Do you believe that good people go to heaven?

This recent article caught my attention.

The problem is that the Bible clearly teaches that eternal life comes by faith in Jesus Christ, not through good works. More amazingly is the belief in universalism mentioned in the article. If universalism is true than missions is a scam. Frankly, if God loves everyone and has no requirement for righteousness and all are going to heaven, why send missionaries around the world to preach Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life?

The truth is that without Jesus Christ, there is no hope of eternal life for any man, woman, or child. That is why we are in Mongolia; and that is why you pray for us.

At Christmas

We went to the United States Embassy in Mongolia the other day to renew our children's passports. We had a very pleasant experience (thank you to the United States Embassy staff!). As we were leaving one of the consular office staff said, "Merry Christmas." Don't tell the ACLU!

It is easy to say “Merry Christmas” and forget what should make Christmas the joy that it is. Perhaps for many Christmas time is a season of receiving gifts, a time when we put out a wish list and see how much of it comes in. I know that people talk of deprivation in the United States because of the difficult economy and all, and I have no doubt that some are truly suffering at the Christmas time. But for most Americans it is too easy to notice all the sales and discounts, the lights and songs, the seasonal TV specials and sports. We miss the Person of Christmas because the season of Christmas has distracted us. We say "Merry Christmas" and are sincere, but the Person Who is the reason for Christmas is crowded out by the hustle of the season that is Christmas.

For others Christmas is a time with family. It is the one time of year when the entire family comes together. Reminisces, laughter, old memories, new ones—these all make Christmas a joyful season. During the years that I was in college and later my brothers, we often had summer ministry that kept us from coming home to family. But we never missed coming home at Christmas. But for those of us separated from family by oceans of distance, focusing on family at Christmas only brings feelings of disappointment. After all, of course we want to be with our family during this time. We truly thank God that Christmas is not really about families, unless one means God’s family.

A few perhaps think of food first when they think of Christmas. I was reading recently about the history of the Christmas meal. Unique foods have always been a part of the Christmas meal, and those Christmas foods are something to which we look forward to, as well. But Christmas is not the food.

But at Christmas we can focus on the joy of our salvation, promised at the birth of Christ (Luke 2:11) and fulfilled at the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is a chance to marvel at the fulfillment of the great prophesies of the Old Testament—some made thousands of years before Christ’s birth. If we give ourselves time, we might wonder anew at the love displayed when God sent His son to be born.

We might be astonished once again that the wise men from the East knew when Christ would be born and the religious scholars in Jerusalem knew where he would be born. But only the foreigners came to the young child to present gifts. Perhaps the religious scholars were too busy with their studies or too fearful of Herod’s wrath to make the journey of a few miles to the village of Bethlehem to see the Messiah for which they had been waiting for so long.

We might kneel again to the King of kings and say, “I love you. You are worthy of praise. You are the Ruler of righteousness. I commit myself afresh to your service.” Or we can enjoy the food and the family, and we can just relax after all the time spent preparing and “get to Bethlehem” later when it is more convenient.

Merry Christmas, and may Christ be glorified on this the day we celebrate His amazing love.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Quote of the week

Christians do "not superstitiously observe days, merely as days, but as memorials of important facts. Christmas might be kept as well upon one day of the year as another; but there should be a stated day for commemorating the birth of our Saviour, because there is danger that what may be done on any day, will be neglected." – Samuel Johnson

Deans' weekly update

This is the week leading up to our celebration of the Savior's birth. Here in Mongolia, they do not celebrate Christmas. You may see pictures of Santa Claus, colored lights, and even Christmas trees. There are sales at the stores, and employees work overtime to keep up with the demand. But if you ask a Mongolian, he'll tell you that they are celebrating New Year. Mongolians have adopted all the commercialism of Christmas with none of the meaning: a sad commentary on the influence of America in Asia.

