SUNDAY SCRIPTURE (MATTHEW 13:53-58)

And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Matthew 13:53-58 (ESV)

HOW TO SHRINK YOUR CHURCH AND BE EXCITED ABOUT IT

After Jesus had fed the five thousand, many came after Him and desired to make Him king. Jesus knew that the only reason these people came after Him was because of the bread. (John 6:26) It makes sense. Here was a man that could take care of all of their needs. No more toiling in the dirt. No more worrying about where their next meal will come from. Hakuna Matata! Instead of gathering a large following, Jesus began to teach them difficult truths. In fact, these teachings were so disturbing to the crowds, that they all left. Even many of Jesus' disciples had enough and took off. (John 6:66)

The modern day Church should take a close look at this passage from John. Jesus was not trying to build a large following. Today's Christian leaders see dynamic growth as a sign that God is blessing a Church. A pastor is worth his salt once his congregation has reached Mega Church status. (I think the number is around 2000 nowadays, but don't take my word for it.) Even then, the pressure is on for continued and sustained growth. A church with 10,000 members is no longer an anomaly.

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE (PSALMS 103)

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

FURTHERING YOUR EDUCATION WHILE ON MISSION

It has been a while since my last post. That is because over the past two weeks I was busy in Bangkok taking two seminar classes. One was on the book of Daniel, while the other was on World Religions. Though it was an intensive two weeks, it had the benefit of being intellectually stimulating as well.

Being a missionary and continuing your education doesn't always mix. Fortunately, there are some schools that are looking out not only for missionaries, but for nationals as well. I am currently working on my masters through Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, ABTS. (If you are a Thai national who does not want to study in English, I recommend Bangkok Bible Seminary, BBS.) This is something I do twice a year. While it takes me away from my family and mission work, it provides the opportunity to further my Biblical education in order to serve the Thai people more adequately.