April-May 2017

Beautiful flowers of Thailand

Jeremiah 23:5,6 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.  This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD our righteousness."  Yahweh-tsidkenu means the LORD our righteousness.     Righteousness is not popular in our world today because it involves being in right relationship with God and conforming to His character, fulfilling our responsibilities toward Him and others.  It is essential to our happiness as human beings but impossible for us to achieve.  It comes only as God's gift to us through faith in His Son.  The above verses were written as the nation of Judah was hastening to its fall--God's judgment--due to its corrupt lifestyle and disobedience to God's commands.  Jesus and the New Testament writers made it clear that righteousness is not merely outward behavior but a matter of the heart--of thoughts, motives, and desires.  The goal is not merely to do what God says but to become like Him.  Addison Leitch, says, "Righteousness is primarily and basically a relationship, never an attainment... Christian righteousness,,,is a direction, a loyalty, a commitment, a hope--and only someday an arrival."

     I am beginning this blog as I wait with David at the hospital.  Since we asked so many of you to pray, we wanted to be able to share the outcome with you on this month's blog.  We have felt very lifted and loved by our friends here in Thailand and those back in the states.  When we realize this kidney stone was discovered back in October, we are grateful for good health and God's provision to this point.  As many of you are already aware, Dave's large kidney stone was removed successfully by the ureterscopy, though there are some issues resulting from the procedure yet to be resolved.  A slight tear in the urethra in removing one of the large pieces of stone caused some excess fluid in the abdomen and lungs.  Please continue to pray for all these complications to be resolved, for healing and for proper functioning once the stints are removed.  

     We had a great Easter celebration with our church family and then Dave led several sessions at the Faithful Heart Spiritual Life yearly retreat.  He taught on anger and marriage--two separate sessions--not anger in marriage. (ha-ha!)  

Now, our prayer is that Dave's body will have time to heal and restore before our long flight back to the sates in June.

     Our church will gear down some in the summer--as some do leave for the summer months.  We are starting to understand a little better the ebb and flow of life in an international church.  This summer we have 2 more couples--faithful servants of our Lord--who will end their careers here and return to the states.  This is the most difficult part of our ministry, but we must see it in a positive light--that God in His divine providence has allowed our paths to cross on this crowded earth in a place called Chiang Mai in the land of Thailand.  We know without a doubt that our lives have been enriched for having known them, and we pray that we have been of some encouragement and support to them.  We continue to covet prayers for our ministry here.  We pray for Dave's restored health so that we may continue.  We are really enjoying this opportunity and coming to understand it more and more and love the people here.   We are so grateful to God for leading us here.  

                                 Repairing some sidewalks in our neighborhood with this cement mixer

                                                                      The Pound family in Thailand--Easter 2017

    But now righteousness form God, apart from the law has been made known, to which the Law and the prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of His glory, and are justified freely by His grace through redemption that came by Jesus Christ.  God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. (Rom. 3:21-25)  "He made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jesus Christ is our Yahweh-tsidkenu, the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy came in Jesus Christ.  He is the holy branch raised up from the root of David.  He is both perfect righteousness and the provision for our righteousness.  He was fully man, yet without sin, and fully God so that He alone can represent sinful man before a holy God.  Praise God!  Sorry a lot more theology here, but as much as Yahweh-rohi--our shepherd and the tender intimate expression of that name comforts us, this name is everything; it is our hope and salvation!

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matt. 5:6)

Let us ask the Lord to make us and those we pray for hungry and thirsty for righteousness.  The righteousness God gives us through faith in His Son is the path to recreating paradise, to gaining heaven, to enjoying unbroken fellowship with God and each other that our creator intended since the world's beginning. (Ann Spangler)

Please Pray:

• Dave's recovery and healing
• For our continued ministry at The Gathering
• That we might be the light and life of Christ in this place-shinning that light to everyone with whom we come in contact
• The ministry of Faithful Heart (Matthew, Audrey, and Ezra)
• Strength and health to minister
• For those in our church body who minister in many ways and places for the cause of Christ