This morning began with a weary 28 year old. Too much time on the legs made for much discomfort. Dr. Schultz would probably not be too happy with me. But alas, how sweet it is to meet with workers here on the field and to attempt to share about Jesus in the outskirts of Istanbul. We took one particular tram until it had nowhere else to go. Then we boarded a second rail that extends to the furthest points of Istanbul. Our morning journey encompassed an hour of rail and walking to meet with the foremost authority on protestant mission work in Central Asia. He was a Syrian Orthodox Canadian turned protestant evangelical. He is considered a specialist in Turkish culture and has seen the development of protestant missions first hand in Central Asia. His most memorable statement: “If the church is not being counter-cultural, then the church may not actually be a church.” Wow. During these travels of recent years, I have learned many things. One of which is that people the world over are essentially the same – they are lost in their sin without Christ. Their cultures may be different from one another but one unifying theme is the lostness and pervasiveness of sin in culture. People can hop from one country to another or from one continent to another searching for that which satisfies, that which is different from every other fleeting pleasure. And the only One that can quench the parched soul is found in the very institution or body that bears His name – the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, if the church is to be effective, it needs to be counter-cultural. It must stand for someone higher; it must exist for a far greater purpose; it must exist to glorify Jesus Christ. If the church is not counter cultural, it will become indistinguishable from the rest of the culture instead of being the regenerated body of Christ.
Pray for our team on Sunday night. We will be engaging Muslim missionaries on the “Asian” side of the city to have a healthy discourse about the two religions. Pray for the Muslim missionaries so that they will hear and come to know the truth of the Gospel.
The last two days seem like a whirlwind. Yesterday in one eastern city our team had several good conversations with the Kurdish peoples. I underestimated the animosity between the Turks and the Kurds. The hatred is still prevalent and most Kurds will say all the problems in the Middle East would be rectified once the “Kurdish problem” is resolved. This part of Central Asia is dominated by a strong Kurdish population. On a lighter note, I spoke with one particular Kurdish gentleman, and he thought I was Italian! Mama mia!! That’s a first!
We left the east and headed back to the west end of Central Asia. Our accommodations are great; we are in the heart of the “old city.” Just outside my window is night life to the wee hours of the morning that involve some not so virtuous activities. On the way back from supper this evening, one of our team members wanted some Turkish Delight. We stopped in a small shop to pick some up and got into a conversation with the owner (who speaks English). He gave us prostitution tips for the rest of our stay in the city. Since I was not the one interested in Turkish Delight, my team member began dialoging with the man about his broad acceptance of prostitution and how his wife feels about that activity. He was excited to take a NT and DVD. Hopefully, this gosp seed planted will bear fruit in his life.
On this trip, I have become more thankful for two things: 1) that J loved me and drew me into Himself and 2) how ubiquitous Coca Cola is around the world. Wherever, I go in the world, whichever continent I happen to be passing through, I can count on the “real thing” being present and available for my drinking pleasure. It is nice to have a small taste of home in an otherwise strange land.
Today we also spent time at the fourth largest church in the world. Of course, it ceased being a church hundreds and hundreds of years ago when the Muslims took it over. Interestingly enough, this particular church was the center of Christendom for many years and its architectural feats were incredible, the art was ornate, and the historical impact was massive. When you walk in today, much of the Christian symbols and the church nave itself has been covered with Islamic symbols. In an attempt to symbolize the defeat of C-anity, the Muslims took to the task of building a mosque that would dwarf this important church. However, they were terribly unsuccessful and decided to just add minarets to the church and turn it into a mosque. I find myself grieving for Christendom and the historical losses C-anity has suffered through the years because of this religion that pays homage to a false god. The church in the middle ages had its difficulties and moving from orthodoxy and biblical integrity proved to be detrimental to the Christian faith. The darkness and sadness that accompanies such a lost and dying world is overwhelming at times. When you look around the streets of this city, you see a foretaste of eternal separation from G. One worker told us that you would have to greet 15,000 people in this particular city before you greet someone who believes in the Lord J C. Friends, this ought to break our hearts. Oh, but what G can do with broken hearts! We first must be broken before He will fashion us into gosp beings, ready to see G usher in a new awakening.
