The bus lets me off at Lumphini park, and i see a tatooed man standing nearby who is going thru his stuff and throwing trash out on the street.\u00a0 In my heart i despise what he is doing – littering.\u00a0 Wouldn’t you know it, this is the man God was wanting me to talk to, as he comes over to me and strikes up a conversation, saying he was a mercenary in Afghanistan etc.\u00a0 I tell him i’m a missionary, and give a short witness as we catch different busses.\u00a0 Lord, please may that short contact not prove unfruitful.\u00a0 Sure do wish i had some little pamphlet to hand him…<\/p>\n
Of course i go to Pantip computer mart, amaze myself at how the prices for flash memory has fallen, and spend time on the free internet, getting caught up with stuff that had been left when i had to pay by the hour for usage.\u00a0 I plan to go to Mission College on Wednesday, stay one nite, then go with my friend up to Chaing Mai on Thursday to the first-ever Hmong campmeeting that i first learned about from MaryAnn Mcneilus.\u00a0 I need to go to Pantip again (of course), but my bus #113 doesn’t come.\u00a0 Bangkok busses amaze me, in that there are so many busses, and that sometimes the same number bus will be 3 in a row, and then sometimes, the one you want doesn’t come for an hour, and then when it does, the driver doesn’t stop.\u00a0 Finally i grow tired of waiting, and take #29.\u00a0 I know it lets me out at the corner of the road going down to Pantip, about a 7 minute walk.\u00a0 But what i don’t know, is that i’ve left my 17 1858gc books in a white, plastic bag on the bus.\u00a0 About half way to Pantip it dawns on my memory-challenged mind, that i’m missing something – books!\u00a0 With a sick feeling i go to Pantip, only to hear that they haven’t looked at my computer yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I call the govt. bus office, but don’t understand a thing they say.\u00a0 Remembering there is a tourist information centre in front of Platinum Fashion Mall, i go there for help.\u00a0 I tell her my problem, and realize this is going to take a long time to explain, as she understands, even after 2 tries, that when i say “29”, i mean “25”.\u00a0 It amazes me some that she is the one chosen to help foreigners, and can’t hardly speak English, but she stays with me to the sweet end.\u00a0 It takes around 1 hour of calling various places and fiddling with her telephone jack, as her connection is not good, but she finally does get the information i need, telling me to go to the little central train station and wait for bus #29 at 6pm.<\/p>\n
I feel pretty small going back to the Chinese church, surprising everyone who knew i was going to Chaing Mai for a few days.\u00a0 I walk the 20mins up to the train station, but don’t know what to do there.\u00a0 Yes, there is a stop where people get on and off the busses.\u00a0 I ask a tourist info guide there, and she says maybe i should go to the little “hut” located a bit away from the busses.\u00a0 I’m hesitant, but going there, am pleasantly surprised to see a “29” along with some other number displayed.\u00a0 We have difficulty communicating, but finally i understand their hand gestures pointing to some even smaller red huts up the road is where i need to go.\u00a0 Finally getting to the first one, i ask.\u00a0 No English.\u00a0 But i am encouraged as i see a bus number i know printed on the hut.\u00a0 And i remember that most busses have some little hut with a dispatcher or someone who sits in there.\u00a0 I walk to the next one, next one, next one, now i’m getting a bit anxious, as it is about 10 minutes after 6.\u00a0 Finally i find “29”, and thank the Lord, he knows English – quite well.\u00a0 He calls the bus, and tells me that they are headed our way in around 15mins.\u00a0 We have a nice talk on the bench, looking at the beautiful, pink thunderclouds way off in the distance.\u00a0 He tells me he doesn’t like Bangkok, prefers the countryside, and i am able to give a witness about why i’m here etc.\u00a0 The same bus ticket lady that i remember is smiling hugely at me, holding a white, plastic bag in her hands.\u00a0 Thank you God, thank you bus workers, and thank you tourist information lady.\u00a0 I give one book to the “hut” worker, and he promises to read it.\u00a0 Who knows, maybe God had this in mind, just to get a book to this man who never would have heard the truth any other way?\u00a0 I like to think so, and not just that i did a really stupid thing that wasted a lot of time, and disappointed my friend at Mission College.