My phone has been out AGAIN! That of course is nothing new, but it has prevented me from posting.
This past week I had an answer to prayer that thrilled me. I was saved at the age of 12 at the First Baptist Church of North Ridgeville, Ohio. The pastor who led me to the Lord was John Norris. I have not seen or heard from him since 1983/1984. While on deputation I desired to find him. I wanted to let him know that a 12 year old boy he led to the Lord was now a preacher. I wanted to thank him for his faithfulness and sharing the gospel with me. I know he would not even know who I was if I found him, but none the less, I had a strong desire to make contact with him.
I contacted people who were members of the church when he was pastor there. I asked them if they knew where he was. A few people gave me some leads, but none panned out. One person told me he was in south Florida, so I called all the John Norris’s in south Florida. There were plenty to call, but none of them turned out to be him. After that, I simply quit trying to find him. I was too busy with deputation and preparing for the field.
Last month during one of my prayer times, I began thinking about him again. I prayed and asked the Lord to allow me to find him. Then last Saturday (Friday U.S.) I received the following email:
Dear Brother Terry,
I was doing some research on my message over the internet when I came across your blog and website with all the pictures. It looks like you are doing a great work in Papua New Guinea.
I noticed in your testimony that you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior in 1982 in a Baptist Church in North Ridgeville, Ohio. And then in one of your blogs, you stated that the pastor was John Norris. If that was First Baptist Church of North Ridgeville, on Sugar Ridge Road, then I was that pastor. I am currently the pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Decatur, Illinois. You can visit our church website at
www.riversidebaptist.us
May the Lord continue to use you and bless your work and your family.
Pastor John Norris
As I read the email, my heart filled with joy. The Lord had heard and answered my prayer! I was amazed at how he just “happened” to find my blog. This was all of the Lord’s providence! I emailed him back and told him how I had been praying the Lord will allow me to find him. I did not even know he was still a pastor. It had been over 20 years since I last talked with him.
It still amazes me how the Lord answers our prayers. Think about it: The God of the universe hears our prayers and delights to answer them! Amen!
Pastor John, if you read this, I just want to say thank you again!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Interesting Week
Sorry it has been a few days, for those who are still around reading! We have had phone, power, and water problems. Praise the Lord we had rain yesterday, so our tanks now have some water. We do need more water though, so pray it will continue to rain.
Power and phone problems are relatively minor compared to water problems. When you have to go to a river for your water, it affects every aspect of your life. You even have to lug a bucket of water for the toilet. It can get pretty hectic when you have phone, power, and water problems all at the SAME time. I am just a spoiled American!
I have one generator broken down awaiting parts. I have been awaiting parts for it for one year now. I do have a backup though, and that generator broke down last week. However, I managed to rig it, so it is working now. The breaker fried!
Answered prayer:
Of the 50 to 60 people attending regularly only about 8 youth come. I have witnesses to all of them, and they hear the preaching each week. However, none of them have trusted Christ for salvation. Well, Sunday that changed, when a teenage girl made a profession of faith after the service! I talked with her for sometime and she was ready. Hopefully/prayfully this is the first of many. The youth here, as in many places, have many temptations. Immorality is common, expected and rampant among the youth as well as the adults in the villages.
Power and phone problems are relatively minor compared to water problems. When you have to go to a river for your water, it affects every aspect of your life. You even have to lug a bucket of water for the toilet. It can get pretty hectic when you have phone, power, and water problems all at the SAME time. I am just a spoiled American!
I have one generator broken down awaiting parts. I have been awaiting parts for it for one year now. I do have a backup though, and that generator broke down last week. However, I managed to rig it, so it is working now. The breaker fried!
Answered prayer:
Of the 50 to 60 people attending regularly only about 8 youth come. I have witnesses to all of them, and they hear the preaching each week. However, none of them have trusted Christ for salvation. Well, Sunday that changed, when a teenage girl made a profession of faith after the service! I talked with her for sometime and she was ready. Hopefully/prayfully this is the first of many. The youth here, as in many places, have many temptations. Immorality is common, expected and rampant among the youth as well as the adults in the villages.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Who is First in Your Life?
