The Lost Sheep

I read a quote by G.K Chesterton describing how God brought someone to repentance: - “I caught him with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world and still bring him back with a twitch upon the thread” 

This is surely reassuring for anyone with a family member who has strayed from the path, however far they may be from God at this moment, it’s not out of the reach of His mercy. That said we must play our part in seeking out the lost. 

I read the autobiography of Joshua Blahyi , a Liberian Warlord and pagan priest, once described as the most evil man in the world. He would certainly be a contender for that title as his life was truly horrific. As a pagan priest he was required to offer human sacrifices (usually children) by his deity to give him more power, cannibalism also formed part of this ritual. As a Warlord he earned the moniker “General Butt Naked” as that is how he ran into battle with bands of child soldiers he had recruited. He claims to have been responsible for 20,000 deaths.

A group of Interdenominational ministers in Monrovia (Liberia’s Capital) felt led by the Holy Spirit to start to pray and fast for Joshua. They prayed and fasted for 54 days before one of them visited the military compound and spoke with and even prayed for Joshua. Later they moved into a building opposite the compound and held prayer meetings every night inviting him over to join them. In the midst of one battle Joshua even had a vision of Jesus who told him to ‘repent and live or refuse and die’. After all the prayer, fasting and intercession to win his soul, Joshua did surrender to God and was delivered of his past and set free. 

He had much to atone for, seeking out his victim’s families to ask forgiveness, rehabilitating child soldiers and of course sharing the good news of the Gospel. 

The ‘twitch upon the thread’ involved a mighty spiritual battle to wrestle Joshua from Satan’s grip and consistent intercession on his behalf by those who loved him enough to make the effort.

Exodus

 

At a local park in Manila, I saw a piece of the Berlin wall; a gift from the German government. One side is covered with colorful graffiti, the other still the original bland grey: metaphors to the two ideologies that it separated.

It put me in mind of a story from the cold war days of a daring escape from East Germany to the West. A family worked for months gathering materials and making a hot air balloon out of cloth, filled with hot air using cooking gas cylinders mounted on a cage which would carry them from a field (a few miles east of Berlin) in the dead of night to freedom. On the 2nd attempt they were successful; evading capture by the Stasi or secret Police by only a few minutes.

What also struck me though, was whilst most people behind the iron curtain were unhappy with their captivity and longed for freedom, only a small proportion tried to escape, they accepted captivity rather than risking all for freedom.

Childhood sacramental programs end with Confirmation and then there is often little direction towards Spiritual growth in our church. No wonder so many men are taken captive by sin, addictions or boredom.

Most ancient cultures brought their men to maturity through training of the body, mind and Spirit through a process of initiation and fellowship. Like the Spartan ‘agoge’ prepared young men to become warriors, we need to fill this gap or the souls of our men will become flabby, weak, desensitized and deadened.

Earlier this year I embarked on a journey, a 90 day spiritual exercise, developed by the church in America. It includes prayer, scripture, moderate ascetic practices, and ideally fellowship with a group of like-minded men within the parish.

These components are not to become Pharasitical rules and obligations for their own sake but rather tools God uses to deliver, strengthen and equip us for a new life with Him. A new life in the Freedom of the Spirit is both available and wonderful; but you will have to fight for it.

The Little-known Origins of a Famous Gospel Song from India

 For more than 20 years Asia Harvest has supported Garo evangelists from northeast India through our Asian Workers’ Fund, as they have taken the Gospel to unreached people groups in their part of the world.

Often, Christians are unaware of the origins of many of the songs we love to sing. In this brief email we would like to share the background of one famous: “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”

In the hills of northeast India live the Garo tribe, who number more than one million people. For centuries they were feared as a primitive head-hunting tribe, but in the most recent Indian census, over 95 percent of the Garo declared themselves to be Christians. Here is one reason why...

In the late 1800s, many missionaries came to the state of Assam in northeast India to spread the Gospel. They succeeded in converting a man named Nokseng, his wife, and his two children. Nokseng’s faith proved contagious, and many villagers began to accept Jesus.

The village chief, angry at the prospect of losing control, summoned all the villagers. He demanded Nokseng’s family to publicly renounce their faith or face execution.

