SMILES Thailand is known for many things. One phrase I have heard it called is: the Land of Smiles. On the surface, and for your average tourist, this may be true, but there is an overwhelming darkness beyond the marketing of their gorgeous beaches, culturally...
Pentecost. Pentecost….here we go. So here’s the thing, when Jesus breathed on the disciples in John 20:22, and said “Receive the Holy Spirit,” a very unique door opened that had never been open previously. Subsequent to this history-altering event, there was a special...
In Matthew 24, Jesus said, “4 Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
It is important to pay attention to the news, but not be consumed by it. While many people in this world strive for world peace, Jesus very clearly says that as we draw closer to His Second Coming, there will be wars. Unrest will be prevalent. In reality, the world has always been this way—we currently live in a fallen world where the enemy does indeed have some measure of power. His influence and actions are obvious.
All four Gospels give a first-hand account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as a swarming crowd gathers before Him to lay down palm branches and leaves on His path. They shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9, NIV). The chapter goes on to read, “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matt. 21:10-11). What a relief. Finally, after all the miracles and explaining and hoping and praying, the Jews have received Jesus as their Savior and all is well. And this is where the story ends, right? Wrong. Jesus knew people better than they knew themselves. He knew that He would see this same joyous throng of people turn to a confused, accusatory, and violent mob full of rage, all in a one-week period of time. After this façade of a demonstration, Jesus became more aggressive in His communication. For three years people had the chance to hear Him, understand Him, and follow Him. The superficial parade He endured on a donkey only spoke volumes to the fact that these people really did not understand. They did not understand the Kingdom of Heaven, though He explained many ways; they did not understand the Father; nor did they understand who He was or the mission He was called to fulfill.
“The world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.“
It is interesting how there are different realities for every living human being, even though we concurrently live on the same planet. Collectively, we can experience some similar events, like the weather regionally, or a pandemic worldwide. But mostly, everyone has a different reality based on where they were born, and to whom they were born. While some people exist in areas of the world where virtually everything they truly need is available, others struggle for the basic necessities of life. Some live in active war zones. Others live oppressed by governments and false religions. Some have daily tasks like walking to get water for the day.
Our common enemy is audacious. The “ruler of this world,” as Jesus calls him in John 14:30, seemingly has no fear when it comes to attacking the children of God. Jesus gave us a warning in John 10:10 that he is also a thief and is literally hell-bent on stealing from us, killing us and destroying us. If you were expecting a Happy New Year in this letter, just remind yourself that the enemy relentlessly wants to destroy you, and everyone else on our planet. He wants to keep us eternally separated from God, and he never takes a break.
Our team that just came back from the Philippines saw many salvations and miracles. During one of their ministry days, they literally preached through the bars of prison to the inmates; the captives. In another instance, they preached and ministered at a funeral (the death was unexpected) of a faithful saint; by the end, people gave their hearts to the Lord, and they realized that the one they came to pay their respects to was no longer held captive by a deteriorating body – instead, they were now existing in their glorified body, worshipping Jesus in His very presence.
I recently returned from the beautiful country of Thailand, or as it is affectionately known: “The Land of Smiles.” I’ve learned in life, however, that what you see on the surface is rarely a good indicator of what lies beneath. Thailand may be deemed a land of smiles, but come with us one time – join GI on one of our mission trips there where we reach out to people on the streets. The streets that are the epicenter for one of the most demonically sexualized places on the planet. Places where the exploitation of women and children is beyond belief. Human trafficking operates virtually without restraint. She-males are prevalent (mixed genders). The village areas are saturated with Buddhism. Idols and temples are visible and accessible without end. Homes, businesses, corporate buildings and farm fields are littered with false gods (idols), and it is impossible to travel very far without seeing large areas dedicated to Buddhism with temple structures.
Have you ever been forgotten? Perhaps an adult forgot to bring you somewhere when you were little. Maybe you heard about a party that already happened and realized people forgot to invite you. Being forgotten is a terrible feeling – it’s like the other person doesn’t value you enough to invite you, or remember to pick you up. Jesus made it a habit to seek out the forgotten — let’s read Mark 5:1-5:
Twenty years ago, God called me to launch a missions organization. I left working at a large church to start something from nothing. Generation one. Nothing must become something. While this seemed like, and was, a daunting task, there were a few biblical principles that gave me confidence and faith. First, God has a habit of making something out of nothing. Second, God can do anything. I could say the collegiate-level word, He’s omnipotent – but honestly, when it comes to our real lives, we often take everything we have heard in our lifetime regarding God, and boil it down to very simple concepts and statements that we can hold on to. He is powerful. He is our healer. He is good. In my case, I knew enough about God after years of being in church and saturated in a Gospel environment, that I believed, and continue to believe, that God can do anything.