Mar 29
Wes GeorgeUncategorized
Please forgive me for not keeping the blog up to date especially since we have been on this trip. The internet is paid for by the minute and we have been exceptionally busy. The internet is slow also which has prevented sending photos and videos that we have attempted at a few windows of time. Lisa and I are docked in Haifa, Israel at the moment and about to head by ship to Ashdod, Israel tonight. I was invited to do a set of 7 lectures on The Life and Teachings of Paul. We flew into Rome and then sailed to Savona, Italy to pick up some more passengers and then off to Katolona, Greece where we shuttled to Olympia for sightseeing. We docked this morning in Haifa and have traveled through Galilee to Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum, and the Mount of the Beatitudes. Off to Jerusalem tomorrow.
We are praying that God will bless this time and give me a greater insight into His word by walking where Christ walked and seeing where Paul did his ministry. It is amazing to consider the terrain and the journeys of those of the first century. Their commitment to their mission was unquestioned. The call to follow was extreme. What also is significant is that Jesus Christ will return to this exact location one day and place His feet on the Mount of Olives. What an amazing event to anticipate. There is no more significant place on this planet for a believer in Christ than this piece of land where God chose to touch down in human flesh and live His entire earthly life and has promised to return to this earth in exactly this same place.
In the past, I have taken time away from the pulpit and the local ministry to obey the Great Commandment to go and make disciples of all the nations. I still believe that this is right and has been right for me. It is amazing to me that someone like me who has been a pastor twenty years and been to some of the other places in the world has never been where I am today. In some ways, I feel a little embarrassed, a little ignorant. . .but on the other hand, I am asking for God to use this in His ministry through me to cause my preaching and study to go to another level or dimension because of “walking where Jesus walked.”
As I lecture, I am speaking from study and not first hand experience of being in these places. Hopefully, God will give me an opportunity or opportunities to return. A seed has been planted in my mind that this may become a part of the ministry of building up the saints. I hope so. It is amazing of the group on this trip. Many are solid followers of Christ to be for sure. But I have also been made aware of several people who are not yet followers of Christ, senior adults who came on this trip who have not yet personally received Christ as Savior and Lord. So in that measure, I do have an unique opportunity to continue on this journey to make disciples of all nations. We look forward to being back home soon. Until next time. . ..
Feb 15
Wes GeorgeUncategorized
The title is totally misleading, because the Epic Journey continues every day for a follower of Jesus. This week of international travel is coming to a close. I am sitting in the London airport typing this entry.
Yesterday was great going up into the tallest building in the world, sharing a meal with the Caubbles and the Phillips. We also went riding the dunes which created some nausea for me. Hard to believe that I made it to and through India eating with my hands Indian style Indian food fine and I get sick riding in a land rover over sand dunes. While out on the sand dunes, we located 5 camels. Mike Shivley actually got one of them to eat grass out of his hand. I video recorded on my iphone. I always thought Mike had that look and smell and now I now, it is camel. It was also great to reconnect with Vivek, Esther’s brother. He is working in Dubai as a Mechanical Engineer living in an upper end labor camp. He share with me how John and Kevin have encouraged him and really given him an opportunity and a platform to share the gospel. You can imagine being a young 20 something, single moving to new country and living here for 10 months and not really knowing anyone. Praise God for His sovereign plan. I step back in awe and emotion as I consider how God has so orchestrated His plan from me meeting Ramesh 13 years ago. A 20 year old single guy who translated and pretty much carried my bags as I traveled through Karnataka. I could have gone to 11 different destinations in India but this was where God ordained for me to travel because of His desire to reach Bania people and use Ramesh and for him to marry Esther so her brother when he moved to Dubai would be able to connect with John for the purpose of reaching multitudes in labor camps. John needed a translator, Vivek needed encouragement and an outlet for ministry, and God does not need anything. . .it just pleased Him to do it. Hallelujah! Back to the story. . .
