As Jesus is...

For many months I have been thinking about a section of the Bible found in Ephesians chapter two. The truths found here have impacted me immensely and have changed my life.
I have spoken about these before in this blog and have probably quoted them but it is worth quoting them again...

'But God, being rich in mercy,because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.'
Ephesians 2: 4 - 7
 

 Awesome words.
You know the Bible is something else. It's not just a book. It is a living word and it is probably the most misunderstood book ever written; misquoted, misinterpreted, misused, abused, villified and persecuted. I was listening to the radio recently and an announcer who I in fact like a lot starting talking about what the Bible says about women...now I have no idea where she got her material because her observations showed a total lack of understanding of anything the Bible says and a total misinterpretation of the stuff she quoted from and only showed that she, despite being a learned person who claims to have got 496/500 in her HSC, has absolutely no understanding of the truth of Jesus. I listened, I could have got annoyed but I ended feeling very sorry for her.
Why is there so little grasp of Jesus in this world?
You know it is a sad fact that the Church is largely to blame because the Church has failed to grasp truth and has been peddling an alloyed message that purports to bring freedom but in fact brings bondage.
What is he talking about I hear you ask?
Dear precious reader we cannot mix grace and law.
We cannot have a little bit of each. We can't talk about a message of grace and about being gracious to one another etc. etc. but continue to burden people with rules and regulations. We cannot give lip service to a gospel of grace and then put requirements upon people that, at the very least are downright burdensome and expect people to find freedom in Christ.
When we bring Christianity and alloy it with law the result is a burden that results in an enemy taking it and producing frustration, distortion, anger, abuse and total disillusionment.
You cannot have two mothers...either your mother is grace or your mother is law...you cannot have both.

Now I could talk a long time about this and by this time you are either interested or you have probably zoned out. I don't suppose what I say will have much impact on you but today I just want to share a few thoughts with you because today I was drawn to another verse in the Bible which then directed me back to verses that precede the ones that I have quoted above and add another wonderful brick in the structure that God is building for me...the Life of Purpose.
Listen to this...

'Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world.'
1 John 4: 17
 

First thing to note is that 'Love has been perfected among us.' God is Love and what follows reveals the perfection of Him.
Second as a result we need have no concern about the day of judgement because we are not measured or judged on the basis of our performance but instead God looks at Jesus and sees me and you. Our sin has been, once for all, completely dealt with at the cross and the under-pinning term of the New Covenant is that God remembers our sin and our iniquities NO MORE!
Third 'as He (Jesus) is, so are we...' Notice this is present tense, 'as He IS' that is how we are right now in this world wherever we are. You, if you believe in Jesus, are 'as He is' right now.
So the question then has to be asked...how is Jesus today, where is He?
It was then that I was turned back a few verses from the ones that have consumed me for months, and which I quoted above, to these majestic words. Listen to this...

'...He (God) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.'
Ephesians 1: 20 - 23
 

Immense words, do you not agree?
Now meditate on this...'as He is, so are we in this world.'
See yourself as Jesus is, far above all power, dominion, name, negative situation, I could go on and on but I would rather you go and meditate on this truth. Write your own list of the negative things of this world that He is far above...and you are far above in Him.
You know as we walk along life's pathway there are blessing upon blessing that we miss...why?..because we fail to see them.
Open you eyes and see and in the seeing you 'with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,' will be 'transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.' (2 Corinthians 3: 18)
It really is in the seeing and the great mission of the enemy of mankind is that their eyes will be veiled and blinded so that they will not see but instead will take a few isolated verses and develop a doctrine that adds another layer of veil...this is what the radio announcer did and often, so sadly, this is what many a well-meaning preacher does because they have received grace but then alloyed it with law and the burden increses.
Be set free.
See yourself as God sees you...seated with Him in heavenly places enjoying the benefits of being sons and daughters of the King.
God bless you today with his Shalom.

Cambodia - An Afterword

I have been back in Australia only a few days and many people have asked me how it went...I am so sorry but I really find it very hard to describe...it's like describing the intricate details of a beautiful sunrise or the immensity and splendour of a flash of lightning!

We are so privileged to stand and watch Christ do His stuff at close quarters.

How do you describe that?

