Weeks 10-11 Pictures

Hank, me, Wit, Erin, and a girl from university.
















Joh, Krit, Folk, and Go at the retreat.















Yu and a university student.









The dance class at the beach. We had five workshops during three time periods on Saturday and Sunday. The one in which I was involved was English. The others were Photography, art, and crafts. The last session involved all of us painting a tile that we all put together to make a mural.













Bik (a Christian), another girl, Folk, and three other students in drawing workshop.









Some girl, Blah (Wit's girlfriend), Nat, Krit, a Christian, Jane (the girl who was my buddy for the weekend - we were arbitrarily assigned a "buddy" to converse with via notes and gifts through the weekend), Joe, and another girl.












I'm not sure who this is, but this is the path to the beach.















BEcky and her Thai friend on the beach. Becky and her husband Andrew spent quite a few years in Thailand, Andrew first as a businessman, then both of them as part of the MTW team before going back to the states to go to seminary.














Someone, once again I don't know who it is, at the beach.








Folk, a girl, Fon, another girl, Pat, Go, some guy, and Erin in the tropical area of Thailand.













Fanta (the girl who had my name as a buddy), Sarah, and Beer (my roommate).















Pat, one of my dearest Christian brothers here, leading games at the retreat.












The party bus.















Me, Dan, Hank, Le, and another basketball friend whose name I can't remember (the guy in the white shirt). This is at our barbecue.











Me and Go (along with Pat, probably my closest Christian Thai friend here).











Some farang (white foreigners) and Thais playing pretty much the only game the Thais know how to play with cards - Slave.

Week 11: Prayer Further Fulfilled

The team of interns is driving out at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning to spend our day off recapping the summer thus far at Kow Yai, translated - "Big Mountain". Hopefully we'll enjoy some beautiful scenery, exotic animals, a cheeseburger or two, and a milkshake or two at a dairy farm among other things. That's just to explain that I won't have an opportunity tomorrow to share about this past week with you - something I'm very anxious to do; so I'm writing now instead.

Last night we returned from our campus retreat at the beach. We stayed in a beautiful house within walking distance to the shoreline, and I basically lived on the roof of this house, from which vantage point I could see both the sea and the mountains. It was amazing! But what was even more amazing was the thoroughly satisfying nature of our time with all of these Thai college students. I think I can legitimately say that every one of our ten interns had at least one interaction which they can point to as significant for the spiritual state of that Thai friend. Going into this weekend, a large part of me fully expected three days of inevitable uselessness at best and constant frustration or death at worst. Instead we found that our God is moving in the souls of Thai people, and that He was willing to grant us sight into that movement and even parts in their process.

Three events pointed me to the reality that I could not draw up times of sharing my heart with any Thais, but that the Lord was uniquely leading us into places where we could help them toward truth. The first came for me on the beach one night as a Thai named Tii was hungrily learning English from me. He asked what I wanted to do with my life. Explaining my desire to be a pastor led into us talking about the differences between Buddhism and Christianity. I found out at the end of the weekend that he had conversed significantly with at least three other Christians about the faith. He told me that it was all very confusing to him, but he kept pursuing answers. The second event came when I felt exhausted on Saturday night. We'd been encouraged to stay up late to talk with people and just pour ourselves out for them. I was seeing very few opportunities to spend time with any Thais, and I was tired, so I went up to the roof and decided to enjoy some time alone on the roof for a little while praying and thinking. My dear friend Wit came out of the shower and decided to come stand by me for a while. We talked about the testimony Erin had given that evening, and about where we wanted our lives to go. It was a sweet moment of sharing friendship and seeing God furthering that relationship. The third was on the bus ride home when the staff handed out packets of Genesis 1-3, John, and some other part of the New Testament. I asked my seat buddy, Folk, to translate Genesis 1.1-10 for me. We struggled through it for about 25 minutes or so (really enjoying it the whole time though). I asked him what he thought about Christianity, and he said that he thought Buddhists and Christians essentially had the same God. He asked if I thought that, and I said I thought that we definitely have different Gods. He was surprised, and said he thought he'd read the rest of that packet to see what the differences might be.

Opportunities like those seemed to crop up incessantly throughout the weekend. And none of them were forced, or involved me pushing myself upon them. I fully saw this weekend how my call is never to force myself upon people. God ordered those situations so that I could share life with those Thai men. I saw Tii's confusion over the reality that not all religions are alike. I felt in Wit a close friend with whom I could share my heart about the reality of life as I've experienced it. I saw in Folk a similar confusion to Tii, as well as a desire to know truth. It is just so beautiful to me to share life with people, and to see the Lord form that living into His good desires.

In addition to these are the many other small blessings I'm surrounded by. We had dozens of guys and girls come to our spur-of-the-moment barbecue. The girl I've been tutoring has finally opened up and has been laughing happily and consistently through our lessons (a very important thing for Thais). And friendships seem more solidified in general than they had before. God has proven that although He is under no obligation to bless our service with fruit, that He is often willing to encourage us by allowing us to see how His kingdom is moving forward.