Colossians1:17,18 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(Mat 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Who is first in your life? How do we determine the answer to this question? Most Christians would say God is first in their life, but is He?
Is He first in my life because I am a missionary or pastor? No! One’s position in life does not determine who is first in their life. Who is first is determined by more than priorities, as well. Now, of course, if one’s priorities are not correct, the Lord is not first. However, just because one’s priorities are correct does not mean God is first. For the Lord to be first, he must be preeminent in all areas of your life! He must be what you are seeking! My priorities can be in order and yet I am seeking things for self. Thus, God is not first.
Either self is first, or God is first in our life. This is subject to change on a daily basis, so to properly answer the question as to who is first; one must answer it daily or moment by moment. Christ can be first in your life today, but not tomorrow. It is a matter of who you allow to control your life. The Apostle Paul said, “I die daily.”
As we study the Word of God we learn of God and his attributes. We learn of His holiness, love, mercy, longsuffering, power, justice, etc… It is here the Lord gives us knowledge too see the wisdom of letting God be first/preeminent in all areas of our life. We learn He is able to manage our life better than us. He knows what is going to happen tomorrow. We see He is able to provide for all our needs; physical, spiritual, and emotional. To actually let God be first takes faith. It is not blind faith, because we have the Bible, and creation. Why faith? Because without faith it is impossible to please God. So God has chosen the avenue of faith for our benefit. You see, through faith we have the opportunity to please God. We do not please God by our righteousness. We do not please God by works. Some think they please God by inflicting pain on themselves, i.e. opus dei of the Catholic Church. We please God by faith. By trusting in Him and acting upon His Word as a result. Faith will produce actions. (James 2)
For the Lord to be first, we must learn of Him in His Word, and trust him on a daily basis, living by the principals of God’s Word regardless of circumstances.
Great Biblical examples of men who allowed God to be first: (notice how God used and changed their lives)
Joseph – From slave/prisoner to Prime Minister
Joshua – From slave to general/leader of the people of God
Daniel – From slave to Prime Minster through two world empires.
Elisha – From farmer to one of the greatest prophets of God
Paul – From religious hypocrite to Apostle of Jesus Christ
Peter – From fisherman to Apostle
Your Name – From ? to ?
How can the Lord use and change your life if you allow Him to be first/preeminent?
(Mat 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Who is first in your life? How do we determine the answer to this question? Most Christians would say God is first in their life, but is He?
Is He first in my life because I am a missionary or pastor? No! One’s position in life does not determine who is first in their life. Who is first is determined by more than priorities, as well. Now, of course, if one’s priorities are not correct, the Lord is not first. However, just because one’s priorities are correct does not mean God is first. For the Lord to be first, he must be preeminent in all areas of your life! He must be what you are seeking! My priorities can be in order and yet I am seeking things for self. Thus, God is not first.
Either self is first, or God is first in our life. This is subject to change on a daily basis, so to properly answer the question as to who is first; one must answer it daily or moment by moment. Christ can be first in your life today, but not tomorrow. It is a matter of who you allow to control your life. The Apostle Paul said, “I die daily.”
As we study the Word of God we learn of God and his attributes. We learn of His holiness, love, mercy, longsuffering, power, justice, etc… It is here the Lord gives us knowledge too see the wisdom of letting God be first/preeminent in all areas of our life. We learn He is able to manage our life better than us. He knows what is going to happen tomorrow. We see He is able to provide for all our needs; physical, spiritual, and emotional. To actually let God be first takes faith. It is not blind faith, because we have the Bible, and creation. Why faith? Because without faith it is impossible to please God. So God has chosen the avenue of faith for our benefit. You see, through faith we have the opportunity to please God. We do not please God by our righteousness. We do not please God by works. Some think they please God by inflicting pain on themselves, i.e. opus dei of the Catholic Church. We please God by faith. By trusting in Him and acting upon His Word as a result. Faith will produce actions. (James 2)
For the Lord to be first, we must learn of Him in His Word, and trust him on a daily basis, living by the principals of God’s Word regardless of circumstances.
Great Biblical examples of men who allowed God to be first: (notice how God used and changed their lives)
Joseph – From slave/prisoner to Prime Minister
Joshua – From slave to general/leader of the people of God
Daniel – From slave to Prime Minster through two world empires.
