God Bai Lukautim Yu
Sapos yu kisim bel hevi
Na aiwara pundaun,
Taim yu tingim ples blo yu
Na ol gutpela sindaun.
Tingim Papa God blo yu
Na kisim bel isi!
Yu pikinini bilong Em
Olsem no ken bel hevi!
Taim yu lusim lain blo yu
Na go long ples longwe,
Noken ting yuyet i stap,
God stap wantaim yu tude.
Wasman save lukautim
Ol sipsip bilong em,
Na God tu bai lukautim
Yupela wankain olsem.
Sanap strong na holim pas
Long han blong Papa tru!
Mari mari bilong Em
Bai no inap lusim yu!
--J.R.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Yu wanim kain graun?
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a sower planting seeds. As he throws the seeds to the ground, some fall to the wayside on hard ground and are snatched away. Others fall into shallow, rocky soil where they begin to grow; but, because their roots are not deep enough they cannot withstand the storms. Then still others fall into the thistles and tho' they begin to grow, they are soon choked out by the weeds around them. And of course, there are the seeds that fall into good ground, take root, stand the test and produce good fruit.My question is this: bel blo yu i gat wanim kain graun? Taim yu bin harim gutnews blong Jesus Christ, yu bin kisim dispela tok na putim insait tru long bel blo yu or nogat? Did the seed of the gospel take deep root in your heart and life?
God's Word tells us that if your heart is like the shallow, rocky soil tho' you received the good news of Christ joyfully, your commitment to Him is not deep enough and when trouble and persecutions come you will not be able to withstand the pressure. Your roots will come up and you will fall.
If your heart is like the ground with thistles, your desires for the pleasures of this world will choke out your desire for God and you will slowly drift away. The very things you desire will be the end of you.
Only the heart with good ground will produce good fruit, making more seeds to spread the Good News to others. My prayer for all of you is that your heart is gutpela graun!
Taim yu lukim ol getpela samting blo displea graun, noken larim dispela samting i pulim yu. Ol mani na bilas na pati na planti wantok em samting blo amamas nating. Sapos yu behainim pasin blo dispela graun, bai yu kamap olsem seed i pundaun long graun nogut. Noken pasim ai na stap nating!
Sapos yu ting olsem gutnews blo Jesus i no stap deep insait long bel blo yu, yu mas askim Papa God long helpim yu i ken painim gutpela graun, na tok blo Em i ken kamup strongpela tru insait long bel blo yu.
God wants YOU to be strong. And HE will help you! Askim Em nau tasol!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego na yuyet
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken from their country and brought to Babylon as captives, they were only youths. They had been brought up by their parents to follow the Lord their God. Their parents and teachers had schooled and mentored them well in the ways of Jehovah. But now, for the first time, their faith and commitment would be put to the test. Not just once, but continually.
They suddenly went from being surrounded by the holy city of Jerusalem, to living within an evil, idolatrous country. All around them was that which appealed to the greed and pride of man. Pressure to blend in with this new culture must have been great. And now, with no support from their spiritual guides, these three young men had to make their choice; to go with the ways of Babylon or to stand up and be set apart as children of the Most High God.
We all know the story. They chose to stand for what they knew was right--at the king's table and then again before the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had built for all to worship.
I don't imagine it was easy for them. Perhaps they may have even paused to count the cost before making the decision to follow God no matter what.
But, do you think the Hebrew children did this alone, on their own strength?
NO! Only with the help of God were they able to be stronger than Babylon!
My dear friends, you are in a foreign land--sent here to learn and become better servants for the Lord. But, in this land you will find temptations much like those the Hebrew children faced in Babylon. Temptation to blend into the popular culture of America, pressure to conform to a lower standard of conduct in order to fit in with some of your wantoks who have not stood fast, and finally confusion over what is even right or wrong.
