the last four weeks.

So, my lovely friend and Bangkok sojourner recently sent out her 1st monthly e-update, and I realized just how remiss I've been in posting this past month-and-few-weeks... and not for lack of things happening! The past four weekends have been red-letter weekends! So, this post is dedicated to them.

Weekend 1: On July 13th, Steph and I went to Asiatique to hang out with one of my previous students, Toon. She invited her cousin and sister, and we explored, ate, and went on a fantastic ferris wheel!

Weekend 2: On July 21st, Steph and I braved our way to Koh Larn for a two-day respite from the city and to enjoy our long holiday. We got to see some monkeys, nap on the beach and enjoy some time together catching up (and swimming!) away from our concrete jungle home.

Weekend 3: Then, our third weekend (July 27-28), LifePoint had a church retreat in Amphawa. I'm not exactly sure how they swung it, but for less than $20, we had transportation, meals, and a lovely resort room to sleep in. In addition to being in a beautiful location (near the floating market), it was also a wonderful time to connect with and meet new people! While Buddhists are often hesitant about coming to "church," they will sign up for a "trip" without batting an eye. And so, we ended up having quite a few Buddhists come who, in the process, heard the gospel. One girl heard about Jesus for the first time! We had breakout sessions, regular worship times/sermons and plenty of fellowship time. It was so neat to hear, and be a part of, so many of the Spirit-led conversations that happened that weekend. Praise God for the work He is doing drawing hearts to Himself!! Below are some pictures from our excursions in Amphawa.

Where are we now? Weekend #4? Well, this past weekend I spent in Mae Sot. You can read a little about my time there in my last post. Here are a few teaser photos that didn't make it! You can read the whole post by clicking [here]. 

[photo credit: Erica Pope]

wats.

The past two weekends I have ended up at wats (Thai/Buddhist temples) and the question begs to be asked... why so many wats? Well, part of it is because I let Thais plan the excursions, so they always include a wat or two for good measure... it's part of their culture.

For me, it's a good reminder why missions matter: because there are still lost people. It pains me to see so many Thais (and tourists) sprinkling their heads with lotus flowers, lighting incense, sticking gold-leaf on statues, ringing bells, giving offerings, "making merit"... but there is also no better place to have organic spiritual conversations. My intention during this wat-time is to always bring the conversation to Christ.

["Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold." Exodus 20:23]

Recently after one of these trips, I was able to share with my Thai friend, K, why I did not participate in these "merit exercises". This, in turn, opened up a dialogue for both of us. She shared some specifics regarding what she believed and I was able to share the Gospel... that God is the Creator and He is good. He has stated the standard is perfection and as a just God can tolerate nothing less than that. As sinful people, we fail to meet His standard, and the punishment for that is death and separation from God. It's not about doing more good than bad, it's about being perfect. And, bad news, we're not. But, (the great "but" of the Gospel!) God is also a God of love, and so He made a way for our sins to be punished and for us to be able to have a relationship with Him. That way is through His Son, Jesus. Jesus was punished by God for our sins, so that justice was served, and we can now receive God's forgiveness and a relationship with Him...

I wish I could tell you that we pulled over the car, prayed, and that you have a new sister-in-Christ. But, that didn't happen. What did happen, however, is that she heard the Truth again. Thais tend to be slow to hear and slow to respond to the Gospel. Why? Maybe due to their heritage of spiritual darkness and deafness. Maybe because it is so foreign to them. Maybe they just take longer to process things. I don't know. But if it takes her hearing it 16 times before she accepts it, then praise God for the 8th time! And if she hears but never responds, then praise God that He allowed her the opportunities to hear.

[Idolatry] consists not merely in erecting an image and worshiping it, but rather in the heart, which stands gaping at something else, and seeks help and consolation from creatures, saints, or devils, and neither cares for God, nor looks to Him for so much good as to believe that He is willing to help, neither believes that whatever good it experiences comes from God. 

— Martin Luther

Pray that her heart and our hearts would gape only at Christ, seek only from Him, and look only to Him as the sole source and provider of all that is good.

my weekend.

