


Nathan
The first thing you're asking is, "What is SQUOZEN?" Well if you freeze something, it's frozen, so if you squeeze something, it's squozen! And my brain is definitely squozen! I live a busy life, wearing many hats, and I enjoy every one. This blog will contain miscellanous comments about my life as a husband, father, pastor, politician and hopefully generally nice guy! Anyhow, I hope you find something useful or at least entertaining in that which overflows from my "Over-Squozen Brain."
Dear Respected Pastor Nathan Martin,How are you? Thank you very much for your email to me. We are praying for you and for your ministries. Thank you very much for your kind prayer and great encouragements to us in this situation. We are still getting persecutions from the Hindu Defence Army people. Want to make only Hindu Religious Kingdom. But God is with us. They could not do nothing. We are still safe from the evil persons and evil one. You are so great man of God in this earth who loves us in the Lord. Yes, He is living God with us who protect every on of us.Yes, we are trying to live carefully in the Lord. Every church members are careful in this situation. The government security force people (policemen) visit us during the church service times and other times also. And ask us to be careful and wise for protections. But sometimes we inform them and ask them to come our church. The police office is near by our church. The asked us if any persons comes and trying us to threaten. Any one of have to go to police station to inform about them.Last week, some one called to pastor of Jawa Jiwan Church informing to Pastor during the praise and worship service time on Saturday Service that there is a bomb in your church. He informed to his church congragation, then most of them ran away from the hall. Police came and check there but nothing there in hall. Later policemen caught the man who informed about the bomb to the Pastor of Nawa Jiwan Church. Like this some people are trying to frightening and disturbing to the Christians of Nepal. Policemen care most of churches during the services times of Kathmandu.I will keep writing all the informations of situations of Nepal. Thank you very brother! You may pray for us continue in the Lord.Yours Faithfully,T [named removed to preserve identity]Kathmandu, Nepal
Dear Respected Pastor Nathan in the Lord,
Warm Greetings in the name of Lord!
How are you? We pray for you and hope that you are fine in the Lord. We have not communicated each other. We would like to communicate continue with you and share some news and situations of Nepal and Nepali Christians. We are glad in the Lord and protect us from evil ones. God is with us and living and walking in the Lord by the Holy Spirit. We pray and hope that God is with us and protecting us from the evil ones and from evil persons of Nepal. Please pray for us we are in risky situations now again.
Present Situations of Nepal:-
Satan is using the Hindu people strongly now in Nepal:- Nepal is full with the temple of hindu gods and goddesses in every house and places of Nepal. Christians are only 3% in Nepal. Hindu are 90% in Nepal. Most of Hindu people want Nepal as Hindu Nation. We Christians are facing going to attacks again in Nepal. We are living and serving the Lord in risky situations here again now. Christians in Nepal are facing worrying times amid threats against them by Hindu extremists who recently carried out a bomb attack on a church. There are many many Hindu people are against the Christianity now. They have some religious toreros groups as Shiva Sena (armies of Shiv god), Nepal Defense Army (NDA), a Hindu fundamentalist group and World Hindu Association etc. All Hindu people support to them and their activities in Nepal. They have already targeted to attack the Churches and want to attack again to Christians with bombs and guns in Church. They have already threatened to many pastors and leaders in Kathmandu and other places time to time on phones and by mails. Also they came to churches during the church service time with big group people to many churches in and gave warning papers and asked the churches to stop church activities in Nepal and live the country. They asked the big money as millions rupees from each church if the Christians want to run the churches in Nepal. Some pastors are already hidden underground to be protected from them as I heard. Some leaders of churches are already regined from their leader’s positions of church with fear of attack. I think this situation came to be filtering times in the Lord. Any how Satan is working strongly in Nepal now. He is using the Hindu people to do that. We can see that most of Hindu are not kind, no compassion, no love at Christians. They are increasing their cruelness in their hearts against the Christianity. They love Hindu cultures and the Christian people.
Last time there were three people died and 13 others were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated at a catholic church in Dhobighat in Lalitpur district. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Nepal Defense Army (NDA), a Hindu fundamentalist group. Worryingly, the NDA issued new threats, saying it was planning to explode ten further bombs at the homes of Nepali Christians. In a statement, the group said the action was in response ‘to the open rape of Hindu culture through open religious conversion’.