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next morning finds me at Victory Monument.\u00a0 I go to the mini-van place on the right side, as that company was 100baht last time coming back from Mission College, while the other company was 130.\u00a0 Well, after waiting one hour, am told that the price is 120baht.\u00a0 hummm.\u00a0 Not much point in waiting, so think i’ll go to the one on the left side next time.\u00a0 They are friendlier too.\u00a0 Our van is only half full, which is nice, as you can stretch out.\u00a0 I listen to Japanese Revelation on my camera again, glad to have my 17 precious books with me.\u00a0 This incident taught me to be more careful of these books, and think more about my surroundings.\u00a0 It makes me think of the lady who lost a silver coin, and was so happy when finding it.\u00a0 Perhaps having had no problems for almost 18 months on the road has made me a bit careless?<\/p>\n
I get out at the elementary school at the entrance to Mission College.\u00a0 The computer manager there is a good friend, and it is nice to see him again, and hear that his wife is dilating!!\u00a0 Sounds like he needs to get her to a hospital quickly, but he is very cool about it.\u00a0 Shows my lack of knowledge of such matters.\u00a0 My friend at Mission College treats me very nicely., and i take a short nap in his room while he has classes.\u00a0 Good thing, as it will be the last sleep until after 5am the next day!\u00a0 There are three pickups taking kids to Chaing Mai for the campmeeting.\u00a0 Ours has a little tarp covering the front half of the pickup, providing a bit of cover.\u00a0 And cover we need, as it gets cold after around 11pm, and gets freezing once in the hills leading up to Chaing Mai.\u00a0 Thankfully (!?) the road is good, and clear, so we travel at probably over 100km\/hr.\u00a0 brrrrrrrrrr.\u00a0 As usual, i’m envying the 5 young people sprawled around, apparently all sleeping soundly.<\/p>\n
We arrive at Chaing Mai Adventist Academy around 4am, and are asked if we are hungry.\u00a0 My beclouded, frozen brain can only send the signal to say “sleepy”.\u00a0 My friend’s family lives very near the school, so we are taken there where we sink into peaceful, warm sleep for over 2 hours – zzzzzz.\u00a0 Knowing how my body usually catches a cold after getting too cold, i await the inevitable, but nothing of the sort happens.\u00a0 Perhaps a long nap this afternoon, and the load of delicious fruit keeps me well?<\/p>\n
We go to the Hmong campmeeting in the morning, where we see maybe 3-400 people gathered.\u00a0 I’m surprised that they are mostly under 20-somethings.\u00a0 Am informed later that some of the attendees are quite disappointed, as they were told that Hmong from all over the world would be here, so they have come with the intention of getting up-to-date news on the state of Adventist Hmong everywhere, but that did not materialize.\u00a0 Perhaps next time.<\/p>\n
There is a table with books for sale near the entrance – good!\u00a0 Exactly what i wanted to see, but still am shocked at how easily the Thai man there agrees to allow me to place my book for sale with his, and he even makes a nice price sign for them.\u00a0 They draw some attention, but only from above 20-somethings, so not many sell.\u00a0 There are a few people from Wisconsin here, and the lady is politely non-interested.\u00a0 The amount of food being thrown away in the cafeteria is astounding to me.\u00a0 Good thing my friend’s mother works in the cafeteria, as we get a few salted p-nuts from her – yumm.<\/p>\n
Friday evening we go to a lady’s house where around 9 members are assembled.\u00a0 They wish to study the 1858gc, so we do \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 I’m happily surprised at their seriousness, and humbleness, as the spirit of doubt is largely absent.\u00a0 They ask me to give the sermon at their meeting place on Sabbath, “Garden of Eden”\u00a0 I imagine around 30 people will come, but am shocked to see closer to 90.\u00a0 A lady who has spent time in Australia is my translator, and i give a talk in the morning on the Three Angels’ Messages.\u00a0 The overall spirit is one of earnest desire to study to know the truth, one of the best spirits i’ve seen anywhere in all my travels.\u00a0 Their knowledge level is quite high too, leading me to make a mistake in the evening, as i think the translator is not translating correctly: “When did Jesus enter the Most Holy Place?”, or something similar that i thot all SDAs would know, and be answered instantly by this group.