Devotion: God's Word At Work

Before each of my English classes I write a short Bible verse at the top of the white board. Because it's in the direct line of sight of the students, they can't miss it. Even those students who aren't interested in hearing about Christianity can't help but read it. I'm sure some students read it more than once during the class.

In the middle of one of my classes I was teaching about past tense. After a few examples and some practice, I asked if anyone had any questions. One student raised his hand. "I'm wondering about the meaning of what you wrote at the top of the white board," he said.

"Could you please explain it to me?" Of course he was referring to the Bible verse. On that particular day the Bible verse was "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15b).

To explain the verse I spoke about how all people are sinners and how we are unable to save ourselves from the punishment we deserve for our sins. I told him Jesus was the Son of God, and that God loves us so much He sent Jesus to die on the cross to suffer the judgment we all deserve. In the midst of teaching past tense, I was given an opportunity to share the Gospel with the whole class.

The Word of God is indeed living and powerful. The Holy Spirit used it to touch the mind of one student. It stimulated his curiosity and prompted him to ask about its meaning. As a result, every student in the class heard the Gospel.

In the book of Isaiah God says, "So is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God's Word is powerful. God sends out His Word to do His work and it succeeds. When my students read God's Word on the white board, God's power works within them.

God's Word is not only beneficial in teaching and strengthening us as we study it, but it is also an effective tool for us to use in reaching out to people who don't know Jesus as their Savior. Sometimes we want to witness to someone, but we don't know what to say. Our words are often weak and stumbling. But God's word is sure and strong.

THE PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for giving us Your Word. Teach us how to use Your powerful Word as we reach out to the unbelievers around us. Amen.

Biography of Author: Dennis Denow is a missionary with LCMS World Mission and the husband of Monta Ekwanit Denow, director for Journey Into Light, the ministry center for Lutheran Hour Ministries located in Bangkok, Thailand. There, LHM ministers through community radio, Equipping the Saints (ETS), Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), print, Internet and Gospel text messaging. The staff also conducts numerous children's activities and makes presentations in government schools.

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Equipping the Saints in Thailand

LHM —Thailand staff recently made the five hour long trip to conduct an Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshop at Samarn Samakee Church in Muang District - approximately 250 miles outside of Bangkok. In total, 72 people from eight different churches participated in the one-day workshop.

ETS evangelism workshops are designed to engage lay volunteers from church congregations and strengthen their understanding, and interest in witnessing while providing them the practical tools needed for reaching the unchurched.

Those who attended the workshop at Samarn Samakee Church expressed their appreciation, saying that they were happy to learn about LHM and the media tools, such as booklets and CDs that are available for them to reach out to family members and neighbors in their own communities.

Thousands in Myanmar Turn Up to Enjoy Music and Fellowship

LHM—Myanmar, together with the Christian Music Fellowship, organized a “Gospel through Music” program in several different towns and villages throughout the month of August. In total, 40 people including well-known Christian musicians, some audio engineers, and LHM staff and volunteers traveled by bus and performed for audiences – as many as 5,000 people at one particular church in Moegoke. Since some of the musicians are popular on a national level, approximately half of the people who came to enjoy the performances were non-believers.

The coordinator of LHM—Myanmar took time at each venue to share the Gospel message, while several of the Christian performers also gave their life’s testimonies. We are very thankful that God has used these musical events to give people an opportunity to learn about Christ.

Friday Devotion: Power & Peace

During our recent trip to Thailand we would often find ourselves walking through the little souvenir shops that lined the streets or the open area around a popular Thai attraction. As we admired the workmanship of the beautiful Thai silks, carved wooden objects, colorful gem pendants, and polished stone figurines, we soon concluded many of the items in these shops were either in the shape of elephants or were decorated with pictures of elephants. Later, we learned from our tour guide that elephants were very important to Thai culture. Elephants in Thailand have long been a symbol of both power and peace. Several centuries ago, they were used by kings to lead armies to win wars and therefore restore peace among the people.

While looking through these same souvenir shops, we discovered most of these shops did not display anything with the shape of a cross. With only 1.6 percent of the population claiming to be Christian, this is not a surprising discovery. The cross, a symbol of power and peace for Christians around the world, reminds believers of God's sacrificial love. It was on a cross that God allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the world. The powerful death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives victory, hope, and the promise of eternal peace to all believers.


