|
A scarred past
In Cambodia, a church might consist of 10 Christians gathered beneath a sugar
palm—its trunk still bearing shrapnel scars from the battles that have
been fought around it. Or it might be 40 worshippers who congregate in the
house of a Bible League-trained church planter.
In either case, Cambodian Christians cannot erase the deep
scars that have been left by decades of brutal violence.
Years of atrocities and political turmoil have gouged out
a spiritual void in the hearts of Cambodians. It is a void
that the national religion of Buddhism—with its unattainable
path to enlightenment—has failed to fill.
Picking up the shards
In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Cambodia was left with socialist groups
fighting for control. Millions of innocent people were executed, and civil
war raged for decades.
Although a democratic government has begun with the help of
the UN, the painful scars still remain. And the wounds reopen
every time another mine explodes, planted years ago by the
warring factions.
The vast majority of Cambodians have looked to Buddhist rites
to try to heal their wounds. But Christians in Cambodia know
that the peace their country aches for is a peace that only
Jesus Christ can impart.
A different explosion
Eager to impart that peace to their fellow countrymen, Cambodian Christians
are enthusiastically entering church planter training. And church growth
is exploding.
Cambodia is the first Buddhist country in Southeast Asia to
show such a mass movement toward accepting the Gospel message.
In a country shrouded so long by Buddhism, it is remarkable
to see hearts being opened, one by one, to the light of the
truth.
The people of Cambodia are on their way to discovering that
the only true refuge from turmoil and trouble is found in the
saving blood of Jesus. And Bible League-trained church planters
long to shepherd them with an eternal, unshakable comfort.
Fire burns their heart
Cambodian Christians have a vision for their nation and a heart for the whole
world. “Fire burns in our heart!” one pastor says. “We
long to bring our nation, every community, into His heavenly kingdom.”
And God is using them to do just that. As they impact their
communities with the love of Jesus, their nation is changing,
one soul at a time. The body of Christ is growing, as local
gatherings of believers are established in areas where there
were no churches before. We are excited to be a part of what
God is doing in Cambodia.
“The Lord uses the Bible League here in Cambodia,” another
pastor explains. “It is really a great help to our hungry
nation and us. His living Word enables us to be fully fed,
and will help us bring our whole nation to the Kingdom of Jesus
Christ our Lord in the near future. May the Lord bless the
Bible League to carry on this good ministry until we reach
the whole world for Jesus. Amen!”
Cambodia’s future
As more Cambodians are brought into fellowship with Jesus Christ and His Church,
please pray for the shepherds who care for this tender new flock. Pray that
God would call more Christians to labor in this teeming harvest field, as
the indigenous church planting movement spreads throughout the country.
|
Give hope to Christians in Cambodia—and around the world.
click
here.
"We no longer saw anything beautiful—only blood, death, and hearing the sounds of weapons..." Read more
One of the visitors said, "We are coming to play music here in this village because we had the vision to bring the good news of salvation." Read more
|
Cambodia