The Persimmon Tree.

Got Persimmons?

Sophany is happy. She just picked 115 pounds of fruit from our persimmon tree. This tree proves the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." When it was a just a little sapling I ran it over with the  lawnmower and hit it with the weed whacker many times.  Then we began running over it with the cars. Some how it survived. Maybe adversity does make us stronger.

Kids in Cambodia.

Kids in Cambodia

Here are some pictures of some kids at the church in Bangbaset. I have visited this church many times during my trips. This village was recently flooded. There are many kids in this village. These kids love singing and have fun. And they are learning about their Savior.

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Rationality vs. Rationalization

I came across this quote in my lecture notes in a business class at the community college. I found it interesting.

"Organizations invariably spend more time living with the consequences of decisions than they spend making decisions.  This has led several social psychologists to describe people as rationalizing (as opposed to rational) animals.  The match between our attitudes and our behavior often derives from our adjusting our attitudes after the fact to conform to our past actions and their consequences.  Stakeholders want to be able to view your project as a "win" no matter how the project ends up."

The Bible describes this problem long ago. It affects not just how we do business but all of life.


Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Jeremiah 17:9,10

The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?
   “I the Lord search the heart
    and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds.”

We can easily get stuck in an endless cycle of self-deceit and rationalization. It can become a closed circle we cannot break out of. That is why we need Someone outside of ourselves who can show us what is inside of us.

3 Cultural Changes That Create the 'Perfect Storm' Against the Church

I would like to pass on an insightful article from the Christian apologist, Josh McDowell.

Christian Apologist Josh McDowell: 

3 Cultural Changes That Create the 'Perfect Storm' Against the Church        

--By Jessica Martinez, CP Reporter

October 12, 2013|10:45 am

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Josh McDowell, an apologist and evangelist, spoke at Southern Evangelical Seminary's Christian Apologetics conference on three culture changes that create a "perfect storm" that challenges and poses a threat to the church.

McDowell says the first is an epistemological shift that is occurring regarding Biblical truths due to modern perspectives on God's word.

"We've had a major shift in what truth is and where it comes from. We've gone from being God-centered to self-centered, from being objective to being subjective and from being internal to external," he said. 

He argues that the truth that the church upholds is merely viewed as personal opinion by some people, especially young individuals due to the idea that most think that God is dead.

"In 1991, 51 percent of evangelical young adults said there is no truth apart from their own views. Today, that number is 91 percent," said McDowell.

The respected apologist also says the Internet's "exploding information" plays a major factor in challenging the way young people view culture, the church and their moral views. According to his research, millions of youths take in about 34GB of Internet data each day, which is equivalent to the amount of lyrics found in 8,160 songs.

"Every pastor, youth pastor, and every parent is in competition with the Internet and the information it is spreading," said McDowell. "Most young people don't get their news from CNN or CBS, they get it from bloggers. There are about 181 million bloggers vying for the attention of your children."

The unlimited amount of online information that people have access to has caused an increase in skepticism that will only continue to become more pervasive, says McDowell.

"If you don't believe me, go around and talk to young people in colleges and in junior high. Go and make 'truth statements' and you'll hear them say, 'How do you know that's true?' There's so much out there," said McDowell. "[For] every kid, even Christians, the age of the Internet is wearing down their convictions because they think tomorrow they'll find something else."

He continued, "Fifteen to 20 years ago, the questions that you used to hear at universities about faith, Jesus and the Bible, about skepticisms, questioning what you believe in; questions that you used to hear in the last two years of college are now being asked by 10- and 11-year-olds. It's coming all right down through Facebook."

During his message, he also told pastors they cannot pastor the same way they have been for the last 20 years while telling parents they cannot raise their children the same way they were raised because the Internet has changed "everything."

"Twenty years ago, the phrase was, 'if you don't reach a young person by 18, you probably won't reach them. Now, atheists and agnostics have the same access to your kids as you do, it's just one click away. The internet has leveled the playing field
and now if you don't reach a child by their 12th birthday, you won't reach them."

In the same manner, McDowell emphasized that young people are increasingly becoming addicted to pornography, adding that it is the greatest threat to the body of Christ in 2,000 years.

"This is destroying pastors, youth pastors and more Christians than anything by far in history," said McDowell. "The number one demographic is 12- to 25-year-olds, there's no difference in and out of the church."

He added that 50 percent of fundamental, evangelical pastors watch porn while 80 percent of youth pastors have a problem with porn as well. McDowell pointed out that porn provides only a momentary satisfaction and porn addicts often seek other opportunities to satisfy their sexual desires.

"The average person starts with heterosexual sex then after a while, that no longer satisfies, then there's anal, from anal there's oral, from oral to homo, from homo to bestiality then to children," said McDowell.

He continued, "The sad thing is, after child pornography doesn't satisfy, where do you go? Pornography is why sex-trafficking, sex abuse and rape are major issues, they (addicts) end up living it out, it becomes a reality."

He also advised parents to not shelter their children from "what's out there" but rather prepare them for the first time they will inevitably encounter information overload on the Internet and porn.

"You cannot protect your child from watching pornography, if you think you can, then you're the problem, mom. If you're sitting there thinking, 'I can protect my child,' then you'll end up losing them and the stats are on my side."

He added, "It's as dumb as saying, 'you can't ever listen to music,' in our culture. You can't go through life without listening to music, and now, you're not going to go through life without watching porn. Those mothers who say they're going to prepare their child will win, those who say they will protect them will lose."


--

"Give 'em heaven."  --Dallas Willard, 1935-2013

Giving Physical and Spiritual food in Bangbaset.

Giving the Bread of Life

Giving flood victims food.

Children singing to Jesus in Bangaset.