The NDA has pointed the finger at Christian aid groups and given `unholy elements’ until tomorrow to leave Nepal. Ominously the statement goes on: `if this warning is ignored they will have to bear a punishment beyond human imagination.’
We have political and religious freedom in Nepal. This came at a critical time for Nepal which is currently working on a new constitution that will shape the outlook of the nation and importantly the position of Christians within it. The political groups are still fighting for the power and for chair of Nepal. There are still dangerous situations in Nepal. The Nepal Communist Party (UML) is leading the government of Nepal. But they are weaker than the Maoists Party. They are trying to do well but lot of opposites people in parliament. The Maoists Leaders want to run government of Nepal themselves.
Rainy Season, flood and landslide and cholera disease in Nepal. We are rainy season in Nepal. Everyday is raining here. It is happy to rain in Nepal but now we can see and hear there are flood and landslide everywhere. People are loosing their life in flood and landslide now. Also people are losing their lives, lands, house, animals and crops too. We can not hear good news in Nepal. People are suffering and facing many critical situations. Also we can see and hear that there are spreading the cholera disease in west of Nepal and other places. We can see all these suffering are here because of people are sinning against the God. I have remembered one verse from The Bible: Rom. 8:22 “Fro we know that the whole creation groaned and travailed in pain together until now.”
Pastor! Please pray for us for protection and please request to pray for all of your church brothers and sisters. We are living in end of times in this world. Our Lord Jesus is coming soon. We have to suffer and be patience in the Lord. We have to be faithful until death. I would like to request all of you please remember us in your daily prayer. We need your kind prayer support and encouragements in the Lord.
Thank you very much for your kind prayer support to us. God is with us. We trust and live in Him. He is the almighty God. He will take cares all of us. God bless you richly in this matter. I am waiting to hear from you.
Yours truly,
Pastor T [name removed to protect identity]
Kathmandu, Nepal
"No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."(Josh 1:5 NASB emphasis mine.)
"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." (Ecc 12:13 NASB)I shared that God had explained Himself through the person of His Son, Jesus (see Heb 1:1-3) and that a relationship with Him would fill that void of eternity in our hearts where nothing else would. I then closed with the story of John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace," which they had picked out as the closing song. His story is one of redemption and hope for everyone, no matter what a "wretch" you've made of your life. God's grace is still amazing to this day.
Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25 NLT)There are many more chapters to be written, many more miles to travel. This journey that we've been on has not come to a close, only one leg of it. I don't know what tomorrow holds. But I know the journey continues. Will you travel with me?
"When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples." (John 18:1-2 NASB) (See picture of Garden of Gethsemane at right, courtesy of BibleStudy.org)Did you catch that last part? Jesus often met there with His disciples. There's a certain intimacy and familiarity about the verse that speaks comfort to my soul. Jesus had a favorite hangout with His friends. And in those moments when He wanted to get away, to just be with His friends, that's where He went. So He could talk with them, be real with them, let down His hair around them. (OK, I doubt He ever wore His hair up, but you get the point! :-) )
"For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:19-21 NASB)Obviously I was deeply touched by the fact that in Jesus' prayer for His disciples He included you and me ... "for those also who believe in Me through their word". That's a powerful truth that we need to remember. Jesus is praying for me!
"These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling." (John 16:1 NASB)While this is talking about stumbling in our overall walk with the Lord, let me apply it to our 21 Days of Consecration. You've come so far and made such great strides in your personal consecration. Whether you've been fasting, giving up some pleasure/leisure to replace it with spiritual intimacy or reading through John one chapter at a time, don't give up now! Kick it up! Pick up the pace! Press on to through the week to the finish line! Finish strong! And if you haven't joined in, start today! There's still time to finish strong!
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7 NASB)Today our focus shifts off of us to those loved ones in our lives who are in captivity, whether they know it or not. We love them so much and want to see them set free. In this morning's service we'll be talking about this subject and they will be the subject of some intense prayers in the days and weeks to come.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1 NASB)During these past two weeks of spiritual alignment and breaking yokes you may have discovered some things about your life that troubled you. You may have discovered some ways you've failed the Lord or let Him down. Or, you may have received some news that was discouraging. Jesus' answer is still the same - Don't LET your heart be troubled...believe!