Ok, so time for a few interesting experiences. Not too many good ones this week. Sorry. I ate squid and pork in an open-air restaurant where I got to sit on the ground with a cussing, somewhat inappropriate Thai friend (quite an interesting guy whose are an anomaly in Thailand). At the retreat I had a Muslim roommate who's name is Beer. I got to play soccer on the beach in the rain with some Thai guys. We also had another dance party on one of those multi-colored buses with spinning ceiling lights.

Lastly, please keep praying. It connects you to us and to the Lord's work across the world, and to this specific people. It also encourages me and is used by the Lord to move His kingdom forth and accomplish His beautifully good purposes in history. Here's how I see that you can pray:
-My Friends. Dii and Fok are definitely at turning points. I continue to have a heart for Wit. Then there are all of my basketball friends and the people that the other interns are meeting.
-Yu and Kieow. Two Thai women on staff; Yu's grandfather died this past week and Kieow's grandmother is in bad shape.
-Our Four-Week Intro. To Christianity Course. Starting this Thursday we'll be leading a four-part study/discussion on Christianity, how it is different from Buddhism, and how it answers humanity's big questions. We need for it to be fun, Christ-centered, and well-adapted to the hearts of those who come. Go - a Thai believer on staff at church who's also a close friend - will lead weeks one and three. Fellow intern Hank will lead the second week. And I'm leading the final week.

Life moves forward, my life continues to have questions, and it is all so good.

June 29: The Simple Pentecost

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” –Acts 2.37
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” –Matthew 5.6
Those who were in Jerusalem at Pentecost heard what Peter said about Jesus dying and rising again for the sins of the world. They heard that Jesus was now glorified in heaven, and they saw the results of His Holy Spirit being poured out on those who believed in Him. And their first response was like a little kid who has been playing all day and forgotten that it’s almost dinnertime. When he sees another kid on the playground with some delicious meal, and smells it, he’s hungry. He finds his parents and figures out what he needs to do to get some food.
Oh, that we would be hungry like these people! What would it mean for us if we were to be “cut to the heart”? Because that’s what God’s Word should do. If the Holy Spirit is convicting us, we will see that God’s message cuts us right to the heart and leaves us wide open. Why wouldn’t we be hungry to understand what to do next?
1. Have you ever felt “cut to the heart”? Have you ever been hungry to know and obey God? If so, reflect on that time. If not, ask yourself why you haven’t.
2. Sit and realize that you cannot create that hunger within yourself. Ask God to have His Spirit let you be “cut to the heart” and hunger for Him.

June 28: The Spirit of Hunger

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” –Acts 2.37
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” –Matthew 5.6
Those who were in Jerusalem at Pentecost heard what Peter said about Jesus dying and rising again for the sins of the world. They heard that Jesus was now glorified in heaven, and they saw the results of His Holy Spirit being poured out on those who believed in Him. And their first response was like a little kid who has been playing all day and forgotten that it’s almost dinnertime. When he sees another kid on the playground with some delicious meal, and smells it, he’s hungry. He finds his parents and figures out what he needs to do to get some food.
Oh, that we would be hungry like these people! What would it mean for us if we were to be “cut to the heart”? Because that’s what God’s Word should do. If the Holy Spirit is convicting us, we will see that God’s message cuts us right to the heart and leaves us wide open. Why wouldn’t we be hungry to understand what to do next?
1. Have you ever felt “cut to the heart”? Have you ever been hungry to know and obey God? If so, reflect on that time. If not, ask yourself why you haven’t.
2. Sit and realize that you cannot create that hunger within yourself. Ask God to have His Spirit let you be “cut to the heart” and hunger for Him.

June 27: The Promised Teacher

“26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14.26
Some people ask, “How do we know that we can trust the words of the Bible?” They wonder, “Are the words of the Bible really the ones that God wanted us to have?” These are very good questions. And here’s an answer: the words of the New Testament came directly in fulfillment of a promise from God!
The events at Pentecost meant that Jesus’ Spirit had come not only to live in all believers, but to specially teach and remind the apostles of the meaning of Jesus’ life and death. Because the Holy Spirit came back to the apostles, we have the words of the New Testament. And it’s through the truth of the apostles’ teaching – the truth of what Christ’s life and death really mean – that we come to trust in Jesus. How good it was of God to provide for His children!
1. How and why did the Spirit come to specially work through the apostles?
2. What does it mean for your faith and Christian life that the Holy Spirit was bringing the real meaning of Jesus life and death to the minds of the writers of the New Testament?

