Thursday, November 26, 2009
Music is a Language: Power of Praise
Last Sabbath, Danelle, Carine, and I hiked up to the nearby village of Sung Seng to sing some hymns with the people there. The reason we chose this particular village was because the day before Carine talked to a man from Sung Seng named Rupid who said he would come to church but he didn’t know how to sing. Carine told him that it is not hard to sing and that we would show him how. So on Saturday we hiked up the steep and slippery path to Rupid’s village to sing songs with him.
It is a beautiful village that overlooks the valley bellow and the mountains beyond. After we arrived and started talking to Rupid the little villagers started gathering around us too. Carine brought a Palawono song book, so as we sang in Palawan, we like Rupid felt as if we didn’t really know how, but we could still choose to sing with our heart. Some of the little girls there recognized the songs and sang along quietly. We asked them what songs they would like to sing but they didn’t answer, and only smiled shyly. This is a typical first reaction amongst the children that do not attend school, and even the school children can at times be very shy!
It is good to sing, and music often provides a bridge to the language communication gap. We are not yet able to talk about God because of language issues, but we are more equipped to sing about Him.Rupid did not sing, but I think he enjoyed having us there. I know I enjoyed being there and Danelle and I can testify to the power of praise.
Before we left to sing in Sung Seng we were having some feelings of discouragement, a desire to go home, and in general just feelings of unrest. However we have been reading promises about the power of praise and have come to understand that when we praise God, it takes our focus off our self and takes us into God’s presence. We found this to be true while singing in Rupid’s village, and came back feeling renewed.
In the book, 10 Days of Preparing for the Latter Rain, there is a quote that says,
“ Praising God in trials requires faith that is contrary to our feelings and emotions. It also calls us to praise God before we see evidence of fulfillment of His promises. Praising through faith is acting upon the promises of God’s Word, not in response to what our senses see and feel.”
Praise is a weapon that we can use against discouragement and gloom, and Danelle and I have been experiencing its effectiveness here. Danelle recently wrote a melody to Romans 8;26-28. The words go, “When we no not what to pray the spirit helps despite our weaknesses. For we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that words cannot express.”
Prayer like praise enables God’s light to shine through us, even when initially we do not feel like shining. We are weak and I thank God that He helps us in our weaknesses, all we have to do is enable Him to do so by choosing Him. Discouragement is never of God, so when we are discouraged and do not “feel” like praising or praying to Him, it is in these times that is especially important to do so.
Even as I write this there is another sort of music that gives a constant back beat to life here in Kamantian. There are drums that are literally played all day and all night with a sort of supernatural perpetuity. I don’t fully understand the purpose of the constant drumming, but from what I have gathered it has something to do with preparing for a ceremony of drinking rice wine that is dedicated to the spirits.
The first time I heard the drumming was the first night of the two weeks I spent in the village of Emrang. The drumming sounded eerie to me, and it stirred within me a strong desire to pray for peace and protection.
I know that Satan also desires to be worshiped, he is called the god of this age (2cor 4:4) and he even attempted to make Jesus worship him (matt 4:8). In the book A Trip into the Supernatural, author Roger Morneau describes how he once took part in worshiping Satan in the same way we worship Christ, by singing songs through a church hymnal. Furthermore, Antoine Lavaie (sp ?), founder of the satanic church also says that church hymnals are used in the worshiping of satan. It is interesting that the same thing has happened here, although not as intentionally.
A month ago some of our students took part in a ceremony that involved dedication to appease spirits, and they did so while singing Christian songs they have learned while at school here in Kamantian. However they were not necessarily aware that what they were doing was false worship.
I am thankful that God at times can wink at ignorance. James 4:17, explains that “sin is when we know what is good, but do it not”, we are judged by the light that we have. However light exposes darkness and when we walk in the light, darkness by default is removed. 1 John 1:6 says “If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
Light exposes darkness, and truth sets us free, and when we experience freedom we long to express the new found joy that we feel. Music can be an expression of this joy and is a language by which we can communicate the desires of our heart. Through music we can worship the “god of this age” or we can worship our creator. God never demands worship, He presents a choice and declares “choose you this day whom you will serve”, I like Joshua of the Old Testament, desire to declare “as for me and my house, we will choose the Lord.” The power of praise is that it enables God to bless us, because when we praise Him, we choose Him and through choosing Him showers of blessings are poured out on us.
P.S. We are still meeting at 5:45 A.M. each morning to pray (1:45 P.M. PST) and would like to encourage those who are interested to join us in praying at that time. There is power in prayer, and through our chain of prayers we enable God to work, and limit the effectiveness of Satan by chaining him to God’s power.
The pictures in this blog are of some of the “little villagers” we saw while singing in Sung Seng. We have also made some audio recordings of some of our experiences here so far but are not able to post them on this blog. If you are interested in hearing them let us know and we can have them emailed to you. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless
Kevin McGill
It is a beautiful village that overlooks the valley bellow and the mountains beyond. After we arrived and started talking to Rupid the little villagers started gathering around us too. Carine brought a Palawono song book, so as we sang in Palawan, we like Rupid felt as if we didn’t really know how, but we could still choose to sing with our heart. Some of the little girls there recognized the songs and sang along quietly. We asked them what songs they would like to sing but they didn’t answer, and only smiled shyly. This is a typical first reaction amongst the children that do not attend school, and even the school children can at times be very shy!
It is good to sing, and music often provides a bridge to the language communication gap. We are not yet able to talk about God because of language issues, but we are more equipped to sing about Him.Rupid did not sing, but I think he enjoyed having us there. I know I enjoyed being there and Danelle and I can testify to the power of praise.
Before we left to sing in Sung Seng we were having some feelings of discouragement, a desire to go home, and in general just feelings of unrest. However we have been reading promises about the power of praise and have come to understand that when we praise God, it takes our focus off our self and takes us into God’s presence. We found this to be true while singing in Rupid’s village, and came back feeling renewed.
In the book, 10 Days of Preparing for the Latter Rain, there is a quote that says,
“ Praising God in trials requires faith that is contrary to our feelings and emotions. It also calls us to praise God before we see evidence of fulfillment of His promises. Praising through faith is acting upon the promises of God’s Word, not in response to what our senses see and feel.”
Praise is a weapon that we can use against discouragement and gloom, and Danelle and I have been experiencing its effectiveness here. Danelle recently wrote a melody to Romans 8;26-28. The words go, “When we no not what to pray the spirit helps despite our weaknesses. For we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that words cannot express.”
Prayer like praise enables God’s light to shine through us, even when initially we do not feel like shining. We are weak and I thank God that He helps us in our weaknesses, all we have to do is enable Him to do so by choosing Him. Discouragement is never of God, so when we are discouraged and do not “feel” like praising or praying to Him, it is in these times that is especially important to do so.
Even as I write this there is another sort of music that gives a constant back beat to life here in Kamantian. There are drums that are literally played all day and all night with a sort of supernatural perpetuity. I don’t fully understand the purpose of the constant drumming, but from what I have gathered it has something to do with preparing for a ceremony of drinking rice wine that is dedicated to the spirits.
The first time I heard the drumming was the first night of the two weeks I spent in the village of Emrang. The drumming sounded eerie to me, and it stirred within me a strong desire to pray for peace and protection.
I know that Satan also desires to be worshiped, he is called the god of this age (2cor 4:4) and he even attempted to make Jesus worship him (matt 4:8). In the book A Trip into the Supernatural, author Roger Morneau describes how he once took part in worshiping Satan in the same way we worship Christ, by singing songs through a church hymnal. Furthermore, Antoine Lavaie (sp ?), founder of the satanic church also says that church hymnals are used in the worshiping of satan. It is interesting that the same thing has happened here, although not as intentionally.
A month ago some of our students took part in a ceremony that involved dedication to appease spirits, and they did so while singing Christian songs they have learned while at school here in Kamantian. However they were not necessarily aware that what they were doing was false worship.
I am thankful that God at times can wink at ignorance. James 4:17, explains that “sin is when we know what is good, but do it not”, we are judged by the light that we have. However light exposes darkness and when we walk in the light, darkness by default is removed. 1 John 1:6 says “If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
Light exposes darkness, and truth sets us free, and when we experience freedom we long to express the new found joy that we feel. Music can be an expression of this joy and is a language by which we can communicate the desires of our heart. Through music we can worship the “god of this age” or we can worship our creator. God never demands worship, He presents a choice and declares “choose you this day whom you will serve”, I like Joshua of the Old Testament, desire to declare “as for me and my house, we will choose the Lord.” The power of praise is that it enables God to bless us, because when we praise Him, we choose Him and through choosing Him showers of blessings are poured out on us.
P.S. We are still meeting at 5:45 A.M. each morning to pray (1:45 P.M. PST) and would like to encourage those who are interested to join us in praying at that time. There is power in prayer, and through our chain of prayers we enable God to work, and limit the effectiveness of Satan by chaining him to God’s power.
The pictures in this blog are of some of the “little villagers” we saw while singing in Sung Seng. We have also made some audio recordings of some of our experiences here so far but are not able to post them on this blog. If you are interested in hearing them let us know and we can have them emailed to you. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless
Kevin McGill
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Pictures
These are some boys that Kevin was playing with. They love Kevin. He chases them and plays with them a lot. Sometimes they will be outside our house and when Kevin steps out onto the porch they immediately laugh and run away because they want to be chased.
