My lovely wife Kim and I just returned from an anniversary getaway. I was in Nepal on our anniverary (New Year's Day) so we just celebrated this week. Praise the Lord for the blessing of marriage!
I just want to publicly thank God for Kim. God has blessed me beyond measure! There's no better wife (I know you think your wife is the greatest, but she's not!).
We had a great time hanging out together, renewing our vision and focus for the future, and eating cookies at our bed and breakfast!
God has been growing us in our marriage during the past few months, and I hope he continues. May our marriage, and the marriages of all his people, glorify Christ and preach to the universe the correct message concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32).
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Who is "Over You In the Lord?"
In reading through First Thessalonians recently something jumped out at me:
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work" 1 Thess. 5:12-13, ESV.
This Scripture informs us that in the churches of God there are those who are "over" us "in the Lord!" It further instructs us to "respect" these men, "to esteem them very highly in love" for the sake of their work in the church.
We know that all believers are equal before God, and that we don't need any priest (other than Jesus) to get to God. The Bible is clear about the priesthood of the believer (1 Pet 2:5). And yet the word of God also clearly sets forth God's plan for leadership in the churches. The Lord desires all believers to connect themselves with other local believers, with recognized, ordained (set apart for this task) elders, or overseers. God commands his saints to "obey" these leaders and follow them in the faith (Heb 13:7, 17).
So the question is, WHO is over you in the Lord? Have you bowed the knee to God's command in this area? Many today pull away from a real and vital connection to a local group of believers, who can live the Christian life with them, encourage them, hold them accountable, etc, in favor of flying solo with Jesus. But this "me and Jesus" idea is not Jesus' plan! Some think a church will hold them back in their ministry, or progress. Maybe the rest of the body is moving slower than you. But what if God wants us to help the others progress, rather than pulling away to do our own thing?
Are you in submission to recognized elders in a local church? Elders who know you, and are fully aware that you are submitted to them in Christ? Elders need to know who they are responsible for, because they have a serious charge from Christ to keep:
"for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning..." (Heb 13:17)
"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." (Acts 20:28)
The only way an elder can know that you are part of the flock he is responsible to watch out for is for you to connect yourself to that body and submit to that leader!
Many today have a bad taste in their mouth when they think of church leaders. But that attitude is not from God, and cannot be found in the Scripture. Our attitudes should be conformed to the ones given us in God's word. Church leaders are spoken of in Ephesians 4 as gifts from Christ to the church. And in the present text in 1 Thessalonians we see we are to respect them and esteem them very highly in love, for the work they are doing in prayer and the ministry of the word. Church elders are a blessing from God!
When an elder is not doing a good job, pray for him! If an elder persists in sin, he is to be rebuked publicly (1 Tim 5:20). But when an elder is following Christ and leading the flock in love and truth, follow him! Love him! Respect him! Encourage him!
I praise God, that though I am myself an elder, I have 2 other elders working beside me in our local flock. And I respect them as those who are over ME in the Lord. I am accountable to them.
Who is over YOU in the Lord? To which local church elders have you submitted to, according to the command of the Lord? A brother from South Africa once said, "You can't follow Jesus without following a man." That's a controversial statement. But it seems to be correct, according to God's plan for his churches, revealed in Scripture.
May God bless all those who labor as elders in his churches, all over the world!!! And may God pour out rich blessings on all who joyfully and willingly submit to their leadership - not elevating them in an unscriptural way - but unto Christ, as equals who are over them in the Lord.
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work" 1 Thess. 5:12-13, ESV.
This Scripture informs us that in the churches of God there are those who are "over" us "in the Lord!" It further instructs us to "respect" these men, "to esteem them very highly in love" for the sake of their work in the church.
We know that all believers are equal before God, and that we don't need any priest (other than Jesus) to get to God. The Bible is clear about the priesthood of the believer (1 Pet 2:5). And yet the word of God also clearly sets forth God's plan for leadership in the churches. The Lord desires all believers to connect themselves with other local believers, with recognized, ordained (set apart for this task) elders, or overseers. God commands his saints to "obey" these leaders and follow them in the faith (Heb 13:7, 17).
So the question is, WHO is over you in the Lord? Have you bowed the knee to God's command in this area? Many today pull away from a real and vital connection to a local group of believers, who can live the Christian life with them, encourage them, hold them accountable, etc, in favor of flying solo with Jesus. But this "me and Jesus" idea is not Jesus' plan! Some think a church will hold them back in their ministry, or progress. Maybe the rest of the body is moving slower than you. But what if God wants us to help the others progress, rather than pulling away to do our own thing?
Are you in submission to recognized elders in a local church? Elders who know you, and are fully aware that you are submitted to them in Christ? Elders need to know who they are responsible for, because they have a serious charge from Christ to keep:
"for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning..." (Heb 13:17)
"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." (Acts 20:28)
The only way an elder can know that you are part of the flock he is responsible to watch out for is for you to connect yourself to that body and submit to that leader!
Many today have a bad taste in their mouth when they think of church leaders. But that attitude is not from God, and cannot be found in the Scripture. Our attitudes should be conformed to the ones given us in God's word. Church leaders are spoken of in Ephesians 4 as gifts from Christ to the church. And in the present text in 1 Thessalonians we see we are to respect them and esteem them very highly in love, for the work they are doing in prayer and the ministry of the word. Church elders are a blessing from God!
When an elder is not doing a good job, pray for him! If an elder persists in sin, he is to be rebuked publicly (1 Tim 5:20). But when an elder is following Christ and leading the flock in love and truth, follow him! Love him! Respect him! Encourage him!
I praise God, that though I am myself an elder, I have 2 other elders working beside me in our local flock. And I respect them as those who are over ME in the Lord. I am accountable to them.
Who is over YOU in the Lord? To which local church elders have you submitted to, according to the command of the Lord? A brother from South Africa once said, "You can't follow Jesus without following a man." That's a controversial statement. But it seems to be correct, according to God's plan for his churches, revealed in Scripture.