\u00a0 They want me to keep talking and teaching, so we have another time in the morning, and cover chapter 32 of the 1858gc.\u00a0 Then in the afternoon, we cover chapter 30 – Spiritualism.\u00a0 Even the children are behaved for the most part, perhaps owing to the vegetarian food they have.\u00a0 The testimonies given in the morning are quite powerful, one about how some man wished to serve the Lord full time selling books, but his wife said he would have to build her a house first.\u00a0 While building, it was raining heavily all around, but all dry within 500m of his building spot – amazing!\u00a0 One man starts showing a video of Al Gore talking about global warming just after lunch, and i kindly ask him to refrain.\u00a0 Expecting an outburst, or just ignoring me, i’m very pleasantly surprised when he follows my request to the letter.\u00a0 I sure don’t want these people here getting false ideas put into their head, and having them mixed up somehow with the three angels’ messages.<\/p>\n
I find out later that this group is quite similar to the Awakening group that my mother was involved with when i was little.\u00a0 They are all Seventh-day Adventist church members.\u00a0 They all love to study, and FOLLOW inspired counsel in the Bible and Ellen White’s books.\u00a0 Many of them have even done away with dairy products and eggs.\u00a0 They have been shunned and worse in the churches.\u00a0 Many rumours have circulated about them, most of which are not true.\u00a0 For example, there is a Hmong man who says that he receives messages from God which he writes down.\u00a0 This simple man writes about deep things which it seems impossible to just be coming from himself.\u00a0 The Mission sent some pastors to question him.\u00a0 Their conclusion was that he is a false prophet.\u00a0 Where is he false? – no explanation.\u00a0 Robert Brinsmead never claimed to receive messages from God, so this charge was not laid against him, but many other bad things were said to make him look bad.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this man DID say some things predicting what would happen last year in Thailand with earthquakes etc. that did not come true, giving one reason to pause….. Sad to say, that the large group of maybe 300 has dwindled to around 120 or so because of this.\u00a0 There are 3 pastors in this group who have been relieved of their position within the SDA church because of preaching the straight truth.\u00a0 I can believe it, as in Asia, of all the countries i’ve been to, Thailand ranks second only to Japan in compromise with the world, and uninterest in spreading inspired material from Ellen White’s pen.<\/p>\n
The next day we take a short motorbike ride out in the hills to the pastor’s land where he is growing a few banana and papaya and one other kind of fruit trees.\u00a0 There aren’t many, but it is fun to knock down a papaya, and try to catch it.\u00a0 No luck on my part, the pastor does get one.\u00a0 Two of those i’ve knocked down are usuable, so i carry one in each hand on the way back, while pastor has a huge sack of freshly-cut bananas balanced in front of him.\u00a0 Told that we will have worship at Garden of Eden again, i’m thinking something along the lines of yesterday – 90 people.\u00a0 Instead, we don’t arrive till after 7pm, and there are only around 10 people.\u00a0 Fine.\u00a0 The time is taken with the owner pastor of the place asking me several questions, and apparently i satisfied him with my answers.\u00a0 I’m amazed at one of them, as i was expecting him to ask about the 144,000, as that is the most frequently asked question, but his question floors me as he already believes it is a literal number, and was just wanting some other information on this group of people.\u00a0 Wow!\u00a0 I’ve never met anyone, especially a pastor, with this strong a belief\/knowledge of the subject.<\/p>\n
