God has made a beautiful island in Bali – and folks are a lot more open for us in sharing with them the great Gospel of our God.  Many conversations by different team members have taken place, challenging locals (and foreign vacationers) in their current worldview and religions.  It has been much more receptive here than in Java.

The time has flown by – and as you can tell – we’ve had very limited internet access comparative to when we were in Surabaya.  I wish I could have posted more as the days sped along – but it just wasn’t possible.

I look forward to posting pictures, stories, and testimonies about our trip in the near future.  We will be leaving tonight at 8PM to Singapore (only a few hour flight), spending the night, then leaving in the morning at 9 AM – flying to Seoul, South Korea – then on to San Francisco on Monday night.  Because we’re crossing back over the international date line – we’ll be actually in the air 30 – 40 hours.

Pray for our health in the return – and pray for our spiritual health as we return back to our daily routines.  Many of these “mountain top” experiences lead us to know God more – and also to forget many things along the way.  Pray that we’d remember the faces, lessons, and lives that we’ve shared time with in these two weeks.

It’s the same Jesus that saves – To those who are faithful in America (and everywhere else for that matter) to preach the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ – that man is desperately lost and dead in sin, and that only by the mighty blood of Jesus can one be brought from death to life – to you I say “press on”.  It’s the same Jesus that saves in Indonesia that it is in America.

It’s the same sin – The sin in Indonesia is no different than America – the same lusts, the same envy, the same idolatry, the same false religions.  Praise be to God that our Jesus is Mighty To Save.

It’s the same “secularization” - Muslems here are no different than the ones who call themselves Christians back home, but are not saved.  Calls to prayers come out of the mosques – people walk by without a care.  They care not about their own religion for the most part – they are “cultural muslems” – STRANGE.  These are ones that are not fanatical for their religion - they just “go with the flow”.  I see a strange similarity with those who say they are Christians in America, but are actually unbelievers. Bizarre.

It’s the same devil – The devil is alive and well.  He is here, and his influence is great.  I felt the “oppressiveness” of this darkness when stepping into the courtyard of the largest mosque in Java and opening my Bible to John 14:6 and pointing it at the building.  There was nobody who saw me – but never-the-less, I believe in the supernatural nature of the Word of God – so I opened it to the exclusiveness of Jesus and pointed it at the darkness.

It’s the same materialism – Materialism is great here – this is why America is idolized – 80’s music is filtered through the stores, advertisements everywhere, etc.

It’s the same salvation – Jude 3 makes this clear. I am encouraged by the brethren here.  It costs much to be “fanatical” about Jesus in this place.  I’ve seen a stage 3 Cervical Cancer lady shaking and weeping with pain point to the sky and say “Yesus” (Jesus).  He is her only hope.  I’ve seen a Christian man who is faithful to His Lord being married to a Muslem wife, praying for her salvation, but also faithful to her in the marriage.  I’ve seen the Spirit of Christ in the ones who sacrificially gave to us gifts and lavished upon us the blessings of Christ Jesus.  We are saved the same way – all of us – to the person.  The road is low to the cross – you MUST be on your face in humility and repentance.  I’ve seen these qualities in the brethren, and I am SO thankful for this common salvation that we share.

American Christianity exported to Indonesia is not at all Biblical Christianity.  Folks look up to us - like we’re rock stars because we come from America.  We had to tell them that most of America is lost and going to hell.  We had to straighten out some preconceived notions about true, authentic, biblical Christianity – to follow hard after Jesus, pressing in to the cross!

Pray that we will have opportunities to preach to folks in the malls – and in the marketplaces.  God, help us be bold as lions and harmless as doves.

Josh was able to get out and about yesterday after visitation and share a lot more openly than we’ve been able to since we’ve been here.  He met a few folks and when they asked why he was here, he said that he was sharing about Jesus Christ with his “friends”.  It led to some dialog from there.  Continue to pray for these opportunities for not only Josh, but the rest of the team – that these conversations may work itself into more than just salutations.  At the name of Jesus – Josh said that the fellow kind of backed away a bit.  Islam very much has its grips on folks here.

The couple we met yesterday (before I had to utilize their facilities) revealed that the man had been converted for a number of years, and the wife still Muslem.  The man is faithful to come to church, but the wife will not.  She is holding on to the faith of her childhood in a dead religion.  Pray for the light of the Gospel to shine forth into her heart.

A Muslem nurse came to tend to Earl with a Christian doctor.  The nurse was overwhelmed by Earl’s demeanor and Christ-like love.  Pray that this nurse will be converted to the Light of all Life. 