Thank you for your prayers today. Shawn’s dad seems to be in stable condition but remains in very serious health. Other team members’ health seems to be improving as well.
We spent the morning and early afternoon in a Central Asian city where we distributed Bs and tried to build relationships between the Islamic world and the Christian world in this part of Central Asia. Although it is illegal to evangelize in these countries, it is not illegal to talk with people and let them bring up the issue of religion. In our travels and experiences, the native people never fail to talk about religion. Their assumption is that all Americans are Cs and that is simply not the case. Their perception of C-anity comes from American culture, and the American culture they see is “Desperate Housewives.” This is no joke. Muslims in the middle east think that it is a common occurrence for every American man to have multiple sexual partners in an evening’s time. This is the message Muslims are reading and linking to C-anity. To associate G’s name with that is an abomination. This begs a couple of questions: Is our American pop culture so deteriorated and perverted that this is the best we can offer? I pray not. Are Cs truly exhibiting, by G’s grace and power, evidence of gospel change in their lives? I pray so. However, I remain a realist in my assertion of the degradation of American pop culture and the lack of evidence in the believer.
In the afternoon, we travelled to a historic series of caves that was one of the original Central Asian settlements. We saw many, many caves in rocks that reflect the size of the mountain itself. The sights along the Tigris River were breath taking. We drove to another city and had supper at a Burger King – refreshing after a week of Central Asian food. In a parking lot, some stray kids came up to us and one of them began patting my belly with big eyes saying, “Money, money!” I suppose the larger you are the more wealth is perceived (thought you could use a good laugh).
Tomorrow we will be doing much of the same work amongst neighborhoods and market districts in hoping of planting the gosp seed (Bs) into fertile soil. Please pray that G will draw sinners to Himself and that He might be glorified through their lives.
Today proved to be a tough day for some of the team. Four or five out of our eight man team became ill at some point in the night and this morning. I obliged everyone with some Cipro for some much needed relief. It seemed to do the trick. One does not spend ten days in West Africa without learning a few tricks (the hard way). I feel great and look forward to another day.
We assisted a worker named Eric in moving. The city where he is moving to is a place where we do not think any believers exist. So it is very much a new work area in which he is moving and which we will be doing some important gospel foundational work with the arabs of this city. Along those same lines we gained audience with the metropolitan bishop of a Syrian Orthodox Monastery. We found the metropolitan to be hospitable and willing to answer our questions, but certainly appeared to lack some of the major biblical doctrines that we associate with one’s salvation (being born again). Our team discussed over supper the true evangelical witness that does not exist within the Syrian Orthodox Church in that Scripture is not sufficient for faith and practice but also the notion of tradition. Unfortunately, this seems to be the view of many orthodox, liberal protestants, and some emergents. This is precisely why the gosp is so crucial. We must hold fast to the belief that it was J’s work on the cross and resurrection that sealed the salvation of the elect. If we cannot acknowledge that J’s sacrifice on the cross did not pay the debt owed to a righteous G on our behalf, then we cannot claim to be C’ian. If we do not believe that J became sin for us and that he took our place on the cross, then we cannot know Him in a gosp (or saving way). Evidence of that saving power is found in the work of J in our lives. Our lives must be wholly submitted to Him and recognizing Him as Lord over our life. Galatians 2:20 says that we are new creations in JC. We are made for His workmanship so that His name might be glorified where it is otherwise trampled.