This is a rainy day at the clinic. Mayper, this little girl is so cute. Her mom works with us at the clinic assisting in med preps and cleaning and stuff. She had to pee so she had to run out in the rain. She is super cute and just the other day it was so cute to see Kevin play with her. She had SOOO much fun. Her little giggles of glee were priceless.
This is Mumul. She is the cook for the school and she is one of my favorite people to language learn with because she is patient and makes sure you get it. She also does our laundry. Here she is beginning the process of preparing rice.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Somre more pictures from Palawan
This is a picture of me doing a toe block on this boy who had a abscess that needed drained. Kind of fun!
These are pictures of some scenery. Pictures never do it justice because we miss the whole panoramic, but here's just a little idea of some of our views every day.
Taming the Tongue
In James 3:8 we are told that, “the tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. I tend to agree! I say this not because of the vile that comes out of my mouth, but because my tongue is not cooperating in the language learning process. I am learning to exercise my tongue but I often find that the sound I hear is not the sound I reproduce. Language learning for me has definitely been the most challenging aspect of being a missionary.
We are supposed to have 2 and half hours of language each day. During this time we have one on one interaction with a local and try to make sentences like “I walk to the school”, “I walk to the school with Danelle” and of course, “I like to eat.” It feels as if I have just completed my first two months of kindergarten. I have learned the A, B, K’s (a,b,c’s), some simple sentences, and how to manipulate my tongue to make the Ng sound. Because of this it feels as if I have in many ways been reduced to the status of a child, but being like a child isn’t all bad. There is joy in simplicity especially when we allow ourselves to laugh, of which language learning provides many opportunities. For example we were given a phrase book that had corresponding Palawono and English sentences. However this book is out dated and I have discovered that not all words and sentences are transferable. I found this out when I saw the phrase “your child is beautiful, so healthy.” I thought I could apply the beautiful part to Danelle. So when I came home from school one day, I said “where is my “beautiful” wife? Well it wasn’t until later that I found out the word I thought I was using as beautiful was actually the word for fat. And many times when I would come home from school I would unintentionally say “where is my fat wife.” Thankfully she didn’t know what the word meant either, and since I told her it meant beautiful she liked it when I unknowingly called her fat.
Language learning is definitely challenging but the moments of light hearted laughter takes away the intensity and makes it all seem ok. The process of learning however can be tedious, and progress at times seems non existent. I tend to agree with James 3:7,8 which says, “every kind of beast and bird, reptile and creature of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by man kind. But no man can tame the tongue. Of course James is speaking of the tongue in a spiritual way…but when I am discouraged I can’t help but feel that my ability to learn, and tame my tongue is just as hopeless. My desire and willpower is often broken…but I know that in such times the only thing I can do is submit my will to God’s power. James says no man can tame the tongue; the implication of this is… the only way the tongue can be tamed is through divine intervention. James is talking about things that are of a spiritual nature, but I am praying that this can be applied to our mission here in Palawan as well.
Please pray for us in the avenue of language learning, so we may be able to find joy despite the difficulties, and be more effective missionaries here in Palawan.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Basketball
Basketball
There are two main sports that are played here, basketball and volleyball. However volleyball is taboo for the missionaries because gambling has infiltrated the sport and we don’t want to indirectly sanction the betting by taking part in the game. Thankfully basketball is allowed and I have been playing a lot! It gives me a chance to relax, have something I am naturally good at and it helps me feel like I fit in. Also, because it is an American game many of the words are the same, “pass”, “shoot”, “out” etc, so my language vocabulary gets a little boost when I play.
The American influence is also seen even in the recognition of stars like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. I heard one of the “Palawono” teachers explaining that Michael Jordan was “mependey ginsan” meaning he is the “best in the world.” I was surprised that they that they even knew who these players were because we are truly in a frontier location. None of the locals have TV or access to internet and as recently as just over 15 years ago the students were unaware that there is a world that exists beyond the island of Palawan. When the Georges return to America this December they will be taking their adopted daughter Jillan. It will be the first time any Palawano has left the country.
The basketball court is dirt and the rim is rusted, but the game remains the same. The Palawono’s are athletic, and many of them dribble between their legs and can do no look passes. One thing I am learning from them is humility. When ever someone does an exceptionally good move and I compliment them, they don’t take the credit and they say “kaya” which means its nothing. The games are competitive but there is a high level of sportsmanship. Their humility is a lesson I am learning and one I hope I can retain.
Arlin
Arlin
This is Arlin. She is the girl who was going to stay with me (Danelle) while Kevin was in Emrang for 2 weeks. Her guardian, however, the patriarch of the village of Niyug (Sunye, who I’ve mentioned breifly in a previous post) would not let her stay. The sad thing about that is that she uses her and her brother pretty much for slaves. Arlin is the youngest of 5. I don’t know how she became an orphan, but she is. Her next oldest brother, Kalbu, is in the process of building his own house so he is soon to be on his own. Arlin is also the girl who was our guide and hiked in with us at the beginning.
The Georges are so amazing. Even though they have only officially adopted Jillin, (actually spelled Dyilin, there’s no J in the Palawano language) they have really been so much to a lot of people here. It’s curious to me too, why Arlin and Kalbu got taken in by a guardian when they have older siblings that are married and have kids. I don’t know if they chose not to or if it’s a cultural thing.
I guess I have felt a bond with Arlin since the very beginning. She’s the one who hiked in with us and she’s the one who was going to be my roommate, my language helper, my little sister etc. I was looking forward to her. And while it ended up working out fine that I was by myself. The fact that she was an orphan made me want to love on her even more. Especially since her guardian is manipulative and might just be using her.
I always try to give her good attention. Since this culture is pretty affectionate anyway, it’s easy to give her loving affection. And she is SUCH a joker. They have nicknames here. Two people decide what their nicknames for each other will be, and it is only between them. It could be anything. Joha’s and Lebin’s is Inik, which means duck. Since we joke a lot, I thought our nickname for each other could be unka??? Which means joke. So when I called her that and tried (very feebly tried with my feeble language skills) to explain that that could be our nickname, she told me that I was her Indu’, her mother and Kevin was her Ama’, her father.
I have mixed feelings on this actually. In one way it is so sweet. She always is telling me that she loves me, even if it is after a joke or her laughing at my inability to talk clearly. But the other night was the first time she called me Indu’. Kevin and I have talked before that it must be tough to be an orphan, and then get a chance, just for 2 weeks to maybe get a break and then not get it. And then maybe to see Jillin and her story of adoption and wonder if a story like that would ever happen to her. After all, Kevin and I are the only other missionaries up here that are married.
I would love to be a “mother” to her this year. I was actually thinking older sister, but maybe it’s not the same in this culture. We have in America Big Brother and Big Sister programs, but I don’t think it’s the same here. At the same time though, it made me pause for thought when she called me mother. Minan (Leonda) had mentioned once that they cry and cry when missionaries leave. Some don’t get too attached because they know they might leave and not come back. But it’s hard not to bond here. And I want to bond here. But what if her hearts desire is something I can’t give her? What if she gets attached to me so much this year, but then when we leave her heart will just be broken? Is the year of bonding worth it? How can I be careful enough to love her and to show her Christ and to lift her up maybe like she’s never been lifted up before, but to also be careful with her heart? Should I not give her special attention? Not that I do obviously, but maybe I do quietly. I’m comfortable with her. I’ll sit next to any of the girls and love on them and let them snuggle me, but with Arlin it’s different. It’s my purpose to have her exposed to the love of Christ and the worth that she has in Him and in fact, she is very much wanted by a Father who can love her like none other. It’s amazing to think that I have that kind of opportunity. So I just pray for her and pray for wisdom in how to handle her fragile heart; her fragile heart that’s so goofy and loves to laugh, but obviously wants to love safely and wants to be wanted.
Death Swallowed up in Victory
I don’t know how old Matin is. It’s really hard to guess people’s age here. They all look so young. And then when they’re old, you think, man, they look old! They’re lives are rough. They’ve been walking and hauling things and working these mountains their whole lives, and what 68 year old do you know who prefers a grass mat on the floor over at least a 2” foam mattress? He’s so bony and is so fragile. I imagine he’s oh, maybe in is late 60s or 70s? But I really have no idea.
Matin is our impatient right now. He got carried here by his family because he is having such a difficult time breathing. He looks a little barrel chested like he could have COPD. He has been a smoker for probably most of his life. His lungs are SO junky sounding. But he also has some signs of TB. There are a lot of possibilities. Our facility is limited though. He actually has a history of TB and has been on the meds before. That’s a lot of meds, TB meds. The other thing is that he’s got an enlarged prostate.
He gets so miserable sometimes. His shortness of breath comes in waves and it must be frightening to feel like he is suffocating, drowning and fighting so hard for breath. And how discouraging and painful to get such a full distended bladder and to not be able to empty it himself. And how embarrassing to get catheterized by female nurses in a culture where boys and girls don’t mingle very much. We don’t even assess men like we would in the states as a nurse, unless one of us were male.
He’s been through the medications before. He doesn’t want to go through it again. He’s tired. He would literally rather die. However, during his stay here, Joha especially has won over his heart. He grabs her hand and calls her daughter. But he’s been miserable the last couple days, and he said yesterday that he just wanted to go home. Knowing that he would die there, he had accepted, but he is so sweet. He said that he appreciated everything that we had done for him. He is truly grateful, but he doesn’t want to continue any more medication. He had taken medication for years and told us it was a waste of medicine, expense, and time for us. He appreciated us so much, he said, but he was ready to go home.