It’s an all day affair getting back to Bangkok, but glad to arrive safely.\u00a0 I catch a bus to my friend’s place, where they very generously let me stay in their kitchen\/living room.\u00a0 The wife seems surprised that i don’t spread out the comforter wide on the floor, preferring instead to fold it up many times to a long, narrow shape.\u00a0 She laughs as i tell her it is because i have no natural body cushioning, so must use all the artificial cushioning i can \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 This couple is very, very interested in the 1858gc, and we study it every other nite or so, and talk about it, and discuss ways to spread it etc. etc.\u00a0 The husband has a bread maker, and it is very nice to have real bread to eat, not the white, fluffy stuff that passes for bread in most of the world.\u00a0 I go with her to her workplace, an elementary school run by a SDA from Korea.\u00a0 Sadly, the school has been largely neglected\/run into the ground, and is not currently giving any good witness for Jesus.\u00a0 But she is actively trying to lift it up, and their are marked instances of God’s working, and if the owner himself shows a real interest in lifting up the school, i believe God will use it for his glory.\u00a0 It’s very enjoyable for me to be a substitute teacher for a few days, and helping fix some things on the computers – the only two areas in my life where i’ve worked professionally.\u00a0 Oh, wait, i’ve delivered pizzas before too (and translated, and worked for a moving company etc. – like i’ve said before, i forget a lot.\u00a0 the upside is that i can do it again and not get bored – ha!\u00a0 [now just how DOES Osaka look like…]).<\/p>\n
It is new year’s here – Songkran.\u00a0 Three days of having people everywhere throw water on you.\u00a0 They throw it on the bus.\u00a0 Throw it on the pedestrians.\u00a0 Throw it even in the church (?!)\u00a0 Sometimes people put baby powder in it, making for a big mess.\u00a0 The best thing to do, is stock up on food, and not venture out for a few days, or else go shopping or to church in your swimsuit.\u00a0 We go in our church clothes, and get sprayed from a car passing slowly by our bus stop.\u00a0 Not funny, but i understand us foreigners are irrestible targets.\u00a0 Seems that many foreigners actually come here just to be part of this.\u00a0 It is funny to see the busses going with all the curbside windows shut, and all open on the other side.\u00a0 But be careful, in China town where the roads are narrow, they can get you from both sides!<\/p>\n
We go to an “Evangelistic Centre” which is a outreach church, used for teaching English during the week.\u00a0 The main man here is from South Africa, and gives a nice sermon.\u00a0 There is a man here who used to be a monk, but is almost to the point of being baptized into God’s remnant church.\u00a0 The talk in the afternoon is on “baptism”, and one lady is hung up about wanting to get baptized in a river.\u00a0 We all tell her that being baptized in a pool is fine too, the only requirement is that your whole body must go under the surface of the water.\u00a0 She seems to be wanting to cause a big talk about this, and i do learn later that she does seem to like to cause big talks about various things, perhaps not so sincerely desiring to know the truth.\u00a0 The wife of the leader talks with me a few minutes about the 1858gc book, showing a great interest, and saying that she could translate it into French.\u00a0 I’m amazed, and pray with her that God will guide her in this great project.\u00a0 Please may she continue with it, and defeat all of Satan’s plans to take her mind off this task, Lord.<\/p>\n
One Thai lady comes up to me, saying she is a member and English student there, and wants to hear my English pronounciation.\u00a0 I remark to the translator sitting on the other side of me that it must have been difficult translating some of the things the Filipinos say, as sometimes they are difficult to understand.\u00a0 Of countries that use English a lot, the Philippines has the worst grammar of anywhere i’ve been.\u00a0 The accent is nice tho, both qualities of which are exactly opposite in India.\u00a0 Later i’m told by a member in very harsh words that i’ve made a big mistake, “the biggest mistake of my life”.\u00a0 I only wish so brother, because if this was even a mistake, which i’m not sure of, it definitely is not a sin, which would qualify me for “saint” status \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
I’m treated to a nice meal at the food court at Carrefour – 100baht for the 3 of us.\u00a0 It tastes really good after getting some salt from a different shop nearby our table.\u00a0 Maybe i should remember to take my own salt next time (forget?)\u00a0 This place has a huge supermarket\/dept. store on the 2nd floor.\u00a0 It reminds me a bit of WalMart, but somehow not quite as professional.\u00a0 Tesco\/Lotus, just across the street, is very similar.\u00a0 It is cool to hear several of the shoppers speaking in Japanese.\u00a0 Prices are definitely cheaper than in Japan, but not as cheap as just outside.\u00a0 However, you can be pretty sure that the quality here is good.<\/p>\n