Moved by the Holy Spirit, Nokseng said: “I have decided to follow Jesus.”

Enraged at his refusal to deny Christ, the chief ordered his archers to shoot the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the ground, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife also.”

But Nokseng replied: “Though no one joins me, still I will follow.”

The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered Nokseng’s wife to be shot with arrows. In a moment she joined her children in death. Now the chief said for the last time: “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.” In the face of death, Nokseng did not waver, and made his final memorable statement:

“The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.”

He was killed like the rest of his family, but a miracle took place. The chief was moved by Nokseng’s faith and he wondered, “Why would Nokseng and his family die for a Man who lived in a far-away land some 2,000 years ago? This God must have remarkable power, and I too want to taste that faith.”

In a spontaneous confession, the chief declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Later, Nokseng’s words became a beloved song of the Garo Christians, and was later translated into English and sung around the world.

My friends had one last request: Would I help them get to Heaven? (from Aleteia website)

 

How a "nudge" to take a walk at an odd time allowed the Holy Spirit to bring about something wonderful

The following is a true story. Ever since it happened it has been a part of me. It is a love story written by the hand of God Himself.

It was the spring of 2014. Ed and Cathy had been my neighbors for less than a year. They had met when Ed was 60 and Cathy was 40, and neither had ever been married. They fell in love, tied the knot and had just celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss.

However, there was a problem. Ed’s prostate cancer had returned and was destroying him quickly. Meanwhile, Cathy had been diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma. She told me about it when she had “maybe” six months to live. Being a prostate cancer survivor, myself, and as my first wife had died of melanoma, I was able to discuss their cancers openly with them. They knew I understood.

My daily routine usually starts around 5:00 a.m. with a one-hour walk. For some reason one Thursday, I felt nudged to take another walk in the heat of the later afternoon. Reluctantly, I obeyed it.

I headed down the street and there was Cathy, standing on her front lawn, supported by her walker. Realizing that she was fighting to hold herself up I hurried over, asking if everything was all right.

“I was waiting for you, Larry. I need to talk to you.”

I was dumbfounded. “I never walk at this time of day and you say you were waiting for me?”

“I just knew you were coming by. I can’t explain it.”

I had a chill run down my back. I leaned against her SUV as she leaned heavily on her walker. “You know Ed is dying, right?”

“Yes, Cathy, I know, he talked with me about it. And your prognosis? Any change?”

She smiled and looked me right in the eye. “They told me I only have a few weeks left.”

I tightened my lips, took a breath, and asked, “What can I do for you?”

They knew I was Catholic and an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Cathy asked me if I could bring a priest. She told me that they were non-practicing Catholics and had not been to church in years. It was time for them to “make things right with God.”

I promised to put in a call to Father as soon as I got home. Cathy thanked me saying “That’s why I was out here, waiting for you.”

As I slowly walked her back to the house, she spoke on of her husband — how she wished she could ease his suffering and how wonderful it might be if they could go for a bicycle ride just one more time. “I thank God for every moment we had together,” she said.

I checked in on Ed, and, as Cathy excused herself, we chatted for about ten minutes. Ed’s conversation was all about Cathy: how he wished he could ease her suffering and how God had been so good to him allowing him to find such a great woman to share his life with.

When God is present sometimes it is hard to breathe. I took a deep breath.

Once home, I called our newly ordained priest, Father Scott. He came over the next day and spent about an hour with Ed and Cathy. Ed and the young priest both had roots in Roanoke, Virginia, and talked and laughed and had a raucous good time together. Even though more than 50 years separated them, it didn’t matter. It was like they’d grown up together. It was beautiful.

Father heard their confessions, anointed both Ed and Cathy, and gave them Holy Communion. He told them he would come back the first chance he could, but with Holy Week coming up, he would be busy. They all hugged and said good-bye. That Palm Sunday I had the honor of bringing them Holy Communion.

Easter Sunday I was again privileged to bring Ed and Cathy Holy Communion. They were lying next to each other in bed, holding hands. Ed smiled and said, “Larry, we are so happy. This is the greatest Easter we ever had.”