Shifting gears slightly…One interesting wall that we encounter when witnessing to the Muslim culture is that they are hospitable and will offer one tea or some other gift with the expectation to receive something in return. It would be very difficult for a Muslim to accept a gift given by us without attempting to pay back the favor. This mindset is indicative, perhaps, of their belief. In Islamic faith there is no grace or forgiveness. It is all based on a works-righteousness concern. So it is challenging for the Muslim to understand this fundamental aspect of the gosp in that someone would care enough about them to die on a cross for their sins. That seems to be a completely foreign concept. However, it is the sad reality of Satan’s work through Muhammed and the centuries of guilt and no grace, which have produced a society of female oppression, sexual abuse, polygamy, superstition and deviance. All of which are works of Satan. Please do not misunderstand me: sin is pervasive in all cultures (including my own) because all cultures are fallen and in need of redemption through Jesus; however, no real church or regenerate gosp believer will affirm or condone such sin as Islam appears to do.
On a final note, please pray for our team leader Shawn. He received word this morning that his father has had his fourth heart attack and is in serious condition in North Carolina. He may be called away at a moment’s notice and as much as we would like for him to remain on, He will need to be with his family if things become grave. So please pray for the healing of Shawn’s father and peace for his family.
Tomorrow is a new day for ministry with continued work here in this city and the work to come in another. This is the crux of our ministry for this week. We will return to our original city in a few days with a chance to relax again and become refreshed before the next project.
May G do a great Gosp work through you today, may you be blessed by it and may G be exalted.
The Sabbath has come and gone and all is well. We worshipped with believers today in a well established fellowhip in Central Asia. Though there was no way we could discern everything going on, we knew we were with other believers worshipping the same G. I am so glad we serve a G who knows the tongues of the tribes of all nations, and that He is such a G that commands all of creation and is sovereign over all. He is big enough to know all the voices that worship Him.
After worship we explored the city wall whose foundation was laid before the time of J and its present formed erected in the AD 300s. It is the second tallest wall in the world next to the Great Wall of China. We walked on top of the wall, explored nooks and crannies and saw where ancient soldiers bedded. The wall is made of a black, porous rock that has seen a great deal of history. The trails on the top of the wall are mostly dust and rock covered and vary in width between a few feet and several yards. Following that we walked across a bridge built in AD 700 that crosses the Tigris River. You may recall from Genesis that where the Tigris and Euphrates meet in modern day Iraq, is the former Garden of Eden – the cradle of all civilization.
The afternoon was spent with M and P in their apartment for a time of fellowship and rest before attending a major outreach production of the fellowship in Central Asia. Although nothing of the good news is to be spoken aloud in such a setting, one of the elders of the fellowship passed out a free book that he had written and therein relayed the good news message. There were hundreds of people in attendance for a production that lasted two hours. The outreach centered around addressing morality questions in a Central Asian talk-show format that utilized much humor – actually I could not distinguish the humor, but I gather from the hundreds of Central Asians laughing that it must have been funny.
Tomorrow will be spent in a more remote part of Central Asia where internet access may or may not be dependable. The next few days will be especially important for you to pray. Although I cannot describe everything we will get to do, it will require much prayer and leading from the Holy Spirit. We will be travelling about 2.5 hours to our next destination. Please pray for opportunities to share and for safety and good health for the entire team. Remember: G is a good G and His good news is worth taking to the ends of the earth so that some might be drawn to Him.
May 22, 2010
A slight drizzle was on the ground this morning in I. After the typical breakfast that we have grown accustomed to, we set out on an hour long bus ride toward E. This was surely to be a time to remember. A and M were our tour guide and van driver, respectively. A proved to know a great deal about the ancient ruins of E and the influences of the various empires that conquered Asia Minor. The pictures speak for themselves. One interesting note worth mentioning here is our visit to the ruins of the church in Ephesus. This is the place where three ecumenical councils took place in the 400s. The first council (431 AD) and the most significant one, met here and condemned Nestorianism (the belief in the disunity between Jesus’ human and divine natures). The council also condemned pelagianism (the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that man can choose good without the help of G). This should highlight the importance of our early church history and the shaping of doctrine that we hold dear today.