But the cool thing was when he said that, at the very end he said that maybe we could go visit him there sometime and pray with him. He is not a believer. It’s amazing how ripe of a time this is. This is a critical moment. So maybe he doesn’t have that much longer to live, but I think of in the Bible where Paul, in talking about our final victory states, “Oh death, where is your sting? Oh Hades, where is your victory?”
Can Matin know? Has he allowed the Holy Spirit to soften his heart to know that he can have peace in death and hope in salvaion? For about one week, all of the missionaries have been meeting together on a big rock that is by the clinic at 5:45am every morning for prayer together. We start with a song and then we pray and then sing one more song. He and his family have been at the clinic for just under a week, but have heard us and seen us every morning gathering together. He knows we are missionaries obviously and has had enough exposure over the years to know that we believe differently than the original native culture.
One day especially he was not doing very good. I think he was also discouraged. He wanted to go home. He can go home, we wouldn’t stop him, but we also can provide comfort care that he can’t get at home. What about when his bladder is so distended and painful and he needs to be catheterized? He understood that, and he is still at the clinic as I write this. He didn’t think he was going to make it one day. He sent for his family to come and be with him.
We have been praying for him so much this week. We have also talked to him about Jesus and the hope in Him. The opportunity is juicy ripe. I think it’s important for people to have a choice. To be presented with the 2 options, there are only 2, and to choose. And this old man, probably close to death needs the opportunity to make that choice. It is such priority. This is a life for eternity! This is not something we can just pray about and hope that he makes the right choice. We can do more by being an incredible support to him and his family and talking to him about the peace and the hope of salvation that we have in Christ. I know his heart has been touched. I pray that he opens his heart to the right decision. That death doesn’t have to be scary. That he can have a peace that passes all understanding and that peace will be a sign to him of the right choice. Maybe he’ll see the love of Christ through us and choose Him because of it.
Just because Matin is old and closer to death than some, doesn’t mean that he’s the only one at a critical point in life. We all are given 2 options, in which we will make a choice for one of them. It is highly critical that we look at the evidence and choose this day who we will serve. We are all at a critical time in our lives. What will our choice be? Life or death? “Choose life, that we might live… for the Lord is life.” Deut 30:19,20.
Matin is our impatient right now. He got carried here by his family because he is having such a difficult time breathing. He looks a little barrel chested like he could have COPD. He has been a smoker for probably most of his life. His lungs are SO junky sounding. But he also has some signs of TB. There are a lot of possibilities. Our facility is limited though. He actually has a history of TB and has been on the meds before. That’s a lot of meds, TB meds. The other thing is that he’s got an enlarged prostate.
He gets so miserable sometimes. His shortness of breath comes in waves and it must be frightening to feel like he is suffocating, drowning and fighting so hard for breath. And how discouraging and painful to get such a full distended bladder and to not be able to empty it himself. And how embarrassing to get catheterized by female nurses in a culture where boys and girls don’t mingle very much. We don’t even assess men like we would in the states as a nurse, unless one of us were male.
He’s been through the medications before. He doesn’t want to go through it again. He’s tired. He would literally rather die. However, during his stay here, Joha especially has won over his heart. He grabs her hand and calls her daughter. But he’s been miserable the last couple days, and he said yesterday that he just wanted to go home. Knowing that he would die there, he had accepted, but he is so sweet. He said that he appreciated everything that we had done for him. He is truly grateful, but he doesn’t want to continue any more medication. He had taken medication for years and told us it was a waste of medicine, expense, and time for us. He appreciated us so much, he said, but he was ready to go home.
But the cool thing was when he said that, at the very end he said that maybe we could go visit him there sometime and pray with him. He is not a believer. It’s amazing how ripe of a time this is. This is a critical moment. So maybe he doesn’t have that much longer to live, but I think of in the Bible where Paul, in talking about our final victory states, “Oh death, where is your sting? Oh Hades, where is your victory?”
Can Matin know? Has he allowed the Holy Spirit to soften his heart to know that he can have peace in death and hope in salvaion? For about one week, all of the missionaries have been meeting together on a big rock that is by the clinic at 5:45am every morning for prayer together. We start with a song and then we pray and then sing one more song. He and his family have been at the clinic for just under a week, but have heard us and seen us every morning gathering together. He knows we are missionaries obviously and has had enough exposure over the years to know that we believe differently than the original native culture.
One day especially he was not doing very good. I think he was also discouraged. He wanted to go home. He can go home, we wouldn’t stop him, but we also can provide comfort care that he can’t get at home. What about when his bladder is so distended and painful and he needs to be catheterized? He understood that, and he is still at the clinic as I write this. He didn’t think he was going to make it one day. He sent for his family to come and be with him.
We have been praying for him so much this week. We have also talked to him about Jesus and the hope in Him. The opportunity is juicy ripe. I think it’s important for people to have a choice. To be presented with the 2 options, there are only 2, and to choose. And this old man, probably close to death needs the opportunity to make that choice. It is such priority. This is a life for eternity! This is not something we can just pray about and hope that he makes the right choice. We can do more by being an incredible support to him and his family and talking to him about the peace and the hope of salvation that we have in Christ. I know his heart has been touched. I pray that he opens his heart to the right decision. That death doesn’t have to be scary. That he can have a peace that passes all understanding and that peace will be a sign to him of the right choice. Maybe he’ll see the love of Christ through us and choose Him because of it.
Just because Matin is old and closer to death than some, doesn’t mean that he’s the only one at a critical point in life. We all are given 2 options, in which we will make a choice for one of them. It is highly critical that we look at the evidence and choose this day who we will serve. We are all at a critical time in our lives. What will our choice be? Life or death? “Choose life, that we might live… for the Lord is life.” Deut 30:19,20.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
One of these pictures is of Me (Danelle) and Uktu. He is the cutest little baby boy ever!!! He's got such expression and has a fat little chin. The lady next to him is Sunya. She is actually quite a thorn in the George's flesh. She is the patriarch in Niyug, a village just up from Kemantian and is pretty manipulative. She's also the gaurdian of Arlin, the orphan girl that I love. So keep Sunya in your prayers that she would come back to the church.
The other picture is Bubit. Bubit is a leader. She is the sister of Jillin, the George's adopted daughter. She's the first Palawano to go to college, and she's has a huge impact on the people of Palawan. She was home for vacation when the demon possesion happend. It was such a blessing to have her there. Soon after that, she found a lump on her neck. I don't know if she knew it was there before or not actually, but she went to get it checked out and it is a nodule on her thyroid that needs to be removed in which part of her thyroid will be removed. Please pray for her. Her surgery is Friday at 1pm our time which is.... I don't know when Thursday PST.
Blip about Temperature
(Danelle)
I was cold last night. Not like fever and chills cold, but because it was actually a little cold. Who would have thought that the Philippines actually can get cool. Tonight I might put an extra blanket on the bed.
I love that about the mountains. I love that it’s not as blazing hot up here. Don’t get me wrong, it can be hot. Hiking on a clear day will have you covered in sweat. But if you’re not hiking and in the shade (and there is a lot because there are a lot of trees) it is really quite a pleasant climate here. I love that it is cool enough to sleep well at night. It makes it possible to cuddle sometimes. We’re not sticky and sweaty all the time. And I’m very thankful for that.
And the STARS!!! They really are amazing. I remember writing about being excited to look at the stars before we left. It is quite mind boggling. I love it.
I was cold last night. Not like fever and chills cold, but because it was actually a little cold. Who would have thought that the Philippines actually can get cool. Tonight I might put an extra blanket on the bed.
I love that about the mountains. I love that it’s not as blazing hot up here. Don’t get me wrong, it can be hot. Hiking on a clear day will have you covered in sweat. But if you’re not hiking and in the shade (and there is a lot because there are a lot of trees) it is really quite a pleasant climate here. I love that it is cool enough to sleep well at night. It makes it possible to cuddle sometimes. We’re not sticky and sweaty all the time. And I’m very thankful for that.
And the STARS!!! They really are amazing. I remember writing about being excited to look at the stars before we left. It is quite mind boggling. I love it.
Pictures!
Then this is a picture of a Sabbath afternoon youth get together. This was the afternoon before we had the demon possesion case.
This is a picture of Mislinda and her cute little baby boy Sentiagu that I went to visit from the previous story.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
A few Random thoughts
Few little random thoughts
Sometimes it really funny even to me when I totally mess up on a word. I love how they laugh and put their hands to their mouths because they are shy, but at the same time they LOVE to laugh. Other times however, like when I’ve been slammed at the clinic at the end of the day and I’m just trying to assess someone, I just wish that they wouldn’t correct every little thing. Some people are really good about it and other people just ignore the fact that I really can only understand the possible answers to my exact questions and don’t understand if they start rambling about their complaints without my questions for prompts. Like this little CUTE old lady today. She just kept rambling on and on, even after I asked her to just answer my questions only, little by little. Oh she was so cute though. I will post pictures of her soon.
I like how I don’t to go to the market. There’s not really a market like we think of as farmers markets or even foreign county markets. But the people just come to the door to sell. It’s kind of nice in some ways.
There is this little boy name Uktu, he is SOOOO cute. I love his facial expressions. His little eyebrows are so funny and he has a little fat chin. He’s in one of the previous pictures we posted. I felt bad today though shoving Fansidar down his throat though… He threw up on me. Gross.