Going from the school to a computer mart (not Pantip!) we are in a minivan when SMASH!\u00a0 We have run into the back of a pickup-taxi, and the windshield looks like a poster for Spiderman II.\u00a0 Everyone calmly gets out, and pours into the next minivan coming our way.\u00a0 This man must think he’s Batman, as he drives his mobile like he’s coming out of (going to?) hell.\u00a0 Scary scary scary. This is Bangkok.\u00a0 One passenger holds her lip, so i guess she banged it a bit in the accident.\u00a0 One other passenger tells us where to get off, so we walk over the pedestrian bridge to the computer mart – i think it was IT City, out past Don Muang airport.\u00a0 There are lots of people selling food just outside, tempting us to take care of our bellies before the computer, but mind controls belly, so we finally find the shop, and start explaining what is wrong.\u00a0 They don’t understand at all, and think that just we had some problem installing software to connect to a printer.\u00a0 no, no, no.\u00a0 When he gets a CD and starts to install something, i stop him, and have him come to his computer where i show that in his Device Manager, “PORTS” is showing, while it is not showing on ours.\u00a0 He catches on instantly, pulls out a Windows CD, and says it will take awhile to re-install.\u00a0 Fine for our bellies.\u00a0 There is lots of yummy food outside, and we bring in a good portion of it inside.\u00a0 We eat in the basement where there is a food court with many tables, but it looks like we are supposed to purchase our food there if we eat it there.\u00a0 It is almost closing time, and after a very friendly KFC man giving us 3 packs of ketchup AND chili sauce, we enjoy our meal.\u00a0 I withdraw money for the 2nd time of my trip, and my friend gets her computer back with the PORTS showing nicely \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
I use the money to pay for a booth at the ASI convention in August, here in Bangkok.\u00a0 I sure hope to be able to display the 1858gc nicely, and get people interested in helping to promote it.\u00a0 If it is God’s will, i hope to show a trial piece of the anime of the book, and pray that the Lord will impress someone to supply the necessary funds.\u00a0 I’d like to share some of the booth space with interested people, as 300usd is a lot of money (plus 35usd to be in the meetings too), but wonder if that might dilute the message of the 1858gc?\u00a0 Give me wisdom Lord.<\/p>\n
It is fun to go to school, talk about how to help the school, spiritual things etc., and then come back to the home where the husband has fixed stew – even he seems surprised that we eat the extra-bitter gourd stew.\u00a0 I’ll pass on the leftovers for breakfast tho – haha.\u00a0 We go to the wife’s parents’ place, and i enjoy the beach tremendously – running up and down the length of it, playing with hermit crabs (so many, and sooo tiny!), building the obligatory sand castle etc.\u00a0 Why can’t i see?\u00a0 Oh yeah, it’s because the salt spray has covered my glasses.\u00a0 What a fun, relaxing, free time, just what i needed.\u00a0 We walk around the neighborhood at nite, but have to be careful of “The Masters of the Nite”.\u00a0 No, it’s not a gang, but a pack.\u00a0 Dogs pretty much have free run of the town at nite, and you have to be careful.\u00a0 The family next door has gone out to their orchard, and brought back some lychees and pomelos.\u00a0 They are definitely cheaper than Bangkok, and we pig out on delicious fruit.\u00a0 In Carrefour, i remember pomelo sections, maybe 8 to a pack, for around 55baht (1.6usd).\u00a0 But here you can get the whole thing for just 35baht or so.\u00a0 But of course it takes a lot of work to get the sections out just so nicely.\u00a0 The Thai lady gets the work done quickly and nicely, but half of mine fall apart.\u00a0 Oh well, the taste won’t be any different.\u00a0 After eating bananas from Chaing Mai every morning for 5 days we dig into the papaya, only to find one has gone bad.\u00a0 The other one is excellent tho.\u00a0 So lychees, pomelos, bananas, papayas, with a few mangos and mangosteen for good measure — anyone want to move to Thailand?\u00a0 And i haven’t even mentioned the ones not purchased, like durian (can smell the one thrown away downstairs tho!), oranges, apples, pears, pineapple (oh, we DID have one pineapple), rambutan etc. etc.<\/p>\n
