The Bridge of Life

The Bridge Illustration
God's Love
Man's Problem
Man's Remedy
God's Remedy
Man's Response
Summary
The following six pictures show how your illustration will look at various stages of development as you show these concepts. You will actually draw only one picture, using the stages given, and will draw in the various items as you talk about them.

God's Love

"Bridge of Life" Illustration graphically represents sin separating man from God. As we develop the illustration, we can show the unsaved how they may become reconciled to God. One of the reasons that fellowship was broken by sin. The Bridge may be introduced by saying, "Here is an illustration that I think you might be very interested in. It summarizes what the Bible tells us about God and man."

The Bible teaches us that God is love and that He loves us. He desires that we experience an abundant life. This would include such things as love, peace, purpose, and fulfillment. Jesus, speaking about His purpose for coming to earth, said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10b)NIV. In the beginning, when God put man on earth, God and man had a relationship which produced an abundant life.

Man's Problem

But God did not create man like a robot who would automatically love and have fellowship with Him in return. He gave man a will and the freedom of choice.
Man could keep God's commandments or he could live his life apart from God. Man chose to go his own way. This resulted in a separation between God and man. God is completely holy and perfect, while man is sinful and imperfect. The Bible says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6) NIV. People continue to go their own way today. And this applies to all men. Each one of us is guilty. All of us have made decisions and done actions and had thoughts that were contrary to what God desires. We have been like wandering sheep.
The result of turning away from God and doing things that are displeasing to God is spiritual death—eternal death. The Bible also says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23) NIV. For now we will just look at the first half of this verse.
Paul states here that the consequences or payment we receive in return for our sins is eternal death. So you can see that on man's side we have eternal death, and on God's side there is eternal life. The last part of this verse talks about the free gift of God being eternal life, and that will become clearer as we develop this diagram. For now, we seem to be stuck on the death side.
(Next read Hebrews 9:27.) You can see as we look at this verse that each of us will die physically, and after we die physically we will face judgment. The Bible teaches that there will be a day of judgment when God will judge the actions and thoughts of every man and woman. In Revelation 20:15 the Bible says that "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." NIV
So you can see that on man's side we have sinned, and the penalty of those sins is eternal death. Also we see that the consequences of our sins is for us to face the judgment of God. This gives a pretty dismal picture of our situation on this side of the chasm that separates us from God.

Man's Remedy

Human beings think they can devise their own way to obtain God's favour and blessing. They usually devise codes of conduct and requirements that need to be performed in order to please God. These include giving to charity, helping others, praying, attending church, or being baptized. However, God's Word states that all these efforts are useless in the sight of a holy God to obtain God's salvation. (Next read Ephesians 2:8-9.) From this verse we understand that good works will never suffice to meet God's requirements but that God's salvation is a gift that is obtained by grace alone through faith alone.

God's Remedy

In spite of the fact that we have turned our backs on God and have disobeyed Him, God still loves us and desires that we know Him personally so that He can bless us.
Only one adequate bridge can cross the gulf that exists between man and God, and that bridge is through Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.
The Bible also says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). NIV
The Bible teaches that when He died on the cross, He died in our place. He paid the penalty and took the judgment for our sins so we could be forgiven for all our wrongdoings. The slate could be wiped clean.

Man's Response

Christ has made it possible for us to cross over to God's side and experience the full life He wants us to have. But we are not automatically on God's side. We need to take action; we need to ask God's forgiveness and ask Jesus Christ into our lives.
"The time has come," Jesus said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)NIV. Repentance means to reverse direction. We must give up our efforts to reach God by man's remedies and accept God's remedy for our sins.
The Bible also says, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12) NIV. We "reach out" to God through prayer and receive the gift of eternal life.
Now let's add another verse here (Revelation 3:20) that goes right along with John 1 : 12. This is Jesus Christ talking. (After the verse is read, you would continue.) So the door on which Jesus is knocking is the very center of our lives—the heart, the core, the innermost part of our lives. He is knocking and would like to come into our lives. So He wants us to open the door and invite Him in.

Summary

Let's take a look at John 5:24. This statement of Jesus summarizes all we have talked about. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word [the things we have been discussing here] and believes Him who sent Me [believe means to receive, that is, to invite Christ into our lives] has eternal life [a present possession] and will not be condemned [judgment] ; he has crossed over from death to life." NIV

How to Use "The Bridge" to Communicate the Gospel

The Bridge Illustration is one of many effective methods of presenting the Gospel. It has been used successfully to communicate the Gospel over many years and in many contexts, in groups and person-to-person. You will find it to be a useful and effective tool to add to your "arsenal" of ways to share the Gospel.
Many variations of The Bridge Illustration are in use. The presentation described here is one of the most commonly used variations. Your instructor may ask you to make adjustments in the format presented here in your workbook.
Learn the method he presents, and become skilled in that method. After you have used his method to present the Gospel to several non-Christians, you may also want to make a few adjustments in the format to make it more your own. This illustration will become a sharpened tool in your hands if these adjustments are based on actual experience in communicating the Gospel.

Flexibility

The Bridge Illustration can take as few as 15 minutes to present, or it can be stretched out to an hour or more. A normal presentation will last 20 to 30 minutes. The flexibility of this presentation is one of its greatest assets. It can be tailored specifically to a person or situation.

Sensitivity

The way in which the Holy Spirit leads you to witness will vary in different situations. It is important to be observant and sensitive as you are relating to the person with whom you are sharing "The Bridge." In any type of ministry situation it is important to pray silently and ask God for guidance and wisdom, and to be able to communicate the Gospel clearly.

