A Christmas Revival

What would a Christmas revival look like? It would definitely be a gift from God. Only God can revive and bring back to life what has died. There would be an atmosphere of joy, joy for the world, Jesus Christ the Lord is here. Jesus and revival are inseparable. With the One you get the other. And peace. Peace is a presence, the presence of God, who is pleased to give revival. Praising and thanksgiving to God for the gift of revival would flavor everything.

Would all our problems go away? No, but there would be something greater than our problems, the hope and assurance that God is with us and that nothing is greater than Him. We would be able to see clearly the difference between what is temporary and what is eternal. We would know that God is working all things together, good and bad, in our lives for His glory, the eternal likeness of Jesus Christ in us! The glory of God from His own work in us would shine brighter and brighter.

Would everyone be in the revival? Probably not. When Jesus was born, many missed it, like Herod and the religious leaders. But not the wise men, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna. They were never the same again. You know you have been in a revival when you are never the same again, which is why those of us who have been in one can’t rest until it comes again.

Some of us have dreamed lately of a Christmas revival. Dreams were part of the first one. Let’s pray for a Christmas revival. The word “Christmas” means “more of Christ,” and that’s revival!

David and Samson

You may not have connected David and Samson before. Samson was born in Zorah, which is about 5 miles west of Bethlehem, David’s hometown (Judges 13-16). David fought Goliath in the valley of Elah between Azekah and Socoh, which is about  five miles south of Zorah. Samson roamed this area, having several skirmishes with the Philistines and David fought the Philistine armies in this same area of Israel.

But David and Samson were very different. Samson was very strong and yet very weak. Before he was born the angel told his mother that he would be a Nazirite his whole life. This meant that he was not to drink any wine or strong drink, not cut his hair, nor go near anything dead (Numbers 6). But Samson was always hanging around Philistine parties (I’m sure they had stuff stronger than sparkling grape juice), he would eat honey out of the carcass of a lion, he killed people with dead donkey bones; but he did have long hair! His strength was a blessing from the Lord but was strictly physical. He was weak morally and spiritually.

David, on the other hand, was small and seemed weak, and yet was very strong. As a boy, he went up against Goliath and took on the whole army of the Philistines, with nothing but the Name of the LORD of hosts, which was enough. In his weakness he was strong in the LORD.  Samson, strong and yet weak; David, weak and yet strong.

I look at our nation and I see a Samson, strong and yet very weak. I look at the little nation of Israel and I see a David, small and yet very strong. Our nation started out small and weak and yet strong in the Lord, but has become strong in itself and weak in the Lord. We must not wait until the end, like Samson, to cry out to God.

Today is the day of salvation for our nation. We must repent of our moral and spiritual failures and depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s not trust in our blessings, let’s trust in the One who has graciously blessed us. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. God has blessed America. It is past time for America to bless God, again, like we started out; in our weakness our strength was in the Lord!

How to be a Sweet Fighter

Sweet and fighter usually do not go together. We think of “sweet” as something soft and smooth and “fighter” as something rough and tough. And yet this is the essence of the meaning of the word that Paul uses in 2 Timothy 4:7 to describe the fight that he has fought. He said it was a sweet fight that he fought. In most translations the word is translated as “good,” and yet in other places in the Bible it is translated as “beautiful, admirable, and/or precious.”

What kind of fight is fought by a sweet fighter?

The Bible teaches us that we are engaged in a spiritual fight when we begin to follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. It says that we do not fight against flesh and blood, but “…against principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12). Some call this fight spiritual warfare. The key to spiritual fighting is found in the word that Paul uses in the Timothy passage; “good.”

This is the word that the Bible uses to describe God. God is good. And His Word is sweet, beautiful, precious, and good because He is. Fighting the good fight means that you fight according to the word and ways of God. How did Jesus defeat sin? By His righteous Life. How did He overcome hatred? With love. What did Jesus do when He came face-to-face with the envy, jealousy, and greed of the Pharisees? He stayed faithful to His Father and the mission He was on.

There was no meanness in the way Jesus fought, but there is power! Spiritual warfare is fought with the fruit of the Spirit. That is why Paul could call it the “good” fight that he fought. He was a beautiful fighter, a precious fighter, a sweet fighter because he fought from and with the victorious Life of Jesus Christ living in him, with him, through him, as him.

The word “good” in the Greek is a word describing something that is seen as good. You see, according to the meaning of this word, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And the Beholder in this case is God! He sees the fight that we are in and it is sweet in His eyes because He sees Himself in us as we fight with His weapons. He loves it because He won!

What about you? How do you fight? Let’s fight as sweet fighters, as beautiful fighters, as precious in the sight of our Lord. And in the end we will be able to say with Paul, “the sweet fight, I fought.”

Be a sweet fighter, go out there and giv’em Heaven!

A Tattooed Mind

Webster’s dictionary defines a tattoo as an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body by insertion of pigment under the skin or by production of scars. Tattoos are permanent. And they advertize with a constant message. Depending upon where they are put on the body, they can be covered up, but they cannot be removed.

Did you know that you can tattoo your mind with God’s Word? There is no greater discipline to change your mind than putting God’s Word to memory and meditating on it throughout the day. And just like a tattoo on your body, the tattoo on your mind will also be permanent and speak a constant message to you. It will shape the way you think and speak. Others will hear it just like others notice a tattoo on a person’s body.

But you can also cover it up with worry, fear, busy-ness, lust, pride, anger, and wandering boredom. It is a choice every day, just like getting dressed every day; you decide whether you are going to cover it up or not.

Try this: Take one verse a day, write it on a card, and memorize it for that day (Psalm 119 is a huge reservoir of verses). Meditate on it by exploring its meaning with prayer. Think about any songs or hymns you know that are based upon it. Turn it into a prayer for that day. Share it with someone else during the day. Let it be the last thing you think about as you go to sleep and the first thing you think about before your feet hit the floor in the morning.

Warning: You cannot stay the way you are if you practice this. Your mind will change. God will tattoo your mind and it will forever be there, not just in this life, but in the next one, too. Don’t try this if you are satisfied with your own thoughts. Don’t go near it. Don’t even experiment with it.  It is addicting.

And I invite you to try it. You will never be the same again!

What are you full of?

Whatever you are full of is what comes out when you are bumped, just like a full glass of water. Some are full of un-forgiveness because they have been bumped so much. Others are full of anger because at one time they were full of pain. They held on to it and it fermented into anger. Still others are full of worry because a bad experience was kept, nurtured, and grew into a tangled vine that has choked so just about everything into a worst-case-scenario.