He turned and looked at his wife, who was smiling lovingly at him. She reached over and wiped his wet, happy eyes. They stared into each other’s eyes and I thought they were seeing into each others very souls. It was a moment filled with a shared spirituality I had never seen before, or experienced, but I could actually feel it. I have no doubt that at that moment Jesus was there with them holding their hands in His.

Ed died the week after Easter. A week later Cathy moved into hospice. She lived another two weeks.

As for me, I thank God for their friendship and for being a part of their final journey. Sometimes I like to think that I took two people in love to the airport and watched them get on a plane for a a true flight to paradise.

The Miracle of Medjugorje (English version)

The Miracle of Medjugorje

You Tube Link  

Two for the Price of One

Another miracle from Medjugorje, from last week (Sept 2010) Following a heart operation a chap from England developed some after effects even though the surgery went very well.

One was that his breathing was very difficult, he could only walk a few steps before becomming breathless. Also there was a big reduction in the functioning of his kidneys, this had gone on for a couple of years progressively getting worse.

A biopsy on his kidney was scheduled to look into that and unfortunately the medicine which could have helped his breathing problem (which was due to fluid on the chest) could not be used as it would cause further problems for the kidneys.

He went to Medjugorje in September 2010, having a great devotion to Our Lady, but not really anticipating any miraculous intervention. For the duration of the pilgrimage he remained at ground level not tackling the hills and mountains anymore as he had done on previous visits. He had a good pilgrimage but his condition had not improved any.

On his last day there, out on the balcony of the house he was staying in, he saw the sun spinning and the rays of light emanating from it towards him like laser beams. At that time whilst acknowledging it as a sign of Our Lady's presence there there was no cure or healing at that time.

The following day he returned to England and to his suprise, the breathing problem was completely healed. Breathing normally, able to walk quickly and back to full strength. Some days later he went for the biopsy of his kidney. On examination they decided not to do one but instead did a function test and found that it was some 7% better than when he last checked, this is the first time in 2 years it showed any improvement, previously it had been getting steadily worse.

Two miracles for the price of one !

Praise the Lord !

PS. As of now 2021 he is still with us !

The Incredible Story of the Tibetan Bible

 (Story from the Asia Harvest Newsletter.)

Tibet is vast— three times the size of Texas or the United Kingdom, but with only a fraction of the population. We had dozens of epic stories to choose from when considering what to share as an except in this newsletter, but we have opted for the story of how the Tibetan Bible came into existence. This remarkable account gives an insight into the intense demonic opposition faced by all Christians who seek to penetrate the Roof of the World with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The story of how the Tibetan Bible finally emerged after a long struggle deserves to be widely shared. It highlights the level of spiritual opposition that Christian work in this dark part of the world invariably attracts.

German Moravian missionaries in north India gave themselves fully to the task of translating the Scriptures into Tibetan in 1856. Incredibly, it was to take nearly a century to complete, with the first full Tibetan Bible finally being printed in 1948. God used a Tibetan family—the Gergens—who helped with the translation work and themselves came to Christ as a result.

Although Tempu Gergan died after falling ill, his 12-year-old son Sonam had listened attentively to all the discussions between his father and the missionaries, and he boldly decided to confess Jesus as Lord and Master. Sonam's decision angered the local Buddhist monks, and great pressure was applied in a bid to make him abandon his new faith. He rebuffed their threats, and when he was publicly baptized headopted the new name of Yoseb (Joseph).

Help from Above

The first Scripture translated into Tibetan was the Gospel of John, published in 1862. Although a portion of the Bible was now available, it was not well received by Tibetans, who struggled to understand the words and concepts it contained, causing many readers to give up in frustration. Years of discouragement ensued as the Tibetan Christians and missionaries tried to share God's Word with Buddhists, only to encounter uniform apathy and disinterest.

From the start, the translators had struggled with what terms to use to accurately portray Christian concepts and names to a completely non-Christian culture. Long discussions and prayer meetings were held to discuss what Tibetan words should be used for God, Savior, and sin, among many others. Each word that was tried had Buddhist connotations, and it seemed impossible to find terms that communicated the beauty of God's Word to a people steeped in superstition and a completely different worldview.