May God bless all those who labor as elders in his churches, all over the world!!! And may God pour out rich blessings on all who joyfully and willingly submit to their leadership - not elevating them in an unscriptural way - but unto Christ, as equals who are over them in the Lord.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Sight of His Glory
Jesus prayed in John 17:24 that his people would be with him and see his glory. Jesus wants us to see his glory!!!
We began a study of Christology at CCC Sunday night. My introduction was an exerpt from John Owen's book, The Glory of Christ. These words set the heart of the believer ablaze! Here are a few portions for your edification:
"Only a sight of his glory, and nothing else, will truly satisfy God's people...Unbelievers see no glory in Christ. They see nothing attractive about him...No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight in heaven who does not, in some measure, behold it by faith in this world...Many will say with confidence that that they desire to be with Christ and to behold his glory. But when asked, they can give no reason for this desire, except that it would be better than going to hell...Men who are complete strangers to seeing the person and glory of Christ by faith have turned to images, pictures and music to help them in their worship.
It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world. On Christ's glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to the world. It will become like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy.
A fish would not thank you for taking it out of the sea and putting it on dry land under the blazing sun! Neither would an unregenerate sinner welcome the thought of living forever in the blazing glory of Christ."
(John Owen, The Glory of Christ; pages 1-8)
We began a study of Christology at CCC Sunday night. My introduction was an exerpt from John Owen's book, The Glory of Christ. These words set the heart of the believer ablaze! Here are a few portions for your edification:
"Only a sight of his glory, and nothing else, will truly satisfy God's people...Unbelievers see no glory in Christ. They see nothing attractive about him...No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight in heaven who does not, in some measure, behold it by faith in this world...Many will say with confidence that that they desire to be with Christ and to behold his glory. But when asked, they can give no reason for this desire, except that it would be better than going to hell...Men who are complete strangers to seeing the person and glory of Christ by faith have turned to images, pictures and music to help them in their worship.
It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world. On Christ's glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to the world. It will become like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy.
A fish would not thank you for taking it out of the sea and putting it on dry land under the blazing sun! Neither would an unregenerate sinner welcome the thought of living forever in the blazing glory of Christ."
(John Owen, The Glory of Christ; pages 1-8)
- A Christian is one who has had his eyes opened (through a gracious, sovereign, miraculous act of God) to the glory of Christ, by faith. The two thieves crucified beside Christ are an example. One saw someone to insult and despise. The other thief saw a king! ("Remember me when you enter into your kingdom") "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:3). "...and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" (Jn 1:14b).
- Those who confess Christ but are truly unconverted, must prop up their "faith" with crutches and idols. Owen said above that people who are strangers to seeing Christ's glory by faith "have turned to images, pictures and music to help them in their worship." How true this is for many false converts in our meetings! They cannot "get that feeling" unless the right band is playing the right kind of music, or the right worship song. Christ is enough! Look at him with eyes of faith, and worship him in his glory!
- Beholding Jesus' glory brings sanctification. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor 3:18). "...we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn 3:2b).
Oh, the glory of Christ! Lord, give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you, the eyes of our hearts being enlightened! Show us the surpassing glory of Christ! Make Christ our treasure above all! Show us how infinitely beautiful he is; and worthy of all our praise, love, devotion, obedience and service. Hallelujah to Jesus Christ!
"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6, ESV).
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Home at Last
After much travel, we are finally home safe and sound. Praise the Lord!
I am working on editing the video and we will be presenting a missions report to our home church, CCC, very soon. If you are interested in having a presentation on this mission trip in your church, home group, or ministry let us know!
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Glory to God!!!
I am working on editing the video and we will be presenting a missions report to our home church, CCC, very soon. If you are interested in having a presentation on this mission trip in your church, home group, or ministry let us know!
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Glory to God!!!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Coming Home...
Greetings from Kathmandu, everyone, for the final time of this trip (Lord willing). We are scheduled to fly out around 10 pm tonight and begin the long journey home. 4 flights, layovers, scores of hours to think and pray and sort out what God has shown us; we truly need your continued prayers in this last leg of the mission.
I want to personally thank all of you who have prayed for us. God has kept us and sustained us and empowered us through the means of your prayers. Thank you also to those who have followed our mission on this blog, and who have left encouraging comments along the way. We all miss our families very much, and we're ready to be home. Yet we will miss our precious brothers and sisters in Nepal.
I also miss my church family immensely! I have been praying for you all, that God will pour out his Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. I've prayed for your spiritual strength, and that you would increase in your faith in Christ and your love for the saints. I've prayed that God would continue to unify us and revive our hearts! I am excited and eager to see what God has in store for us in 2009. Glory to his name! I am encouraged and humbled, full and empty; challenged to lead CCC faithfully with increasing fire, truth, love, obedience and holiness.
Is the church in Nepal perfect? By no means. Like us they have their weaknesses, temptations, and shortcomings. But I have seen with my own eyes a mighty work of God in this nation. I have seen God overcoming the spirit of competition between pastors and ministries and churches. I have seen joy in the midst of persecution and poverty. I have seen a zeal for the spreading of the gospel, and vision to take it all over Nepal and outward to the ends of the earth. I have seen what I believe to be a biblical expression of apostolic ministry as Ram leads these pastors in the work of the Lord. AndI have seen practical expressions of the love of Christ, as the churches reach out in compassion and take in the orphans in their midst.
If God is pleased to let this work continue, and increasingly opens the doors of opportunity; and as we join this work in prayer, teaching, and financial giving, here is what we can expect to see in Ram Nepal's ministry in the future:
1. A giganctic network of pastors and churches working together to reach Nepal with Christ's message.
2. Orphans being loved and cared for, and possibly adopted internationally.
3. Biblical training for pastors.
And much more.
Please pray for this ministry, and God's glory in the face of Christ in Nepal.
I am touched and humbled and ecstatic. By his grace I will never be the same.
Glory to Jesus!
