Shan Dai Advocacy

His Next Verse: What’s In A Name?

What is in a name? The SD Bible translators have faced an initial dilemma. How will the names of each book of the Bible be translated? Or should they not be translated but rather transliterated? “Genesis” is a name foreign to Shan Dai speakers. Should 66 foreign words be introduced to them and learned? Should they use the same names that are used in the Chinese or the Shan Bible (which again are foreign)? The English word “Genesis” means origin, beginnings, start, birth… should the Shan Dai word for Genesis be “beginnings” or “birth”? These are lots of questions. Let’s pray together for insight.

Read further for more clarity offered by the SD Bible consultant:

Just a few points about translating the names of books and other names.
First you need to decide whether you are going to translate or transliterate. It is very seldom that you can translate proper personal names, otherwise David becomes Beloved, Joshua becomes Saviour, Jonah become Dove, Peter becomes Rock, Barnabas becomes Consoler etc. But you can usually translate the names of books. But which language you are going to translate from. The Hebrew names are just the first word of the book. The Septuagint Greek names are better. In English we have translated some book names, but transliterated others. For instance Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Ecclesiastes are transliterated from Latin, and Joshua, Samuel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, and the prophets are transliterated from Hebrew, but Numbers, Judges, Kings, Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon and Lamentation are translated! It is probably better to follow whatever the Chinese or Shan Bible translators have done. If you prefer to translate, then the names become:The Beginning, The Departure, The Book of Levi, The Population, The Law, etc., With other names, even if you decide to transliterate, what are you going to work from? The Shan or Chinese is probably the best. If you work from Hebrew or Greek you end up with some names that are hard to identify with. Isaac in Hebrew is Yitsahak, Solomon is Shlomo, Jerusalem is Yerushalayim etc. But it isn’t a good idea to try to make up a list of all the names in the Bible. That will take you about a year to do. It is better to do the names of the books first, then only the names you are going to meet in your selected passages.

Revelation

Jesus gives us a promise that in this world we will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Jesus does what He says He will do. The victory has been won and God provides us with a glimpse of His Mighty Warrior and King of Kings in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. For each of us who have been filling up the golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, on behalf of the Shan Dai people, take heart! The apostle John saw what we have been praying for come to fruition. There was an uncountable crowd from every nation, tribe and language, including the Shan Dai, before God’s throne praising God and the Lamb. May we join in the new song of worship to our Heavenly King, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:12). Everything will conclude in awesome praise. When that fills our mind we can take heart here and now. In the meantime, many have yet to receive the good news. The invitation offered by Jesus does not arrive on expensive stationery via the post, but it has been sent and is sealed with His very blood. “‘Come.’ Let each one who hears them say, ‘Come.’ Let the thirsty ones come—anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge” (Revelation 22:17). How will we R.S.V.P.? What will be our role in extending the invitation to the Shan Dai?

Jude

“I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3 NIV). This is a ‘fight for the faith’ battle cry. The godless not only revel in their evil ways but they entice others to join in their decadence so we can not remain silent. Heretical teachers are treacherous to all societies. The finale is certain destruction for all the godless—for those that change God’s grace into a license for immoral, self-centered living and deny Jesus Christ as our Sovereign Lord. Many among the Shan Dai deny Jesus Christ as Lord. Content to figure out life on their own, they live godless lives. Lord, we pray for Christians living among the Dai to have Your mercy and peace in abundance and out of love, fight for the faith. May they use Your strength to rescue others. Jude closes with what may be the most powerful doxology in the Bible. “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 1:24-25 NIV). Only You Jesus are able to keep us from falling and You promise to present us to the Father without fault and with great joy. That will indeed be a glorious day. Until then, we pray for the Shan Dai to win the battle over self and trade in their godless lives for godly ones.

