We’re In War!
Churches in every nation on earth are suffering attacks and persecutions in the form of disease, finance, violence, and the most sinister, personal discouragement and failure. Sometimes we fail to remember that in a war we do take casualties. Jesus did go to the cross, eleven of the twelve apostles did suffer violent deaths for their faith, and like them we are not immune. The only thing we are sure of is that the fight is worth it. We pray for healing and some die. We call for safety and some like Pastor Heng Prek (Pastor and Church Home Director at Ko An Deaok) die.
He was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident on the evening of October 22, 2021 when he was rear ended by a large van. Heng was one of our best pastors. Back when Mak and I arrived in 1999, Heng and his parents were all beggars. They had no way of providing for themselves so they would go around asking others for money. Back in 2002 when he was 16 years old, Heng went to Prey Krang church to ask for money. The pastor saw his need, shared the Gospel with him, they prayed together and he accepted Christ. In 2005, he became a pastor of his own congregation. Through his leadership, he raised two generations of young people. The first generation went on to receive training at Don Bosco and now have good jobs, some lead home groups, and are contributing to the prosperity and spiritual renewal of the nation. This current generation is suffering the loss of a great leader, father figure, and a stabilizing force in their lives.
It hurts to lose a good soldier like that! How would I describe the current fight we are in? It is not a Cambodian battle; it's a global one. I could say a lot but we as a Church need to wake up and go into battle to fight a good warfare. Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Jesus Christ in the movie "The Passion" took portions of a Ronald Reagan speech from 1964 and a quote from Mel Gibson's movie "Braveheart" and in eight minutes he said it all. His audience was primarily American but the message is global. Please watch: (Video)
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