How do you describe the first smile of a little child who has only known the depravity and want of living on the rubbish dump when offered a gift, no strings attached?
How do you describe the moment when a boy of maybe six or seven is given a colouring pencil and a picture to colour and he doesn't know what to do? How do you describe his moment when a beautiful young Australian with a heart of hope sits down and takes the time to show him and praises his every move?
How do you describe a beautiful little girl who is overjoyed with her new backpack, the only one she will likely ever receive, but she wants a 'girl' one, pink, not a 'boy' one, blue...how do you describe her face when she receives the blessing of God upon her tiny life?
How do you describe a group of children who want to learn and who are on the very edge of their seats as they are taught a few rudimentary rules of English grammar by a big Australian larrikin with a heart of peace and joy and they lap it up and his praise for their every attempt like it is very food for their souls?
How do you describe a group of children who are expecting some white strangers to arrive and are overjoyed to spend a day playing ball, painting, doing all sorts of other activities and then when they leave they leave all the stuff behind?
How do you describe the joy of a group of boys who receive full football strip, and a ball, and even a pump to pump it up with, and the gift comes with no strings attached?
How do you describe a small girl with great need being touched and loved by a beautiful brown haired Australian girl with tears in her eyes and a heart bursting with compassion who takes her hands and breathes into her the very breath of God in prayer?
How do you describe precious deprived children receiving exercise books, pencils and even an eraser for them to keep?
How do you describe the face of a child receiving a beautifully decorated pencil case, full with stuff, which was made by a child in Australia?
How do describe the joy on the face of a woman pastor who in great want is ministering to dump children when she receives a pile of new, clean underwear for 'her' children because some family in Australia were inspired by God to provide them?
How do you describe young people whose lives have been changed eternally by thoughtful people far away who contribute by sponsoring via the Living Hope for Children Sponsorship Scheme or through the Emerging Leaders Sponsorship Program?
How do you describe a group of women who have gathered to share around the ministry of prayer and receive the arms of the Lord around them and the restoring, releasing, sight-giving, freedom-giving power of the Lord into their own lives, personally?
How do you describe a situation where you know you have twice as many children as you expected and that there is only enough meals for the original amount and you pass the problem to the Lord and every child gets a meal?
How do you describe a group of people who have never heard of Jesus being introduced to the One who loves them without end and is for them when all else is against them and they receive the revelation of the Holy Spirit and they rise as one to receive Him?
How do you describe a group of soldiers who stand in protection of their King and country but are unsure of who stands for them and they are able to rise as one and receive the One who will never leave them or forsake them?
How do you describe a man who comes forward to receive prayer and the ministry of the Lord for his chronic back problem and dances his way back to his chair swivelling his hips like Elvis?
How do you describe the man who can't move his little finger and we anoint it with anointing oil and receive the favour of an abundant God of Grace and he walks away moving a finger that did not move before?

I could go on and on and on.

However having said all that I know it is important that I convey to you in some way the blessing of the Lord to the people of Cambodia through you.
Last night I received a little report from our team in Cambodia. It gave some detail of the outcome of the 'celebrations', the gospel rallies (we decided we didn't like that word, too hard) and it is important that I share it with you.
It was my privilege to share Jesus with the people at fifteen separate celebrations.
The figures are:

• 2844 people heard the gospel and were blessed and fed with a meal provided by the sponsors of Cambodia WTL.
• 1825 precious people received Christ and many had never heard His name prior.
• 632 Bibles in the Khmer language were distributed. 

So, how do you describe a God who loves us and wants us to receive from Him, who declares we are seated with Christ in the ultimate place of blessing, who wants us to understand the full awesome ramifications of the truth that this is the Day of Grace, the day of the favour of the Lord?
How do you describe a God who wants to bless the people with His salvation and His immense grace and He chooses to work through us? Through me? It just astounds me!
How can I describe to you the partnership that He has formed, the brother He has given me, the immense life of purpose He has blessed me with?

I am so thankful.

God bless you all who made this a reality and I freely declare you partners with Christ in this immense and awesome ministry to a funny little country in Asia that no one thinks much about but over which God is raising His banner declaring 'Jesus is Lord.'

Cambodia - Children at Jehovah Jireh Centre

On Wednesday 26th September 2012 Katie, Tilly, Peter and Fiona visited the Jehovah Jireh Centre on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
The centre is run by Thearith and his team and has a ministry to the children and adults who live off garbage mountain. Thearith started this ministry by providing meal parcels himself and the Lord provided and he now has a centre right on the edge of the dump from which he provides medical care, schooling for the children and adults and as a place to share the love of Christ with the people. Cambodia WTL has been supporting the Jehovah Jireh Centre in a small way for a number of years.
Fiona has provided a little report of her impressions of the day with the children and carers at Jehovah Jireh.
She writes...

' Yesterday we visited the Jehovah Jireh centre, which was again a completely different experience to the first two centres we visited. Although we had the same activities to run at each centre and the same gifts to give, each experience taught us different lessons.  

When we pulled in the driveway of the centre in our big van we saw the hidden children all run from the play equipment to greet us at the gate. The children were laughing and actually jumping for joy. I couldn't believe they were so excited to see us, after all they really had no idea who we were. We were just strangers to them. Yet for some reason we caused them to rejoice.

It is amazing being swarmed by children. As soon as each one of us stepped out of the van a crowd of children immediately gathered. I wonder if that is what happened to Jesus when the disciples told the children not to bother Him. Were the children so overcome with joy at His presence that they couldn't help but want to touch Him, hug Him, play with Him? That was certainly the experience for us. Each child wanted to drag us off in different directions, no doubt each one wanting to play some sort of game with us or reveal some special place they had at the centre. It is quite confronting in a way, but you cannot help but want to play with them for their smiles are hard to say no to.

It was quite disorganised when we arrived.  We all went into sit in one of the English classes and my first thought was, these teachers need to learn how to teach English better. It wasn't meant to be demeaning for the teachers in my stating that, I feel they are simply doing the best they can with their limited resources. Not all the children had pencils or paper and so I was encouraging them to share as they copied down words. They can write the letters and say the words but I wondered how much meaning it carried for them as they were not using the phrases in a sentence. Nevertheless I stayed with a small group of boys and helped them to copy down the notes. They just lit up at any praise I gave them, it was so beautiful.