When Aom first told me that her company was going on a weekend trip and invited me* to come along, I accepted. I had no idea what to expect, but I've found that saying "yes" in life always leads to stories to be told... Sometimes it's a story of head-shakes and groans, and sometimes it's one with fond memories, laughter and new friendships. I'm happy to say this weekend was the latter! Don't ask me where we went, I have no idea. And don't ask me if things went "acccording to plan," because I never knew the plan. I happily let the Thais forge the way, and I tagged along for the ride :)

(* Claire was also invited, but unfortunately her teaching schedule didn't allow her to come on this excursion this time.)

Photos from Wat Tum Seu:

While we were visiting Wat Tum Seu (the second and final "wat visit" of the day), we went to the top of one of the structures on the top of one of the hills and were able to look down and look out over Thailand.

It was a visual reminder to me of not only the idolatry present in this country (and every country... and my own heart!), but also the desolation that idols bring. The empty land shadowed by their idols.

"But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Psalm 115:4-8 

 The "Sweet Bee" Resort where we stayed... Imagine a bungalow village by a river in the middle of the woods/mountains.

Sai Yok National Park

I forgot to take a picture of the waterfall (whoops), but once other people load their pictures on Facebook I may snag a couple more to put up here! Here are some from our trip there:

[photo credit: Pooka]

[photo credit: Pooka]

 Some highlights from the trip...

- Getting to watch Aom explain to her Buddhist co-workers why she wasn't entering the wats to wai to the Buddah statues (A way that Buddhists "make merit" and pay respect to Buddah. Oftentimes it is accompanied with prayers.) 

- Have opportunities to share with Thais, over lunch, about how the Church is different from the wats... and explaining how as Christians Jesus has taken away the burden and the need for us to "make merit." 

- Building new friendships with Thais and being given open doors to sharing why I am in Thailand. 

- Having some quality time to get to know Aom better, invest in our friendship and (hopefully!) encourage her spiritually. 

- And on less serious notes...  singing karaoke on stage, watching a beautiful sunset over the mountains, running into a goat at a gas station, stopping at the most random & sketchy squatty potties between BKK and our destinations, trying to teach Aom how to swim, and eating new food at every meal! 

loi krathong.

One of the things that is fun and frustrating about cross-cultural missions is that, the culture. Sometimes I wish I could just pop into a Thai's head for a day and figure out everything that doesn't make apparent sense to my westernized mind. But, it doesn't work like that. It's a slow process, and there is a lot to learn. The good news is, that we foreigners do have opportunities to observe Thai holidays and traditions, which are a big part of Thai culture.

Most recently, that holiday was Loi Krathong. The short version is that it is a festival to thank and pay respects to the water spirits... and to apologize for polluting it throughout the year. It takes place any and everywhere there is water on the first full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (Nov 28th this year).

I tagged along with Meleah, one of the IMB Journeymen here, and some of her Thai friends to see what it was all about. After short ride on the BTS and a longer ride on the back of a motorcycle taxi, we arrived at Chula University. While there, we bought some "fai yen" (sparklers) and had some fun lighting them up... after all, what is a celebration without a little fire?

Each department (which, they call "faculties") made a decorative krathong for the festival. Here are a couple pictures of the more elaborate ones... made from fresh flowers and plants, so they're all bio-degradeable. That didn't matter as much for these as they didn't make it to the water, but usually it does. No one fishes the krathongs out of the water the next morning, so they need to be able to decompose quickly and naturally. Else polluting the river as an act of apology becomes counter-productive I suppose.

On the one hand, it was a fun and beautiful festival. There was lots of live music, food stands everywhere, people laughing, taking pictures, lighting sparklers and playing games. But on the other hand, it was so sad. The holiday is also a way for Thais to "release" their bad emotions (thoughts, anger, sin) by symbolically putting them on their krathong and let them float away. Their hope is that they can reduce their suffering by placing their sins on these small flower-like boats. So as they pushed the krathongs, lit with candles, out into the water, it clearly illuminated the number of people whose faith was in something other than Christ. 