Your eye will look for what your heart is full of. Your ear will pick up and tune into whatever is reverberating in your heart. If you are interested in (desiring) red pickup trucks, you will see them everywhere. If not, you won’t notice them even if they are right in front of you.

The Bible tells us to “…be filled with the Spirit…” and Jesus said, “…if anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water…He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him would receive.” (John 7:37-39). You can be full of the Life of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God, living in you, with you, through you, as you, in the world around you.

Guess what comes out when you get bumped…Jesus; when you get falsely accused…Jesus; when you receive compliments…Jesus; when you are interrupted…Jesus; when you have to stop suddenly or start suddenly…Jesus; when everything is in a tail-spin…Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Christ!

When you squeeze a lemon, you get lemon juice. When you squeeze a Christian, you get…, well it all depends; it depends on what they are full of; could be sour or could be sweet.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit does not mean you get more of God, it means that He gets more of you. Don’t think of being filled with the Spirit as an empty glass being filled with a big pitcher of water; think of it as a fountain springing up from within you and flowing out to flood a desert; a river of Life from a Spring Whose source is God with you.

People who are filled with the Holy Spirit do not even know they are, but people around them sure do; there is a particular love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…about them and around them that calls attention to Jesus Christ.

Receive Jesus Christ today; in the Bible, in prayer, in serving, in everything you do, look for Him, listen to Him, live from Him and the world will experience Him, in you. You will get bumped, squeezed, tempted, knocked down, cursed, taken advantage of, stolen from, congratulated, blessed, and tested; if you are full of heaven, you will giv’em heaven! So be filled with the Spirit and then giv’em Heaven!

Hearing With Eyes and Seeing With Ears

We have ears and eyes that can both see and hear, just like God. The Lord created us in His image. He can see and hear with His ears and He can hear and see with His eyes. How can that be?

Think how we do. Have you ever heard of “body language?” You can hear what a person is saying even when they are not saying anything. Have you ever heard someone say, “Do you see what I mean?”

When Jesus was teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:5-18, He said that when we pray, God sees us. “But when you pray…pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  He did not say that He hears you; He sees you. Imagine that. What do you think God is looking for when you pray? What does He hear when He sees you?

Next time you read your Bible, go to Genesis 4:1-7, the story of Cain and Abel and how God “…had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.”  The word translated regard is the Hebrew word, sa-ah, and means “to see.” God saw Abel’s sacrifice but He would not look on Cain’s. When God spoke to Cain about this in verse six, He told Cain that his countenance had fallen. Cain’s face was saying something to God and God’s face was not towards his sacrifice.

Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel’s sacrifice was given with faith and that he was commended by God as righteous; Cain’s was not. The word “commended” is the Greek word martyreo, and means to bear witness about something you have seen and experienced personally. God bore witness that Abel was righteous because He saw something in Abel’s life and sacrifice; He saw faith. This is what God is looking for when we offer up to Him a prayer, or praise, or offering.

Can you see it? Do you hear it?

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.

Learning to Pray by Listening to God Talk

The best way to learn a language is to listen to it. Children understand what is being said long before they start forming words that make sense. Prayer is like that. Luke tells us that a disciple was listening to Jesus pray and then asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). And Jesus gave him a model prayer to begin shaping his prayers.

Listening takes concentration, something many do not engage in when they are reading the Bible. The Bible is God’s word to us and for us. As you read the Bible, hear God speaking His word to you, and for you to pray back to Him. This is how a child learns to talk; by listening and saying back what he/she has just heard.

Try this: Each day, corresponding to the day of the month, read one of the Psalms, and pray it back to God. For example, if today is the 19^th, start with Psalm 19. Read, listen, and pray a different Psalm each day. If the month has 31 days, repeat it the next day to stay with the right date and Psalm. The last number will always match. In five months you will have prayed through the Psalms and can start over.

Psalm 119 is long, 176 verses long. But it is divided up into 22, eight-verse sections. The whole Psalm is a prayer. Along with the Psalm that you are praying for the day, take one of the sections from 119 and make it your prayer for that day. On day 23, either go back to the first section, or work your way back. In a month you will have prayed through this powerful prayer. After 12 times (1 year) through this Psalm your prayers will begin to sound different; you will begin to learn to pray by saying God’s word back to Him.

During this “listening and praying back what you hear” prayer time each day, the Lord will highlight a verse for you either from 119 or from your Psalm for the day. Write this one down on an index card and memorize it throughout the day for a continuous prayer experience.

This daily exercise will begin to shape your prayer life and words you speak to God in prayer. You will be learning to pray by listening. God’s word will reveal God’s will and before you know it, you will begin asking God for what He wants rather than trying to convince Him of what you want. When this happens, His will is done on earth as it is in heaven; by the spoken word! AMEN, AMEN.

AMEN and AMEN

AMEN is a Hebrew word meaning, “This is true.” It is transliterated in several languages similar to the word Hallelujah, which is also a Hebrew word (Praise the LORD). We say AMEN, usually after something is said that we agree with during a conversation, or during a sermon. But Jesus would say it before He said something.

For example in John 3:3; “AMEN, AMEN, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” And in John 5:19, “AMEN, AMEN, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” In some Bibles this AMEN is translated Truly, Truly  or Verily, Verily. But why does Jesus say it first rather than at the end like we do, and why does He AMEN Himself?

Jesus said it first because before He said it, He heard it from the Father! He would hear the Father say it, then He would AMEN the Father, then He would say it. Jesus spoke what He heard the Father say, every time.

Have you ever had that experience? Ever said something that was so good you wanted to AMEN yourself because you knew you had not thought of it before and that it was not from you? Jesus said that this would happen to His followers; a word would be given to them in the hour they would need it (Matthew 10:20, Mark 13:11, Luke 12:11-12, 21:13-15).

Stay attentive to the Spirit of Christ who lives in you. He has things He wants the people around you to hear from Him and He knows that they will listen to you.

Indonesia Journal; Sunday and Monday

25 September; Happy Sunday! 3 PM (internet has been down; it is Monday AM here)

What a Happy Sunday this has been! The Faith Baptist Church of Manado began 49 years ago. Today they celebrated their 49^th birthday, and man, do they know how to celebrate! This is the first Baptist church in Manado. It began by a group of young couples from the Dutch Reform Church, a very large and old denomination on this island. They had been attending the Baptist seminary on the island of Java. After their studies they discussed with their church leaders in the Dutch Reform Church some new ministries and mission ideas they wanted to begin. Their church did not want to make any changes so they met together and prayed for what God would have them to do.

After several weeks of prayer, they decided to start a Baptist church, the first one on the island of Sulewesi, in the city of Manado. Today there are over 350 churches in this fellowship which all started from this church, 49 years ago. About six of the charter members were present today and they had the greatest joy of anyone present.