Also at the site of the Council at E sits a ch, and in that ch is a baptistry that anyone can walk around in – that means it was several feet deep. You guessed it; the early church immersed believers! This has long been a parting point for many C’ian denominations in terms of ecclesiology and practice. However, it appears as though there is physical evidence of such events taking place. Believer’s baptism is another important part of Baptist doctrine as it tries to retain the highest level of biblical integrity.
Even above the councils and the baptism debates, the true honor of the day was getting to give our van driver a “gift.” We had a good conversation, through our translator, about his Muslim background and what it means to be Muslim. The tour guide, also a professing Muslim, claimed to be a “modern” Muslim. He told us that Muslims must let past rituals go and embrace a new type of Islam – one that is fashioned by technology and western influences. Interesting…another post-modern Islam? I would say this would be great if C’ians were not falling in the same trap. We must hold to the doctrines of the Bible if we want to see C’s kingdom advanced.
J has been so good to us during these last few days together, and we look forward to more wonderful things to happen as we head to another locale in Central Asia. We also look forward to worshipping with our brothers and sisters on Sunday. This will be a sweet time of fellowship amongst believers.
May 21, 2010
The sun shined bright through the curtains of the second floor window of the small hotel room where we rested our heads in Central Asia. It was a new day-complete with an hour long plane ride to the former S (now I). I is a beautiful and historically rich port on the Aegean Sea. Signs, flags and statues adorn all of this country with their famed leader of the 1920s and 1930s, A. A benevolent dictator at best, he brought this country into the modern age and instilled a strong sense of nationalism that is very present today. A remains much as an idol for some central Asians; he is adorned on many street corners in the western part of the country.
We had the privilege of meeting another worker today – a worker of I who is working on CPs in the area. Our meeting with him was the most encouraging so far. He really connected what we as pastors (and future pastors) need to keep in mind as we minister in our local contexts. He encouraged us to disciple believers properly and expose them to the opportunities available to serve in difficult contexts. M is not for the faint-at-heart. Many times it is struggle in this environment, but the joy in C in knowing that one can be a part of the ground floor in establishing c in Central Asia. The c as our L addressed them in Revelation no longer exist. This is a new work; this is a people who have never heard the Gospel. The last time the Gospel was openly and safely preached in this area was more than a thousand years ago. Who will go? Who will G use to take the good news to the end of the earth and proclaim His name above all other names amongst the peoples? Who will go?
Many c have abandoned the call of the L to take the Gospel to every nation. Let me lovingly exhort the c (including my own) to take on the responsibility of establishing meaningful, long term, Gospel centered relationships with an unreached people group and go. Committed partnerships will help blossom the Gospel and establish the roots of mission work in these areas so that long after you and I have been with our L, the ministry of the Word would continue to go forward in all boldness proclaiming the highly exalted One: J.
May 20, 2010
The early morning hour came much noticed for the open window, which I slept next to, revealed not sunlight, as to which is my custom, but the sounds of darkness and fear. A song being sung to summon lost and fearful sheep to p to a false g. The sheep are the Turkish people and their false god – the masquerade of Satan. The peoples of Central Asia are, by most accounts, extremely lost to a holy and righteous G and enslaved to the evil one and to the fear he projects. “Allah,” the false g, is one that is remote, distant and unaffectionate toward human beings. Yet the people continue to pray five times a day to a g that holds his people in bondage to sin. The news which we are so blessed to carry and speak is one of good news and liberation from the power of sin that leads to repentance and salvation. Today we learned of the combined efforts for the work of Central Asia for the ”Company” and the ********* being created to foster creative access to unreached areas of Central Asia. What an encouragement in the past twenty years to see the L draw the lost to Himself.
