JORDAN OVERVIEW

Today I would like to present to you an overview of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. My destination is Al Mafraq. Most of this information is from Operation World which I would recommend as a valuable prayer guide for the world. A copy can be found in our church library.
Jordan is at the center of a very conflicted area of the world, with Israel on the West and Syria in the North, with Iraq to the East and Saudi Arabia to the East and South. Its population is about 7 million but this total is swelled by mass refugee populations from Syria and Iraq which burdens its economy and limited resources.
Jordan's main sources of income are tourism, phosphates and agricultural products. Jordan has no oil and very limited water resources. Jordan is politically moderate and an ally of the West providing somewhat of a buffer for Israel against more fundamentalist regimes.
Jordan is 97% Muslim (Sunni), about 2% Christian and of these about .025% are protestant. The constitution of Jordan prohibits religious discrimination and promotes free exercise of religious beliefs and worship. The Church has a visible public presence and relative freedom, but there is some pressure on evangelical churches. Many Christians have left the country. Since 1980 the Christian population has dropped from 6.5% to 2.2%. This emigration has brought a need for more leadership in the churches. The evangelical church has doubled from 1995 to 2010, most converts coming from nominal Christian churches but some are from Muslim backgrounds.

Al Mafraq is North of Amman

 Christian ministries such as an Arabic language school and medical work such as Annoor Sanatorium are always under pressure so continue to pray for these ministries in Jordan. As one leader commented, "every day we offer praise to God for another day of possible ministry in Jordan by the grace of God".

Millions in Jordan need to hear about Jesus Christ through medical initiatives such as Annoor, through cell phone downloads, via TV and radio programs, through internet websites, and written materials. Please pray for God's work in Jordan.

I leave on Monday morning and will be in touch as best I can over the next month. Here are some prayer requests: 
1) Good health and stamina (I am an old man now) 
2) Travel connections and safety on the roads 
3) Financial provision for the cost of the trip 
4) That I can be a fruitful helper to those I meet
5) That I will be a faithful witness as opportunity arises

JESUS PEOPLE. IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN?

How many of you remember the Jesus People movement which took place in the 70's and 80's. Here is what the web has to say about it, "The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily throughout North America, Europe, and Central America, before subsiding by the late 1980s. Members of the movement were called Jesus people, or Jesus freaks." I was one of those Jesus freaks. I was born again in 1971. Many of today's older Christians came to know Christ during that time of revival over many continents. It was a worldwide phenomenon. A number of hippies traveled to India and Afghanistan and found Christ at the end of their trek to find themselves. I was hitch hiking through Europe when Christ found me in Holland. That Jesus movement took place 40 years ago.
What were some of the events taking place at that time? First there was a sexual revolution taking place which was the precedent of much of what is now taking place today. Then there was a movement of young people revolting against the status quo of the material pursuits of their parents. There was a revolt against government authority and all that represented authority; Black Panthers, draft dodgers, burning of university facilities, sit-ins and protests and demonstrations. Music expressed the desire for love and freedom and hope for a new kind of future. Our heroes were Che Guevara and Frodo. Youth pursued an unprecedented search for truth, and justice, and the meaning of life. Out of that confusion and chaos Jesus introduced himself to millions.

1971 passport photo, 5 months before becoming a Jesus Freak

Today I see the same confusion and chaos happening all over again with our youth and in our culture. There is a sexual revolution taking place that has never been seen before in history. Not just a growth in immoral sin but a total abandonment of gender and identity. Our youth is begining to rebel against materialism and government authority and big government that has lost touch with the people; the occupy movement, the growing gap between the rich and the middle class, the call for justice for blacks. The rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders shows that a ferment is beginning to take place. The big question is, "Will this lead to a new spiritual seeking after Jesus as it did in the last generation?" Will God once again bring the message of His Son into the chaos and the confusion that sin of every kind is producing. Will youth be honest enough with themselves to acknowledge God, their sin, and Jesus the Savior? Is this the beginning of another generational visitation of God upon the modern world?

It is evident to those who can see that we are bankrupt and no answers are forthcoming from government and education and reform programs. Man is more than ever corrupt in his heart. Is there enough Jesus seed left in our culture to bring in another harvest like God did 40 years ago? I am reminded of the verse from the old King James, "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59.19). Let's pray for a new Jesus People movement.

