Weekend Discipleship Retreat

As you all know, our family is making preparations for our return back to the States in May. We are in the midst of taking care of all the logistics in such a move and will be soon saying our goodbyes to many of our friends and partners here.  However, at this time, I wanted to ask you to join with us in prayer as we prepare for what will be my last large scale ministry endeavor here in Indonesia before our departure.

Recently, I have been asked to teach at a weekend retreat in Bogor to around 60 men and women on the subject of Discipleship. I have been incredibly overjoyed and humbled that they would want me to come and speak on this most important aspect of the Christian life. This group will be coming from a congregation located in Jakarta that I have had an incredible relationship with for the last several years. 

Will you join with me in praying for this upcoming event in May? Many here in Indonesia (along with many other places in the world – including America) do not see how their confession of Christ translates into actual service and outward work for God’s glory. Evangelism and the command to make disciples are often separated from the life and witness of the church in this location. However, many within this weekender seem hungry to learn how they may reach their friends, families and

neighbors through the high honor and calling of the “Great Commission.”

Throughout the course of this weekend, I will be speaking in three sessions. These sessions will cover the three topics listed below:

Session #1: What is a Disciple? “The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus”

Session #2: What is Discipleship? “Presenting Everyone Mature in Christ”

Session #3: Discipleship in the Home: “A Lifestyle of Discipleship Modeled in the Home”

My prayer is that our time together in this study will be used of God to provoke many in attendance (including myself) towards greater service within our homes, churches and communities through the task of evangelism and discipleship (these being two sides of the same coin of being Christ’s witnesses in this world). Brother and sisters, please pray with us in the weeks leading up to this event. Blessings and love to you all….

Thankful For You All!

I trust that many of you have already learned our family will be returning to the States in May after having served the last four years here in Indonesia. As you can all imagine, this is a very bitter- sweet moment for our family. We are excited to once again be with friends and family and our own culture. However, we are also in mourning, as we anticipate having to say goodbye to the many friends and close relationships that have been formed since we first arrived. 

We have felt so honored and privileged in serving the name of Christ to the people of Indonesia and being your representation in this location. Our prayer is that we have acted honorably in our service to God, the nation of Indonesia and for you all. We have been blessed by the partnership that we have shared together with you in taking the saving message of Jesus Christ to the most populated Muslim country in the world.  Your continual prayers, encouragements, packages, visits and financial support have continually been a great source of strength for us here. We could not have had greater support in our ministry here than what we have experienced in you all. We are so thankful for you all!

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Ministry Foundation:

In our time here in Indonesia, we have been involved with the start of a ministry foundation that seeks to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of many in this nation. We are excited to report this foundation is not only established but has also been approved by the government (only God can receive such glory in this) and is currently being  operated by local Indonesians. Many of your prayers, finances and even support visits have been instrumental in seeing this goal become a reality. In the last three years, this foundation has been involved with eye vision clinics, dental clinics, teaching English in the villages and surrounding communities, pastoral training, a ministry conference, visitation of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ and providing visas for future workers here. Will you continually join in praying for this foundation as they seek to become more financially independent and seek to greater impact this nation with the truth of the gospel? 

Preaching and Teaching:

Living here has also afforded me with continual opportunities to preach and teach in many house church fellowships, established churches and ministry conferences as well. In our four years here, I have been blessed with the task of meeting with church leaders and fellowships in helping them learn how they may reach their own people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, understand the gospel message and exist biblically within the local church. During this time, much of our ministry has been met with opposition. Often, this opposition has come from many of the false teachers within several of these fellowships and even western workers who have brought “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-10) to this land. In many regards, ministry for us here has been a continual spiritual battle and struggle. Our efforts have often led to seasons of spiritual fatigue and loneliness. Not only have we experienced this among those who would call themselves Christians but also among some of the Muslim communities that we have lived in as well. However, God in His providence has also allowed us to see a great number of individuals come out from false teaching and unbiblical practices within the church as well. May God receive all praise! We are humbled to have been a part of such spiritual renewal in the lives of those who are running more deeply and passionately for the Gospel in this land and those who have been awakened by its truth. Will you continually join in praying for the church in Indonesia? May the Gospel take root in her and may she be a powerful witness among her own people. 