After the English lesson we took the children upstairs to their Bible room and explained we were from Cambodia WTL. We taught them 'Jesus in the boat' as we had done with the other children at the other centres, yet when we finished the song they wanted to sing it back to us in Khmer. I have to say I love that song in English, but it takes on a whole other level of beauty when sung in the harmonious voices of Khmer children. Pete then taught them about David and Goliath, which they loved of course. Seeing such a big man fall to the ground really shows them how powerful God is, as he helped David to defeat the giant Goliath.

We played the water bottle game to break the ice and it was as successful as it has been everywhere else. Little girls were jumping up and down shrieking hoping not to get caught with the thief bottle (you really have to have witnessed the game to understand), then the boys were slowing it down, making it worse for the girls.

Next was the biscuit game, and this is always by far the favourite activity of the children. Their eyes just light up when you show them the biscuits with icing and lollies on them. Then Ratha  made them wait to eat the biscuit until they all had a biscuit. Once they were allowed to eat they all stuffed them into their mouths and we had smiles full of icing and crumbs. I really think that bringing them food was a great thing to do, especially something as silly as lolly-coated biscuits.

After the snack we split the group into two and had painting and craft. We bought these ribbons here for the craft and the boys were so good at tying them into little bows. All the little girls were huddled around this one boy Chan (like Jacky Chan) asking him to tie their bows for them. It was the cutest thing you have ever seen.

Next they had lunch which was nice to see as we provided them with a decent meal. After lunch there were new bags (Angry Bird bags of course) along with stationary supplies as gifts from Cambodia WTL to the children. We were asked to hand the bags and books to the children as they were called up one by one. The first little girl to receive a back pack was so sweet, when I handed her the bag her little face lit up and she cuddled her back pack smiling. It was such a precious moment. Peter always jokes that every birthday I get a handbag from one of the lakes, which is true, it is hard to fathom that these children do not get a new bag every year. For some of them this was a once only gift.

The children then left and went home for a bit. We shared lunch with the staff at the centre; I couldn't help but noticed they put the biggest and best bowls of food in front of us, which made me ashamed. I could afford to lose a few kilos but these Cambodians are just skin and bones. The lunch was lovely though. We rested Cambodian style after lunch, laying down on the hard nailed floor and slept for about an hour.

Then we had the most special part of the trip for Pete and I, we taught English to the older children in years 3 and 4. I love my husband, I always have, that's why I married him, but this trip has made me realise how special he is and how blessed I am to have him as my husband. We were given sheets for the children to copy, but both Pete and I didn't want to waste time teaching them that way. So Pete taught them about pronouns. He  was amazing. He had actions and made them repeat and kept quizzing them to ensure they understood. I actually don't have the words to describe the faces of those children as Pete taught them new words and how to use articles. They were so bright with joy, like they knew they were being challenged by Pete but they loved the challenge. I now know the expression 'on the edge of your seat' for these children literally were on the edges of their seats as Pete taught them. They wanted his praise so much, that an hour flew by in that hot little classroom and not one child was bored or wanted to leave. In fact the smaller children kept coming in after their lesson finished. Even the teacher lapped up the lesson. Teaching is Pete's gift, and when he has joy in teaching the blessings that provides for those to whom he is teaching are in abundance. Those children will always remember the day the giant white man named Peter came and taught them English. How I wish we could have stayed doing that for the two weeks we were here. I would really feel that we'd be doing the children a real blessing.

That took us almost to the end of our time there. We had just enough time to play with the parachute and for Katie to teach the children how to play AFL with the balls we brought. These children just love learning anything new and so played AFL until it was time for us to go. As we got ready to leave we again faced that gut-wrenching feeling of leaving before it was really time to go. The children asked us when we would come again, they hugged us like they would never let go and a few children even tried to sneak into the van. I can't help but feel that again we came to give them gifts but ended up walking away with more than they had. Not only do we have a home to go to, but we also had the blessing of knowing those beautiful children. They showered us with whatever gifts they could giving away all the craft they made which was meant to be for them. When a Cambodian gives you a gift, there is no way to say no because they so intent for you to have it. How can those children give us all of these gifts when they have nothing themselves?

On the way back to our hotel we talked to Thearith, the founder of the Jehovah Jireh centre (he asked us to call him T because his real name in Khmer is too difficult for us to pronounce). T told us how he established the centre, and all of the other amazing work he does through the centre. Not only do they support the children who did not previously attend school, they have a clinic for pregnant women who cannot normally afford medical treatment and also a group for women to earn a trade. They teach these women, the mothers of the children at the centre, to make necklaces to be sold and all the money goes back to the women. It was so good to see Cambodians like T working to bring their people out of poverty. I am glad we are partnered with him because he does so much for the community.

As I reflect on the whole day, I feel God taught me a lot, but also blessed me a lot as well. I only hope to see some of the children we met today; Wanyea (boss), Pania and Chan, grown up with a world of possibilities open to them due to their education and their spiritual teaching about Jesus. For theses kids to have Jesus and an education, that is so much more than what they started with before attending the centre.

God bless these children, for they are Yours.'

Cambodia - Thursday 4th October 2012

Okay...the heading on this post is Thursday 4th October but it is in fact Saturday and I am sitting at my desk back in Sydney.

Thursday morning it was my blessing to share at the ICPC (Church planters) prayer morning. This is the day of the favour of the Lord, the day of Grace...the day of receiving.

We have a tradition that the team always has lunch or dinner together and so we all gathered for lunch and rejoiced together.

