| Scripture in Southeast Asia |
6 January 2010 |
On our last morning in Cambodia, we sat down for breakfast and asked the question, “What is God teaching us about Himself, and what is He teaching us about ourselves?” There was a resounding response...it is all about HIS NAME!
Throughout the past few days God has directed each of us to many different passages where this is proclaimed...
Romans 1:1, 5
If I am set apart by faith alone in Christ alone for the sake of God’s Name ALONE....on a daily basis, then the love of Christ should compel me to look different and to act different than the rest of the world around me...because He has set me apart to exalt His Name, not mine. I am to have a sense of urgency to speak His Name to those around me, to respond to others in a way that shows that God controls me and His Name is above all names....it means doing things without complaining (having a cold shower, being smashed in a taxi, getting sick to my stomach) because whatever happens is not about me...i am here in SE Asia, here in the world, here in this part of my life for the sake of God’s Name.
Psalms 115
Because of His love and faithfulness, may every thing we do be for His Name. Every nation sets up idols (in this area quite literally) and worships these images...those that make their idols and trust in the idols become like them. Is what I’m doing (specifically in looking at these efforts to help these countries) man-centered or God-centered?....even if every material need were met, when the God of the universe is not made known and worshipped, the effort is worth nothing.
1 Samuel 12:20-22, 24
The things of this world are temporary and empty....they can not profit or deliver. We MUST serve the Lord God with all of our heart...for His great Name’s sake we have the privilege of Knowing Him and calling Him our Lord.
It seems to me that many of the organizations in this country of such deep depravity (the most aided country in the world) are trying to help the people physically and with their temporary circumstances but isn’t making the spiritual well being of each person and their eternal soul the number one goal. What is the purpose then? Why make someone’s life more comfortable on the way to hell? God makes it so clear in His word that everything is about His name and if it is not being made known and being worshiped, depravity will happen on this ridiculous level and no amount of aid will make things better.
Malachi 1:11,14
My God says that His holy name WILL be made great among the nations. The nations WILL fear His name.
The name of Jesus is literally known by sooooooo few here now..but one day all people will bow before Him. Talking with a local believer I realized that I am not thankful enough for privileges I have been given, I am not telling enough people about Jesus. She just received a Bible the day we met her. She has believed in Jesus for a while but has never had a Bible of her own to read so that she too can learn about and know the King. She cannot afford to go to church but every few months because it cost too much money for her to travel into town to attend church on a regular basis and have\ fellowship with the body of Christ. I have been given the great and awesome privilege of having the WORD OF GOD in my hands. I have been given the indescribable privilege of knowing and having an intimate relationship with the God of the universe. He lets me know Him, he lets me have his written word in my hands, he lets me experience the joy of worshipping Him with a community of believers........this is truly amazing. How much more accountable will I be held for the gifts and opportunities that I have been given by nothing on my own doing.
Psalm 90
God is the only one that is Everlasting...we will all return to dust. We have to put our thoughts and our lives into perspective of who He is.
As we looked around at all the aid foreign countries are giving this country, we were struck by the fact that so much of the aid is incomplete. Its chief end is to give people a better life. We were encouraged by the potential partners we met whose chief end is to make Him known so that he may be worshipped.
We visited some of the graves, among millions who were brutally murdered here several years ago. While the experience was sobering, seeing rows and rows of graves, stacks and stacks of skulls, we all had the same thought ... Thank you, Lord, that you allowed millions of people to be killed, so that the country would fall into devastation so that the country would open it’s doors to aid so that people would come so that your gospel would be shared and Your name would be known and You would be worshipped.
:) Tiffany, Kristi, Annie, Ginny
