THE THAI ARMY HAS DECLARED MARIAL LAW – May 20, 2014, Please PRAY

Dear Family and Friends,

Please join Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) in actively praying for major unrest in Thailand. The Thai army declared martial law throughout the country this morning which took effect this morning at 3:00 A.M. This is a picture of the Royal Thai Army General. Prayuth Chan-Ocha as he made the announcement this morning on national television. 

 

For those of you who have followed our ministry over the years, you know that this is not the first coup that has happened during our time here in Thailand. I do not think this is a bad move but in my opinion is a positive step in the right direction to bring a little more order to the long embattled political unrest that seemed to be getting out of hand in recent days and months.

The Bible encourages us to pray for Kings and for rulers and for those in governmental positions and today we are asking all of you to please intercede for Thailand’s political unrest.

There is much chaos in this country today. The Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has recently been removed from office and the conflict and disagreements are not getting resolved. This country is deeply troubled and divided in their politics and we are asking you to please join us in praying for peace in this country.

Please keep Thailand and Thai churches in prayer during this time of great unrest. There are Thai Christians on both sides of the political conflict and sometimes Thai Christians forget that Jesus calls us to be about making peace, not creating conflict.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the Peacemakers for th ey shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9

Please join us in praying for peace, wisdom, and tolerance so that this unrest will not escalate unnecessarily.  Please also pray that Thai churches and relationships will not be broken because of political differences.  Pray that Thai Christians will be the salt and light of Jesus to bring about peace and reconciliation for this torn country we love so deeply. 

Here are some verses and thoughts to ponder as we enter a spirit of prayer. 

1Tim 2:1........Heavenly Father, We give thanks for our government.
1 Tim 2:2...........We pray for all men and women having authority over us in any way.
Prov. 1:23..........We ask You to pour out Your Spirit upon them and make Your Word known to them.
Ps 25:21........... We ask that You help them to be people of integrity.
1 Tim 2:2...........We ask that You will bless them that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty and that the work being done by Your missionaries and Your people will not be hindered.
Psalm 1:1..........We ask that You make their hearts and ears attentive to godly counsel,
2Chr 20:32.........Help them to do what is right in Your sight.
Prov. 2:21..........Let the upright dwell in our government.
Rev 2:5.............We ask that you would let this nation remember from where they have fallen, and repent and return to doing what is right.
1Chr 22:19........Help them to set their hearts to seek the You.
2Chr 7:14..........Help them to humble themselves, and pray, and turn from their wicked ways.
2Chr 7:14..........Then we ask that you hear them, O Lord, and forgive their sins and heal our land.
Isa 49:22...........We ask You to raise up a standard in this nation.
Zech 10:1..........Cause the rains of Your Spirit to flood this land.
Hab 3:2.............Revive Your work in the midst of us.
Isa 59:16...........Raise up intercessors for this nation.
Isa 40:5............And let the glory of the Lord be revealed!

Prayer Example: “Lord, we are troubled in our spirits when we hear of all the unrest in Thailand. We know that Thailand is the most thoroughly Buddhist country in the world, yet You have granted every Thai person through the King of Thailand and through the constitution the freedom to choose their own religion. What a great blessing this is to Thai people and to those who share the gospel in this country. We pray that You would cause Your people to understand that this is an opportunity for God’s people to be known for bringing peace to this troubled country. Help your people to be wise to the times and be the salt and light of Jesus and true ministers of reconciliation. We pray this in Jesus name.”   

Your Servants to the Nations in and Around Northern Thailand,

Michael for the Team

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 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, darkness is everywhere, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.

 
Reaching, Teaching, Discipling, Equipping, Training, and Serving People in God’s World through acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about

6.3 Magnitude Earthquake in Chiang Rai, Thailand - Update May 7, 2014

As one news report put it, “One person was killed and at least 25 were injured in a strong earthquake that hit North Thailand on Monday, May 5, 2014. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the northern part of the country in the Chiang Rai province at about 6:08 pm local time.”

  

Two nights ago all of us here in Chiang Rai were surprised with a severe earthquake that even today…. two days later are still feeling the after shocks. The news reported this earthquake on the severity scale of 6.3 magnitude.

Yesterday, our Staff surveyed the damage around the Mae Lao epicenter and found two villages with severe damage that we wanted to help. Most of these folks were too afraid to sleep in their homes and are currently sleeping in make shift "tents" outside. Very difficult situation for them. 

After we surveyed the damage yesterday, we decided that the Lord would be pleased if we reached out to these two villages and provided them with some food and small items for the 350 homes represented in these two villages. We then went to Makro (Thailand version of Sam's Club) and purchased food and small items for this urgent need. After filling up two truckloads of food and small items, we met several of our YOUTH who helped us put 350 bags together for the outreach we had today where we went and distributed those bags and shared that Jesus teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Here is our video update of that outreach. 

However, right now, we are in need of your help in three areas, prayer, donations, and construction/repair personnel.

Today we found out about a major need for a friend of ours, Ajarn Luka, who heads up a large outreach for the Akha people group here in Chiang Rai. After we finished our outreach to two villages this morning, we drove over to visit A. Luka and his ministry to survey the damage to their work from the earthquake. It was worse than we had anticipated.

  

Praise God that most of the children they care for have gone home for the summer so that no one was hurt. Had the children been in their dorm rooms at the time of the earthquake, no doubt several would be in the hospital today with severe injuries.

Several of the roofs of their buildings were destroyed in the quake and several walls came crumbling down. This is a Christian ministry that cares for and helps house and provide education opportunities for over 100 children from the Akha people group in Chiang Rai. 

