1Timothy 5:20
Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest will also be fearful of sinning. (NASB)

Yesterday, I taught on 1Timothy5 at one of my Bible studies. I am taking a couple of church members through the Pastoral Letters (1&2Timothy, Titus), learning them about leadership roles in the church. Invariably, we have touched upon some controversial subjects, such as women preachers (2:9-15), drinking alcohol (5:23), and openly rebuking persistent sinners (5:20).

I really started thinking about this verse (5:20), about how less and less of true apostolic Christianity we see in our churches today. On the surface, this verse sounds incredibly legalistic, devoid of grace, and full of condemnation. Churches in the past have seemed to take the faith a bit more seriously than we do though.

Imagine if we reinstated 1Tim5:20 in nominal Christianity today. It would actually benefit us much more than it would hurt us. Christians might actually take sin seriously!! What a concept! Persistent sinners would be openly rebuked, and if they were truly repentant, they would seek help to clear their problem up. If they were not repentant, they would leave the church and likely not return until such a time as they were ready to make Jesus both "Lord" and "Savior" of their lives. The early church had no problem with this; there were too many heretics floating around risking the purity of what Christianity was founded upon. It would (and should) require a great deal of humility to remain in a church such as this. Throughout church history, holiness was thought of more seriously than just "Jesus is our Holiness; we are holy because He is", which is absolutely true, but often abused, especially by adherents of the "hyper-grace" doctrine.

Another benefit to this idea is: members of the church who are struggling with sin may seek the leadership to deal with the problem, instead of trying to cover it up lest it be exposed and dealt with the way Paul intended it to be. The former is much more preferable to the latter. Members of the church could be entrusted with the 'radical' concept of accountability!

Many scholars believe this verse is talking about elders only, which is likely true. The underlying principle is clearly understood though, "that the rest will also be fearful of sinning". A huge problem in Christianity is a complacency towards the seriousness of sin. We should be inwardly afraid to sin. Not because of the consequences of man, but from the effects that sin has on our lives and on the lives of others around us. Our sin not only destroys our life, but it can affect those around us. A great example of this is Adam (Romans 5:19).

The Apostle Paul lived out this verse. He openly rebuked Peter in the "presence of all" in Galatians 2:11-21. Peter, who apparently, did not get offended and call Paul a "legalist" or some foolishness, humbled himself, and it appears he and Paul's relationship was not severed (2Peter 3:15-16).

A lesser man (one who professes to be a Christian, but is genuinely not) will be offended and reject the truth of the Gospel and forsake the institution of God, until such a time as he is ready to regard the salvation of God seriously.

As Leonard Ravenhill says, "We need some good hellfire preaching on repentance" nowadays. The church looks like the world, which is even worse, since we profess to be the 'light of the world'. What a tragedy, that Christians would be "dead to Christ, but alive to sin". Is this the evidence of such people who claim to be "born again"? Devoid of holiness, repentance, conviction, responsibility, accountability? Are we content to say "Jesus is our holiness" while we are still ensnared by sin? Does Jesus currently have His eyes closed while repeating, "They're holy, they're holy, they're holy", trying to convince Himself, while the visible evidence testifies against us? Is that a witness to unbelievers?! "We are holy, we just don't look like it." "Jesus defeated sin for us, now we cannot overcome it in our lives". What a dead testimony. The quality of converted lives attest to this fact.

I'm not talking about screaming, "You're all going to hell, you heathen", to the unbelievers. We are commanded (and compelled) to preach the Gospel of God's love. But, as Christians, who profess to know the truth, we should not shy away from subjects like hell, or judgment. If the conversation goes there, we should not try to make excuses for God and His lovingkindness.

The real preaching of hell should be done to the church, so that they are aware that such a place does exist, and that those who reject Christ, will indeed, end up there. This is terrible, but Christians are more concerned with comfort than conviction. The Gospel is a story about salvation! So why is the Good News so good? (At this point, the "hyper-grace"ist will jump up and shout, "We're saved from trusting in ourselves!".) We have been saved from hell. We are saved to eternal life with a loving God! And we don't even come close to deserving it!! THAT, is Good News.

Without Martin Luther, we do not know what the Christian Church would look like today. We owe this man a huge amount of respect and honor. With that, the 1st of his 95 Theses' states:
Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

Are you fearful of the effects of sin in your life? in the lives of others? in the church as a whole? If we're not, we should be. If not for our own sake, then at least for the sake of Jesus' body.