The Lead-in

Experience has shown that it is helpful to have a few statements and questions in mind to help open the door for presenting the Gospel. Often an ideal time to share the Gospel is after a person has heard your personal testimony. You first want to get his response to your testimony by saying something like:
"Well, that's my story. What do you think?" Or, "Well, that's my story. What is your reaction to what happened to me?"
A more direct lead-in is: "How about you, Jim? Have you ever thought much about becoming a Christian?"
If there is time to talk further and the person still shows interest and capacity to hear more, you might say something like, "You know, Jim, there's a little diagram that really clarifies this thing of being a real Christian and knowing for certain that you have eternal life. If you have a few more minutes, may I sketch it out for you? When he says Yes, you may proceed.
If you feel the person has heard as much as he can absorb for now, you might say something like: "You know, Jim, there is a little diagram that really clarifies this thing of being a real Christian and knowing for certain that you have eternal life. When you have 15 or 20 minutes sometime, why don't we sit down and I will sketch it out for you? OK?" Then at a later date you can get his consent to go through the illustration with him.
In many situations you will find it natural to ask permission to show the illustration without having given your testimony. Some other door openers are:
"What if someone walked up to you and said, 'I want to be sure that I have eternal life with God. I want to be sure that I am a real Christian. What should I do?' What would you say to him?"
"Mary, what is your impression of Christianity?"
"Mary, if someone were to ask you how to become a Christian, what would you tell him?"

BRIDGE OF LIFE for Children
The “Bridge of Life” Illustration graphically represents sin separating man from God. As we develop the illustration, we can show the unsaved how they may become reconciled to God. One of the reasons that fellowship was broken by sin. The Bridge may be introduced by saying, “Here is an illustration that I think you might be very interested in. It summarizes what the Bible tells us about God and man.”
Write "MAN" on the left side, and "GOD" on the right side. Say, "Man was created to love God, but man chose instead to sin against Him."

Write the word "SIN" vertically between the words "MAN" and "GOD". Quote Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Questions to ask: "What does the word "all" in this verse mean? Does it include you?") Say, "Since God is holy and man is sinful, sin separates man from God."

Sketch two cliffs with a wide gap between. Draw a little line figure of a man on the left and say, "Because man is cut off from God who gives him life, death is the result." Print the words "DEATH" by "MAN" and "LIFE" by "GOD."

Then point to the word "death" on the left side and quote Hebrews 9:27 - "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Question: "According to this verse, is there any chance of being saved after death?") Say, "The judgment that everyone has to face after death, is to suffer eternally in hell."
Say, "As sinners, man cannot do anything to get back to God." Draw little incomplete bridges showing man's futile attempts to reach God, and write the words "Good works" next to these bridges. Say, "This is because of sin that still stands as a barrier between man and God." (pointing to the word "sin")

Say, "But the Bible also tells us that God loves man and came into this world as Jesus Christ to bridge this gap between sinful man and a holy God." Write the word "CHRIST" across the word "SIN" using the letter "I" as the intersection.

Say "Jesus Christ died by being nailed on the cross, to take the punishment for sins." Draw a cross which bridges the gap between man's side and God's side. Quote Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Question: "According to this verse, did God love us and save us because we were good and worthy people?")

Say, "Not only did Jesus die for our sins, but He was buried and arose from the grave on the third day. No one else in history has ever risen from the dead. This means that no one but Jesus can save us." Quote John 14:6 - "Jesus saith…, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (Question: "According to what Jesus Christ said here, how many ways are there to reach God?")
Say, "In order to be saved by Jesus Christ, you need to turn away from your sins and turn to Him alone." Draw a horizontal line from the little figure to the cross. When you turn to Jesus, you must believe in Him and receive Him into your life. Quote John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (Question: "According to this verse, what do you need to do to have everlasting life instead of death?")
Draw a curved arrow that continues from the line you just drew going over the cross to the other side. Then write the word "Believe" above the line. Say "To believe in Jesus does not mean giving mental agreement to what the Bible says about Him. It means that you make the commitment to receive Him forever as your Saviour and Lord." Quote John 1:12 - "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:" (Question: "According to this verse what should you do to become a child of God?") Write the word "Receive" next to the word "Believe"

End the presentation and issue the gospel call to salvation by quoting John 6:37 - "All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." (Question: "What does Jesus promise to do if you were to come to Him to be saved from your sins?")
Ask the question: "Does all of this make sense to you?" And if the answer is affirmative, then ask, "Will you come to Jesus for salvation right now?"

Understand Christianity Today the word is ambiguous. It conjures up in our minds a variety of thoughts and memories, different for each person. However, many people do not have any knowledge about Christianity from reading the Bible. Since this is considered by almost everyone to be important to Christianity, gaining an understanding of what it says is helpful in forming a more complete view of Christianity.

The Basic Message of the Bible

"Many people visualize a God who sits comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, and indifferent to the needs of mortals, until, it may be they can badger him into taking action on their behalf."
This is certainly not the God that the Bible portrays. This section will discuss the basic message of the Bible, and obviously God is a part of this basic message. Man is the other essential element that the Bible continually mentions. (Note that man here is the mankind, including both men and women). However, the Bible is not simply about man and God, but it is about the relationship between man and God. Presented very simply is the Bible's story about this relationship.

In the Beginning ...

In the beginning, the Bible speaks of a perfect God creating everything. He created man, and man was created in God's own image (Gen. 1:27). Man was like God in that he was created free from defect. Thus, man and God enjoyed perfect relationship.

All Have Turned Away

Because man was in the image of God, he had a will, and thus the freedom to choose. Man, in his free will, has chosen to go his own way, as opposed to God's way. The Bible says that every person has done this. "We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way," (Isaiah 53:6). This is similar to a child running away from home, an analogy made in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Imagine a three-year-old child telling his parents that he's decided to leave home and find his own way in life. Although powerless to survive without his parents, he still chooses to leave. Similarly, the Bible says that man cannot really do anything without God, yet he has chosen to go his own way instead of God's.

