Monthly Archives: August 2013

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 12

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August 22 (Day 12) — The Aruamu New Testament has been in print since 2005. Old Testament translation is in progress. Yet, as one of the Aruamu translation team members recently pointed out, “The Bible is only powerful if people are hungry to read it and know it.” Pray that as excitement builds toward the crusade and the dedication of the digital audio recording of the Aruamu New Testament, that an increasing hunger and thirst will seize the people. Pray that when they gather for the crusade that they will be fixed on the majesty of Jesus, fixed on the Word that penetrates soul and spirit, fixed on the holiness of a completely “otherly” God. Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare each person who will participate in the crusade for the purpose that He has for each of them.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 11

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August 21 (Day 11) — Do a Google search of Papua New Guinea news and you will inevitably turn up the stories of sorcery-related killings. Sorcery is often used to hold victims in fear of reprisal, death, and spiritual bondage. Sorcery was known and widely practiced in Ephesus when Paul the Apostle showed up in town in the power of the Holy Spirit, doing the impossible. After an instance of would-be exorcists being beaten and chased, naked and bleeding, by a demoniac who recognized the name of Jesus and Paul (but not the seven brothers in question), the witnesses to this were gripped with fear and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Pray that the Somau Garia people will be set free from their bondage to sorcery and the fear that springs from it. Pray that Jesus’ name will be widely held in high honor among them. The Ephesians turned so completely from their devotion to sorcery that they burned all the associated scrolls and paraphernalia—worth 50,000 days’ wages! Pray that the Somau Garia will turn as completely to Jesus as the Ephesians did.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 10

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August 20 (Day 10) —Tuesday. In the foothills of the Finisterre Mountains lies Uria Village, a central village of the Somau Garia people. The Somau Garia are subsistence farmers, mostly, but also cultivate some coffee, cacao, and vanilla to earn a little cash to buy things that cannot be acquired any other way. Lutheran missionaries came to the area in the 1930’s, but without the Word of God in their mother tongue, the impact has been somewhat limited. In the mid-1990’s Bible translators started working there. One team was not able to return after a few years of service. Angela and I went in 1997 and worked there for ten years, our sojourn culminating in the publication of the Gospel of Mark. It was a hard go and we needed to step away for a while. Pray for our Garia friends, that this will be a season representative of “the fullness of time” for them. May it be a year of the Lord’s favor for them. Pray that hearts will be tender and ready to receive all that the Lord has in mind for them. Pray that there will be a spirit of prayer and supplication that will enable them to break free of generations-old bondages that hold so many hostage.

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 9

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August 19 (Day 9) — Monday. The missionary team in Papua New Guinea work in some tough conditions. Electricity frequently drops out, depriving the houses without power for lights, refrigerators, ceiling fans, security lights, etc. It can be demoralizing. Crime is ever present. A person is usually on guard 24/7 in the city. Please pray for mercy, energy, strength, and good morale for the team. There are always more work and requests than there are time and resources. Pray that God will deal gently with the missionary team in Madang. Ask God to prepare them for the influx of visitors that will add to the already heavy workload they are facing.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 8

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August 18 (Day 8) — Jesus did a lot of things that were considered controversial in his day. In the power of the Spirit, he went to his hometown synagogue for worship on the Sabbath. He was handed the scroll of Isaiah, which he read from. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he said the words that made people want to throw him off of a cliff: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18ff, emphasis mine) This was controversial to his hearers because he was claiming to be Messiah. However, he was and is Messiah and his purposes are true and unchanging. He was sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners. Pray that Jesus’ purpose for coming will be brought to fruition among the Aruamu and Somau Garia peoples of Papua New Guinea—that those bound up in spiritual prisons of sin and darkness will be set free and brought into the Kingdom of Light. Pray for a readiness to hear the gospel in a fresh way. Pray for Todd as he prepares his heart, mind, spirit, and as he chooses (prayerfully) what to preach.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 7

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August 17 (Day 7) — Saturday. Todd and Angela celebrate 22 years of marriage today (08/17/1991). Pray for God’s hand to continually rest upon their marriage relationship, especially in light of the depth and variety of transition they are experiencing just now. Pray for the unity of the Holy Spirit, mutual submission, and a quality of love and tenderness unparalleled in this generation to characterize their relationship. Pray for protection from the flaming arrows of the evil one. Oh, yeah, and while you’re at it, rejoice with them for 22 of the best years of their lives. They are certainly rejoicing today.