Last night, Dubai time, Mike Shivley and I had the opportunity to see first hand the ministry that John Caubble is doing. We have had a couple of guys who came over earlier to share in this incredible opportunity. We saw as many as 12-15 men stand among their peers (about 100) in two different rooms and say that they wanted to follow Jesus and give Him complete control of their life. What is really neat is that next Wed. night a storying group will begin in the same camp telling more stories of the Bible. Based on their past experience, Kevin and John, believe that all the men who were serious about their commitment to Christ will be back next week for the storying group plus a large group of others who are very interested. I was in Kevin’s group and he did a great job of interacting with the men and asking them questions about the stories that were told about the Gadarean demoniac and Zaccheus. These guys have a big strategy that has already spread over into India in the villages. I am been impressed with the plan of discipleship that Kevin has designed and is continuing to design.
Ramesh and our Bania strategy is also going well as evidenced by the baptisms and the number of leaders being trained. The same is true today as in the day of Jesus, The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Our role is to train, encourage, provide tools to nationals who can tell this Epic Story to their own peoples. So one of our major strategies is what Jesus said, Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that He might send forth laborers. We certainly need laborers to join our brothers and sisters internationally, but the greater need is for nationals to be sent into the harvest field. In the same way that nationals are sent into their harvest fields; we nationals in the U. S. likewise are responsible to go into our harvest fields in the U. S.
We will have unlimited opportunities for partnerships all over the world. We will need wisdom in how partner with resources that God entrusts to us. The recession is global and many fine mission ministry opportunities are competing for the same funding. I am pleased in how God is leading us. I certainly wish we could partner with more people and even more substantially with our current partners. That’s the challenge and the difficulty. But it is a journey and not a mortgage payment. God desires relationship and obedience above everything else. Personally, individually, and collectively as the church; we must strive to hear His voice and obey. .. and by the way, He has been saying pretty much the same thing these past 200 years, 2000+ years.. .He is redeeming for Himself a people and He invites us to join Him. If you do not hear Him saying that then you are not listening (to Him at least). . . I look forward to being in my bed tonight (although it is night there now) and the pulpit that God has privileged me to occupy these past almost nine years. Until next time. . .
Feb 12
Wes GeorgeUncategorized
Today is the last day in Southeast Asia. It has been a great trip, maybe my best ever at least as good as any I can remember. It has been a whirlwind. Physically, it was the best and I actually ate cultural food every meal (a bucket of KFC on the table at one along with other). Yesterday was spent at the Kolar Gold mines where Ramesh was raised. He is greatly respected everywhere but especially there. He has been instrumental in raising the standard of living in that village through his partnership with FBCR and the relationships he has here. The provision of the well and now the monthly feeding of the widows has led to many in that village to receive Jesus Christ. There are actually Hindus who assist some with the distribution to the widows because they have seen the care of Jesus through His followers. Ramesh champions the work there and among the UUPG under the umbrella of want he has called “First Mission.” The objective of the ministry is evangelism, church planting, ministry to widows and orphans. I think that is pretty good strategy.
This morning we visit and I will speak at 2 house churches (actually the combination of multiple house churches at 2 different locations). After that, we fly to join the Caubbles and Phillips for an upclose look at what God is doing in their lives.
We are blessed to be able to see first hand the heart of God for His glory through His people. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. It is easy to see that God is not an American or English when you get outside your comfort zone. As a matter of fact, 300 million out of way over 6 billion is only 5% of the population. We are greatly out numbered. Some people mistakenly think that Americans are the remnant and that we should just hold on to the rapture in our holy huddle. But the reality is that God in less than 250 years has blessed a group of believers with more resources of finances and biblical training than any group in the history of the world. For what? It should be obvious. Let me help in case you need it. So this group of people could fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of “ALL” nations. We are the most equipped people that have every been on the planet. We bemoan the challenges of the church in America and they are considerable. Yet, God still has a large group of His people who have access to resources of finances and training that no other part of the world has access to at this time. I do think the clock is ticking on our door way of opportunity to get in on what God is doing. It is obvious that the best strategy is for nationals to reach their own people. On this trip, to this point, our training has been among those who are believers. But what we have seen is the result of our investment of encouragement and resources to provided some basic needs, that the gospel has been shared by national partners who have seen a bountiful harvest of hundreds coming to Christ. This is not a mass evangelism crusade but in small groups and relationships where they are continuing to grow. I have to go. Where in the world do they have hotel check out at 7:00 am? Where I am staying, that’s where. Until next time. . .
