Thur JUL 17, 08 Report from Steve Van Horn in Jinja

See new pictures HERE
Dear family and friends,
I have been lecturing 4 hours a day Mon-Wed, but today and tomorrow I only have two sessions, and since I needed to bring my computer to the seminar today because we had to create certificates to give to the seminar attendees on Friday I can get today's report started during some of my down time.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE APPROACH SET STRAIGHT
I have finished my church growth material so Wayne is with the veteran group all of today and tomorrow covering inductive Bible study. I had the first hour this morning with the new group and my topic was spiritual warfare. Our main points are: Satan cannot touch the believer (1 John 5:18), he must use schemes, tricks, lies, causing doubts (Eph. 6:11), we don't rebuke or bind or cast out the devil when he is troubling us, we repent (all through Revelation 2-3). So we perform spiritual warfare by being strong in the Lord, putting on God's spiritual armor, standing firm, and resisting (Eph. 6:10-17). I told them that if a believer is being troubled by a demon then they need to repent.

THE PRAYER WAS EFFECTIVE BUT THE BINDING WAS UNNECESARY
I say all of that to say this, a pastor came to me afterwards and said they really needed this. He said he could see people around the room responding to what we being taught. Then he told me that there had been a place in the road near a village that had been the place of several accidents in just a short period of time. He said they prayed and rebuked Satan and that stopped the accidents. He waited for my response and I told him, "The prayers were effective, the rebuking were unnecessary. " We accepted that answer without question. Then he said that he was going to go back and teach this to his church and tell them they needed to repent. He said, "We have a lot of problems in this country and the world because we have listened to the doctrines of demons (lies from false teachers) and we need to repent and follow the truth." Amen and Amen.

ANOTHER PROSPERITY DECEPTION
I had another conversation with a pastor who commended us for teaching a true gospel. He said that so much of what is being preached is to make people feel good, to attract them to the church they are leading, and get them to give their money. He told me about one "preacher" who carries his own oil around and will tell people that he will anoint them with the oil he is carrying and they will be rich in 40 days. Of course he charges for the anointing. These stories are never ending here on the continent of Africa .

= = = =
I am continuing this report at 4:30. We've finished the sessions for today and the men from e3partners are showing the seminar attendees here their program for AIDS awareness, evanglism, church planting, and follow up. So I stepped outside to finish this report.

CATCHING UP WITH GEORGE WHO HAS BENEFITED FROM THE TRAINING
This is actually the 14th seminar I've been involved in, in Uganda . The first eleven were between 2000 and 2005. A pastor showed up today who attended several of those seminars and began thinking me for all that he learned back then and how it has helped him in his ministry. He introduced me to two of his disciples were already here without him. He didn't even know I was here until they told him. He now is developing a training center in this region and wants me to help him with materials. These are the kinds of stories that make this ministry worth it. I plan to get his testimony on video to be able to share this "success" story with others.
My afternoon session was on the themes of the New Testament (Pt. 2). Dan took them through part 1 a couple of days ago.

Q&A
But once again, one of the main highlights of the day was the Q&A time. Here are the questions I remember:
1. What does the Bible teach about herbal medicines? I knew this was a cultural issue and after answering it from a western perspective I asked if this was asking about witchdoctors who use herbal medicines. The answer was, "yes, it does."
2. What should the pastor do if a Christian wants to marry a nonchristian and the pastor says "no, it is not God's will." Then next week they both show up in church, they are married, and they say the one who was not a Christian became a Christian?
3. Why do we celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25? In Jeremiah 52:31 it says Jehoiachin was born on Dec. 25. Is that why? (This is a JW argument against celebrating Christmas.)
The big one of the day and almost any seminar:
4. Should a believer drink alchohol?

ALCOHOL
In this culture, all drinking is seen as sin. Serious sin! I know that. So I try to tip toe my way through Scripture while respecting the culture. Then I turned it over to the local guys to tie in the local cultural perspective and one talked about alcohol being thought of a "local brew." And that is always associated with evil people and therefore all Christians should abstain. Then the guy who coordinates the seminar, David Wafula, said the permission given to Timothy was intended for him ONLY. Then someone else said "there are five types of wine in the Bible" and went on to explain all five, then someone talked about the history of wine, then a woman got up and did the emotional thing, "we are new creatures in Christ therefore we shouldn't drink like nonchristians. " Oh, it was fun!
I ended the discussion by appealing to them to be sure to separate what their culture holds to and what the Bible teaches. I told them that if they didn't have freedom in this culture then they shouldn't drink at all. But at the same time they should not condemn a culture that allows some drinking as long as there is no drunkenness.
(I always let them know that I don't drink and my conscience will not let me. But that I do not condemn someone who drinks a little but never gets drunk.)

BODA BODA
One of the "taxis" around here is a motorcycle that is referred to a boda boda. I have NEVER asked about the etymology of the word but Dan Horner asked today when we were driving to the seminar site. Here is the story. In years past the mode of transportation across the border was on the back of a bicycle. And when the traveler would call for a bicycle the would wave their hand and call out, "Border Border!" Well, Africans don't really pronounce the letter "R" in words. So it is chuhch (church), pastuh (pastor), wud (word). So "Border, Border!" became "Boda, Boda!"
Now you know the rest of the story.

WE FINISH TOMORROW
We have one more day then it is on to Kenya for me and the team from Acton will join their teammates in the Mawanga village some 2-3 hours from here.
This has been an ideal week. This seminar has been a model seminar, in many ways but it has also been very costly. VERY! But top quality requires top dollar. Maybe I can remember to explain my comment tomorrow. I am into the third page so I'll stop for today.
Thanks, as always, for your prayers and support!
By His grace, Steve Van Horn [International Training & Equipping Ministries]