June 26: The Baptism of Fire

“John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’” –Luke 3.16
Fire consumes things. If you happen to drop your favorite book into the fire, it’s gone. The fire which John told the people Jesus was bringing was a fire of judgment that would consume the one whom it baptized. But the tongues of fire at Pentecost – which came with the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit – did not destroy the disciples. Why?
Luke 12.49-50 answers this question: that fiery judgment had already fallen on Jesus. Paul says in Galatians that he died with Christ. Therefore, in Jesus we did receive the baptism of fire – but it could not consume Him. Jesus suffered the judgment on the cross because of the baptism of fire that we deserved so that when Pentecost came the baptism of fire which the disciples received was a fire of grace. It gave to them rather than destroying them.
1. What would it have meant for us if Jesus had taken the baptism of the Holy Spirit only for Himself and left the baptism of fire only for us?
2. How did we receive the baptism of fire and the Holy Spirit in Jesus? And what does it mean for how we should continue to live now? (Read John 15 for direction.)

June 25: No Go-Between

“31Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…33I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts…34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me.” –Jeremiah 31.31, 33-34
In the Old Testament (the “old covenant”), people could really only come to God rightly through the priests. They could only know God through the prophets. Some people throughout the history of the church have tried to tell Christians that they have to approach God through priests or pastors. But this is definitely not true!
What Pentecost finally established was the freedom and ability of everyone to personally know God through Jesus! 1 John 2.27-28 says that “you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing (the Holy Spirit) teaches you about everything…” Certainly teachers are still of great use in the church. But here’s the point: God now teaches us about Himself personally in His Word and in Jesus Christ!
1. How does this change the joy of your responsibility to approach God in prayer and in His Word?
2. Spend some time simply enjoying the Lord’s presence. Maybe you want to thank Him for teaching you about Himself personally.

June 24: Why Pentecost, Part 2

“16You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.” –Leviticus 23.16
“41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” –Acts 2.41
At the conclusion of these two intimately connected feasts, God took for Himself the firstfruits of the people’s harvest. The firstfruits were given to represent the fact that the entire harvest would belong to the Lord.
On Pentecost thousands of men and women from all over the world became firstfruits to God. They were the first shafts of grain. Their salvation was Christ marking out that He was beginning the harvest. All who would come to Him through trusting in His death (Passover) and resurrection (the waving of the grain bundle) would most certainly be God’s just as much as the firstfruits were. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are the remainder of the harvest which Christ is pulling in! And we are taking part right now in the harvest which Christ continues to carry out until all of God’s children are brought to Him.
1. How does the picture of a harvest affect the way in which you view God building His church?
2. How and why should it comfort us that God has set aside His harvest from the beginning (we Christians whom He is saving), and has promised to fully pull in that harvest?

Week 10: Prayer Fulfilled

I fully believe that those of you reading this blog, as well as many others, have been honestly and consistently praying for this mission. In the last week (even in the last few days) we've seen a beautiful blossom of relationships and movement in our ministries than cannot be explained naturally. It's hard to even tangibly recount what we've seen and experienced, but I feel that it's obvious that the Spirit is in it.

Up until this Saturday I had held a few conversations with a select number of the guys that I daily play basketball with. On Saturday evening, almost every guy on the court decided that me and my fellow intern Phil were great friends, and guys that had never before addressed me decided to struggle through Thai and English to try to have conversation with me. They were opening up to our jokes, playing around with us, talking about getting together outside of basketball, looking forward to the next day of playing, and just generally acting as our friends. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we've now got a grill-out planned for all of our basketball friends. We hope to further establish those relationships and let all of these unbelievers feel comfortable around Christians (hopefully even begin some relationships with Christians who're going to be here longer term).

And then there's our daily times on campus. The girls on the intern team stumbled across an entirely new part of campus where dozens of groups of people just sit in pavilions all day long. They started some great relationships with people from clubs across the campus. Whereas before this last week they experienced mostly frustration in conversation, short times on campus, shallow relationships, and confusion as to their place here, the interns now have one of our girls going out with some Thai friends tonight for a movie, we had a birthday party last night for a Thai girl who'd never really had one before, four Thais stayed until nearly 1:00 AM (and one guy stayed the night with us), one new friend had the gospel shared with her, and we filled every spot for our upcoming campus retreat (and had to turn some people down because of lack of space!).

But I have to add onto all of these obvious works of God the spirit with which God has blessed us. Monday morning we listed to a sermon entitled "Doing Missions When Dying is Gain" by John Piper (look it up at www.desiringgod.org). Maybe it was just me experiencing this renewal, but I think it was all of us. We have been reminded in the last week that our purpose in being here is not relaxation, not frivolity, not passivity. Even though we may still have few opportunities to actually DO, and are still learning to REST in Christ, my spirit has been brought back to the reality that God has blessed us in Christ so "that Your way may be known on earth, your saving power among ALL NATIONS." (Psalm 67.2) I'm not sure how to convey this, but in some way I feel that I've finally come to a point of no return. I don't think that I can ever return to the states and live a life of comfort, focusing my heart and energies on me and/or my family's security without being willingly in sin. I am irrevocably tied to the life and salvation of these Thai people. Maybe I won't ever end up back in Thailand for ministry - I still think that's completely possible - but I cannot escape the knowledge I now have of the work of God's people among nations without a strong gospel presence.