Elisha – From farmer to one of the greatest prophets of God
Paul – From religious hypocrite to Apostle of Jesus Christ
Peter – From fisherman to Apostle
Your Name – From ? to ?
How can the Lord use and change your life if you allow Him to be first/preeminent?
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Five Miles
For each service, Sunday and Wednesday, everyone walks to church, except for my family. No one in the church has a vehicle. Keep in mind, this village is in the bush. Most walk about 1 mile. However, one family has been walking quite a long distance to church. The family is from the village of Belai, and has now attended four services.
Saturdays I usually spend in the village, visiting. This past Saturday, I traveled to visit with this man from Belai. While driving there, I took notice of how far he lived from the church. It was farther then I thought it was. It was just about 5 miles, 4.6 miles to be exact. This man, his wife, and their five children were walking almost 5 miles, one way, to church!
When I arrived at his hut/house, he was thrilled to have me there. My son Daniel was with me, as always, and he sat down on their bamboo bench. I sat down on the ground with the family. Two neighbor ladies also came and sat down with us.
I must admit, even though I have been here now almost three years, it is almost surreal making some of these visits. Here I am, sitting down next to a bamboo hut with a grass roof, on a tiny little island in the South Pacific Ocean giving the gospel out! What a privilege! Pigs are running around, parrots flying overhead, no modern civilization is anywhere close.
Anyhow, I began to make conversation with the man and his family. His name is Stephen and his wife’s name is Limakum. I told him that I would make arrangements to pick him up for church at the end of Kudukudu. This way, he would only be walking about 2 miles. Now, my primary purpose of the visit was the gospel. He and his wife had now heard me preach several times from their visits to church. I knew the Word was sown in their hearts. I asked if he had any questions about what he had heard at church. He told me he had just one question. Stephen then said this thing about eternal life/heaven bothered him. He went on to say, he did not know what would happen to him when he would die. He wanted my help with this!!! Up to this point, I had not mentioned anything about the gospel, or asked him any questions regarding salvation. The Lord had been giving the increase already in his heart and his wife’s heart.
I then preached to them the gospel. They listened intently. I explained to them sin and the penalty for it. They both admitted, at that point, if they died they would go to Hell. Then we talked about Jesus Christ and why he came to this earth. When I explained II Corinthians 5:21 to them, you could almost see the Holy Spirit turn the lights on for them. They understood why Jesus had died on Calvary. They knew He took all of their “nogut pasin” sin, and made available to them His “stretpela pasin” righteousness. Both then told me they wanted to repent and put their faith in Christ, and a few seconds later they both did! Amen!
We rejoiced together at their decisions to receive Jesus Christ. The neighbor ladies also listened intently, but did not trust Christ as Savior. Hopefully, they will allow me to come back and talk with them more.
As I was preparing to leave, Stephen told me that I do not need to come to the edge of Kudukudu to pick him and his family up for church. He said they would continue to walk. I told him I did not mind. He said, “No, I will be there waiting when you arrive at church. He said, “We really want to come. You do not need to come get us!” Sure enough, as I pulled into the church grounds today Stephen and his family were already there. They walked the five miles. One of the men told me they had been at the church for quite some time, waiting for things to begin!!!
Stephen’s dedication, which led to his salvation, puts many Americans to shame. Most Christians are so caught up with the things of the world, that any excuse not to come to church will be used. Many, I do not believe, would walk a half mile to church. If the church can not make arrangements, then they simply will not come. How sad! We lack the knowledge of what life is all about! Life is about God and serving/loving Him. If we have to make some sacrifice in our service for God, it is a greater opportunity, not a greater burden! When sacrifices are made out of a love for God, this is a privilege!
Saturdays I usually spend in the village, visiting. This past Saturday, I traveled to visit with this man from Belai. While driving there, I took notice of how far he lived from the church. It was farther then I thought it was. It was just about 5 miles, 4.6 miles to be exact. This man, his wife, and their five children were walking almost 5 miles, one way, to church!
When I arrived at his hut/house, he was thrilled to have me there. My son Daniel was with me, as always, and he sat down on their bamboo bench. I sat down on the ground with the family. Two neighbor ladies also came and sat down with us.