Discipleship and Evangelism:

The last four years has also given our entire family an amazing opportunity for personal discipleship and evangelism within our home as well. One of my greatest memories of our time here will be in connection to the young college age adults that have been a part of our Friday night Bible studies in our home. This study has had somewhere between 25 men and women who represent American and Indonesians, Buddhists, Muslims, nominal Christians and Christians. Our studies through scripture, questions that have been asked and gospel conversations have been so rewarding to have been involved with. Both Misty and I are so grateful for the time we have been able to spend with them all. Will you continually join us in praying for the gospel to take root in many of them? May they continually grow in their love of Christ and His word and be instruments of His glory in a coming generation here. 

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Again, we are so humbled to have represented you all in this location and been partners with you in taking the message of the Gospel to Indonesia. Thank you for your continual support and prayers for our family and ministry. We have so many fond memories of you all. As our family is now returning back to the States, we ask that you continue to pray for us as we seek to transition back into American life. We would also cherish your prayers as we currently seek the Lord’s leading and direction in future ministry as well.  We do not know what the future holds for us; however, we can trust that our Father in Heaven will continually be a great source of strength, clarity and provision within our lives. He is great and worthy to be praised!

When Silence is Arrogance:

This was a very encouraging set of videos for me today. I pray that you to may find the encouragement and truth represented in them as well. It is as J.I Packer has written; "The wish to win the lost, should be the natural, spontaneous outflow of LOVE in the heart of everyone who has been born again... May I stress again: If we ourselves have known anything of the love of Christ for us, and if our hearts have felt any measure of gratitude for the grace that has saved us from death and hell, then this attitude of compassion and care for our spiritually needy fellowmen ought to come naturally and spontaneously to us".

David Platt - Silence Is Arrogance from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Here is also an interview given after this sermon was preached. In it is some very good insight and encouragement for us who follow Christ and claim to love His glory.

Don't Be a Hater from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

A Sundanese Wedding!

      

For the last two months I have been given the great pleasure of leading a young Indonesian couple every week in per-marital counseling before their upcoming marriage together.

Two weeks ago Elijah and I traveled 4 hours away to attend this traditional Sundanese wedding together.  I was asked to speak to the some 200 people in attendance in regards of the union of this couple in marriage and the picture that it represents in displaying the relationship between Christ and His church. It was a great delight to see a traditional Sunda wedding where Christ was the focal point of the entire service.

The next morning Elijah and I spent the better part of the morning visiting with many friends and family of the wedding couple (many had stayed the night due to the late night celebrations and the far travel for some to their homes). Andi asked if I would preach to his many friends and family in attendance. About 80% of these people represented the religion of Islam with Andi's father himself being a Mu-lim leader.

What a great honor to have opened up my Bible on this morning and share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the many who were in attendance. Please, continue to pray for Andi and Irma that their marriage would glorify Christ and bring great honor to Him. Also, please continue to pray for the many men and women in Andi and Irma's family who still do not know Christ, who heard the message preached to them within this wedding. May their eye's be opened and their souls enlightened with their desperate need of Christ for salvation.

David Platt's New Book "Follow Me"

I just bought my copy of this book two days ago. This is not an endorsement as I have not yet read this book. However, judging from this video intro, his previous book and the sermons that he preaches, I am very much excited about starting "Follow Me" by David Platt. Take a look

The Need of Proclaimed Truth!