So then. What crazy has happened in the last week? Well, not a whole lot, but here's a quick list: I at a Ngong (a fuzzy strawberryish looking fruit that breaks open so that you have a jelly substance wrapped around a pit). I went to an open air market - this deserves a little more explanation. This market was an enormous collection of tin roofs covering tiny shops for hundreds of yards - maybe even miles. I got lost a number of times amid the knife, trinket, Thai handicraft, silk, clothing, and art shops. This is not to mention the occasional Thai women yelling who knows what, so that people would buy their goods. Imagine a flea market pumped on steroids, dirtied quite a bit, and spiced (sometimes literally) with Thai culture. I also ate seaweed chips.

So, if you're not convinced that prayer is necessary and effective...stop reading these blogs. Just kidding. But it seems so obvious to me that God is using the regular prayers of His people to faithfully carry forth His Word to the nations - and we're getting to see the beginnings and even some of the fruit of that. Here are some specifics you can pray for in the upcoming week:
-The Campus Retreat. We have 45 Thai people (maybe all of whom are unbelievers) along with 17 staff and/or Americans going to the beach for three days to live life together and hopefully experience the gospel. Wit will be here, as well as a few of my other personal friends.
-A woman named Phi Dha. She is the roommate of one of our youngest, most evangelistic believers at the church. She's so close to faith, searching it all out, but feels incapable of understanding and trusting Jesus with all of herself.
-The unity and effectiveness of the intern team. I've been amazed at how God's turned personality differences and awkward moments into growth and joy on this team. Pray that He continues to change us into Christ's image as well as to use us for His glory.
-The Wednesday Cookout. As well as any future events and all of the relationships I have from basketball - I suddenly have a fresh heart of care for those guys.

Another week finished, and we're now within a month and three days of returning. Unbelievable.

P.S. - No Pictures this week, sorry. Next week for sure though.

June 23: Why Pentecost, Part 1

“4These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5In the first month…is the Lord’s Passover.” –Leviticus 23.4-5
In the Old Testament, God commanded two feasts which He intimately tied together. The first was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began with the Passover celebration. In case you’re unaware, the Passover looked back to the day when the lambs were slain so that God would pass-over the people of Israel and not kill their firstborn in Egypt. Also in case you didn’t know, this points directly to Jesus, the Passover Lamb who was slain so that God would pass-over those who trust in Christ, not punishing them for their sins.
At the conclusion of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread was the waving of the bundle of wheat before God. Just as this firstfruit was presented to the Lord at the conclusion of Passover, so our savior presented Himself to God in a resurrected body at the conclusion of His suffering and death.
Then we come, fifty days and seven Sabbaths later, to the Feast of Weeks. This feast stood as the conclusion to the time begun with feast of Unleavened Bread. God chose for Christ to pour out His Spirit on this celebration day so that we would see the intimate connection between Christ’s sacrifice and our reception of His Spirit. Christ’s death and our life in the Spirit will forever be intimately connected.
1. Why is it important to always remember Christ’s death and resurrection when considering the gift of the Holy Spirit?
2. Take some time to dwell on what Christ’s death means for our life and faith. Then thank God for that sacrifice.

June 22: The Spirit Resting Upon Us

“3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” –Acts 2.3-4a
We have already come to see that in the Old Testament there was hope that a Messiah would come on whom the Spirit would fully rest. The Spirit fell upon certain men and women at special times, only to leave them once again. True believers in God awaited One who would fully receive the Spirit forever. That One came – Jesus.
But, God was not satisfied to have His Spirit rest only upon His Son, the savior. Instead, it was through Jesus that God caused His Holy Spirit to rest upon all of His people. And here’s what you must realize about God’s Spirit resting upon someone: it cannot happen partially. When the Spirit of God rests upon a person, the fullness of God rests there, too. For all eternity that fullness will not leave the ones who trust in Christ.
1. Give thanks to the Lord for the reality that His fullness rests upon all believers for all eternity.
2. How would your daily life change if you more fully believed that God’s Spirit (in its fullness) dwells within you constantly?

June 21: A Curse Reversal

”11…we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” –Acts 2.11
Early in the history of mankind, we humans conspired to “make a name for ourselves.” As Adam and Eve had done before, the men and women in Genesis 11 sought to stand independently from God. But God’s curse upon them was to scatter their establishments and dissolve their community bonds. They could no longer communicate in one language, and their unity was broken.
If you’ve never thought that language diversity is affected by God’s curse, try to live in a place where you don’t speak the language and then seek out community and try to share your heart with people. There are few things in this world that are more taxing or frustrating. But God did not leave His people in this state of loss and brokenness. On the day of Pentecost, His community-breaking curse upon mankind was reversed. The deepest and most unifying force in existence – the good news of life in Jesus Christ – was communicated through dozens of language barriers. True community and unity are once again possible through the Spirit of God.
1. How have you been frustrated by language and cultural barriers? On the flip side, how have you seen God’s Spirit unite Christians despite such barriers?
2. If language and culture and human similarities are not the essence of true community and unity, what is? Seek to understand this answer, and seek that essence in your relationships.