A large cross is fastened to the front of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand building in Bangkok. During our first few days in the city, that cross became the image we sought. As we made our way through the unfamiliar streets of Bangkok congested with people, scented with unfamiliar smells, and displayed with unfamiliar words, the cross on this building brought us a powerful sense of security and peace. The cross identifies this building as a place where Christ is present -- both in the work being done and within the people who daily carry out His tasks. As Lutheran Hour Ministries reaches out to others through their countless ministries, we pray that 1.6 percent of the population (Christians) will be blessed and strengthened and 98.4 percent of the population (non-Christians) will hear the message of Christ, and no longer consider it foolishness, but as a means of hope.

Though our trip to Thailand quickly came to an end, it will long impact our hearts and lives. Like most tourists, we brought home a collection of souvenirs to remember our visit. This collection includes some beautiful silk scarves, tasty cashews, and even a few items with elephants on them. One item, though, will always be treasured as a rare find in Thailand: it is a hand-painted ceramic cross -- given to us by Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand.

THE PRAYER:O God, we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cross so that we might know the power of the forgiveness of sins and the peace of eternal life. Open the doors of faith to non-believers so they might also enjoy the power and peace that can only come from You. In Christ's Name we pray. Amen.

Biography of Authors:Pastor Doug Chinberg is senior pastor of King of Kings Lutheran Church in Chesterfield, Mo. He and his wife, Kathy, went to Thailand with the Pastoral Leadership Institute where they led men and women's seminars and shared messages in various Lutheran churches in Thailand. Since 1991, the LHM-Thailand office in Bangkok, known locally as Journey Into Light (JIL), has used community radio programs, Equipping the Saints (ETS), Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), print, Internet, and Gospel text messaging to share the good news of Jesus Christ in this country of 65 million people.

See some photos from the PLI Global Impact Volunteer trip to Thailand here.

India Youth Volunteer Group Holds Eye Clinic

The Salem District of Tamil Nadu, India is a very poor area whose residents are faced with a number of problems including joblessness, and a very high percentage of people affected by various diseases including HIV. For this reason, Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM)—India’s volunteer Youth Club found Salem to be an ideal place to share the love of Christ by caring for the elderly.

Much of the older population in the district suffers eye ailments like cataracts, but do not have the money or ability to travel to the eye clinic. So the LHM volunteers arranged for a free eye clinic with the support of local health authorities.

More than 200 people registered for the clinic in which medical checkups and treatment were given free of charge. Doctors were also on hand and, as a result, 15 people had their eyes operated on to remove their cataracts.

“Through this act of love, people who came to the clinic experienced the concern of Christians for their neighbors as we also shared the Good news of salvation through Jesus Christ along with the free treatment,” said LHM—India director, Rev. David.

Lutheran Hour Ministries—India staff have established youth clubs in several different areas over the past year. The clubs, known locally as Vaan Malar Youth Clubs, have been well received by church congregations in these communities because they engage young people and equip them to share the Word of God.

Your continued prayers and support for LHM allow outreach programs to have an impact all around the world. We ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to our International Ministries today.

To support this ministry click here or call us at 1-877-333-1963.

Kids Enjoy Summer Camp in Korea

Last week, LHM—South Korea hosted a summer camp for children at a small rural church in the province of Gosung Gang Won. The camp was held from July 29th through the 31st and drew participation from about 30 people, including teachers and children, who all came to enjoy a time of fellowship in the name of Christ.

There were three separate summer camps planned for the month of July but due to heavy rains and flooding, two of them were cancelled. One more camp is scheduled to begin this Thursday in Seoul. We ask that you join us in praying that everything goes well.

As Told by Puppets

Puppet performances by LHM—Cambodia at the villages of Veal Thnang, Beoung Basac, and Chroy, in Cambodia, attracted over 400 people recently. Puppet performance ministry is a very popular and effective medium to bring the message of hope of the Lord to the largely rural population of Cambodia. Bible stories acted out by puppet impact every class and age of people, and helps attract the people to the Church.

Meeting Friends - Old and New

In May, LHM—Thailand had a ministry booth at the 7th Annual Thailand Congress on Evangelism at the Rangsit Center, at Thammasat University in Bangkok. Over 4,000 people attended the event. It provided LHM staff members with an opportunity to reconnect with some Christian friends who have participated in other LHM programs including Equipping the Saints evangelism workshops, listener gatherings and other ministry events. More than 200 attendees signed up to receive Gospel messages through text messaging, and some asked for help in organizing evangelistic activities in their communities. LHM—Thailand’s Director, Monta “Boom” Ekwanit-Denow, also attended several workshops where she received helpful ideas that her staff can use for the ministry in the future.

