My Vision

I find hard to concentrate on my assignments and also to sleep at night. This is basically because of the vision and burden that I have for Myanmar Mission.
My vision is basically to engage the community of Burmese. To serve and bless the community. I don't want to keep God in a little box, and our ministry be limited within the four walls. I would like to extend beyond the four walls.
How to engage, relate with the community being a Chin, who is considered minority in Myanmar. Who even cannot speak good Burmese. Burmese usually look down any tribal.
In other to engage or build relationship with Burmese I would employ "Educational Ministry". Educational ministry will have two main parts such as Public Library (Reading room) and Private Tuition (Free tuition) for children and young adults.
1).PUBLIC LIBRARY would be built, keeping books like novels, religious books, Christian’s literature, health, agriculture and domestics’ books etc.Through this I can build friendship in the slum and can introduce Christian literature, consequently about Christ.
2). Another means of building friendship would be giving PRIVATE TUITION to children and youth. There are a lot of students who cannot go to private tuition due to family economics and also there are children who cannot go to school at all. And in these days the youth are so interest in English spoken. I would teach the poor children who cannot have education and private tuition.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME, TO BE THE LIGHT AND SALT OF THE WORLD. I pray that my dream and vision will come to reality when I finish my course and go back to Myanmar.

Orissa Christians persecution

More than 600 churches have been demolished, 4,000 Christians forced to flee from their villages, and at least 25 killed as a result of violent persecution in the state of Orissa in eastern India. For detail click here: http://www.christianpersecution.info/news/new-wave-of-violence-against-christians-in-orissa-state-15234/

I could not understand why Christians in Orissa suffer? Why God allows it? Is God our Refuge? Is he our Comforter, Advocate? Why not God protect them miraculously? The Christians in Orissa suffered a lot. Christians were killed, churches burned or destroyed, Christians properties destroyed set fire etc. Why? Why? Why?
We may not understand right now, but I strongly believe that God will work in and through the situation. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. I pray that Orissa will become Christians' state.
I remember we passed through some of the cities when we went to Hyderabad. And immediately my mind recollect one of my class mates Shakti in http://www.bharatbible.org/ and some of other friends from Orissa, I am sure they are serving the Lord. Although I did not hear for long time, but I am sure that they are suffering for the shake of Christ.
I am praying that they may count it as joy when they suffer for the name of Christ.
God of mercy! please hear the cries of thy children all over the world. Bless Orissa.

Lord Give us our Daily Bread

In many parts of the world, the prayer that Jesus taught " Lord give us our daily bread" may not be meaningful. They may pray but they may not really mean it. They may not need such prayer. Even in Malaysia where I am right now they don't need such prayers.

But in my native place Than Tlang township the death of children are reported due to Famine.My own people are dying, it's hard to believe. But it is true.

"Famine deaths are still being reported from a region of Burma’s northwestern Chin State, where inhabitants of 45 villages are being forced to forage for food in the jungle because their rice stocks have been lost to a plague of rats.The villages are in the State’s Tlangtlang Township, the worst-hit area. More than 40 children have already died in the famine, according to Chin humanitarian groups in exile." For more detail http://www.irrawaddy.org/article2.php?art_id=14057.

LORD GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD. LORD GIVE THEIR DAILY BREAD to my people. Lord let your people find food.

Once saved always saved

I could not sleep almost the whole night on Saturday night; I reflect back on our (Myanmar Students Rawna, Oliver, Peter and Kok at STM) talk on “Once saved always saved”.

In fact it has been unending debate between scholars. Calvin and Augustine taught “eternal security of saints” meaning “once saved always saved”. On the contrary, Armenian taught that “salvation could be lost”. I know I can not solve it here everything, but I would like to present my very brief view from the angle of my thesis “The Roles of Spirit-Paraclete in Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in John 14-17” and also draw some Scriptures.