3 John

Traveling teachers heard there were new Shan Dai believers living in a remote hillside village. Leaving early in the morning, the evangelists began the journey to encourage those seeking to follow Jesus. The teachers were warmly welcomed and in spite of the village poverty, generous hospitality was extended by the new Christians. God’s Word was enthusiastically absorbed by those still waiting for a Bible in their own language. Both those offering the teaching and those offering the hospitality brought glory to God on that hillside. The Apostle John experienced a similar scenario of great joy. Interestingly, he didn’t write to Gaius urging him to leave his home to join the missionaries. Instead Gaius was commended for doing his part. “Dear friend, you are doing a good work for God when you take care of the traveling teachers who are passing through, even though they are strangers to you… You do well to send them on their way in a manner that pleases God” (3 John 1:5-6). It is wonderful the way God created His body, the Church, to be unified in Him and yet diverse in the way that each contributes to the Kingdom. No one can do everything, but each of us can offer something. Let us present to God our part. Lord, may we give honor to You as we contribute. We are encouraged by the believing Shan Dai villagers and by those who traveled to them. God, we call out to You today, please continue to bless Your children to work together in a manner that pleases You.

2 John

Babies are very dependant creatures. One aspect of this dependency involves their immobility. After several months of being carried it is time to learn to walk. In China, toddlers wear a form of harness that provides stability for taking their first shaky steps. A parent will hold tight to the straps as wobbly steps move toward confident ones. There is great joy when the skill of walking is mastered. John writes with this kind of excited parental joy when he hears of his spiritual children standing for truth and walking in love. With that joy concern follows; some will run off independent of God and will face pain when stumbling comes. We must walk on in obedience to God’s commandments, loving one another. God wants to save us from many terrible falls in life. Don’t wander off but stay on the path. “For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God” (2 John 1:9). Father, You desire Your children to walk in Your truth and love. We intercede today on behalf of the Shan Dai that now see You as their loving Father. New believers are taking those first wobbly steps of faith as Your Spirit leads them. God, may they have the strength to rid their hearts and homes of all things that would make them stumble. Holy Spirit, please lead them in wisdom. May they run the race of faith in confidence, teaching others that Jesus is the way to a life of love. We pray they trust You with each step.

1 John

Life, light and love; God knows what we need. And He is not only a God of knowledge but also a God of provision. Our Father can perfectly provide these requirements for His children for He Himself is Life, Light and Love. Try to picture yourself as a Shan Dai person who for the first time understands the truth of who God is. God not only is the Creator of life but He is Life. Jesus does more than light our path; He is the Light of the world. Our Father is the very best at loving for He is Love. This creating, light-bearing God loves us. God, thank You for revealing Yourself to us and Lord with gratitude we pray for You to be made known to the Shan Dai people. John lived in joyful fellowship with Jesus, who is Immanuel, God with us. It is His desire for our joy and fellowship to be complete in God too. The conclusion of John’s first letter gives assurance: “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life. I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13). There is no need for us, or the Shan Dai, to live in doubt. God, we thank You that through Jesus we can live fully in the life, light and love that You make available to us.

2 Peter

The best way to get a tasty meal consistently is to follow the recipe. Dai people enjoy pork and in the open markets any imaginable part of a pig is available for eating. Le Mu Ma Piet—Pork and Peppers is a tasty option. The recipe is a simple one, and if followed, the result is a delicious meal, Dai-style.

Dai-Style Pork and Peppers
Thinly slice:
2 Tomatoes
2 Green Peppers (as hot as you like them)
Set these aside.
Combine in a small bowl:
1 teaspoon Corn Starch
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Next prepare and mix together:
2 cups Pork—thinly sliced
One Onion—thinly sliced
1 Garlic clove—crushed
Add the pork combo to the soy sauce combo and mix well.
Heat:
1/3 cup Oil in a wok or frying pan.
Carefully add the pork and stir fry until done. Add the tomatoes and peppers, stirring until heated through. Serve over rice, eat with chop sticks, and pray for the Dai and Enjoy!