My departure is always tinged with sadness but with anticipation to see Alyson and Tilly.

I am so blessed.
My Australian team who through the heat, the opposition, the emotional upheaval, the mud, the difficulties and through the times of great blessing and excitement ministered the love of Christ in word and deed.
My Cambodian team who are such a blessing to me. I cannot describe how much joy I have to stand with you in Cambodia and together minister the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our everything and this is the day of receiving His blessing. As a channel I receive the fullness of His abundant grace for you. God bless you all.
All who support our ministry...words cannot express my gratitude to you all. Your prayer, your love, your financial blessing...everything that you provide as Kingdom providers that enable us to step into the call that the Lord has blessed us with...God bless you. This is your ministry...you are donors to the ministry of Grace, Abundant Grace, to Benjamin, and the Lord will reward you. Receive from Him.
'For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead,...
To my Lord...to You be the glory...You are worthy of all praise and honour. We rejoice in You; You are our Saviour, our Advocate, The Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the Amen, the Author and Perfecter of Faith, the Bread of Life, our Chief Shepherd, our Cornerstone, our Deliverer, the Door, the First and the Last, the Glory of God, our Great High Priest, Heir of all things, Immanuel, our King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lamb, Life, the Light of the World, Lord of All, our Righteousness, the Man of Sorrows, the Messenger of the Covenant, the Messiah, Mighty God, our Passover, Prince of Life, Prince of Peace, our Redeemer, the Resurrection and the Life, our Rock, the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls, the True Light, the True Vine, the Truth, our Wonderful Counsellor, the Word of God. All praise and glory to Your Holy Name. Thank You Jesus.
...and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.' Ephesians 1: 15 - 23

Final word...Jesus 1825, satan 0.

God bless you all.

Cambodia - Wednesday 3rd October 2012

Luke 4: 19 talks of the year of the favour of the Lord.
We are in it.
The ministry of the Lord through WTL is seeing favour increase as we open our 'eyes' and see His abundant grace.
Over the past few years the Lord has gradually opened the way for us to connect with the Cambodian Army and we have visited and shared the gospel of His Grace with many soldiers and seen many receive Jesus. We have visited five different military bases and have ministered in both word and deed. All of these establishments are in the north of the country on the border with Thailand. There has been, and is still significant tension between Thailand and Cambodia around the ownership of a temple which is in Cambodian territory but to which Thailand lay claim.
If you have been following our adventures then you will know that on Sunday last we visited a base at Pailin.
Last week we were contacted by the commander of another base who was keen for us to come and visit and while we at first felt to decline the Lord provided from His bounty the resources to go and so it was arranged for today. I was not aware until I arrived but He had favoured us and we had been invited to visit the Region 5 Headquarters in Battambang. This base is the regional command for all the bases situated in Battambang, Pursat, Pailin and Banteay Meanchey Provinces. The commander here oversees all bases that are situated along the 367 kilometre border with Thailand which they are commissioned to defend.
The purpose of our invitation was for the General to acknowledge and thank us for our ministry to the five bases we have visited thus far and to ensure us that all the bases in the Region 5 area are open to us. The General most graciously acknowledged what we have contributed in partnership with AFCI Cambodia, thanking us and encouraging us to continue. We are so blessed. This is the Lord's favour!
Can I tell you that under any other circumstances it would take many months to receive approval to visit a military base and the request would in most cases be denied.
So, today we preached the gospel of Jesus to maybe one hundred and fifty or more soldiers at the regional headquarters and rejoice to tell you that many received Jesus. We were so happy to be able to minister also in deed by supplying generators, water filters and mosquito nets to provide some protection for the health of the country's defenders but the best thing was to be able to share The Defender who will stand for each individual man and woman who have received Him today.
God is so good.
We shared the story of Naaman who had great need and baulked at doing the simple thing that the man of God asked him to do. It is a simple thing to trust Jesus and so often we baulk at the simplicity but praise God many on this trip have thrown aside the restraint and decided to simply trust Him. What a joy to be able to assure them that when they reach out to Him He comes and He will never, never leave them and He will never forsake them.
The commander had requested that we receive from them a sash and medal in recognition of the work we have done but we respectfully declined. We felt that to receive this, while it would be an incredible honour, was sending the wrong message. We do not seek the accolade of men and we do not want to even dally with the possible perceived idea that we follow Christ in this mission for the earthly recognition and potential power that this may bring. I think of Paul, the great missionary, who declares in Philippians that he forgets what lies behind and reaches forward to what lies ahead. He says...

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3: 14
 

...and as he approached the imminent end of his life he could say...

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord,the righteous Judge, will award me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." 2 Timothy 4: 7 - 8
 

 It is better to travel the path that will not have any possibility of causing another to stumble.

We rejoice in the call of God and the blessed opportunity to share Christ with the beloved people of Cambodia.
We bless you all who have supported us.
Thank you so much in Jesus name.

Cambodia - Children at Beoung Tom Pun Church

Katie, Tilly, Peter and Fiona visited the ministry of Pastor Kunthea to the dump children at Beoung Tom Pun on Tuesday 25th September 2012.

Fiona writes her thoughts of the visit...

'We knew that this place would be different, we just didn't realize how much. I was not prepared for what I would see. I prayed Tilly would not be confronted because she was so young and yet I should have prayed for my heart as I was confronted by the poverty and the lack of hope for these children.