Sabbath finds me at the big Ekkamai English church.\u00a0 Most of the members are Filipino, with a couple of Thais and Indians and Americans and Europeans thrown in.\u00a0 It is strange that we were considering the Chinese church, then the Mission Hospital church, finally deciding on the closest church.\u00a0 What a pleasant surprise to see the associate director of publishing from the General Conference (Hirle) here.\u00a0 His sabbath-school lesson is interesting, and i especially am struck by how one man spoke strongly about the sins in the church.\u00a0 A lady has asked this man to give me a minute to promote this book, and he assents.\u00a0 I wait until the nominating stuff is over with, wondering when my time will come, and praying that the Lord will give me words to say.\u00a0 He asks me to come up when introducing visitors, and i tell people about a study of this book in the church in the afternoon at 3, and read a couple of sentences from chapter 32 about The Shaking.\u00a0 Now it’s up to the Holy Spirit to move people’s hearts to come.\u00a0 In heading to the church, i tell the husband where i’m staying that i’m hoping for 12 people to come.\u00a0 I don’t really know why i say “12”, but goosebumps form when meeting his wife who has gone to the church earlier, and hearing her say she thinks 12 people will come!\u00a0 Amazing!\u00a0 Lord, i believe you wanted us to come here, now please give words to speak.\u00a0 The study starts with only 6 others besides us 3.\u00a0 But 15 minutes into the lesson, more come, and eventually there are 13 present, not counting us 3.\u00a0 Just like the Lord, to answer your prayer, and give you a little extra as an incentive.\u00a0 Perhaps we should have prayed for 100?<\/p>\n
The man in the morning who talked strongly in Sabbath School about the sins of the church (just one short thing he said), is there, and he seems very interested.\u00a0 The lady who usually forms the group who studies on Sabbath afternoons is there too.\u00a0 I start the study as usual, asking the questions to be answered directly from the book.\u00a0 Also as usual, the first one or two answers are people’s opinions about what they interpreted the paragraph to say, but soon they understand that i’m looking for the exact answer specifically written in the book.\u00a0 That way we know the answer is correct, and has none of our private interpretation in it.\u00a0 It is so easy to think we know what we are reading, but skip over the actual words to get just a “general picture”.\u00a0 This is what i always do when reading magazines and things uninspired, and while i usually get the main ideas, and can cover a lot of material quickly, i often skip details.\u00a0 When reading inspired material tho, the mind must be trained to dig deeply into the mine of truth, as each word has been chosen by the Holy Spirit to be there, and there is no waste or unnecessary verbiage.<\/p>\n
I find out later that the man used to be a pastor, but now is a worker or volunteer for 3ABN.\u00a0 He reads a section from Lewis Walton’s “Omega” book.\u00a0 I think i know why he “used” to be a pastor, as his message is very straight.\u00a0 There are 2 ladies who are even more interested in the book it seems, and they ask very good questions.\u00a0 One lady intrigues me, as she has a A4-size paper with this chapter 32 printed on it.\u00a0 She tells me later that her family downloaded this book from the internet, and they are studying thru it – wow!\u00a0 It is SUCH an uplift to actually meet someone who is being blessed by that website.\u00a0 Yes, i know it got around 60,000 unique visits last year, but how many of those are bots, spiders, and even if real people, people who are really looking for something else, or not interested in this, or whatever….but here is living proof that there ARE people using it to learn more about God’s words and teaching for them.\u00a0 Thank you Lord for this little bit you are using me to spread your words you gave your prophet, and please send the Holy Spirit to each reader so they will be able to understand and follow them.\u00a0 And may i not get puffed up, but give you all the glory, honor, and praise forever.<\/p>\n
