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30 Nov 2013

No Turkeys, But Thankful for Training Timothys

By Way of The Cross - Thailand
Thankful for Teaching and Training Timothys… View this email in your browser

Hey Matthew,

Happy Thanksgiving!  I couldn’t find any turkey or dressing at my local fried rice shop this year, but I’m still thankful.

Q:  Thankful for what?  A:  So much, but here’s one: Timothy – Many of them actually.

Let’s allow Scripture and the picture below to explain:

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:2
This is from a recent camp for about 350 young people in Northeast Thailand.  About70 staff & students, whom I have opportunity to teach, took what they have been equipped with and shared with 350 others.  This is what I do – try to follow in some way what Jesus and Paul did.  Live, love, & teach the Gospel to those who will in turn entrust the Gospel to other faithful men and women who will then do the same.  Spiritual Multiplication. 

Matt Scott is never going to reach Thailand.  But, when we try to follow what God has modeled for us in His Word, it’s amazing how many people He will touch through simple, deeply-flawed, but thankfully-dependent vessels such as you and I…
What Can You Do?

Pray.

1.  After the Foundations of God & the Gospel 30 Day Journey that I wrote has been impacting people in our Campus Crusade ministries in different spots in Thailand, I’ve been asked to do more teaching at small churches around the country, and a lot more in our local church as well.  Well, now I’ll be teaching that study as an ongoing 5 week course to everyone who comes in to our church from now on as part of our church membership program.  What an amazing and humbling opportunity – to get to share God & His Gospel with each and every one of the seekers and new believers as they make their first steps with God and our church.  Please pray for this great new Biblical direction for our church – starting in January.
2.  Not only that, but I’ve also been asked to do a lot more creating resources for church and ministry use.  Pray for me in December as I work on re-writing/editing our church’s new member curriculum.  After the 5 week Foundations Course, new members will pass through this 10 week “101” course on Christian Life and Church Membership.  I feel really challenged by this one – and I appreciate your prayers. May God help me to not unintentionally teach American “churchianity,” – but only Biblical truth for Christian life and community so the Thai Christians may work that out in their context.

3.  Pray for many other things that I am working on, (I’ll save the details for the next update), including:  New Thai Evangelism App, New Version of Knowing God Personally (4 Spiritual Laws), (both paper and iPad animation version), Creation to Christ Video, etc.  More details next time on these!

Thanks for praying!! 
15 Aug 2013

August ’13: Arkansas Redneck visits the Karin Long Neck

By Way of The Cross - Thailand
Preaching the Gospel & Equipping Believers In the Mountains…  View this email in your browser

Hey Everyone,

This Arkansas Redneck is on his way to catch an overnight bus to the border of Thailand and Myanmar to spend a few days with the Karin Long Necks.

No, this isn’t the title for a new sitcom.  Here’s the story…

Over the last year or so, God has reallyexpanded my reach and opportunities to preach and teach the Gospel. As people have been impacted by the Gospel, and the Gospel Bible study series I wrote, they have told others. And as they have, I’ve been asked to do more, preach more, and teach more.  All credit is His.

One of the those new opportunities is far away indeed.  It’s with the Karin Long Neck Tribe of Northern Thailand.  We’ve been told that out of the 2,000 or so of this small people group living in Thailand, only about 40 claim to be Christians.  And the leader for this very small group, Pastor Simon, has asked us to help teach his people the Gospel, and train and equip them to share Christ and make disciples.  It’s a small people group that doesn’t receive much attention or care from the world, but God is stirring something up with this small group to have a love for Jesus and a passion to make Him known.  So I’m delighted to do whatever I can to help them.  

So, in partnership with a few Thai friends from the Church Partnership Division of Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ, we had a great time of Bible study and training in June – and I’m on my way for round 2 today.  

The theme for the next few days is what I’m asked to speak on almost everywhere I go around the country now – The Road of Life Series – (a life-changing 5 lesson walk through Scriptures, arriving at the Cross of Christ – seeing the Character & Law of God, the Sin of Man, the Judgment of God, the Provision of a Loving Savior, and the Call to Respond.


What Can You Do?
Pray.  
– That this small group people would be similar to the small groups of believers in Acts.  Moved by a love for Jesus and transformed lives, they seek to make Christ known to their people.
– For smooth translation.  I’ll be teaching in Thai as always, but here everything must be translated on the fly into the Karin Long Neck language and Burmese.
– For day to day difficulties of the Karin Long Neck.  They are technically not citizens of any country.  They are refugees from Burma, given special permission to live only in restricted areas in Thailand, but not to travel freely.  They struggle mightily with poverty, and with being looked down on by the rest of society.
 

