18 minute read
THE WORLD by Thanh Nguyen and Bruce Nguyen
B R I N G I N G J E S US T O T HE REMOTEST PART OF THE EARTH
by Thanh Nguyen and Bruce Nguyen
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hen Jesus told His disciples, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), even to “the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8), the command must have been daunting, especially after seeing their Master’s brutal crucifixion and being told they would be hated and persecuted, despite His assertion that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” with the promise that He would be with them “always, to the end of the age.” This assurance should have been enough, but belief and sacrifice didn’t come easily to the disciples.
Nor would it come easily to us when we meditate on the Great Commission, a commandment to all believers. To take risks that threaten our comfort and sense of security – our families, jobs, money – is intimidating. There is a reason for this. According to The 2022 World Watch List, 360 million Christians living in places of high persecution, 5,898 Christians murdered, and 6,175 believers held or imprisoned, are just some of the statistics that make Christianity now the world’s most persecuted religion.
But “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). With this assurance and so many promises from God not abandoning us, we’re fully equipped to do the great work of expanding His kingdom.
For this reason, we and many others have answered God’s call to initiate Project Calvary Chapel Mission Center Vietnam (CCMCV). The project’s purpose is to bring the good news of Jesus to one of the remotest peoples of North Vietnam, specifically the Hmong, an indigenous, mountainous group who represent the largest ethnic minority (~900,000) in a country that is listed as
Hmong children #19 on the World Watch List for its level of Christian persecution. The Hmong’s religion is traditionally animism, the deeply rooted belief that the spirit world directly influences them and that all things, having souls, are interconnected. Because this belief is so ingrained in their culture, converts to Christianity often face relentless persecution, including disownment, discrimination, and violence.
With the Hmong people living in often inaccessible areas, our goal is to disciple the few who already travel to the cities and return them to their communities to disciple others. To accomplish this, we’re building a mission center in an urban area of northern Vietnam, fully equipped for the education, training, and sending of disciples. The center, currently in the planning and fundraising phase, will include: • An elementary school with a full curriculum in English
• A Bible college, where disciples will be trained to preach the gospel Saigon
source: https://operationworld.org/locations/vietnam/
• A youth ministry, focused on community services and sports • Saturday evening outreach activities and worship • Sunday worship services in English More than ever, we are acutely aware of the
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WATCH AND PRAY
by Reverend Gita Surendranath
f ever there was a need for urgent and watchful prayer it is NOW! Nation after nation is facing fear, hopelessness and uncertainty, we are faced with swift world-wide changes which leaves us bewildered and clueless. People are crying out for help looking out for a shoulder to lean on, looking unto Government authorities, Politicians, Spiritual Powers but to no avail.
At this juncture the urgency to set our lives in order before a Holy God cannot be overlooked or over-emphasized. If the church is the nation’s best hope (which it is) she must be awakened from her slumber and wait on Him. Revival must become an urgent priority not just a Theological or Historical curiosity. It’s promotion must be the task of every pulpit, it’s implementation the responsibility of every believer. For this to happen the need of the hour is for us to be WATCHFUL IN PRAYER and find our position as God’s watchmen on the Watch Tower. For such a time as this we the church need to rise in PRAYER and seek His face… for didn’t He say in His Word (Jeremiah 33:3) “Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which thou knowest not of.” As we pray, we can trust God for those supernatural moves and acts. It is God alone who can turn around the downward course of any nation, city or church and cause them to experience His blessings and breakthroughs. We as believers must come out of our “complacency “, RISE AND PRIORITIZE UNITED
WATCHFUL PRAYER.
We are in a spiritual warfare and we need to “engage” and be involved. Failing to take our post during these challenging times will lead to serious consequences. We must be vigilant and not apathetic, alert, and not lax. Our families, our churches and our nations are important to God and should be even to us.
Jesus commanded His Disciples to Watch and Pray as seen in Matthew 26:41; 13:33 and Mark 14:38. It means to be “vigilant”, to keep “awake”, to be “on the alert”, to “take guard”, “be attentive and ready“. We are to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. We are to watch and pray and await HIS Return. From the above verses it is important to understand that Jesus Himself is instructing us to Pray. HE invites us to communicate with HIM in prayer. May we pay heed and obey HIS call. The call is to “COME” (Matthew 11:28). We also need to remember that prayer is not one -sided. God loves to talk to His children. HE loves to share HIS heart with us which makes prayer very interesting and may I say a ‘Delight’. “Prayer is not a monologue. It is a dialogue. Listening to God’s voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine”… Andrew Murray In 1 John 5:14, we know that He hears and answers our prayers. Matthew 7:7-11 encourages us to ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK for He is more than willing to answer us.
So, what are we to Watch and Pray?