It has been stated that there are three responsibilities of a pastor within the church. Those responsibilities are in feeding the sheep (from the pure word of God), to seek the conversion of the goats (in the preaching of the Gospel) and when necessary to kick the wolves in the teeth (protecting our fellowships from those who would seek to lead the sheep astray in false teaching). However, today those responsibilities seem to have morphed into something in stark contradiction. Today it seems the responsibilities of the pastor is to allow the sheep to starve and languish, seek to cater to the whims and likings of the goats and never attempt to offend the wolves. In going this route many have forsaken the very hand in whom they confess to serve.  I am continually amazed at the great ability of human beings, even more so those who call themselves Christ’s disciples who would find it repulsive to ever think of ever offending someone (man), who never seem to find it repulsion in the least how they continually offend God.

J.C Ryle on the subject of this shallow preaching/teaching has written;“Dislike of dogma (doctrine) produces, “especially among young people,”… what I must venture to call…a ‘jellyfish’ Christianity…that is, Christianity without bone, or muscle, or power. A jellyfish is a pretty and graceful object when it floats in the sea, contracting and expanding like a little, delicate, transparent umbrella. Yet the same jellyfish, when cast on the shore, is a mere helpless lump, without capacity for movement, self-defense, self-preservation. Alas! It is a vivid type of much of the religion of this day, of which the leading principle is, ‘No dogma, no distinct tenets, no positive doctrine.’ We have hundreds of jellyfish clergymen, who seem not to have a single bone in their body of divinity. They have no definite opinions; they belong to no school or party; they are so afraid of ‘extreme views’ that they have no views at all. We have thousands of jellyfish sermons preached every year, sermons without an edge, or a point, or a corner, smooth as billiard balls, awakening no sinner and edifying no saint. We have Legions of jellyfish young men annually turned out from our Universities, armed with a few scraps of second-hand philosophy, who think it a mark of cleverness and intellect to have no decided opinions about anything in religion, and to be utterly unable to make up their minds as to what is Christian truth…we have myriad of jellyfish worshipers — respectable Church-going people, who have no distinct and definite views about any point in theology. They cannot discern things that differ; any more than color-blind people can distinguish colors. They think everybody is right and nobody wrong, everything is true and nothing is false, all sermons are good and none are bad, every clergyman is sound and no clergyman is unsound. They are ‘tossed to and fro, like children, by every wind of doctrine’; often carried away by any new excitement and sensational movement; ever ready for new things, because they have no firm grasp on the old; and utterly unable to ‘render a reason of the hope that is in them.’…Never was it so important for laymen to hold systematic views of truth, and for ordained ministers to ‘enunciate dogma/doctrine’ very clearly and distinctly in their teaching.”

Simply put, we need pastors (both indigenous and foreign) who seek to honor Christ and glorify God foremost. We need Pastors and teachers who seek to feed those starving sheep (I know many of them) who are so very hungry and are desperate for the pure, Christ centered, Christ honoring, God glorifying and scripturally saturated word.

It has been a humbling experience these last several months especially to have been given the great honor of preaching in many of these churches, gatherings and house fellowship concerning many of these issues. I am especially thankful for our very own fellowship that meets within a home on Sundays. It has been amazing to see how many Indigenous young men and women are falling in love with a God that sadly they had never been introduced to in many of these other churches.

My prayer is that we would take Christ at His word and dare greatly for His glory. I pray that many in this land would repent of their man centered, man made and man fashioned messages and would take up the only true Gospel that saves and has any real power. I pray that many would overcome their fears and cowardliness.  And boldly, lovingly, compassionately and humbly point a lost word to its only true hope.  

 

"All I Have Is Christ"

Texas Team Trip

We had been in much prayer and excitement with the thoughts of having the Team from Texas come and visit our location for ministry, fellowship and mutual encouragement together. Ministry here for our family can be often described as very lonely work and having this team of friends come and visit could not have come at a better time for us all.

