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| Martha and me with the students of Grace Theological College in Yangon, Myanmar. |
Fifty were expected to attend the first Love In Action
Myanmar-Grace Theological College Bible Seminar in Yangon, Myanmar, this week. Sixty eight attended. Praise
God for the wonderful turnout of students, pastors and church workers.
The theme of the seminar was “Discipleship: Carrying out the
Great Commission.” It’s a topic we really can’t teach enough about as it is a
direct command from Jesus for all of His followers. Unfortunately, far too many
do not obey.
Jesus left His followers a mission: “Then
Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end
of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20.
GTC does a wonderful job of teaching
and training students to serve Jesus in the ministry. Our partnership is an incredible opportunity to make a
serious impact for Jesus in a country where 40 million people are unreached,
that's more than 80 percent of the population.
Day 1 of the Bible seminar, Martha
led a morning session for the women. God used her so powerfully to touch the
hearts of the women as she taught on "God is our strength."
I led the morning and afternoon sessions with the students and church leaders and taught on "Carrying out the Great Commission." In the afternoon I taught on Jesus' invitation to "Follow Me" and how to live our lives following Jesus and teaching others how to do the same, and then ended the day with a message of encouragement titled "The Ultimate Battle." This message was to encourage current pastors and missionaries who are or will go through tough times that Jesus promises to give us life abundantly and be with us through the fire. And, it was also to encourage the students when they are on the mission field to never give up, but keep focused on Jesus and trusting in Him no matter the situation.
Afterward, a woman who is taking care of seven children in another township came forward for prayer. Being a single woman taking care of seven children who are not hers is tough enough. Add to that living in a Buddhist community in a Buddhist nation makes it even tougher. While she isn't physically persecuted, Buddhists don't like her because she is a Christian and because she is from an ethnic group of people called Chin, one of the very few people groups in Myanmar who are Christians. So they look down at her, talk down to her, and treat her as a second class citizen. She struggles financially with no help from people in her community. Please keep Ester in your prayers. She's a precious woman of God and was very encouraged by the seminar.
I led the morning and afternoon sessions with the students and church leaders and taught on "Carrying out the Great Commission." In the afternoon I taught on Jesus' invitation to "Follow Me" and how to live our lives following Jesus and teaching others how to do the same, and then ended the day with a message of encouragement titled "The Ultimate Battle." This message was to encourage current pastors and missionaries who are or will go through tough times that Jesus promises to give us life abundantly and be with us through the fire. And, it was also to encourage the students when they are on the mission field to never give up, but keep focused on Jesus and trusting in Him no matter the situation.
Afterward, a woman who is taking care of seven children in another township came forward for prayer. Being a single woman taking care of seven children who are not hers is tough enough. Add to that living in a Buddhist community in a Buddhist nation makes it even tougher. While she isn't physically persecuted, Buddhists don't like her because she is a Christian and because she is from an ethnic group of people called Chin, one of the very few people groups in Myanmar who are Christians. So they look down at her, talk down to her, and treat her as a second class citizen. She struggles financially with no help from people in her community. Please keep Ester in your prayers. She's a precious woman of God and was very encouraged by the seminar.
The seminar concluded on Tuesday and
it was deemed a great success by the students, pastors and church workers. Martha
and I were thankful for their response. Speaking through interpreters can be
tough, but Pastors Mang, Ang and Siang did wonderful jobs of translating our
messages.
In the morning sessions, I taught on "What is a Disciple" and "The Command to Make Disciples." Everyone requested that Martha speak again, so to begin the afternoon sessions, she taught on "Discipleship in the Home." Martha shared some of her testimony and how her parents raised her by teaching and showing her how to be a disciple for Jesus. She challenged parents and those who will be parents to make disciples at home.
In the morning sessions, I taught on "What is a Disciple" and "The Command to Make Disciples." Everyone requested that Martha speak again, so to begin the afternoon sessions, she taught on "Discipleship in the Home." Martha shared some of her testimony and how her parents raised her by teaching and showing her how to be a disciple for Jesus. She challenged parents and those who will be parents to make disciples at home.
Then I taught on "Being
Equipped to Make Disciples,” and ended the seminar with a message titled
"Our Lives Must be Centered on the Cross." I told the people,
"if we are to be successful in life, in ministry and in leadership, the
cross of Christ must be the center of our lives."
It was a great honor for LIA to lead the seminar. Martha and I are truly thankful for this wonderful opportunity.
Please keep GTC in your prayers, and pray for the growth of LIA's partnership with GTC to reach Myanmar for Jesus. We need to reach those 40 million unreached people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, by the grace of God, we can and we will.
It was a great honor for LIA to lead the seminar. Martha and I are truly thankful for this wonderful opportunity.
Please keep GTC in your prayers, and pray for the growth of LIA's partnership with GTC to reach Myanmar for Jesus. We need to reach those 40 million unreached people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, by the grace of God, we can and we will.
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| Pastor Ang interpreting for Martha during the Bible seminar. |
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| The front of Grace Theological College in Yangon, Myanmar. |
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