Alan

I am going to politely ask that this thread not be turned into yet another place for bickering and hobby horses, please and thank you.
This thread is specifically asking for prayer for the people of Myanmar as they are going through a time of horrible turmoil and upheaval in their lives. 

Rebecca,
Thank you for the update. Keep us posted.
Alan

Some good news, the pastor friend got back in contact, he and his wife are safe! They are at home now but are emotionally drained and are having difficulty eating and sleeping. They are very grateful for the prayers and ask for continued prayers. 

The military takeover of Myanmar is growing worse. I know of a missionary family who was successfully evacuated with other foreigners, but others are still there. The local church I work with here in Taiwan is close friends with a Myanmar pastor who has disappeared, he was last heard from on February 18th. People are being murdered in the streets, and as they flee from the military/police they head to churches for safety, but these places of refuge are ignored by the military/police, they are breaking down the gates and doors to arrest anyone who flees into these buildings, and even arrest the pastors for giving the people sanctuary. 
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4142159
https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/police-raid-kachin-baptist-church-in-lashio-10-arrested-including-ministers
Video of police breaking into a house:
https://fb.watch/40DTgwjmRZ/ 

When you "believe", it is called "faith". All the rest that they did simply demonstrated that faith. They believed enough to take action.
The actual "repentance" occurred in their hearts the moment they "believed God".

Here's one use of the word translated from "Nacham".....
Jonah 3:10
 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Do you think God "sighed" here? No He turned from the evil (bad stuff), which He was fully intending to do to them, when he saw that THEY had "turned" from theirs. Here's another....... Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Do you think God "sighed" here as well? Do you think he was sorry that he made man? No, He did neither. Notice it does not even say "God repented". What it says is "it repented God". I personally do not believe God "regretted" making man(not saying that you would believe that) or that he was "sorry" or anything like that. What I believe it means here is that God's creation, namely man, had turned against him. To further that thought, there's another thing to consider,: none of this took God by surprise: He knew man would sin from the very beginning. So why "sigh" or even be sorry?   

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." The Lord Jesus; Mathew 7:20

Our National Motto - 'In God We Trust' - was not chosen lightly. It reflects a basic recognition that there is a divine authority in the universe to which this nation owes homage.                                                             
                                                                                                   Ronald Reagan

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." The Lord Jesus; Mathew 7:20

"A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." - John Adams

"How often misused words generate misleading thoughts." Herbert Spencer

Well, late last week they were able to fly up to the airstrip. First try on Friday was no good - cloud everywhere (Normal for PNG) and so the plane would not have been able to find the airstrip. They didn't even try.
Saturday, they gave it a go, and the pilot said in 21 years of flying PNG he had NEVER seen it that clear....
Sunday, she was in Church at Kotidanga. She said the service was wonderful and she was able to follow the general line of the message - understood enough of the language to "sort of follow it".
This week she ahs been observing clinic, in the mornings and having intensive language studies in the afternoons.
She is a little overwhelmed, but loving it. This is what the Lord made her for.
The others at the clinic are wonderful, and have all been through this already of course, so they are helping her out, and apparently loving her being there already.
Thanks for the prayers folks.

“If soul-winning is the most important work of the church, it naturally follows that Satan will do all he can to get us side-tracked or satisfied with something else.”
“But Social Service is not Salvation: and Reformation is not Regeneration.”
                                                                                                                                                Oswald J. Smith

Jeny,
Welcome back to our fellowship! ? Glad to hear that you are doing well. We are looking forward to your fellowship and discussions. There are some good Bible studies, devotions,  news, and subjects discussed, here on Online Baptist. So, we are still relevant in this day and age. May God bless you.
Alan

My Hannah-Rose has made it through the boredom of 2 weeks quarantine in a hotel in Port Moresby, and is currently spending the day with the missionaries, getting to know them and making last minute preparations before flying up to the Kotidanga region on Friday (that will be Thursday night for most of you!)
The flight is by a single engined small transport - typically a Pilatus Porter or similar for those who care, and the airstrip on the mountain is slightly larger than a postage stamp. The pilots who fly in such places are absolute heroes.
A one hour flight, assuming the weather is good enough and clear to the stirp, then followed by a 5 mile hike to Kunai. By the time you wake on Friday morning she will be just about ready to go to sleep in her quarters after a long, exciting and no doubt stressful day.
Then she will start with the work.

Yes, he's just looking to argue about his 7th Day Adventist heresies.