The Faith Baptist Church has five “daughter” churches on the island and neighboring islands. These are mission churches that will become self supporting within a year or so, according to the pastor. The students were in charge of the music today and they led in what we know as a “contemporary” worship experience. And we also had a children’s choir, the church choir, a men’s choir (I got all of this on a camcorder; wait until you hear this men’s choir; unbelievable), and several solos and instrumental solos. I preached on prayer from Colossians 1:9-10 and how this church was birthed in a prayer meeting, has continued by the faithful prayers of the members, and will into the future on the foundation of prayer; prayer that is shaped and led by God’s Word. I told them that our church in Kingsland had just celebrated our 50^th and that we were now prayer partners with them since we share so much in common. They want a team of us to come back next year.

There was one group of men present from the island of Papua. They looked like Africans and they told me that all of the Papuans resemble Africans, but they are Indonesian. They were from a church that was started by the Faith Baptist Church many years ago. Back then, the island of Papua was very primitive. In some parts it still is. You have probably heard of Papua New Guinea. This is the same island and chain of islands.

I could really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in their worship service. It was enthusiastic and exciting with the students leading it. There is a growing revival taking place among the young people on this island. I was looking around and the older people were right with the students as they sang and danced. Most of the songs were their contemporary songs but others I recognized as some that we sing. One in particular they really like; Lord You are good and Your mercy endures forever…we worship You, Hallelujah, Hallelujah; we worship You for who You are…You are good, all the time, all the time, You are good And they love singing The Banner of the Cross. I am requesting these two songs on Sunday, October 2, one for the early and the other for the late.

Then they had baby dedication. Three couples came up with their babies and family members and church members surrounded them and sang a beautiful prayer song over these babies, similar to the way the pastors did to the graduates on Friday. We came up for the offering (they come up and pass the plates), and then lit the birthday cake candles and went outside for a huge feast. Then, pictures. To say that they like to take pictures is an understatement. We took a lot of pictures. More pictures than at a wedding. Then they called everyone back into the sanctuary to present me with a gift and one for Beth. They wanted me to open mine but would not let me open Beth’s. They want me to take pictures of her opening her present and send it to them. I promised I would. They said they wanted us to bring a team back for their 50^th which they said is a big celebration. I can only imagine.

I have been in several church services in different countries over the past 30 years that during the service and afterwards I thought, “This is what heaven is like; thank You, Lord; this must be what heaven is like.” I was saying that today, over and over. Thank you for your prayers. One more entry; tomorrow morning just before I leave this place. Salamat Hari Minggu; Happy Happy Sunday!

26 September; Monday

Some of my thoughts as I get ready to go to the airport:

·         As our friend, Pastor Ron Keener, likes to say, “God is always working upstream.” In January of this year, Beth began encouraging me to write some discipleship materials. I decided to begin by asking the Sunday morning Pastor’s Class to help me. I would write a section and we would study it together. They would give me suggestions and I would edit the material. About the same time I was invited to a meeting in Dallas to discuss mission work and the state convention. At that meeting I met Dr. Kim Hall, the pastor of Hunters Glen Baptist Church in Plano. He works with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in several places in the world where rural pastors are taking classes to complete a Pastoral Ministry Certificate. He asked me if I would be interested in teaching some pastors in Indonesia in September. I was approved by the seminary as an adjunct professor and asked to prepare about 24 hours of material to cover a New Testament Survey class. By May of this year I had completed 14 weeks of discipleship materials with the Pastor’s class and had begun to compile my notes for the NT survey class. The Wednesday evening Bible study class helped me with this study. As the time got closer to leave for Indonesia, I decided to take along about 20 copies of Book 1 (first seven weeks of discipleship material) with a master copy just in case the pastors would be interested in it. When I arrived in Indonesia the dean of the seminary asked if I could teach something other than NT survey. He said that he was planning to teach NT survey next semester and wanted to draw in some of the local pastors to the seminary for on-going training. He gave me the choice of teaching Mark, Luke, Hebrews, or the parables of Jesus. I had survey materials on the three books but I also had a complete study guide on the parables, the miracles, and a word study in Hebrew and Greek on wisdom in Book 2 of the discipleship material. I told him I would like to teach on the parables. He was elated because the seminary had not offered a study on the parables in several years. Here is the point: Proverbs says, the horse is made ready for battle but the victory belongs to the LORD. I was all ready to teach NT survey but God had worked through Beth and the Pastor’s class to prepare the material that I would end up teaching this week; the parables of Jesus and wisdom. God knows who my NT survey class notes will be for; but it is already prepared. Thank you, Beth. Thank you, Pastor’s class. Thank you, God, for working upstream in our lives! Something else; I told the pastors and students that I had brought a seven-week Bible study guide for new believers to work through with a mentor. They told me that this was a big need among their churches. I gave them the copies and the master and left money to have it translated and copied with Salt Block Ministry funds. Before the week was out they had already made several more copies in English and the dean said it is written in simple enough English to use in their English as second language studies.

·         There are huge differences in the world among people and no matter how different the culture, there are some things that people everywhere share in common. Children act the same in every culture. People’s eyes look the same with joy, sadness, boredom, and excitement in every culture. The gospel of Jesus Christ gives deep, abiding joy no matter what the culture. People need the Lord and when the gospel is preached they respond and are given the same Spirit in every culture. The differences in cultures are huge but not as huge as the fellowship in the Holy Spirit. This morning I was right at home in a church on the other side of the world from mine; I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and was able to worship together with them even though I didn’t know the words or the music; I knew the Spirit among them. I have had the same experience in Uganda, Kenya, Bangladesh, China, Mexico, and the Philippines. Those cultures are as different as night and day with history, food, language, customs, and appearances, and yet Jesus Christ in us is the same. And people are hungry for the Bible in every culture. Being able to purchase and hand out Bibles for people hungry for God’s Word is overwhelming. They desire to have and study God’s Word. As I have taught in different places, the interest, the questions, the hunger is the same. Having God’s Spirit gives you a hunger for God’s Word. And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. Spiritual growth and a growing desire for God’s Word go hand-in-hand in every culture. Insights from the Lord in His Word are cross-cultural. The errors in mission work have come as missionaries have taught their own culture rather than insights in the Word from the Spirit.