 

At the Centre of Peace it was clear the children were part of God's family but I felt at this church they children were not. They felt lost, alone and without hope. We arrived and as I walked onto the roof I could immediately see the children were malnourished. They were skin and bones and the ones that weren't had those pot bellies you see on World Vision adds. Some were so weak the older ones just had to hold onto them.

 

We introduced ourselves and started by Pete telling them the story of David and Goliath. Pete chose so well, they loved that story and they laughed when Goliath ( Peter) fell. It was good to see them laugh as their faces were so much more serious than the children at the Centre of Peace. How weary of the world these children appeared to be. How can children be so weary at such a young age?

 

We played the bottle game with them which they seemed to enjoy and then we handed out the cookies and the icing and lollies. They loved this activity. The younger ones were so gentle when we gave them the biscuits, they would all whisper words of gratitude. I could only think how small and insignificant a biscuit would be in their life, yet at least it brought a moment of joy.

 

After the biscuits we played with the parachute which shocked us. The children were hard to control as they were not used to playing together in one group. They would just punch the children under the parachute. We just stood by and watched as they made their own fun for a while.

 

Next was the coloring in and the painting and chalk. During the painting again it became obvious how intelligent and creative the children can be. Despite their terrible circumstances they could still dream in pictures. They drew love hearts and angry birds, clouds and rainbows, they drew the cross and they also wrote we love Australia. Again, how beautiful children can be. How giving and loving. It is so sad that these children have so much potential but they have no opportunity in their life to show that potential.

 

The chalk was loved by all, as were the coloring in activities. I just walked around trying to get to know them. I was shocked when one little boy came up to me with some paper and pencils but he had not coloured his sheet in. I asked him and motioned for him to colour in but he just stood there with a blank look on his face. It only then hit me that he didn't know how to use a pencil. I had to teach him how to colour in. What little boy of 5 or 6 does not know how to colour in?

 

As we handed out the food and they scattered off to share their food with their families I watched them leave from the roof. Although I had told the others at the end of the day to remember that they were in God's hand and we would leave them under his protection I couldn't help but cry. I was so sad for these children. I couldn't help but cry. As I watched them run off I thought how helpless I was. What had I really done? What had we brought them other than some food and a few moments of fun?

 

Yet Katie reminded me what I had told them. If nothing else they have left an imprint on our hearts and so I know we will all pray for them. I can't lift them out of poverty, but I can pray for them. I know Jesus is better than gold, knowing him will be worth more than all the riches in the world. So I will pray God into their lives.

 

One thought I had while speaking to Pete was that in the west we don't want Jesus to return because we don't need him to. We don't pray for Jesus' return because we don't need him to. But these children, they need him to return. They need heaven. They need God's rest and peace. We should be praying He return for them! '

Cambodia - Tuesday 2nd October 2012

Do I talk too much? Maybe! I tend to get carried away but I can't apologise. I have much to share with you as I have received much.

This is the year of the Lord. 2012. Twelve is the number of the year of the Lord. This trip I have preached on Jarius and his daughter...how old was she? Twelve. I have also preached on the women with bleeding problem. How long had she been sick? Twelve years. This is the year of breakthrough. The Lord has broken through in my life. The Lord breaks through in the life of WTL. Breakthrough! The Lord said WTL was an avenue we must walk into growth. This is the year of breakthrough. Praise the Lord.

Today was a beautiful day. We travelled out of Battambang to preach the good news of Jesus Christ at two places.
The score? Jesus 198, satan 0.
At Banong Village, Sdai Commune, Ratanak Moneul District, Battambang Province Jesus received forty-eight new believers into His Kingdom. We prayed with many people for healing, the Lord was present with us.
We lunched together at a beautiful place by the river. We were able to dip our feet into the rushing water, it was so cooling and refreshing. I love flowing water. The Holy Spirit is flowing.
After lunch we met in a little church building at Svay Sor Village, Treak Commune, Ratanak Moneul District, Battambang Province. It was unbelievably hot under the corrugated iron roof. Jesus passed by and He stopped.
Blind Bartimaeus called out, Jesus could easily have kept walking but He stopped. The women with the bleeding for twelve years reached out and touched his clothes and Jesus stopped. Jairus called for Jesus for his beloved daughter and Jesus stopped. The question that Jesus asked the blind man is the same He asks you today...."What would you have Me do for you?" This is the Day of Receiving...you probably refer to it as the Day of Grace and they are the same. The problem is we don't hear His question...we are too busy asking what He wants us to do for Him. He needs nothing, He has everything, He just wants to give it to us and for us to receive. This is the truth of the Day of Grace.
Jesus stopped and one hundred and fifty, one hundred and thirty-five adults and fifteen children received Jesus. Praise the Lord. We prayed with the sick.

Tomorrow we have an extra celebration. A second Army camp has contacted us and asked if we would come. We felt the prompting of the Lord to go and He provides all so we will go. We rejoice to be able to share Jesus in another place and we receive His abundant grace for salvation and healing amongst the soldiers.

Bless you all.