After the Lord helped the translators find a way to communicate His Word, the New Testament was finally completed in 1903, and Yoseb Gergan immediately began to translate the Old Testament.

Although the Tibetan New Testament did not cause revival to break out, it greatly strengthened the small number of Tibetan believers, and the profile of Christianity was enhanced among the Buddhist hierarchy now that God's Word was available for them to read. The abbot of one monastery said: "I have read all the New Testament. Is it true that there is an Old Testament? If so, will you kindly send me all the books? I am very much interested in Christianity."

Wrestling with the Devil

Many more years passed until finally, in 1935, Yoseb Gergan laid down his pen. He had on his desk the first draft of the complete Tibetan Bible! He let out a deep sigh. Now, the Holy Bible would be available to reach the millions of Tibetans living on the vast plateau beyond the mountain passes.

Incredibly, although the translation has been completed, a further 13 years of intense struggle elapsed before the full Tibetan Bible was finally printed, as a succession of extraordinary events threatened to totally destroy the decades of work. It seemed as if every demon in hell had gathered to prevent the Word of God being available in Tibetan.

First, the workers at the Bible Society in India were unable to print the manuscript because they did not possess the technology to do so. At a time long before computers or photocopy machines, the precious manuscript was carefully placed inside a crate and shipped to the headquarters of the Bible Society in Britain.

The Tibetan Bible arrived in London, but as Hitler's forces swept across Europe, the Bible Society was concerned that the valuable manuscripts in their vaults might be destroyed by a Nazi bomb, so they transported the documents to safer rural locations. The Tibetan manuscript was placed in the ancient cathedral at Ripon, 200 miles north of London. As the Battle of Britain raged,

One 2,000-pound missile from the sky landed on a roadway beside Ripon Cathedral and came to rest against the wall of the church without exploding. Four feet away, inside the church's wall, lay the Tibetan manuscript. Gingerly, a bomb demolition crew defused the bomb. The firing device seemed faultless, and they could not understand why it had failed to explode.

By the time the Second World War ended, Yoseb Gergan was 60-years-old. For a decade he had patiently waited for news that his Tibetan Bible had been printed. With Europe in disarray and no sign of progress, he asked for the manuscript to be sent back to India, hoping that new technology would allow it to be printed closer to home.

Alas, the printers in India shook their heads, saying the manuscripts had been written on cheap Tibetan paper and would need to be rewritten on special white paper. Gergan asked God to give him the strength to complete the massive undertaking.

Two more years passed, and Yoseb felt his strength beginning to ebb as he continued working on his life's task. Then disaster struck. After days of feeling dizzy as he worked from sunrise to late at night, he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Yoseb Gergan (pictured above) had suffered a heart attack.

The members of the small Tibetan church cried out to the Living God, asking Him to have mercy. They had never imagined that their beloved pastor would die before the Bible was in circulation. God heard their prayers, and Yoseb experienced a surge of strength. A special table was constructed so he could continue the work from bed, and two Tibetan scribes were employed to do most of the writing, with Yoseb overseeing their work and making corrections.

Finally, on August 11, 1946, Yoseb Gergan wrote down the Tibetan words for the final verses in the Bible: "Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21).

Five days later, Yoseb Gergan closed his eyes one last time, and went to his eternal reward.

A Soggy Pulp

Unsurprisingly, more demonic opposition and roadblocks had to be overcome before the Tibetan Bible was finally in circulation. The rewritten manuscript had to be taken on the back of a mule across steep Himalayan mountain passes, and a young Tibetan named Sandrup was employed to deliver the manuscript. The journey was expected to take 50 days, and from there the manuscript would be sent on to the city of Lahore, where the Indian Bible Society was located.

Months went by without any word from Sandrup. He, and his precious cargo, had simply vanished in the remote mountains. The believers worried that he had been murdered by bandits or had encountered some other disaster.