·         God has given the United States a responsibility of leadership in the world; a voice that is respected, that gives direction, that is desired. The problem is that our voice has changed and there is confusion in the world as the result. We have lost our moral compass but still have our place of leadership (only God knows for how much longer). The world has followed our economic disaster of spending what we do not have. The Bible is clear on tithing and saving and living a simple and sharing lifestyle. The world is reeling by following our lead in irresponsible stewardship. We began seeking after and trusting in the blessings and misplaced our “In God We Trust” motto. Our sexual immorality shocks “developing nations.” What is now accepted in the US is a million miles from the standard of the Bible. The problem is that the styles and trends are set by the US and Europe and are followed by the rest of the world. Western (US and Europe) influence in other countries is best described as sensual and inappropriate. What once caused embarrassment in our country still does in other countries among the Christians in those countries. The point is: We in the US must repent and pray for a spirit of repentance to shake out of our moral stupor and back to our spiritual senses before it is too late. We must return to what the Bible teaches about lifestyle, about disciplines, about morality that pleases the Father. We must pray that God re-sensitizes our embarrassment nerve and re-learn what is appropriate and inappropriate in God’s eyes regardless of the trends and styles.

·         There is a revival going on among young people all over the world. It is encouraging to see the spiritual interest and hunger in people under the age of 30. Sound doctrine (Person and Work of Christ) is attractive to this crowd. They desire to know God personally not know about Him religiously. They are responding to Truth, because Truth is a Person, Jesus Christ. And pastors hunger for teaching from other pastors concerning spiritual truth and discipline.

·         Cell phones, like Coca-Cola, have taken over the world! Everyone has a cell phone. And everyone is on the move and in a hurry to get there.

·         One of the quickest ways to make friends in another country is to learn their greetings.

And prayer joins us together in what God has called us to do together. When you prayed about the excessive sweating I was experiencing, I got relief the next day! I still was sweating but not near like I was the first few days. It was a problem and was draining me by the end of the day. As you prayed I was strengthened. I was still sweating but it was not draining me, it was not a problem. And I have been healthy all week without any problems. God has shown me on this trip insights into His Word that I have never seen before. Thank you for your prayers. “…I thank God for you, praying for you…for your prayers for me and our fellowship the gospel…” Philippians 1:3-6.

I will see you on Sunday; I have more to share about this experience that I have not shared this week in this blog. Pray for empty seats on the plane!

Indonesia Journal; Saturday

24 Sept. Saturday; 4:15 PM

This has been a day of relaxing and learning for me. Pastor Ferry, the president of the seminary, and Pastor Dickie, the elder pastor of this group, picked me up about 8:30 this morning. We drove up to the mountain lake that Ferry took me to last Saturday. Pastor Dickie is from this area. This mountain lake is high above Manado and is surrounded by five volcanoes.

I learned that the whole area is an old volcano and the lake was formed after the volcano stopped. The five small ones that surround it only “smoke.” The hot springs resort is a nice place with little cabins, a restaurant, a large meeting room, a few air conditioned rooms, several steam/hot springs rooms, and a large hot springs swimming pool. The hot springs rooms have a white tiled bath about the size of a king size bed and about four feet deep. The bath fills the room except for a small changing area just as you go in the door. The water comes straight out of hot springs beside the resort and is pumped into the resort by a six-inch pipe. The bath is filled and it is hot. There is another spout of warm water that you can cool it with. It is mineral water. After about 45 minutes you are ready to get out. But it is relaxing. Then we went to the pool which is not as hot and is even more relaxing. I enjoy the water anyway and this was very nice. The cost was about $5 for the three of us.

We ate lunch at the resort in a nice outside table by the lake. Since it is so high it is cooler than Manado. They brought out rice, two nice-sized grilled fish (head and all), some greens that have green-bean sized stalks that are very tasty, and another bowl of “meat.” I learned the first day to ask what kind of meat if it is meat other than fish. The Indonesians like all kinds of meats; snake, bat, mouse, rat, cat, dog, and you must ask because it all looks like chicken; it does not all taste like chicken, except the cat (they said), but then got into a discussion about how cat is really sweeter than chicken but not as sweet as crocodile. They were being serious and ended the discussion by informing me, “but some think it does taste like chicken.” I tried to tell them about that saying in the US but it got lost in the translation. By the way, the bowl of meat was chicken, and it was good.

I also learned something about one of the questions from yesterday from one of the pastors. I did not think much about the question but found out today that it was a serious question that they were very interested in. Their questions all begin with a long explanation of the question, then the question. The explanation was the setting for the feeding of the 5,000 (Matt. 14, Mk. 6, Luke 9, John 6). After everyone was fed the Bible says that there were 12 baskets of left overs. The question was this, “who got the baskets of left overs?” After the pastor asked, they all looked at me while my translator went through the explanation and question.

I said that the Bible does not say but maybe the little boy who offered his lunch of five loaves and two fish that started the feast (John gives that detail). I also said that someone may have not wanted the food left in the basket but the basket itself because of how much came out of it (a very “American” answer which I tried to explain that I was only kidding; lesson to remember, jokes don’t translate too well). My answer did not seem to satisfy them. I learned today what was behind the question.

In Indonesia they have a very important hospitality custom; prepare more food for guests than is necessary. The more that is left over honors the guest more. They find support for this from Proverbs that says don’t eat everything that is brought before you. They said in Indonesia it is a great honor to the guest for there to be much left over after the meal for it is then offered to the guest for his journey. This helped me because all week as we have gone out for the evening meal they have “over ordered” the food with a lot left over, then insisted that I take the left overs back to the hotel. Each time I would say that there was no place for me to store it and that I was so full anyway and I insisted that they divide it up and take it home to their families (each evening a small group of pastors would go with us to eat). They would receive the food with many “terimah kasi” which means “thank you.”

Now, back to the question. There has been in the past among Indonesian pastors much discussion over what the Bible does not say about this event; who took the left overs home? The basis of the question rests on the fact that on the surface it would seem that the Lord Jesus would be the one to honor, but He is seen by some as the host, not the quest. Others have argued over this question that since Jesus was from heaven He was a guest on earth. Then others come back with the fact of what Colossians states, that all things were created by Him and for Him, and so He is the owner, not the guest. They were hoping I would clear this discussion up once and for all. I failed; but what an interesting question. After learning all of this today, I am sticking with my original answer; I bet Jesus gave the left overs to the little boy to honor him for his sacrifice.

Tomorrow I am preaching in Edwin’s church, the dean of the seminary. And tomorrow evening I will pack and get ready for the long trip home. Tomorrow will probably be my last “Indonesia Journal” entry with a summary of thoughts and impressions I have had. Terimah Kasi for your prayers. For me, in about 12 hours it will be Selamat Hari Winggu (“Happy Sunday!”) They love Sunday here.

