Bali, Indonesia 2001: Whether home in Orlando (hometown of the Ling kids), or visiting Washington State (Trent’s home turf), or in Indonesia (Siauw’s home land), God joins the sojourn and chimes in regularly and relevantly.
Excerpts from Trent’s historical letters candidly and anonymously offer flavors and insights from real-time and real-life origins. Hop aboard these instructions and confessions in mid-stream, below, and see if they help you, too. This letter from 2001 offers a taste of how God speaks most clearly to Trent when the Ling family travels the Earth.
Hello Brothers,
Amen, I’m not hearing from you (is this international emailing working?). Well, I will assume by faith that it is, and I will keep going. Brothers I am a wretch! Just in case you or I forget that, my heart is always before me and it gets worse and worse!
I am having the time of my life here in Bali, Indonesia! This place is God’s paradise. I prayed along the oceanfront this morning and could not believe how God really knows how to make places! The clouds looked like our CD labels for ministry messages.
Anyway, I have had revelations aplenty and incredible convictions, including a major breakthrough conviction on what a superficial parent I am. I shared these with Siauw and she was so excited for us to repent. We had a family ministry time this morning at 6 AM (with jetlag we generally go to bed at 6-7 PM and wake up between 2-4 AM). For the four of us a whole new regime–God, Jesus, and the Bible–is now in total, absolute charge! The kids are actually better already. It truly is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace (Hebrews 13:9).
Anyway, I have visions of a ministry in Indonesia, getting to getting in Orlando, getting our website useful, winning the world, and God blowing away our microscopic expectations with Continents of disciples!
In the midst of all this, and fast and furious revelations, my sin is always before me. I am pretty anonymous in Indonesia. In my heart I am tempted to take sexual advantage of that. Through voyeurism, exhibitionism, and total sexual weirdness, my heart loves not being known. The details of my temptations I can explain later, but this is a new one for me–an increasingly corrupt one at that (Ephesians 4:19). My heart yearns for the freedoms and favors afforded the unknown–no responsibility and no accountability. Of course God is so faithful as I have done nothing, and will do nothing. I just wanted to be open that it gets worse on the inside with me.
I do have a heart for the people here. I do feel somewhat paralyzed by the language barriers and our short time, leaving me loving but frustrated. I will trust God and may he grow us in spirit and number that we may get beyond ourselves and get to the nations. It is truly time to declare the Year of the Lord’s favor.
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This letter shows that the openness, honesty and vulnerability required isn’t something that was just pulled out of a hat in 2012. These prerequisites are not new ideas to the ministry but instead this ministry is deeply rooted righteously from the beginning. The ministry was quite small and immature in 2001 and yet the confessions rolled on. Why? Because it’s the standard of the Bible. May we all join in on the oceans of humility available to us in being open. It is truly one of the many signs that this ministry is like a root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2). Amen!
Mila what you share is good. I hope anyone who happens across the truth in whatever form it comes really considers those verses and not move on until it imbeds a deep root in them. I remember thinking more about how all the wrong all around me was ever increasing, and really taking a lighter attitude about my own wrong-doing. Then it hit me again like a ton of bricks that I was another person helping condemn others by my lack of sanctity. Can’t only talk about all the wrong around us, need to do something about it – repenting in the light would be awesome to begin with.
Thanks Mila, I do take it all to God, just sharing what is in my thoughts. I pray for all these things, people, and The Holy Spirit has to convict one another, not me, everyone is accountable to God whether in the Faith or not. Your right if we don’t take to the Bible, thoughts will eat me up! I have been there and done that, no good !! Take care, Sherry
Sherry, Romans 1:18-32 should give you the understanding why people do what you wrote. And let’s not be religious or too shocked over it for we know our sinful nature is that bad as well, if not worse. We can decide to be a part of that (cold), play it safe (warm), or live the bible for real (hot). Address your thoughts and deep concerns with the bible, or else they’ll eat you up =) Love you!
Thoughts on my mind: 1.) I see people on Fb that write about God and praise Him but then curse Him in the same sentence. 2.) I see people in church and they reak of cigarette smell.. 3.) I wasn’t aware of a couple who I had just met and thought was married and then the guy died last week, and they weren’t married.I took a week to long to get to know him 4.) I see myself not using self-control with my eating 5.) my mind is sometimes a battlefield. 6.) I don’t understand yet the deep root of what makes people want to kill other people, and hurt children , other than just not deciding to have Christ in their life… 7.) I see destruction of all sorts in this world, and my heart and mind get overwhelmed.( I take THIS ALL to God.).. 8.) I see others hurt by others that don’t even know they hurt someone 9.) I see people living in sexual immorality and I share Jesus with them, they don’t want to hear about Jesus, they reject Him. 10.) I see loved ones that are gay, aethist, unbelievers, serving self and they see nothing wrong with that, I hear of people saying there is no hell …they have no fear of God, death, nothing…. 11.) I see the damage I have done in my marriage and with family through the years 12.) I see where I have quenched the Holy Spirit , 13.) I see some people who claim Christianity and then you mention the Bible or a teaching and they seemed lost…14.) I struggle to see all these woman, “Catholics” , no such thing, be these pastors, where do they think they can change the Bible and have authority over a congregation of men? 15.) The Bible doesn’t appear to mean much to many people these days..16.) People are dying and going to Hell , it is a choice to go there, people just don’t care and just don’t believe what Jesus did for them on the Cross..17.) I see oppurtunities I have missed when I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to do something and I didn’t do it. I was a coward.
I could go on and on… These are my thoughts and deep concerns…
I just can’t take life for granted anymore, people die everyday without Christ. That is what God calls his children to do is to seek and save the lost, share about Christ to everyone we meet, make other disciples , we just don’t take the time or miss out on that oppurtunity. I have repentance that is needed in my own life so I stop hurting Christ too.
God is amazing, he keeps us humble as we should also keep our sin before us, always! Thanks for the leading example you’ve set here!
BTW – I miss Bali, the paradise island.
I’m with Jamie, getting open at a thought level is a teaching I only get and see lived in this ministry. Clearly not because we have our act together, but because we are simply willing to let others see what’s been done has been done through God, just as you set the example, Om Trent. Protecting reputation, making good impression do not sell here. I learned how to let go of those 2 here. Thanks!
Amen for your example of honesty and ‘walking in the light’ (John 3:19-21, 1 John 1:5-7) as you actually are willing to share the thoughts that are on your mind.
Most hold their humbling thoughts back rather than confessing them because they would be too embarrassed or ashamed or think that it is not necessary. It is awesome to see how God and the bible has freed you from this and everyone could join if they were willing.