Sin

The term the Bible uses for choosing one's own way over God's is sin. This is what separates man from God; "your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2). Romans 6:23 says that "the wages of sin s death." Man is spiritually separated form God and receives death as a result of his sin.
Like a branch separated from the vine (John 15:5), man may appear alive for a while, but in the real, meaningful sense, he is dead because he has separated himself from the life source.

What Can Man Do to Get Back to God?

Because man has broken the perfect relationship with his perfect God, he is spiritually dead and separated from God. How can man save himself from this grave situation? Many people who feel separated from God try to restore this relationship by doing things, such as participating in religious activities, living a good life, giving to charity or living by certain moral standards. However, the Bible says that it is impossible for man to save himself (Matthew 19:25-26). There are no good things that man can do that can restore his relationship with God (Ephesians 2:8,9, Titus 3:5). Left up to himself, man is eternally separated from God.

What Does God Do?

God however, wants to restore man's perfect relationship to Him. According to 1 Timothy 2:4, God wants all men to be saved and Ezekiel 33:11 says that God has no pleasure in the death of those who turn form Him. So what does God do?
In order to enjoy a perfect relationship with God, man must first be made perfect, because God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). But man has already been soiled by imperfection because of his decision to separate himself from God. God needs to rid man of his sin before the relationship can be restored.
The Bible says that God became man (John 1:14) and lived a life without sin, although he was tempted in every way like man is (Hebrews 4:15). His name was Jesus. Although Jesus was the only man to never sin and separate himself from God, he nonetheless voluntarily gave up his life:
"The reason Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again." (John 10:17-18).
He allowed himself to be crucified and even took on the sins of all the world so that the relationship between God and man could be restored:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18)
So God made a way for men to be perfect before Him. Jesus paid sin's penalty of death and separation for men so that men would not have to.

Receiving God's Gift

So does the Bible say that all men have been restored to God because of what Jesus has done? No. Romans 6:23 says that "the gift of God id eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." It is as if a man on a street corner was offering ten dollar bills. In order to become ten dollars richer, a person must take the money. There is an act of receiving the gift involved. In the same way, the Bible speaks of receiving God's gift of eternal life (i.e., eternity with God). The following verses explain how this is done:
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (John 1:12-13)
"... if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10)
Obviously, believing in Jesus is essential to receive God's gift. But believing here means more than just intellectually forming a belief system. When the Bible says "believe in your heart", it suggests a deeper kind of belief, the kind that would affect the way someone lives. It is an act of trusting Jesus to do what he said he would do. Jesus says,
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
Thus, all man has to do is ask, and Christ will come into his life.

To quickly summarize, the Bible gives the following message: 

Step 1
God created man in His image and had a perfect relationship with him.

Jesus said, ...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10b)
"... we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

Step 2
Man chose to go his own way instead of God's. As a result of man's turning away from God (sin), he has separated himself from God and is spiritually dead.

... your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2)

On our own, there's no way we can attain the perfection needed to bridge the gap to God. Through the ages, individuals have tried many ways ... without success.
Good works won't do it ... or religion ... or money ... or morality ... or philosophy ...
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12)

Step 3
God's Remedy: The Cross

Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem. He died on the cross and rose from the grave, paying the penalty for our sin and bridging the gap between God and people. Thus, restoring the man to God in a perfect relationship.
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God ... (I Peter 3:18)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ. (I Timothy 2:5)
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Step 4
Our Response

Man must accept this gift in order to have eternal life with God. This simply involves asking God for His gift and believing that He will do it based on what the Bible says:
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

Is there any reason why you shouldn't cross over to God's side and be certain of eternal life?

How to receive Christ:

Admit your need (I am a sinner).
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit (Receive Him as Lord and Savior of your life).

What to pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as the Lord and Savior of my life.

In Your name. Amen.

God's assurance of eternal life

If you've prayed this prayer and trusting Christ, then the Bible says that you can be sure you have eternal life.

"...for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer ... this is called regeneration or the "new birth."
The Bridge Illustration presented here is a classic Navigator Illustration of the Gospel.

HOW TO GIVE AWAY YOUR FAITH

Paul Little Chapter Five: What is Our Message?

As Christians, we are ambassadors of our faith. In order to be effective ambassadors, we must be sure of the content of our message and be able to communicate it clearly to others. The essential Truths
to be put forward to non-Christians:

    The Bible is first a reliable historical document. When a person believes and put his trust in the Saviour, Jesus Christ, then logically the Bible becomes the inspired Word of God.

    Christianity is a living person, Jesus Christ, where a personal relationship is formed.

There is no rote and rigid way to present the Gospel of Christ, but eventually we will want to cover all information about the Lord Jesus so that the person has a full grasp of who he is and what he offers.

    Why Do We Need to Share and Give Away Our Faith

Matt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV)

1 Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (NIV)

Luke 24:48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (NIV)

    The Basis Facts, Foundation Truths

    Jesus is fully God in his own words!

John 5:18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (NIV)

John 10:25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." (NIV)

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (NIV)

[John 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever -- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (NIV)]

    Jesus is fully man when he was here on earth

John 4:6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. (NIV)

John 11:35 Jesus wept.
[36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days." 40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (NIV)]

Jesus was totally without sin, and he died a hideous undeserved death for our sake!

