Breaking Strongholds of the Spirit World in Thailand – Prayer Day 14 – Dec 12, 2018

DAY 14 – Breaking Strongholds of the Spirit World in Thailand – December 12, 2018

I love the Thai people very much. It gives me great joy when I see one of them give their heart to Jesus. I 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. This is one of my life purposes – to join God in what He is doing to reach the Thai people with the love and message of Jesus. 

But it doesn’t stop there. That is just the beginning. It also gives me great joy when that new Thai believer begins to learn to walk with God as a disciple and follower of Jesus and begins 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 them give of their time and 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 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 the 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!!!!!

Prayer Example: “Lord, We thank You for all 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 this Christmas season so that all men could be drawn to Him. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.”

Day 13 - It is Tuesday ... But Saturday is coming - Dec 11, 2018 update

DAY 13 – It is Tuesday …. But Saturday is coming – Dec 11, 2018 

IT IS TUESDAY… BUT SATURDAY IS COMING….

Today is Day 13 of our Spiritual Adventure of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people group in and around Northern Thailand. Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus.                                                                                                                                        I love this time of year. It is a time when Christians all over Thailand will be given numerous natural ways to share the love and message of Jesus with many who have never heard. 

Every year our church – Baan Athitaan Church - takes special effort and care to make the most of the time and financial resources that God has given us to share the love and message of Jesus. We are involved in numerous outreaches and evangelistic events. We help other Christian organizations and village churches reach out to their community. Please remember to pray for all of the Christmas outreach activities that we are involved in this year but today I want to ask you to specifically pray for our single largest evangelistic event that will be happening this week. This Saturday, Baan Athitaan Church will host a program called “The Hope and Warmth of Christmas.”

  

We have no idea how many people we will have but in the last 10 years we have not had less than 300 people but never had more than 900 people. We will be doing some skits, some singing, and presentations along with various folks from our church. We have a partner church from Gulfport, MS who will be bringing a team to help us and they arrive this Friday and their Pastor named Israel will be sharing a brief Christmas message. Pray for a special move in the hearts of those who will be hearing this message of Jesus for the first time in their lives.

Following our main program, we will release everyone to go to our soccer field in front of the church where we will have food booths. It will fun, free with lots of prizes, but most importantly there will be dozens and dozens and possibly hundreds of people at this one event that will be hearing the message of the gospel for the very first time in their lives.

I would also estimate that there will be people from over 30 different unreached people groups (some of them the least reached peoples in Asia) gathered in this one place where the church of Baan Athitaan meets in front of Rajaphat University of Chiang Rai.

Prayer Example: “Lord, We want to begin our prayer with thanking you for raising up financial supporters of NTIM and for their partnership in this strategic and important Christmas Evangelistic event going on this Saturday night at Baan Athitaan Church in Chiang Rai, Thailand. We pray that You would bless all of those who will be serving and participating in this outreach especially Pastor Israel as he shares a short message from Your Word and Phet as she translates that message into Thai. May the love of Your people and the message of Your Word penetrate the hearts of the lost and draw them to Yourself. We pray that You would draw the lost to this event so that they may hear the message of your Word and interact with Your church and be impacted by Your love expressed this Saturday. May Jesus be lifted up in all that is said and done and may people from many different people groups be drawn to You. We pray this in Jesus name and for His sake. Amen.”

Day 12 - Pray for Missionaries During This Holiday Season - Dec 10, 2018

DAY 12 – December 10 – Pray for Missionaries During the Holidays

I want to thank all of you who have been praying for us and reading these updates each day. I pray that they have helped you to see what an awesome God we serve and how deeply our Lord loves all these unreached peoples living in and around Northern Thailand and how He has invited us to join Him in His great work.

Today, I want to ask you to join us in praying for a few missionaries that partner with us in a very special way on a regular basis through Grace Language School like Keith & Taran, Alexa, Glen, Jodie, Derek & Jodi, Brian, and a host of other people from our church family… like Gary and Mem, and Kim and Gahn, and Jon and Chrissy, etc….  who all serve on the field here in Northern Thailand. I think I speak for most of us when I say that this is a time of year that is a time of high emotional strain and adjustment.

We are deeply emotionally connected to our friends, our coworkers, and the people we have come here to serve in Thailand and are involved in Christmas outreach events almost every day, but our hearts also long to be with our families and friends back home and sometime our families do not understand and think we have forgotten then which is not even close to the truth. Our oldest daughter and her husband and our first two grandkids are in North Carolina. Our second daughter and her husband are serving in Bangkok and we are so thankful that they will be coming up to Chiangrai for Christmas. Our oldest son is in Atlanta and it has been are really long time since we have had Christmas together. Our youngest son Caleb will be coming home to Chiangrai, Thailand for Christmas.. yea yea yea. 