I want to personally thank all of you who have prayed for us. God has kept us and sustained us and empowered us through the means of your prayers. Thank you also to those who have followed our mission on this blog, and who have left encouraging comments along the way. We all miss our families very much, and we're ready to be home. Yet we will miss our precious brothers and sisters in Nepal.
I also miss my church family immensely! I have been praying for you all, that God will pour out his Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. I've prayed for your spiritual strength, and that you would increase in your faith in Christ and your love for the saints. I've prayed that God would continue to unify us and revive our hearts! I am excited and eager to see what God has in store for us in 2009. Glory to his name! I am encouraged and humbled, full and empty; challenged to lead CCC faithfully with increasing fire, truth, love, obedience and holiness.
Is the church in Nepal perfect? By no means. Like us they have their weaknesses, temptations, and shortcomings. But I have seen with my own eyes a mighty work of God in this nation. I have seen God overcoming the spirit of competition between pastors and ministries and churches. I have seen joy in the midst of persecution and poverty. I have seen a zeal for the spreading of the gospel, and vision to take it all over Nepal and outward to the ends of the earth. I have seen what I believe to be a biblical expression of apostolic ministry as Ram leads these pastors in the work of the Lord. AndI have seen practical expressions of the love of Christ, as the churches reach out in compassion and take in the orphans in their midst.
If God is pleased to let this work continue, and increasingly opens the doors of opportunity; and as we join this work in prayer, teaching, and financial giving, here is what we can expect to see in Ram Nepal's ministry in the future:
1. A giganctic network of pastors and churches working together to reach Nepal with Christ's message.
2. Orphans being loved and cared for, and possibly adopted internationally.
3. Biblical training for pastors.
And much more.
Please pray for this ministry, and God's glory in the face of Christ in Nepal.
I am touched and humbled and ecstatic. By his grace I will never be the same.
Glory to Jesus!
The Weak and the Strong
Yesterday we spent the day with the orphans. What beautiful children!! I am so eager to show you the pictures and video when we return. You will absolutely fall in love with these kids. We played lots of games with them, and bought a ton of pizza to provide a pizza party for about 150 children and the workers! With the pizza they served sodas, french fries and prawn crisps. The kids were delighted.
I was able to finally play some music with the young men (in their twenties) who lead worship here. They are called "His Almighty Band," and they are orphans who were taken in by Ram and Meena and have grown up in the orphanage. Now they are leaders. One of them works in the only Christian radio station in Kathmandu, called the Voice of the Lord. Currently His Almighty Band has the number one song on that station; it is called Psalm 23. I taught them my song, The One, and they really liked it. We played it together over and over as they were learning, and they plan to translate it into Nepali. I played electric guitar, and I was accompanied with a bassist, drummer, and a tambourine. Amit sang with me. What a joy!
In the evening we visited another children's home nearby, run by Ram's nephew. It was out in the sticks! We drove until the van could not climb the hill, and then we walked in the dark the rest of the way, looking out for jackals. We found a really beautiful complex with about 40 kids singing their hearts out with smiles on their faces. Then they took us up to the roof, where they had a fire. Using some chicken wire over the fire they grilled chunks of wild pig. We stuck them with a toothpick, dipped them in Thai chili sauce and ate them. So good! On the table there was about 10 dishes of food and we ate and talked. Then they said we were going downstairs for the meal. We thought we had already eaten, and we were stuffed from the pizza earlier and the food we had been eating. But they took us to a long table with candlelight (the power was out) and started bringing out dish after dish of food...another 10 dishes or more! There was mutton, pork, mushroom curry, pumpkin curry, soup, chutney, greens (saag) and a plate of raw vegetables. Then they served us coffee. Wow, what an honor!
Ram's nephew and wife are taking good care of these adorable children. I spoke with one young man who said his aim is to be a pastor, and I encouraged him. These are the weak; the lowly and despised in the eyes of man. But blessed and loved by Christ!
We went back to the hotel and rested. This morning we had no power, so we did our best to dress up nicely in the dark (also no hot water for showering). They took us to the President of Nepal's house, where we went through security and waited to meet him outside. This is the first president of Nepal, now that the civil war has ended last year and the King has been removed. It is similar to their George Washington. They also have a Prime Minister, who is a Maoist and responsible for the death of many Nepalis. But we were told that the president is the only politician in Nepal who is not corrupt; a good man who grew up poor, became a medical doctor, and now has a heart to bring democracy to Nepal. President Doctor Ram Baran Yadav. He has veto power over the Prime Minister and is the Commander in Chief of the army. So we were very excited and honored for this opportunity to meet him.
We were brought inside (leaving our shoes outside) to a room with a large couch. We were seated and served tea. Soon, the curtain was pulled back and the president entered the room dressed in traditional Nepali attire, consisting of a white tunic and pants, a shawl of some sort around his back, and the traditional men's hat of Nepal, the Topi. We all shook his hand and greeted him with, "It's an honor to meet you, your excellency." He sat on the couch in the middle of us and Ram introduced us. He told him about his work for the people of Nepal: helping the children and working in the medical field, as well as ministering to the spiritual needs. We all got to address him, and told him we wanted to help the people of Nepal, and that we were praying for him. He was very grateful and kind. We then had pictures with him, and then laid hands on him and prayed for him. What a unique and special opportunity!! Praise the Lord!
After leaving, we went to the house of the daughter of the former Prime Minister and met her. She is a member of parliament and part of the most influential political family in Nepal (similar to the Kennedy's in America). She played a large part in the current president's rise to office. She too was very down-to-earth and kind. We told her we are praying for Nepal.
So this morning we were given opportunity by God to meet and speak with the most powerful people in Nepal. Why us? Who are we? We feel unworthy to be on this trip, but we know God has opened this door. He is moving in a very timely and powerful way here, church! Please commit this country to prayer! We will be doing all we can in the future to help and support God's people and his work in Nepal.
Tomorrow night we will begin our return trip to the USA. Please pray for us!! We miss our families and churches so much, but God has shown us many great things. Ram is overjoyed and said this has been a completely successful trip. They are still getting good reports from the pastors at the conference. We look forward to sharing these experiences with you when we return, and joining hands to serve Jesus by ministering to the saints who need us in Nepal. Glory to God through Jesus Christ!! Jesus is the King of the Earth!