June 20: Pentecost Again and Again?

Many today ask the question of whether the events at Pentecost should happen to every person who comes to believe in Jesus. Shouldn’t every person speak in tongues and experience a “baptism of the spirit” that’s different from our first coming to believe in Jesus?
As we saw before, Pentecost was the fulfillment of prophecy throughout the Bible. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were once and for all – he doesn’t need to die and be raised again and again. The same was true of Pentecost, when Jesus – who was exalted in heaven by then – gave His Spirit to the whole church and made this clear by the amazing signs done on Pentecost. There were two parts to the Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost: the special signs of fulfillment and the universal, personal experience of the Spirit. At Pentecost God wanted to show the world that He was giving His Spirit through Jesus to everyone who believes in Him. Now that we know this, the Spirit generally works toward His main goal: making humans into the image of Jesus Christ.
1. What was the main purpose of Pentecost?
2. Why are the exhibitions at Pentecost now unnecessary in the life of the church? And what is the Spirit doing now in the church?

June 19: The Spirit to the Nations, Part 2

I have been terribly inconsistent in posting the Daily Manna over the last few days. I realize that people can't really be following it with my inconsistency, but I still want them to be here on the blog for anyone that would like to read them.

“7The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.’” –Psalm 2.7b-8
During some unique points in Scripture, we are allowed to look into the divine interactions between the Father and the Son. In Peter’s Pentecost sermon, he says that Jesus, “exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” (Acts 2.33) Our God had already planned for Jesus to inherit the nations of the world. Yet, in a surprise move (from a human point of view), Jesus did not inherit the nations to rule over them with an iron fist. No, Jesus took possession of the nations by lovingly providing the Holy Spirit which the Father had given to Him on earth!
In going out to the unbelieving nations of the world, we Christians are bringing them under the kingship of Jesus. And this King Jesus doesn’t force them into submission in His kingdom. This King Jesus provides His Spirit for them so that they can share in the blessings which He has been given in God the Father.
1. How should it change your view of the church’s future and unity to know that Christ is sovereign, completely in control, in His rule over the nations by His Spirit?
2. How do these realities change your view of evangelism and missions? How then ought we to change our actions in evangelism?

June 18: The Spirit to All Nations, Part 1

“3…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” –Genesis 12.3b
“5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.” –Acts 2.5
When God called Abraham to follow Him, and then promised to make a covenant with Abraham, He made it clear from the beginning that this covenant was intended to eventually bless all the nations of the earth. Through the Old Testament the non-Jews were for most part excluded from hearing God’s Word through the prophets and from experiencing the Lord’s blessings. That was all to change at Pentecost.
When the Spirit came upon the believers in Jerusalem, He made no distinction in who he spoke to. “…both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 1.11) God had finally chosen to begin the complete fulfillment of His promise to Abraham – every nation, people, and language was going to be blessed with His Spirit through Jesus!
1. How have you failed to involve yourself in the Lord’s work of pouring His Spirit out on all nations through the gospel of Jesus?
2. Where have you seen the fulfillment of this promise? How have you seen men and women from all nations experience the Holy Spirit?

June 17: The Fulfillment of the Ages

“16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel…25For David says concerning him…31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ…33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God…he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” –Acts 2.16, 25, 31, 33
The significance of the event on the day of Pentecost can hardly be understated. The fulfillment of prophecy and hope from ages past had come to a head when the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers in Jerusalem. From the fall of mankind until Jesus’ birth God had carried history through one age. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection marked the beginning of a new age. The Spirit’s coming at Pentecost then completed Christ’s work in the new age of fulfillment. We now look forward only to the day when Jesus will come back to complete history. Prophecy had pointed to this for centuries.
Have you ever felt alone as a Christian in this period of history? Have you felt disconnected from the men and women of the Old Testament? Have you wondered if there is any significance to your life in terms of the history of the world? There is no need to feel so alone! For when Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on the New Testament disciples, He included all believers in this final age of history. Our lives are part of the fulfillment of all the ages which have gone before.
1. Why is it important to see yourself as part of the entire work of God throughout history?
2. Thank God for his consistent faithfulness, and for bringing the salvation of the world one step closer to completion at Pentecost.

Week 9 Pictures

A One-Time Student of mine and me at English Camp













My friend/student Kim and me at English Camp.
















Most of the High School girls short term team, along with some Thai women English students.













The amazing geographical view in which we had our English camp.














The High School girl team and the Thai women again.












One of the challenge course obstacles - rafting your entire team across the river.











Challenge Course obstacle: Climb over the wall twice.













English camp people (and Dave's son Nick).










Me, Jonathon, and some other members of my team at English camp.
















Our team crossing the river.











The red team at English camp.












The blue team at English camp.















Challenge course obstacle: every team but one fell off this cable bridge.