I can’t remember the last time we had Christmas together with my mom, brother, Hope’s Dad, Sisters and relatives. I would love to walk up to my mother and give her a hug and say “Merry Christmas Mom. I love you.”  I would love to go over to my brother’s house for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and have a meal and celebrate Christmas with both of our families. I would love to spend time with Hope’s Dad and sisters and their families as well. Those are desires that we have tugging at our hearts this time of year in a way that is just hard to pen. Please understand and pray for your missionaries especially those that are long term missionaries. This is the time of year that they (we) really do have struggles and they (we) really do need your love and your support. 

Pray for them - us. Yes. Pray for us earnestly. We need your prayers. But do not stop there. Write us an email. SEND US A CHRISTMAS CARD. Send us a care package. Send our children a small gift for Christmas. Make a small Christmas donation on our behalf expressing your support of our mission. Reach out to your missionaries this Christmas in a meaningful way

Prayer Example: “Lord, we thank You for raising up people who are willing to follow You wherever You lead them to go. We thank You for the Johnsons, the Lihavens, the Mays, Jodi, Brian, Glen, Alexa, and for many others who serve You in Northern Thailand. We thank You for the reminder that they really do struggle during this time of year. Please help their families understand the call You have placed on their lives and help our missionaries to stay the course and rest in Your perfect plan for their lives. Help us, Lord, not to forget them but to reach out to them in a special way this year. May You wrap each of our missionaries and their children in Your arms of love and bless them in a special way. Help us do our part in reaching out to encourage them this Christmas too. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

Day 11 - Pray for Jay - One of our Thai Staff from the HMONG UPG - Dec 9

DAY 11 – December 9 – Pray for Jay - One of our Thai Staff from the Hmong UPG

Today is Day 11 of our Season of Prayer of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), its partners, and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand. Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus.

One of the great joys that God has graciously allowed me to experience on a regular basis is the joy of seeing 1^st generation believers grow in their relationship with God and become true fishers of men and mentors for other 1^st generation believers. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”

As I write this update, I am sitting at my desk thinking about all of the discipleship and mentoring that happens through the awesome Thai staff that God has surrounded our work with. All of our 6 full time staff are 1^st generation believers and committed to evangelism and discipleship.

This is a picture of Jay. Jay is one of our key leaders who has been serving with us for many years now in several different roles. Jay serves as one of our key English teachers Grace Language School. He serves as one of our key translators for Baan Athitaan Church. He serves as one of our key Youth mentors and he serves as our key leader for our soccer outreach ministry.

Jay came to know Jesus when he was a student at Rajabhat University shortly after he began to study English with us at Grace Language School and began attending Baan Athitaan Church services. What a great joy it was for me the day Jay gave his heart to Jesus and shortly after that Jay was baptized on Oct 21, 2007 along with Nong Wan – another 1^st generation believer from the Karen PWO unreached people group. Here is a short 5 minute video clip of their baptismal service.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7c6R_dYflI

God has given NTIM great access to many different people groups and one of those people groups is the Hmong Dao of Thailand. Jay is from this people group. In the last 10 years we have taken several 3 hour trips to Jay’s home village and partnered with a small church there to help them reach out to the entire village at Christmas time. Here is another short 4 minute video clip of our trip to Huay Khu Village several years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9-XXDOWMFE

There are 37,000 Hmong Dao living in Northern Thailand but there is a total world population of this people group of over 1 million people. According to Joshua Project statistics there are some 1,422,000 living today primarily in China, Laos, and Vietnam but also a large number living in the USA.

Jay deeply loves the Lord and wants to serve Him with all his heart. Today we would ask that you join us in praying for Jay and for NTIM’s work among the Hmong people group. Let us join together in prayer.

Prayer Example: “Lord, thank You for loving us enough to send someone into our lives to tell us about the gospel. We thank You for loving Jay enough to send someone into his life to tell him about the gospel. We thank You for loving others enough to send people like Jay into the lives of others to tell them about the gospel. We want to take this moment and ask You to bless Jay in a very special way. Help him to be salt and light in all that he does. Help him as he serves You faithfully at Grace Language School and at Baan Athitaan Church. We ask that You would be pleased to use him to help reach his family, his friends, his neighbors, his own people group, and even other people groups. Thank You for his work with NTIM and how he faithfully serves You each and every day. We pray that You would give him great love and wisdom as he pours his life into discipling young university students there in Northern Thailand. We pray this in Jesus name.”

Day 10 - "Let the little Children Come to Me" - Children Outreach Every Saturday - Dec 8

DAY 10 – December 8 – Reaching Children Through Teaching ESL

Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus. Today is Day 10 Spiritual Adventure & Season of Prayer of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand. We apologize for skipping a couple of days but we are back on schedule. Thank you for your patience.

 

With that in mind, we want to ask you to join us in praying for the children in our community that we reach out and teach English too every Saturday morning at our church.  We want to especially ask that you pray for the follow fruit of our Christmas ESL program this morning. We teach English to about 45 children from Grades 1-6 every Saturday morning at Baan Athitaan Church and today we celebrated Christmas with all of these children in our special Christmas ESL program. Most of these children are from our community in Thailand and some have never heard about Jesus. This will a very special time of planting the seeds of the gospel in their hearts as we tell them the true meaning of Christmas. Please pray that God will melt their hearts and draw them to Himself.  The pictures we have included here were from our Children’s ESL Christmas program today. 