Cambodia - Centre of Peace Home

On Monday 24th September 2012 the team of Katie, Tilly, Peter and Fiona met for a day with the children at Centre of Peace Home in Phnom Penh.
WTL has been connected with the Centre of Peace for many years now and we have visited Bophal and her children many times. This trip we really felt a call to do more than just 'pop in' and so it was planned to hold a day long program of fun and laughter especially for the children. I want to acknowledge Katie who led this ministry and did a phenomenal job of conceiving and preparing the activities, and also Tilly, Peter and Fiona who used their awesome God-given gifts to connect with these beloved children.
Bophal is a phenomenal lady and I have long admired her. She first felt the 'call' to devote her life to caring for orphaned and disadvantaged children when she was a child herself and she has been faithful and true to this call and has truly brought up her 'children' to love Jesus and her home really is the 'centre of peace.' She has about 120 children and everyone I have taken to the home over the years have said the same things, "Bophal is amazing and the home truly is a centre of peace." The peace you experience is tangible, even in the midst of the joy and vibrancy of the children. Many a time I have visited Bophal to meet her newest child, some little tike who has been left, usually abandoned. The last time I visited there was a very small girl, she was nine but was very small for her age, who had been abandoned by her mother; her mother had connected with a new man and he demanded the child go. Truly, while it was no doubt heart-breaking for the child, she was better off because she was being abused and mistreated by her stepfather and now she was being 'bophaled' which is a joy to see.
So as I was not available to join the fun I have asked the team to write something for you about the day at Centre of Peace.

Katie writes...

'The Centre of Peace is truly that - a centre of peace. What a place! Bophal. What a woman! I hope and pray that I could be as gentle and strong as she is. She is gentle, loving, compassionate yet she is strong, she has a stell rod within her. She is a mother to them all and treats them that way. She is truly remarkable. These attributes are all represented and evident through the precious children that are under her care. We had a truly God-given, mind blowing day!
Creativity flowed through young hearts, minds and fingers as together, united as one, they created a banner of love for their centre. Complete with Jesus' name and, of course, an Angry Bird, this banner contained a sense of pride, togetherness and, of course, fun. Everyone enjoyed the craft and colouring-in, even sharing and making things for us, a sign of gratitude. It didn't matter that we ran out of biscuits, the icing was clearly delicious enough on its own. A likeness between themselves and me; eating chocolate out of a jar with a spoon/paddle pop stick - the simple pleasures! Ball games - another window of likeness opened, teamwork and a healthy competitiveness, laughter and giggles erupted and filled the building as games of captain ball and tunnel ball and 'duck, duck, goose' brought us together. The teaching of English stories and songs filled their faces and minds with wonder and interest. One of the most precious moments was when the boys received their footy jerseys and shorts - handed over, presented individually by Pete. What a moment!! The parachute provided laughter and joy. Perhaps the most precious moments to me were these; having a group of girls thank me and show me the love of Jesus by placing bracelets they had made around my wrist. Tears fell down my face, a sigh of awe. Seeing them receive and tuck into a 'special' meal, shocking and unbelievable yet good. Finally spending time with and praying for Bophal. Priceless. There are no words to describe that time. We left there exhausted but buzzing after what can only be described as a God-given, joyful day. Praise the Lord for Bophal, His goodness and His laughter and joy. How I wish Tim and Louise Eccleston could have been there. Thank You for that day Lord. Thank You!!!'

 

Fiona writes...

'We arrived at the Centre of Peace to find the children bright with joy and very welcoming. We were a tad timid at first because Bhopal was not there, she had ducked out before we arrived. Yet the children were not at all timid, they flocked around each one of us. I felt at first there was a language and cultural barrier between us but that was quickly broken down.

 It is amazing how universal some experiences are. Peter got out one of the balls and we simply started passing them around and immediately the language and cultural barrier was broken. The children broke into big smiles and giggles. We started sharing and playing with them and it was lovely to bond with them.