I was able to finally play some music with the young men (in their twenties) who lead worship here. They are called "His Almighty Band," and they are orphans who were taken in by Ram and Meena and have grown up in the orphanage. Now they are leaders. One of them works in the only Christian radio station in Kathmandu, called the Voice of the Lord. Currently His Almighty Band has the number one song on that station; it is called Psalm 23. I taught them my song, The One, and they really liked it. We played it together over and over as they were learning, and they plan to translate it into Nepali. I played electric guitar, and I was accompanied with a bassist, drummer, and a tambourine. Amit sang with me. What a joy!
In the evening we visited another children's home nearby, run by Ram's nephew. It was out in the sticks! We drove until the van could not climb the hill, and then we walked in the dark the rest of the way, looking out for jackals. We found a really beautiful complex with about 40 kids singing their hearts out with smiles on their faces. Then they took us up to the roof, where they had a fire. Using some chicken wire over the fire they grilled chunks of wild pig. We stuck them with a toothpick, dipped them in Thai chili sauce and ate them. So good! On the table there was about 10 dishes of food and we ate and talked. Then they said we were going downstairs for the meal. We thought we had already eaten, and we were stuffed from the pizza earlier and the food we had been eating. But they took us to a long table with candlelight (the power was out) and started bringing out dish after dish of food...another 10 dishes or more! There was mutton, pork, mushroom curry, pumpkin curry, soup, chutney, greens (saag) and a plate of raw vegetables. Then they served us coffee. Wow, what an honor!
Ram's nephew and wife are taking good care of these adorable children. I spoke with one young man who said his aim is to be a pastor, and I encouraged him. These are the weak; the lowly and despised in the eyes of man. But blessed and loved by Christ!
We went back to the hotel and rested. This morning we had no power, so we did our best to dress up nicely in the dark (also no hot water for showering). They took us to the President of Nepal's house, where we went through security and waited to meet him outside. This is the first president of Nepal, now that the civil war has ended last year and the King has been removed. It is similar to their George Washington. They also have a Prime Minister, who is a Maoist and responsible for the death of many Nepalis. But we were told that the president is the only politician in Nepal who is not corrupt; a good man who grew up poor, became a medical doctor, and now has a heart to bring democracy to Nepal. President Doctor Ram Baran Yadav. He has veto power over the Prime Minister and is the Commander in Chief of the army. So we were very excited and honored for this opportunity to meet him.
We were brought inside (leaving our shoes outside) to a room with a large couch. We were seated and served tea. Soon, the curtain was pulled back and the president entered the room dressed in traditional Nepali attire, consisting of a white tunic and pants, a shawl of some sort around his back, and the traditional men's hat of Nepal, the Topi. We all shook his hand and greeted him with, "It's an honor to meet you, your excellency." He sat on the couch in the middle of us and Ram introduced us. He told him about his work for the people of Nepal: helping the children and working in the medical field, as well as ministering to the spiritual needs. We all got to address him, and told him we wanted to help the people of Nepal, and that we were praying for him. He was very grateful and kind. We then had pictures with him, and then laid hands on him and prayed for him. What a unique and special opportunity!! Praise the Lord!
After leaving, we went to the house of the daughter of the former Prime Minister and met her. She is a member of parliament and part of the most influential political family in Nepal (similar to the Kennedy's in America). She played a large part in the current president's rise to office. She too was very down-to-earth and kind. We told her we are praying for Nepal.
So this morning we were given opportunity by God to meet and speak with the most powerful people in Nepal. Why us? Who are we? We feel unworthy to be on this trip, but we know God has opened this door. He is moving in a very timely and powerful way here, church! Please commit this country to prayer! We will be doing all we can in the future to help and support God's people and his work in Nepal.
Tomorrow night we will begin our return trip to the USA. Please pray for us!! We miss our families and churches so much, but God has shown us many great things. Ram is overjoyed and said this has been a completely successful trip. They are still getting good reports from the pastors at the conference. We look forward to sharing these experiences with you when we return, and joining hands to serve Jesus by ministering to the saints who need us in Nepal. Glory to God through Jesus Christ!! Jesus is the King of the Earth!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Beautiful
Today was taken up with 2 beautiful experiences here in Kathmandu, Nepal.
We met with around 30 pastors this morning in Ram's church building. These were mostly local pastors who minister in the Kathmandu valley. This meeting was similar to the pastor's meeting we had in Chitwan. Ram is assembling the churches for unified action, and the miracle is that they are following!! He really seems to have a biblical and apostolic ministry. Pastors from different denominations are coming together under Ram with a strong vision to reach all of Nepal with the gospel, and then go out to key cities all over Asia and the Middle East. This morning Ram shared this vision with the pastors. He told them that he had been gone (to the USA) for the past few years, but that he is still involved in this ministry, and is back to continue the work. He urged these brothers to continue meeting monthly for prayer and fellowship. Many of these pastors are Ram's personal converts.
After the meeting we pulled aside one pastor who had suffered persecution and I recorded a video of his testimony, given through a translator. He was kidnapped by Maoists and tortured for a month. He showed me a broken tooth that came through the beatings, and a scar on his neck from where the Maoists pushed a rod into his neck. They hung him upside down for long periods of time and threatened to kill him if he did not give them money. He called his son, who surrendered the deed to their land to the Maoists. Even after his release he is still under the investigation of the Maoists, and had to leave his remote ministry and flee to Kathmandu where it is safer. He is now trying to restart his ministry, while family members continue his former one. I felt so unworthy to stand in this man's presence. He is rich in heaven. He has not stopped serving Jesus faithfully. He knows it is worth the price. We prayed for this brother, and then I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a big, long hug. This was the first beautiful experience of the day.