The team numbered six people: (Doctor) Jim Cawley and his daughter Anna, (Dentist) Mark Bullock and his wife Gretchen (whose family is heading out for two years on the Mercy Ship) and Chris and Rebekah Disch a young couple who are currently praying concerning their own involvement in cross-cultural mission work in the future. This team came to serve in four distinct areas. One: Was to come and help bring greater credibility to our newly functioning foundation. Two: Come and train locals in areas of medical and dental care who can continue this work long after the team has left. Three: Encourage many local believers who serve Christ in often times very difficult situations. Fourth: To come and simply hang-out and fellowship with my family and I as we were desperately in need of some good quality fellowship with other like-minded believers.

Foundation Credibility and Training of Locals:

As many of you already know we have been in the process of starting a foundation here for some time. Within the last two months this foundation has received proper government approval and has now become operational. Currently, one of the aspects of this foundation is social/community development (among other vitally important focuses).  Therefore, the medical and dental training that this team came to provide only helps prove that our foundation is in fact credible and viable here in South East Asia.

We first visited a village south of our current location. This village in the past has been known for its persecution of believers and at times even violent non-tolerant stance against such people. Currently, there is not even one single believer represented within this village. Therefore, having this open door invitation being granted from its leadership is in itself a great cause for celebration and rejoicing. 

We also visited a second village to the North. This village also has a history of persecution and resistance against believers as well. After a good hike in the high jungle we all had time to relax and visit with three believing families and prepare for a day of clinic work and training the next day. 

The clinics consisted of three areas. One such area was medical examinations and care of pregnant women. With Doctor Cawley being an OBGYN from the States and him bringing his portable ultrasound machine (the MAGIC Machine) with him, his entire time was spent on giving medical examinations. It was great seeing many of these young women getting to see photos of their little babies in the womb and learn early what in fact the gender of these babies were. This is something that none of these women have ever experienced before and therefore, was a big hit throughout the entire villages. Although, the plan had been for Doc to train locals in CPR, treating of burns and issues like stopping bleeding the popularity of his “Magic Machine” was just too much of a draw as many folks expressed having pains simply to have their turn on the machine. We as a team had great laughter and joy presented to us in the way of the “Magic Machine” as the locals called it. 

The second area was Dental: Mark and Gretchen came and did a wonderful job at teaching children and their mothers the importance of proper teeth care, cleaning of teeth and handing out many toothbrushes for these children. It was great seeing the crazy amount of children all laughing at each other as they took their turns with the fluoride trays within their mouths. Gretchen you did great! Also, Mark personally took it to himself to train two local men within our foundation in dental cleaning and tooth filling. It was great watching these men as they went from watching Mark at first to actually doing all the work themselves among their own people. Mark gave these men a great tool and even gave these men their own kits (graduation present) to further this work and technique long after he has left. I personally must thank you Mark for your commitment to strengthen the hands and ministries of locals and processing such thinking in your own ministry.

The Third area was Eye Glasses: As has been the practice in the past we once again took our eye glass kit (I-see kit provided by i-tec ministries) into the villages to match up locals with eye glasses that could give greater vision to many. Usually, we have a local man leading this endeavor however, since he was in the middle of cleaning teeth I was given the privilege of matching up these glasses to those who needed them most. Thank you all who have provided this equipment and the extra glasses that were needed to provide many here with proper eye glasses to wear.

Encouraging Local Believers and Fellowship With My Family:

On Monday the team and I went and played basketball with some local college age students that I have great relationships with here in the city.  Several (six) of these young people I am currently in a discipleship relationship with as we also meet weekly for study in the scriptures and the content of the Gospel. It was a great encouragement to these young people to have the team visit and even befriend some of them in our times in the villages as they also went to assist in the works there along with the team. It was also great having the men from the team come and be a part of our Friday study group and share in the fellowship that we have there as well. Please, continue to pray for these young people as they seek to be instruments of God’s glory and grace among their own people.

As, I have already written; It was great to have fellowship and worship alongside of the three believing families in the northern village. It is always encouraging for these believers to see outsiders who care so deeply for them. Many of these brothers and sisters have experienced great hardship for the name of Christ and having the team join in eating their food, hearing their stories, worship, singing, study of the scriptures and prayer only bolster their courage and resolve in their walks with Christ in very difficult locations. Whether in the village, on the basketball court, in a study group, in a car or at the house this team really took it to themselves to get to know local believers and love on and encourage them all while learning and being encouraged by those they came to serve.