The board/rope bridge. This is the bridge I carried the little boy on our team across. What an experience - he choked me pretty much the entire way and squealed every time we swung to a new board.













Challenge Course Obstacle: swing from tire to tire.










The rise from which we zip-lined.












My friend Phi Hua giving peace signs (I think Melanie's giving a thumbs-up in the background).

















Obstacle Course Challenge: hold hands while crossing the river on these bamboo rafts. My teammate Jonathan and I left some room between us and the next couple so that we could run as far as possible before falling - we made it a good 6 rafts or so before busting our faces.












Crossing the river in the raft.















Fellow intern, Phil.















Trey, the intern team leader - I guess he's the most mature? Hank's flying into the picture, too.

June 16: The Spirit of Rest

“Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.” –Isaiah 63.14a
The Spirit of the Lord didn’t only work through men and women in the Old Testament and actively create things. He also led the people of God into rest from their works and troubles. Here in Isaiah 63 the prophet is recounting when Israel left slavery in Egypt and the Spirit of God led them through the wilderness. The Spirit of the Lord finally led them to the rest of Canaan – the country that the Jews finally called home.
Christians are also called to enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 3.7-4.13, especially 4.9-10). The Spirit of the Lord calls for us to consider how wearying it is to continue trying to earn ourselves God’s pleasure. He invites us to see how wearying our troubles and pains and losses and sicknesses are. The Spirit, calls for us to rest in trusting Jesus, and for us to finally hope in resting with Him eternally.
1. Where are you resisting the Spirit’s call to rest in Christ? Where are you trying so hard to work for the kingdom that you are failing to enjoy God by resting in Him?
2. Sit quietly in the Lord’s presence, and open your heart to the rest that is found in His Spirit.

Week 9

The roller coaster ride which is this missions experience continues to roll onward. Still, after 9 weeks of activity in this place, I find that when I sit down to write this reflection and summary of the week that there have been so many thoughts, interactions, events, and stories that I know I'm going to have to finally just give you a limited picture of what's happening here. Yet, two major events happened this last week that I thoroughly enjoyed, both of which - of course - pushed me into further thought about the calling God is placing upon my life.

The first happened the day that I posted the blog last week. That Tuesday I stayed back from the rest of the group with Hank, one of the other interns. After relaxing for most of the morning, we ran across a really amazing girl named Mary on our bus ride into the city. The summary of this story is that we found out Mary is from France, speaks with a British accent, is an agnostic (but in a unique place of searching in her thoughts on God), and she spent the rest of the day with our team of interns on our day off. A few of us had significant conversations on spirituality, the probability of God's existence and love, psychology, and a slew of other issues. She ended up being tons of fun, and I've heard there's a good chance that she may come and live with us in our Real World Intern house for a week or so.

It was through that day of conversation and interaction with Mary that I got - I think - a small picture of what ministry in postmodern, post-Christian Europe would look like. And I kind of liked it. I can't say that a small experience like that has pushed me to realize that I am fully called to being in a postmodern context ministering to people who believe in no spiritual reality. I do think, however, that that day of interaction with Mary, alongside of the rest of my reflections and experiences here, have pushed me to strongly believe that I would like to experience missions in another context before committing myself to any place or people or ministry in missions. Perhaps my soul and life are better fitted for Europe, or Africa, or Latin America for that matter.

The second event started on Friday and lasted through Sunday. I had the privilege of helping organize and lead the English Retreat this past weekend. We had some 50 or so people from different English classes at our church. And what a great weekend it was (that's where most of my pictures this week are from). We spent three days in a resort which hugged a river-filled valley in the middle of the Thai mountains. Our resort was spectacular, and the people and activities were incredibly fun. Toward the end of that weekend I realized that the entire experience had felt very much like camp. I was in the mountains (my summer last year was spent in the mountains at a camp), there was a team of teenage girls from the states that I often conversed with and sought to minister to, I led games in front of a big group, and we were in a closed community environment with a singularity of purpose. It felt like going home.

Just like the experience with Mary, I don't know what this fully means for my life or calling. But I did realize that there's something in me that understands and loves camp-style ministry. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm really still a kid, or maybe it's the fact that almost a sixth of my life over the last 6 years has been spent in a camp setting. So maybe it means something significant for my life, maybe it just means that the Lord was blessing me with a unique joy this weekend. I'm glad for it either way.

On a quick other note, almost all of the interns - including myself - have been struggling through the worth and direction of their ministry here on campus. We spend some amount of time everyday on campus, and yet we often wonder what our end goals are for being there. It feels often like no long-lasting conversations are even getting off the ground. But, we see that this experience is changing us primarily, and we're learning to humble ourselves before God, ultimately trusting that He will guide it all to its purpose.

