Youth leading other youth to Christ
Much of our church growth is through the evangelistic efforts of the Young Tigers, Lions, and Fisherman; these Spirit filled youth teams are seeing the Book of Acts come alive in Cambodia.
They actually have youth from other church organizations asking to join them, and we are accepting them with open arms and not asking them to join our church.
They go out and in one weekend they’ll leave behind hundreds of new Christians, most baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit. At least a dozen new churches are established each month.
The above photos show the fruit from one small group, and there are more than 24 of these events going on each month. I know most people hear this talk and think I am exaggerating, but as Naret, our Chief of Staff, puts it, “Pa we understate the numbers to keep the government from getting nervous.” The most common question I receive in Western countries which I visit is this: “How come we don’t see this kind of move of God in our country?” I realize that often the answer has been that the people here have no other option but to turn to God, but it is more than that. I think the following three factors are the key:
1. All Cambodians are fully aware of spiritual reality. Even the vilest heathens believe in the spirit realm. The leader of a kidnapping ring had a belt made by a shaman from a dried human fetus that was supposed to make him bullet proof. The police had to shoot him nine times before he died. Point? Cambodians don’t have any problem connecting physical conditions to spiritual causes, thus, in a sense, even non believers in Cambodia have more faith in the power of the Spirit than people who have been sitting in church pews for decades who don’t believe in spiritual power.
2. Cambodian Christian Youth have no shame in being “Spirit Filled.” In the “West” they fear being mocked, but in Cambodia being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues carries no more stigma than someone in the U.S. practicing transcendental meditation.
3. Believers in the Cambodian Foursquare Church are taught that because they are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit they are fully qualified to minister in all the power that Jesus Himself manifested. In other words they are not self condemned over some disqualifying performance issue in their lives. Most Christians feel they are unable to function because they have sinned (they are like cars with clogged fuel filters). They’re convinced they have done some disqualifying evil, not studied enough, prayed enough, or believed hard enough. Well, we feel the Bible tells us that Jesus took care of that on the cross, and our filters are not plugged up with guilt. When sin comes we confess it, repent, and get on with life. These kids know how to let the Holy Spirit flow. 1Jn 3:20-21