Within this teams stay Misty and I along with the kids had such a great time in fellowship. Seeing faces from home and the conversations that ensued really gave us all a boost. We are so thankful for the friendships that we poses and the love of so many who continually support, pray and think about us and our work here. While the team was here we visited a volcano, hiked into some bat caves, played with monkeys, ate together at many cultural hot-spots, visited a Buddhist temple and had several times of fellowship at our house. Misty and I needed the laughter and relaxation with friends and are so grateful for the opportunity we had to spend with this team from Texas. We love you all and are thankful for your service and care for both our family and the many of local believers you all befriended and loved while you were here. Let us pray that your time here will have great implications here long after you have gone.

Continued Prayer:

• Continue to pray for Mark and Gretchen as they head out for Africa for two years with Mercy Ship

• Continue to pray for Chris and Rebekah in their time of seeking and searching for the Lords direction in possible future work cross-culturally for the glory of God.

• Pray for our local believers and students who serve Christ in difficult situations and places. Pray for their protection, boldness and resolve for the glory of God.

Gifts Without Measure

Tonight I have just received an e-mail from an American Father who had wanted to give me news of his daughters extraordinary work and service in raising money for the work of the Gospel on foreign soil. I must confess that the news of this service literally shook me to my core in regards to personal humility and understanding the great responsibility I have in our work here.

I was personally struck in hearing that these young ladies had went to their father with no coaching and or suggestion from anyone older. It was simply a desire that was present and awakened in their own hearts. To think that on a no particular summer day in America, these young ladies took it to themselves to remember me and my family literally brings tears to my eyes. Our family's service here can at times be defined as very lonely work and honestly the news of this could not have come at a better time for me to have heard it. The Lord is truly good to His children and I am humbled particularly in His continual faithfulness and care for my family.

These young ladies set at making their own stand for selling lemonade, made fliers about our family and our work and passed out ESV bibles to all those who so happened upon their little enterprise unto God's glory in missions. It has always been my desire to see whole families and whole churches come together in a more in-depth and even at times radical way for the cause of Christ's name in missions. Hearing of this family along with so many others I know and am hearing of, is truly a blessing to our souls.

After all their work had been accomplished, flyers distributed and bibles passed out, their total amount to send to the work here will be a total of $7.26. Did you get that? $7.26! Brothers and sisters this is holy money. Money that I will give an account for. The shear weight of this responsibility tonight causes me greatly to reflect on the smallness and non-importance of who I am in the presence of  who Christ is and the work that is before us here! These young ladies can not imagine how God is using their $7.26 to ignite an awareness within my own heart to "not despise the day of small things". Tonight before I go to bed these young ladies have been instruments in taking me to the scriptures as I am reminded of Mark 12:41-44:

"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called His disciples to him said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Girls (as well as so many others of you young people who work so diligently), thank you all! Thank you for holding the rope and sharing in our struggle as our family goes down into the well. Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you as you are doing your part in sharing the loving, saving message of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

AND PARENTS! Thank you for allowing your children to literally catch your own excitement, joy and zeal in all such matters. We are so very thankful to have families like you all who are not merely telling with your mouths only, your kids the importance of Christ's Glory and that they should care about such matters. However, we thank you that you are actually living this out in front of your children and merely inviting them to come along with you on this journey together. Passion such as this is usually never taught as much as it is caught.. Keep it up!

Remember discipleship must first begin with our very own children if we hope to ever see it affect the rest of our world. Before we go looking for people to disciple (not that we should not seek others, we should!), we must first start with our own families. For only a little while, God has entrusted our children to our care.What are we doing with the time we have left? How are we inviting them to join us in our own love and desire for Christ and His glory? What do they see us most desirous for? What do they see in our own love and commitment to prayer and to scripture?