How can anybody with spiritual eyesight talk of having no call, when there are such multitudes around them who never hear a word about God, and never intend to; who can never hear, indeed, without the sort of preacher who will force himself upon them? Can a man keep right in his own soul, who can see all that, and yet stand waiting for a 'call' to preach? Would they wait so for a 'call' to help anyone escape from a burning building, or to snatch a sinking child from a watery grave?
Does not growth in grace, or even ordinary growth of intelligence, necessarily bring with it that deepened sense of eternal truths which must intensify the conviction of duty to the perishing world?
Does not an unselfish love, the love that goes out towards the unloving, demand of a truly loving soul immediate action for the salvation of the unloved?
And are there not persons who know that they possess special gifts, such as robust health, natural eloquence or power of voice, which specially make them responsible for doing something for souls?
And yet I do not at all forget, that above and beyond all these things, there does come to some a special and direct call which it is particularly fatal to disregard, and peculiarly strengthening to enjoy and act upon.
I believe that there have been many eminently holy and useful men who never had such a call; but that does not at all prevent anyone from asking God for it, or blessing Him for His special kindness when He gives it.

(Written by William in the early 1850's)

Like I said, the best cartoon in the past 20 yrs, or maybe even 80 (when was Woody Woodpecker's 'Pantry Panic' made again?)!

Jenny & I found The Powerpuff Girls Movie the other day at the market, and I realized just how awesome this show is. The animation, and weird humor is the most unique I've seen in a cartoon in about 20yrs or so. I'm not sure when I first seen the TV series, but I think I was drawn to their giant, bug eyes. I have realized that I am drawn to things with big, googly eyes (hence my obsession with Cookie Monster).
Anyways, since we seen the movie I have been trying to find 'The Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series - 10th Anniversary Collection' but it is nowhere to be found here in Phnom Penh, yet.

That was a question I got from one of my Bible Study students last night. I was taking them through a lesson on the original sin from a foundational Christian doctrine book, and at the end of class, this was one of the questions that was presented to me. The gentleman was a new beliver who has not had much theological background. Amazing.

Such are these, that are the generation that God has given to the nation of Cambodia. Jenny & I strive to fill them with as much Bible as we can before our time here comes to an end. Almost all of these students come from families who live in the rural provinces. They frequently visit them on weekends, or holidays, etc. Here, in Phnom Penh, we fill them with knowledge and impartation of Jesus, and we pray that they give that Light away to their families, on the occasions they visit them.

Everyday abounds with opportunity to give away what Christ has given to us. St Francis is known to have said, "Ïf I die with $5 in my pocket, I am to be known as a thief and a liar." Francis was talking about riches, but we endeavour to be like that Spirtually, giving away all we possess of God, so that others can know of His goodness and love. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth that we "have nothing, yet possess all things." Do we believe this? More importantly, do we naturally live our lives in accordance with this truth? The answer can be obtained by a quick glimpse at the Church today.

The last week has been fairly routine. I have been putting the final touches on the new CMO website -->HERE<--, and have been doing some good studying (Church History In Plain Language by Bruce L Shelley).
We have been teaching English at our 5:30-6:30p class, and have been teaching the Bible for an hour after class as well. Mon-Wed-Fri, I teach the Gospel of John; and Tue-Thu I teach Foundational Christian Doctrine from a new believers book entitled The New Life in Christ. The classes have gone well, so far. I usually have about 10 Cambodians who stay after class to learn about Jesus, and Jenny has similiar numbers. I teach the men, Jenny teaches the ladies.
Tomorrow I take a rabbit trail away from John to teach on the Passover. My students are excited, as am I.

In other news, Jenny & I have telephone interviews scheduled at Double H Ranch concerning employment this summer. We are praying to get positions there, which will lead to us putting a trailer on our land in PEI, and which will allow us to get back to the mission field in the Fall again. Prayers are, once again, appreciated. Thanks.

Soon, we will be household face all over Phnom Penh!! Maybe?!

This is the new flyer for New Hope English School; a part of Cambodia Mission Outreach. As I write, these flyers are being handed out to the 4 corners of this city in hopes that we can draw more people to the school here. The goal for these new students: to learn english. Our goal for these new students: to hear the Gospel.