Two nites later we go to one of these lady’s homes, and study chapter 3 “The Plan of Salvation” with her.\u00a0 Just as in the bigger study, there is absolutely no spirit of doubt in the words here being from God – hallelujah!\u00a0 She starts questioning why the big changes from the first edition to the current GC book.\u00a0 Perhaps in the future we can have a study on that.\u00a0 Her demeanor and everything regarding her attitude towards this book is a marvelous thing to see, as she is in a high position in the church, yet shows such a strong, simple faith in the words in this book. She gives me hope, and a realization that there ARE 7,000 (144,000?) God has reserved to himself.\u00a0 So i should not get discouraged when seeing many of the leaders not interested in the words God gave Ellen White.<\/p>\n
And i will get to see that at the 4-Division-wide Literature Evangelist’s Convention held in Bangkok.\u00a0 See “departures” blog entry for details.\u00a0 What is interesting, is how God gives one courage and strength just at the right time, just enough to prepare oneself for the discouragements that arise.\u00a0 He really IS good \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 We should trust him more.<\/p>\n
I spend quite a bit of time typing in a book by Robert Brinsmead from when he was strong in the Awakening over 40 years ago – powerful stuff, mostly correct, except for saying the 144,000 is symbolic (with no evidence), and saying that Jesus had a sinful nature (degenerative body – yes, sinful heart – no), but i’m not 100% positive what he means by “sinful nature”.\u00a0 The rest is excellent, excellent material, just as fresh now as when written.\u00a0 And the message is even more imperative for God’s people today – that NOW is the time of the judgment.\u00a0 Let’s make preparation, and put away all sin from our lives now, because Jesus will cleanse the sanctuary BEFORE he comes, which means that he will make an end to sin in our lives before he throws down the censer and says “It is done”.<\/p>\n
All three of us go out to a hair salon to get the cutting done.\u00a0 For 60baht i look like a European i’m told.\u00a0 Oh, so fashionable.\u00a0 The look lasts as long as i don’t wash my hair – ha!\u00a0 There is a Jusco nearby where we bot some brown rice the other day.\u00a0 I want some of the Japanese food there, but cannot justify the cost.<\/p>\n
Wednesday evening we go to the church, as i don’t take money for book sales on Sabbath, and one lady from South Africa has said she will be there.\u00a0 While walking there, we meet a group who are walking back.\u00a0 “No key”.\u00a0 We all agree to just have a worship on the steps, which we do.\u00a0 Luckily (as God would have it), i have brought 5 1858gc books, just enough for everyone.\u00a0 We study chapter 1: “The Fall of Satan”.\u00a0 One person has a big spirit of doubt, saying he is sure Satan never really repented, that we should read other SOP books to check these things etc. etc.\u00a0 Fortunately, one other in his group is a strong believer in just as it is written here, so this spirit did not spread.\u00a0 I was praying earnestly too just as this spirit manifested itself, that God would nip it in the bud, and he did!\u00a0 The pastor came late, apologizing, asking if there is something more we must believe in than the cross (asked in connection with the sanctuary).\u00a0 I tell him that the believers before Jesus came had to believe in the sanctuary intercessions of Jesus, just as we must today.\u00a0 Not an “addition” to the cross, but that Jesus’ dying on the cross is believed by Satan himself, but if it doesn’t produce good works, it is useless.\u00a0 He seems satisfied, and leaves with us, telling me about how he was able to witness to people at Tennessee Titan football games.\u00a0 Pastor, we need to give up things of this world.\u00a0 How can we face Jesus when lost souls from Thailand for example say “If you had used that money to send a missionary our way, we would have believed and been saved”?\u00a0 Let’s seek a higher road.<\/p>\n
My computer has been held hostage at Pantip long enough.\u00a0 They didn’t look at it before New Year’s, and then of course the holidays were here, and i need it quickly, planning to take it with me to Cambodia next week.\u00a0 In fact, if this computer had been alright, i might have just gone a week earlier, as planned.\u00a0 But hearing about the LE convention, and of course with this problem, i decided to postpone going one week.\u00a0 Good thing i did, for there are lots of happy things going on \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Happy birthday!
