UNEXPECTED TREASURE

KIDDIE GRADUATION

2008-03-29T07:56:00.001-07:00

THE KIDDIE SCHOOL 'MOVING UP'

I was priviledged to speak at the 'Moving Up' ceremonies of the LAMP Preschool in Calatrava, Romblon, Philippine on Monday 24 March. It was, to say the least, an enlightening time.NOTICE THE TEXT for this pre-schoolers address to the gathered assembly. She had spoken most of it from memory, then had to resort to these notes. I think I didn't read Dick and Jane until second grade!

and this is in English, not her first Language.

They had more awards than I could think of: for scholarship, for character, for attendance, and on and on . . . This one was only moderately decorated.

RUS ALIT APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY SITE

2007-12-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is one dream I have been privileged to be a part of.

I first met Rus in 1988 when he returned to Bali from overseas work with World Vision, his speciality was Appropriate Technology for developing countries. At that time he had a home in the mountains near Ubud, Bali, and he had installed some of his Appropriate Technology. The night before he took me up to that site, I had a dream in which there was a retreat center for tourists and seminars above a river. Rus had not told me any details about his site, only that it was in a village in the mountains. When I saw the site, I told Rus about my dream, similar to this location, above a river, but in a much more lush tropical setting than this particular village. He got excited and said this was his dream, and he hoped this would be the site, but the village wasn’t as receptive as he hoped. As a returning Balinese, he was regarded more as an outsider than Balinese.
Above: Rus and Made

The current site is indeed a lush tropical setting, not high above a river, but on the river bank, at the convergence of a stream and a river. I was amazed at the variety of palm, deciduous, and evergreens growing together! This site is rejected by the Balinese (they are very particular about water). The place was a place where aborted babies (it was their method of birth control in the past) were discarded, and considered full of spirits for that reason. They were all surprised that not only was Rus not afraid, but prospered at the site.

The dams that provide irrigation to 5 downstream villages.

APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY is a term for simple technological developments which require no outside energy source such as electricity or fuel, and utilize simple materials available locally. The technology makes life easier and more productive, also improves hygiene and thus health conditions. Rus’s developments include the hydraulic ram pump, which uses the power of falling water (needs 3 meters head, see video) to pump water to great heights. This first village I visited was some 30 - 40 meters above the river, and he was using the ram pumps to fill storage tanks (also Appropriate Technology)

At this beautiful retreat site near Tabanan, Bali, Rus has several ram pump examples in operation, as well as water tanks, water collection and purification, irrigation system that includes two low dams and irrigation ditch system that feeds five villages downstream, a water wheel which operates a rice mill (not used any longer), and several other samples of the Technology. He holds international Appropriate Technology seminars to train others, and now his pupils are carrying the simple methods of bettering village life to the world.

MORE FLO RETREAT

2007-09-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

The 7 participating couples were pastors and wives from Tangerang, an area of Jakarta near the airport.

Scene showing one view from the retreat center

We celebrated three birthdays of participants
Women have their own gathering to share their secrets,
while the men have their’s, too!

We have games and activities that promote paying attention to one another, communication of love in a variety of languages.

At right is one presenting a flower to his wife at a special ceremony we had the second evening.

2007-07-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

VIVINA is one of the students in the DTS class. We had just completed teaching the first step of pulling ourselves out of depression and adversity from Philippians 4:4 (rejoice in the Lord always). When I invited all the students to stand and practice rejoicing, she remained seated. When I went back to her to challenge her, I saw that her feet were resting on a chair in front of her. She said she did not stand because her legs hurt.

I told her of the woman in the Surabaya DTS that had remained seated during worship because she was tired, and how when she was obedient and stood, she had been restored. I asked her if she would like to try to stand in obedience to the Word of God in Philippians 4:4, and she said she would. Long story short, as she started to rejoice with all the class, she was healed, and bounced up and down with joy, rejoicing not just in obedience but she was really free. Later that afternoon she said she wanted to share the testimony with the class. I told her there would be time for testimony the next morning.

