Jesus gave His life.

 

4.  Large workforce. There is no question that more workers will make our efforts more successful among the Chinese people. This has been a big problem and will apparently continue to be a major problem in our work among the Chinese people in the coming years. We need more workers to have a part in this work. Until we have a large workforce among the Chinese people, we will not be able to do as much in reaching the local people.

 

5.  Time. The meaning of this point is patience.  Chinese are very patient people. They do not think in terms of days, months, or years. They think in terms of generations. They are not worried about the next year or two, but about their great-great grandchildren. We are not going to be able to make a great impact in just a few years. It is going to take many, many years to have an impact on this society. One of the most difficult things for our brethren to understand is that we cannot just spend a couple of years and establish a self-supporting work. It just will not happen in the work among the Chinese. It is a much slower process. It takes time.

 

CONCLUSION

 

     It has been the purpose of this article to help brethren to better understand what is involved in trying to preach the gospel to the Chinese people. Our task is not an impossible one (Philippians 4:13). This earth has over 1.4 billion Chinese people living on it. Every one of them needs to hear the gospel message. It is up to us to see that they have that opportunity.

 

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UPDATE ON MY MOTHER

 

TERRE HAUTE, IN: My mother is living in a nursing home in Terre Haute. She has to have 24/7 care. Her vitals are all good and she recognizes all the family. You can send cards to: Barbara Grubb, 1716 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. Please remember her in prayer.

 

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Materials Available

 

There are sixty Chinese lessons currently posted on YouTube. You can access them at: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheCoJC. I update my Facebook page all the time. Be sure to check my Facebook wall for pictures and news about my trips and activities. Be sure to check out my website: www.grubbchinese.org. http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com is my blog address. I post my monthly report there too.

 

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

 

2016

 

May 5 – June 7 – Indonesia/CABL

September – Taiwan

Nov. – Dec.  – Singapore/Malaysia  

   Four Seas College Lectures  

   Section 17  

   Subang Jaya  

   Kota Kemuning

 

2018

 

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

 

– John M. Grubb

Grubb Mission Report - October 2015

TAIWAN TRIP

      On September 8th, I departed on my 57th overseas mission trip.  Happily, the trip was uneventful and I arrived safely in Taiwan after traveling for about 21 hours. Brother Jao picked me up at the airport and took me to William and Yolanda Chen’s apartment.

      After a pretty good night’s sleep on Wednesday, we went around town on Thursday morning taking care of some things I needed to get done to begin my time in Taiwan. Later in the day we went to visit with students to invite them to the gospel meeting we were conducting in their school building. We also enjoyed a meal with some of William’s friends. On Saturday afternoon, we begin a two day gospel meeting at a new location in Tucheng. William is hoping to begin a new work there in the future. There were 20 people present for the service that afternoon. On Sunday morning, we had Bible study and worship at William and Yolanda’s house. There were some regulars who were not able to attend, so they number of those who attended was quite small. After eating potluck – Chinese style, we went back to Tucheng for the second session of the gospel meeting. We did not have as many in attendance, but still had some visitors to attend.

      On my last day in Taipei, brother Jao, the Chens, and me went to Yeliu Geo Park in Keelung. In all the years I lived and visited Taiwan, I had never been to this place. We hiked up to a gazebo at the top of a hill. There was a fantastic view of the harbor and the ocean.

      On Tuesday morning, I boarded a train for Hualien – a two hour train ride. Brother and sister Wang met me at the train station and we took the luggage to the church building then went to lunch. After lunch, we went to make a few visits in the city.

      During the night and into the early hours of Wednesday, a small earthquake woke me up. That is the first one I have felt in a few years. During the morning, brother Wang and I went to the assisted living home and visited with various people living there. We reminded them of the Bible class to be conducted on Thursday. Then we had a Bible study with one of the men living there. I taught the lesson in Mandarin and brother Wang translated into Taiwanese. In the afternoon, we went to visit a lady who works taking care of someone in the local veteran’s hospital. On Wednesday, I spoke at the midweek Bible study at the church building. After the evening service we went to visit a lady who had been in a traffic accident and is currently homebound. Brother Wang is hoping to study further with her in the near future.

      On Thursday morning, we headed back to the assisted living home for mid-week Bible study. There were about fifty who attended the morning Bible study. As usual, I spoke in Mandarin and brother Wang translated into Taiwanese. In the afternoon, we went to the second assisted living home, where we presented another lesson – I spoke and brother Wang translated. Thursday night was the first night of the three night gospel meeting. We had a number of visitors to attend the service.

