The Old Testament Today: Building a Monument

Our entire squad of 44 people are together for this month in Nepal.  We get to do ministry together often and learn from one another.  We are working with Agape Ministries http://www.tamiasia.org/Pages/Contact%20Us/ContactUs.html this is their website.  Brian Williams is the head of the ministry.  When Brian told us that we were going to trek (hike) up and mountain to a temple and build a monument to the Lord there, the squad had mixed emotions.  Some were excited, defeated – thinking about hiking up a mountain and some were unsure about the whole experience because of not knowing many details. 

I was excited.  Building a monument to the Lord, how Old Testament: 

Joshua 4:1-8

When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. ³ Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. ⁵ He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lordyour God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁶ We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.

Isaiah 19:19-20

In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border.  20 It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.

We hopped on a bus and went to the village where the mountain was, Taukhel Temple, Godavari.  We moved as a large group and made it to the top, where a hindu temple was.  This temple is for fertility.  If a couple is having trouble conceiving a child, they should trek up to this mountain and offer special sacrifices and prayers.  

 H SQUAD TREKKING UP THE MOUNTAIN

We reached one level of the mountain and split into two groups.  Starting on two different paths, we went around the mountain praying for the people who come to this mountain.  We felt a bit like the Israelites circling Jericho, praying to break strongholds, denouncing lies that have been spoken over people, declaring freedom in Christ for Nepal, etc…  After meeting back on the trail, we worshiped together in song and learned a bit more about the mountain and the childless couples who come seeking to please a god in order to conceive.  I felt the Holy Spirit wanting me to share some of my testimony, that my Mother and Father had taken measures to not have any more children and then after a separation, they came back together and had twins.  Demonstrating that Elohim, God our Creator, is in control, not us.  

Climbing up a series of steps, we reached the summit of the mountain, with the Taukhel Temple.  After spending some time in prayer over this space and enjoying the view of the entire Kathmandu area, we moved to an open area on the mountain to worship our God.

VIEW OF THE KATHMANDU VALLEY

 BEAUTIFUL BROKEN

Singing, praying, reading scripture, worship flags (if you have never heard of worship flags, check them out by clicking this link Worship Flags) and playing instruments all happened as we praised Jesus together.  While we hiked up the mountain, we were to look for a rock and carry it up.  People had selected various types, sizes and shapes of rocks.  This was the time to pray and ask the Lord what we should declare on the rock.  Markers were passed around and we wrote on the rocks, then as we made a monument to God, declaring Kathmandu for Him, we read out what was written.  This was a powerful time.  It was so encouraging to be among Americans, Canadians, Indians, Pakistani and Nepali believers, declaring Kathmandu for God.  

Please pray for the work that God is doing in Kathmandu! 

BUILDING A MONUMENT TO GOD, CLAIMING KATHMANDU FOR HIM