 

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“On the road again . . . “

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“Where are you from?” What a terrible question for a missionary kid. About as bad: “Where did you grow up?” “Nowhere, really. Well, everywhere.” Heading up I-75, windows down, wind roaring in our ears, the kids start to reflect on the journey. “The SUV feels as much like home as anywhere.” Angela adds,”No, I think it’s airport terminals.” I keep my own counsel. I grew up in a small town, graduated with kids I knew from childhood. I don’t have much to add. I have life experience that enables me to help bridge the gap for the kids between those small town roots and their big world experience. I understand it to a degree. It’s hard for me to nail that one down, too. Well, I’m from Florida or Iowa or Missouri or Papua New Guinea or Kansas or South Dakota or even Illinois. There are a lot of choices.

The road does seem like home.

The long road this time started in South Florida and is winding its way through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota. The road is a bit longer for me. From South Dakota I wing my way across the South Pacific to Australia and on to Papua New Guinea–and back again.Downtown Chattanooga, TN

Truth of the matter is it’s good to feel a little displaced and confused by what most people to consider a straightforward question. It reminds us that we are aliens and strangers in this world–that we are moving toward a city with foundations whose builder and maker is God.  It is gives us confidence to live as citizens of another, better country.

I think I’ll give a new response when someone asks me where I’m from: “Just over the horizon.”

Pray that while we drive this road and fly across this world we will be effective ambassadors for Christ.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 6

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August 16 (Day 6) — Friday. The Somau Garia people have a very developed system of tribal deities. Anthropologists call these totem systems. Throughout the year Garia people perform various rituals to appease the so-called gods. At the heart of this system of belief is an inherent mistrust of the supernatural, a fear of death and violence being visited upon them either now or in the afterlife. Pray for freedom for these dear ones, that they will no longer need to live in fear of the unseen, but will rest in the Unseen One. Pray that as Todd’s visit draws nigh, that the hearts of the Owens’ friends there, as well as the whole translation team, will be quickened in the Spirit. Ask that their hearts will be carried along in the direction of understanding their need for God and a desperate reaching for Him.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 5

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August 15 (Day 5) — Thursday. Samuel is moving in Boatman Hall today, the same floor that Todd lived on as a student at Ozark. Pray for him. His emotions will be excitement mixed with the uncertain wonder of life without family close at hand. Pray that God will use this school and these people to pull back the veil a little further and allow Samuel a more intimate and empowered relationship with Jesus.

 

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Praying 40 Days to Freedom — Day 4

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August 14 (Day 4) — Wednesday. Acts 12 teaches us of Herod’s hate for the church and his wicked desire to please the ruling Jews in Jerusalem. He had James put to death with the sword (the first martyr). He was wild-eyed with violent pleasure, soaking in the praise of the Sanhedrin. He had Peter put in prison, intending violence toward him. But the church had an ace up the sleeve: prayer. Many of the saints were gathered in fervent prayer. In response to their prayer an angel waltzed into the prison, woke Peter, walked him through and out of the prison into the street, unnoticed by the guards. Many of the Aruamu people and Somau Garia people are bound in prisons of fear, ignorance, lust, idolatry, and spirit worship. Yet there is a remnant of believers. Pray that those in prison will be set free from the bondage that keeps them in darkness and pray that the believers among them will boldly and courageously proclaim Jesus’ name. Pray also that hearts will be prepared with a certain hunger and thirst for God—the eternity that God has placed in the hearts of men that we might all seek him.