upset tummy, short trip, dream
Recent events….Sunday last week i made a great soup, and then went to bed. The husband of the place here and i were the only ones to eat it, and both of us had a spewing party all nite. With some charcoal and grape juice and raw eggs, we mostly overcame it, but still had a fever and nausea until Thursday, when, thankfully, just a day before taking a trip, we both got well.
On Friday morning we got up and left at 4:30 to walk 20 minutes to bus #77 to the northern bus terminal – Mo Chit. We caught the 6:30 bus and arrived in Tak around 1:15pm. Our friend met us, and we enjoyed a nice weekend in the countryside with the cows and chickens and birds and grass etc. My friend seemed so happy to have someone to be with him, as he is the only Seventh-day Adventist there, and he talked and talked and talked with the Thai speaker in our group from Bangkok.
I was able to have a 2-hour talk with the owner of the place (Avoda) on Sunday nite, going over some of the Bible texts showing that once-saved-always-saved is not correct. With some of the places he commented that it was “Old Testament”, and even eliciting smiles from me twice, once when he said Judas was not in the dispensation of the church, so he was lost, and also by saying that even people who hate God totally and would be miserable in heaven will have to go there if they ever once in their lives accepted Jesus as their Saviour. I didn’t tell him then, but it is putting the attributes of Satan onto Jesus, to say that no matter what you wish, once you do one thing you can never repent of it – in this case – once you accept Jesus, you must go to heaven even if later you regret your decision. Of course i believe that if your works do not live up to your profession, you will be found “wanting” in the scales when Jesus weighs your heart. But to think that there is no way to escape salvation if you once name the name of Jesus, even if you are like Satan who believes, you must go heaven – really strange doctrine!!!
But the stories this man has are really interesting, and i can see how the Lord has led him very far. He doesn’t want to just follow man’s ideas. He has started to believe that the Sabbath is a rest day, but still worships on Sunday. He doesn’t allow Christmas or Easter celebrations on his property either, angering many of his fellow Christians. I sure hope and pray he can come up to follow all the 3 Angels, and not just the 3rd.
Monday we had another 2 hour meeting, and i was bowled over to receive an envelope with money in it before i left – wow! even very few SDAs treat me this well! Please Lord, watch over him, and may he fully, completely, take hold of the truth. In my human understanding, it looks to me like his place could be a great center for training young people from all over Thailand to be strong Christians, and this country could really change. His dream is for 1,000 kids, and centers also to help the displaced Burmese people living in Thailand. It would be wonderful if we could join forces somehow. Lord, please work it all out to your glory. Break Satan’s power, and open up this man’s understanding to follow you completely.
On Saturday nite there i had a dream. I dreamt i was sleeping – sleeping in a big room with a high, long window, and my brother sleeping in a bed just a few feet away. There was a horrible, suffocating, dark, oppressive feeling over me. I could only choke out the sound “Jeeee”. Then a litte freer “Jesus!” Then i felt freer, and said “Jesus, save me!” Instantly i was totally free. What a great dream 🙂 Thank you Jesus, and always be near me. Thank you for hearing me when i call. And keep me from the attacks of Satan.
The bus back to Bangkok was uneventful, but travelling 6 hours without a stop is not much fun. I ate bread and raisins and fruit and peanuts on the bus for lunch, and then after changing to #77 at Mo Chit, ate basically the same thing again. Thai food stalls serve stuff that only looks like crap to me. I mean really, most of it doesn’t even resemble food to me – little fried somethings or round shape somethings in some unintelligible broth that looks more like something already digested and going to the waste treatment plant, rather than something about to be processed by a human.
Now i’m back in the high-rise apt. looking out on the 14th floor over the high-rises of Bangkok, reading about the Tower of Babel to the little girl who lives here. Seems a bit surreal. Still helping on the translation of the Thai and Romanian 1858gc books. Next week, Lord willing, i will be going to Myanmar to print this precious book there. Your prayers are requested.