And now, of course, a bit of the unique goings-on in the last week. On the ride to English camp I was in a van and somehow we found ourselves watching old concert videos; for nearly an hour and a half we made our way through Faith Hill, Savage Garden, Queen, Elton John, John Denver, Ricky martin, Shania Twain, and hoards of other random artists. Why? Not sure - but it was great. I sat with four other interns late at night, all of us with one earphone from our ipods in, each singing his/her respective song - what a concert of music. I had quiet time nearly 40 feet above a river, looking at mountains all around, I carried an autistic Thai child on my back across a swinging bridge, I got a Thai massage (not foot massage this time), I bought a book for a French girl, and I helped make a Papaya salad birthday cake. Good times, good friends.

Particularly after a conversation with some of the interns last night, I understand how little all of this is about our efforts, and how deeply it is about trusting God in His efforts - which always succeed. As always, this is a plea and exhortation to you to pray for us, and to pray for these unbelieving people. Here's where I see us needing that prayer:
-Me. As I continue to consider my calling, I need the Lord's hand to guide that thought process. Particularly in regards to immediately following this trip, my mind has been heavy with where I am to go.
-The Campus Ministry. We have a coffeehouse this Friday, our intern team is going on a retreat next Tuesday (maybe there won't be a blog post?), and the weekend following this one we have our campus retreat with all of the Thais. The interns also need prayer in their growth and service.
-Mary, our new friend. Particularly if she comes to stay with us, we want good for her, and for God to guide her to Himself in her spiritual journey.
-Along with her, all of our new friends, that we continue to make on campus and elsewhere.

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6.23-24)

June 15: The Fearless Spirit

“4…Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts. 5...My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.” –Haggai 2.4b, 5b
God spoke these words to people who had travelled hundreds of miles back to their home after being in exile for nearly 50 years. Their homes and cities had been destroyed by the same enemies which were still living in the land. For all they knew, those enemies could come and attack them again, take them into exile again, or try to just destroy all of them. In the midst of that, God tells them not to be afraid, because He is keeping His Holy Spirit among them.
What a promise! We, the people of God, have no reason to be afraid since His Spirit is living amongst us. The Spirit of the Lord protects our life. But not only that – the Spirit of the Lord also gives courage to live in the calling which God has given us. We have no reason to fear, since the One who has fulfilled every other promise He’s given to us has promised that His Spirit is with us right now.
1. What do you fear? Do you fear leaving your home, failing in your calling, being persecuted, being rejected, losing your family, or something else?
2. What difference does it make that God doesn’t simply tell us what to do, but promises to remain with us in whatever He calls us to?

June 14: The Spirit of Guidance

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” –Psalm 143.10
I found out soon after coming to Thailand that there were two ways to get from my house to the college campus. The one is very long. The other, shorter one, however, involves walking a road with what could either be called potholes or canyons. After walking the road once, jumping from puddle to puddle and dodging cars, nearly twisting my ankle and falling into the flooded road every step of the way, my friend Paul taught me the way around this. By walking on the side of the road furthest from the campus, you can weave in and out of plants and shop fronts quite easily until you get to the campus entrance. He had led me onto level ground.
This is the picture that the Psalmist gives us for the Spirit of the Lord. Besides His mighty, miraculous works which moved history toward Jesus’ coming, even in the Old Testament the Spirit took personal interest in giving wisdom to those who trusted in the Lord. The books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes are perfect evidence of this truth. The Spirit of the Lord gives wisdom to His people so that even when they don’t know the safe way past the potholes and canyons, their steps land on level ground.
1. What practical fears do you have that would be stilled by knowing God’s Spirit brings wisdom to those who seek it?
2. How can you move toward seeking the Spirit’s wisdom in all areas of your life?

June 13: The Life-Breathing Spirit, Part 2

“4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live’…14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.” –Ezekiel 37.4-5, 14a
Here’s the hope that these bones need! In Ezekiel 37.3 God asks Ezekiel if the bones can live. Ezekiel is unwilling to say that they can’t, because he knows that it is ultimately in the Lord’s hands. His response is, “O, Lord God, you know.”
But, where once there were dry, dead bones, fully living humans arise from the dust. And did you see the means by which these bones came to life? It was not by Ezekiel’s creativity; it was not by intelligent philosophy; it was not by the work of Ezekiel or the bones themselves; it was not by prayer to any special spirit; and it wasn’t even because the bones really wanted to be alive. These bones live because God breathes His Spirit into them as Ezekiel speaks the truth of God’s Word to them.
How do we come alive? By hearing and believing the truth of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me…has passed from death to life.” (John 5.24-25)
1. How does this change the way you think about doing evangelism? What is it you are looking for and relying on when you desire for a non-Christian to believe in Christ?
2. How does it give you hope and comfort to know that God has breathed His very Spirit into you to make you spiritually alive? Thank God that one day He will resurrect your body by His Spirit as well (1 Corinthians 15).