Don’t worry about Earl – we’ve been able to get an IV put into him yesterday, and he turned around quickly.  He’s doing MUCH, MUCH better as of last night.  I didn’t go out last night to try and save energy up for this morning, and thus, spent several hours with Earl.  He was very much a new man last night.  Just pray that we all will stay away from whatever food-borne illnesses that seem to have sidelined us. 

Pray for this morning (it’s now 5:15 AM Sunday).  This is the “crescendo” of the meetings, and many will hear the Gospel.  Pray that Muslems walking by the churches with their doors open will stop in and hear about the exclusiveness of Jesus.

That’s all for now – I’ll write again soon and catch you up.

proselytize: intransitive verb 1 : to induce someone to convert to one’s faith 2 : to recruit someone to join one’s party, institution, or cause

In Indonesia it’s illegal to do this.  We’re doing the next best thing – going to the local coffee shop and preaching to each other.  Opening the Word of God and loudly proclaiming to each other that Jesus is the one True God – and all else is false.  Reading scripture and reasoning about passages about the Lord Jesus.  Praying that these around us would not just stare and whisper but come to us and engage.  Trusting God that He will use seeds and the mighty strength of the Word of God to draw folks to Himself.

We received glares, pictures were taken of us, furtive glances.

We smiled.  We spoke louder about our God. 

Pray for these encounters.  Pray that someone will come up to us as we discuss loudly our Savior and Lord.  We’re going to recruit another from our team to help “be loud” with us.

Indonesia on Friday and Saturday: (6:30 PM – preaching probably around 7:15PM): 7:15 PM is 6:15 AM Central Standard time Friday and Saturday morning.

Indonesia on Sunday: (9:00 AM -  preaching probably around 10:00 AM): 10:00 AM is 9:00 PM Saturday night for Louisiana.

• I was leaning to far to my left/forward/right/back.
• I must have pushed on the towel rack to make the numbers go up.
• The scale HAS to be wrong – it’s measuring some new-fangled pounds, not the American pounds that we’re accustomed to.

When going out of the bathroom, our hostess assured me that the scale was indeed correct, much to my chagrin.

I went walking this morning, praying as I was going – thinking about the sin of gluttony.  How much do I trivialize this particular sin?  We kind of wink at it, and go about stuffing our faces with more and more of “the kings delicacies”.  A quick trip through Nave’s Topical gives me the following passages on the subject of gluttony:

Proverbs 23:20-21 warns us, “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”  (WAIT – haven’t I been tired a lot lately???)
Proverbs 28:7 declares, “He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.”
Proverbs 23:2 proclaims, “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.”  (What?  PUT A KNIFE TO YOUR THROAT!!!!!!)

Wow…convicting.  How much time do we spend on dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, and yet neglect this very sin.  It’s been my personal experience to wink at this particular sin of mine, and let it go rampant.  I’m reminded that through my belly my lusts are fulfilled.  When I can’t control my food intake, my self-control in other areas are indeed stunted.

What God has called good (food, wine, sex), man always seems to get out of whack.  Where moderation is the key – we either go overboard into gluttony or drunkenness, or call it evil.  Too many Christians will call drinking a glass of wine (and yes, enjoying it) a sin, then turn and go to a buffet and actually COMMIT the sin of gluttony while looking down their noses at those who aren’t even sinning!!  We are indeed an evil bunch.

I need much cleansing spiritually and physically.  May the God of heaven give me the motivation to do so in preparation for this Indonesia mission trip.  Let me not hold back the kingdom’s advancement!  Let me not deny my Christ by winking at my sin, and calling evil “good”.

Why then, do I get kind of worked up over some notes a brother sent me after attending one of the “prep” meetings?  Perhaps because of the two innocuous statements that are in the note:

Getting in shape is a must due to the long days and much walking.

Walking shoes are needed.  If new ones are bought, get now and break in.

Hmmm….will my back hold up?  (I have a herniated disk in my L4-L5 that flares up on occasion).  Will I be dead weight and slow things down?   Hmmm…much prayer is needed.  In the meantime, much preparation is needed also.  The statement “Getting in shape is a must….” is the statement that kind of rubs me a bit.  My prayer is that I can get motivated to knock off the belly fat and strengthen the “weakened knees”.  Reminds me of the text:

Hebrews 12:12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

This is in the context of church discipline…but definitely needed in my physical body. 1 Timothy also reminds me:

4:7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Yes – I must get shape physically – as well as spiritually (which is most important)…..I’ve been very neglectful in praying for this trip – the people that will be hearing the Gospel, and for my brothers and sisters that will be accompanying me.