I missed an IV 3 times yesterday. I was really bummed. Granted he was an old man whose veins were SUPER fragile, it was a bummer. Joha got one in on her second try. I need to practice more. The good thing is they don’t care how long it takes you. They just want to be helped!
This culture thinks farting is hilarious. No one cares, it’s not really rude or improper here, it’s just funny to them. It’s a little weird to us still to have people farting out loud so much. But I guess the good thing is that if we ever do on accident, they just thinks it’s funny and think nothing else of it.
I really like some of the food here. I’m going to try to take more pictures of the food we get. It’s plain without the spices from home, but there’s some good stuff. The other day I made fresh coconut sauce and put it on some yummy bran bread.
I love how the people get embarrassed and the little noise they make when they are. It’s like high pitched, but not annoying, just funny.
I still hate rats.
I still hate spiders. Although, I haven’t seen as many in my house lately. The poison is paying off.
I just learned how to shoot a sepukan (blow gun) and how to make the little darts for it. We keep one on hand at the clinic and when the rats come out, everything stops and we try to shoot them. A few times the adult rats dropped a little pink new baby on the ground and we would keep them for bait and when it squeaks the parents come and try to rescue it, and one time Josh shot one. They are so obnoxious. They get into meds and eat them and their pee stinks. So gross.
Sometimes it really funny even to me when I totally mess up on a word. I love how they laugh and put their hands to their mouths because they are shy, but at the same time they LOVE to laugh. Other times however, like when I’ve been slammed at the clinic at the end of the day and I’m just trying to assess someone, I just wish that they wouldn’t correct every little thing. Some people are really good about it and other people just ignore the fact that I really can only understand the possible answers to my exact questions and don’t understand if they start rambling about their complaints without my questions for prompts. Like this little CUTE old lady today. She just kept rambling on and on, even after I asked her to just answer my questions only, little by little. Oh she was so cute though. I will post pictures of her soon.
I like how I don’t to go to the market. There’s not really a market like we think of as farmers markets or even foreign county markets. But the people just come to the door to sell. It’s kind of nice in some ways.
There is this little boy name Uktu, he is SOOOO cute. I love his facial expressions. His little eyebrows are so funny and he has a little fat chin. He’s in one of the previous pictures we posted. I felt bad today though shoving Fansidar down his throat though… He threw up on me. Gross.
I missed an IV 3 times yesterday. I was really bummed. Granted he was an old man whose veins were SUPER fragile, it was a bummer. Joha got one in on her second try. I need to practice more. The good thing is they don’t care how long it takes you. They just want to be helped!
This culture thinks farting is hilarious. No one cares, it’s not really rude or improper here, it’s just funny to them. It’s a little weird to us still to have people farting out loud so much. But I guess the good thing is that if we ever do on accident, they just thinks it’s funny and think nothing else of it.
I really like some of the food here. I’m going to try to take more pictures of the food we get. It’s plain without the spices from home, but there’s some good stuff. The other day I made fresh coconut sauce and put it on some yummy bran bread.
I love how the people get embarrassed and the little noise they make when they are. It’s like high pitched, but not annoying, just funny.
I still hate rats.
I still hate spiders. Although, I haven’t seen as many in my house lately. The poison is paying off.
I just learned how to shoot a sepukan (blow gun) and how to make the little darts for it. We keep one on hand at the clinic and when the rats come out, everything stops and we try to shoot them. A few times the adult rats dropped a little pink new baby on the ground and we would keep them for bait and when it squeaks the parents come and try to rescue it, and one time Josh shot one. They are so obnoxious. They get into meds and eat them and their pee stinks. So gross.
hike to language learn
(Danelle writing)
The other day I hiked over a hill where I could see the ocean. It was beautiful. The mountains were beautiful. I was going to visit a lady named Mislinda. I kind of knew where her house was, she described how to get there, and Michelle had been close to the village before. So I was off. The hike was beautiful. It really is amazing that this island is only 30 miles long and within that 30 miles the elevation goes from sea level to about 8,000 feet. So to look down to the lowlands and Brooks Point and the ocean from where I was, way up in the mountains, was very fun to see. And I was so happy because it has been a dry stretch here, over 2 weeks of very minimal rain so the trails were nice and dry. But man, to hike that trail in the mud and rain, wow. It would have been a different story.
Eventually I got to a little village. “Embe Benwe ni Mislinda?” (Where’s Mislinda’s house) I asked the mom and little girl that I came to. “Duntin Dia” (up that mountain over there) they replied. Oh man. I guess kind of close means that I can see her village from where I was at, but I still had to go down and then up. The girl was going to take me.
So off she went down the skinny trail overgrown with brush (like all the trails around here). Man these people are fast. And they are barefoot. This little girl especially. She zipped around and I really had to move to keep up. I was doing ok until we started going up hill. WHEW! What a work out. “Mependay ke!” (you are skilled) I yelled at her. She just glanced back at me and giggled said “Kaya” (no, it’s nothing) which is the response to any compliment. They value the humbleness. So she giggled and took off again.
I wish that I had a camera stuck to my head to see her zip through the trails. There is no way I could look through a camera and walk at the same time on the trail. It’s so fun to interact with these people. Little moments like that are so cute.
The other day I hiked over a hill where I could see the ocean. It was beautiful. The mountains were beautiful. I was going to visit a lady named Mislinda. I kind of knew where her house was, she described how to get there, and Michelle had been close to the village before. So I was off. The hike was beautiful. It really is amazing that this island is only 30 miles long and within that 30 miles the elevation goes from sea level to about 8,000 feet. So to look down to the lowlands and Brooks Point and the ocean from where I was, way up in the mountains, was very fun to see. And I was so happy because it has been a dry stretch here, over 2 weeks of very minimal rain so the trails were nice and dry. But man, to hike that trail in the mud and rain, wow. It would have been a different story.
Eventually I got to a little village. “Embe Benwe ni Mislinda?” (Where’s Mislinda’s house) I asked the mom and little girl that I came to. “Duntin Dia” (up that mountain over there) they replied. Oh man. I guess kind of close means that I can see her village from where I was at, but I still had to go down and then up. The girl was going to take me.
So off she went down the skinny trail overgrown with brush (like all the trails around here). Man these people are fast. And they are barefoot. This little girl especially. She zipped around and I really had to move to keep up. I was doing ok until we started going up hill. WHEW! What a work out. “Mependay ke!” (you are skilled) I yelled at her. She just glanced back at me and giggled said “Kaya” (no, it’s nothing) which is the response to any compliment. They value the humbleness. So she giggled and took off again.
I wish that I had a camera stuck to my head to see her zip through the trails. There is no way I could look through a camera and walk at the same time on the trail. It’s so fun to interact with these people. Little moments like that are so cute.
A Mission Is Not a Trip
Last Sabbath we had an encounter with demon possession in a 17 year old boy named Jeunie (see blog entitled setting captives free). 3 nights ago (November 6) students from our school participated in a Satanic worship ceremony in a neighboring village called Kensuli. Danelle and I have both had bouts of Malaria. And we have long ago discovered that language learning is even more difficult than it sounds.
This does not mean that we are loosing heart, when we accepted this mission we knew that that there would be challenges, and the month we spent in training really solidified that in our minds. Furthermore we believe in our mission, we have witnessed the impact this project has had on the people (through the work of the George’s)… and it is truly life changing. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “Because we believe we do not loose heart and if outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working fur us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
As I write this Danelle remains at the clinic and she has been there all day even though it is Saturday. Her patient right now is Jeunie (the boy who was demon possessed). Jeunie wasn’t able to make it to church today, despite his promise of doing so, but his mom did come, and it was her first time. The spiritual warfare is apparent here. It has recently gotten to the point where we have decided to meet each morning at 5:45 on a rock to sing and pray. In the AFM video this is the rock the first missionaries met to pray on, and we have decided to revive the tradition. 5:45 AM our time is equivalent to 1:45 PST time, it would be great if our supporters could pray at this time as well!
Prayer rejuvenates and we have found strength and energy because of it. We can say with Paul “that we are being renewed day by day. We can also testify that a mission is not a trip. To be a missionary is to fulfill the mission despite the obstacles.
Our blog is entitled Mcgill Mission Minded, an obvious question then to ask is what does it mean to be mission minded? Part of the answer is found in Mathew 28:18-24, where Jesus gives the commission to go and make disciples of all the nations. But we can’t do this through our own power it is only by the authority and power of Christ that this is possible. Therefore our ultimate mission is to be right with God and allow His light to shine through us.
The time we have spent so far in Kemantian has been really challenging but because these trials are drawing us closer to God we can truly count it all joy. Having malaria was one of those times for me. I was 2 ½ hrs away from Danelle, living with a local family to try and learn the language. But because I didn’t know the language, it was at times, painfully awkward. The second week I was away from Danelle, I got malaria. It was as if all the hardships were intensified. But during this time I found it easy to pray and to read my bible. It became such a source of strength and a place of refuge to be able to turn to that.
Kemantian has shown us 2 main things. One, we are weak, but God DOES make us strong. Two, the spiritual battle is very real. Because of this I believe it is a time to have our eyes open and like John the Baptist, prepare the way of our coming Lord.