When we look at the life and teachings of Jesus, we find that Jesus honored and considered children to be very important. We often see Him teaching His disciples to be more like children in the purity of their faith sincerity in their questions about life. Do you remember the time when Jesus disciples tried to stop the children from coming to Jesus? Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14. Let’s be fair to the disciples. They really did have good intentions of not wanting these children to “bother” and “get in the way” of what Jesus was doing. The problem the disciples had is the same problem we adult have many times. We don’t see these children through God’s perspective but through our own perspective.

Prayer Example: “Lord, we thank You that You love children very much and do not see them as a bother but as an integral part of Your plan to reach the world. We thank You for all of the outreach activities that are supported through NTIM and their partners and we pray that You would open the hearts of these little ones who do not know You as they listen, many of them for the first time in their lives, to the real meaning of Christmas tomorrow. May You draw their tender hearts a little closer to You as the seeds of the gospel are planted in this fertile soil of their hearts. We pray this in Jesus name and for His glory. Amen.”

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Day 9 - Fervently Love One Another - Dec 3, 2018

“Fervently Love One Another” - Day 9 of Season of Prayer – Dec 3, 2018

Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus. Today is Day 9 of our Spiritual Adventure of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand.

Our last Prayer time focused our time of prayer on God’s Word changing the lives of people. Today we want to follow up on that concept and highlight what God says in His Word about what should be one of the main objectives of our lives.

When most people read 1 Corinthians 13 their thoughts begin to think about the husband and wife relationship but let me say very clearly that is now what the author of 1 Corinthians had in mind. The Apostle Paul was writing to the church in Corinth and explaining to them the kind of love that each of the church members should have toward one another. As followers of Jesus, we must love one another fervently. The Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 1:22 “…fervently love one another….” Jesus also said in John 13:34-35 that the whole world would know that we are followers of Jesus, not by how much we know, not by our great skills and abilities, but Jesus said they would know we are followers of Jesus by our love for one another.

As I shared with you in a previous update, “our desire is to join God is establishing a strong church that welcomes every ethnic group of people that live in our community and who comes through our doors. We are careful not to segregate ability to serve the Lord based on ethnicity or nationality but based upon gifting, calling, and heart. We are truly becoming a vibrant and active community church full of 1^st generation believers and I really believe we have the blessing of God upon us …… at this time …… in this place ….. and for His purposes and His glory.” Please join us in praying for Baan Athitaan Church and for its members to truly and genuinely express fervent love for one another.

Prayer Example: “Lord, we thank You that You are at work in Northern Thailand. We want to take a moment today and ask you to help these new believers learn the importance of fervently loving one another. Please fill them with Your Word, with Your Spirit, and with Your Love. We pray this in Jesus name.”   

God's Word Changes Lives in Thailand - Day 8 of Season of Prayer - Dec 2, 2018

Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus. Today is Day 8 of our Spiritual Adventure of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand.

For those of you who follow our ministry closely, you know well that we live in a part of the world where there has been Satanic strongholds keeping people in darkness for thousands of years. Most of the people whom we see come to Christ are the first persons in their entire family to know Jesus… but it doesn’t stop there. God is moving and desires to reach the whole family and He is doing just that … one heart at a time. God is truly changing lives through the power of His Word.

 

You have heard me say on many occasions, one of the most significant things that I do while  serving as God has shaped and gifted me is to faithfully, boldly, gently, and clearly teach God’s truth almost every Sunday morning to our church family that is made up of over 23 different people groups from all over the 10-40 Window and is also a mix of several international groups.

Our desire is to join God is establishing a strong church that welcomes every ethnic group of people that live in our community and who comes through our doors. We are careful not to segregate ability to serve the Lord based on ethnicity or nationality but based upon gifting, calling, and heart. We are truly becoming a vibrant and active community church full of 1^st generation believers and I really believe we have the blessing of God upon us …… at this time …… in this place ….. and for His purposes and His glory.

Reaching, Teaching, Discipling, Equipping, Training, and Serving people in and Around Northern Thailand through acts of love and compassion and through the teaching of God’s Word is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

Prayer Example: “Lord, we thank You that You are at work in Northern Thailand and establishing a church that has a community focus and wants to be used of you to reach into all areas of their community with the Word of God. We pray for them as they gather for worship and a time of teaching this Sunday. May you help Pastor Michael and others who preach speak the Word of God boldly and may you bless Phet and others as they translates these messages into Central Thai. We pray for Your Word to change the hearts and lives of people and help them to love You with all of their heart and to reach out and love their neighbors and be the salt and light of Jesus in that place. We pray this in Jesus name and for His sake. Amen.”