Twelve hours from now, we are launching a new church in Poipet, Cambodia. The church is focused on children and demonstrating the love of Christ. This last week has been a challenge, but it is one I have clearly seen before. It is satan’s attempt to discourage me or cause me to quit what God has called me to do. Let me share what happened this week, and most has happened in the last twenty-four hours:
- Electricity was cut twice by the government (electric meter removed). This has only happened to me once in 20 years because I went away on vacation.
- Irregular power cuts were happening every hour or so. 20-30 power cuts in the last few days alone.
- Water cuts. When the electricity went off, the water went off too. Then, when the power came back on, the pipes would start bursting for no reason. Every evening and morning for the last week has been a significant challenge with lack of water and electricity.
- My wife had to leave today for an emergency trip to Phnom Penh which will require only 5 minutes of her time; the trip takes 14 hours by taxi.
- I am getting a cold today and my wife is feeling ill too.
- We killed 2 snakes on the property where we will start the church.
- After 7 days of no rain, a huge storm over Poipet lasted 12 hours turning all the roads to mud and our church property into a lake.
Yesterday dry and green, today a lake nearly half a meter (2 feet) deep!
- As I drove by the church property tonight for a meeting in preparation for the service tomorrow, my car tire went flat.
- It is pouring rain right now as I write this.
This doesn’t even include things like it is 90% humidity and 98 degrees every day, that is normal.
I think in my early Christian life I often confused satan schemes for God’s sovereign hand. Of course, God is always sovereign, but God didn’t cut my electricity. God didn’t bring a 12 hour long storm to flood the property or snakes to try and bite our children. God didn’t give me a cold, nor cause my wife to have to take a 14 hour taxi ride for five minutes of work. That is all satan’s work. In the past, when opposition came I may have quit. . . thinking that God was trying to warn me against something. However, now I know more clearly how to listen to God’s voice, and as I have drawn closer to God I know what satan’s plans are too. Satan is an idiot and has no poker face. John 10:10 says that satan has come to “kill, steal and destroy” and he is the one who is causing all the opposition, not God.
God has a better plan. Tomorrow, come rain, fire, tsunami, tornado or earthquake we are launching a new church in Poipet. Tomorrow, we are going to show love to as many people as possible and God is going to show up and do great things. This I am for sure.
Join me now in praying against the enemy and his sly plans and praying that God’s will be done in Poipet, and that revival will break out and Jesus Christ will be glorified in Poipet, Cambodia!
To be continued. . .