So while churches in North America will be extra busy trying to get people to come out to special services, cantatas, and candlelight services during this time of year, churches in Mongolia are trying to preach the birth of a Savior! The good Lord has blessed me with two prime opportunities to clearly present the Gospel in people's homes. The best ending would have been for the sinner to bow in repentance and humility before our holy God and request forgiveness of sins and eternal life. That did not happen. But the second best result was that both men (and one wife) agreed to meet with me again to hear more. Please pray for Tengis and Battulag to be saved. I am scheduled to meet with both of them within the next week. Please pray that they will keep their appointments and that God would be pleased to grant them the gift of eternal life during this time of year when we celebrate the One who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Another quote of the week

"Nothing so successfully discourages slovenliness in the use of language as the practice of translation. Focusing upon what a word means and then finding its just equivalent in another language compels one to look and to think before he commits himself to any expression." — Richard Weaver

Quote of the week

"A great 'without' is written over heathenism: men and women without a Bible, without a Sunday, and without righteousness. They have homes without peace and marriage without sanctity. Their ... little children [are] without purity, the mothers without wisdom or self-control. There is poverty without relief, sickness without care or skill, sorrow without sympathy, sin without remedy, death without hope and without Christ. All this is wrapped up in the words, 'without Christ.' This is why Christ has told us to go 'into all the world, and preach the Gospel.' This is why we urge you to give and pray without stint, for the only answer to the world without is to have Christ within."

Deans' weekly update

A warm welcome to all of you reading this:

I say a warm welcome because we've hit our first cold snap this year. Since we spent last winter in the United States, this is our first really cold weather in two years. How cold you ask? It was -38 this morning when I woke up. That is a little colder than I like. Of course, our apartment is warm enough, for which we thank the Lord.

What are you thankful for this week? The sermon on Sunday was about "Thankfulness." It is easy for all of us to become so focused on ourselves and begin to only see the things we "need" and ignore all the blessings that God has given us. I don't suppose that Mongolians are any more liable to this than Americans. Still, I see much of this among Mongolians: a constant focus on what they do not have rather than a grateful response to what God has given them.

Ask God this week to give all of us a spirit of gratitude and a willingness to serve.

The cold weather is here

Every year it is the same. When it begins to get chilly at night in September, I welcome the cool nights that break the heat in this un-airconditioned country. I have no complaints about putting on a jacket or sweater when I go out in the mornings. After all, you can always peel that layer off later in the day as it warms up.

Then in late October or early November the winter comes. Temperatures drop well below freezing at night, and in the day it hovers only a little above zero.

Towards the end of November and the beginning of December the weather gets a little colder. The temperatures even in the bright mid-day sun are still below freezing. At night temperatures can be as cold as -20. One begins to be very thankful for a warm apartment with centralized heat. Those in the ger districts often wake up in the morning to find water left out overnight frozen. Someone has to get up and start a fire. Every year when this cold comes I think to myself, "Oh, I'm finally used to the cold—properly dressed, of course." I imagine that this year the cold won't bother me so much.

And then it happens, the real cold comes. The cold that seems to seep through all though layers and dwell in your bones. One discovers why Mongolians like to drink their hot drinks nearly boiling hot: the hot liquid drives the chill out of one's bones. Two days ago while making a short walk up to the marketplace, I remembered the true cold. Today is no different. When I started this post the temperature outside was -6 F (-21 C). And I started this post in the middle of the afternoon, the warmest part of the day.

Oh well, another two months of this and then the cold, cold weather will break and we'll be back to the cold that I can stand.

Quote of the week

"The beliefs which underlie virtually every movie story are precisely the ones which are hurrying us on to perdition. The entire globe is becoming imbued with the notion that there is something normative about the insane sort of life lived in New York and Hollywood—even after that life has been exaggerated to suit the morbid appetite of the thrill-seeker." — Richard M. Weaver (1948)

Deans' weekly update

There is a lot going on here in Mongolia. Our Sunday night service which is in English was packed out. Every seat was filled and still people kept coming in. A fellow missionary jumped up and grabbed some extra chairs which he began putting in the aisles. Then during a break in the songs, we dismissed the children early. When the children left about a dozen chairs opened up. People re-situated themselves so that they were comfortable. We had a good service.