Indonesia Journal; Friday, Graduation Day

23 September; Friday; 4:30 PM

Hard to describe the day; it was amazing. A spiritual high. When they told me that graduation was a big deal, their word for big deal was different than what I thought. Graduation is a big, big deal. Pastor Ferry picked me up about 8. We got to the school and people were already starting to arrive for the 9 AM service. The men were all in black and dark blue suits and the women were in formal dresses, like prom dresses. This was a big deal. I was way underdressed in my sport coat and wrangler slacks. I was wearing a tie but I was the only one not in a suit. The graduates and faculty were all getting into their full academic regalia.

There were 8 graduates. Some were receiving their bachelors degree and others the masters degree and others the pastoral certificate. Pastor Dickie, one of the elder pastors and teacher at the seminary, said that one man had been working on his degree for 14 years and was graduating today. For the others it has been a four-year journey.

Men from the government arrived, from their department of Christian education. Families and church families were all gathering in the school’s newly renovated chapel. It is a building with open windows, concrete floor, tin roof, chairs and wooden benches. By 9 the seminary teachers and I, along with the graduates were ready for the procession into the chapel. And it was hot today. We marched in behind the national flag and the school flag and took our seats on the stage. The graduates came in behind us, with the keyboard playing “And Can it Be,” an old Methodist hymn that has recently made it into the Baptist hymnal. It is a wonderful hymn on the love of God and the cross of Jesus Christ.

Introductions were made and the service began. The message was one of the first things on the program. I preached from 1 Timothy 4:16, a word for the graduates to pay close attention to their own spiritual growth and their doctrine, and to stay with it, with the promise of a great and joyous reward. Then a history of the school and its mission and vision from the president, Pastor Ferry. They introduced each graduate and we sang several songs. By about 10:30 I was sweating so much I thought, why go to the hot springs tomorrow, I feel like I am already there. It was hot, but no one seemed to mind. I noticed that they don’t sweat much. Everything was done very meticulously and intentional and with great awe and respect. This was a big deal.

They handed out the diplomas and Bibles (thank you FBC Kingsland) and the student who was recognized as Magna Cum Laude gave a speech. Then one of the men from the government spoke, then came the highlight of the service. Pastor Dickie went down and called the graduates to come and kneel while the faculty along with several pastors from the congregation encircled them. They surrounded them with prayer, singing a beautiful prayer, very softly over them. Then the pastors all extended their hands over the graduates and Pastor Dickie led in prayer. They pray a long time as I have already mentioned. This was a long prayer and I could tell by the “AMEN”s and the tears it was a meaningful one as well.

After the prayer everyone took their seats and one of the faculty gave a blessing. Then they arranged the graduates in the middle and the faculty on either side of them for pictures. I stepped away but they insisted that I get in the pictures. Then we spread out along the front and one by one, from the congregation the people came by and shook everyone’s hand. This took a while, then more pictures and then we all went next door to Pastor Ferry’s church, the Hope Baptist Church where I preached last Sunday and had a huge meal together.

After the fellowship the pastors and their wives gathered back in the chapel for a Q&A time with me. The questions these pastors asked were so insightful and challenging. I have done this in Uganda, in China, and in Bangladesh. It never ceases to amaze me the similar questions, struggles, and joys that pastors have no matter what country and culture they serve in. And they all have questions about America. One pastor asked what kind of spiritual impact 9/11/01 has had on the US. Another said that he had heard that in some of the states they were recognizing homosexual marriages and wondered if it was true. Another asked how the economy had effected the giving of the church members and how the church was responding to the world recession. Another wanted to know what the role of the pastor’s wife was in the US churches. Another asked what I thought about a pastor who was not making enough money in his small church and if he would be compromising if he took a second job. There is not enough space to share with you how I shared with them but it was a wonderful time together. And they also asked if I knew Governor Rick Perry.

 I asked them about their missions program because I had heard that the church in Indonesia was becoming very missionary. They shared their vision for church planting and reaching every tribe on every island in Indonesia. There are thousands of islands in Indonesia, spread across thousands of miles of ocean. Pastor Ferry’s church has a preaching point with a young pastor on one of those islands that is a 24-hour ferry boat ride away. They said that it is called a preaching point until it has 30 families, then it becomes a church. The mother church supports the pastor until then, after 30 families, the church takes care of the pastor. We handed out Bibles to the pastors (thank you Burnet/Llano Baptist Association) and took more pictures. After these questions and answers we promised to pray for each other and to join together in praying for revival.

The pastors and students in my class then went to the classroom and took their final exam. Pastor Ferry is going to pick me up in the morning for a day at the hot springs “up on the mountain.” I found out today that “the mountain” is right beside one of their active volcanoes. They said not to worry, it’s just a small volcano. It has been an amazing day. Thank you for your prayers, and “thank you, God, for Your amazing love in Jesus Christ and for His Beautiful Bride, the Church.”

Indonesia Journal; Thursday

22 Sept. Thursday; 5 PM

Back in the room after a full day of teaching. We finished the parables this afternoon. Tomorrow morning is a graduation service and tomorrow afternoon is the test for this class. The students that took this class for credit must pass the test and turn in the assignments from the class. There are eight students graduating. The whole school is involved. It is a big deal. They have asked me to preach the sermon tomorrow. I plan to share a message from 1 Timothy 4:16.

This school is called (in English) The Higher Education Theological Institute of Indonesia. It began in 1971 by a pastor, in his church, on this island. Back then it was called the Baptist Theological Seminary. Before 1971 there was one Baptist seminary in Jakarta on the island of Java. There are five big islands in Indonesia and thousands of small ones. Sulewesi is the name of this island. The pastors from this island had to travel by boat to Java to go to seminary. It is a five-day journey by boat. The pastor that started this school graduated from the Java seminary in 1968 and began this school in his church 1971 on Sulewesi Island.

Later that year the churches on Sulewesia Island and the surrounding islands formed their own fellowship of churches. There are now over 300 churches in that fellowship. Within a few years the school had outgrown the church and land was purchased in Manado and buildings were built. Once I figure out how to get the pictures from the camera to the computer and on to facebook, you will be able to see the present buildings and classrooms. This may have to wait until I can ask someone born after 1977. Those people know how to do stuff like that.

After the school moved to its present location they changed the name in order to take “Baptist” out of the name. There were so many other pastors from other denominations who wanted to attend but could not because of the name. So, they changed the name and enrollment went up. In my class this week there have been four different denominations represented; some are students and others are pastors that have already graduated but wanted to take the class on the parables of Jesus.