The next morning, as we were having testimonies, I noticed that Vivina was not there. They said the sickness had come on her again. Long story short, they went down and brought her up, and essentially the same routine was repeated. She decided to rejoice, and as she rejoiced, she was healed. This time she not only bounced up on her toes but she jumped. The next day, she testified that this was the first time in her whole life that she had jumped! Now she was truly healed and she knew it!

All this occurred in the context of our teaching about seeing the unseen and appropriating the unseen promises of God (see teaching in JESUS the WORD blog), in this case the promise of healing. God had provided the demonstration of the teaching!

NOTES FROM JAKARTA FLO COORDINATOR

2007-05-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

NOTES FROM JAKARTA FLO COORDINATOR

I want to thank you for your prayers. I delivered my sermon this morning at Yosep's [FLO Alumni] church. Wow, his congregation is very responsive! Their spirit is excellent, if you ask them to read everybody started to read in one accord. It was great! Yosep has an excellent spirit and his wife is a real pastor's wife who cares for her flock, you can see it from the way she greeted her congregation. It's an adventure to find the church; the church is just at the end of a lane. From the highway you go through a small winding street about 4-500 meters I think and at the end of it is a road track to the left and there is the church about 50 m in front of you.

I was fortunate to have Tri and Kim with me. When I ponder I find it very interesting to find out how God gather all these pastors for FLO, they come from places that you would never think of or imagine, from remote places. And how God works in their life, you should hear his testimony how he got started. Yosep himself comes from South Sumatera (Palembang). He depends entirely on God and God did wonders in his life. After joining FLO retreat God blessed him with a car, he's going to give his testimony about this during the next meeting.

UNEXPECTED TREASURE - COACH SANTI

2007-05-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

Meet Coach Santi, one of our BOSS coaches. When I asked her what she got from BOSS this year, she excitedly replied “a husband!” I was more than a bit surprised.

She explained that when she heard the teaching in ‘Hope to a Thing,’ how God provides for dreams, visions, and ideas to become reality, she applied the principles to her dream of meeting the right guy. Now she is engaged and planning a marriage, as God during this year has brought her dream to reality!

LEADERSHIP SEMINAR IN ROMBLON

2007-04-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Every year during Holy Week (the week before Easter, for those who may not know) I go with my hosts Mirlo and Gloe, founders of the LAMP Christian Development Center and LAMP Christian Fellowship church (someday I will feature their story) to Gloe’s home town Calatrava, Romblon, for church meetings, a Leadership Seminar of some sort, and a Youth Camp.

This year the Leadership Seminar was 3 days, with a commissioning of leaders at the conclusion. 7 teams from different communities were commissioned, including two from the Manila area that took the overnight boat and hour trip over rough roads to attend.

The town mayor attended when he could, and the Philippine Ambassador to Iraq attended most of the sessions, being on leave from his post for a few days.

More photos in the gallery on our web site www.eagles-wwj.org

SUMMER YOUTH CAMP

2007-04-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

HUNGRY for the WORD

We just completed the 9th Annual Summer Youth Camp in Calatrava, Romblon, Philippines, sponsored by LAMP Christian Development Foundation. I think I have been a speaker at all of these camps! Last year I became the Camp Organizer and Advisor, heading up our team of Camp Masters who plan and execute the camp. More photos in the gallery at our web site: www.eagles-wwj.org.

Basic data:
Just under 80 participants attended the full three days.
We had seven teams of 10 or more
Ages ranged from 9 - 27 (yes, it’s not a typo!).
We had worship, teaching, more worship, testimonies, more worship, games and contests, more worship . . . You may rightly discern that we did a lot of worship! They had morning devotions together, each camper was personally prayed over.

Camp Theme: Winners Never Quit!
Theme Day One: I am a Child of God (loved and adopted)
Memory Pledge for the day: Today I will live as a Child of God for the Spirit of God gives witness that I am a Child of God (Romans 8:16)
Theme Day Two: Palace Life (what a child of God does)
Memory Pledge: Today I will remember to play the game of life as a winner, no matter what the past, no matter what the circumstances, for I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37)

13 of the participants received the Lord and were baptized Saturday afternoon.