Part of the reason for all the people was that several missionary families were visiting the city in December. This week quite a few people are leaving to visit family in other parts of the world. (And who can blame them: temperatures this Sunday are predicted to be -5 for a high!) So this coming Sunday we should have a little more room.

Please continue to pray for wisdom and joy for me as we serve the Lord in this cold place.

Deans' December prayer letter

For a modern society, Mongolia is still bound in demon worship and witchcraft. Mongolians may have mobile phones and the Internet, running water and modern glass high-rises; but in their hearts there is still a bondage to shamanism and superstition that hides under the veneer of technology.

This past month our neighbors illustrated this for us. Our neighbors are very pleasant people. We have been in their home, and they have been in our home. We have had the opportunity to tell them about Jesus Christ. They respect our beliefs but see them as a foreign religion. The wife even attended a church service many years ago, perhaps out of curiosity. Whatever the reason, she has never returned.

Both are educated professionals. One works with aviation electronics; the other has a college degree and is employed by the government. One of them has spent some time studying abroad. Outwardly, they appear to be modern people. If you were to ask them, they would tell you that they are not religious people.

However, their son’s long-term illness has caused them to seek for a cure. First, they approached us to request help locating a foreign non-profit that might help them take their son to another country for treatment. I was as helpful as I could be and suggested contacting a non-profit suggested by a fellow missionary.

However, recently we heard a thumping sound. As I went into our apartment building corridor to investigate, I realized that the thumping was the pounding of a drum coming from our neighbor’s apartment. From the corridor, I could also hear chanting and the ringing of bells. The smell of pungent incense filled the air. Drums, bells, chanting, incense—all these are the tools of the Mongolian shaman, also known as a witchdoctor in other cultures and places. Mongolian shamans claim to have a direct connection to the spirit world that allows them to heal disease, ward off catastrophe, or curse the unprotected. Indeed, I do believe that they have a connection with spirits, evil spirits.

This incident reminds us, that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We need to continually be on guard and need God’s power to overcome the powers of darkness. Your prayers are an important part of the ministry here. Pray for God’s power to be evident in the conviction of sin and in holiness in the lives of God’s children.

Visiting Tonga

Kristie and I went to visit Tonga this afternoon. There's not much to tell. She is not doing well. Dashka seems in good spirits. But it's hard for me to say what is going through his head. Kristie tried to talk to Tonga about Jesus our Savior. But she said she didn't need to hear it.

Earlier this week when Dashka tried to talk to his wife about her salvation, she asked him to never talk to her about it again. I am very saddened by all this, as you can imagine.

Quote of the week

"The proper study of the Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can engage the attention of a child of God in the name, the nature, the person, the doings, and the existence of the great God." — C. H. Spurgeon

Chosen Vessel

The Master was searching for a vessel to use;

On the shelf there were many - which one would He choose?

Take me, cried the gold one, I'm shiny and bright,

I'm of great value and I do things just right.

My beauty and lustre will outshine the rest

And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!

The Master passed on with no word at all;

He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall;

I'll serve You, dear Master, I'll pour out Your wine

And I'll be at Your table whenever You dine,

My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true,

And my silver will always compliment You.

Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass,

It was widemouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.

Here! Here! cried the vessel, I know I will do,

Place me on Your table for all men to view.

Look at me, called the goblet of crystal so clear,

My transparency shows my contents so dear,

Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride,

And I'm sure I'll be happy in Your house to abide.

The Master came next to a vessel of wood,

Polished and carved, it solidly stood.

You may use me, dear Master, the wooden bowl said,

But I'd rather You used me for fruit, not for bread!

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay.

Empty and broken it helplessly lay.

No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,

To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

Ah! This is the vessel I've been hoping to find,

I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.

I need not the vessel with pride of its self;

Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf;

Nor the one who is bigmouthed and shallow and loud;

Nor one who displays his contents so proud;

Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right;

But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay.

Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day.

Spoke to it kindly. There's work you must do,

Just pour out to others as I pour into you.

Disclaimer: I enjoyed reading this poem again recently. I received it many years ago from a friend. I found it on the Internet here and posted it to be an encouragement to my readers. God does not need our ability as much as He needs our availability.