It is easy to get lost in a world that is focused on pleasing yuyet. You will soon find that if you keep looking at yourself, you will loose sight of Christ. In a culture that bombards you with worldly pleasures, you will need to stay grounded in the Word of God, surround yourself with Godly influences and above all: go directly to the God who loves you and wants nothing more than to help you be stronger than Babylon!
They suddenly went from being surrounded by the holy city of Jerusalem, to living within an evil, idolatrous country. All around them was that which appealed to the greed and pride of man. Pressure to blend in with this new culture must have been great. And now, with no support from their spiritual guides, these three young men had to make their choice; to go with the ways of Babylon or to stand up and be set apart as children of the Most High God.
We all know the story. They chose to stand for what they knew was right--at the king's table and then again before the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had built for all to worship.
I don't imagine it was easy for them. Perhaps they may have even paused to count the cost before making the decision to follow God no matter what.
But, do you think the Hebrew children did this alone, on their own strength?
NO! Only with the help of God were they able to be stronger than Babylon!
My dear friends, you are in a foreign land--sent here to learn and become better servants for the Lord. But, in this land you will find temptations much like those the Hebrew children faced in Babylon. Temptation to blend into the popular culture of America, pressure to conform to a lower standard of conduct in order to fit in with some of your wantoks who have not stood fast, and finally confusion over what is even right or wrong.
It is easy to get lost in a world that is focused on pleasing yuyet. You will soon find that if you keep looking at yourself, you will loose sight of Christ. In a culture that bombards you with worldly pleasures, you will need to stay grounded in the Word of God, surround yourself with Godly influences and above all: go directly to the God who loves you and wants nothing more than to help you be stronger than Babylon!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tok "helo" tasol
Hello, ol wantok blong mi! Mi amamas long yu bin kam na lukim liklik blog blong mi. Laikim yupela olgeta!
In the last couple of years God has put a burden in my heart for Papua New Guinea. I remember with great fondness the years I spent there as a child and teen, but as I grow older I find that I want to return those blessings.
The timing of God is perfect--in all things. I don't know what the future holds, but TODAY I will do God's will for TODAY. And that brings me to this blog...
It is always such a joy to see my PNG friends here in the US--to see your smiles, to hear tok Pisin, to sing songs together and to hear about the great things the Lord is doing in your lives and in PNG. It brings me such joy.
Tasol wanpela samting i givim bikpela bel hevi long mi. Mi lukim planti ol yangpela i lusim God na wokim kainkain pasin nogut. Ol samting blong graun i pulim ol, na ol pundaun long sin. Dispela tasol i givim bel hevi long mi.
And that is why I want to have this blog. To encourage those who are walking close to God, to strengthen those who are struggling, and to call back those who are falling away. Without the help of God, mipela olgeta bai lus, tasol sapos yu holim pas long han blong Bikpla, bai yu sanap strong na stap gut long dispela graun na long ples Heaven!
In the last couple of years God has put a burden in my heart for Papua New Guinea. I remember with great fondness the years I spent there as a child and teen, but as I grow older I find that I want to return those blessings.
The timing of God is perfect--in all things. I don't know what the future holds, but TODAY I will do God's will for TODAY. And that brings me to this blog...
It is always such a joy to see my PNG friends here in the US--to see your smiles, to hear tok Pisin, to sing songs together and to hear about the great things the Lord is doing in your lives and in PNG. It brings me such joy.
Tasol wanpela samting i givim bikpela bel hevi long mi. Mi lukim planti ol yangpela i lusim God na wokim kainkain pasin nogut. Ol samting blong graun i pulim ol, na ol pundaun long sin. Dispela tasol i givim bel hevi long mi.
And that is why I want to have this blog. To encourage those who are walking close to God, to strengthen those who are struggling, and to call back those who are falling away. Without the help of God, mipela olgeta bai lus, tasol sapos yu holim pas long han blong Bikpla, bai yu sanap strong na stap gut long dispela graun na long ples Heaven!
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