Eccl 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Many Christians believe that Christ is coming soon… if this is true, then this is not the time to be blind. It is the time to be awake and watchful because we know the very elect may be deceived. God is a God of love and mercy, but he is also a God of justice. This is comforting because this means that one day He will put an end to the suffering and injustice to this world. God hates sin, he forgives and loves the sinner, but he doesn’t tolerate the sin. He sets up rules not to be burdensome, but to provide safety and protection for those He created to bless.
We are quick to say that we love God, millions of people will confess to this, and millions more will say that they believe in Him. However, words are cheap. It doesn’t work in a marriage to merely say “I love you”. Why should it be different in our marriage relationship with God? I don’t just do the things I want to show my love for Danelle, I do the things she wants me to do and thus prove my love for her. (For example, Danelle here butting in, Kevin always gives me massages upon asking. Even if it’s a short one and he’s tired, he knows I love that, and that is a huge act of love to me, so he does it a lot of the time anyways. And I’m so lucky because he doesn’t really like them!) Jesus also tells us how He wants us to show Him love in John 14:15. He says, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”
I show my love to Danelle by doing the things that are important to her, and in the same way I show my love to God by not ignoring the things that are important to Him. This is not legalistic, this is a give and take relationship that is motivated by love. A relationship with Christ is very much like a marriage. In fact in Hosea 2:16 the Lord says He will be to us a husband, and in vs 19-20 He says, “I will betroth you to me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and justice, in loving kindness and mercy, I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness and you will know the Lord. It is a blessing to fulfill the desires of one’s partner, and if we ignore what is most important to them the relationship can’t help but fall apart or become stagnant lukewarm at best.
It is not “extreme” or “fanatical” to love God, believe in His name, or keep His commandments because He said to do so. When we ignore His instructions or forget His commands, we make God into our own image. We were created in the image of God so that we would be a blessing and reflect His character, and when we form God into our own liking and image, we commit idolatry. It is no different that Cain who believes a substitute sacrifice would be acceptable, or the Pharisees who rejected the Messiah because His coming and work did not meet their expectations.
It is a lie of Satan to say, “It is important to always avoid extremes. Balance and moderation are safe and that is where we need to stay”. Of coarse there is truth in this statement. There is danger in extremes. But if we aren’t willing to make a stand for truth we will always remain lukewarm and indifferent like a stagnant marriage that is headed toward divorce.
In the bible Satan is described as cunning, a deceiver, and a liar from the beginning. As such it should not surprise us that there is truth within his lies. Peter tells us to be sober, be diligent, because your adversary the Devil roams around likes a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.
This mission is not a trip. We have to be on our guard and put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:11) or else we will be wounded in battle and those whom we are defending for the sake of Christ will be left without the defense they could have had. That said, there is a time for everything. We need rest and rejuvenation. So even on this mission, we are planning a trip. Next month is our 1 year anniversary and we are planning on spending some time at a tropical oasis and getting some rejuvenating rest.
I find it encouraging knowing that there is a quiet place in which we can turn in this world filled with turmoil and confusion. There is a shelter even within the storm. And when the world around us crumbles, there is a Rock on which we can stand. This world is not our home, but as we pass through we can have peace and protection, and say with David, “We will find rest under the shadow of the almighty”. Psalm 91.
Our protection is in knowing our mission and the One who gives us power to fulfill it. On our own, our works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and we can do nothing. But we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us. To be mission minded is to not lose site of the mission. When we are mission mined we will not be lured in by Satan’s distractions, we will not risk being blinded to truth because our eyes are fixed on our objective and the eternal prize. Revalation 3:20, in talking to the church of Laodicea, Jesus says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock”. Jesus never intrudes, He presents a choice. If we choose Him and allow Him to change our heart, He will give us the power to overcome. And He promises “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my thrown, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His thrown.
A mission is not a trip, but it is exciting. It is meaningful and rewarding and gives a distinct purpose. We only trip when we lose site of the mission. But if we keep our eyes on Christ, Jude 24 says He is even able to keep us from falling. We are successful on our mission if we remain mission minded. God gives us instructions to make us prosper, and give us a hope and a future. We accept His mission by accepting His instructions. Solomon when talking about the meaning of life concludes it this way; “Now all has been heard; here’s the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man”.
I am thankful that God is merciful and that His power is made perfect in weakness. We are all missionaries if we simply choose to accept the mission. I am comforted by the fact that I know people are praying for us and we don’t go through this battle alone. For we know that fellow brothers and sisters have gone and are going through similar experiences. 1 Peter 5:9. “The spirit of Christ was a missionary spirit”. GC p.90. As missionaries it is our objective to be like Christ. The most effective way to be like Him, is to ask Him to work through us, then we can be confident that He who began a good work will carry it out onto completion (Phil 1:6)
This does not mean that we are loosing heart, when we accepted this mission we knew that that there would be challenges, and the month we spent in training really solidified that in our minds. Furthermore we believe in our mission, we have witnessed the impact this project has had on the people (through the work of the George’s)… and it is truly life changing. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “Because we believe we do not loose heart and if outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working fur us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
As I write this Danelle remains at the clinic and she has been there all day even though it is Saturday. Her patient right now is Jeunie (the boy who was demon possessed). Jeunie wasn’t able to make it to church today, despite his promise of doing so, but his mom did come, and it was her first time. The spiritual warfare is apparent here. It has recently gotten to the point where we have decided to meet each morning at 5:45 on a rock to sing and pray. In the AFM video this is the rock the first missionaries met to pray on, and we have decided to revive the tradition. 5:45 AM our time is equivalent to 1:45 PST time, it would be great if our supporters could pray at this time as well!
Prayer rejuvenates and we have found strength and energy because of it. We can say with Paul “that we are being renewed day by day. We can also testify that a mission is not a trip. To be a missionary is to fulfill the mission despite the obstacles.
Our blog is entitled Mcgill Mission Minded, an obvious question then to ask is what does it mean to be mission minded? Part of the answer is found in Mathew 28:18-24, where Jesus gives the commission to go and make disciples of all the nations. But we can’t do this through our own power it is only by the authority and power of Christ that this is possible. Therefore our ultimate mission is to be right with God and allow His light to shine through us.
The time we have spent so far in Kemantian has been really challenging but because these trials are drawing us closer to God we can truly count it all joy. Having malaria was one of those times for me. I was 2 ½ hrs away from Danelle, living with a local family to try and learn the language. But because I didn’t know the language, it was at times, painfully awkward. The second week I was away from Danelle, I got malaria. It was as if all the hardships were intensified. But during this time I found it easy to pray and to read my bible. It became such a source of strength and a place of refuge to be able to turn to that.
Kemantian has shown us 2 main things. One, we are weak, but God DOES make us strong. Two, the spiritual battle is very real. Because of this I believe it is a time to have our eyes open and like John the Baptist, prepare the way of our coming Lord.
Eccl 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Many Christians believe that Christ is coming soon… if this is true, then this is not the time to be blind. It is the time to be awake and watchful because we know the very elect may be deceived. God is a God of love and mercy, but he is also a God of justice. This is comforting because this means that one day He will put an end to the suffering and injustice to this world. God hates sin, he forgives and loves the sinner, but he doesn’t tolerate the sin. He sets up rules not to be burdensome, but to provide safety and protection for those He created to bless.
We are quick to say that we love God, millions of people will confess to this, and millions more will say that they believe in Him. However, words are cheap. It doesn’t work in a marriage to merely say “I love you”. Why should it be different in our marriage relationship with God? I don’t just do the things I want to show my love for Danelle, I do the things she wants me to do and thus prove my love for her. (For example, Danelle here butting in, Kevin always gives me massages upon asking. Even if it’s a short one and he’s tired, he knows I love that, and that is a huge act of love to me, so he does it a lot of the time anyways. And I’m so lucky because he doesn’t really like them!) Jesus also tells us how He wants us to show Him love in John 14:15. He says, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”
I show my love to Danelle by doing the things that are important to her, and in the same way I show my love to God by not ignoring the things that are important to Him. This is not legalistic, this is a give and take relationship that is motivated by love. A relationship with Christ is very much like a marriage. In fact in Hosea 2:16 the Lord says He will be to us a husband, and in vs 19-20 He says, “I will betroth you to me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and justice, in loving kindness and mercy, I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness and you will know the Lord. It is a blessing to fulfill the desires of one’s partner, and if we ignore what is most important to them the relationship can’t help but fall apart or become stagnant lukewarm at best.
It is not “extreme” or “fanatical” to love God, believe in His name, or keep His commandments because He said to do so. When we ignore His instructions or forget His commands, we make God into our own image. We were created in the image of God so that we would be a blessing and reflect His character, and when we form God into our own liking and image, we commit idolatry. It is no different that Cain who believes a substitute sacrifice would be acceptable, or the Pharisees who rejected the Messiah because His coming and work did not meet their expectations.
It is a lie of Satan to say, “It is important to always avoid extremes. Balance and moderation are safe and that is where we need to stay”. Of coarse there is truth in this statement. There is danger in extremes. But if we aren’t willing to make a stand for truth we will always remain lukewarm and indifferent like a stagnant marriage that is headed toward divorce.
In the bible Satan is described as cunning, a deceiver, and a liar from the beginning. As such it should not surprise us that there is truth within his lies. Peter tells us to be sober, be diligent, because your adversary the Devil roams around likes a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.