Among other things, they competed in games for highest team score. One of the favorite games was where they had to find names, stories, or information in the Bible - it was a scavenger hunt of sorts, because not every translation contains the same words, and they were looking for English and Tagalog languages as well as the different translations. I’ve never seen young people so eager to seek out the Word of God!

Lots of hard work, long hours for 3 days but well worth it!

--HK--

UNEXPECTED TREASURE - LITTLE THIEVES

2007-03-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

LITTLE THIEVES

Be careful if you visit these kids. They will steal your heart!

These are some of the kids at the orphanage we visited Sunday 25 March, along with members of the Monday evening disciple group. The group celebrated birthdays by bringing food and presents.

The orphanage is at the edge of the city, in swamplands. As we neared the site, we were passing through the swamps and I was wondering if the road might sink!

MEDITATION: KNOWLEDGE

2007-01-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

My meditation presentation Tuesday AM for teachers: KNOWLEDGE.

Proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 says that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

The Greek word in both verses is daath (Strong’s 1847) and means awareness, not being ignorant. In Indonesian it is translated as the word which means to know someone, have a relationship with.

In nearly every language in the world (except English) there are at least two words for knowledge - one is this having relationship with, awareness of meaning, and the other is information stored. As teachers, the focus is on giving the second - information about subjects. But the greater job of the teacher is to make sure that a good foundation is laid for use of that information, and this begins with knowing the Living God. Without knowledge of God, head knowledge is worthless in serving him.

Bringing students into a closer relationship with the Living God, Jesus Christ, is a foundational function of teachers in our school.

UNEXPECTED TREASURE - DIAMONDS IN THE DIRT

2007-01-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hugh and Liana with Pastors and Church leaders in Central Java

THE STORY OF J

My coordinator in Jakarta, Liana, has been Indonesia national secretary for Haggai Institute for several years. Some time ago, J., attended Haggai in Maui. She had contact with Liana for all the arrangements, but had never met her. Last December, J. rode a bus 4 hours to come to our seminar for pastors in a town near Solo, Central Java. I did not notice her until after the meeting when we were praying for people. I could see the power of the Holy Spirit on her, and indeed that power became manifest when I prayed for her.

Afterward (I still did not know who she was, or why she was there), she came again and asked for prayer. I told her I thought she had got what she needed already, and she said "no, I want you to prophesy over me, tell me what I should be doing." As I prayed for her, I first saw her running, then I saw her as’hinds’ feet on high places,’ her feet touching the tops of mountains. Specifically, I saw three giant strides, a foot hitting the top of each of three mountains as she ran. Then I saw the same giant strides and mountains, and as her foot hit a mountain, it lit up and became sparkly.

As I saw these visions, I told her what I was seeing. Then I told her my conclusion: that her ministry was to mountain people, that she would raise up leaders, powerful lights in darkness. She would be finding, cleaning, and enabling diamonds to reflect the brilliance of Jesus’ light. She squealed with delight.

It was only several days later that I found out that she has a ministry to mountain pastors, gathering them, encouraging them, equipping and helping them, in three areas. Liana was excited as she sent me a text message when she found out in a phone call with J. J. had invited us to minister to her groups - three mountain areas where Liana has long desired to go - mountains in the north coast of Java - but no doors had ever opened. Liana’s text: This is a lifelong dream come true - you really are a Dream Maker!

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

2006-12-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

Unexpected Treasure lies all around us, often undiscovered because it is unexpected. Educational Opportunities are one source of Unexpected Treasure and indeed are in themselves often Unexpected Treasure.

I am finding that people are a great Educational Opportunity. As I have realized that most people I meet are not really interested in my stories, I tend to listen more and speak less. I guess I really get depressed when people would rather tell of the time 20 years ago that they hurt their thumb, than to hear the story of a crippled thumb suddenly becoming flexible and useful as we prayed for it. People really aren't interested in the stories of other people's lives, but are vitally interested in being heard.