We started the official part of the day with Katie introducing us all and then Pete was meant to get up and lead the children in a song, however, he told me he actually had something else planned he wanted to try and he started telling he children a story. The story of Joshua and traveling across the river, he even got the children up and had them act out the story. It was beautiful to see God give him a word and him teach the children. We were all amazed as part of his team.
Then we taught the children the 'Jesus in the Boat song.' They were so beautiful, some of the boys were frowning they were concentrating so hard on repeating the words and actions perfectly.
Then we split off into groups to do painting the banner, craft and cookies and then also play with the parachute. During the activities the thing that struck me most was the sense of peace and love that was over the children at that centre. The older children helped to interpret all our instructions, without even being asked to do so. Then they painted and drew with such care, as though they knew that the activities they were doing were unique and precious. It was such a beautiful sight to see the older boys enjoying the craft. Tilly and Katie even saw one boy make a plate with the words I love you in a big heart; he obviously had a crush on someone somewhere. When the children were painting the banner they did so with such care and precision. It is clear they are very creative, which also made me sad to think that at times they do not have the opportunity to express their creativity. In our world, as children, we are told that we can do anything, dream big, live big. Yet these children, they have the dreams, but fulfilling them is almost a fairy tale.
After the formal activities we played the bottle game with the children and then duck duck goose. I was impressed to see the older students get involved, if only to bring the younger ones joy. What a wonderful heart they must have to play a children's game to help the younger ones to enjoy it even more. Teenagers in Australia would never be that selfless. Duck duck goose was a huge success, they giggled and laughed and screamed when it was close. I just felt so much joy being around those children.
Then we had to leave for lunch and to have a break. The children received a very large and special lunch, which was unusual for them. Bhopal was crying as she watched the children eat and enjoy their lunch. It meant a lot that we had brought that for them.
During our break we had a lovely time praying and reflecting on the time spent with the children. We shared a meal as a team and in doing so shared the ways the children had touched each of our hearts.
Going back after lunch was exciting and although tired, we were filled with a sense of anticipation at seeing them again. This time we started off with some games, tunnel ball, captain ball and red light green light. Tunnel ball was a great success. All the boys got on one team and they could not be beaten, they were so determined to win. They kept their legs spread out as far as they could, were as low to the ground as possible, and they pegged that ball down that tunnel of little legs to try and win. The joy on their faces, the final boy to bring home the ball to win leapt into the air as he came to the ground to finish. He threw his head back in joy, I swear that someone winning a gold medal could not have matched the joy on that young boys face!
After the ball games we had some free drawing and coloring in and chalk time. There was almost silence as the children diligently and ever so carefully coloured in the pictures. It was beautiful to see how gentle they were, it obviously meant a lot to them.  With the chalk it was not hard to see the love of God in those children as they all drew crosses, or Jesus or I love you so much. They have no family but are filled with love. How is that possible? I do believe Bhopal has done an amazing job teaching those children about Christ. They radiate God's love and favour.
By the end of the day we had been given many gifts, both tangible and intangible. The girls made bracelets for us all and one of the boys drew Pete a picture and wrote him a letter. One little girl had nothing to give and so gave me a box with feathers. Yet the intangible gifts are worth so much to us. We went there intending to show them God's love and give to them instead they taught us so much about God's joy, peace and love. They have nothing and yet they rejoice because of Jesus. They treat everyone they meet the same way Jesus would, with open arms. On top of all of that they taught us how to live content in Gods peace - who in Sydney or Cherrybrook can say they are content with God's peace? No one. Yet these orphaned children, who do not even have enough money for shampoo, they are content.
We will always remember them, especially those whom we have given nicknames. The 'collector' was the youngest in the group who just kept hoarding things all day, whether it be pencils, feathers or the AFL balls. Boss was Bhopal's son who kept all the other children in line, Felix was the boy with the amazing smile and Shrey Nit was the one with all the hugs and kisses for everyone.
God bless these children and keep them, for they are Yours and You love them.'
 

God bless you all who supported this day.

Cambodia - Monday 1st October 2012

I was drawn to Psalm 91 this morning and it is more than worth sharing with you.

'He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark.' Psalm 91: 1 - 4
'For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.' Psalm 91: 9, 10
'Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and honour him.
With a long life I will satisfy him, and let him behold My salvation.' Psalm 91: 14 - 16
 

Beautiful day today. No rain and quite cool by Cambodian standards.
This morning we met for a gospel 'celebration' at Sam Boub Meas Village, Sneang Commune, Barnoun District, Battambang Province.
We shared the gift of God with the people and sixty-five souls were gathered into the Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord. We prayed with many sick people and the Lord was present to heal. One man came forward with a finger that he was unable to move. We prayed and anointed it with oil and he walked away wriggling his finger. God is good all the time.
For lunch we went down to a local dam. This place is beautiful but the history is very sad. The people were forced to construct this dam by Pol Pot and many, many people died here. We took a short boat ride on a local fishing boat out onto the lake. It was very tranquil.
In the afternoon we travelled to On Derk 11 Village, Ratsmey Sanghat Commune, Sdo District, Battambang Province. This celebration was held in the middle of the road. Sited at a crossroads the shelters and the chairs comletely blocked the road. It was really funny to drive up and see that we had totally taken over the road. There is a small church of five in this place. The Lord increased the local Christian congregation by one hundred and fifty! Ninety-three adults and fifty-seven children. A number of people came forward to receive the abundant grace of God in healing. One man came with a injured back and danced his way back to his chair swivelling his hips like Elvis! The Lord is mighty and so gracious and loving. It is such a pleasure to watch Him work.
I am feeling very weary tonight so I will finish here. The Lord gives sleep to those He loves so I receive from His hand of abundant grace a great night's sleep.
Thank you for your prayer and support.
Blessings to all. 

Faith?

Faith is one of those Christian things that we hear a lot about.
If I asked you for a definition of faith a lot of you would quote Hebrews chapter eleven...

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
 

Many a preacher who is far more capable than me has preached on that verse so I won't.
However I thought maybe to share a few thoughts on faith.

Listen to this verse...Jesus is speaking.

"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him." Mark 11: 23

Pretty powerful stuff hey?

So rather than define faith what does faith actually look like in action?

The first thing that has to be nailed is that faith has nothing to do with feelings. If Peter had relied on his feelings there is no way he would have stepped out of the boat. Peter of all people would have known that that water stuff does not carry your weight sufficiently for you to walk on it. He was a fisherman, he would have fallen out of his boat many times and every time he did I can categorically tell you that he sank. So he knew that walking on water was a no no. If he had relied on his feelings he would have stayed where he was.
If we are going to do something that we have never done before, is logically impossible to do we must begin by acting as if it can be done. That means putting aside our feelings. They are unreliable when it comes to faith.
When God calls us to obey Him in something that is 'impossible' our feelings immediately hold a meeting and quickly pass a motion that the thing is impossible, it can't be done, its never worked before, it won't work this time, don't be so stupid, and demands that we immediately abandon any thought of obediently following God.