The founding pastor of the school is still a pastor and is the president of their convention of churches. He has attended my class each day, taking notes and asking questions right along with the other pastors and students. Pastor Ferry, my host, is now the president of the seminary (his picture will be on my facebook page as soon as…you know). Everyone on staff at the seminary is Indonesian. It is and has been an indigenous seminary from the very beginning. They offer the Pastoral Ministry Certificate, a Bachelor of Theology, and a Masters of Theology. They are working with the government right now to get approval for a doctoral program. Pastor Ferry is about to complete his PhD.

Tomorrow afternoon while the students are taking their exam they have invited pastors from around the area to meet with me in a kind of round table Q&A time. I am looking forward to that. Then on Saturday, pastor Ferry said that he wants to take me up on the mountain to a hot springs area. He said it is very relaxing. I am looking forward to that, too. On Sunday I am preaching in another church in Manado and then heading home on Monday. Tomorrow we will give out the Bibles. Everyone is very excited about that. Some of their Bibles are worn out and some do not even have one. I have noticed that they do not write in their Bibles. Thank you for your prayers.

Indonesia Journal; Wednesday

21 September, Wednesday; 5 PM

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers! Today I didn’t sweat through my clothes! I got just as excited but I just didn’t sweat near as much as I have been sweating. Thank you for praying. I asked the pastors if it was not as hot today, but they said no, it stays this hot all the time. I just didn’t sweat as much. It made the day much easier.

We began at 8 AM with our song and began looking at the parables of grace from the time of the feeding of the 5,000 to Palm Sunday and the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Most of these parables come from Luke’s gospel. He emphasizes in his gospel the teaching of the grace of God. But Matthew has a few of these grace parables too. The hour before lunch we were looking at Matthew 20:1-16, the parable of the laborers and how the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Jesus said that the owner of a vineyard hired laborers at the beginning of the day and agreed with them for 1 denarius for the day’s wage. Then he hired more at 9, then more at noon, others at 3, and finally with one hour left in the day, hired more. Then he started paying the last first and paid them a full day’s wage, as he did the others; 1 denarius for each of the laborers. The last ones, who were the first ones hired protested, expecting to receive more since they worked all day while the last ones hired received the same amount for only one hour of work. The owner scolded the first ones hired reminding them that he paid them what they had agreed upon and asked why they were upset with his generosity.  Then the startling statement, “Take what belongs to you and go.”

We talked about why this was right in God’s eyes and did not seem right in man’s eyes and how grace does not seem to be fair and yet it is more fair and right than we can imagine. We discussed how this can get applied in a business. Jesus is not rewarding laziness nor is He condemning hard work. But there will always be some that are paid more than others and some who will work harder than others. But the point of the parables of grace focus upon the King and His graciousness.

We retold the story for it to have a different ending with the same message, the message of grace. We acted it out with the first ones hired being at the end of the paying line and wondering what the owner way up to by paying in that order, last first, first last. The last in line were amazed at the generosity of the owner and were happy that the last ones hired were blessed with a full day’s wage. Then the last ones received their payment, but said with joy, “Master, you are amazing. All day long we have been with you, watching you work with us, going out to hire others to come and help us, going after others as the day went on to ease our burdens as we grew weary. We knew you to be a kind and generous man and now you have blessed us by allowing us to see your graciousness in giving those hired last so much. But they missed out on something we have enjoyed…being with you for a whole day. Being with you all this time has been our bonus, something they missed out on.”

We all agreed that this was the way the story could have ended. Then something amazing and very funny happened. On Monday I handed out 20 copies of my discipleship materials, Book One, a seven week Bible study guide. Those of you who are in the Pastor’s Class on Sunday morning remember Book One. There were not enough copies so I gave the master copy to the dean and told him to make some more copies at a store. These pastors have been sitting under my teaching Monday, Tuesday, and half a day today, a total of 16 hours so far. During the break at 11 AM several new pastors arrived. At noon when we were ready to break for lunch the dean came in with the new copies of Book One. We called the students up who had not received one on Monday, and still had several copies and started handing them out to the students who just arrived. One of the pastors who had been in class from the beginning said something, which the others quickly responded to, then the whole place burst into laughter. You probably already know what was said, but they could hardly wait to interpret for me. They said that the one pastor asked, “Is he going to give those new guys a book? They just got here.” To which the others responded, “Have you been asleep for the past hour? We just learned about the danger of begrudging generosity.” Then the first pastor said with laughing embarrassment, “I repent of my sin, don’t take my book away!” We all agreed that this is why the crowds grew with parables of the Kingdom and then started dwindling when Jesus told the parables of grace; some don’t like God’s grace; it doesn’t seem right, but God is always right.

We (the pastors and I) are having a good time together, learning together from the parables of Jesus. Tomorrow, the parables of judgment from the last week of Jesus’ life before His resurrection. See if you can identify them. These parables did more than thin out the crowds, it drove them away and led to the most horrendous act of all; betrayal, false accusations, and crucifixion. I pray you will have a good Wednesday; I sure have.

Indonesia Journal; Tuesday

20 Sept. Tuesday 5 PM

Today has been a long and good day. Pastor Ferry picked me up at 7:30 AM this morning and class began at 8 sharp. There are a few more pastors present today and some of the staff from the administration building are also in attendance. We begin each class session with a song and a prayer. The students that are taking the course for credit have assignments each day. One of the assignments from Monday was to memorize Hebrews 5:14 and a verse from Psalm 119. We studied the Hebrew word Bayin which means “understanding, insight, perception.” Psalm 119:27, 34, 73, 104, and 130 all have the word Bayin in it. They were to choose one of those verses and memorize it along with Hebrews 5:14. After our opening song and prayer this morning it was time for the test; reciting two verses of Scripture by heart. One by one they stood and quoted these verses.

I taught them on Monday to write down the verse on a card or piece of paper, which they did. Just before they would get up for their turn, they would check one more time. The rest of the students would give them such a hard time with this. They all had more fun and laughed so much during this testing time and they helped each other. They also graded each other. After each one was finished the rest of the class would yell out a grade; “85…76…60…0…98…” laughing each time. I had not planned on this being something that ended up being so much fun.

They also had the assignment of identifying all of the parables of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the baptism of Jesus to the feeding of the 5,000. These are all parables of the Kingdom, the origin, the nature, the outcome of the Kingdom. This was also the most popular time of the ministry of Jesus. The crowds grew and grew during this period of His ministry. They found all ten parables and we discussed each one and identified the truth of what each parable teaches about the Kingdom of God.

We followed the same schedule as yesterday, teaching for an hour, ten minutes of questions, a 5-10 break, then teaching, questions, break. At noon we stopped for lunch, and began again at 1 PM sharp. We covered all ten parables as well as some of the ways of God and the difference between doing the will of God and God doing His will in you, with you, through you, as you, in the world around you. They really got into that teaching. It came out of the 9^th parable from Matthew 13:47-50, how the Kingdom is like a net that gathers in all kinds of fish and in the end they are separated, good from bad. The point was that there are many people in the Kingdom but the Kingdom is not in them, and this will not be uncovered until the end.