Thankfully, additional sets of proofs had been made by Yoseb Gergan before he died. They were given to a Christian named Bahadur, who retraced the steps of the missing Sandrup. As Bahadur crossed a mountain pass, a massive electrical storm came rolling up from the valley below. He pulled his horse behind a large boulder and squatted close to the ground, waiting for the storm to pass as hailstones the size of eggs smashed into his back and neck. Suddenly,

There was a searing flash of light followed by the crash of thunder. The horse tried to bolt into the darkness, but Bahadur restrained it with tremendous effort. Flash after flash of lightning glanced off the rocks around them, filling the air with the heavy smell of scorched earth. The thunder roared as though the demons of hell had gathered to defy the terrified traveler. Torrential rain followed the hail, pouring from the heavens like a waterfall.

‘Oh God,' he cried, ‘help me now. Deliver me from Satan and his evil host. Protect your Book!' His shouted prayer was answered by another flash of lightning, which laid him out insensible on the ground.

When he revived, the storm had passed. Bahadur noticed that all was quiet, and he suddenly realized he was stone deaf. It would be weeks before he would hear a sound, and then only faintly, as the storm had split his eardrums."

Bahadur bravely soldiered on, and finally reached his destination. The scribes came running out to welcome him, but when the saddle bags were opened, a soggy mass of paper fell to the ground. The storm had succeeded in filling the bags with water. Bahadur tried to pick up the sticky mess, but it was no use. His journey had accomplished nothing. He called God to witness what the devil had done to the precious papers.

One Final Effort

The Bible Society workers realized they were in an intense spiritual battle that required a far greater power than mere human effort to overcome, so they petitioned Christians around the world to intercede for the success of the Tibetan Bible project.

After another delay, a third set of proofs was prepared. Meanwhile, the body of Sandrup, the first courier, had been found at the bottom of a steep cliff. He had perished in an avalanche.

Due to the outbreak of war which led to the formation of Pakistan as a separate country in 1947, the project leaders found that it wasn't safe to send the manuscript to Lahore for printing. It would have to be personally carried across more dangerous mountains, and one of the Tibetan scribes, Gappel, volunteered to undertake the long journey. He entered the war zone, and for months not a word was heard from him.

Four months later, as the Bible Society workers were starting to give up hope of ever seeing Gappel or the manuscript again, news emerged that he was holed up in a little hut in Kashmir. His way to Lahore was blocked by soldiers, but after another series of divine interventions, the manuscript finally arrived in Lahore, where Gappel began to put the finishing touches to the work.

The searing heat and humidity of Lahore soon made Gappel ill, as he had spent his entire life in the crisp air of the Himalayas. Two large fans were installed in his room, and large blocks of ice were placed in front of the struggling Tibetan. His spirit was immediately revived by the cool environment.

With Gappel working up to 20 hours a day to finish the task so he could return home, progress was swift, and the wonderful day finally arrived in August 1948, when the first ever copy of the full Tibetan Bible rolled off the press! It had taken 92 years of struggle and prayer.

God's Word Goes Forth

As soon as his job was done, Gappel hastily headed back to his home in the mountains, and an initial print-run of 5,000 Tibetan Bibles was dispatched to expectant missionaries and Tibetan Christians on both sides of the Himalayan divide.

One recipient of a new Tibetan Bible was Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth and current Dalai Lama, who had fled from Tibet into north India. When a missionary presented him with a brand new copy of the Holy Bible, the Dalai Lama exclaimed, "Thank you! I have heard about this Book. I am told it speaks of the great God who became a man and lived on earth."

After the Communists seized control of Tibet, hundreds of thousands of Buddhist monks were arrested and sent to prison labor camps, where many died after facing horrific cruelties. A Bible reached one imprisoned monk, who after being deeply touched by the words he read, penned a letter in beautiful flowing Tibetan:

"Dear unknown friends. The book you have sent over the mountains has come to my lonely cell. My soul is strangely stirred as I read these words. Light has come to my poor darkened soul. Please send me more light.'

For many years Asia Harvest has helped spread the Gospel throughout the Tibetan Plateau. Literature, audio and video resources that communicate the Gospel in Tibetan have been distributed. We currently support many ethnic-Tibetan evangelists who work inside Tibetan areas of China, and in the border areas of Nepal, Bhutan and India.

(Story from the Asia Harvest Newsletter.)