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Matt and Pastor Simon of the Karin Long Neck Tribe

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Hear from Pastor Simon as he shares his heart to bring the Good News of Christ to his people group.  There are only about 40 Christians among this people group in Thailand.  Hear his vision to change that.
Keep Up With This Arkansas Redneck’s Journey here…
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Pray for Pablo
This month I have a young student from the U of Arkansas with me who said, “Matt, on my summer vacation I just want to come to Thailand and pray and share the Gospel.  Can I come hang out with you?”  My response – “Uh yes.”  

With this kind of heart, it’s not a difficult decision to welcome him to Thailand.  I’ve had the privilege of having young men who want to be missionaries come and “hang out” with me each year.  Pray that Pablo also would have a very meaningful summer here with us.   
01 Jul 2013

Matt and Pastor Simon of the Karin Long Neck Tribe

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

Hear from Pastor Simon as he shares his heart to bring the Good News of Christ to his people in Thailand.  There are only about 40 Christians among this people group in Thailand.  Hear his vision to change that.

13 May 2013

The Thai Disciple-Making Train – On Tour May 2013

By Way of The Cross - Thailand
The Thai Disciple Making Train is Rolling On… View this email in your browser

Hey Everyone,

We’re rolling along on a ride that started going full speed almost a month ago, and this week we’re finishing strong through our final 3 stops.

What is this train all about?
It’s about Jesus, and training people to do what He did in the area of intentional, loving, life-on-life, friendship disciple-making.

Who’s driving this train?
Jesus, of course.  And the leader of this movement, Dr. Billie Hanks of IEA and Operation Multiplication, is following Him, and leading others to do the same.  Dr. Hanks and his team have spent a month here traveling around the country teaching, training, and equipping Thai Christians to have a lifestyle of loving Jesus, and loving and building up others one-by-one and one-on-one through the power and pattern of Christ.  Dr. Hanks, (a longtime friend of Dr. Billy Graham), and his team have been walking the walk for a lifetime and are an awesome encouragement to me as I’ve spent the last month “tagging along” and trying to soak up as much as I can.  

What can YOU do?
Pray.  
– That our first 6 trainings that the IEA team and our local Thai team have already completed would bear long-lasting fruit.  That the nearly 2,000 peoplewho have come already would take what they learned and live it out following Jesus’ model and in dependence on Him.
– That this flame that has been lit would start a fire that would burn across Thailand as we look toward the overall national goal of 100,000 trained Disciple-Makers throughout the country by August 2014.
– That our last 3 trainings would be great by God’s mercy – in Chai Nat, (today and tomorrow), Phitsanulok, (15th & 16th), and Khon Kaen, (17th and 18th) – with over 500 more in attendance.
 

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Operation Multiplication – A Few of Thailand’s 1st Generation
13 May 2013

You Never Know What You’ll See on the Road in Thailand

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

From the “you never know what you’ll see on the road in Thailand” files…

Coconut for a Helmet Man:

Monkey Truck, (yes, real monkeys swinging around the truck as we travel 65 down the main highway of the country)…

 

And finally… gigantic, hard as a rock, fire-breathing, snake-faced dragon sofa…

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17 Mar 2013

March 2013 Newsletter – Thai Summer Mission

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

Hey Everyone,

It’s Sunday morning for me and I’m on the way out the door to church.  Then, right after lunch, about 50 of us – (49 Thai, and 1 “Farang”) – will be on the road to that green place on the map – Petchabun, Thailand – for Thai Summer Mission 2013.  

What is Thai Summer Mission? (and why do you call it summer  – this is spring?)

Well, it’s summer here.  That was easy.  Summer Mission is when we, (ministry staff), get together with our students and GO to share the Gospel with our actions and our words.  We’ll be working with local churches and breaking up into small groups to go into villages and live with people, show the Goodness of God in tangible ways of service, and share the Goodness of God in the Gospel of Christ – and then teach those who respond.

Where (and what) is Petchabun?
It’s a province about 4 hours from Bangkok, Thailand – (remember, I’m not in Taiwan).  Here’s some numbers on Petchabun:

จังหวัด – เพชรบูรณ์
Province – Phetchabun
 
ประชากร   Population 990,807
จำนวนคริสเตียน   Total Christians 4,865
จำนวนคริสตจักร   Total Churches 50
ร้อยละของคริสเตียน   % Christian 0.49

There’s the story.  About a MILLION people – 5,000 Christians, and about 50 churches.  To put that in perspective percentage-wise – that’s about like Arkansas having only 1,500 Christians and 150 churches.

