Joy to the World

What can be more joyful than spending time with someone you love on a special day like Christmas? God has given us the most wonderful gift, Jesus Christ, a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. We are grateful to God because God has reached out to us through Jesus. Without Jesus, there will be no peace, no joy, no hope, no reconciliation between God and men. That's why the angel announced in Luke 2:10 and 11,

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

The angel told us not to be afraid of anything because there will be a great joy and good news. The birth of Christ is the GOOD NEWS, and this good news is for ALL people, not just for some groups of people. Jesus is the Lord and Savior who loves us and saves us from our sins. He gave His life so that we can have an abundant life now and an eternal life later. What a wonderful, loving God we have!

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

God and the Rich Man

I have an interesting phone conversation with my Thai friend this week. We talk about possessions like houses, cars, jewelry, etc. We agree that material things do not always bring a person's happiness. In my life, we (my friend and I)see many rich people having a miserable life. What is an importance of having a big house, nice cars, nice vacations and gadgets in our lives? Everyone is pursuing these things? And what is a goal of being a Christian?

Jesus says "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."(Matthew 19:21). There are similar references in Matthew 6:20 and Luke 12:33. God is interested in our pursue of Him, not in how big our house is. He is interested in our spiritual growth, our faithfulness, our understanding, our devotion, and our obedience to Him. After we die and stand in front of the throne of Jesus, He will ask us what we did when we live on earth, were we kind to other people, did we help anyone to know Him? did we love others, did we help strangers in need? There won't be questions about how big is our house or how much education you have.

We watched a video about the Egyptian empire this week. Those kings were very rich but their palaces and possessions turn into dust today. Material things are very short-lived and temporal.

Christian refugees and orphans in Thailand

Bluetree, an Irish Christian band, recently visited, Freedom Tent, an interactive exhibit set up by Christian Freedom International (CFI). The band talked about lives of Christian Karen refugees living along the Thai-Burmese borders.

The children in this video are mostly orphans. Their parents and relatives are killed by Burma's totalitarian government. Despite difficulties, the children really love Jesus with all they have.

Christian Freedom International has been working in Thailand, helping the persecuted, for years. They deliver rice, Bibles, and medical aids to those in need.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtW0BBcjWyg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma0YR9273iI&feature=related

Light of the World in Thai

This is a really nice video for Thais, describing a plan of salvation that is very easy to understand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jRCSWLeoro