This mission is not a trip. We have to be on our guard and put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:11) or else we will be wounded in battle and those whom we are defending for the sake of Christ will be left without the defense they could have had. That said, there is a time for everything. We need rest and rejuvenation. So even on this mission, we are planning a trip. Next month is our 1 year anniversary and we are planning on spending some time at a tropical oasis and getting some rejuvenating rest.
I find it encouraging knowing that there is a quiet place in which we can turn in this world filled with turmoil and confusion. There is a shelter even within the storm. And when the world around us crumbles, there is a Rock on which we can stand. This world is not our home, but as we pass through we can have peace and protection, and say with David, “We will find rest under the shadow of the almighty”. Psalm 91.
Our protection is in knowing our mission and the One who gives us power to fulfill it. On our own, our works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and we can do nothing. But we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us. To be mission minded is to not lose site of the mission. When we are mission mined we will not be lured in by Satan’s distractions, we will not risk being blinded to truth because our eyes are fixed on our objective and the eternal prize. Revalation 3:20, in talking to the church of Laodicea, Jesus says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock”. Jesus never intrudes, He presents a choice. If we choose Him and allow Him to change our heart, He will give us the power to overcome. And He promises “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my thrown, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His thrown.
A mission is not a trip, but it is exciting. It is meaningful and rewarding and gives a distinct purpose. We only trip when we lose site of the mission. But if we keep our eyes on Christ, Jude 24 says He is even able to keep us from falling. We are successful on our mission if we remain mission minded. God gives us instructions to make us prosper, and give us a hope and a future. We accept His mission by accepting His instructions. Solomon when talking about the meaning of life concludes it this way; “Now all has been heard; here’s the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man”.
I am thankful that God is merciful and that His power is made perfect in weakness. We are all missionaries if we simply choose to accept the mission. I am comforted by the fact that I know people are praying for us and we don’t go through this battle alone. For we know that fellow brothers and sisters have gone and are going through similar experiences. 1 Peter 5:9. “The spirit of Christ was a missionary spirit”. GC p.90. As missionaries it is our objective to be like Christ. The most effective way to be like Him, is to ask Him to work through us, then we can be confident that He who began a good work will carry it out onto completion (Phil 1:6)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Captives Set Free
10.30.9(Friday)
One night during the 2 weeks that Kevin was gone I had a strange experience. It was my last night on malaria meds, I don’t know if that had anything to do with it or not, and I don’t know if it truly was demonic or not, but Minan said that it did sound similar to some demonic happenings.
My sleep was on and off that night. There were rats, and I had already gone to bed so early, that by the time it was 3 in the morning I had a good amount of sleep already. I also was dreaming off and on. But one time when I woke up very fast was because I felt something touching my foot. It felt like it was something nuzzling up against it through my mosquito net. I woke up immediately and turned my headlamp on. Nothing. There was nothing there and I wasn’t even touching the mosquito net with my foot. I didn’t really think anything of it, so I went back to sleep. Then the next time it startled me even more. This time the pressure that I felt was on the side of my neck. Again, it felt like something might have been trying to nuzzle up against my neck. It was the sensation of pressure, not chocking or anything, but just pressure on my neck. My first thought was that a rat actually might have gotten behind my head and was pushing on my mosquito net and was on my neck. But nothing was there, again, I wasn’t close to my mosquito net.
Then when I realized after it happened a couple of times, I remembered a former SM’s story that was similar except his was a blowing sensation like someone was blowing on his arm. He prayed and that never happened to him again.
So I got out my bible and read, and sang some hymns. I asked Jesus to come near and praised the power of his name. I asked that angels come surround me as I slept and my house. I declared to Jesus that this home was dedicated to Him and is His domain. That hasn’t happened since.
Josh (another SM here) also had an interesting experience one evening. He was awake working on some class lesson plans or something when all of the sudden his whole house started to shake and rock. He had a local boy sleeping over that night who was already asleep and the shaking woke him up. Josh said it didn’t feel the same as an earthquake, and nobody else around the area felt anything.
He immediately prayed and while he was praying, it stopped. He said he felt an evil presence too. Minan said that sometimes the earth is still settling and she’s felt something like that before, but she doesn’t undermine that it very well could be evil. In any case, we know that Jesus is always the best and the first answer. Whether these experiences were demonic or not, we can and should always go to Jesus.
There is a great controversy going on for sure. The Devil doesn’t like it when we pray on behalf of something or someone that he has claimed and by us praying, we give Jesus the right to step in and take over on behalf of us.
I’m curious about when the Georges leave for furlough in December. They will be gone for 2 ½ months and they told us that they seem to have most of the demon possession cases happen when they are gone. I pray that that won’t happen and am praying earnestly for these people now that the Devil will no longer be allowed to control them.
Please pray for that too and pray for the body of believers that are established here, that they would stand strong in their faith and can reach out to their fellow Palawanos and help fight against the old ways of the Devil. That Christ would gain victory through his followers.
10-31-09
Tonight we had a demon possession case. God is good and His power is mighty to save and uses us, who are weak, to bring glory to His name. Please pray for us here. Pray for a boy named Juney. Pray for his friends and family and others who might have the same sort of things going on in their lives. Here’s the story.
We just got done with a youth get together Sabbath afternoon. We had a good worship and we were all gathered around a computer looking at some fun pictures from the afternoon. Mumul, yelled at Joha and said someone was very sick. She said that she heard someone shriek and it sounded like maybe someone fell off a roof.
So it was my Sabbath to be on at the clinic if any patients were to come. Interestingly enough, just a few hours ago, I did see this boy at the clinic. His mother had brought him and said he was fevering and chilling. I pulled his chart to find that he just came to the clinic yesterday for the same reason, had received malaria meds and now was back. So I had Joha over the radio explain that he still has 2 more nights on his meds, and that they take 3-4 days to work. He still might have the symptoms for a few nights. So they went home and were instructed to come back on Monday or Tuesday if the symptoms were still not gone.
I didn’t realize this was the same boy. So Joha and I walked to the house, I heard the word, fevering and chilling and difficulty breathing, as we were walking, and I was thinking, “He needs to come to the clinic. We don’t have anything with us.” Then when we got to the house, it was about 5pm, dusk. I thought he should come out on the porch so we could see him better in the light that was left in the day. But it turned out that he couldn’t come out on the porch. When we stepped inside the house we immediately heard him breathing very heavily like he was hyperventilating.
Now if someone was truly in respiratory distress, they would be sitting up leaning slightly forward because the lungs get the best naturally expansion in that position, working with gravity. But this boy was flat on the floor, face down. He was clawing at the floor and wasn’t really talking. I went in to see if he felt hot, and to feel his pulse. Nope, not hot. Pulse normal. Why was he breathing so heavily? Why was he clawing at the floor? Joha immediately said that she thought that there was something more to this. I agreed.
We started to pray immediately. I prayed, she was singing, we sang, then she prayed and I was singing. She yelled for someone to go get Bubit, who is sisters with the George’s adopted daughter. She was home for vacation from college. She’s the first Palawano to ever go to college. Her story is interesting as well. But she was on of the people in charge of spiritual crisis while the Georges were gone. So then Joha went too to try to get ahold of Pastor and Minan. She didn’t get ahold of them but got a hold of Wendy a former missionary who is still in the Philippines. She also informed the rest of the team back at the house and on the trails to pray. As she left, she heard him saying that he didn’t want to live this life anymore.
Bubit came and we continued to pray and sing. We prayed that the presence of Jesus Christ would fill up this place. We denounced the evil that was present and claimed this boy and the family members present as Jesus’ children. We prayed that our own hearts would be cleansed and that we would be transparent so that we couldn’t get in the way. We claimed promises and sang them. We asked for Holy angels to come and battle against the evil that was present. We prayed so much. Bubit heard him yelling “Wake me up!”
I have never been in this situation before. I don’t know if Bubit had either, and Joha hadn’t either. He would flip flop and was just scraping for the floor with his hands. I was worried about his head at one point and tried to pad it with my tadyun. Another thing I noticed was his bracelets and rings that were around his wrist. I checked his ears for rings and other places on his body. I remember vaguely Minan mentioning something about that kind of thing, and not knowing what kind of hold those charms could have. I prayed that those things if they had any sort of evil hold that that chain would be broken.
I’m am SO thankful to the Lord for keeping us safe during this time. I didn’t know how much I should touch him and try to hold him, we were already laying our hands on him. At one point, we did have some boiled water there in case it was something respiratory, we wanted to do a steam treatment for his breathing. He couldn’t sit up at this point. So we pulled him onto my lap on his side and draped the tadyun over his head and the water. It was so crazy to have him in my lap. His eyes weren’t open during any of this, but he was foaming at the mouth a little bit. During that time he sat up immediately. We took the sheet off his head and he started to calm down. I have no idea how long this whole process had been going on. Then at this point his eyes were open and he looked directly at Bubit and asked her who she was. It reminded me of the bible when the demons asked who the men praying who they were. They knew Paul, they knew Jesus, but “who are you?” It was such a crazy thing when he would look into our eyes. It was this boy! He was trapped as a prisoner! Was it him looking into my face with his dark brown eyes? Or was it evil? Thank God, He gave us the courage to stare directly back at him. But then his breathing began to slow down. He was sitting up. He started to relax and to be still. Bubit started talking to him and asking him questions.