I must admit, even though I have been here now almost three years, it is almost surreal making some of these visits. Here I am, sitting down next to a bamboo hut with a grass roof, on a tiny little island in the South Pacific Ocean giving the gospel out! What a privilege! Pigs are running around, parrots flying overhead, no modern civilization is anywhere close.
Anyhow, I began to make conversation with the man and his family. His name is Stephen and his wife’s name is Limakum. I told him that I would make arrangements to pick him up for church at the end of Kudukudu. This way, he would only be walking about 2 miles. Now, my primary purpose of the visit was the gospel. He and his wife had now heard me preach several times from their visits to church. I knew the Word was sown in their hearts. I asked if he had any questions about what he had heard at church. He told me he had just one question. Stephen then said this thing about eternal life/heaven bothered him. He went on to say, he did not know what would happen to him when he would die. He wanted my help with this!!! Up to this point, I had not mentioned anything about the gospel, or asked him any questions regarding salvation. The Lord had been giving the increase already in his heart and his wife’s heart.
I then preached to them the gospel. They listened intently. I explained to them sin and the penalty for it. They both admitted, at that point, if they died they would go to Hell. Then we talked about Jesus Christ and why he came to this earth. When I explained II Corinthians 5:21 to them, you could almost see the Holy Spirit turn the lights on for them. They understood why Jesus had died on Calvary. They knew He took all of their “nogut pasin” sin, and made available to them His “stretpela pasin” righteousness. Both then told me they wanted to repent and put their faith in Christ, and a few seconds later they both did! Amen!
We rejoiced together at their decisions to receive Jesus Christ. The neighbor ladies also listened intently, but did not trust Christ as Savior. Hopefully, they will allow me to come back and talk with them more.
As I was preparing to leave, Stephen told me that I do not need to come to the edge of Kudukudu to pick him and his family up for church. He said they would continue to walk. I told him I did not mind. He said, “No, I will be there waiting when you arrive at church. He said, “We really want to come. You do not need to come get us!” Sure enough, as I pulled into the church grounds today Stephen and his family were already there. They walked the five miles. One of the men told me they had been at the church for quite some time, waiting for things to begin!!!
Stephen’s dedication, which led to his salvation, puts many Americans to shame. Most Christians are so caught up with the things of the world, that any excuse not to come to church will be used. Many, I do not believe, would walk a half mile to church. If the church can not make arrangements, then they simply will not come. How sad! We lack the knowledge of what life is all about! Life is about God and serving/loving Him. If we have to make some sacrifice in our service for God, it is a greater opportunity, not a greater burden! When sacrifices are made out of a love for God, this is a privilege!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
You Know You Are A Missionary Kid When....
My family and I really enjoyed this, so I thought I would post it. We found it to be very true.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
You Know You're a Missionary Kid When...
(Originally compiled and published by Andrew and Deborah Kerr)
You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
You speak two languages, but can't spell in either.
You flew before you could walk.
The U.S. is a foreign country.
You have a passport, but no driver's license.
You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
You would rather eat seaweed than cafeteria food.
Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
You watch nature documentaries, and you think about how good that would be if it were fried.
You think in grams, meters, and liters.
You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel.
You go to the U.S., and get sick from a mosquito bite.
You send your family peanut butter and Kool-Aid for Christmas.
National Geographic makes you homesick.
You have strong opinions about how to cook bugs.
People simply don't understand.
You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
You don't know where home is.Strangers say they can remember you when you were "this tall."
You have friends from or in 29 different countries.
You do your devotions in another language.
You sort your friends by continent.You keep dreaming of a green Christmas.
You tell people where you're from, and their eyes get big.
"Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her.
You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
Furlough means that you are stuffed every night... and have to eat it all to seem polite.
You realize that in Australia, the above statement would be very rude.
Your parents decline your cousin's offer to let them use his BMW, and stuff all six of you into an old VW Beetle instead.
You stockpile mangoes.
You know what REAL coffee tastes like.
The majority of your friends don't speak English as a first language.
Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
You know there is no such thing as an international language.
You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism.
You tell Americans that democracy isn't the only viable form of government.