One of the main roles of the Spirit-Paraclete is to indwell/to abide the disciples for forever, which means the indwelling is for permanent. Jesus says “….rivers of living water will flow from within them … which he meant the Spirit” (John 7:37-39) and promised the indwelling of Paraclete (John 14: 14-17, 23). This is the new mission of the Spirit. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit indwelt some selected leaders of Israel and it was for specific missions. It was only for temporary. But the Old Testament prophets prophesied on the coming permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1Kings 8:27; Ezekiel 37: 26-27; Zach 2:10). This is also promised by Jesus to his disciples. The prophecies of OT and the promise of Jesus is fulfilled when the Paraclete come into the lives of the disciples. And the very well known verse in John 3:16 confirms that salvation is for eternity “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

The apostle Paul who wrote more than 40% of the New Testament says that when one believes in the gospel of salvation the Holy Spirit marks with a seal (Eph. 1:13-14). And the apostle asked rhetorical questions to Galatians addressing them “O Foolish Galatians” on how they received the Holy Spirit. And again Paul assures Corinthians who committed sins such as sexual immorality and divisions among themselves saying “Don’t you know that you yourself are the temple of God” (1Cor.3:16; 6:19). Being the temple of God where God Spirit indwells, you ought not to commit such sins. In 1Cor. 12:12-13, 26 Paul says that we believers are Christ’s body by being baptized by the Spirit.

Therefore I am opted to think that we believers in Christ are permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit and we are Christ’s body. And, I am inclined to say that parts of Jesus’ body will not go to Hell, and the Spirit is not given to us as long as we obey and walk in the will of God but for permanently.

GOD IS MY EBENEZER

Time has flied off very soon. It has been long time that I did not post.
I was in Hospital: struggling for health. It took me more than month to recover, during which I could not work properly. But God is gracious to me in providing all my financial needs and laying His healing hands on me. I thank God for His wonderful provisions. I just imagine if I were operated in Myanmar, how painful it would be? How I would pay all the bills? etc.
After struggling with my physical health, again my Computer got sick, means virus attacked it. I struggled for two weeks. I do not know how to deal the problems. I asked helps from other students. They all are busy with their assignments. Lastly, Brother Caleb helped me to re-install the Windows. Then only, my Computer problem is solved. Thank God, now my Computer is working well.
When I look back, my struggles of sickness and Computer problems; God's unfailing hand is upon me. Although He lets me go through struggle after struggle but He leads me out from struggle to struggle. He has been my E-B-E-N-E-Z-E-R. Praise God.

My Dilemma whether to cast VOTE

Myanmar Military Government drafted new Constitution and asking the people to prove. I have been reading news and most of the news say the Military Government is urging the people to vote YES. Especially the civil servants have been told they face the sack if they fail to vote in favor of the draft constitution in the May 10 referendum. And in some areas it seems they are going to put only one box to cast vote.
Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia also made available for Myanmar citizens those who hold passport to cast vote. I have a burning desire to VOTE "NO". But at the back of my mind, I am afraid that I will not able to go back. If I can't go back I can't serve God again in Myanmar. I strongly believe that I have a calling to serve God in Myanmar. On the other hand, I keep on thinking that If I don't cast vote... what is the point of prayer for my country? What is the point of criticizing Myanmar?
I am in Dilemma...

Reflection on Robert Jewett class on Romans

Studying in Malaysia is indeed a privilege for me whereby I had opportunity to listen from world class scholars such as Howard I Marshall, D.A. Carson, Peter O’Brien and Robert Jewett. I really appreciate Professor Dr. Jewett for his enlightening paper presentation. I appreciated how he presented and answered questions although he is very shaky due to his old age but he could answer well, he does not lost his memory at all.

He tries to provide us new spectacles for reading Romans. He says that honor and shame is the background for reading Romans. Most of the church members in Rome were pre-slaves and slaves. All they are looking for is honor, equality, acceptance, and greetings not of justification. Justification by faith is secondary in Romans. I did not look at that way; it is really new specks for me.

But part of my problem just to take the new specs is that the simple search from Bible Works word search the words “righteousness” and “faith” seems to dominate Romans. The Reformation spectacles to read Romans on “justification by faith” seem to dominate the central teaching of Romans. The words “honor” and “shame” seems not playing the central teaching since there is not much words in the text. There may be honour and shame culture that played behind Romans, but it seems the text does not reflect so much. Therefore, if I am provided two spectacles to read Romans I would prefer to use traditional spectacles provided by the Reformations’ fathers.