Jordan update: Just over a week before departure. Passport is in, praise God. Funds are beginning to come in. Ride to the airport is confirmed. Thank you for praying and giving. See last blog for donation information. ron 

A VAST TREASURE

Dear prayer partners and friends, here is an update on my trip to Jordan. My new passport has not yet arrived but is expected by August 17th so continue to pray that all will work out as scheduled. I have set up an account with Reach Beyond Canada for those who want to donate to this trip. You can send in a donation by mail to <Reach Beyond Canada, Unit 3- 44 Saltsman Dr, Cambridge, ON, N3H 4R7> with a note that this is for Ron Latulippe's trip to Jordan, or go to the website <http://reachbeyond.ca/donate> and under the heading <SELECT FUND YOUR DONATION WILL SUPPORT> select <Donate to a missionary-indicate name below in message> and then fill out the credit card information and put my name in the message box and then select <complete donation now>. Thank you in advance for your support and taking the time to write a check, mail an envelope or fill in the donation information online.

Christians have Christ as their possession (Christ in you the hope of glory). We belong to Christ and he belongs to us. In Christ we have a vast treasure that will never be depleted, never come to an end, never be exhausted, never lose its luster, never be eroded by inflation, can be taken into eternity, and is more valuable than any other treasure this world can offer. Colossians 2.3 tells us that "in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge". Later in 2.9-10 we read, "In him (Christ) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have all been filled in him". In Christ we have the wisdom of salvation in Christ and all of its benefits and the knowledge of God's truth and all the joy and freedom that truth brings. It is our privilege to dig for and enjoy this treasure in Christ each day of this life and for all eternity. Why chase a Pokeman when you can go chase Christ and rejoice in his treasures of wisdom and knowledge. May we all increase in our desire for Christ by spending time in his presence in worship and prayer and in reading his Word.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Since my time in the Philippines a desire has been growing in my heart to visit and volunteer at the Annoor Sanatorium for Chest Diseases <http://www.msa-annoor.org/> in Jordan and to visit my long time friends who work there. I actually looked into a visit to this TB hospital a couple of years back but that did not happen. But now plans have fallen into place to visit Jordan and the Annoor Sanatorium and my friends there.
This morning I booked my tickets so I am leaving from Toronto to Amman Jordan on August 29th and returning to Canada on September 26th. Annoor Sanatorium is in Mafraq about one hour North of Amman toward the Syrian border.
I will be working with the maintenance crew most of time and also doing some pastoral ministry as well. I hope to make a visit to the city of Petra in Southern Jordan one weekend and also visit the clinic work in Ras An Naqab which is part of the Annoor work in Jordan.
Please take time to view the Annoor website. God may want to use your skills there in the future.

I ask for your prayers for this trip:
1) Preparations for the trip. New passport to arrive on time.
2) Good health and stamina (I am an old man now)
3) Travel connections and safety on the roads
4) Financial provision for the cost of the trip
5) That I can be a fruitful helper to those I meet

Thank you in advance for your prayers, encouragement and help along the way. Ron

GOOD ON THE INSIDE

I found this helpful and encouraging statement in a book I am reading, "Unshakable Foundations by Norman Geisler and Peter Bocchino", in their chapter on ethics and morals (p326). Here is the statement, "According to Jesus, God is ultimately interested in developing our character and seeks for us to internalize moral principles so that the true measure of moral goodness is based upon who we are (personal integrity) and not just what we do (controlling our public actions)".
If this statement was a reality in every professing Christian the world would experience a cultural revolution. The world would see a genuine Christianity driven by love and grace and not by law, rules and legalism. They would see transformed lives of honesty and plain truth.
In this statement is the essence of the call in the New Testament to be conformed to Jesus Christ, to put on Christ, and the command in Romans 12.1-2 to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This statement also implies the need for a daily renewal of our fellowship of union with Christ, the examination of the heart and repentance, and refilling of the Holy Spirit, for our goodness must ultimately come from Christ in us.
This call to personal integrity in relationship with Jesus Christ requires a dependence on God that checklist Christianity does not require. It is dynamic, not static. Response to circumstances is Holy Spirit led not scripted. It is costly and sacrificial and personal. But it also shows the reality of God in our lives that goes far beyond religion. Goodness that comes from inside manifests Jesus our Lord.