I think this is folly 

I have to amend my above comment as I was reminded of a situation where the new regulations have affected Christians, although they were not specifically targeted. One of the ways Taiwan has been successful in combating the virus is because they closed their borders. In order to come to Taiwan you have to meet strict criteria. There are new missionaries who were set to arrive in Taiwan this year, but due to the new regulations and not being far enough along in their paperwork they did not meet the new requirements so they cannot come to Taiwan. Two new missionary families arrived just last month because they met all the requirements and had certain documents the others did not have. So right now it's a waiting game for any new missionary to see when Taiwan will allow them entry. These new requirements for entry to Taiwan affect everybody so at this moment in time they are not targeted at keeping missionaries out of Taiwan. 

Here in Taiwan there have been no infringements on religious freedoms. The regulations due to Covid can be inconvenient at times, especially now as we are entering the Chinese New Year week. However, these regulations are not as insane as other countries, and are not targeted to certain groups, religious or otherwise. I am very thankful for the freedoms we can still enjoy here and pray for those who are beginning to experience persecution. 
 

Yes, besides being simple enough for the average person to understand it, simple enough for the common child, man or woman, simple enough that the "archaic"words can be found in almost any modern dictionary, far more accurate and true to the biblical texts than any other translation, the King James Version is, "beloved."

WellWithMySoul,
Thank you for your observation and thoughts. 
You are correct. The KJV is just fine, accurate, simple, loyal to the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, and adequate to use in translating into foreign languages. 
Alan 

Thank you. Glad to know you're home and recovering. Will be praying for you.
~~~~
And the other day we received the news that my oldest brother had tested positive. He is showing no symptoms, and is going to get a second test (because so many of the positives are false). But he is also going to see his doctor and getting on a regimen of things to combat the virus if it is indeed in him. 
 

No, we do not use "thee" and "thou" in common communication today, which is the reason that I acknowledged those pronouns as "archaic" elements of the language.  However . . .
Actually, I would contend that we are NOT able to convey the distinction between singular and plural with as much precise accuracy in the common usage of today simply through the pronoun "you" (sing.) and "you" (pl.).  In fact, this is part of the reason why in various areas of the country we find phrases like - "you all," "yous," "yous guys," etc.  All of those phrases serve as an attempt (although not grammatically correct) to bring back into the common language a precision that was lost.  So then . . .
So then, it is not that I hold to the King James translation simply because it itself per se is so "beloved" in my heart.  Rather, that which is "beloved" in my heart is precision of accuracy.  I firmly desire whatever translation will provide the best precision of accuracy (even if that requires some "archaic" elements that I am required to "learn"); and thus far I have found that the King James translation serves best in that manner.  Now, for me precision of accuracy first requires that the translation textually follows the "received" tradition of Scripture texts.  For me any translation that goes contrary to that textual priority is already on the path of inaccuracy.  In addition, for me precision of accuracy requires that the translation follows (as much as is possible) a "verbal equivalence" philosophy of translation.  As such, I am willing to "suffer" some "archaic" elements in the translation if those "archaic" elements are the best manner to maintain precision of accuracy.  Finally, I recognize the importance of "readability" in a translation, but only as long as that "readability" stays within the boundaries of the previous two points.  Even so, I can "theoretically" consider the question of a grammatical, spelling, punctuation, etc. update to the King James translation (which historically has happened already before, and which was the original assignment for the committee of the mid to late 1800s, an assignment which they did NOT follow).
However, I recognize that there is another set of factors in our time concerning the issue of an "update."  Those factors involve the realities of the controversy over translations (which has extended now for 100+ years, and is quite intense), the proliferation of translations (the great majority of which are from a textual tradition that I would consider false), the deceptions of falsehood (whether in philosophy of textual criticism, in philosophy of translational accuracy, or in systems of doctrinal priorities), and the marketability of an "updated" King James translation (which seems quite lacking, since the non-KJV crowd would not care and since the KJV crowd would not trust).  (Now, I believe that these are the factors which PastorJ has acknowledged earlier as reasons why such a project cannot work in the present day.)  
 

This thread shows exactly what I was referring to earlier. The KJV is beloved.
I understand the accuracy of "Thee" and "Thou". When one talks today, do you use Thee and Thou? I highly doubt it. However, you are still able to convey the accuracy of what you are speaking of. Thee and Thou is far simpler to use, but there are ways to convey it.
This is also why you can't "Update" the KJV, which is what the Modern KJV, 21st Century KJV, NKJV and a number of other updates did. Notice, I called them updates. A translation cannot come from a translation. A modern translation would require people who are qualified to translate from the original languages into modern English.

Yes, besides being simple enough for the average person to understand it, simple enough for the common child, man or woman, simple enough that the "archaic"words can be found in almost any modern dictionary, far more accurate and true to the biblical texts than any other translation, the King James Version is, "beloved."