This relates to the Forward Looking article and testimony earlier. As I look at the person in front of me today, now, I see my future and my joy in the promise of what God is going to do in our lives. Some will be healed, some will be set free from burdens, some will be an Educational Opportunity for me.

God's economy (a topic we will take up later in more detail) includes the economy of blessings. God's Law of Blessings: As we seek to be a blessing, we find ourselves more blessed than our target. If we are flowing with God's love, the target also believes they are most blessed. In God's economy there is no lack, only abundance, and everyone is a winner!

As you meet people, begin to listen more, speak less, and seek the educational purpose for which God has brought this person into your life, while also asking God to bless this person through you. God gives to us for planting, and the seed planted produces fruit. This is God's economy: multiplication of blessing, stopped only by trying to save, or hoard, the blessings, whether physical or other. You will find yourself blessed, and also discover that you have been a blessing.
HK

UNEXPECTED TREASURE - DISCOVERY OF PURPOSE

2006-12-19T21:27:00.001-08:00

Nining wanted to learn how to learn from the Bible, and she wanted to know how and why people were created. As a young single woman expecting to be happily married someday, she was excited to discover the man and woman were commanded to multiply and fill the earth:

Genesis 1: 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

The second part of the command bewildered her - subdue the earth and have dominion over all creatures. Indonesian language actually says 'have power over.' As we studied further, she saw how Adam and Eve relinquished their right to subdue and have dominion by their choice to place themselves under the dominion of earth, by following what they saw rather that what God said. (Genesis 2:17, 3:6), She discovered that this God-given position is restored in the born-again person, who has the Spirit and Word of God living inside. This gives us the power for INSIDE OUT living.

Let's look at this story of their abdication from position of power.
First step, Eve added to God's word. The command in Genesis 2:17 is 'don't eat the fruit of that tree.' When Ever recounted to the serpent what she thought God said, she added 'don't touch' to the command Gen 3:3). Be careful not to add, as good as the ideas or words may seem.

Next step, believing experience, or what we see in the world, more that what the word of God says. God said 'when you eat it you will die.' The serpent said 'you will not die.' Essentially, "God lied to you.' (Gen 34) Then the serpent went on to say that their eyes would be open, and they would become like god, knowing good and evil. In verse 6 we learn that Eve entertained this as a possibility, and when she looked, she saw:
1. that the tree was good for food,
2. and that it was pleasant to the eyes,
3. and a tree to be desired to make one wise,

At this point she knew what God had said, and what the serpent (a creature upon earth over whom Eve had been given power or dominion) had said. Her eyes saw something that made her think the serpent was right, and God was wrong, and in deciding to follow the serpent, abdicated her commitment to her creator, stopped following him and began to follow the creation, giving the creation power over her. Adam followed suit.

Genesis 3:7 says two things happened. First, their eyes were opened, just as the serpent had said. Second, they realized they were naked and covered themselves (knew right from wrong - like God). Another point for the serpent! To top it off, we read in Genesis 5:4 that after Seth was born (long after eating the forbidden fruit) Adam lived 800 years. Score on truth manifested in the world: serpent 3, God 0. It appears that the serpent was right, they did not die when they ate the fruit. When we first realize this, we may be tempted to throw the Bible away, since it is full of lies from God anyway. It is only by inspecting the real doctrine of Christianity that we can understand that even though it appears that they did not die, actually they did die. This is why Jesus' teaching in John 3 and 4 about born again and worshiping in the spirit are so important to understand. Ephesians 2:1- 7 explains that we were dead [to God] in sin, but God in his mercy made us alive in Christ.

Christians today continue to be deceived that our experience, or what we see in the world, is more true or real than the word of God. The Unexpected Treasure that Nining and the others in the study on Monday discovered is that they are not at the mercies of circumstances and other people, but because Jesus lives in us, we have power over creation. Often our experience says we don't, but if we read the word of God carefully, we find that the promise is that we do. Yet we choose to understand the Bible through the filter of our experience, rather that understand our experience through the truth in the Bible. We choose to live at the mercy of the powers outside of us, rather than living by the power of God within us.