This is pretty much the national average for Thailand.  This is why we’re going.  This is why we do what we do.  We’re not about changing cultures or religions – we want to see God honored as we serve people and see lives changed as they encounter the life-giving and life-changing God through the Gospel of Christ.

What can YOU do?
Pray.  
– That we would follow God and do what He has prepared, listen to Him, love Him, and trust Him.  Help where we should help.  Serve.  Share.  Love People.  Teach Truth.
– For our student leaders as they lead small teams.  These are the guys who my guys mentor.  This is their time to step up and lead their teams.
– For me as I lead the 1 Day Training on God’s Heart, Our Role, and the Harvest Fields – on Monday before going out.
 
Our Group of Leaders
06 Mar 2013

Teaching the Teachers

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

2 Week Bible Training for Thai CCC Ministers of the Gospel.  Some of the books used are only available in English.  So, guess who gets to “help the staff with their homework” each day…?

I’m not qualified by any standard of graduating from this and that place, so my job was not officially, “teaching,” but technically reading the English books before class, and then teaching, I mean, telling the staff what the books said.  There you have it.

The first week we discussed the basis of systematic theology and the doctrine of the Word of God.

The second week was all about the Gospel and the foundations of it, and the response to it.  The character of God, God’s standard for all mankind, our sinful rejection of our Maker, our sinful nature, and God’s righteous judgment and wrath towards us, the love of God at the cross of Christ, atonement, repentance, faith, new birth/regeneration, Biblical assurance of salvation based on the promises of God, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the witness of new-creation life in us.

Basically, all the stuff that I teach all the time, and all the stuff I will spend a lifetime teaching – (as I spend a lifetime learning).

Praise God for the continued opportunities I have all the time to teach and preach Jesus.  May  these two weeks bring about life and ministry change – not just head knowledge.

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20 Feb 2013

Training for Trainers

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

T4T – Training for Trainers.  In a day with a million different programs and strategies that are mostly a bunch of garbage – it’s sure refreshing to be a part of a training that is Biblical, simple, and practical – and simply follows Jesus example.

Sharing the Gospel with words and actions as a lifestyle.  Following up on those whom God has prepared to listen, and learn – teaching them until God brings them to repentance and faith.  Because of regeneration, knowing that true believers will be changed by God and have a heart to know Him, and make Him known.  Therefore, training those who will be trainers of others.  Teaching those who will be teaching others.  Simple spiritual multiplication following Jesus’ exampe.

Glad to be a part of it as I translated from English to Thai to assist some of our foreign teachers.

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01 Feb 2013

For the Dudes…

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

Men.  There’s not many real ones out there.  (No, not just talking about the many ladyboys here in the Land of Smiles).  Guys just don’t know what it means to be a guy in general – and are clueless about what it means to be a man of God.  So, are we gonna cry and complain about it?

No, we’re taking responsibility, taking action, and doing something about it.  Fixing dudes – starting with self – and knowing that the fixing doesn’t come by way of self-help, or motivational gurus, but it comes by death and new life in Christ.  That’s it.  Cross.  Death.  Resurrection.  Life.

 

First Up – Authentic Manhood – Multiplication 2013. Finished Part 1 with my 4 Dudes and Challenged them to Build into other young men. They called on me to Cast Vision for Manhood & challenge to their dudes to Step Up too. Here we are as 33- Authentic Thai Manhood – 2nd Generation Begins. (Complete with Sleeveless shirts and Hybrid Mexican/Thai Tacos). Even though they can’t spell “Warrior” correctly in English, they are going for it!

dudes1

Camera 360

 

Next – we had a men’s overnight retreat to hang out, eat a lot, and hear from some older dudes in leadership of the ministry.  We were challenged to expect big things from God, to have big vision, and to step out and trust God that He would use us for His purposes.  Don’t sit on the sidelines.  Get in the action!  Where God is moving, follow Him, and be used by Him!

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dudes4

 

Finally – what would a manly post be without a manly drink…  (I have no idea what this stuff is, but someone thinks it is very manly)…

dudes5

 

09 Jan 2013

Marty’s Christmas in Karasin

By Way of The Cross - Thailand

You read all about God’s amazing provision for the big Christmas evangelistic event in Karasin.  The event was a big success.  The Gospel was shared, and many people heard of the meaning of Christmas for the first time.  Contacts were made, and follow-up with those who are interested in learning more about God is happening…

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