June 12: The Life-Breathing Spirit, Part 1

“1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley, it was full of bones…they were very dry. 3And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’” –Ezekiel 37.1, 2b-3
I’ve seen many skeletons in my life up to this point. I’ve seen a lizard skeleton treasured by a little girl; I’ve seen the remains of ancient people in museums; I’ve seen animals who’ve been hunted and animals who’ve died naturally; I’ve seen innumerable skeletons in the movies. And here’s the bottom line on skeletons: they’re dead.
The bones that Ezekiel sees here represent the true nature of the people around him. It takes the Spirit of the Lord opening his eyes in order for him to see that the souls of these people are nothing more than dry bones. And, just like the dry bones that I’ve come across, these bones have no life, and as far as we can see they’ve got no prospect of obtaining life. Outside of what comes next – outside of the breath of God – these bones are us. They have no life. Outside of the Spirit of God, we have no life.
1. If you don’t believe in Jesus as Savior, why do you think God would refer to you as dry, lifeless bones? Pray that He’ll open your eyes to the answer to that question.
2. Why do we need God’s Spirit to open our eyes to seeing that we were once lifeless bones and that those outside of Christ are lifeless bones right now?

June 11: Seeing the Christ

“38And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?’ 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.’” –Genesis 41.38-39
What an interesting statement that a man outside of God’s covenant spoke: “Here we have a man in whom God’s Spirit lives.” What did the Pharaoh see when he looked at Joseph? Wisdom? Yes, but unbeknownst to him, Pharaoh saw something more…He saw the Christ. The life of Joseph was like so many others in the Old Testament; when the Spirit of God dwelt in them, they became figures of the future savior, Jesus. Joseph possessed wisdom beyond any men of his age (remember what Isaiah 11 said about the Christ?). The end result of Joseph’s life: despite rejection, persecution, temptation, and exile the Lord used Joseph’s life and leadership to save God’s people from being lost. Sound familiar? (Hint: Jesus)
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3.18 that “we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Dear Christians, by the Spirit we also have the privilege to reflect the glory of the Christ! Those in the Old Testament pointed toward His coming, and we point to His presently redeeming life.
1. What other points in Joseph’s life do you see that reflect the life of Christ?
2. In what areas would unbelievers look at your life and be able to recognize the character of Christ (even if they don’t know it’s Christ they’re seeing)? Direct your prayers toward asking God to conform you to the image of Christ by His Spirit, and to open unbelievers eyes to seeing Christ in you, even if they don’t immediately recognize that it’s Christ they’re seeing.

June 10: The Spirit in Jesus

“1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” –Isaiah 11.1-2
The Holy Spirit’s primary work came in the person of Jesus. Even in the Old Testament it was already being made known that the Spirit’s main work would be in His work through Jesus. Here in Isaiah it’s revealed that the Spirit of the Lord would rest upon Christ. In a sense, when the Holy Spirit came down throughout the Old Testament – on Joseph, Daniel, Bezalel, Samson, Othniel, David, and others – He eventually ascended again. He completed the special work which He desired to do through those men, and then withdrew that special intimacy. However, Isaiah tells us that the Spirit would rest upon Jesus, never leaving Him, and dwelling fully in Him.
Then, see the beautiful nature which the Spirit would bring upon Christ: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. By the indwelling Spirit, Jesus taught and lived in all wisdom, understanding, and fear of the Lord. What a comforting thought, to know that all of Christ’s teaching came from the wisdom and understanding of the Spirit of the Lord. We can fully rely upon His words and life, because they came straight from the heart of God’s Spirit.
1. Knowing that Jesus’ teaching is full of God’s wisdom and understanding, how should your life be more oriented around the words of Jesus?
2. Since Jesus fully understood the mind of God through the Spirit, what does this mean for how we interpret the Old Testament through His words and life (personally, in our preaching, etc.)?

Week 8 Pictures

My friends Le and Wit. Amazingly, Le is wearing a Detroit Red Wings shirt. Beautiful. Wit's the guy I went home with a few weeks back. Both great guys.














Sarah (an intern), Blah (Wit's girlfriend), a YWAM guy, Wit, and me.













Me, a new Thai intern at the church, Phi Pha, Dang, and Wit.

















Me and Blah - and the usual height difference between me and a Thai person.













My friend, Fon, and I being semi-violent.














The main street of downtown Bangkok - Sukhamvit.














The interns at dinner. You can make out Phil, Hank, Alissa, and Trey.












Catherine's birthday party at a Lebanese restaurant. Pictured from left to right are Bob, me, Clint, man can't remember that girl's name (sure hope she doesn't check the blog), Catherine, Rhianna (Tim's wife), Melanie, and Bob's fiance.











Me and Clint. Clint's sister, Catherine, attends our church and teaches at the local international Christian school. Clint's living here for the year to go to school.










Pat, me, Dan (another intern), and a friend at the soccer match.











Thai Soccer - Bangkok vs. Chon Buri.












Watching soccer the Thai way.
















The most amazing child soccer protegy I've seen. He did this same trick later with a water bottle on his head and the ball on top of that. He never dropped the ball once.







Carrying a pillow on my head into the girls' house.

















Erin, another intern, carrying a pillow with me.


















Lisa, another intern. Not sure when this picture was taken, but I thought I'd post it since she probably just thought it was funny to take pictures with my camera!