This church building was a short while ago under water. I spent time at this church during my visits to Cambodia. The church in Kampong Cham is helping the flood victims by giving the food, both physical and spiritual. They are giving them rice and Bibles. There are many youths and children in this village. Pray that these young people will grow in the understanding of their Savior through the Bibles they were given.

Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

With the Lord: Khao Kham (1919-2013)

We said good-bye today to one of our Cambodian Christian brothers, Khao Kham. Peter Im, a Cambodian Pastor shared this verse during the funeral:

John 17:3

"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

There is something about a funeral that helps us focus on what really matters. In the end just one thing matters, knowing our Lord. That is eternal life.  Khao Kham met the Lord through the Cambodian ministry in the 1980’s when we helped his family get settled in this country. His life was changed. He knew and loved Jesus Christ. He found the one thing that really matters.

During those years of ministry it was so easy to get discouraged and asked if all the work was really worth it. Yes, today I realized it was really worth it. This is because in life one thing really matters. When I took my turned to toss flowers into his open grave, I paused and thanked the Lord that he had given us the opportunity to share with Khao Kham the one thing that really matters, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Good bye for now brother Khao Kham but I will see you again when Jesus blows the last trumpet.

Cambodian Christians helping their fellow believers.

Rice being given to flood victims.

The church in Kampong Cham is helping their sister church in Tanlebit. Food is being given to needy families who have suffered from the recent flooding. Much of Cambodia is current experiencing major flooding. Pray for the people in Cambodia during this difficult time. Pray that this will be a time for the love of Christ to shine. 

It is a special thing in our Lord's sight when believers help the least of these. He counts it as if it was done to personally to him. Some day the Lord will say, "I was a flood victim in Cambodia and you gave me rice to eat." 

Matthew 25

"34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’"

New churches in Cambodia

Lvea Lur Church

Chi Yo Church

These are pictures on some new churches in Cambodia that Pastor Malay works with. A Canadian missionary, Dan McMillian has been working with Pastor Malay to help these churches. The Chi Yo church was started about a couple of years ago. I visited it on my last trip to Cambodia. The Lvea Lur church is a new church planting effort started about a couple of month ago. Pray that the gospel will spread in these villages. Pray that these new believers will be grounded in Christ. Praise the Lord for changed lives!

Don't get stuck.

Philippians 3

"10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you."

In these verse we see the source of Paul's spiritual power. He compared himself to a runner running to win the prize. What he describes is focus. His focus was on knowing Christ. That simple single focus was the source of his power. This isn't just for Paul but for all of us. Mature Christians think this way.

But why do so few of us experience this power? We get stuck. There are a couple of things that get us stuck. One is pride. We think we have arrived. When we think that we make no further progress. Paul admitted he had not arrived.

Another way we get stuck is that we focus on the past. Paul forgot what was behind. That didn't mean he did not learn lessons from the past or had to repent of the past. We know this because he describes the lessons he learned from his past life as a Pharisee earlier in the chapter. But the past wasn't his focus. Paul was interested in where he was going, not where he had been. How often do we get stuck on the past sins, hurts, or successes. We humans are creatures of habit. We keep repeating the same old patterns of the past over and over again. Albert Eistein once said that the definite of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect the same results. By focusing on Christ and all he has for us we can break out of these negative patterns of the past and move forward.

A boy named Living.

Living

This boy is named Living. He is about 8 or 9. He is the adopted son of a Cambodia Pastor named Malay. He has a remarkable story. His birth mother decided to have a late term abortion. Fortunately, the doctor botched the procedure and he was born live. He only weighted about a kilogram at birth. One of the members of the church was visiting at the hospital. A hospital worker asked her if she would take care of him and she took him to Pastor Malay's church. It seem impossible that this injured premature baby could survive. There were no incubators or modern medical equipment. The members of the church put him in the sunshine to keep him warm and fed him baby formula. And prayed. God answered their prayers. He is called Living because God gave him the gift of life. Today he is an active, healthy growing boy. He is learning English. He loves his earthly father who adopted him and his Heavenly Father who adopted him as well. As believers we know that each life is precious gift from the Creator and is a blessing and treasure from him. 

My brief career as an identity thief.

During my network security the teacher had us do an interesting, if not rather creepy exercise. She had us walk around pretending we were identity thieves. We were to talk around the PCC Sylvania campus and look for information that was out in the open that could be useful information to an identity thief. It was rather creepy realizing how much information people leave out for anyone to see. People will do online banking in a crowded library where anyone can see the computer screen. People will leave open mail including credit card and banking information on their car seats or dash boards. One car  had its window left a third way down. Inside was a pile of mail including credit card and bank statements. I could have just reached out and taken it. Even information that seems harmless like parking permit information can be useful to an identity thief. Identity thief will use seemingly harmless pieces of information to phish for more useful information. If you have your identity stolen you know now who to look for.

The empty nest.

I am feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrome. One son is off to college and a daughter is soon to move into her own place. Before Jacob left home his father Isaac blessed him: "God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful..." (Gen 28:3) This is how I am praying for my kids as they start their own lives. Isaac reminded Jacob that the God his Father Abraham would be with him to bless him. I know my God will be with my children to guide and bless them on their life journey.

God is in the recycling business.

Beautiful things.

This song reminds us that God is in the recycling business. This song is based in part on 2 Corinthians 5:15-17:

"And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation."

Christ through is death offers to make all of us new. We should never look at anyone (including ourselves) according to the flesh, that is from just a human perspective. Rather we see everyone from the perspective of what Christ can do in them. Our sin, hurts, and failures may make us feel like worn out old junk. But Christ sees us as his artistic masterpiece.