You realize what a small world it is, after all.
You never take anything for granted.
You know how to pack.
All preaching sounds better under a corrugated tin roof.
You know raw fish tastes better than cooked.
When guests come to your house and bring a fish as a gift.
Going to the post office is the highlight of your day.
When you sing songs to yourself in a language other than English.
When you mother gets excited over finding Doritos at 7-11.
When on deputation you have memorized Dad's messages.
When after the church service you look for a slide projector to put away.
When wearing shoes in the house sounds disgusting.
You get excited to find cokes are on sale for only 99 cents.
You carry Bibles in two languages to church.
You watch an English language video and read the foreign language subtitles.
When you dream in a foreign language.
On your 18th birthday you still don't have a driver's license.
You send out birthday invitations in a foreign language.
When you carry a dictionary everywhere you go.
When your five foot tall mother is taller than most of your church members.
Your Dad scolds you in a foreign language.
When you don't know how to count American money.
When you go on furlough your Mom buys everything in the store.
When adults want to pay you to teach them English.
When you can't find shoes to fit your feet in any of the shoe stores.
When you would rather sleep on the floor than on the bed.
When the family gathers around the computer to check the E-mail.
When you enjoy getting together with other MK's and talking about old news.
When all your clothes have been worn by someone else.
When at your yard sale the 80 year old man next door buys your mother's culottes.
When your friends know more English grammar than you do but can't understand English conversation.
When you find a seven year old picture of yourself on someone's refrigerator.
When you know how to send a fax using an international call back service.
When you have carried the same dollar bill in your wallet for four years.
When you write in your diary in a foreign language.
When driving on the right side of the road gives you the willies.
When the traffic light turns from red to blue.
When eating with chop sticks seems natural.
When eating spaghetti with chop sticks is easier than using a fork and spoon.
When you have explained the difference between "The cow is on the field" and "The cow is in the field."
When you take a shower before taking a bath.
When you call senior missionaries grandma and grandpa.
When the message on your answering machine is in two languages.
When you move into a new house you take a gift to all your neighbors.W
hen earthquakes seem normal.
When your Mom sends you out to sweep the street in front of your house.
When you pull into a gas stand and expect people to come running out screaming welcome!
You consider parasites, dysentery, or tropical diseases to be appropriate dinner conversation.
You tell people what certain gestures mean in different parts of the world.
You have stopped in the middle of an argument to find the translation of a word you just used.
You calculate exchange rates by the price of Coke.
You would rather have a Land Rover Defender than a Lexus.
You enjoy textual criticism of customs forms.
--Copied from different sources and edited
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Language: Uhhh? What did you say???????
We have been without phone for some time, so I have not been able to post. The phone came back up a few days ago, but only lasted about a day. It has just come back up today.
One of the most mentally challenging things for the missionary is learning a new language. (At least in my opinion.) Especially, if you have only have known one language your whole life. There is a joke I read while studying language: What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call someone who speaks one language? American.
Before coming here, I was one of those Americans who only knew one language. After all, in America, English is all you need. (Too be honest my English was pretty poor, as most of you can tell from reading my blog.) I have for the most part completed my language study for the Tok Pisin language. This language is a Melanesian pidgin. A pidgin is a language where there are less then 1 million people who speak it as a first language. Actually, the Tok Pisin should be reclassified. There are more than 1 million now who speak Tok Pisin as a first language. Over 5 million speak the language altogether, but not all of those speak it as a first language.
When I first arrived, I thought, I could learn the Tok Pisin in about six months. I heard the stories of missionaries who did just that. (The Tok Pisin is not a difficult language to learn if one already knows English.) Well six months into my time here, I was far from fluent. As a matter of fact I was a horrible tok pisin speaker. I grew very frustrated. After the first year, I was still struggling with it, but it was improving. All together it took me a little over two years to become fluent in the language. I am able to think in the language without having to translate all the words in my head now. I can also understand/comprehend it well by someone who speaks it very fast. That took quite some time though. I fail to see how anyone, who previously only knew one language, could become fluent in six months. However, God gives each person different abilities, so for some perhaps it does not take as much work, or perhaps they just have better study habits than I.