In the afternoon we traveled up a LONG, winding road that brought us to the top of one of the Himalyan foothills. There was a nice resort there, and we enjoyed a cup of real coffee (the norm is Nescafe instant). On the roof of the resort was a lookout deck where we saw magnificent views of the foothills, villages, and then...BAMMO! The snow-covered peak of Everest rising above the clouds, 150 miles away. Beautiful.
Tomorrow we are scheduled to work with the orphans and they are planning to BBQ a wild pig. Then, we have been granted an audience with the President of Nepal for Thursday morning! We plan to give him a Bible. He is a Hindu.
God is humbling me and moving on me in a powerful way on this trip. I don't know what the results will be in my life, but I am being challenged and broken. Please pray for me, and for the team. And most of all, please pray for this awesome move of God in Nepal. It looks like God's time has come in this nation! There is a new government and freedom; There is a hunger and passion in the churches; and the pastors are coming together in unity under Ram's leadership and vision. They only need our prayers and support. Hallelujah! Jesus reigns over the darkness and idolatry of Nepal! He is gathering to himself a people in this nation, for his glory!!!
We met with around 30 pastors this morning in Ram's church building. These were mostly local pastors who minister in the Kathmandu valley. This meeting was similar to the pastor's meeting we had in Chitwan. Ram is assembling the churches for unified action, and the miracle is that they are following!! He really seems to have a biblical and apostolic ministry. Pastors from different denominations are coming together under Ram with a strong vision to reach all of Nepal with the gospel, and then go out to key cities all over Asia and the Middle East. This morning Ram shared this vision with the pastors. He told them that he had been gone (to the USA) for the past few years, but that he is still involved in this ministry, and is back to continue the work. He urged these brothers to continue meeting monthly for prayer and fellowship. Many of these pastors are Ram's personal converts.
After the meeting we pulled aside one pastor who had suffered persecution and I recorded a video of his testimony, given through a translator. He was kidnapped by Maoists and tortured for a month. He showed me a broken tooth that came through the beatings, and a scar on his neck from where the Maoists pushed a rod into his neck. They hung him upside down for long periods of time and threatened to kill him if he did not give them money. He called his son, who surrendered the deed to their land to the Maoists. Even after his release he is still under the investigation of the Maoists, and had to leave his remote ministry and flee to Kathmandu where it is safer. He is now trying to restart his ministry, while family members continue his former one. I felt so unworthy to stand in this man's presence. He is rich in heaven. He has not stopped serving Jesus faithfully. He knows it is worth the price. We prayed for this brother, and then I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a big, long hug. This was the first beautiful experience of the day.
In the afternoon we traveled up a LONG, winding road that brought us to the top of one of the Himalyan foothills. There was a nice resort there, and we enjoyed a cup of real coffee (the norm is Nescafe instant). On the roof of the resort was a lookout deck where we saw magnificent views of the foothills, villages, and then...BAMMO! The snow-covered peak of Everest rising above the clouds, 150 miles away. Beautiful.
Tomorrow we are scheduled to work with the orphans and they are planning to BBQ a wild pig. Then, we have been granted an audience with the President of Nepal for Thursday morning! We plan to give him a Bible. He is a Hindu.
God is humbling me and moving on me in a powerful way on this trip. I don't know what the results will be in my life, but I am being challenged and broken. Please pray for me, and for the team. And most of all, please pray for this awesome move of God in Nepal. It looks like God's time has come in this nation! There is a new government and freedom; There is a hunger and passion in the churches; and the pastors are coming together in unity under Ram's leadership and vision. They only need our prayers and support. Hallelujah! Jesus reigns over the darkness and idolatry of Nepal! He is gathering to himself a people in this nation, for his glory!!!
Monday, January 5, 2009
So Many Idols
Today was a sight-seeing day. Pastor Ram had 3 young men guide us, who grew up in the orphanage and now lead: Amit, Vishnu and Silas. These are wonderful young men who love the Lord. They took us to see two temples that are huge tourist attractions, drawing people from around the world.
We have seen hundreds of idols and shrines on the streets of Kathmandu. Some are very small and some are the size of a small shop or kiosk. But nothing could have prepared us for what we saw today.
I would say that we saw over a thousand idols today. Our team is reeling with sensory overload. It is hard to put into words.
First we went to a Budhist temple on the top of a large hill. It is thousands of years old, and the legend says that this temple was not built, but appeared by itself. It can be seen on the hill (the high places of the Old Testament?) from far away. The central temple is very tall, and has the "all-seeing eye" painted on it (2 eyes with a question mark-esque symbol). The eyes are looking out over Kathmandu. Surrounding this temple are many hundreds (or more?) of smaller shrines, idols, prayer wheels, etc. The shrines are small indentions in the temple all the way around, each containing a carving of Buddha. Between each shrine are the prayer wheels. Worshipers will circle the temple, moving the prayer wheels with their hands while they pray. Some would light a candle and place it in the shrines, toss some rice in (offering it to the god) and we even saw some bow down before the idols. Inside the main temple was a large solid gold buddha idol.
Outside were monkeys crawling everywhere, and pigeons. There were merchants with tables selling souvenirs. The main souvenir was the singing bowl. People rub the outside of the bowl with a wooden tool and it creates a sound. Silas said, "Jesus is our Healer...so why do we need a singing bowl?" All over the area you could hear the sound of a chant-like song being played on speakers. The young men guiding us said that the song was saying, "Worship the lord Buddha. He is the alpha and omega, beginning and end."
Afterwards, we went to the main Hindu temple. It overlooked a very dirty river that is supposed to be a holy river. Dead bodies were burning on the bank of the river on platforms. Fortunately, they were very burned and we could not see anything too graphic. But we were forced to breathe in the smoke of the dead bodies.
Again, there were SO MANY IDOLS all over the area and hilltop. Monkeys were everywhere, and Hindu holy men who wanted money to get your picture taken with them. There were beggars missing limbs.
I don't know what to say. What striking images have filled our minds today! What darkness covers and enslaves this friendly and beautiful people! Paul said in Romans that they "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Rom. 1:23, ESV). We saw this today. He goes on to say that they "exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" (v. 25).
