READ A MISSIONS BOOK

I last wrote a blog on June 22nd. Since then I have been busy with many things but the pace has finally slowed down enough for me to get back to the laptop this afternoon.

This month I was privileged to read Ascent to the Tribes by Isobel Kuhn, a missionary with her husband John serving with the China Inland Mission. In 1950 all missionaries were expelled from China by the communists and since China was CIM's only field what was it to do? CIM missionaries began to work in other Asian countries under a new name CIM-OMF, the Overseas Missionary Fellowship of the China Inland Mission. Today the mission is called OMF International.
John and Isobel began to work in Northern Thailand among the Lisu, mountain tribes. In this book Isobel charts the work and advance of the gospel among the Lisu, the white and blue Miao, the Yao, the Laku and the Akha people. Let me share with you some insightful quotes from this book.

LISU FROM THAILAND

 "When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good; a thoroughly bad man thinks he is alright!...Good people know about good and evil: bad people don't know about either". [C. S. Lewis] A sinful heart is a deceitful heart and when God abandons a person to their sin, as described in Romans 1, the conviction of sin and the knowledge of evil can disappear, which leaves a man but a half-step from the painful darkness of hell. Many of these tribal people were in this state and remained so even when the gospel of Christ was preached to them.
"The whole difference between faith and fear is that of the difference of putting our 'buts' before or after God. God commands but there are difficulties. That is paralysis. There are difficulties but God commands. That is power." [G. Campbell Morgan] There were many struggles and difficulties and trials for the missionaries to the mountain tribes but God was sufficient.
These mountain tribes feared demons and would worship them and make offering to the demons for protection from disasters, healing from sickness, and other things, offering their precious chickens and pigs which they could not afford to offer. In order to trick these tribal people one demon revealed himself with the name Jesus and told the tribes that he would protect and heal them if they worshiped his name but that they could keep on sinning and did not have to change their ways. We find similar claims being made today by those who claim to know Jesus but live as they please with no regard to holiness. We are to test every spirit to make sure it is from God.
Father Wood and old arthritic man who became a sound believer and persevered even when many who joined him at first in the faith turned away said, "'The Christian life is rather tasteless isn't it?' he said to me one day, as he sat in his crippled condition, unable to move outside and join in the general life. 'A fellow gives up smoking (opium) and drinking and the heathen festivals and - well, there isn't much fun in being a Christian, is there?'... Father Wood knew and acknowledged the peace of heart which fellowship with the Savior had brought him; that was why he continued as a Christian, but he had no comradeship. ...It was a real test for Father Wood. Before we judge him as a weak Christian, let us think how we would respond if suddenly deprived of all the contingent blessings that God heaps upon us."

I want to encourage each of you to read some books on missions and missionary biographies and learn how God has worked and is working in the world today through his sent people.