School starts back for the new year here on Friday, May 16 and all of these 100+ kids will be returning on May 14 which really gives Ajarn Luka only 1 week to make urgent and temporary repairs simple to be able to receive the children. Continual repairs will take several months to complete. If you know of someone with “repair” skills that can come and help Ajarn Luka with this urgent need, please write me and I will put you in contact with him.

We still have no idea how much it will cost for his repairs but there is quite a bit of damage. If you would like to make a donation to NTIM’s Disaster Relief fund, please do so by sending a check to NTIM, PO Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA or you can donate on line at www.gontim.org. We will be taking a large portion of what we do receive in the next several days and help this partner ministry out with some of his urgent needs. Thank you for praying about giving to our disaster relief fund which has now been fully depleted after helping these two villages this morning with our outreach. We also would really like to be able to bless Ajarn Luka with a good donation to his ministry for these repairs.

Thanking you for your support of NTIM and our desire to take the love and light of Jesus into this very needy part of God’s World where less than 1% of the population know Jesus as their personal Savior but where GOD is building His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail over it.

Your Servants to the Nations in and Around Northern Thailand,

Michael for the Team

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 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, darkness is everywhere, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.

Reaching, Teaching, Discipling, Equipping, Training, and Serving People in God’s World through acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

TWO URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS FROM NORTHERN THAILAND – May 5, 2014

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus from Northern Thailand. We are seeing God’s hand at work right here in the heart of South East Asia changing peoples lives. Today we come to you and ask for you to join us in prayer with two very important, urgent and specific requests.

PRAYER REQUEST 1: CLARITY ON GOD’S LEADERSHIP WITH A PIECE OF LAND we are looking at purchasing.

As many of you know, God has been at work in the hearts of God’s people and God’s churches and NTIM has received over $135,000 designated for the purchase of Land. We are well on the way to having the finances needed to purchase much needed property but we need your prayers for the piece of land God has designed for us and then the follow up of construction.

We have been very active in looking for a piece of land and have found only one piece of land that we are interested in at this point but the owner does not want to break up the property and sell only 2 Rai (2.5 rai = 1 acre) to us but wants to sell all of the property (total of 6 Rai) to one buyer. We all feel good about this piece of land but do not have the necessity nor the money to purchase all 6 Rai of land. This land is within 2 kilometers of our current location and would be only 2 kilometers from Rajaphat University where we have a very large university outreach. It is also only 5 kilometers from Mae Fah Luang University where we also have a very large university outreach ministry. We feel good about this piece of property but WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS. 

Many times God’s will is very clearly spelled out in His Word. However, other times, like this time, we need to make a decision based on our perception of God’s leadership with regard to this property. We are at a place where we are asking you to pray with us that if this is the property God has for us, that God would work in the owner’s heart to be willing to sell the land in two parts and allow us to buy the 2 Rai of land that we need. We want to ask you to pray first and then, after we have all prayed, we will contact the owners and see if God has changed their heart. I am reminded of the passage in Proverbs 21:1 that says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

PRAYER REQUEST 2: WISDOM IN PREPARING AND TEACHING GOD’S WORD ON SUNDAYS AT BAAN ATHITAAN CHURCH here in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

As I write this update, I just finished delivering my 2nd message yesterday in our new series of messages called "Transformed by God's Word." We are looking at some of the most important and critical verses in the Bible that should be a regular part of our thought processes regardless of our cultural background.

Sunday a week ago, we looked at doing everything without grumbling and complaining from Philippians 2:14. Here is an audio version of the message if you would like to listen. It is in both English and Thai. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut2LhSeUiow

Yesterday our focus verse was Psalm 19:14 which is really a prayer that says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Here is an audio version of that message if you would like to listen. It is in both English and Thai as well. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVzzOiBOtQ8

It has been good to get back into the habit of memorizing and meditating on God's Word in a fresh way.

Please pray that God will give me insight into His Word, insight into how to apply it to my life, and insight into how to communicate it with others on Sundays over the next couple of months.

Some of you who do not know us well may not know that our work here in Northern Thailand is very culturally diverse with over 23 distinct, identifiable people groups that make up our church body and makes our church truly a "community church" in Northern Thailand. I really do need God's insight and wisdom as I seek to teach God's Word to over 23 different cultural/ethic/people groups and lead out flock to be the salt and light of Jesus in this very needy part of God’s world.

As I reflect on God’s Work here over the last 12 years in Northern Thailand, I am reminded that God has chosen to use a small group of people living in Chiang Rai to start a new work of making disciples of hundreds of people, most of whom are 1st generation believers. Most of these1st generation believers we have seen come to Christ are normally the first people in their entire families to become followers of Jesus.

What started as a small group of 8 believers in our home some 12 years ago has blossomed into a growing, thriving, community focused and purpose driven church made up of people from over 23 identifiable people groups and involved in outreach/evangelistic ministries related to teaching English, caring for those affected by HIV/AIDS, caring and ministering to various children’s homes, reaching out to the community and neighboring countries, and most importantly very committed to making disciples of all the nations God brings across our path.

We are very grateful for the partners and friends that God has surrounded us with including our partnership with various churches, and individuals all over the world who support NTIM, the Johnson family and their team of Thai partners in Northern Thailand.

Would you please take a moment and pray for our two urgent requests of 1) Sensing God’s leadership regarding land, and 2) Praying that God will give me insight as I teach God’s Word to over 23 different people groups each Sunday at Baan Athitaan Church.

Thank you for your love and for your prayers.

Until the nations in and around Northern Thailand know Him,

Michael

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58