Today also brought with it a helpful dialogue and continued relationship with M U’s Faculty of Theo. The vice-dean of the faculty hosted our team at the u with two American educated, English speaking lecturers and translators. Following introductions and pleasantries, we engaged the Islamic theologians with questions about the relationship between Islam and Ch. One gainful insight from the time spent with these gentlemen is that this u (which is state sponsored) painted a picture of Islam that was mild and lukewarm; a post-modern form of Islam, if you will, that sought to encourage missionary work toward atheists and secularists and not one another. Certainly, a surprising insight for this faculty to allude and frankly deceptive. Some questions about the role of J arose in the dialogue and the faculty had no sustainable response to inquiries regarding the Qu’ran’s recognition of the Gospels as divine revelation and the words of J as divine and not necessarily the Gospel writers themselves. No reconciliation was made to try and understand J’s statement that He and the F are one. The unity of “Allah” is a central tenent of Islam and for the faculty to skirt the issue reveals one opportunity for the Gospel to be better understood by the faculty.
Walking about the former C brought to mind the many historical sites and the incredibly large influence Christianity had on this region of the world. This was once the center of all C-dom and now it is one of the least reached areas in the “10-40” window, let alone the world. Watching the lost looks in the face of Central Asians, I see a foreshadow of C’s judgment seat, and the result is damning. Hence the urgency of the Gospel to reach every tribe and tongue upon the earth is very real. G is a G who is worthy of not only our American worship but the worship of every nation. Let His name go out exalted above all other names and let the earth be filled with the praises 0f our King.
Greetings to all! I am updating from an unsecure network in an undisclosed location deep in the heart of Central Asia. Due to personnel security restrictions, I will not be able to deliver the content in the manner in which I would normally be accustomed. Please bear with me as I try and communicate as often as I can in an encrypted fashion.
After 25.5 hours of airline travel, delays, missed flights and lost luggage, the team has arrived safe, delivered the gifts, and is resting comfortably at the aformentioned locale. We had a scrumptious supper with fellow workers near where we are staying for which we gave J thanks. It is striking walking about knowing this was once the hub of all C-dom and now the calls of p to a false g ring forth in praise of S is deafening. Yet the g goes forward and His gra shines as a beacon in the darkest of nights to those who are called according to His purpose.
Continue to remember the team and fellow workers. We will be doing a great deal while on the field including some interesting dialogue tomorrow with scholars. Again, bear with me during this time as the team attempts to be sensitive to the work done thus far. I will have complete and unedited versions saved for your reading at a later date. I hesitate to promise to write everyday, but I will do my level best in order for you to know about the work here. For the time being I am turning off the comments for HighlyExalted; they will resume upon my return to Kentucky.
Thank you for your attention and continued p giving thanks to the F for His lovingkindness toward our team.
This week we will conclude our five part series in the book of John as we look at Jesus’ resurrection miracle in Bethany. The cross looms on the horizon at this point in John’s narrative and with each miracle (or sign) Jesus performs, the scrutiny of the Pharisees and the religious elite increases. John 11 records one of Jesus’ greatest miracles – the pinnacle, really, of all His signs that point toward His glory. In this passage, Jesus raises the four-day-old-dead Lazarus from a tomb in order to demonstrate His awesome glory. Much of the passage leading up to the actual miracle, tells of a pre-occupied Mary and Martha who do not understand why Jesus did not heal their brother but waited to come. Albeit, they believed Jesus could heal Lazarus – while he was alive, but they were not expecting to see Jesus demonstrate His glory after openly weeping for His friend. Aside from the sisters, Jesus’ disciples no doubt were scratching their heads as to why Jesus wouldn’t speak healing instead of traveling back to Bethany where Jesus’ persecutors from Jerusalem were present. However, our Lord had a plan to reveal a glimpse of His power through Lazarus’ resurrection and to have the most people see it so they might believe on Him.
Jesus’ power over death should not be surprising for us. His power to change lives is wrapped up in His power to restore life and to restore it abundantly through His resurrection. Our Lord’s graciousness toward us while we were yet sinners is the ultimate sign that needs to be highlighted for the world. Jesus’ power to restore the fellowship between sinners and a righteous God is the good news of the Gospel that needs to permeate the very foundation of our church in order to reach the world for Christ and to see His name glorified.
