Sunday Sermon at Nepali Church: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD

For the audio sermon, click here.

For the written sermon (be advised that it is in speaking format), click here.

I preached at a new Nepali Church plant today, and Meggan was invited to play the violin. Both the sermon and her playing went well, and I hope both were well received. Meggan played an instrumental to Fairest Lord Jesus, and I preached on Acts 17:22-34 which was when preached the gospel to the Athenians in the midst of the Areopagus. I give credit to the use of John Gill's (English Baptist) 18th century commentary on this text.

I am thankful for how well received we were, and Santosh did an excellent job in translating the sermon as I delivered it, which I can be very taxing mentally and physically.

There were about 30 Nepalese there (including their children), and about 12 non-Nepalese (including children). We enjoyed the worship service, and I will be meeting with Santosh (their Nepali pastor), Lord willing, on Tuesday to get plugged in with some families that he has been witnessing to.

In light of our growing outreach, I have retitled these missions as Nepali Missions because we now have access to Nepalese throughout the Atlanat area, for many who were there do not live at Northchase. This is exciting becuase it means that our influence is growing.

I also spoke to Santosh about working together on some translation material with regard to Biblical Couseling/Discipleship, Creation Science, and other materials. This definitely gives me greater motivation to learn their language. We must remember that they do not have near as much translated work into their language as we do. However, many of the younger ones (teenage and 20s) know English, so they can read some good Christian literature in conjunction with the Scripture already.

To Him be the glory! Amen!

Northchase ESL Missions

On Tuesday, Meggan, the kids, and I met with Santosh Ramadan and his family. He is a Nepali pastor for a new church plant that meets in one of the rooms at North Peach Tree Baptist Church off of Tilly Mill Road. He has an incredible testimony of faith in the Lord (former imprisonment and persecution that led to his faith in Christ), and I pray that we will be able to partner together in reaching these Nepali people, of which there are about 8,000 in the Atlanta area. O Lord, open up your heavens and pour forth your blessings upon us that we might go out with great wisdom and boldnes! Amen!

Santosh invited me to preach on Sunday, and I have been led to preach from Acts 17, which is where Paul powerfully proclaims the gospel in the midst of a polytheistic environment in Athens, Greece. Santosh will be translating as I speak, so do pray for smooth transitions, and especially pray that hearts are receptive to hear the gospel. We are only instruments; only God can change the heart.

In light of our meeting with Santosh, I pray fervently that seeds which have been planted via ESL will now begin to germinate as these Hindus repent according to God's plan and purpose.

To Him be the glory! Amen!

Phd Update

For those who were aware, I was attempting entrance into a long distance Phd program through Southern Seminary. I was not accepted, and I decided last week not to pursue the ThM program that I was offered. The ThM is often used as a feeder program into the Phd, but it does not guarantee entrance. Half the credits would have transferred into the doctoral program, but the risk in doing the classes without knowing if I would be accepted into the Phd program does not seem worth it at this time. Because of that, it will enable me to focus more time on local ESL missions, possible trekking mission, translation work, finishing my ICR M.S. degree, and speaking engagements.

To Him be the glory who knows all and works all things together for good to those who love Him! Amen!

Gossip and its Evils

Gossip is a despicable sin that each of us succumbs to. The human heart is deceitfully wicked, and we are constantly attempting to build ourselves up by tearing others down. Even if we are not the ones speaking the gossip, our ears often perk up just to listen to it, and, by attentively listening, we endorse it.

Ironically, the same measure we use to judge others (done quite a bit through gossip) is the same measure others will judge us. In this way, if one gossips about someone to another, that same person is most likely to then gossip about the gossiper. In a vain attempt to build oneself up through demeaning another, one has actually torn oneself down even further as the next man gossips to others about the gossiper!

Prayer gossip is a more subtle form, for, we often make a prayer request about someone not because we care but because we want to tear someone down. "Please pray for such and such; they have a bad marriage, and I heard that Jim's been drinking again." Now if the person asks for prayer and also asks that it be made known to others, then that's legit, but we must be careful in handling such sensitive matters.

When confronted with gossip, it is important at once to immediately change the conversation to something more fruitful. If tempted to gossip, then take that thought captive to Christ, and think upon Him and His glory and refuse to gossip.

To Him be the glory! Amen!