Like Jesus in Mark 1:35; and 6:46 we need to have a “Personal Time“ of Prayer with God. Jesus always prioritized His times with His Father. HE waited on the Father to know the Father’s will for His life, for guidance (Luke 6:12) for spiritual strength (Luke 22:44) for His Disciples and their needs (John 17), so on and so forth. We need to pray for our Churches, our Leadership, our Mentors, our Flock, our Ministries and Christian organizations. We need to watch and pray for our Lord’s Return (Matthew 13:33). Pray for the Nations (2 Chronicles 7:14). Pray for our nations to be saved and transformed, prepared for His Return. Pray for God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10) Pray for Laborers for the Harvest (Matthew 9:3738) Pray for the persecuted Church (2 Thessalonians So… Heaven’s Clarion Call to ALL of us is to take our place on our watch Tower and PRAY. 3:1-3)and also for the (Matthew 5:44). “Persecutors “ to be saved
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T E D D Y B E A R CL I N I C
by Sarah Koshy MBA, BSN, RN, CNML
Introduction
The University United Methodist Church (UUMC) in Irvine was established in 1969. The church traces its heritage back to 1729 in England with the movements of John and Charles Wesley. In 2019, our church celebrated our 50th Anniversary. The Health Care Ministry has partnered with Hoag Faith Community since September 2014. We currently have ten active Health Ministry Nurses in our church.
Mission
Our mission is to support health promotion, disease prevention, and whole person healing. This is done through connecting individuals and families with resources, providing educational opportunities, and health and wellness screenings. Our shared faith and strength are with the support of the UUMC congregation and affiliation with Hoag Hospital Health Ministries. the preschool and set up tables, chairs, teddy bear boxes and sheets for the kids. The nurses provide all the supplies for the events. Our nurses meet in the church and stock six teddy bear supply boxes. Each box has a supply of bandages, scissors, gauze, alcohol, stickers, disposable thermometer and cotton balls among other items. We have 40-80 kids attend the Teddy Bear Clinic annually. Our Teddy Bear Clinic had fewer kids due to the pandemic. Parents accompany their children. Our church members prepare and serve hot breakfast for the families at a low cost prior to the start of the event. The Nursing students from Concordia and Azusa get the hours necessary to fulfill their clinical hours for school and have fun at the same time.
Vision
Our vision is simple but ambitious. We are here to advocate for the families and community of our congregation fostering safety through Faith Community Nurses.
Accomplishments
The annual Teddy Bear Clinic event brings together nurses with young children to prepare kids on how to visit their health care provider without fear. Children bring their own teddy bear and get an opportunity to practice their skills with nurses to take temperatures, conduct flu shots, and dress a wound in a safe non-threatening environment. Our Health Ministry Nurses along with the nursing students from Concordia and Azusa Pacific assist with the program.
In Conclusion
The Faith Community nurses at our church have been active for the last nine years. Although our team has made significant changes in the lives of our congregation and the community, we feel there is still much more work to do and accept the challenges. We had some setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with that, we were able to administer flu shots, a CPR class, and blood drive.
The Teddy Bear Clinic is held in conjunction with the Child’s World Preschool and occurs on the same property where the church holds a fair annually in December. The event is held outdoors. We arrive early at
Teddy Bear Clinic event
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SAILING WITH JESUS – PART 2
by Captain Des Pollock
od did a lot of grooming on me. It started at the age of 25 when I spent a year in a wheelchair in rehab from a water boat motor propeller accident that paralyzed me from the waist down causing an injury to my spinal cord at L4, L5. I was told I’d never walk again by three specialists. I spent a year in the wheelchair forcing every sinew and tiny nerve to work again, I was flooded with my church’s love and prayers for healing. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Unbeknownst to me God had this tremendous plan for me that would dwarf anything I had ever imagined! When I begged on my knees to do His will and asked Him to place me in kingdom works, I submitted myself to Jesus, and He began the preparations! God put me to task on the biggest journey of my life—sailing west across the Atlantic. So many obstacles confronted me. Finally, I found myself waving goodbye to my birth town, country, and continent. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). I set sail under God’s command in search of serving God in kingdom works, sailing around the world until God shows me where He wants me to be.
The fear that gripped me before crossing the vast expanse of the mighty Atlantic was crippling!!! Am I going to be a missionary? Africa, goodbye. On to St. Martin!
Escaping LOCKDOWN from St. Martin island in THE COVID CRISIS May 2020
I had fared well in St. Martin of the Caribbean islands. Then, of course, COVID hit. In March and April 2020, we were confined to our boat, and we were not allowed to go swimming for weeks and weeks. From all the freedom in the world to nothing but a tiny cabin. Finally, I left, the entire marina yachties were shaking their heads and the onlookers of St. Martin were displaying disbelief as I sailed under the bridge waving goodbye! My final communication on VHF radio from port control was, “If you leave, you will never be allowed back.” I acknowledged the message with a salute and opened my sails for the open Caribbean Sea.