    Jesus diagnosis of human Nature

Mark 7:6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "`These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' (NIV)

Mark 7:15 Nothing outside a man can make him `unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him `unclean.'" (NIV)

Mark 7:17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 "Are you so dull?" He asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him `unclean'? 19 For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") 20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him `unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean.'" (NIV)

All of us have a basic disease, sin, which defiles us and cuts us off from the holy God who cares about us. It originates from within us and we can't blame anything or anyone else for it. It is rebellion against God, of going our own way and run our own lives rather than his. Separation from God is the at the heart of our boredom, loneliness, moral weakness, lack of purpose and more.

    The meaning of Jesus Crucifixion

Matt 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (NIV)

Matt 20:25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (NIV)

[1 Pet 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.] 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, (NIV)

    The meaning of Jesus Resurrection

[John 21:4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. (NIV)]

Luke 24:36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (NIV)

This single inarguable fact is the supreme validation of his deity. The Lord Jesus Christ is alive and powerful to invade the life of all who invite him into their lives.

    Becoming a Christian

The above facts demand a response that involves a change in mind of how we view sin and a determination to turn to God.

Acts 10:38 [how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen-- by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.] 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (NIV)

Act 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. (NIV)

2 Cor 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (NIV)

Luke 15:17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.
["But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. (NIV)]

John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. [14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NIV)]

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (NIV)

John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (NIV)

Re 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (NIV)

Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV)

A simple prayer of accepting Jesus Christ into one's life:

"I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and rose again, and will save completely all who come to God through him, I now receive him as my personal Saviour, and confess him as my Lord and Master."

    Three-Phase Pattern

    Definition of Sin

Isa 53:4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (NIV)

Rom 3:9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become Worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (NIV)

    Diagnosis of Sin

Mark 7:15 Nothing outside a man can make him `unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' (NIV)

    Solution to Sin

Rom 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (NIV)

1 Pet 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
[25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (NIV)]

    Four Step to God

    Holy and loving Creator

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

Psa 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (NIV)

    Our rebellion

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (NIV)

James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (NIV)

Psa 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. (NIV)

    Reconciliation through Jesus Christ

Rom 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)

    Our Response

Act 17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (NIV)

John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NIV)

    Jesus' Definition of Christianity

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (NIV)

John 14:5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (NIV)

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV)

Matt 11:27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (NIV)

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (NIV)

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)

Rom 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (NIV)

Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (NIV)

Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Rom 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

    Follow up Works and Messages

    Provide the big picture

    Direct them to spiritual food

    Offer assurance of salvation

1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (NIV)

    How to deal with sin in their lives

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (NIV)

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (NIV)

    Maintain healthy relationships with non-Christian

    Find fellowship

Ask God to give you a heart for new believers and to use you to help them develop a lasting commitment to him.

Other Personal Notes:

Donkey for Jesus

Thank LORD for Your faithfulness

November 25

Scripture:

But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thess. 3:3, Holman CSB)

Thought:

God wants you to come to a greater knowledge of Him by experience. He faithfully works in your life, pursuing a love relationship with you. Part of His work is protecting you from Satan so you can do His work. Can you relate an experience where you knew God was protecting you from the evil one?

Prayer:

Faithful Protector, thank You. Daily I feel Your presence guiding my life in Your paths and setting up barriers against the attacks of Satan. Whatever I do is possible only because You are faithful and allow me to join in Your work. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Amen.

Donkey for Jesus

I believe this should only be shared with some of us as it's content is best kept to ourselves. For we could be prompted to be donkeys for Jesus again. Yes, the church is still being prosecuted in creative access nations (CANs) for no good reason other than misunderstanding and perhaps misrepresentation by those who claimed to be with Christ in past era.

Well, before I forget, let me recount the event or more like non-event now on reflection. The donkey trip had been covered by a lot of prayers from you, our friends & church. It was a bit more "exciting" after a friend, an experienced donkey, shared with the group on what might happened if we were held up. Some may have felt uncomfortable, after all this may be the 1^st time in life venture with the Lord. By the way, the trip was just after the end of high profile regional governments meeting, and the country seems to be opening up rapidly with lots of emphasis on development. Pray that it will open up for God as well and may the Singapore church be a witness to the love we can share in CANs.

By faith, we had decided that we should all go in as a group and not as individual family as suggested by the organiser. So we would go thru' the airport routine as a group. Most involved were hand carrying some of the books (256 nos or about 85 kg with group luggage entitlement @ 242 kg). Without Joel's & Ing Lim's families & Frankie, my family alone will be unable to deliver the whole lot in one go but in three trips. We were in kingdom partnership with the Lord, and He will always amaze us with His power and grace. Of interest, was that Carrie & Ing Lim's mothers also joined us for the trip not knowing we were carrying out courier service. This was also for the CG to get to know the mothers better.

There were no issue with check-in @ Changi or the immigration in the CAN's airport, and I got thru' immigration 1^st with the rest followed. To our surprise, the hand luggage had to go thru' compulsory X-ray scan! Newly installed for regional summit? I tried to avoid having my hand luggage scanned but the custom official insisted. But some how the officer was disinterested with our hand luggage as there were loads of tourists - Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, etc. Most of the books were in hand luggage to reduce check-in weight. Some of the luggage was to be given away with the books in them. To protect the brand new books, I had suggested that we put still wearable clothing around the books. This would ensure that they reach our brethren in good order and the clothing also will be put into good use.

After collecting our other luggage from the conveying belt, we lined up to go thru' the custom at the green lane. Many before us were being questioned and some perhaps checked. We were the last few as one of my luggage came out last, we were among the 1^st to checked in though, don't know why. By then the custom officers had worked enough, I guess. He took one look at me and just waved us by as a group. We had asked for the blinding of the officers in our prayer support. So even with X-ray scanning, there was nothing to be concerned of by the officers. The Lord just made it so smooth for us, unbelievable. (May be I look like a tour guide or reporter with my camera vest on ha²!)