I couldn’t understand what she was saying at the time, but I knew she was telling him about Jesus and it ended with him wanting to promise to follow God. She said a prayer and he repeated it after her. At that time, the rest of the team had come to the house and we were all gathered around. We sang. I remember Bubit looking at me and she said. “He wants to follow Jesus. He promised to follow Him. And we are his witnesses. It was so powerful. The smiles from him and from his mom and from Bubit were incredible. I looked over at a little girl in the corner and smiled at her. She grinned back. It was such a beautiful moment. We sang more songs and Bubit continued to talk to the mother and to him. She told the mother to keep him away from any witch doctors or any other source of power to heal his sickness except for God. She told her to not mix medicines and to go to God for any healing that was requested. She told her to come to the clinic immediately where they could get support if he was sick. But his smile. God is so good.
It’s so crazy. It is such a wake up call. And it’s so interesting that it is Halloween tonight. People are worshiping the Devil not only intentionally, but also out of ignorance; or unaware. But God turned this night in these mountains into a night where the whole host of heaven is rejoicing.
We debriefed as a team and got all of the different pieces to the story from everyone’s point of view. For example, at the beginning of this, Kevin was just coming down from Josh’s house. We were going to have a birthday party for Bubit this night, and we were going to make pizza and all sorts of good food that is very rare here. Michelle passed them on the trail on her way to the clinic to get a stethoscope and other things. She was unaware at this point of the spiritual situation. She just told Kevin that I was seeing a patient and they talked plans for the evening. Kevin went home, Josh continued down the trail to the George’s house. Joha came running up the trail and said, you guys need to pray! They didn’t know what was going on, but Kevin and Josh got together and started praying.
We just praised God! We reviewed some of the promises and all agreed how important it was to be armed and ready at all times. And to be armed and ready means to have the armor of the Lord on found in Ephesians 6. And it also means to put on Christ each morning and to pray without ceasing throughout the day. We have weapons of faith that can guard us against the attacks of Satan. There is a really good sermon that Ivor Myers does on this called “Weapons of our Faith” if anyone is interested, go to the audioverse link on our blog for it.
It is also just so crazy how Satan has his prisoners. Kevin just listened to another sermon by Randy Skeet about setting the captives free. A synopsis of a quote is this; “There is no degree of possession that Christ cannot break. He said He came to do that. That is why it is an insult to the power of Christ to say, ‘that’s the way I am, I cannot change.’ Too many Christians take comfort in saying that’s the way I am. That is exactly why Christ came, because that’s the way you are, and that’s the way I am.” We can’t change, but we can by the power of Christ.
There are just so many things to learn and to keep learning and to learn again, over and over. We need prayer. We need to pray. And think on whatever is pure, lovely, of good report. Stay armed and ready for the ever pressing attacks of Satan. Through Christ’s power, which is all power on heaven and earth, we can play a part in this battle.
One night during the 2 weeks that Kevin was gone I had a strange experience. It was my last night on malaria meds, I don’t know if that had anything to do with it or not, and I don’t know if it truly was demonic or not, but Minan said that it did sound similar to some demonic happenings.
My sleep was on and off that night. There were rats, and I had already gone to bed so early, that by the time it was 3 in the morning I had a good amount of sleep already. I also was dreaming off and on. But one time when I woke up very fast was because I felt something touching my foot. It felt like it was something nuzzling up against it through my mosquito net. I woke up immediately and turned my headlamp on. Nothing. There was nothing there and I wasn’t even touching the mosquito net with my foot. I didn’t really think anything of it, so I went back to sleep. Then the next time it startled me even more. This time the pressure that I felt was on the side of my neck. Again, it felt like something might have been trying to nuzzle up against my neck. It was the sensation of pressure, not chocking or anything, but just pressure on my neck. My first thought was that a rat actually might have gotten behind my head and was pushing on my mosquito net and was on my neck. But nothing was there, again, I wasn’t close to my mosquito net.
Then when I realized after it happened a couple of times, I remembered a former SM’s story that was similar except his was a blowing sensation like someone was blowing on his arm. He prayed and that never happened to him again.
So I got out my bible and read, and sang some hymns. I asked Jesus to come near and praised the power of his name. I asked that angels come surround me as I slept and my house. I declared to Jesus that this home was dedicated to Him and is His domain. That hasn’t happened since.
Josh (another SM here) also had an interesting experience one evening. He was awake working on some class lesson plans or something when all of the sudden his whole house started to shake and rock. He had a local boy sleeping over that night who was already asleep and the shaking woke him up. Josh said it didn’t feel the same as an earthquake, and nobody else around the area felt anything.
He immediately prayed and while he was praying, it stopped. He said he felt an evil presence too. Minan said that sometimes the earth is still settling and she’s felt something like that before, but she doesn’t undermine that it very well could be evil. In any case, we know that Jesus is always the best and the first answer. Whether these experiences were demonic or not, we can and should always go to Jesus.
There is a great controversy going on for sure. The Devil doesn’t like it when we pray on behalf of something or someone that he has claimed and by us praying, we give Jesus the right to step in and take over on behalf of us.
I’m curious about when the Georges leave for furlough in December. They will be gone for 2 ½ months and they told us that they seem to have most of the demon possession cases happen when they are gone. I pray that that won’t happen and am praying earnestly for these people now that the Devil will no longer be allowed to control them.
Please pray for that too and pray for the body of believers that are established here, that they would stand strong in their faith and can reach out to their fellow Palawanos and help fight against the old ways of the Devil. That Christ would gain victory through his followers.
10-31-09
Tonight we had a demon possession case. God is good and His power is mighty to save and uses us, who are weak, to bring glory to His name. Please pray for us here. Pray for a boy named Juney. Pray for his friends and family and others who might have the same sort of things going on in their lives. Here’s the story.
We just got done with a youth get together Sabbath afternoon. We had a good worship and we were all gathered around a computer looking at some fun pictures from the afternoon. Mumul, yelled at Joha and said someone was very sick. She said that she heard someone shriek and it sounded like maybe someone fell off a roof.
So it was my Sabbath to be on at the clinic if any patients were to come. Interestingly enough, just a few hours ago, I did see this boy at the clinic. His mother had brought him and said he was fevering and chilling. I pulled his chart to find that he just came to the clinic yesterday for the same reason, had received malaria meds and now was back. So I had Joha over the radio explain that he still has 2 more nights on his meds, and that they take 3-4 days to work. He still might have the symptoms for a few nights. So they went home and were instructed to come back on Monday or Tuesday if the symptoms were still not gone.
I didn’t realize this was the same boy. So Joha and I walked to the house, I heard the word, fevering and chilling and difficulty breathing, as we were walking, and I was thinking, “He needs to come to the clinic. We don’t have anything with us.” Then when we got to the house, it was about 5pm, dusk. I thought he should come out on the porch so we could see him better in the light that was left in the day. But it turned out that he couldn’t come out on the porch. When we stepped inside the house we immediately heard him breathing very heavily like he was hyperventilating.
Now if someone was truly in respiratory distress, they would be sitting up leaning slightly forward because the lungs get the best naturally expansion in that position, working with gravity. But this boy was flat on the floor, face down. He was clawing at the floor and wasn’t really talking. I went in to see if he felt hot, and to feel his pulse. Nope, not hot. Pulse normal. Why was he breathing so heavily? Why was he clawing at the floor? Joha immediately said that she thought that there was something more to this. I agreed.
We started to pray immediately. I prayed, she was singing, we sang, then she prayed and I was singing. She yelled for someone to go get Bubit, who is sisters with the George’s adopted daughter. She was home for vacation from college. She’s the first Palawano to ever go to college. Her story is interesting as well. But she was on of the people in charge of spiritual crisis while the Georges were gone. So then Joha went too to try to get ahold of Pastor and Minan. She didn’t get ahold of them but got a hold of Wendy a former missionary who is still in the Philippines. She also informed the rest of the team back at the house and on the trails to pray. As she left, she heard him saying that he didn’t want to live this life anymore.
Bubit came and we continued to pray and sing. We prayed that the presence of Jesus Christ would fill up this place. We denounced the evil that was present and claimed this boy and the family members present as Jesus’ children. We prayed that our own hearts would be cleansed and that we would be transparent so that we couldn’t get in the way. We claimed promises and sang them. We asked for Holy angels to come and battle against the evil that was present. We prayed so much. Bubit heard him yelling “Wake me up!”
I have never been in this situation before. I don’t know if Bubit had either, and Joha hadn’t either. He would flip flop and was just scraping for the floor with his hands. I was worried about his head at one point and tried to pad it with my tadyun. Another thing I noticed was his bracelets and rings that were around his wrist. I checked his ears for rings and other places on his body. I remember vaguely Minan mentioning something about that kind of thing, and not knowing what kind of hold those charms could have. I prayed that those things if they had any sort of evil hold that that chain would be broken.
I’m am SO thankful to the Lord for keeping us safe during this time. I didn’t know how much I should touch him and try to hold him, we were already laying our hands on him. At one point, we did have some boiled water there in case it was something respiratory, we wanted to do a steam treatment for his breathing. He couldn’t sit up at this point. So we pulled him onto my lap on his side and draped the tadyun over his head and the water. It was so crazy to have him in my lap. His eyes weren’t open during any of this, but he was foaming at the mouth a little bit. During that time he sat up immediately. We took the sheet off his head and he started to calm down. I have no idea how long this whole process had been going on. Then at this point his eyes were open and he looked directly at Bubit and asked her who she was. It reminded me of the bible when the demons asked who the men praying who they were. They knew Paul, they knew Jesus, but “who are you?” It was such a crazy thing when he would look into our eyes. It was this boy! He was trapped as a prisoner! Was it him looking into my face with his dark brown eyes? Or was it evil? Thank God, He gave us the courage to stare directly back at him. But then his breathing began to slow down. He was sitting up. He started to relax and to be still. Bubit started talking to him and asking him questions.