      On Friday morning, because brother Wang was helping his older sister with a serious family problem, I taught one of the men at the assisted living home without translating into Taiwanese. His Mandarin was good enough for him to understand me. Friday night was the second night of the gospel meeting. Again, we had a number of visitors and hope the lesson was helpful to them.

      On Saturday, I spent most of the day working on bi-lingual projects for future use. Saturday night was the last night of the gospel meeting.

      Sunday was a very busy day. It started at 6 A.M., when we went to the first assisted living home for morning worship. There were about 50 in attendance for this service. We then moved to the church building for Bible study and worship. On Sunday afternoon, we went to the second assisted living home for worship there. The two lessons at the assisted living homes were translated from Mandarin into Taiwanese. The two lessons at the church building were in Mandarin only.

      On Monday morning, brother Wang and I began our train journey from Hualien to Tainan. On the way, we dropped off my bigger piece of luggage in Taichung, where I would return in two days. We were met by Jared and Tracy Brzozowski. We spent about an hour visiting with them, the boarded the High Speed Rail train to finish our trip to Tainan.

      We went first to brother Wang’s sister’s house for lunch and to pick up brother Wang’s parents to take them back to their house. Later I the afternoon we headed to Yu Jing for visits and the planned evening service. There were about fifteen in attendance including five members from Kaohsiung. A day that began at 6:00 AM (leaving for the Hualien train station) ended at about 10:00 upon arrival at brother Wang’s parents’ house.

      On Tuesday, we left the house about 8 AM and began our day of teaching and visiting. Our first stop was to have a Bible study with a prospect in another part of Tainan. Most of my lessons were about an hour each time I spoke.

After that Bible study concluded, we went to visit with another family. After lunch, brother Wang went to look at a vehicle that could be used in tract distribution in Hualien. In the evening, we went back to Yu Jing for the Tuesday service. The brethren from Kaohsiung were not about to attend, so we had fewer in attendance.

      On Wednesday morning, brother Wang, his parents and I boarded the train heading northbound. I got off the train in Taichung. Brother Wang and his parents went on to Hualien. Brother Yo met me at the train station and I began my last week in Taiwan.

      After lunch, we headed for the prison where I taught two classes. The same students were in the two classes. The first class was fifty minutes and the second class thirty minutes. We then headed back to Taichung to run some errands before heading back to brother Yo’s house. Taichung does not have midweek class on Wed., so I had a chance to catch up on my reports – including my written report and my PowerPoint presentation.

      On Thursday, I was able to start my walking again. I had not had the opportunity to do that all week. It was good to be able to visit with John and Michelle Yo again as well. We tried to find one of the old Japanese prison camps near Taichung, but were unable to locate it. I was also able to connect my computer to the internet and post some of my pictures to Facebook for brethren and friends to see.

      On Friday morning, we had a Bible study with a regular visitor to the services. After the Bible study, we had lunch with brother Jang. Brother Jang was born in 1926 and has lived in Taiwan since 1953. He is the oldest member in Taichung. On Friday evening, we had another Bible study with one of the members and her family.

      On Saturday morning, we visited with a woman from Indonesia. She is working for a Chinese family taking care of their children. There are a number of Indonesia and Filipino workers living in Taiwan. After the visit, we had lunch with brother Paul Liao. We then made another visit in the afternoon to a couple who has a son that is struggling with drug addiction.. On Saturday night, the gospel meeting in Taichung began. We had a small group to assemble for the first night of the service, but we did have two visitors to attend the service.

      On Sunday morning, we conducted a worship service at the Assisted Living Home near the church building. There are three members of the church living there. After that service, we went to the church building for Bible study and worship. I presented a two-part lesson on “Setbacks in Life” in Mandarin. There were about thirty who attended the morning services. There were six or seven visitors who attended the services. Sunday was “Mid-Autumn Festival.” On Sunday night, several of the members and friends assembled for a potluck and fellowship.

      On Sunday night, I received a message from Delta Airlines of a schedule change for Tuesday’s return flight home. The reason: an approaching typhoon. On Monday, we watched the weather reports to see what would happen to affect my flight out the next day. The services Monday night continued as scheduled. We had good attendance in spite of the weather. The wind was very strong during the night Monday night.