Never in all my life will I forget what I have seen today. But I do not judge this people as worse than us. Their idols are out for everyone to see. Our many thousands of idols come in different forms. We worship sex, money, entertainment, sports, hobbies, material things, and SELF.
May God be pleased to break the power of darkness over this beautiful land, and draw out for himself a people in Christ, for the glory of God!! And may God break our hearts and so move in us that we turn from our own idols, and serve Jesus radically and faithfully. May that service to Christ lead us HERE with the gospel, and to all the ends of the earth.
We have seen hundreds of idols and shrines on the streets of Kathmandu. Some are very small and some are the size of a small shop or kiosk. But nothing could have prepared us for what we saw today.
I would say that we saw over a thousand idols today. Our team is reeling with sensory overload. It is hard to put into words.
First we went to a Budhist temple on the top of a large hill. It is thousands of years old, and the legend says that this temple was not built, but appeared by itself. It can be seen on the hill (the high places of the Old Testament?) from far away. The central temple is very tall, and has the "all-seeing eye" painted on it (2 eyes with a question mark-esque symbol). The eyes are looking out over Kathmandu. Surrounding this temple are many hundreds (or more?) of smaller shrines, idols, prayer wheels, etc. The shrines are small indentions in the temple all the way around, each containing a carving of Buddha. Between each shrine are the prayer wheels. Worshipers will circle the temple, moving the prayer wheels with their hands while they pray. Some would light a candle and place it in the shrines, toss some rice in (offering it to the god) and we even saw some bow down before the idols. Inside the main temple was a large solid gold buddha idol.
Outside were monkeys crawling everywhere, and pigeons. There were merchants with tables selling souvenirs. The main souvenir was the singing bowl. People rub the outside of the bowl with a wooden tool and it creates a sound. Silas said, "Jesus is our Healer...so why do we need a singing bowl?" All over the area you could hear the sound of a chant-like song being played on speakers. The young men guiding us said that the song was saying, "Worship the lord Buddha. He is the alpha and omega, beginning and end."
Afterwards, we went to the main Hindu temple. It overlooked a very dirty river that is supposed to be a holy river. Dead bodies were burning on the bank of the river on platforms. Fortunately, they were very burned and we could not see anything too graphic. But we were forced to breathe in the smoke of the dead bodies.
Again, there were SO MANY IDOLS all over the area and hilltop. Monkeys were everywhere, and Hindu holy men who wanted money to get your picture taken with them. There were beggars missing limbs.
I don't know what to say. What striking images have filled our minds today! What darkness covers and enslaves this friendly and beautiful people! Paul said in Romans that they "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Rom. 1:23, ESV). We saw this today. He goes on to say that they "exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" (v. 25).
Never in all my life will I forget what I have seen today. But I do not judge this people as worse than us. Their idols are out for everyone to see. Our many thousands of idols come in different forms. We worship sex, money, entertainment, sports, hobbies, material things, and SELF.
May God be pleased to break the power of darkness over this beautiful land, and draw out for himself a people in Christ, for the glory of God!! And may God break our hearts and so move in us that we turn from our own idols, and serve Jesus radically and faithfully. May that service to Christ lead us HERE with the gospel, and to all the ends of the earth.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Trip to Chitwan: 1001 Traffic Jams
We finished the conference on Friday. The pastors seemed so blessed by it, and were praising the Lord. Our team loaded up in a van with Pastor Ram and the 3 young ladies who have been such a HUGE help to us: Pramita, Bimalay, and Samata. These ladies basically run the school and orphanage while Ram is away. They have waited on us hand and foot, helped us with the culture, taken us around the city and have blessed us beyond measure. Ram will be taking them to the States in the future as a gift to them for working so hard. You will all fall in love with them! They will come to our churches, Lord willing.
We started the drive out of Kathmandu valley. We were staring out the windows looking at all the sights. It was a 5 hour drive through the Himalayan foothills on windy roads. The van in many places was right next to huge dropoffs. After dark, the traffic stopped (the first of MANY traffic jams this weekend). There was an accident up ahead. Me, Wingo, Luke and Joseph got out and walked around. You could hear the river about 100 feet below the road. In the moonlight you could see the outline of the huge Himalayan peaks on both sides of us. Beautiful!
We got to Chitwan and spent the night. Saturday morning we split up and went to 3 churches to minister. Steve and I went with Ruth and Cathy to Pastor Harri's church (Ram's brother who has planted 64 churches in that area). The people sat on the floor, ladies on one side and men on the other. In front of them were the approximately 50 orphans who live in the first floor of the church building. They had a drum set, percussion, 2 acoustic guitars and a choir of young people. We worshiped for about an hour. It was amazing! EVERYONE sang with such passion, even the orphans. At times everyone would pray out loud. The kids had such looks of zeal as they prayed to God. Steve got up and shared from Psalm 4, and then I preached. The Lord put on my heart the message from our marriage conference, The Glory of Christ in Marriage from Ephesians 5. I spoke of marriage being a picture of Christ and the church. It was very well received. Afterwards I was asked to participate in a baby dedication. What an honor!
After a wonderful lunch we gathered at the church building again with about 30 pastors from that area, most of whom had not been able to come to the conference. There was an old baptist preacher present who was the very first Christian in the city. He has labored faithfully for many years, and has planted many churches. What an honor just to meet him! I felt like washing his feet. Ram introduced them to us and us to them, and then he shared his vision for spreading the gospel in Nepal and outwards. It is amazing how all these churches are coming together under Ram's leadership to work together. A couple of the pastor's had shared with us earlier (when Ram was not around) an amazing story. They estimate that there are now about a million Christians in Nepal, and that 75% of them came to Christ as a direct result of Ram's ministry!!! God is doing such an amazing work here. Ram has such a HUGE vision, and he needs a lot of help. We told him and the pastors that we are praying for them. So PRAY!!
