Birthday of the "King of Kings"
The people of Thailand love their king. He is the world's longest ruling monarch still alive today. On the 5th of Dec. he will be 88 years old.
Many Thai people actually worship the king as a god. It is common to see signs referring to Thailand's king as the “King of Kings”.
So why is Thailand's king so popular? Thailand suffers from chronic political instability. In the past century, Thailand has had more coups than any other country. At least 18 coups have been attempted since 1932. (Thailand is still currently under martial law, which is expected to last well into 2016 or beyond.)
But the King who serves “outside” of politics, is a source of stability in an otherwise turbulent political environment. His birthday on December 5th is a major celebration here in Thailand.
Sadly, very few people in Thailand know anything about the “King of Kings & Lord of Lords”, Jesus Christ. More than 95% of the people of Thailand follow the religion of Buddhism and less than 1% claim to be Christians. Most Thai people have no idea that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ.
This year as you celebrate the birthday of the true “King of Kings”, please be in prayer for the people of Thailand. Thank you for continuing to partner together with us as we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
Yours for Thailand
David Speights