Faith, on the other hand, disregards the protest of our feelings and acts as if what God says is true. So therein lies faith...acting as if what God says is true. Faith is responding in trust to the revelation that God has given us of Himself.

God told Moses that if he waved his rod over the Red Sea the sea would part and make a way. Moses' feelings would  easily have told him 'you must be joking' but Moses acted as if what God said was true and the rest is history.
When our feelings kick up we must ask ourselves this question, "What if it is really true? What if I lay hands on this person and they actually get healed? What if it is true?" and then proceed on that basis. Our feeling will say forget it but faith leads us on.
Do you have an impossible thing before you? Why not mix it with faith rather than feelings and proceed on a 'acting as if' basis.

Now I make no claim to be a great bastion of faith but one thing I am increasingly aware of is the truth of the abundant grace of God in His favour toward me. I am favoured. Recently when preparing to come to Cambodia again I was faced with a budget that to my feelings was insurmountable. My feelings were screaming at me to forget it and give up. Part of the plan for the mission was to minister to the children with craft, and exercise books and pencils, and soccer balls and all manner of other stuff that could not be carried as luggage on the plane. It needed to be sent prior to our departure. We did not have the money to support the mission, we did not even have airline tickets but we 'acted as if' we did and sent two boxes of stuff anyway.

If we put aside the protest of our feelings when God calls us with a divine appointment and 'act as if' what God is calling us to do He is able to complete in us and through us then I feel that our lives, and ministries, will be transformed.

Just a thought.

 

Cambodia - Living Hope for Children Sponsorship Scheme

One of the most precious ministries of Cambodia WTL is the 'Living Hope for Children' Child Sponsorship Scheme.
If you check the the WTL website you can find more information on the 'Support for Children' page; page six.
On the first day of this trip my team met with the sponsored children. I was busy elsewhere however they were in the capable and trustworthy hands of Alyson, Katie, Tilly, Peter and Fiona. All are LHfC sponsors. The positive impact of sponsorship on the lives of the children cannot be calculated.
I want to share Katie's perspective of the celebration but particularly her view of her sponsorship, along with Tim, of Vannak.

She writes:

'Today was great...seeing familiar faces...but the best by far was my precious Vannak. My heart was filled with love and great joy as he entered the room wearing the shirt I bought for him for his birthday. To hear his Mother (Vannak and his twin brother Vanna were adopted a few years ago but are still children of great need) tell me that Vannak asks her constantly about me returning and her advice to him was to pray. He called me 'Mumma' and followed me everywhere. Precious. Today taught me the importance of sponsorship, revealed to me in flesh the impact sponsorship has, expressed through a child and his mother, their gratitude. Wow! How privileged I am to have the opportunity and resources to sponsor. Thank you Lord.'

I was preaching at the church at Rokathom in Kandal Province during the LHfC celebration and after the service as I enjoyed lunch three children arrived.They were dressed in the best clothes that they could muster and were rejoicing in the good time they had had playing games and doing craft and hearing of the love, care and compassion that their sponsors far away in Australia.
You who are sponsors cannot underestimate the impact that your sponsorship has on these precious, young lives!
So I spent some time listening to the stories of these three beautiful children and how they are so happy to be able to go to school and are free from the worry of life with nothing. Oh your $35 per month brings hope, and joy, and shares the words of Jesus with these little ones that He cares for them. You know what they hear those words so clearly when they receive your sponsorship. Thank you so much.
I was so happy to see them and to be able to connect with this essential and vital ministry and it also gave me the opportunity to learn of and share one story with about Man Mengly.
Mengly is a sponsored child. He goes to school, he is healthy and happy and full of beans. He has three brothers and lives with his mother and father. They are unbelievably poor. The sponsorship Mengly receives not only supports his schooling and his health and welfare but it does the same for his family.
Mengly wanted, and needed, a bicycle to get to school. He wanted it and he prayed to God that He would provide.
The scheme is administered in Cambodia by our partner, AFCI. The children come under the care and oversight of selected people who are responsible to ensure that the distributed money is used to benefit the child and not for some other purpose. Mengly's carer is a young woman, her name is Savouen, she is a delight. It is important that you all know that we send the sponsorship to AFCI quarterly however it is distributed on a fortnightly basis. Also a small amount is held for each child to pay for any unforseen medical fees. These can be exceedingly expensive. Recently when we were in Battambang Province a child who was attending one of our celebrations was bitten by a dog. The medical fee for his care was $70. Doesn't sound a lot but this is an insurmountable amount for the people of the provinces.
Mengly was allowed by his carer to save a little each fortnight of his sponsorship money and after three months he had saved $60 and went and purchased his bicycle! So rejoice with Mengly in his bright red bicycle complete with gears that propels him at great speed through the dusty roads of Kandal, to and from the school, and as he plays with his brothers and friends.
I know this may seem an insignificant thing but the impact on this little chap cannot be adequately described. Without the sponsorship for Mengly to have a bike would have been an absolute impossibility.
Currently sponsorship is $35 per month...that is $1.15 per day. Personally I have a coffee everyday that costs me $4.00! We have many children waiting to be sponsored. You can contact me on graemeshephard@cambodiawtl.org.au and I will be exceedingly happy to connect you with a life that needs your help.