Daily Topic for June 18, 2008
The Spirit-controlled life is characterized by an appreciation for both the enormity of the task of world evangelization and the sufficiency of the resources available to accomplish the task. Christ commands us to “live on purpose,” not to haphazardly slip and slide through life in ignorance or neglect of the purposes for which we have been redeemed and equipped.
Pray that God will enable you to live a purposeful and significant life. Ask Him to teach you how to intercede for the unreached so that you can be part of the task of declaring His Name to the peoples of the earth.
The boys were bouncing as they sat before the elder. “Please tell us more about King Ram!” The elder tried his best to hold back a smile as he started his second round of stories. Oral traditions are strong in many parts of the world, including Thailand. Like children everywhere, Tak Bai youngsters love a good story.
King Ram, as they referred to him, was actually King Ramkhamhaeng of the ancient kingdom of Kukkothai. This king extended the power of his kingdom deep into the Malay Peninsula in the 13th century. To secure his foothold, he relocated his own people along with their Buddhist faith into what is now northern Malaysia and southern Thailand. Today these people are called the Tak Bai Thai, and they mainly occupy the Thai province of the same name.
Even though they are often linked linguistically with the main Thai language, their dialect is quite different. The Tak Bai live alongside their Muslim Thai neighbors and generally tolerate each other until conflicts arise over land use. The Tak Bai own their land, but the Muslims own none. Fighting off the advances of Islam has made them even stronger in their faith and resistant to change. There are no Christian scriptures, recordings, tapes, or films in their Thai dialect.
Learn more at joshuaproject.netPray for many reading this article today to commit to regular prayer for the Tak Bai. Pray for the Lord to send culturally sensitive evangelists to these people so they can know the King of Kings.-JS
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