After the meeting we loaded up and began the trip home. The 5 hour trip ended up taking about 8 1/2 hours!! There was a bad accident and a long taffic jam. We took an alternate route on one of the worst dirt roads alive. On the way we stopped to go on a cable car. I thought it was just over the river, but it ended up taking us almost a mile in the air over the Himalayas! We were packed in little cars, 6 to car, and it was very unnerving, but beautiful. About one in the morning we made it home exhausted. So today we slept in.
The clothes were distributed to the orphans today. We will distribute the rest of the candy and gifts tomorrow. They also took us to the famous Thamel tourist area, full of rickshaws, traffic, and persistent salesmen!
One thing that is blowing our minds is the number of shrines and temples. They are EVERYWHERE. It reminds us of Paul walking through Athens and seeing all the idols. This people needs Jesus Christ!
We are all doing well and we miss our family and friends. Please continue to pray for us, and PRAY for Ram and his ministry. God is building a glorious church in Nepal, and it is so amazing that we get to join him in this work! Glory to God!
Oh yeah, we ate a water buffalo pizza. It was so good!!
You can read Pastor Luke's thoughts on this trip at his blog, http://thinktheology.org/ .
We started the drive out of Kathmandu valley. We were staring out the windows looking at all the sights. It was a 5 hour drive through the Himalayan foothills on windy roads. The van in many places was right next to huge dropoffs. After dark, the traffic stopped (the first of MANY traffic jams this weekend). There was an accident up ahead. Me, Wingo, Luke and Joseph got out and walked around. You could hear the river about 100 feet below the road. In the moonlight you could see the outline of the huge Himalayan peaks on both sides of us. Beautiful!
We got to Chitwan and spent the night. Saturday morning we split up and went to 3 churches to minister. Steve and I went with Ruth and Cathy to Pastor Harri's church (Ram's brother who has planted 64 churches in that area). The people sat on the floor, ladies on one side and men on the other. In front of them were the approximately 50 orphans who live in the first floor of the church building. They had a drum set, percussion, 2 acoustic guitars and a choir of young people. We worshiped for about an hour. It was amazing! EVERYONE sang with such passion, even the orphans. At times everyone would pray out loud. The kids had such looks of zeal as they prayed to God. Steve got up and shared from Psalm 4, and then I preached. The Lord put on my heart the message from our marriage conference, The Glory of Christ in Marriage from Ephesians 5. I spoke of marriage being a picture of Christ and the church. It was very well received. Afterwards I was asked to participate in a baby dedication. What an honor!
After a wonderful lunch we gathered at the church building again with about 30 pastors from that area, most of whom had not been able to come to the conference. There was an old baptist preacher present who was the very first Christian in the city. He has labored faithfully for many years, and has planted many churches. What an honor just to meet him! I felt like washing his feet. Ram introduced them to us and us to them, and then he shared his vision for spreading the gospel in Nepal and outwards. It is amazing how all these churches are coming together under Ram's leadership to work together. A couple of the pastor's had shared with us earlier (when Ram was not around) an amazing story. They estimate that there are now about a million Christians in Nepal, and that 75% of them came to Christ as a direct result of Ram's ministry!!! God is doing such an amazing work here. Ram has such a HUGE vision, and he needs a lot of help. We told him and the pastors that we are praying for them. So PRAY!!
After the meeting we loaded up and began the trip home. The 5 hour trip ended up taking about 8 1/2 hours!! There was a bad accident and a long taffic jam. We took an alternate route on one of the worst dirt roads alive. On the way we stopped to go on a cable car. I thought it was just over the river, but it ended up taking us almost a mile in the air over the Himalayas! We were packed in little cars, 6 to car, and it was very unnerving, but beautiful. About one in the morning we made it home exhausted. So today we slept in.
The clothes were distributed to the orphans today. We will distribute the rest of the candy and gifts tomorrow. They also took us to the famous Thamel tourist area, full of rickshaws, traffic, and persistent salesmen!
One thing that is blowing our minds is the number of shrines and temples. They are EVERYWHERE. It reminds us of Paul walking through Athens and seeing all the idols. This people needs Jesus Christ!
We are all doing well and we miss our family and friends. Please continue to pray for us, and PRAY for Ram and his ministry. God is building a glorious church in Nepal, and it is so amazing that we get to join him in this work! Glory to God!
Oh yeah, we ate a water buffalo pizza. It was so good!!
You can read Pastor Luke's thoughts on this trip at his blog, http://thinktheology.org/ .
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Answered Prayer!!!
This is the third time I've attempted to write this post. The power keeps going off right in the middle of it!
Our luggage arrived! Praise God. We went to the airport last night (Thursday night) and picked it up. The pastors here at the conference have been praying with us about this. One pastor who can't speak a lot of English came to me this morning and said, "Luggage?" I said, "Yes, we have it." He gave a giant grin and praised God. Thank all of you for praying for us about our luggage. What a blessing after 4 days without it. Now the orphans are gonna get a BIG blessing today! As we were unloading the bags from the van, one of the orphan girls, 9 year old Erica Ghuru tapped me and said, "Gifts?"
We are finishing the conference this morning (Friday morning) with the final 3 sessions. Luke, Don, and then I will teach the final session. It has been great, and God is moving in these pastors' lives. Many of the orphans who live here have grown up to their late teens and early twenties and are serving in various ministry capacities; basically running the place! Tika is an orphan who is the pastor here while Ram is away. Some young men lead worship in the band: drums, electric guitar, bass, and keyboard. They are very talented and write their own songs (although they have sung Lord I Lift Your Name on High). They want us to bring our band and put on a giant concert for the youth in Kathmandu. Woo-hoo! Their lead singer is a passionate, good looking young man with Buddy Holly glasses (like mine). His name is Silas (pronounced See-Las here). He is engaged to a pretty young lady named Sante. In February he is going for 6 months of pastor training, then they will get married and he will begin to serve as pastor somewhere.
This afternoon after the conference, while you are sleeping in the States, we will load up in a van and drive for 5 hours to Chiton, a town in western Nepal where Ram's brother Harri (Ha-ree) pastors. He has planted 64 churches in that area in the last 17 years and is a delightful and joyful brother. We are going to be preaching in some of his churches tomorrow (Nepali Christains currently meet on Saturdays, not for doctrinal reasons, but because of the Hindu culture. This could be changing in the future because of the new government). Please pray for us as we travel.