Fighting giant waves off Colombia
St. Martin to Panama—it’s a wonder I didn’t die on that passage! Only the miracles God made happen got me through. The 10-day sail started with an awesome fast start. A day before the storm, I felt Jesus close by, and His presence was strong. By the time I neared Santa Marta, Columbia, it was obvious that I was in for a change of conditions. My satellite phone showed a big pressure variance. Winds jacked and began to pick up fast. I was halfway down to Panama and still a good 4-5 days away. I was 100 nautical miles offshore, which I believed was more than sufficient, but I knew trouble was going to come. Had I only known how much trouble I was in for, I would have adjusted my course radically. I was entering a zone in which many mariners had notoriously died or mysteriously been declared lost. I also found out that huge freight liners of 300m break their backs on the enormous waves here. The continental shelf jacks up here from depths of a few thousands of feet to a shallow shed that hugs the coast, causing huge current and ginormous swell action. Literally over half the night I was racing giants! A storm of approximately 40-50 knots gusted up, pushing us into the death zone trap. The sea conditions had begun their washing machine action and the gusts blew ever harder past our faces! I was in it at late afternoon and there was absolutely nothing I could do except prepare for a long, rough night. At dusk the fierce, gnarly deep black growling storm clouds like primal evil beasts were charging down on us. We couldn’t see a thing in the pitch dark. Waves were pounding us from all angles. The inside of the boat was filling with water. After three waves nearly flipped the boat, I prayed out loud, “Father, in Your name I calm
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the needs of your congregation. Trains Volunteers – As you can see, there are many twists and turns to being an FCN -- trying to find answers, give advice, provide support, plan events, and keep track of the details. There are always far more needs and ideas that we would like to provide for the congregations, however, FCNs cannot do this work alone. This is where you come in as a supportive member of the Health Committee team or volunteer pool. What resources do you have – time, talents, financial? Can you be part of a visitation team? Could you lead a Support Group? Will you be a staunch supporter of the FCN Health and Wellness programs, encouraging others to participate? None of us can do everything, we all need help. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV) To learn more about FCN, contact Susan at susan.johnson2@hoag.org . importance of “redeeming the time” in our walk with obedience to the Lord (Ephesians 5:15-16, Colossians 4:5). Many of us may think that missionary work is not “my gifting area”, “the time is not right”, or the risks are too high. But as Christians, we are not promised a life of comfort as the lives of the apostles and the blood of Jesus can attest if we’re to be His followers. The time will never be right if we continue in our doubt, fear, passivity or busyness. Let us stand firm in our trust in Him who is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). This may mean allowing God to open remote parts of our hearts so we can reach the remotest parts of the earth with the love of Jesus. Remember, we, “as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). What a beautiful image of God’s people, being living stones, joining shoulder to shoulder, and laboring together to bring glory to God.
Susan Johnson, MPH, RN-BC, serves as the Program Manager for the Hoag Faith Community Nursing Program at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, CA. Susan began her career in Faith Community Nursing (FCN) in 2007 as the Parish Nurse in a local Presbyterian Church, transitioning to Hoag in 2010 now within the Department of Spiritual Care. Under her direction the Hoag program has expanded from 22 to 50 faith partners, and now includes church, mosque & synagogue partners with more than 70 RNs serving as FCNs. Susan and her team provide educational and resource support for the volunteer FCNs through monthly meetings and annual conferences. She serves as the lead instructor for the Foundations of FCN Course and has trained over 150 new FCNs over the past five years. With a background in nursing, international public health, business, and spirituality all things have melded to bring her to the point of serving as a Faith Community Nurse educator, manager & motivator. Susan worships at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Santa Ana CA. Thanh Nguyen, CCMCV’ s project manager, is a quality assurance leader in the biotech industry. Since coming to faith in 1999, he’s been a church painter, elder and planter. He longs to return to Vietnam to see his people come to faith. Bruce Nguyen, CCMCV’s captain, works in the Grief Counseling field. God was faithful and patient in pursuing Bruce until he submitted to the Lord in 1998. Bruce has been a student of the Word and has served the Lord ever since, until Maranatha. Please email Thanh at mrtnnguyen1969@gmail.comor Bruce at bruce.sam@gmail.comfor more info on CCMCV and how you can help.
RAYER ints
Vietnam
Population: 98,168,829
A growing, witnessing Church is emerging from years of persecution. A significant turning to God is occurring in different places, in both registered and unregistered churches, and among different people groups. The Vietnamese diaspora is also seeing many become believers. These converts then bring the gospel back to Vietnam with them. There is even a fast-growing missionary vision spreading among the churches of Vietnam! Pray for the Holy Spirit to keep fanning these flames of spiritual passion, all for the maturation of the Vietnamese Church and so that Jesus might be known through the entire nation.
Source: OperationWorld.org
Watch and pray against Satan and his subtle plans and onslaughts. Decree and declare the Word of God over nations, churches, families, situations and self (Job 22:28). It works!!!
Jesus and HIS Prayer Life...
His Ministry commenced in Prayer-Baptism (Luke 3:21). His Ministry continued in Prayer, throughout his earthly life. His Ministry culminated in Prayer, at the cross (Luke 23:34,46). His Ministry of Prayer is one that NEVER CEASES (Hebrews 7:23-25). Jesus, while he was on earth, had a very strong consistent prayer life. HE is our Role Model. Let us begin by dedicating ourselves to Pray, to Seek HIS Face and fulfill this great call in our lives… WATCH and PRAY.