\nLast year spent in a dusty hotel in Madurai, this year spent in a traffic jam, and sending my first ever Western Union transfer, getting asked to leave from a SDA meeting, seeing lightning hit all around, walking in the rain around 1km, and having a happy meal at the food court in Carrefour with friends (yes, 100baht for 3 of us \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 I celebrate a little happiness by buying a coconut donut at Mister Donut – yummmy.\u00a0 Thank both of you very much for helping me overcome my churned feelings from the LE convention.\u00a0 It’s a GREAT feeling knowing that somewhere, there ARE people who really believe like you do, and stand up for the right tho the heavens fall.\u00a0 Please save these 2 in your kingdom Lord, and may they make their family whole again soon.<\/p>\n
Sabbath comes again, and i head off alone to the Chinese church, while they go to California Christian International School church.\u00a0 They’ve promised to come and bring the new manager of the school to the study of chapter 32 in the 1858gc to be held in the afternoon in the church.\u00a0 I’m very much in debt to the very kind pastor for putting this study announcement in the bulletin.\u00a0 My lack of faith has made me think that there will probably only be 2 or 3 besides us 4, but am pleasantly mistaken – there are 7 or 8 others.\u00a0 It is strange that the person who is most on fire to spread Spirit of Prophecy material in this church is not present tho… One lady is really interested, and asks, when finished, if we can study one more chapter!\u00a0 Now that’s a first, and i’ve studied this with perhaps over 20 groups.\u00a0 Well, the group in Chaing Mai did say they wanted to study more in the afternoon, and other people have asked me to stay longer to study more in the future, but never has anyone asked immediately after to study again.\u00a0 Well, of course i’ll be happy to!\u00a0 She’s interested in the Loud Cry, so after a break of around 10 minutes, we delve into that chapter.\u00a0 Chapter 32 describes the Loud Cry in short, so this chapter is quite easy to understand after studying 32.\u00a0 It is a marvel to me, and a great uplift to my spirits, to see that the spirit of doubt is not present here.\u00a0 With people of a high education, like this lady who is a doctor, there is almost always an attendant spirit of doubt.\u00a0 But none here.<\/p>\n
My Ron Wyatt DVD doesn’t work correctly, so i can’t burn a DVD.\u00a0 Sorry to waste my friends’ time with this.\u00a0 What do do….. I must pack, and get ready to leave at 4:20am to catch the bus to Cambodia.\u00a0 The pastor again is very kind to me, and instead of me having to spend the nite on chairs, or in the smelly room where 5 people have their clothes, he lets me stay on a big bed in his study.\u00a0 I sleep quite well, and am surprised that his wishy-washy style bathroom (shower and toilet all together), has been replaced with a “dry” toilet, with toilet paper and no shower.\u00a0 Civilization rearing its beautiful head \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 I catch a little green bus, which is usually 6.50baht, but am charged 8.\u00a0 Usually the red busses are 7, the blue ones are 8, the blue air-con ones 11, and the yellow air-con ones 12 (air-con bus price depends on distance, for example: 34baht from the airport to downtown).\u00a0 There is some kind of demonstration or something, as there are literally thousands of motorbikes cruising all over the road (at 4am!), reminding me of the bosozoku in Japan.\u00a0 They have one intersection blocked off, and i start to wonder if we are going to be able to get to the bus stop in time, but soon we move again, and within 2 minutes we are there.\u00a0 The ticket taker shows me a good spot on the bottom level.\u00a0 Happy travelling the 2 1\/2 hours to Cambodia \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The bus lets me off at Lumphini park, and i see a tatooed man standing nearby who is going thru his stuff and throwing trash out on the street.\u00a0 In my heart i despise what he is doing – littering.\u00a0 Wouldn’t you know it, this is the man God was wanting me to talk to, …<\/p>\n