      Early Tuesday morning, William and Yolanda Chen took me to the airport and I found out my scheduled flight had been delayed and I would miss my connection in Tokyo. Helpful Delta and Eva Air agents worked to rush me to a flight on Eva Air that would let me make the connection. One of the ground staff actually took my luggage to the gate to put on the plane so that it would also make the connection. Because of their help, I was able to get home on schedule. After getting home late Tuesday afternoon, I worked until 11 PM to get caught up and put things away.

      On Wednesday morning, I worked on getting my China visa application processed. It should come back about ten days before I leave for the trip.

      Thanks to everyone for your prayers during this trip. It is greatly appreciated that you remember me in your prayers during all of the traveling that I do.

– John M. Grubb

Grubb Mission Report - September 2015

 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia USA
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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
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WORKING AMONG THE CHINESE (1)
John M. Grubb

 

     As we have discussed in various articles, working among the Chinese people is not the same as working among Americans. One of the reasons there is a difference is because of the religious and historical backgrounds of the two peoples. In this article, we will examine some of these differences that might help us to better understand what we have to do to get the Chinese people to listen to the gospel message.

 

     The Chinese people have about 5,000 years of history compared to a few hundred years of American history. American culture is based upon the Bible, while the Chinese culture is based on various philosophies. There are two passages of scripture that apply to the background of the Chinese people.

 

     The first passage is Genesis 11:1-9. This passage tells of the scattering of the people to various parts of the world. Here, I believe, is the beginning of the Chinese people. We need to help them understand that the Bible tells of the beginning of all nations, and that it was the one true God that created all things (Genesis 1).

 

     The second passage is Romans 1:18-25. This passage talks about those who left God and worshipped idols. This also discusses the degree of the departure. The Chinese culture fits into this passage. As a people, they have gone a long distance from God. In order for them to come back, they have a long trip to make. It will take more time for them to make that trip then it would for those much closer. It would take much more time to travel from Taiwan to Chicago than from Indianapolis to Chicago. It is easier to cross a plain than it is to cross a mountain.

 

REASONS WHY CHRISTIANITY IS RESISTED

 

     Even though there could be many more reasons why the Chinese would resist the gospel, we will list four.

 

1. Christianity teaches that it is wrong to worship idols, spirits, gods, ancestors, etc. Prior to the Communists taking over China, in the Chinese culture, failure to worship the above mentioned was considered as “disobedience” to either the state or the family. This is still the case among Chinese people who live outside of mainland China. (It is interesting to note the similarities between the thinking of the Roman Empire and the Chinese people in this area.)

 

2.  In connection with this, community activities are connected with religious festivals. This would include Chinese New Year, Tomb Sweeping, and the Dragon Boat Festival. To participate in community activities demands that you take part in the religious aspect as well. When the American celebrates the Fourth of July or the New Year, it need not be connected to any religious activity. For the Chinese to accept the gospel, they have to give up part of their culture. This is very difficult for them to do.

 

3.  Some will resist Christianity simply because it is foreign. We point out to our Chinese friends that Christianity is not a “Western” religion, but they think it is since most of the missionaries that come to China are from the West. Some resist it just because it is not “Chinese.” Of course, we remind them that “Buddhism” came from India.

 

4.  Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism resist Christianity. These religions are supported by the people and the leaders of these groups would not want to lose this support. We need to add here that it is impossible for a person to believe the Bible and these eastern religions. They are not compatible with Bible teaching. (Continued in some future newsletter.)

 

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News and Letters from Around the World

TERRE HAUTE, IN: My mother has started her rehab in a nursing home in Terre Haute. She will be there for twenty days. Hopefully, she will be able to improve enough to return back home at the end of this rehab period. You can send cards to: Barbara Grubb, 1716 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. Please remember her in prayer.

 

***********************************
Materials Available

 

There are sixty Chinese lessons currently posted on YouTube. You can access them at: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheCoJC. I update my Facebook page all the time. Be sure to check my Facebook wall for pictures and news about my trips and activities. Be sure to check out my website: www.grubbchinese.org. http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com is my blog address. I post my monthly report there too.