Last night our full team, for the first time, got to gather at the restaurant in our hotel and enjoy a nice meal and fellowship together. We all sat around a large square table that was about 2 feet off the ground. We sat in low, padded chairs. The fellowship was so good. We praised God for the good attitudes in all of us in the midst of the struggles. He has given such love and unity on the team! We also feel that God has protected us from spiritual attack. Praise the Lord! Continue to pray for the team. God is answering your prayers, and he is moving in our hearts. Their is brokenness, joy, worship, culture-shock, and more.
Wednesday night we had a unique new year. We had church till midnight. Kirk and I preached and encouraged the church. Then we went outside in the cold and gathered around a bonfire to eat Asian BBQ chicken and coke. Then everyone began to dance! What a culture. Kim would have loved it!! The little orphan preteen girls kept pulling us out to dance with them. We didn't get back to the hotel till 2:20 a.m. And I had to preach first the next morning! (And woke up to take a shower and there was no hot water...)
There is such an amazing bond between us and the Christians here already. Such a common love in Christ! This is a precious people and we believe that God is laying the foundation for a long-term relationship with these guys! There is no end to the help this ministry needs. What an opportunity to join God in his work in the earth! These people love Jesus so much, and are so hungry!! They have such a vision.
Oh yeah, plus - we ate water buffalo yesterday. They serve us lunch here on the church grounds each day. It is SO good. These guys are cooking HIGH QUALITY delicious food for 200 or 300 people daily! Yesterday the meat was water buffalo minced meat in a green sauce. It looked like ground hamburger and tasted awesome! All of us liked it. Each day there is rice, lentil soup poured over the rice, a curry (we've had vegetable, chicken, pork and then the buffalo minced meat) and a chutney (they call it "pickle"). The chutney is a red tomato sauce that is sour and spicy. All we can eat. Whoah!
We all miss you so much, but are having a great time. God is being glorified, and we are joining him to help build a holy, God-glorifying church in Nepal. In heaven we will worship with these saints forever and ever!
Our luggage arrived! Praise God. We went to the airport last night (Thursday night) and picked it up. The pastors here at the conference have been praying with us about this. One pastor who can't speak a lot of English came to me this morning and said, "Luggage?" I said, "Yes, we have it." He gave a giant grin and praised God. Thank all of you for praying for us about our luggage. What a blessing after 4 days without it. Now the orphans are gonna get a BIG blessing today! As we were unloading the bags from the van, one of the orphan girls, 9 year old Erica Ghuru tapped me and said, "Gifts?"
We are finishing the conference this morning (Friday morning) with the final 3 sessions. Luke, Don, and then I will teach the final session. It has been great, and God is moving in these pastors' lives. Many of the orphans who live here have grown up to their late teens and early twenties and are serving in various ministry capacities; basically running the place! Tika is an orphan who is the pastor here while Ram is away. Some young men lead worship in the band: drums, electric guitar, bass, and keyboard. They are very talented and write their own songs (although they have sung Lord I Lift Your Name on High). They want us to bring our band and put on a giant concert for the youth in Kathmandu. Woo-hoo! Their lead singer is a passionate, good looking young man with Buddy Holly glasses (like mine). His name is Silas (pronounced See-Las here). He is engaged to a pretty young lady named Sante. In February he is going for 6 months of pastor training, then they will get married and he will begin to serve as pastor somewhere.
This afternoon after the conference, while you are sleeping in the States, we will load up in a van and drive for 5 hours to Chiton, a town in western Nepal where Ram's brother Harri (Ha-ree) pastors. He has planted 64 churches in that area in the last 17 years and is a delightful and joyful brother. We are going to be preaching in some of his churches tomorrow (Nepali Christains currently meet on Saturdays, not for doctrinal reasons, but because of the Hindu culture. This could be changing in the future because of the new government). Please pray for us as we travel.
Last night our full team, for the first time, got to gather at the restaurant in our hotel and enjoy a nice meal and fellowship together. We all sat around a large square table that was about 2 feet off the ground. We sat in low, padded chairs. The fellowship was so good. We praised God for the good attitudes in all of us in the midst of the struggles. He has given such love and unity on the team! We also feel that God has protected us from spiritual attack. Praise the Lord! Continue to pray for the team. God is answering your prayers, and he is moving in our hearts. Their is brokenness, joy, worship, culture-shock, and more.
Wednesday night we had a unique new year. We had church till midnight. Kirk and I preached and encouraged the church. Then we went outside in the cold and gathered around a bonfire to eat Asian BBQ chicken and coke. Then everyone began to dance! What a culture. Kim would have loved it!! The little orphan preteen girls kept pulling us out to dance with them. We didn't get back to the hotel till 2:20 a.m. And I had to preach first the next morning! (And woke up to take a shower and there was no hot water...)
There is such an amazing bond between us and the Christians here already. Such a common love in Christ! This is a precious people and we believe that God is laying the foundation for a long-term relationship with these guys! There is no end to the help this ministry needs. What an opportunity to join God in his work in the earth! These people love Jesus so much, and are so hungry!! They have such a vision.
Oh yeah, plus - we ate water buffalo yesterday. They serve us lunch here on the church grounds each day. It is SO good. These guys are cooking HIGH QUALITY delicious food for 200 or 300 people daily! Yesterday the meat was water buffalo minced meat in a green sauce. It looked like ground hamburger and tasted awesome! All of us liked it. Each day there is rice, lentil soup poured over the rice, a curry (we've had vegetable, chicken, pork and then the buffalo minced meat) and a chutney (they call it "pickle"). The chutney is a red tomato sauce that is sour and spicy. All we can eat. Whoah!
We all miss you so much, but are having a great time. God is being glorified, and we are joining him to help build a holy, God-glorifying church in Nepal. In heaven we will worship with these saints forever and ever!
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