The "Prodigal Son": Puppet Edition

Approximately 570 people showed up to a puppet performance of “The Prodigal Son” at Phuc Am church in Vietnam. The show was put on by LHM staff with the help of members from the congregation. Leading up to the event, these church members went door-to-door to invite their friends, relatives, neighbors. And afterwards, 26 people in the audience expressed a desire to know more about Christ. The members of the congregation were joyful, saying that they had not had an evangelistic event of this kind in their area for a long time.

A Day Out for the Blind

On February 28 LHM—India, working in cooperation with The Prayer Fellowship of the Blind, held a gathering for a number of blind people living in the south Chennai area. People from all age groups, most of them non-Christians, and many blind from birth, gathered under a banyan tree at a church campus.

“The lives of these people are really hard, it’s unbelievable,” commented Rev. C. David, director of LHM—India. “Being an unprivileged and suffering section of the society they need some help for their livelihood.”

Each of the 80 blind people who attended the event received a little over 2 pounds of plastic wire (many of them earn a living weaving plastic garden chairs), as well a cassette tape of Gospel materials. Everyone enjoyed a full day of sharing songs, messages and testimonies.

United in Song

The popularity of singing competitions has apparently made its way across the world to Myanmar. LHM—Myanmar (known locally as Word of Hope) held a Valentine’s Day singing competition in Yangon that attracted almost 450 young people to participate. This was the first outreach program that LHM—Myanmar specifically targeted to youth.

The organizers of the competition reached out to youth from many different church denominations, as well as other religions. But the focus of the contest was the Gospel message and how young people could live fulfilled, Christ-centered lives.

Participants were judged based on their performance of three Christian songs. The winners received 100,000 Kyat (the equivalent of US$50). There were cash prizes for second and third place winners also.

“We gave cash prizes because all the other secular songs competitions attract youth with high cash amounts. Our cash prize is still significantly less than the secular world but it got the youth interested,” said one of the LHM—Myanmar staff.

Happy Tet!

About 400 people showed up in Hong Ngu, Vietnam, to a screening of the Pet-Napping video by Lutheran Hour Ministries—Vietnam. The show was put on at the end of January as part of the celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year based on the Lunar calendar.

Tet is shortened from Tet Nguyen Dan or Feast of the First Morning and is the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar (around late January or early February) with celebrations lasting until at least the third day. This is the same time that the Chinese New Year is also celebrated.

The children, who made up a majority of the audience, enjoyed the animated cartoon which teaches them to love and treat their friends and classmates just as God loves and treats us all. Pet-Napping and other videos in the Puzzle Club series have been translated into a number of different languages including Arabic, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Video event in Vietnam

Vietnam Kindergarten Project Complete

LHM—Vietnam director, Doan Than Truc recently visited students at one of two kindergartens that LHM built with funding from St. John Lutheran Church in Orange, California. Now that the building project is finished, complete with wells to supply running water, LHM—Vietnam and the local Tra On Lutheran church facilitate programs to share Christ’s love with both students and parents.

Korea Exhibit Attracts 300 Visitors

Last Christmas, Lutheran Hour Ministries in South Korea held an art exhibition showcasing the works of painter Jae Im Kim and her brother, sculptor, Kim Jae Hun. Over the course of the week, 300 people visited the exhibit and over 50 pieces of art were sold. Jae Im Kim, a long-time supporter of LHM—Korea, donated some of the profits for ministry.

LHM—India Completes Christmas Distribution

LHM—India celebrated the birth of Christ with residents of some poor villages and also with some evangelists living and working around Chennai city.

On December 18th they distributed candy, gift bags and new clothing to 50 villagers, both young and old. The money to purchase the gifts was donated by one of the Ministry’s supporters specifically for this purpose.

LHM—India staff and volunteers also distributed new clothing and a small financial gift to 15 evangelists and their families. This gift was specially given by members of the Madras Korean Church for the above purpose through our Ministry.

Each year, LHM—India broadcasts a telecast on Christmas day. This past Christmas, in addition to the regular broadcast channel, two more channels came forward and each donated a half-hour programming time for the telecast. LHM—India has received appreciation for the program and messages.