B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #232

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #232
I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
January 15, 2013
We rejoice that Pastor Ude was married to Vanessa on Jan. 28th. God’s blessings on them. Upcoming – Pastor Ude and his new wife Vanessa are in Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe, then returning to India.
Pastor Koenig will be in Thailand and Burma, then returning to India.
HCLCN WORK WITH TIBETIANS
Regarding the work and outreach to Tibet, currently the work is slow, we are unable to work as much as we want in Tibet, our mission fields are Khasha and Liping, we visited a couple times to those places.
Two years ago, we visited Khasha and started a small congregation. There were like 12-15 believers in the congregation. Last year Pastor J.B. visited the same place and same congregation, at that time the Chinese Policemen came to the spot and they seized Bibles and threatened him not to preach the Gospel and conduct the services. Some of our brothers are gathering secretly in fellowship.
Sometimes these Tibetan brothers come to us and they share their experiences with us and attend some of our fellowships. We are following them up so that they can grow in their spiritual lives. There is a man near Tibetan boarder (in Nepal) who can speak Tibetan and helps us to share the Gospel.
We still have some contacts in those places, even though it is hard to reach the unreached people, we are praying and seeking opportunities to proclaim the Gospel in Tibetan land.
Together in His Vineyard,
Raju Bhitrakoti,    Nepal
We are considering questions on the Old Testament
Leprosy of the Old Testament
The term “leprosy” (including leper, lepers, leprosy, leprous) occurs 68 times in the Bible—55 times in the Old Testament (Hebrew = tsara’ath) and 13 times in the New Testament (Greek = lepros, lepra).
צרעת Is the Hebrew word in the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament, the instances of what are called ‘leprosy’ most likely meant a variety of infectious skin diseases, and even mold and mildew on clothing and walls. It was a disfigurative condition. What is found in the passages below in the Old Testament is broader than the Greek term in the New Testament. Key to understanding leprosy in the Old Testament is that it’s seen as a form of physical and spiritual pollution which requires one to be excluded from the community. And there needs to be cleansing. So we see our Lord Jesus cleansing not only the NT lepers, but all of the infection of sin.
Here are a sample of ten passages concerning Leprosy.
Leviticus 13:2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
Leviticus 13:3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
 Leviticus 13:8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. Leviticus 13:9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
 Leviticus 13:11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.
 Leviticus 13:12 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;
 Leviticus 13:13 Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
 Leviticus 13:15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
 Leviticus 13:20 And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.
 Leviticus 13:25 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
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Pastor David Koenig