I couldn’t understand what she was saying at the time, but I knew she was telling him about Jesus and it ended with him wanting to promise to follow God. She said a prayer and he repeated it after her. At that time, the rest of the team had come to the house and we were all gathered around. We sang. I remember Bubit looking at me and she said. “He wants to follow Jesus. He promised to follow Him. And we are his witnesses. It was so powerful. The smiles from him and from his mom and from Bubit were incredible. I looked over at a little girl in the corner and smiled at her. She grinned back. It was such a beautiful moment. We sang more songs and Bubit continued to talk to the mother and to him. She told the mother to keep him away from any witch doctors or any other source of power to heal his sickness except for God. She told her to not mix medicines and to go to God for any healing that was requested. She told her to come to the clinic immediately where they could get support if he was sick. But his smile. God is so good.
It’s so crazy. It is such a wake up call. And it’s so interesting that it is Halloween tonight. People are worshiping the Devil not only intentionally, but also out of ignorance; or unaware. But God turned this night in these mountains into a night where the whole host of heaven is rejoicing.
We debriefed as a team and got all of the different pieces to the story from everyone’s point of view. For example, at the beginning of this, Kevin was just coming down from Josh’s house. We were going to have a birthday party for Bubit this night, and we were going to make pizza and all sorts of good food that is very rare here. Michelle passed them on the trail on her way to the clinic to get a stethoscope and other things. She was unaware at this point of the spiritual situation. She just told Kevin that I was seeing a patient and they talked plans for the evening. Kevin went home, Josh continued down the trail to the George’s house. Joha came running up the trail and said, you guys need to pray! They didn’t know what was going on, but Kevin and Josh got together and started praying.
We just praised God! We reviewed some of the promises and all agreed how important it was to be armed and ready at all times. And to be armed and ready means to have the armor of the Lord on found in Ephesians 6. And it also means to put on Christ each morning and to pray without ceasing throughout the day. We have weapons of faith that can guard us against the attacks of Satan. There is a really good sermon that Ivor Myers does on this called “Weapons of our Faith” if anyone is interested, go to the audioverse link on our blog for it.
It is also just so crazy how Satan has his prisoners. Kevin just listened to another sermon by Randy Skeet about setting the captives free. A synopsis of a quote is this; “There is no degree of possession that Christ cannot break. He said He came to do that. That is why it is an insult to the power of Christ to say, ‘that’s the way I am, I cannot change.’ Too many Christians take comfort in saying that’s the way I am. That is exactly why Christ came, because that’s the way you are, and that’s the way I am.” We can’t change, but we can by the power of Christ.
There are just so many things to learn and to keep learning and to learn again, over and over. We need prayer. We need to pray. And think on whatever is pure, lovely, of good report. Stay armed and ready for the ever pressing attacks of Satan. Through Christ’s power, which is all power on heaven and earth, we can play a part in this battle.
Introspective
The other day a bunch of the youth watched a movie on someone’s laptop called “The Last Battle” I guess it’s a Portuguese made movie with recorded over English. I didn’t see it, but one of the other SMs was explaining it to me. I guess it’s about the end times and about choosing Christ and standing up for truth, especially the Sabbath.
Kevin and I have been looking at the Sabbath recently and it really is amazing how important it is. But the thing that was impressive to me was that the next night we had prayer meeting and one of the youth leaders gave a whole sermon on the importance of standing up for truth and choosing Christ, and following Christ 100%, not just 50%. Not even 99%; 100%.
And I don’t know this culture well enough to know what they know and how far they’ve studied into the bible, but even though I couldn’t understand everything that was said, I just pray for these people. How cool is it to have them aware of standing strong for their faith and really thinking that is important and pushing to practice that. I just pray for the Holy Spirit to impress on them.
I’m curious about the end times, especially here in the mountains. I wonder what kind of trials they will have. It doesn’t really seem like they need to run to the hills, we are pretty far in them already. I wonder if they will experience persecution like I imagine it will be in established countries and cities like America. I wonder if they will struggle more with being temped to go back to the animistic mindset when things start happening. Unless the worldview is completely changed, I imagine that will really hit this kind of people hard. I don’t know very much about this culture, but it is amazing to see them want to drive ahead in truth. I pray that for friends and family back at home as well.
It’s so important to know what we believe and why, back it with the bible and really start living what we believe. I’m finding that that is pretty rare. It’s too bad that even fellow Christians and Adventists view standing firm and really living out faith is viewed as fanatical. Is it really so fanatical to follow the truths of the bible?
And that means that we really need to ask for divine spiritual discernment and seek truth. The Devil has done such a job twisting truth, even in the bible. Taking part and not the whole resulting in detrimental doctrines. Cheap grace, the prosperity gospel, eternal hell fire, the belief of the rapture. That obedience is a mean word and God’s mercy is more prominent than his justice. That we can pick and choose what we want to follow. That we worship God the way WE want to worship him instead of asking Him how he wants to be worshiped. Taking what’s holy and making it plain. Not truly thinking on what is PURE, noble, of good report, and putting things in our minds that has underlying lies and things that deaden our senses and thinking that because we are Christians and know truth that we are immune to not being affected by those things like TV and music. Are these things pure? Truly pure? Pure gold doesn’t have specks of wood and rock in it. It is truly pure gold. How much of the entertainment is truly pure?
I am in the process of really re-evaluating these things for myself and I really encourage you all to do the same. If we can truly humble ourselves and not get so defensive when we are condemned, I think the Holy Spirit could work much more in our lives. If a condemnation has no ground, it will not stand. But if it does, we only have righteousness to gain.
Whether the Lord is coming in a few years to many, we don’t know, but we are told to watch and be ready. Why would we not want to live our lives as if we aren’t ready? Do you want the Lord’s coming to wait? If so, ask yourself why? By the grace of God, he is if anything tarrying so that he may draw in as many as possible. Why make Him tarry? These are very personal issues that we need to be taking personally. We can’t use the excuse that “Well, this is just the way I am.” Isn’t that like saying Jesus is not strong enough to change me into a holy and blameless being? That his death on the cross is all in vain? Take this seriously. Salvation depends on it.
Kevin and I have been looking at the Sabbath recently and it really is amazing how important it is. But the thing that was impressive to me was that the next night we had prayer meeting and one of the youth leaders gave a whole sermon on the importance of standing up for truth and choosing Christ, and following Christ 100%, not just 50%. Not even 99%; 100%.
And I don’t know this culture well enough to know what they know and how far they’ve studied into the bible, but even though I couldn’t understand everything that was said, I just pray for these people. How cool is it to have them aware of standing strong for their faith and really thinking that is important and pushing to practice that. I just pray for the Holy Spirit to impress on them.
I’m curious about the end times, especially here in the mountains. I wonder what kind of trials they will have. It doesn’t really seem like they need to run to the hills, we are pretty far in them already. I wonder if they will experience persecution like I imagine it will be in established countries and cities like America. I wonder if they will struggle more with being temped to go back to the animistic mindset when things start happening. Unless the worldview is completely changed, I imagine that will really hit this kind of people hard. I don’t know very much about this culture, but it is amazing to see them want to drive ahead in truth. I pray that for friends and family back at home as well.
It’s so important to know what we believe and why, back it with the bible and really start living what we believe. I’m finding that that is pretty rare. It’s too bad that even fellow Christians and Adventists view standing firm and really living out faith is viewed as fanatical. Is it really so fanatical to follow the truths of the bible?
And that means that we really need to ask for divine spiritual discernment and seek truth. The Devil has done such a job twisting truth, even in the bible. Taking part and not the whole resulting in detrimental doctrines. Cheap grace, the prosperity gospel, eternal hell fire, the belief of the rapture. That obedience is a mean word and God’s mercy is more prominent than his justice. That we can pick and choose what we want to follow. That we worship God the way WE want to worship him instead of asking Him how he wants to be worshiped. Taking what’s holy and making it plain. Not truly thinking on what is PURE, noble, of good report, and putting things in our minds that has underlying lies and things that deaden our senses and thinking that because we are Christians and know truth that we are immune to not being affected by those things like TV and music. Are these things pure? Truly pure? Pure gold doesn’t have specks of wood and rock in it. It is truly pure gold. How much of the entertainment is truly pure?
I am in the process of really re-evaluating these things for myself and I really encourage you all to do the same. If we can truly humble ourselves and not get so defensive when we are condemned, I think the Holy Spirit could work much more in our lives. If a condemnation has no ground, it will not stand. But if it does, we only have righteousness to gain.
Whether the Lord is coming in a few years to many, we don’t know, but we are told to watch and be ready. Why would we not want to live our lives as if we aren’t ready? Do you want the Lord’s coming to wait? If so, ask yourself why? By the grace of God, he is if anything tarrying so that he may draw in as many as possible. Why make Him tarry? These are very personal issues that we need to be taking personally. We can’t use the excuse that “Well, this is just the way I am.” Isn’t that like saying Jesus is not strong enough to change me into a holy and blameless being? That his death on the cross is all in vain? Take this seriously. Salvation depends on it.
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