Now, the human part of ferrying us to the hotel. As we had a lot of luggage, we ended up taking two vans and I in another taxi on my own. Transportation came up to US$50+30(tips)/=. In the confusion, we all still ended up at the right hotel. I had some anxious moment that some of us may be "lost". Thank God I had prepared the hotel address for the group to give to the drivers. My Taxi driver was really lost with my "English/Local language" and he did not quite know the street, of course neither do I. Anyway, we reached the hotel all at about the same time, PTL! The luggage and books were unloaded and the vans plus taxi were paid and sent off. Another van, "a friendly one", came by after 10 minutes to drop off a group of American "tourist" from Bangkok and we loaded up the books into this van. There were other books already in the van by this group of AngMos. So it was a good delivery exercise by whoever was arranging the two separate trips. The AngMos later join us for the tour. We had good fellowship together as a group of 11+7 = 18 the Genting of CAN except much colder at this time of the year. The group photos taken would be kept amongst ourselves.

There was an issue that disturbed me a lot: three old men came to me to beg for money on different days and I did not give in. Fearing that we will be overwhelmed by beggars. There was no kid begging along the street. Perhaps the Lord is saying to me that the old people there are not well taken care off unlike the kids. A new ministry for the aged may be more appropriate. Some Christian NGOs are already working with the CAN to help in many ways.

Yes, God was and is with us. When we walked in His will, it will certainly come to past. PTL!

If questioned by officer

Just say politely that they are books. If ask to elaborate, just tell these books are Christmas gifts given to us by a friend in Singapore to be given away.

If further questioned say they are for the Christian there if we get to meet some during our trip. Just politely ask what the matter is or what is wrong about these type books which are freely available in Singapore. Always smiling and be polite.

Just in case they want to retain the books, we will politely ask for a receipt so that we can pick them up on the way back to Singapore.

Simplified to: These books are Christmas gifts given to us by a friend in Singapore to be given away on the trip. If they want to retain the books, ask for a receipt so that we can pick them up on the way back to Singapore.

I will stay behind to wait if anyone should be stopped for checking by the custom officer. It is important that the luggage with the books should be arranged to be placed below the rest on the trolley. Everyone else should proceed to go for the pick up van and leave for the Café / hotel as arranged.

A Journal on VWAP North Thailand 16th to 23rd of Dec 2003

For this trip, participants are known as EGers, as the purpose is to experience God in this short mission trip and to see and work with Him in outreach.

Day 1

After three meetings and practicing of songs a month before the journey, EGers gathered by 7.00am at Terminal 1 of Changi Airport on Tuesday, Dec 16 to begin our trip with God. The flight was THAI AIRWAYS, TG 402 which would depart from S'pore to Bangkok at 8:20am. Sam LIEW had graciously offered to send the boxes and bags of used cloths, toys, etc. to the airport using the church van. There was some anxious moment for us waiting at the airport as Sam was held back by heavy traffic along his way.
At the group check-in counter we were told that group could check in first with the tickets and the luggage could come in later. This should be taken note of for future trip as allocation of seats would take quite a lot of time. The official allowable weigh of luggage per person is 20 kg with allowance of up to 30 kg without extra charge. Thus, with 13 tickets, the allowable weight is 390 kg and the total weight of luggage come up to around 260 kg with much room to spare. Again, this extra allowance can be utilized in future trips. I guess the luggage limit is really depended on how much we could each carry for the trip. Only used cloths and toys in fairly good condition are to be taken to North Thailand. The criteria should be things that we would still be wearing or using.
TG 402 arrived at Bangkok 9:40am local time. It is to be noted that Thailand is an hour behind S'pore. The group had to find their way to the domestic flight transfer counters 1-7 located at the ground floor. The connecting flight to ChiangMai would leave Bangkok Airport at 10:25am so there was some waiting period at the airport. Jerry's family was in Bangkok earlier and they joined us from Bangkok for the trip up north. THAI AIRWAYS, TG110, arrived at ChiangMai, 1:10pm and we met with Tour, Christina and Aileen at ChiangMai Airport. Christina told us that the MOB had just left for Nellie's place and Timothy TEO and Daphne also left for S'pore the day before. We then took 2 songtheaws and checked into PornPing hotel, which is next to the Night Bazaar area. The hotel is rated about 3 stars, but the room is able to accommodate a family of five.

After refreshing ourselves, we gather at the hotel lobby by 4:00pm and headed for OMF's Mekong Centre to meet up with Daniel and Tamami, and Liu Zan with sister Mun Zan and Gow Ching of Mien Radio office.
There was about two hours of fellowship at the Mien Radio office and much was shared about the importance of the radio ministry to believers in CANs. There are about 7,000 listeners in one CAN alone and there is a plan underway to broadcast into another CAN via Hong Kong. The urgent need is the training of lay leaders in CANs, with a total of 7 training seminars currently planned yearly. The faith of persecuted church in CANs has inspired those in North Thailand to be more aware and fervent of their own walk with the Lord. Bartley should get involve and support the works in CANs through varies channels, i.e. financial support for training material and journey in CANs and perhaps shipping of materials through S'pore business contacts in CANs.
Tamami is a vocalist by training. She and the Mien Radio staff at our request sang to us two Mien Christian songs to commemorate this occasion. She really has a wonderful voice as we had expected. She was working on the now completed new Mien hymnal.
After the fellowship, the group with Christina, Tour, Daniel and Tamami, and Liu Zan then proceeded to Khuntoke Thai dance performance centre for dinner. It is interesting to note that this was the first time Christina met up with the Daniel and Tamami. Pray that the two of them will be able to share and assist each other in their respective ministries. The unlimited buffet dinner with the Thai dances were the highlight of our trip in term of vacation. Getting to fellowship with the Mien radio staff and missionaries that we have been praying for round up our joy for the night. After dinner the group returned to the hotel at around 10pm and some EGers venture out to the Night Bazaar for some sight seeing and early shopping.