I have now begun learning my third language, Patpatar. This is a village language, so it will be much more difficult to learn. However, already having learned another language, I know a lot of the do’s and don’ts of learning a language. (There are over 700 different languages here in PNG. On the little island where I live, there are over 20 different languages. This is not counting the different dialects of each language.) I have been pleased with the progress I am making already. I have only been studying it now for two weeks. The Lord is really helping with the pronunciation. They say things COMPLETELY different. My mouth and tongue have to learn a whole new way of talking. All the “r” sounds are rolled. It is not the “ur” sound that we make in English. I have never been able to roll my r’s, but the Lord is blessing and I am having success at it.
My lesson today was the phrase, “I want to preach the Word of God.” In Tok Pisin this would be, “ mi laik autim tok bilong God.” In Patpatar, “Iau warra tange ra nianga tane Kaloa.” (phonetically)
Please pray the Lord will enable me to learn the Patpatar language fluently and quickly. We have a furlough mid 2007, and I would like to be fairly fluent before then.
One of the most mentally challenging things for the missionary is learning a new language. (At least in my opinion.) Especially, if you have only have known one language your whole life. There is a joke I read while studying language: What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call someone who speaks one language? American.
Before coming here, I was one of those Americans who only knew one language. After all, in America, English is all you need. (Too be honest my English was pretty poor, as most of you can tell from reading my blog.) I have for the most part completed my language study for the Tok Pisin language. This language is a Melanesian pidgin. A pidgin is a language where there are less then 1 million people who speak it as a first language. Actually, the Tok Pisin should be reclassified. There are more than 1 million now who speak Tok Pisin as a first language. Over 5 million speak the language altogether, but not all of those speak it as a first language.
When I first arrived, I thought, I could learn the Tok Pisin in about six months. I heard the stories of missionaries who did just that. (The Tok Pisin is not a difficult language to learn if one already knows English.) Well six months into my time here, I was far from fluent. As a matter of fact I was a horrible tok pisin speaker. I grew very frustrated. After the first year, I was still struggling with it, but it was improving. All together it took me a little over two years to become fluent in the language. I am able to think in the language without having to translate all the words in my head now. I can also understand/comprehend it well by someone who speaks it very fast. That took quite some time though. I fail to see how anyone, who previously only knew one language, could become fluent in six months. However, God gives each person different abilities, so for some perhaps it does not take as much work, or perhaps they just have better study habits than I.
I have now begun learning my third language, Patpatar. This is a village language, so it will be much more difficult to learn. However, already having learned another language, I know a lot of the do’s and don’ts of learning a language. (There are over 700 different languages here in PNG. On the little island where I live, there are over 20 different languages. This is not counting the different dialects of each language.) I have been pleased with the progress I am making already. I have only been studying it now for two weeks. The Lord is really helping with the pronunciation. They say things COMPLETELY different. My mouth and tongue have to learn a whole new way of talking. All the “r” sounds are rolled. It is not the “ur” sound that we make in English. I have never been able to roll my r’s, but the Lord is blessing and I am having success at it.
My lesson today was the phrase, “I want to preach the Word of God.” In Tok Pisin this would be, “ mi laik autim tok bilong God.” In Patpatar, “Iau warra tange ra nianga tane Kaloa.” (phonetically)
Please pray the Lord will enable me to learn the Patpatar language fluently and quickly. We have a furlough mid 2007, and I would like to be fairly fluent before then.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Preaching On The Mission Field
Preaching and teaching are key elements for the missionary. These are two primary methods the Lord uses for proclaiming His truth. The preaching and teaching lead to converts and enable believers to grow in the Lord.
Many groups use different methods of producing “converts.” Examples of other methods of producing converts would be using money, making promises, building schools, using different forms of entertainment. Of course these different methods are not simply found here in PNG, but are also in America and throughout the world. One reason why there are so many lost people in churches today is because of what was used for the “conversion”. If it was not the gospel being preached, along with the Holy Spirit working on the heart, there was no true conversion to the Lord.