If you sense today that you have drifted away from walking in the Spirit and defaulted to living out the rules of your brand of Christianity then take some quiet alone time in the presence of God. Confess the need for renewal in your heart, confess your sins, ask God to fill you afresh, and come back to His presence often. You do not even have to say much while in the presence of God, just spend time there.
May God be the blessing of your week.

SUMMER READING

I have enjoyed many pleasurable hours on the back deck, under the gazebo, reading great books. Let me recommend two to you today for your Summer reading. These books are not murder mysteries or romance fictions but faith challenging, practical, insightful helps to our christian lives. We need to read more of these kinds of books along with biographies and autobiographies of past missionaries and christian leaders. I thank God for books that analyze our present culture with biblical standards and expose the erring trends in our christian lives and churches and call us to a biblical worldview.

The first book is "We Cannot Be Silent" by R. Albert Mohler who is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The sub-title is "Speaking truth to a culture redefining sex, marriage, and the very meaning of right and wrong". Dr. Mohler believes, and I agree with him, that with the redefinition of marriage our culture has stepped over a line that will completely change the fabric of society. He says, "We are facing nothing less than a comprehensive redefinition of life, love, liberty, and the very meaning of right and wrong".
Mohler will help you to understand how we got where we are today in the sexual revolution, the successful strategy that was used by the LGBTQQIA movement, how christian rights are now being violated and how we as believers are to respond to all that is taking place. The last chapter is 30 relevant questions and answers which I found particularly helpful.
If you want to further educate yourself on the gay/lesbian/transgender movement and its growing influence and acceptance by our present culture and how you can respond as a believer in Jesus Christ, this book is a great place to begin.

The second book is called "Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers" by Christian Smith. I have not read this book yet but have heard about it a number of times and Mohler mentions it as well with regard to the next generation of christian teenagers. I see the evidence of what this book says in our church youth today. Smith defines the Christianity of our youth as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. This is their moralistic therapeutic deistic creed.
1) A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
2) God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5) Good people go to heaven when they die.
Mohler says of these youth which have now grown up, "what they received (with regard to biblical teaching on sexuality and morality) was so insubstantial, so disconnected from the metanarrative of Scripture, and so devoid of serious moral and intellectual content, that it evaporated as soon as they encountered a peer culture more committed to tolerance than any other moral principle". Tolerance (meaning today full acceptance) is a key functional moral principle. This explains the acceptance of gay marriage and lifestyles in the church today and this tolerance will continue to grow as our youth grow up.
Finally, Mohler writes, "with the Moralistic Therapeutic Deistic worldview (what is perceived as) the judgmental attitude of Christians is causing the youth to leave the church and orthodox beliefs".

So here we have in these two books a view of the future of our culture, Christianity and the church in North America. What a challenge lies before us as believers in Christ. As we trust in God we will see truth shine and God glorified as darkness grows in the culture and in the church.

HOW DEEP IS THE ROOT OF SIN?

Some women love mirrors, others do not. Some women look in the mirror and deceptively see much beauty, others look in the mirror and deceptively see ugliness. (Am I in trouble yet?) Mirrors do not lie but the interpretation of the image seen in the mirror is certainly in the eye of the beholder, and that perception may not be reality. The same principle applies to our sin and it is only when we submit to the assessment of the Holy Spirit that we perceive our sin in its reality.
Over the last couple of months I have come to the sad conclusion that much of what I have done and do is motivated by lust and pride. I falsely perceived my journey to be much further down the road of sanctification than I have recently discovered.

I have also been pondering the depth of the root of sin in my life. Sometimes it seems to me that sin is so deeply rooted in my being that the grace of God cannot go that deep and those roots will only be removed when I receive a new body in the final resurrection of the saints. Of course I know better but nevertheless that is how it sometimes feels. Sin so easily takes charge if I neglect feeding my mind and soul with the Word of God and time in my Father's presence. I fear how quickly the tree of sin would grow should I neglect daily renewing of the grace of God in my life.
So I humbly begin another day in Christ with greater attention to motive and awareness of my need of the grace of God, with a greater desire for purity and holiness and wholeness, which one day will be mine as a human being created in the image of God, to the Glory of God. Can I get an Amen???