"People Might Say"

Have you ever heard the question "What will people think?" or something to that effect. Do we strive to receive praise from God or man? We consume ourselves with what other people think about us yet give little thought to what God thinks. This is because we want the approval of man and not God. It is hard to have a backbone in a godless age where false accusations run rampant. The truth is that the Apostle Paul dealt with the same thing, for his 2nd letter to the Corinthians is dealing with just that. There is nothing new under sun.

Our response flows from our heart. We are not to be fake on the hand, yet we are not to act rudely on the other. Blessing those that curse us and who make false accusations about us is quite difficult. Every fiber of our being wants to lash out, yet we must let the strength of the Lord keep us calm. For many years, I always gave a retort when falsly accused, yet now I leave room for the vengeance of God, for He will always enact a better judgment than I could ever conjure up.

As painful as such gossip may be, in time you really find out who is trustworthy and who is not. You begin to notice who has your back and who doesn't. At times, those who become the most trustworthy are those that you may even once had a serious beef with before. I have seen this is on my own life. Biblically, we are not to be doormats but rather confront those with whom we have a difficulty with. When both sides acknowledge their sin, then an incredible reconciliation occurs to the point where both people think highly of each other and become true friends and/or comrades.

Some refuse to admit their sin, and reconciliation becomes bleak, yet we must not harbor bitterness towards such people. That does not mean we have to act as if we have not been wronged, and it does not mean that we are to regard the person with a high level of trust. However, we are to still love the person, which means that we are willing to come to their aid should aid be needed. In doing so, we heap burning coals upon their head (Rom 12). I have been on both ends of that as the Lord's vengeance is given. Verily, it is far better to repent and seek reconciliation if at all possible, for it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God when we live with bitterness and resentment! Amen!

A common confused and twisted text: "Doesn't the Bible say don't judge lest you be judged!"

Don't judge me you hypocrite! How often are we told that from others and how often do we reply in the same manner! It is our sinful nature to justify our rebellion against a Holy God. The great irony is that each of us makes moral judgments all the time. When we discipline our children, we are judging them because we have declared their actions to be unjustifiable and evil at heart. However, when oneself's sin is exposed, one tends to become defensive all of a sudden and break out the Mathew 7 rebuttal. I admit that I may not do this explicitly, but I do this implicitly all the time when I try to justify my sin. We all do.

When it comes down to it, man does not want to submit to any other authority source besides himself. This is why his position on judgment becomes so arbitrary. He judges but then doesn't want to be judged. When you multiply this over several billion people, you get sevaral billion different philosophies of life. These are just like the days of old in Judges 21 when there was no King in Israel and each man did what was right in his own eyes.

What then was Jesus saying? When understood in its proper context, Jesus was exposing the hypocrisy of judging with a proud heart as if we never sin either. Truly, we shall judge angels, so judgement is not evil; just remember the case mentioned above with child dicsipline. The difference is in how we judge. We are to rebuke with humility knowing that each of us is capable of the most heinous of acts. Concurrently, we are to rebuke in this life with the intent of seeing someone repent and come to the Lord for redemption.

Therefore, let us expose the false humility that is used to justify sin, but let us also confront and rebuek sin with all humility, mercy, and grace as God our Father does unto us.

When Marriage Is Tough: Endure

When things get difficult in marriage, one must remember the covenant one has made to God and spouse. This is the only thing that will sustain a godly loving marriage. Marriage is a covenant that is sacred before the Lord. It is not to be flippantly put aside or rejected when difficult times come around.

Many people will then ask: But what about this or that? Our response should not be one of seeking how we can get out but rather one that seeks how we can keep the relationship together. Often times we are looking for ways to leave our committment, but that angers the Lord.

There is much debate with regard to abandonment and adultery, but even then the Lord does not require a divorce. The truth is that it is far better to beseech the Lord for a solution by which trust can be regained. That certainly does not mean that one must remain in a home where safety is at stake (usually the case for the woman who is being abused), but separation for an indeterminate amount of time should seek to make mends and not necessarily to jump to divorce. Where sin exists in adultery and such, repentance must be first and foremost if trust is to ever be regained.

Marriage is important to me because it is important to God, and I pray to be able to faithfully communicate that to my children. Though she cannot quite understand it yet, I tell my daughter what my wedding ring means. It means that Daddy won't leave unless the Lord returns today or takes me home.