One thing I have to guard against, on the field, is producing my “own” converts. I desire for people to convert to the Lord, or become born again by a spiritual birth worked by the Holy Spirit. However, being a white American in a third world country such as PNG presents some difficulties. For one, because of who I am, many look at me with a certain amount of admiration. As if I am better then they are because I am a white American. Of course this simply is not true. Yes, I come from a different culture altogether. My life in America was nothing like village life here in PNG. I had many more “luxuries” than what the villagers have here. I had a better education, and the opportunity to make a better living.
However, these things do not make one a better person. I am still a man just as the men are here. I have the same temptations (I Cor 10:13). I have the same sin nature (Romans 5:12). I have the same trials. People go to hell just as easily in America as they do from PNG. The greatest need they have here is not better schools, better health care facilities, better government, better homes, and more jobs. The greatest need here is the same greatest need found in America and the rest of the world. That need is Jesus Christ.
Now back to the point of this blog, preaching on the mission field. As I mentioned earlier, because of who I am there is a certain amount of admiration. It is easy to get people to follow me based on who I am. This is where the danger lies. I can get almost anyone to pray a prayer, simply because I, as the white American, asked him to bow his head and pray. Very few here would refuse to do what I asked them, because of the high regard they have for me.
If I wanted to walk into a village with 500, preach a message, tell them to bow their heads and “pray to receive Jesus” all would follow. I could then write back to my supporting churches of the hundreds saved in the meeting. However, the reason for them praying would not be the Holy Spirit, but me. I can not save them, and a vain prayer saves no one!
The solution to this problem is found in the humility of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was not looking for a name or converts to himself, but to the Lord. He pointed men to Jesus not himself. As he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The humble attitude along with the power of the Lord is the answer. However, if I began to be driven by ambition instead of the Lord, I would make a mess of things. I might have 300 on Sunday in each work instead of 60, but there would still only be 60 of the Lord’s converts present.
Oh, how we all need the wisdom and power of the Lord in our lives and service to Him!
Many groups use different methods of producing “converts.” Examples of other methods of producing converts would be using money, making promises, building schools, using different forms of entertainment. Of course these different methods are not simply found here in PNG, but are also in America and throughout the world. One reason why there are so many lost people in churches today is because of what was used for the “conversion”. If it was not the gospel being preached, along with the Holy Spirit working on the heart, there was no true conversion to the Lord.
One thing I have to guard against, on the field, is producing my “own” converts. I desire for people to convert to the Lord, or become born again by a spiritual birth worked by the Holy Spirit. However, being a white American in a third world country such as PNG presents some difficulties. For one, because of who I am, many look at me with a certain amount of admiration. As if I am better then they are because I am a white American. Of course this simply is not true. Yes, I come from a different culture altogether. My life in America was nothing like village life here in PNG. I had many more “luxuries” than what the villagers have here. I had a better education, and the opportunity to make a better living.
However, these things do not make one a better person. I am still a man just as the men are here. I have the same temptations (I Cor 10:13). I have the same sin nature (Romans 5:12). I have the same trials. People go to hell just as easily in America as they do from PNG. The greatest need they have here is not better schools, better health care facilities, better government, better homes, and more jobs. The greatest need here is the same greatest need found in America and the rest of the world. That need is Jesus Christ.
Now back to the point of this blog, preaching on the mission field. As I mentioned earlier, because of who I am there is a certain amount of admiration. It is easy to get people to follow me based on who I am. This is where the danger lies. I can get almost anyone to pray a prayer, simply because I, as the white American, asked him to bow his head and pray. Very few here would refuse to do what I asked them, because of the high regard they have for me.
If I wanted to walk into a village with 500, preach a message, tell them to bow their heads and “pray to receive Jesus” all would follow. I could then write back to my supporting churches of the hundreds saved in the meeting. However, the reason for them praying would not be the Holy Spirit, but me. I can not save them, and a vain prayer saves no one!
The solution to this problem is found in the humility of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was not looking for a name or converts to himself, but to the Lord. He pointed men to Jesus not himself. As he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The humble attitude along with the power of the Lord is the answer. However, if I began to be driven by ambition instead of the Lord, I would make a mess of things. I might have 300 on Sunday in each work instead of 60, but there would still only be 60 of the Lord’s converts present.
Oh, how we all need the wisdom and power of the Lord in our lives and service to Him!
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