We went to Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus said “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name…I will declare to them, Depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” We identified those activities as good deeds but done in their own power and for their own glory (they bragged about them, desiring some recognition or glory for doing them). I told them the worse kind of flesh is good flesh, educated flesh, polite flesh… but it still just flesh. They got it. God does His own will in our lives by His own Word in our lives, and His Word bears fruit, fruit that remains, a great harvest. I asked them this question: What is the fruit of the Word in our lives? It is the Word! When the translator said it, one of the pastors in the back stood up and shouted “Hallelujah, Hallelujah!” It was a great moment for me to see the revealed truth of the Word connect with someone so immediately and so joyously.

The only problem I am having, (not really a problem) is the heat and the humidity. I actually don’t mind the heat or the humidity but I am not accustom to working in it like I used to when I worked in it for a living (prior to August 7, 1982). They have a fan for me, which helps a lot. And I am drinking lots of water.

Their assignment for tomorrow; find and identify the parables of Jesus from the feeding of the 5,000 to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. What do these parables teach? This is when the crowds started to thin out. Since it has started getting dark here but morning in Texas I will say Salamat pagi (good morning) and Puji Tuhan, Praise the Lord! Hope you have a good day today, I have already.

Indonesia Journal; Monday

19 Sept. Monday 6 PM

The Manado Quality Hotel includes a full breakfast buffet with the room rate ($50/night). This buffet is like a Sunday brunch at a nice country club (Tapatio Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch, the Dominion, Corpus Christi Country Club). You can get a variety of omelets, salads, vegetables, four or five different kinds of meats (fried, grilled, stewed), fresh fruits, rice, potatoes, beans, breads, soups, and desserts. Then there is a section called “traditional Indonesian treats.” In other words, this breakfast buffet has just about everything you can image and some things you can’t imagine. The chiefs will even fry you two eggs, over-medium, with wheat toast and strawberry jelly. The coffee (kopi) is some of the best I have ever had. They begin serving at 6 AM. It gets daylight around 5:15 and it gets dark about 5:15. At 6 AM there are already shadows; it is full light. So, this is how my day begins, early. And it ends early (it is already completely dark outside at 6:10 PM).

We arrived at the seminary at 8:45 and started teaching about 9:30. We were suppose to begin at 9 but they told me they follow “rubber” time in Indonesia. This means “flexible,” or in other words, they don’t start until everyone gets there. The students were there but the pastors were slow arriving. Many of them had to come from far away. Many did not get there until after lunch. We heard that some will not be able to get there until tomorrow. I taught for an hour, fielded questions for 10 minutes, then took a 10 minute break. We followed that schedule until after 12 when we broke for lunch. The pastors and students are very attentive and are quick to ask questions. They laugh easily and have been taught the Word. Many can understand English although they cannot speak it very well. I had two different interpreters, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. We started up after lunch about 1:30.

The seminary buildings also serve as offices for the Indonesia Baptist Convention. This is a fellowship of about 350 churches across Indonesia. I met the president and some of the officers of the convention this morning. They told me that the president of the Asia Baptist Convention was coming today and wanted me to meet him. They said that he would be staying in Manado today and tomorrow on his way to a Baptist congress that is being held on Wednesday on another island. About 3 PM, pastor Ferry got a call telling him to bring me to the lunch they were having for this president of the Asian Baptist Convention. The pastors and students excused me and pastor Ferry and I went about five blocks away to a very nice house where the Indonesian Baptist Convention officers and several other people were waiting for this Asian convention president.

When he drove up they gave him the VIP treatment. They penned some nice flowers on his lapel, welcomed him with a glass of juice; really rolled out the red carpet. When he came into the room he immediately came over to me and asked where I was from and what I was doing in Indonesia. I told him I was from Kingsland in the heart of the hill country of Texas and that I was teaching pastors in the seminary. He asked if that was near Austin. He said he had been to Texas a number of times, to Houston and Dallas, but had never been to the hill country of central Texas. I asked him where he was from and he said from Nagaland in northeastern India. I told him that I had been to Bangladesh, just below Nagaland and that I hoped to visit Nagaland because I had heard about the strong Baptist influence there. He said that he represented 1.4 million Baptist in that region of India and gave me his card. He was introduced to the other people in the room and they began to eat. Pastor Ferry and I excused ourselves to go back to the seminary where the pastors and students were waiting. This took about 45 minutes out of our teaching time. When we got back to the seminary, I told the pastors that we got back as quick as we could. I told them that after the introductions I asked to be excused because there was a whole room full of VIPs waiting for me at the seminary, Very Important Pastors. The pastors all liked that.

We covered just about all of the material that I had planned for today by about 4:30 and it started to rain really hard. On our way back to the hotel we got into some deep water. It was at the bottom of one of the inclines and the runoff had not had time to runoff. Pastor Ferry said, “Don’t worry pastor Charles, it is only a small flood.” It may have been his accent, but it really struck me as funny.

It is very humid and hot. I am sweating a lot, but I then always do as many of you know. Today I sweat through everything twice. Beth packed me some gator-aid mix and I am drinking a lot of water. Pray for the remaining pastors to arrive safely and for everyone’s health. I’m just about back to a full sleep cycle and I can feel your prayers. God gave me insights today from His Word as I taught that overwhelmed me; things I had never thought of before about the parables of Jesus. Thank you for your prayers. The pastors and students are benefitting from them.

Indonesia Journal; Sunday

18 September, Sunday 9 PM:

The hotel I am staying in is called the Manado Quality Hotel. It is owned by Chinese. As you walk in the main entrance you walk past two lions, typical of all Chinese buildings. When I was in China I learned about these lions. They represent the philosophy of Communist China. The one on the right has his right paw on a ball that is slightly flattened. This represents balance and control as in someone who push down on a ball without rolling off of it. The lion on the left has his left paw on top of a small lion that is on its back. This represents domination of all of the other governments; control and domination. This is the opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He sets us free from the dominion and control of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Holy Spirit lives in us, with us, through us, as us, in the world around us inviting us to join Him in lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ.

The people who work in the hotel are Indonesian and are very friendly and nice. They know that I am a pastor and most of them have shared with me that they are Christian. I have learned the greetings, “Good morning, how are you, please, thank you…” As I greeted the hotel workers in the lobby they came back with a new greeting. I asked what it meant and they said, “Happy Sunday!” They said that Sunday is special day on this island and that it has its own greeting, “Happy Sunday!”