To read the full story of what New Hope English School is all about click -->HERE<--. Oh, and we'd love to have some prayer for this endeavor too!

For all you holier-than-thou Christians who do not know what this icon is.....................it is the infamous Playboy Bunny, and he is THE MAN here in Phnom Penh. This furry fellow can pop up on ANYONE'S jacket, shirt, pants, or shoes. It's kinda funny, cause many Cambodians don't even realize what the Bunny represents!! Because it is a popular symbol in America, it is a popular symbol in Cambodia. You can even buy Playboy underwear in the markets here!!

Last week, and this week, there is a 12 person YWAM team here from Hawaii. They are taking over Jenny & I's New Hope School responsibilities, so that means, Jenny & I have some extra time to devote to other projects. I am currently creating a new website for Cambodia Mission Outreach, complete with downloadable missionary applications. You can view my progress at www.cambodiachurch.weebly.com .

We continue to teach the New Hope English School on weekday evenings, and Jenny and I are also teaching hour long Bible studies mon-fri, 6:30-7:30pm. Right now I am teaching from a foundaton Christian doctrine book, and also from the Gospel of John. Discipleship is one of the greatest needs here in Cambodia.

I read a book on Martin Luther and the Reformation a few days ago, and that got me hungry for some Church History. There is a Christian Bookstore in Phnom Penh (what are the odds!!) and I bought Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L Shelley. That should give me some good meat to chew on for awhile.

Please pray for Jenny & I, that we would be consumed with our relationship to God. Intimacy is the most important thing in a relationship with God, even moreso on the field. We need to keep feeding ourselves on His presence.

Jenny and I have survived the (non)Holidays in Cambodia. There were no Christmas tunes, no houses decorated, no days off for businesses. The major shopping centers had a tree and decorations, but there was little or no awareness of what this time of year means here in Cambodia. It is far removed from December in Canada.
We spent Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day at Matthew and Nary McCullough's. Matt is a missionary from Ottawa, and Nary is his Cambodian wife. We got up and watched the family open their presents, and afterwards, we had a Christmas feast!!! Turkey, rice, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, and marshmellow salad!
We returned to Keat & Sally's house following, and went up to the 4th floor of NLCC and had a time of food and fellowship with the staff of the ministry here.
On Boxing Day morning, we got on a bus and headed 6 hrs north to the city of Siem Reap for a 3 day vacation. We stayed at the King Angkor, which, was pretty good, compared to Cambodian standards. On saturday, we toured the temples; most notably: Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm (where some of Tomb Raider was filmed). It was one of the most amazing days I have ever had.
We looked for the kids we had met during the water festival in Phnom Penh, and found them outside Angkor Wat!!! We spent some time with them, and then went back sunday morning and spent some time with them as well. It was the best time of the trip.
We arrived back in Phnom Penh yesterday, with ittle time to prepare for our evening classes. And so, we trod on.
To see photos of our amazing trip, click -->HERE<--

Yes, it totally does not feel like Christmas from my perspective. Here we are, in a Buddhist nation, it's 30 C / 86 F, and the Christmas songs I hear are all in Khmai (the language of Cambodia). I also have a weird rash that will not go away, and the last few days I've had a headache, as well as a bad stomach. Yes, it definitely does not feel like Christmas, from my perspective.
Santa Claus is quite popular here in Phnom Penh; Jesus..................not so much. In a country where the philosophy of Siddhartha Gautama has permeated it's very culture, there is not much room for another teacher, who is looked upon as 'the white man's god'. It is our job, as servants of that God, to show the evidence of what a life lived with Him ia all about. It is far from Christianity, or what the Churches in the West portray. It is a life lived for a Love that far eclipses any other concievable life of service that is scrutinized by the world today.
The Holiday Season we experience in North America is far removed from the one Jenny & I are experiencing this year. But, what is the alternative. To remain at home with 99.9% of the other Christians, safe in our comfort and security?
Close to death, Francis of Assisi said to his followers, "I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what you are to do." At the end of the day each of us are accountable to what God has called us to do, not, to what others think we should be doing. Jenny & I's lot in life, for this season, is the people of Cambodia. They, are who we are accountable to right now. Our lives belong to them, until God says otherwise.
Enjoy the season of Christmas, and take none of it for granted.