Friday, November 8, 2013

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Seven

Understanding Our Role Here

It's not hard to explain why we raise funds and pray hard and take time off and fly 24 hours to a place like this...it's all for the glory of God. It's because God is deserving of praise from every person in every corner of the globe. It's because God's heart has always been for all peoples. Even as far back as Abraham God told him that he would make a covenant with him and that "though you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."

It's not hard to say why we're here on this mission trip.

It IS however, hard to explain sometimes why we're here and not preaching the g*spel on every street corner. Let me give it a try:

If you know me you know that I will sing or pre^ch the g*spel in any foreign country at the drop of a hat. (and I've been known to drop my own hat.) So, with a heart that beats EV it's taken me a while to see the big picture here. Here's the truth, we don't come into a country where open EV can cause persecution for national believers and decide to just go for it. We are here to show God's love and to tell clearly that we are believers in the Most High God as a way to open doors for national believers to do the EV. Then, when the national believers do share the g*spel, they have been the ones to step across the line into possible persecution. In addition to this, they will be the ones here long after we are gone. They are the ones who will disciple those who come to faith.

As I awoke this morning and grabbed my bible for my private worship time. I held the black ribbon book mark and let it fall open to the book of Acts. Father had impressed on me to go through this missi*ns narrative while on this short term trip. So, it happened by God that my chapter for today was Acts 16.

I was so moved by verse 6 I could hardly move past it. It reads: "Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia."

There it was! There was a time when the great missionary Paul wanted to come into Asia (hello...that's where we are!) and just let lose. But, they weren't allowed to preach the word...forbidden by the Holy Spirit. 

Yes, I know about all the interpretations of this passage and about the global migration of the gospel in waves and regions and blah, blah, blah. Still, it all boils down to this. We fit into God's plan. We do not try to get Him to follow ours. The Spirit of God has led our team, the nationals and the company M's all to agreement regarding the work here. 

I have personally sat across the table from a national pastor already on this trip and heard him ask us to pave the way but to let the EV be done from Asian to Asian.
But, that doesn't mean we are not sharing the love of Jesus and giving him the glory for us being here. 

Just yesterday we went to the home of the most senior elder of the village to bless he an his daughter. He is well into his 90's and suffered a debilitating stroke just over 6 months ago. As we gave them a gift to bless his family we stated clearly that the only reason we had come...the reason for the blessing was that we are followers of the Most High God. We have already communicated with an Asian believer who has a heart for this family and they will be following up with the g*spel.



And...tonight I have an appointment with an Asian man that I met on this trip and with whom I have found a real connection. I am going with him to actually pray over his mother who is suffering from acute kidney failure. Afterward I will tell him my story of how I came to faith in the Most High God and then- I will be handing it off to an Asian believer who is going with me to serve as our interpreter and he will share the g*spel.

Please Pr^y that he will hear and understand.

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