Following Fire in Bangkok

The Kingdom of God is advancing in the darkest places through people who love Jesus and serve the least. A few weeks ago I was in Bangkok leading a training called “Following Fire: Signs and Wonders where they’re needed the most.” This training was organized by Urban Neighbors of Hope (UNOH), and drew together street-level ministry workers from across the body of Christ for two days of training on transformational bible study, moving in the power of the Spirit for healing and deliverance, hearing the voice of God, and other related topics.

People who work with the most broken know all too well that they need continual anointing by the Holy Spirit, more wisdom for strategy and problem-solving and constant refilling with God’s strength, love and joy. The spiritual hunger and longing for learning was evident during these two days of training—and experiences on the street showed that there can’t be big gaps between theory and practice.

For me it was a big dream come true to be able to teach and minister to UNOH workers living in the slums of Bangkok and along the border with Myanmar (see www.unoh.org), people working with prostitutes through Nighlight and Youth with a Mission (YWAM), Iris Ministries and others. I stayed in Bangkok’s biggest slum in one of the UNOH houses (photo below), walked the streets with Jennie-Joy of Nightlight (see http://www.seedswillgrow.com), and with Iven and Kashmira Hauptman of YWAM (ivenandkashmira.com). As a lone white male in my 50’s I felt the alienation of being viewed as the prototype client. Yet as I walked with friends who knew the people in the slums and streets I benefited from the trust they’d established through living among the people. Praying for people came natural, despite their animism, Buddhism or Hinduism. The Hauptman’s two little kids broke through barriers, drawing the homeless and the many selling their bodies into normal conversation and even delight (see photos below).

All these workers need serious intercession from the larger body of Christ. Right in the midst of my last session all the UNOH workers suddenly had to rush off after getting a call that a fire in the slum was consuming their next-door-neighbors shack. Fortunately it was stopped, but 1/3 of the course participants missed out on the final listening prayer exercises and ministry time. Please intercede for Ash and Angie Barker and their UNOH team, for Iven and Kashmira, Jennie-Joy and others working to advance God’s Kingdom in Bangkok.

I left for Jakarta and on to Australia and New Zealand filled with admiration as well as joy and thankfulness. The Kingdom of God is being announced to people in great darkness. The harvest is plentiful and the number of workers are few but growing. “Beg the Lord of the harvest to cast out more workers” is Jesus’ imperative most on my heart.