In Peter’s second letter he shares with us a recipe of 8 ingredients that when properly added one to another the outcome is amazingly life changing! Do you desire to know Christ in effective and useful ways? Here’s how:

Effective Life in Christ
Begin with: Faith (Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11:6)
Now add: Goodness (For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Eph. 5:9)
Combine with: Knowledge (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Prov. 1:7)
Add a good measure of: Self-control (…be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Pet. 4:7)
Stir in: Perseverance (May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thess. 3:5)
Godliness is not an optional ingredient, do not leave it out. (…godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Tim. 4:8)
Mix well with: Brotherly kindness (May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. Ruth 1:8)
Top it all with: Love (…love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Pet. 4:8)
“So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5; 8). By increasingly imitating Jesus, others will be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. Father God, You not only give us good food to eat but the recipe for how to live a life that is rich and full. We pray today for the Dai to incorporate this recipe from 2 Peter 1:5-8 into their lives. May it be a family favorite that is enjoyed and passed down from generation to generation. Thank You Father, that through Your Son we can live life effectively.

1 Peter

God, bless this monk and the many like him throughout the Shan world. Please open his eyes to see Your holiness. May someone soon communicate to him the truth of Peter’s letter: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ…” (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV). Jesus, who is our atoning sacrifice, is the only way to a life of meaning and holiness. Peter went on to encourage us about the reality of suffering. God, as we and Shan Dai believers go through the refiner’s fire of suffering may our faith in You, which is of greater worth than any position or possession, be proven as genuine. Arouse us to the reality that if we truly follow You then we go by the way of suffering. Teach us to desire those things that will never fade away, and to pass down to the generations that follow not an empty way of life but one filled with hope. This monk will suffer if he chooses to rid himself of the familiarity and security of his status within the temple. But it is in suffering for righteousness that we are made complete. We are all urged to live life replacing our sinful desires with Your holy ones. Pious Buddhist monks seek to suppress desires in a hope to obtain holiness. Lord, let them see that apart from You there is no holiness.

James

“And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness” (James 3:18). Are you hungry for a harvest of goodness in your life? In order to rejoice in the harvest, we must not only sow in peace but be peacemakers as well. Peacemaking requires faithful Christ-likeness. James teaches that trials, when they are faced with joy, grow our character. No matter where you live, trials are a part of life. Our trails may be different from those of the Shan Dai, but trials there will be. This is good. Some would even say reason for rejoicing. Trials are situations that require wisdom to make the best choice and are the training grounds for goodness. Do you ever think the trial is too big to handle on your own? God knows; and He wants to handle it with you. Ask Him. What about too many trails coming at you? Stretch your faith muscles and persevere. Be aware of God and trust that He is in control. Being a peacemaker is not for the faint of heart. That is why not every life is experiencing goodness. Get ready, the next trial is coming. Rejoice! Instead of viewing it as an inconvenience, an interruption, or an attack from the evil one, see it as a workout session in goodness. The life of Shan Dai farmers is especially filled with trials. May they embrace the teaching from Your Word and live in peace both in and out of season. Lord of the harvest, may the harvest be plentiful; many Shan Dai peacemakers sowing peace and reaping goodness in You.

Hebrews

Jesus is superior to any religious system the world has ever known. So why would people who know the truth choose to reverse their course and turn from the One True Way? The letter to the Hebrews addresses this question and exhorts readers to reevaluate the basis of faith. Dai believers today, like Christians throughout human history, have been tempted to reject faith in God and return to their familiar yet unsafe ways. God, help Shan Dai brothers and sisters to have faith like those in Hebrews 11, for it is impossible to please You without faith. Faith starts by believing that God exists and this is a huge step for the Shan Dai as they do not have a Judeo-Christian background. Then we need to believe that God rewards those that earnestly seek Him. How earnest is our seeking? There comes a time when believers must grow up and go on to maturity. This requires a persistent pursuit to enter into Christ’s rest as well as running faithfully. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish” (Hebrews 12:1-2a). Jesus is the Way with the firm foundation; let us run on His solidness staying clear of our collapsing systems that lead to sure destruction. Lead us on Lord, we pray.