 

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

2015

 

September 8-29 – Taiwan

October 17 – Mission Forum – Forest Park

October 30-December 7 – China and Taiwan

 

2016 May-June – Indonesia/CABL

September – Taiwan

Nov. – Dec.  – Singapore/Malaysia  

   Four Seas College Lectures  

   Subang Jaya  

   Section 17  

   Kota Kemuning

 

2018

 

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

 

– John M. Grubb

Grubb Mission Report - August 2015

The last weekend in July, I traveled to the St. Louis area and spoke at the St. Peters, MO congregation. On Sunday night, I visited with the Collinsville, IL congregation. I was able to attend the 50th wedding anniversary party for Bill and Judy Schwegler as well.

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 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia USA
*********************************
PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
*************************************
COME ON IN, THE WATER’S FINE
Romans 10:15
    
      The need for preachers is great. Our present preacher shortage is undeniable and the supply of faithful gospel preachers continues to shrink each year. When we compare the number of men now preaching with the ever-increasing world population, we see the enormity of our task. Do we have an impossible task before us? Absolutely not! (Philippians 4:13).

 

The Local Evangelist
      
      Someone has rightly said, “when you get a good preacher, you had better keep him.” A sound preacher and a good worker is getting harder and harder to find. In the minds of many members, preachers have a soft life. The concept is set forth that preachers are paid too much for too little work. The truth is: “you cannot pay a good preacher too much, and anything you pay a bad preacher is too much!” Some think the only reason men choose to preach is because they cannot do anything else. If a man is a good preacher he preaches because he cannot keep from it. Someone said, “if anything can keep you from preaching, then do not preach.” This is the kind of dedication a man needs to meet the challenge of the work.

 

      If preaching is such an easy life with such outstanding pay and fringe benefits, why is there such a critical shortage? To those who believe preaching is “a piece of cake,” I would say, “come on in, the water’s fine.” There is plenty of room for you.

 

The Foreign Evangelist
     
      When we turn our thoughts to the foreign mission fields, the words of our Lord come to mind (John 4:35).Not only does the foreign evangelist have to deal with most of the problems and frustrations of the local evangelist, including having to deal with false doctrines and false teachers, he has a multitude of additional problems. There is the constant concern about keeping up his support, learning a new language, and adjusting to a new culture. He has to worry about his family adjusting as well. The family is separated from the extended family and friends by thousands of miles and at least one ocean. All of these things add to the burden of the missionary.

 

      While he is agonizing over the millions of souls that have not yet had the opportunity to hear the gospel even one time, there are those back home who say, “Boy, it must be nice to go over to another country for a two or three year vacation.” Once again we answer, “come on in, the water's fine.”  Go to Europe, England, China, Africa, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Japan, or Taiwan for the next ten years or so. With so few missionary families in the field, we can certainly use you.

 

The Responsibility
       
      Who has the responsibility to solve this critical preacher shortage in the world? Paul tells us the church is the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). We need elders who have the faith and vision to encourage young men to prepare to preach the gospel. We need men who desire to enter the greatest field of labor in existence. We need parents who will rear their children with evangelism in mind. One of the causes of the shortage of preachers has been parents who have discouraged their sons from preparing to preach because they want them to be “successful.” Do they want them to be successful like the rich men described in the New Testament? (Luke 12:15-21; 16:19-31; Mark 10:17-22). There is no greater success than faithfully serving the Lord (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Until the church fulfills its responsibility, we will continue to have this problem.

 

Seven Billion Souls
              There are billions of people who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ. They will be lost if we do not reach them with the truth (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14-15).
  
 May each one of us recognize our responsibility to get the gospel message to the world.  Come on in, the water’s fine! JMG.

 

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Materials Available

 

There are sixty Chinese lessons currently posted on YouTube. You can access them at: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheCoJC. I update my Facebook page all the time. Be sure to check my Facebook wall for pictures and news about my trips and activities. Be sure to check out my website: www.grubbchinese.org. http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com is my blog address. I post my monthly report there too.

 

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

2015

 

August 16 – Groveport, OH

September 8-29 – Taiwan

October 17 – Mission Forum – Forest Park

October 30-December 7 – China and Taiwan

 

2016

 

May-June – Indonesia/CABL

September – Taiwan

Nov. – Dec.  – Singapore/Malaysia

 

2018

 

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

 

– John M. Grubb

Grubb Mission Report - July 2015

 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia USA

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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!

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News and Letters from Around the World

CLAY CITY, IN: During the month of June, Wanda Francis, wife of Bill Francis, mother of David Francis and Janell Grafe, passed away after a lengthy illness. I have known the Francis family since I preached at Clay City back in the mid-1970’s. They were thoughtful enough to ask for brethren to contribute to our work in lieu of flowers. At this writing, the following contributions have been made in memory of sister Wanda: Gordon Wells – $50.00; Willis Dyer – $100.00.