Day 2

The next morning, 17^th Dec., the EGers were assigned to carry out an Act of Kindness by
sponsoring to paint and clean the inside of a single storey shop house. As a house church will be started there. The ground floor shop house is amongst a block of flats, Rim Naam Mansion, a short distance from ChiangMai University and is ideal for students' fellowship. The Thai lady, Pii Teang, was separated from her husband who remained in Bangkok. She has two sons staying with her. She is young in faith having been baptised just three months when we met her. She was not good at managing her cake or pastry making business. We spent about 7 hours painting and cleaning up the place, in between we had a quick and simple lunch break of noodle. Pray that Thang will be transformed by God into a person that is capable and be given a diligent mind to sort out her short-coming and trouble in her life. Christina and her co-workers are trying hard to help her to stand up again.

We also met up with Aaron, a youth missionary from Brighton Community Church and other ChiangMai U students with some coming from China. Even in ChiangMai, there are opportunities to reach out to people coming from surrounding countries. God had also arranged for Eric Mak, an EGers with a gift for interior design and painting to decorate the walls with two art pieces. How did Christina come to know that we had an artist in our midst for the paint job? God knew! In the evening, we went for a simple and yet delicious dinner in a Thai restaurant before returning to our hotel, and those still with energy - more shopping around the Night Bazaar. Some of us wonder if there would be aches to our muscles and bones after the hard works, but none had any complained the next day. Praise the Lord!
DAY 3

18th Dec morning was our Jericho Tour of ChiangMai, originally built as a walled city. 1^st we went prayer walk at the Tha Pae Gate which is a part of the city wall protecting the defeated Lanna Kingdom. Chiang Mai City has a history of spiritual battle that blinds the Thai people and keeps them from knowing the Lord. It is important to pull down strongholds of their thoughts and minds through prayer according to the Word of God. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). PRAY that the eyes and hearts of the Thai people will open to God's truth and that they will turn from their rejection of God to an obedient response to Him. PRAY for God's anointing to be upon the evangelistic and church planting efforts to reach all Thai people.

We visited the old ChiangMai Foreign Christian Cemetery and learnt how God through Rev. Daniel McGilvary, a pioneer missionary in North Thailand, has brought the gift of salvation there. God has also provided religious freedom in the Thai constitution where the Thai people have the freedom to believe and share the Gospel (Acts 2). PRAY for unity and humility among the different Christian denominations, churches and organizations, serving in Thailand that they will work together to bring God's message of salvation to every Thai. PRAY that God will set the hearts of the Thai Christians on fire so that they will be fervent in sharing the Gospel and not take the hard-gained religious freedom for granted.
The Mekong Region of the past had many people suffered from leprosy. The leprosy centre started by Dr. McKean has healed the people of leprosy and also brought spiritual healing. The centre is located on a huge piece of unwanted land surrounded by water predestined by God for the work. Leprosy reminds us that pain and hurt are God's way of protecting us from sins and danger. There is also an urgent need to take care of AIDS patients in Thailand.
The ministry of healing plays an important role in reaching out to the Thai people. This includes physical healing through medication and spiritual healing through the preaching of the Gospel. Hurting and wounded people need the Lord. PRAY that God's light will shine on the Thai people who have been lulled into believing that they do not need God or spiritual healing. (Isaiah 49:6) PRAY that the Thai Christians will actively share God's love and blessings to the underprivileged in the community.
We completed our trip with the visit to McGilvary Seminary. Tour our guide was trying hard to explain the necessity to contextualise the Gospel for the Thai to gain their understanding. Westerners eat bread but Thai people eat rice as a staple. Westerners shake hands but Thais do the "wai" as a greeting. There is a need to bridge cultural differences and learn how to make the Gospel message relevant to the Thai people and other Mekong's cultures. PRAY for both the missionaries and the Thai Christians working among the Thai people that they will seek to understand the Thai culture and diligently seek meaningful ways to share the Gospel relevantly to the Thai people. (1 Cor. 9:19-23). PRAY that God will give 'the Thai Christians a passion for the lost and 'boldness to speak the word of God so that they will step out of their comfort zone to bring salvation to non-believers, even to those beyond the borders of Thailand. (Acts 4:29-30). PRAY for yourself that you will be moved by what God is doing and be willing to join Him in reaching out to people whether here in North Thailand or back home. (Isaiah 65:1)
On the tour bus we get to see ChiangMai in winter day, and it is really beautiful with its blooming blossom almost everywhere. The whole city was in air-conditioning, making travelling very comfortable. The city streets were surprisingly clean; just wonder if this was the effort of the cleaners who woke up before everyone or the Thais really know how to keep their city clean. By the way, another group of Christian, mainly retirees from the US joined us on the Jericho tour. After the tour, we went to the new Airport Shopping Plaza for lunch at The Pizza Company. The meal was good and reasonably priced. In the evening, the EGers with Christina and staff were to host a gathering at Pii Teang's house for the folks living in the vicinity so that the gospel and Christmas message could be shared with them. So we bought some foods for the occasion.
Yi Jia, my son had come down with fever the night before. After lunch, Doris and Yi Jia were taken back to the hotel for rest and they did not join us for the rest of the day. The fever to Yi Jia was indeed a test of our faith and he was asking to go home as he was not used to travel in sickness. We SMSed our CG members to pray for us as we continued with the journey, knowing that God was with us on this trip. We trusted the Lord to heal him in His time.
During the evening gathering, we also prayed for Yi Jia, even Pii Teang prayed for him. The actual fellowship started late because I went out to buy T-shirts (120 pieces) for the Mien school children in Palay. The house gathering ended at 8.00 pm, we had two ice breakers and sang two Christmas songs in English and Thai together. We also close with a prayer of blessing for Pii Teang. Pray that God will use the house mightily as a focal point to reach out to people and students in the vicinity. Christina could not join us at the party in time as she was with a house church member who was facing a crisis.
The very late dinner was a simple one at a coffer shop just outside our hotel. It is run by a TeoChew lady. All of us had guotiao and takeaway for Doris, Yi Jia and Yi Zu resting in the hotel room. In these three days in ChiangMai and fellowship with Christina and her Thai Christian groups, we get a glimpse of her urban ministries in ChiangMai. There is still much to learn. We also brought some gifts for Christina, the Arisawas. the Mien Radio team and Tour.
Day 4

