Category: news-archive

We flew to from Chennai, India to Bangkok, Thailand, and then took another flight from there to Nakhon Phanom.  As providence would have it, we arrived in time to take part in a combined worship service of the newly organized conference of churches, of which our church is a part.  Missionary John Middlewood had asked me a few weeks ago to prepare a short talk, and I had sent it to him to write up a translation, so he read from the translation after each sentence or two.  This was not the first time I preached with an interpreter, but I think it might be the first time that we both had manuscripts. 

Here is what I said:

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NET).

Brother John asked me to share with you a few weeks ago, and I was eager to do so. But when I began preparing for this short talk, I wondered what I could say in just a few short minutes that would be significant. We only have a short time in this life. We should not waste it.

I finally decided to talk about the gospel message, and to use a very familiar scripture: John 3:16. I know you have all heard the words before. I don’t want to teach you something that is new. I would rather encourage you by focusing on the things we all know are true.

First, I want to remind you that God loves the world he created. He has never stopped loving us. Just as a father never stops loving his child, God never stops loving us. The Lord has blessed me with three children, and now four grandchildren. The older I get, the more I take delight in my children and grandchildren. I cannot imagine anything that would keep me from loving them. If anything, my love for them grows the more I get to know them.

God is the same way. Even though sin has changed this planet, God still loves it, and has a plan for it. He wants to renew and transform this world. He wants human beings to inherit that renewed earth. He wants to keep knowing and loving people for eternity in that renewed earth. But sin had to be dealt with before the renewal could take place.

That is why God lovingly gave his only Son. Jesus is the only person qualified to take care of our sin problem. The ancient Greeks used a fish as a symbol for Jesus. Their word for fish is pronounced ichthus, and it spells out an acrostic that stands for the words “Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior.” Many Christians today still use this symbol to remind them of Jesus. He alone could rescue our planet and its people.

But saving the world required that Jesus go to the cross, and die as our substitute. The wages of sin is death, so Jesus willingly allowed himself to die, even though he had not sinned. The Bible teaches that Jesus made peace by the blood of his cross.[1] His death bought us another chance to live. Jesus was raised from the dead, never to die again.

Jesus offers us eternal life. One day he will come again, and all people will stand before him as judge. He will determine who lives forever, and who will perish forever. All he asks is that we believe in him. If we choose to reject him, he will be forced to reject us. If we dare to believe in him today, he will accept us into his eternal kingdom tomorrow.

Some Christians have been called to go to the ends of the earth to share this gospel message of eternal life. Others are called to go home and share this good news to their families and friends. All of us have been challenged by Jesus to make disciples for him wherever we are, and wherever we go.

LORD Jesus, thank you for showing your love to us by dying on the cross to save us from eternal death. Thank you for the promise of eternal, resurrection life. Remind us to take advantage of the time you give us for sharing the gospel. Forgive us for all the time we have wasted in other pursuits. Show us new and effective ways that we can share your gospel to our neighbors who do not yet know you.

Jefferson Vann

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[1] Colossians 1:20.

It is an old, abandoned, run-down building, meant for greater things, but neglected and discarded.  It illustrates the depth of the disappointment I felt yesterday.  Not all the news on the field is going to be good news.  We all know that, but it is still discouraging when we discover that things have not all turned out right.  Missions work involves people, and people (even church leaders) sometimes disappoint you.  When that disappointment also means shame upon God’s name and his kingdom, it hurts all the worse.

Some of the disappointments we feel are due to clear attacks of the enemy.  For example, two of the ministries we heard from yesterday are being seriously compromised by new government regulations.  One couple had to abandon their dream to work as foreign missionaries because the target country will not allow it.  They still hope to go some day, but we cannot send them. Another ministry has literally saved the lives of almost 200 babies, condemned to be sacrificed to a village’s goddess.  Now, the government is telling the ministry’s leader that he must pay a large fee for each child he has rescued.  The angels weep.

Many of the men and women we talked to yesterday were suffering from serious setbacks, and had all kinds of problems.  It was hard not to be discouraged along with them.  In the end, all we could do was pray with them, and promise to share their stories with others who can also pray. We wished we could solve their problems.  But today is a new day.  Those same courageous men and women are going back to work, determined to serve the LORD in spite of the disappointments they face.  They are heroes of the faith.  The world is not worthy of them.

I was sharing with a group of pastors this morning.  These men (and one lady) live in a different world from me.  I wanted to be an encouragement to them, and to let them know that people are praying for them, and want to know more about them so that they can pray. But I did not know how to connect with them. I spoke of a young mother in Georgia (for example).  I described how she has very little money, and very little time, but she wants to spend some of that time praying for them.

I asked them if they were parents, and most raised their hands confirming that they were.  I told them that parenthood is an opportunity that God gives us to display his kind of love – a selfless, sacrificing love, where the needs of children are put before those of the parents.  I shared from John 15:17 that Jesus commands us to have that kind of love for each other. I could tell from their eyes that the message was getting through.  It is a challenge to love people like that, but that is what Jesus wants of us.

Later this afternoon, Ernie and I got to see God’s kind of love demonstrated to kids who had no parents.  We visited the Shelter Trust orphanage where over 30 young children are cared for.  These kids have lost their parents to AIDS, and are HIV positive themselves.  Solomon, the manager of Shelter Trust says that the team of workers seek to provide these children with three things: love, laughter, and life. 

The success can be seen in the smiles of these wonderful kids, and their drive to succeed in whatever they do.  These kids are living the miracle of a life with a purpose.  They are not letting their problems keep them from enjoying life, and that joy is actually prolonging their lives.  Solomon shared that one of the needs of Shelter Trust is a new place to house their older boys, who, at age 17 will no longer be allowed by the Indian government to live with the other orphans.  When Shelter Trust originally began the orphanage, they didn’t imagine that any of the children would live that long. Now they have four or five boys who will soon be 17.

Solomon gave us a tour of the orphanage, including the rooms for the kids.  They were small rooms with no furniture, except for shelves where the kids’ belongings were stored.  We saw none of the high-priced toys that kids in some parts of the world think they need to be happy.  But what we did see is that the staff and volunteers selflessly sacrificed to give these kids parents who love them.  The kids have quality life, and have been introduced to Christ so that they can have the hope of eternal life. Kids need that – and so do their parents.

Finally, a moment when I am both awake and have wifi! This has been an eventful trip. We visited a gazillion churches, a pastor’s conference, ministries to students, factory workers, and to the homeless. We took pictures, recorded video interviews, and had lots of conversations using translators. We ate many kinds of Japanese food, some Filipino food, but also enjoyed some Mcdonalds and Subway. We had tears and laughs. After all is evaluated, I don’t think we will have accomplished every one of our objectives for the trip, but we did begin a number of new relationships, and cemented many old ones. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us, and to those who helped provide for us.