Pastor Ferry picked me up at 9 AM and we drove to his church, the Hope Baptist Church. It is a concrete structure on a steep incline. Everything on this island is on a steep incline. I noticed the first day that there were no bicycles but thousands of motorcycles. The CMA would have a field day here although these motorcycles are the small economy size. The Hope Baptist Church has about 100 members in attendance which are mostly young people in their 20s. the building is all concrete with a flat roof, a half wall with open windows (no windows), and four doors. Down the middle isle are concrete columns. One is right in front of the pulpit and has a small fan mounted at the top pointed down, right on the preacher. That was nice.

Before the service started it started to rain, a soft, slow, constant rain. I prayed for it to spread to Texas.  It rained like that the whole service. We started the service with a prayer chorus and prayed silently for about 10 minutes which is a long time to pray silently. Then the pastor led in a long prayer. We sang a few hymns, no instruments, and had another prayer. We read out loud Psalm 40, the men would read one verse together, then the women would read the next; responsive reading. We prayed again, and sang another hymn. They had three offering boxes on the table in front of the column in front of the pulpit, all three labeled. During the offering hymn people came up and put their offerings in one or more of the boxes. Pastor Ferry explained to me that there is a tithe offering, a “social” offering for ministries, and one for the operations of the church. Then they came around with an offering bag, which is divided up among all three.

Then they had “prayer time.” We had already spent about 20 minutes in prayer and by the time the prayer time was over we had spent about 30 minutes in prayer together. I preached from Judges 14 on Samson and how the gifts of God are given with instructions from God and about the Nazarite vow and how God’s Word addresses our spirit, mind, and body. With the interpretation is lasted about 45 minutes. Pastor Ferry said this is the length of most of his sermons. The invitation time was another prayer time. We sang, dismissed in a long prayer, and stood around and visited for about 40 minutes. Then we all went out (about half of the congregation) to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Got back to the hotel about 3 and worked on the materials for the study on the parables and Pastor Ferry picked me up about 6:30 for the evening service.

The evening service is not at the church, it is at a member’s home. About half of us were inside and half outside in folding chairs from the church. There were two men with guitars inside and we sang songs (not hymns) and prayed for about 40 minutes. Their singing in the evening is different than the morning. They clapped, sang in harmony, had prayer songs, all with the two guitars which were out of tune. You couldn’t hear them much for the loud singing. It reminded me of the church services in Mexico and along the border. The Indonesia language also sounds similar to Spanish. I felt like I was back in El Indio in the mission. We had a ladies choir, then a men’s choir, then prayer time. Pastor Ferry preached in the door way from 1 Chronicles 6:4-8. I had never heard a sermon on that passage before. Since he did not interpret it, I don’t know what it was about. The only part in English was the Scripture reference. I asked him later what his message was about and he said it was about how God knows our name and has purpose for everything He does in our lives. If you have time look that Scripture up and see what he means. Pastor Ferry preaches through books several verses at a time. At the end of the service they brought in food, all kinds of food and a whole ice chest full of rice. It reminded me of the hospitality of the Ugandan churches with several different kinds of food. Pastor Ferry was kind to point out which ones were “hot” for me to avoid. He also told me not to worry that they had not prepared snake for that night. He said the story goes that if Adam and Eve would have been Indonesian, the Garden of Eden story would have had a different outcome; they would have eaten the snake! He also said that many on his island don’t like snake but since the others do, there aren’t that many.

Got back to the hotel about 8:30. The internet is not working at the hotel and my computer is not charging like it is suppose to. Will try to post this in the morning. Thank you for your prayers. Happy Sunday!

Indonesia Journal

 17 Sept. Saturday, 6 PM: 

Pastor Ferry picked me up around 9:30 this morning and we just got back from a tour of the island. Before he came this morning I got a good language lesson from some of the hotel people. I learned all of the basic words, I call them the foundation words; good morning, please, thank you, good, praise the Lord, coffee, water, and bread. You can almost be fluent with those. When we left Manado this morning we drove up a narrow hairpin road for about an hour; straight up a mountain road to the “flower city” which is beside an active volcano. It was amazing to me how high we went and how all along the way there were houses built on these steep mountain sides. These mountains are covered with thick timber, bamboo, palms, and jungle thickets, with beautiful boganvilla, high biscus, and colorful floral plants. In the flower city there were flower shops everywhere. The volcano had a column of smoke coming out of the side. Pastor Ferry said it is like that year round. His church has a mission in the city. I met Pastor Tgenge and his wife Nopha. Pastor Tgenge graduated from the seminary about two years ago and his wife is attending now. They will both be in the classes on Monday. The house church they started has about 10-15 and growing. This is one of three missions Pastor Ferry’s church sponsors. One is on an island towards the Philippines, a 24-hour ferry ride away.

From the flower city we continued to go up on hairpen turns until we reached a huge lake, larger than Lake Bucchanan, called Tondano Lake area. It is surrounded by five volcanos, all active. The lake is surrounded by huge rice fields. We ate lunch in a little “fish café,” fish, rice, fried corn, greens, and pancakes called “10,000 fish patties.” Ferry said each one has 10,000 tiny fish in it. It tasted fishy. Then we visited an important site called Love Mountain. The government has a park there dedicated to the five religions on the island, Catholic, Protestant, Islam, Hindu, and Buddhist. It is an ancient site of reconciliation with old rock carvings and hot springs steaming out of the mountain side. There are small churches and other prayer sites. Ferry said that long ago there were seven tribes on the island. They met there and divided up the island for each tribe to live there in peace. The government made a park there to encourage the five religions to respect each other and live in peace. There is a huge monument there with a dove and the globe on top. From there we traveled down, down, down, back to Manado. We also saw the third largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is one of the  things Manado is known for.

I also learned that the pastors and students have requested that I teach on the parables of Jesus rather than NT survey. All of the pastors who are arriving have already had NT survey and the dean of the seminary said that he can teach NT survey to the students next semester if I was willing to teach on the parables. He said it had been a long time since they had offered a class on the parables. One of the things I stress in mission trip training is to be prepared to change your plans. I have also been working on some discipleship training materials for the past several months and part of it has been on the parables (book 2 week 1 for those who are in my Sunday morning pastor’s class), so I said “Yes, no problem.” I will preach tomorrow morning and then spend the afternoon getting the material on the parables ready. Class begins Monday morning, 9-12, then 1-4 in the afternoon. Tuesday – Thursday, 8-12, and 1-3 in the afternoon. On Friday I will preach the graduation message…unless there is a change of plans. Looking forward to the Lord’s Day and the week ahead.