My own most demonstrative example of this is when I began praying for people to be healed. The Bible says that people who believe in Jesus will lay their hands on the sick, and the sick will be healed. I noticed that I qualified for this promise, since I believed. I went around laying hands on people ane praying for them to be healed. I saw no results for 4 years, at great personal expense - lost nearly all my friends. Yet I chose not to believe what I saw in the world, but what God's word said. Today, I am surprised when people are not healed. My experience came in line with the word of God when I lived as though it were true and happening in the world, though I could not yet see it. INSIDE OUT living does not rely on results seen, but on unseen results.

Instead of being controlled by the world, we have power, dominion over it. Instead of the outside forming the inside, we are able to form the outside by the power that lives within us.

Until today, it seems from our experience and from what we see, that the promises of God's word are not for today, or don't really mean what they say, and we allow creation to rule over us, rather than taking our rightful place and ruling over creation. If this seems radical to you, just stop and think about what you really believe, and why. Here I am talking to people who call themselves Christian. Are you following a Living God who gave promises in the book we call the Bible, or are you following a religion based on a book that contains some truth but a lot of lies?

Many years ago I came to the point of facing this question, and determined I would really be stupid to follow a religion based on lies. Obviously I came to the conclusion that it was not lies, and it changed my life as I began to look at the promises as real for me, and I took up my position as a child of God and began to have dominion over the earth! INSIDE OUT living.

UNEXPECTED TREASURE - SUSI OF BALI

2006-12-16T03:25:00.000-08:00

Susi is one of those whom I prayed for at a meeting and subsequently attached herself to me. She is a treasure for when I hear her or see her, her love for and hunger for Jesus is striking! She continually pesters me (I love it - it's my life purpose!) with questions about scriptures, about practicalities of Walking With Jesus, or with prayer requests.

Susi just came back from East Timor, where her husband is working with the UN. She met me this morning (Saturday, Dec 16) for a Bible study and lunch.

After two hours answering questions about the meaning and ramifications of John 4:24, over lunch, Susi recounted her history with me. I asked if I could post some of her story.
She remembers clearly that I met her on December 18, 2005 - I only remember that I met her last year during my visit, at a Bible study, though I do remember that Bible study gathering well, it was quite memorable! She maintained contact through text messages on cell phone, and not just a few phone calls.

She made sure that she got in on meetings when I visited again last June, even arranged for some additional friends to come for special meetings with me.
It was after the June meeting things really began to happen. It was during that visit that her eyes became open to the possibility of dreams becoming reality. This in the form that prayer really does work. Something had happened to increase her level of faith to really believe it! She requested prayer for her husband to get a visa (Dutch, he was stuck in Holland for two years not able to return to visit wife and family), and also a job. She also requested healing for her son, who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

Within two weeks, all prayers had been positively answered. Her husband was on the way back with a new job, and her son had been pronounced clear of all cancer!
There were also some other requests - centering around her desire to bring others to know Christ.
Nannies (pembantu, here in Indonesia) began coming to her door for advice, and she began leading them to Jesus, along with their small charges (from Hindu and Muslim families). I received many text messages in Indonesia that I didn't fully understand, but her excitement, and the fact that prayers were being answered abundantly could not be hidden!

Unexpected Treasure - Susi asked me if she could organize meetings for in in East Timor. She works with tribal people there, as well as with the UN compatriots of her husband. She said there are only a few expats now, but in January, more that 50 will arrive. Will doors open in East Timor [that I tried unsuccessfully to push open in Aceh after the Tsunami two years ago]? Also, you should be aware that now I cannot extent my visa but must leave the country after 60 days. The least expensive trip is to East Timor, though I would not consider going there without some other purpose, and I have been praying for purpose (other than visa) whenever I have to go out like that.

Susi - unexpected treasure continues to brighten up my life as I visit Bali, and now becomes answer to my prayers for new openings for seminars and for ministry work when I have to go out of country for visa purposes.

God is Good!

Ministry to poor - Welcome

2006-12-13T22:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Ministry to poor