Anyone who knows me knows that I
love the Thai people very much. It gives me great joy when I see one of them
open up their mind and give their heart to Jesus. God has given me the
opportunity to have seen hundreds of Thai people give their hearts to Jesus and
many of them become the first person in their entire family to be a follower of
Christ. Think about this. Thailand is the most thoroughly Buddhist countries in
the world today with over 100 different unreached people/language groups and 99
out of every 100 people are lost without a personal relationship with our great
Savior Jesus. Thailand doesn’t just have a 100 people, not just 1000 people,
and not just 10,000 people, but over 60 million people who are lost in
darkness. This is one of the reasons God sent our family here over 26 years
ago. One of God’s purposes for my life is – to join God in what He is doing to
reach the Thai people with the love and message of Jesus and help them to become
followers of Jesus and then to become “fishers of men” as well. We need your
help to do this.
As I sit
down to write this prayer update, I am thinking of the wonderful Songkran
Celebration in our church service last Sunday. The Songkran holiday is known by
many as the “water festival” of Thailand but it goes so much deeper than that.
It is the “Thai” new year where the “elders” in the family are honored by
pouring water over the hands of the older person and words of blessing are then
exchanged with one another. It was a very warm and moving time for our church
family that is truly an ethnically mixed group of people. Here are a few of my
favorite pictures from yesterday.
Another
one of God’s purposes for my life is – to join God in what He is doing to help
these new first generation followers of Jesus to learn to walk with God as a
disciple and follower of Jesus and begin to share their faith with others and
lead others to Christ and learn what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 4:19,
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It gives me great joy to see so many of these
new believers growing in their faith and beginning to mentor new believers.
But let
me be very clear today about a very critical subject I want to ask you to pray
about.
There are many strongholds that
have kept the Thai people from Jesus for thousands of years. Some of these
strongholds are thought patterns. Some of these strongholds are traditions and
practices that have been handed down from one generation to another. Some of
these strongholds are related to cultural norms that are in conflict with the
teachings of the Bible. And some of these strongholds are related to the very
real spirit world that is very active in this part of God’s world.
Think
with me for just a moment about what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12
when he said, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Friends
and prayer partners, please understand that the battle over the hearts and
minds of the millions of people here in Thailand from some of the least reached
people groups in the world is not a battle over flesh and blood at all… but a
battle with the spirit world that most do not see. These spirits and forces of
evil have kept the Thai people from the love and knowledge of Christ for far
too long. The time has come for the light of Jesus to shine brightly in this
part of God’s world. It is time for God’s people to pray for the release of the
minds and hearts of Thai people so that they can turn to our great SAVIOR! Let
us pray, let us give, and let us go and work in the fields that are ripe!!!!!
Prayer Example: “Lord, We thank
You for each of the missionaries living in Thailand and especially those
supported through NTIM and partnering with NTIM who are committed to making
disciples from some of the least reached people groups in Asia. We also thank
You for the reminder that our battle with darkness is not between flesh and
blood but with the rulers of darkness. We pray that You would raise up more
workers for the harvest and that you might be pleased to remove the blindness
over the Thai people’s heart and help them to be open to the “good news which
is for all people.” Help us Lord to pray fervently, to give generously, and to
be willing to join you in your work of breaking the strongholds set against the
gospel among the peoples of Thailand. May Jesus be lifted up in Northern
Thailand in a special way during this Easter season so that all men could be
drawn to Him. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.”
May God
bless each of you for your prayers and your gifts given in the name of our
great Savior Jesus Christ. Until all the people living in and around Northern
Thailand have a chance to become followers of the One True God and His Son
Jesus Christ.
Michael
for the team…
“For we
do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your
bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5
———————————————————–
Financial
support can be given through NTIM….
Northern
Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA Main
Website: www.gontim.org
NTIM is
a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in the USA. We are
committed to connecting people in need with people who care and are focused in
the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, education is low, needs are
great, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the love and
message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.
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