The next morning, we gave thanks to the Lord for Yi Jia had recovered from his fever and we prayed for journey mercy in the Van. We set off to ChiangRai on 19^th December in a day-rated Van and a songtheaw to carry the extra luggage to OMF mission home (MH). Nellie was at the MH waiting for us and we were an hour late as we had started late. After some repacking of luggage for a one night stay at Waterfall Basin (WB), we proceeded for lunch supplied by Gwey Ching at River Mountain (RM) and visited Ann, Gwey Fong, other brethrens there. We were in RM for about two hours. The new house of Nellie's intern Goy has been nicely built and the single story RM church building is still under construction and is about 70% completed. RM was the first experience of North Thailand village for some of us. We brought gifts for Ann and Gwey Fong, the latter seemed unwell. Pray that the Lord will keep both them strong and well as the checking of the newly translated Mien bible is still in progress.

Two pick ups came at about 4:30pm to take us up to WB for the night. We reached WB at around 5.15pm and had dinner with Soo Jyem and Liu and stayed at their simple new house with 3 bedrooms. The night was cold and it took us some time to get to sleep in a completely new environment, without the modern comfort of bed++. It was however free lodging and sleeping on the floor from here on until we got back to MH.

Day 5

Breakfast on 20^th December was bread with jam and peanut butter, and a cup of 3-in-1 Milo or coffee. This was the day WB celebrated Christmas with a service and lunch for the villagers which we contributed in kind. The EGers went for a walk around the village and we 1^st visited the village head to pay our respect with a gift and prayed for his mother who is a Christian. She has been unwell for a long while and the Lord has kept her in the village as a witness of His love for His people in WB. The village head asked that we should stay with him while we visited them. We told him that the group this time was small and Soo Jyem's house was sufficient for all of us. We also discussed about the initial contact of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) to upgrade the living condition of WB. This is God hearing our prayer through our monthly prayer focus for the Mien villages. We also visited other villagers and the disused school ground before joining in the Sunday school with the children. Jed & Mei Ching were leading the Sunday School. Connie was busy with her balloon sculpturing over this period to decorate the church. Everyone was using his or her gifts in ministry.

During the Christmas service, we presented two songs and Eric Mak gave a Christmas message in English with Nellie doing the translation into Mien. His main message was about the importance of sharing the good news of Christmas to others, and a testimony about how he brought salvation to his own parents. The RM folks were with us at WB for this occasion as the two villages are only 30 minutes apart. Christmas lunch was a meal of horfun with spicy or non-spicy soup. The S'porean children really enjoyed this simple but tasty meal.
We left after lunch in two pick-ups. Due to time constraint we missed visiting the sunflower field but proceeded to ChiangRai's MH to pick up our main luggage. We took a detour to Mekro to buy food staff for Palay Christmas celebration before proceeding there. We reached Palay in late afternoon and started to decorate the church. Nellie cooked two dishes, scrambled egg and white reddish soup, for dinner. The MOB team were at the church earlier to decorate it. When night fell, the ladies were assigned to sleep in Nellie's house with the men in the church. My family were assigned to sleep in Mr. Fin's new house to get to know the family better. Indeed with this period of fellowship I could now address him as my elder brother "Kore" as he is two years my senior. Mr. & Mrs Fin have indeed been "blessed" and all his children have moved out of Palay to Bangkok and his only son is in Japan.
Joshua had fallen sick by this time also with a fever. We again SMSed our CG members to pray for us. We had brought medication with us for this trip, so the fevers were always under control. The night at Palay was really cold and Yi Jia could not walk properly the next day as we did not cover up his legs properly during the night. It is thus wise for young children to wear sock when sleeping at night as they tend to roll away their blanket.
Day 6

Breakfast on 21^st December was again bread with jam and peanut butter, and a cup of 3-in-1 Milo or coffee. Nellie had order the slaughtered of a pig to signify the occasion – the 1^st Christmas service in Palay with the new church. The MOB team did not join us for the Christmas service as planned. Yi Jia and Joshua were well enough to join us by then. We presented three songs and I was assigned to deliver the Christmas Message with Ann Burgess translating. The Mien youth and children also presented many song and dance items during the service. The church was packed with people coming from surrounding churches for this special occasion.
The main points of the Christmas message were to urge the Mien people to seek God. That in Christmas, they can find forgiveness of sin, peace of mind and the grace to forgive others. For the unbelievers, in Christmas they can find eternal life through God's son and I urged them to receive the free gifts of Christmas. The message ended with the reading of John 17 and prayer, urging all to unite and love one anther and carry out God's great commission.

