January, 2010 Newsletter
by Bill on Jan.27, 2010, under Newsletters
It hasn’t taken me long to discover one of my great joys in Thailand. I have found much peace and spiritual renewal in starting my walk just after it gets light. I walk through our village, down along the rice paddies and jungle, through the ICC orphanage and by the campus of Chiang Mai Adventist School. For me, this time is quiet, except for the jungle noise, and an occasional barking dog or crowing rooster. It is a time for me to spend with my thoughts and with my God.
Recently I was walking along a grove of banana trees. This is an experience that I would have never realized living in NE Washington state. These trees are magnificent specimens of nature. They can grow to be quite tall, perhaps 30 to 40 feet, with leaves that are 15 to 20 feet long. On each producing tree there is a single bunch of delicious fruit. As I stood in awe of what I was seeing, a thought occurred to me.
The banana tree produces only one bunch of bananas. After the fruit has ripened, the tree dies. However, in this process of dying it sends out several root runners that produce more magnificent banana trees, and more wonderful fruit. Would that we might become like the banana tree. How quickly could the work be done if in each us there was a focus only on producing fruit? What if we were truly to die to every worldly pursuit? What effect would this have on those that observe our lives more than we might think or want?
This week Venie and I watched a David Gates video for worship. He made the statement that there are fewer people that know about Jesus now than in our grandparent’s day. How can this be? How can we as God’s final generation allow this to happen? How can we in good conscience live our lives in the pursuit of comfort when people are dying all around us without ever knowing who Jesus is?
Venie and I have been given this tremendous opportunity to reach the people of Asia. We have the inner drive to fulfill the gospel commission. We have access to a satellite that has a footprint of 4 billion people. We have a state of the art studio to produce programming that people will be able to see and hear in their own language. We belong to an organization that is committed above all else to get our message to the world. We have the assurance that our God will be with us always, even to the end of the world. It would seem that the odds are stacked in our favor. But…the one thing that we so desperately need, and are reliant on others for, is funding.
Jon Wood, the director of Jesus for Asia, recently sent out a series of emails detailing giving patterns for missions over the years. It is a sad fact that the zeal to support mission work has waned, and the percentage of the dollar donated for this cause has reached a staggering low number. Unfortunately these numbers can be translated into souls that are dying every day, not having the chance to hear the good news that they are indeed a “child of the King.”
I just finished reading Christian Service again. I was struck by these quotes:
“The true missionary spirit has deserted the churches that make so exalted a profession; their hearts are no longer aglow with love for souls and a desire to lead them into the fold of Christ. We want earnest workers. Are there none to respond to the cry that goes up from every quarter: ‘Come over and help us?’” Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 156.
“I was shown that as a people we are deficient. Our works are not in accordance with our faith. Our faith testifies that we are living under the proclamation of the most solemn and important message that was ever given to mortals. Yet in full view of this fact, our efforts, our zeal, our spirit of self-sacrifice, do not compare with the character of the work. We should awake from the dead, and Christ will give us life.” Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 114.
I hope that these thoughts can be a wake up call for all of God’s people. We have been in this world far too long. Before we can go “home” we have a work to do. Maybe we all cannot go to the far reaches of the world, but we can be missionaries in our neighborhood and community. We can be sacrificial in our support for the work that brings the knowledge of Jesus to men, women and children all over the world. Personally, I want to accept this challenge. I hope that you also will consider prayerfully what God is asking of you.
I have enclosed a link to a video about our studio here in Thailand that was produced a few months ago. There has been much work done on the studio since then. I hope that you will get a taste of our vision, and want to become a part of this tremendous opportunity. As always, we covet your thoughts and prayers.