LAKE PLACID, FL: “It has been a long while since I have emailed you. We trust that all continues to go well with you and your work for the Lord. Grace Pan continues with her Bible study through IBTM with me. I just wanted you to know that our Daughter, Jane and her husband in Safford, AZ used your lesson you presented here at the Lake Placid, FL congregation – to put the finishing touches on two people they had been studying with. “Prepare To Meet Thy God” when they were finished Jane asked them if they were prepared to meet  God and he said “no momma” and she said “no momma.” They were both baptized and they and their two children now worship with our daughter’s family. They meet in their home as no faithful congregation near. The new couple is studying and getting “grounded” They have a long way to go but have good hearts and working hard to learn. We are thankful for your lessons and the fruit they have been bring forth the world over. May God continue to bless you with good health and stamina to do the work” –Bob and Susanna Austin. (NOTE:  We are thankful for the good work the Austins do in the Kingdom. We are also thankful for the good news in this note. JMG).

MEMPHIS, TN: It was my honor and privilege to speak at the 2015 Memphis School of Preaching graduation. There were twenty five students who received diplomas from one of the programs at MSOP. My lesson was entitled: “Remembering Who We Are.”

GREETINGS: It was good to hear from various brethren from the other side of the world: Sam Chan (Ipoh, Malaysia), Glen Tattersall, Steve and Beckie Schiller (Launceston, Tasmania, Australia), and Rosita Hunt (Toowoomba, Australia).

KAMPAR, MALAYSIA: News has reached us via Facebook that one of the visitors who attended the gospel meeting there in May has obeyed the gospel (Katie Ooi). We are thankful for the follow-up being done by the brethren in Ipoh and the Klang valley.

UPDATE ON KEITH YOUNG: “Update on Keith. He was running a low grade fever and doctor had him come in. Some labs were out of range. An ultrasound showed fluid behind the transplant surgery incision for the second time. They drained off fluid week before last but found no infection. Today the fluid was infected. They put in a drain tube but the surgeon says there is a good chance they will have to open the incision in the OR tomorrow and clean it to remove the infection. The wound would be packed until it heals inside to out. He has been admitted to the hospital for treatment. These are things that can occur after transplant surgery. Thank you friends for your concern and prayers” – Louella Young. (NOTE: Thanks to his mother for this update. I have known Keith for most of his life. He had a kidney transplant earlier this year. Please continue to pray for him and his family. JMG.)

BAPTISM: On July 3rd, Aiden Heilman, son of Theresa and Michael Heilman, and grandson of Howard and Margaret Goodman, made the decision to obey the gospel. I was thankful I was in town so that I was able to attend. Thanks to Stan Quinn for his assistance in helping Aiden to become a Christian.

MISSION TRIPS: There are currently a number of brethren who are making mission trips in all parts of the world. Please continue to remember all of our brethren who are traveling around the world to help spread the gospel of Christ. We continue to be thankful for being able to have a part in helping to spread the gospel around the world.

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Materials Available

There are sixty Chinese lessons currently posted on YouTube. You can access them at: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheCoJC. I update my Facebook page all the time. Be sure to check my Facebook wall for pictures and news about my trips and activities. Be sure to check out my website: www.grubbchinese.org. http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com is my blog address. I post my monthly report there too.

      I continue to work with World Video Bible School to help produce the Chinese version of the Searching for Truth booklet and DVD. Please continue to pray for all those who are working on this project. Please remember these good brethren in the great work they are doing.

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

2015

September 8-29 – Taiwan

October 17 – Mission Forum – Forest Park

October 30-December 7 – China and Taiwan

2016

September – Taiwan

Nov. – Dec.  – Singapore/Malaysia

2018

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

– John M. Grubb

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Grubb Mission Report is a monthly publication under the oversight of the Chestnut Mountain church of Christ,

5111 Old Winder Hwy., Braselton, GA 30517, USA

Email addresses:jmgrubb@yahoo.com, guyuehan@earthlink.net

Home Tel: (678) 546-1832 Cell: (678) 538-7601

Chinese Website: http://www.grubbchinese.org

Send all contributions to:  Grubb Mission Fund, P.O. Box 7450, Chestnut Mountain, GA 30502