As from the previous post – you can rest assured – there is no way that you will ever find me doing anything but, “telling it like it is” as dad used to say. I will not create some wonderful story that sounds good to you guys back home. I will instead, rest in confidence knowing that greater than having joy or delight in results of mass numbers of conversions is the greater joy and delight of personal fellowship with a Sovereign Lord and King – who is not the slightest bit surprised or discouraged by the results that we see here. He is in absolute control, and as such, my joy, delight, and rest in faith are in Him – not in people. I will trust you also will share this same view and be encouraged in God – not discouraged in people.
This is the reality of being here, sharing a message that is absolutely unbelievable – apart from the good pleasure and working of God to bring someone into life and give them repentant faith to believe. Apart from His good will and His perfect work, there will be absolutely nothing.
We see very few people who honestly respond to the One True God here. Furthermore, the methods that many believers use are very ineffective at best, and heretical at worst, (and probably more accurately). Telling people to respond to a gospel that God is nice and answers prayers and not much more than is often the garbage message that is presented. That message is quite ineffective actually – there are plenty of responses to that, but those responses to that gospel will all end up suffering the wrath of God in hell for eternity. So, it’s not ineffective, but it IS blasphemy. Sharing an idol in place of The God of the Bible. This idol is more dangerous than any other – it has the name of God, of Jesus, it talks about prayer and belief, but it conveniently leaves out all the parts that the sinner hates to hear – sin is serious, God hates their sin and will justly punish them for it, there is ONLY ONE WAY out this predicament – a dying, dependent, repentant faith in Christ alone. All these things are left out of the message of many “mission” efforts and left out of the message of many church goers as well – leaving Thailand with a Christ-i-fied Buddhist hybrid of good works, best effort, and a Jesus added to the mix here and there where convenient and palatable to the taste.
So, what I am going to do? Am I going to cry about it and do nothing?
I don’t think so.
What other way to battle lies and idols than with the truth of the living God? That is who I will stand with. And I will preach and teach Him, by His grace. If left up to myself, I will and should fail miserably. I will fall into the same traps as these others – and worse than these. Only if God does all. Only if I am nothing. Only then. May Christ may be lifted as up as I die…