Please continue to pray for the Thais, that their hope would not be placed in a krathong or a ritual, but in the person of Jesus Christ.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12

FNL.

Tonight is Friday. Fridays mean Friday Night Life. It's a weekly ministry that the teachers at the BSC are a part of (music, games, English lessons)-- and tonight we were discussing emphatic stress (which is really irrelevant to this post, but now you know!). The goal of each English lesson is to link the lesson to a topic that can be used for spiritual conversations. I won't bore you with everything that got us to this point, but at the end the question was, who loves you the most?

We broke our big circle into small groups of 3-5. Each person shared with their group who loved them the most and why. When it was my turn, I shared that while my family loves me very much, and has sacrificed a lot for me, that God loves me more than even they do. God loved me enough to allow His Son to die, so that I could have a relationship with Him.

One of the men (I will refer to him as J), asked if I really did feel that God loved me. I said yes; I do know and feel His love for me. Then he said something that struck me. He said, "I cannot say Buddha loves me."

Among many other differences between Christianity and Buddhism, this one really is glaring. Buddha did not die for anyone. He did not love the world. He did not desire a relationship with us. Buddhists pray to Buddha in hope that he will listen or answer, but they have no assurance. They are offered no relationship.

I am so thankful to have a Father who loves demonstratively and who is "...not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). He is a God who is known and can be known and he is a God who desires his creation to know Him.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

-Romans 5:6-8

spiritual things.

For the past two weeks I have been trying to write about some of the things that have been going on in my heart and head as they relate to Buddhism and observations I have had. Every time I sit down to write, though, I can't articulate all the things I want to say. Laura nailed it, however, and she has given me permission to share a portion of her post on my blog. So, here it is, from her mouth-- but both of our hearts.

- - - -

[excerpt from Laura's blog, click here to read her full post]

There is God, and those who belong to Him, and then there is everyone else, who are under the authority of the ruler of the earth.

There is no middle ground - there are those people and places that are for God's glory, and then there is everything and everyone who are against Him.

As I mentioned in my last blog, this land has been given over to idol worship for thousands of years, and there are real demonic strongholds here. The Thai form of Buddhism is very wrapped up in animism and ancestral worship, and rituals take place daily that invite "spirits" into their bodies, their temples, and their spirit houses. I finally realized - these prayers and offerings are not being given to no one and nothing, but to a very real presence, and it is a presence that strongly opposes the work of my Lord.

It is for this reason that prayer has become increasingly important. Every spirit house, every Wat - of which there are so, so very many - is a reminder that although Christ defeated the enemy on the cross, that victory has not yet been applied to everything and everyone, as it will be at the time of his second coming.

It is my role, as an ambassador for Him, to be a distributor of that victory for which He gave His life.

Every interaction I have with someone in which Jesus is represented, every prayer that is offered up, is pushing back against the evil one's forces through the power of my Savior. Hell has no power when confronted with the power of the King.

It is for this reason, also, that your prayers are so important. First, for your own spiritual protection. As American Christians, we seem to have a different perception of spiritual warfare - we discount it's importance, fierceness, and sometimes even its reality. While Satan cannot touch those whom the Holy Spirit has sealed and cannot cause us to lose our salvation, he can tempt us and intimidate us in an attempt to draw us away from the Lord. He has been successful to do so in my life again and again and it is for one reason - I was not praying. This is not to say that prayer will prevent you from sinning ever again in your life, but it will certainly open up your eyes to the things unseen, connect you to the heart of the Father so that you can discern the difference between His voice and the voices of others, and cause your desires to become like His desires. These are all things that Scripture tells us.

Secondly, for the spiritual protection of your brothers and sisters. The Scriptures also tell us (in 1 Kings and Daniel), that the Lord dispatches angels at His followers' request. Go to battle on behalf of others, and ask God to send angels to battle the oppression of the evil one. I say this partially out of selfish motives - if I could convey exactly what happened last week or felt that I should, I would convince you how much I really need your prayers! There is real oppression here, and it's unlike anything I've ever been exposed to. Please pray that I would stand, that I would not be intimidated, and that I would walk in the confidence of the One who saved me from darkness.