The sumptuous Christmas lunch was well attended and there were more than 150 peoples who came for this occasion. This Christmas was indeed a great event for Palay and everyone in the village would remember this day well. In Palay, we met Pastor Naix Koun from MaeChan's Mien Church. He was the one who had gone into CANs to train the lay leaders there. He was able to share personally with us his works. The Miens in the CAN were prepared to die for their faith and were very eager to learn about the teaching of the Bible. The wise saying, "we're not ready to live until we're ready to die", was true for believers in CANs. This enhanced the news we heard from the Mien Radio team at Mekong Centre. This pastor would appreciate more support from our church and he is receiving about 4,000 baht (S$175/=) as a pastor.

Again, we contributed in kind for the Christmas celebration. The MOB team came for lunch later and ministered to the youths and children for the rest of their time in Palay. After lunch we visited Hwei Mok school and presented a gift and kind to Pastor Tien and the school. Pastor Tien again appealed for fund for the school as he claimed that the contribution from CNEC is insufficient and I directed him to speak to Nellie on this. He also shared with us his hatred toward the communists. Telling us how his mother was tortured by them and his arrest while visiting his village in China recently. Only God can give Pastor Tien the grace and power to forgive. Pray that Pastor Tien will exercise good stewardship for the money given to him for his ministry.

We were at Hui Mok for about two hours and met up with a new Chinese language teacher, Mr. Chang, who was from Burma. After introducing ourselves to some of the children and staff and shaking their hands, we returned to Palay for dinner eating the lunch leftover. The sleeping arrangement remained the same with the MOB team joining us for the night. I was able to spend some time speaking with the Fins in Mandarin and get to know his family better.
Day 7

Mr. Fin, Nellie and I had to wake up at 3:00 am to buy food from the MaeChan's market for the Christmas lunch for the Palay Primary School children. We bought 20 kg of chicken and about 10 kg of BaiCai for this occasion. I could not wake up early enough in the morning for breakfast and just went straight to the school to start preparing the lunch. Lunch preparation for close to 180 people including ourselves took about 3 long hours. The fried chicken took longer than I initially thought. Connie was also doing her balloon craft to give out to the children. The MOB team had also taught the children English. Other than serving lunch, we also gave each child a T-shirt as an act of kindness. The school headmaster and students thanked the MOB team and us for what we had done for them. This Christmas, the church had indeed imparted great awareness of God's love for Palay. Pray that this effort in community penetration will bring the villager closer to God and cast away all fears and hostility towards the church. Already, Palay's youths are beginning to accept the Lord as their saviour, even before this Christmas.

After lunch in the school and packing of luggage back at the village, the MOB left with Nellie to MH first. The MOB team would then head for ChiangMai for their debriefing with Christina. Before we left Palay, Nellie and I went to show our respect to the village head, Mr. Fin's younger brother, and presented our gift to him. We also exchanged gifts with the Fins. Mr. Fin sent us sight seeing to the Golden Triangle before return us to ChiangRai MH for our last night stay in North Thailand. At MH, I took two Panadols to relieve my probing headache due to insufficient rest last night. In the evening we walked to the night market and had dinner at a famous noodle shop. After dinner we went for shopping at the Night Bazaar spending about two hours there. We end the night with ice cream at Swensen. Some of us helped Nellie to sort out the cloths we brought there and a bagful of cloths were deemed unsuitable for the Mien and needed to be given away to others or be discarded

Day 8

23^rd December was our last day in North Thailand. Everything was packed up by 8.00am, and we walked to the morning market for breakfast and do some last minute sight seeing and shopping. There were still about three hours that we could spend wandering round the market place. We took a songtheaw from the market to MH to pick up our luggage and said farewell to Nellie. The songtheaw then took us to ChiangRai Airport an hour before the departure of THAI AIRWAYS flight 133 to Bangkok, at 12:35pm. There is transfer period of an hour at Bangkok Airport before we took the connecting flight TG409 from Bangkok to S'pore. We reached S'pore at 6:45pm.

Doris thanking our CG members via email: Thanks for your prayer supports during our trip to N. Thailand, esp. when Yi Jia and Joshua were down with fever. It was a test of our faith in God to entrust our children in His care. At one stage when Yi Jia's temp. was 38.3 deg. C I almost broke down and was very worried whether he will be able to take the journey to ChiangRai the next morning. He was complaining about his headache. I kept sponging him and continue to give him Panadol every 4-6 hours. Then Heb 13:5 reminded me again of His presence. PTL! The next morning his temp. was 36.4 deg C and we started to leave for Chiangrai after breakfast. Now that we are all back safely, tired and worn-out but with renewed faith and strength from the one Above us. I treasure the unity of prayer in our CG. May God bless you all and your family this Christmas and the year ahead. (2004)

Things bought as Chirstmas gifts: Book, tape, in Chinese for Gwey Fong – Pastor Cheng @ JB / Gifts for Ann: Cup Soup and Peanut Butter and a Singapore T-shirt each for Jiat and Mei Ching – Jenny from S'pore / High quality tower as gifts - Jenny @ Bangkok / 120 T-Shirts as gifts for P2 – P6 school children – See Chee @ ChiangMai / 3kg of Bak Kua for church leaders and village heads, 0.5 kg each for Leaders: Ps Tien, Mr. Fin, 2 village heads – See Chee from S'pore / Soo Jyem and Liu would appreciate Tea ++ Connie & Doris / Packages of Chocolate and sweet for children – See Chee from S'pore / Books for Tour and Christina – See Chee from S'pore / Other special items to bring up to Thailand as gifts.

The VWAP North Thailand 2003 Team Members: See Chee, Doris HOE, Yi Xian, Yi Zu & Yi Jia,; Eric MAK, Zane MAK, John MAK; Evangeline CHIANG; Jerry, Jenny & Joshua LEONG; Connie LIEW.

The objective of this article is to promote and encourage God's people to experience Him through VWAP. I believe all CG could easily organise themselves and get involve.