Feb 11
Wes GeorgeUncategorized
Yesterday was a great time of fellowship with Tony and Stephany who left our staff to come to SE Asia. We were able to deliver two suitcases full of stuff that they cannot easily get here. We will continue to pray and love this great family. God is using them in a mighty way to reach UUPGs in this area. Living here is difficult in the day to day and especially the spiritual darkness is overwhelming at times.
We were able to speak to the church planters and leaders last night. It is interesting all the cultural differences. The men sit on the left of the speaker and the women on the right. I counted right at 25 men present and probably about 20 women who were there wives. As in our country, most of our meetings have had significantly more ladies than men except this one. These are passionate people. I sensed the best connection in my speaking in this session. Mike shared about giving financially to these leaders (I need to get him to share that back home). He sang beautifully again also. I shared what a church planter should be personally from 1 Thessalonians 2 then I shared what a church should look like from Acts 2:41-47. We shared a meal together following the training. Our time is widing down here as we go to the gold fields today to share with widows that are regularly fed through the ministry of FBCR. Many of these widows have come to faith in Christ through this real physical need outreach. This is also the home region of our friend and partner Ramesh. There will be a considerable drive for us today travelling to and from that location. On these highways, prayer is highly recommended and a necessity.
There are many reasons for coming on this trip. Some of it is personal life touch. Some of it is to visually access our investment. I can say as one who by nature assesses and evaluates the bottom line that your investment here will produce the kind of rewards that moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal. Of the many great causes that we champion for the sake of the Gospel, this is certainly one that is comprehensive, effective, and makes a difference. Better go for now. .. until next time. More
Feb 10
Wes GeorgeUncategorized
Today’s entry will not have the humor as yesterdays. I mentioned on twitter that we were 2 hours late getting starting and attributed that to culture, flexibility, and traffic in my mind. The reason for the delay was that one of the church planters along with 40 of his members were detained overnight in the police station. They were one of the two buses that did not make it to the baptism. They were detained until 3:00 pm the next day. Ramesh went and got the church planter out of jail that morning and brought him with us to the youth conference. He later returned with an attorney to get the release of the 40 remaining. Some of their neighbors who oppose Christianity turned them in and they were accused of forced conversion. There is freedom of religion in this country as a law. As in our country, there is a national government and a state government. The state government in this state has become more opposed to Christianity and basically tolerates the persecution of believers and even participates on a local level of at least harassment and intimidation like our baptismal candidates experienced.
All of this greatly convicts me of what I perceive as a watered down, me-first, make me comfortable, make it convenient kind of Christianity that so much of the world knows nothing of. While no one was beaten or lost their life in this episode, many of the 40 were young people on their way to be baptized. Those of you who are parents, what kind of impact would being detained for 24 hours in a police station with no food and being intimidated have upon your children. While we design flashy backgrounds, looks, and programs to entice and draw people (adults, youth, and children) to an old rugged cross; it almost doesn’t fit.
The Gospel is about how God became a man described by the prophet Isaiah as a man that “has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despeised, and we did not esteem Him.”
Back to the youth conference, it started at 10:30 am and we did not arrive until after 12:30 pm, they were still singing and sang some more after we arrived. Mike sang beautifully “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” He shared his testimony and a word about discipleship. Then I preached to these young people a message I shared with our young people about “Don’t Waste Your Life”. . .whoever seeks to save his life will lose and those who lose their life for My sake will save it. . .over 50 young people committed their life to take the Gospel to their nation regardless of the cost. They knelt on a hard concrete floor while chairs were removed throughout the jam packed room to make room for their kneeling. Mike and I laid hands and prayed for every kneeling person individually and personally. By the time we finished, they had been in that non-airconditioned room for over 4 hours. For some reason, I believe that they were serious about their commitment to Christ and losing their life for His sake.. . .those are just my thoughts. . .until next time.
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