Third, pray for Thailand. This video is a great way to pray through the different issues, and has images that will help you to understand what Thai Buddhism is all about.

Praying for Southeast Asian Buddhists. from SEASIAN PEOPLES on Vimeo.

How many lives would your sin cost?

I am currently reading From Buddha to Jesus in preparation for Thailand. (Did you just click that link? Good. Now add it to your Amazon cart!) The author, Steve Cioccolanti, was born in Thailand, and born again in Thailand. He has a unique perspective on what it means to be a Thai Buddhist, and how believers can fruitfully engage discussions with Buddhists in Thailand.

The chapter I read earlier this week was on reincarnation, and how reincarnation is actually "one of the best teachings found outside the Bible." Isn't that a shocking assertion? Karma (synonymous with "sin" or "death") is so weighty that it cannot be paid in one life.  Cioccolanti states that the "fact that you are born, according to Buddha, is proof that you are a sinner" (135). The practical problems that Buddhists run into, though, is that "every time you are born, you sin some more, so you're adding sins to your account. You're in constant deficit... You can try to do good deeds and 'make merit' all your life just to service your karma, but you will never quite win this catch up game. You are trapped inside an endless cycle of sin and suffering" (136).

Cioccolanti then relates this idea of "one life" not being enough to pay for the price of one's karma with the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 18:23-35.

In reading this parable, most of us would surmise that we are the man who owed the 10,000 talents. Our application of the story might end with the lesson that we should forgive others of their debts. That, unfortunately, misses one of the greater lessons of this parable, which is, that we have a terrible debt.

Cioccolanti states that if we were to owe God 1 talent for a single sin, we would owe God 6,000 days (164+ years) of labor's wages (1 talent=60 minas, 1 minas=100 denarii, 1 denarii=day's wages for a day's labor). However, in the parable the man is not guilty of owing 1 talent... but rather 10,000 talents. That is 60 million denarii. That is equal to working a full day of labor 7 days a week, from the day you're born until 100 years old... for 1,644 lifetimes. (And in working 7 days a week, you would violate God's 4th Commandment, thus trying to "pay off" sin by sinning more, and incurring an ever-increasing debt. See how this cycle works?) This truly is a debt we cannot pay, not for ourselves, and certainly not for anyone else.

"What is Jesus saying to us? Exactly what Buddha was teaching. It is impossible for you to rid yourself of sin by your own good works. All you can do is fall at the Master's feet and say, 'Lord, have mercy on me, because I have not enough to pay and am going straight to Hell'" (144).

So where does Jesus come in? How did Jesus' death make "payment" for us? How could he ransom, not just me, but all of mankind from so great a debt?

This is where it gets exciting. Cioccolanti uses an example from business to flesh it out. He poses this question,

How come the CEO makes $200,000 a year while the salesman works just as hard and only makes $40,000 a year? Different positions. The CEO has a higher rank...Because of his position, his time is worth a lot more... And so God said, 'I am going to send the Lord of Heaven Himself.' Hebrews 7:26 says that Jesus is 'Higher than the heavens.' You understand, of course, that the Owner of Heaven is worth far more than Heaven itself. So Heaven and earth did not have enough to pay. But the Lord of Heaven and Earth came down to earth and said, 'With my time, with my life, I will pay for all your sins... In fact, I'll overpay' (147).

Wow.

Jesus could pay for all sin for all mankind at once, because of His great worth.

Pastor Doug has been talking recently about how at the crucifixion, God turned His back on Jesus- and because of that, we don't need to have any fear that He will turn away from us. We have been accepted and forgiven because of Christ's finished work on the Cross. That is cause for worship!

So, how many lives would my sin cost? More than I could ever hope to pay... No amount of "being good," even if that was possible, would make up for my grievous sins against God. So, praise God that He "did not treat me as my sins deserved" (Ps. 103:10) but instead made a way through Jesus Christ for me, an enemy of God (Col 1:21), to be brought near to God and be adopted in his family (Rom 8:14-16).