Affluence

It is a little ludicrous to hear a leading presidential contender suggest that we are at the start of another great depression. What he really means is that there are people who are losing million dollar homes because they over bought. There are people who will have to pare down to two cars instead of four. There are people who will have to move to normal cable coverage instead of four movie channels and six sport channels. There are people who will have to wait to buy that 50 inch screen TV. There are people who may not be able to cruise down the Danube this year and wait until next year to go. That is not to say that there are no people who are hurting. Obviously every person has lost a job, home, or 401k is feeling the pinch.
At the same time, we are people who have too much and don’t know it. We have come to accept a standard of living as normal instead of understanding that we have become excessive. If you ever have to stand on the dirt floor of a house which has no running water or electricity, you will begin to see the difference between where most Americans are and where a large portion of the world is.
The answers to this glaring inequity are not easy ones. What each of us can do as individuals is very little, and most of it would be for show rather than to accomplish something meaningful. A hungry person does not understand the person who drives a Mercedes to go for a $50.00 dinner. It does not seem fair to that person. It is easy to sit back and say that what that person needs is a different education and everything will be all right.
A different education will make a major change for a person in many situations, but when the unemployment is at 40 or fifty per cent, an education is not going to change that. That high rate of unemployment such as is true in South Africa breeds an extremely high rate of crime. The person without a job assumes that it is his/her right to rob the person who has too much or in some cases just the person who has more than he/she.
Those are societal problems that need to be faced by the world community with a clear focus on what can be done to help produce situations where the inequities can be corrected.
Our focus in this blog is on a believer in Jesus Christ. What should we be expected to do? Should we sell all that we have and give it to the poor? I think not. The Lord had a very important message for that young man who had a pile of riches standing between him and Jesus. The only way that he could make his commitment to Christ and follow the Lord was to get rid of that stock pile of riches.
It is easy to say that the people need to hear the Gospel more than they need clothes and food. It is true that the most important thing a person needs is to settle a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is also true that the pain of hunger and the embarrassment of too little clothing, and the cold felt by a homeless person may all be so overwhelming that the message of the Gospel either seems irrelevant or is not being heard at all.
We have set our goals in such a way that we often walk by the homeless, street people, children, and poor because they really don’t seem to be viable members of a successful church. This is a tragedy when it may not be recognized, but is essential the actual method of operation. We may not be able to reach these people in the same way that we assemble others into a local assembly. Is it possible that we need to think in terms of the development of programs that give people a chance to be assimilated into the world which now seems to shun them? These people do not just need love. They need help. If they didn’t need help they would not be where they are now.
We don’t need and these people do not need a “social gospel.” What they need is a relevant gospel. It is a plan to help them in a caring way that demonstrates the love of Christ by the creative help we provide. People do not need handouts, but something that helps lift them out of the desperate and hopeless situations they are in.
This is not to say that nobody is doing anything, but is a reminder that we need to have a strong focus on people in need. We respond in times of crisis like earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, fires, etc. and that is great. What about the rest of the time. Many times we ride right by people in need and don’t help them for a variety of reasons. We piously say that they are controlled by some kind of mafia so we ignore them. Even if they have been sucked into a corrupt system, is that a valid excuse for doing nothing?
I know that there are thousands of homeless in America, but I am also aware that there are countless numbers of some type of street people in every country I have lived in. I have been criticized for giving help because it was deemed that I had been duped by the needy person. The world is full of con artists who need Christ just as much as any other unsaved person. If the answer is not in giving help then how do we find an answer?
We must be creative in understanding the problem, developing answers, and having the compassion that Christ expects in His children. There are malls in the world that have guards to keep people like this out. Is it possible that we have guards that keep them out of our churches. We should be just as happy to see a homeless person come to Christ as we are when the town’s wealthiest person comes to Christ.

A Lesson From a Cow!

Take a look at that cow in the picture above.  In a very real sense it represents what missions is all about.

We were at the Upfold farm.  Luke and Sharon Upfold were members of our church in Richards Bay, South Africa.  They were a lovely couple who loved the Lord and wanted to please him in all that they did.  They have now moved to New Zealand because they were concerned for the safety of their wonderful family.

When I drove around the farm with Luke and noticed all of the different animals they had, I was impressed.  They had a great variety of wild animals that roamed freely on their property, but they also had a large number of cows and cattle.  If you look carefully at the picture above, you will notice that the coloring is different from any cow that you have ever seen.  The reason for that is that it is a South African breed.

As we looked at their herd, Luke proudly stated that they were all African breeds.  There were no Jerseys, Holsteins, etc.  They would buy animals from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and other countries that had African breeds.  They did not want any foreign cattle on their farm. 

As I have thought about that, it occurred to me that thie is where the church in South Africa should be.  It should be a South African breed of church.  We should be able to leave every non-biblical cutrural idea at home and allow the local church to grow within its own culture.  It is great to look out on that crowd of Afrikaans, Indian, Zulu, colored, English, and whatever else and see it grow as a vital unit one in Christ.

It is not easy for us to leave our culture at home.  It means that there will be times when someone in the church will chat with you and speak strongly about the sanctions that my country imposed on his people.  That person is delighted that apartheid is over, but does not appreciate the fact that it was the sanctions that had a large part in its being ended.  That is alright.  History will record what was good for the country and what was not. 

We had tea after every service.  I had never done that before.  I have been in American churches where you cannot eat a cookie in the church. The fellowship drinking a cup of tea was wonderful and the ladies who prepared the special items had a great part in helping to develop that fellowship.  There is something Biblical about oneness.

Yes, that South African cow says something good.  I think I will make a picture of it and put it on the wall as a reminder of the importance of the South African church being South African in every way possible without losing what the Bible says a church should be.  Let us never allow our religious tradition keep that from happening.

What a World We are in!

When we go to a foreign country to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel, we go as American missionaries.  Neither of those appellations should be considered a big asset in many places.

We are proud to be Americans, but in many parts of the world, being an American may be envied but not liked.  It used to be that we had to worry about being the “ugly American.”  That still is a concern, but perhaps a greater concern is that being an American under any circumstances may be considered being “ugly.”  There are people who look at our invasion of Iraq as some sort of colonial type maneuvers.  We know that the motives of our government were not to entrap a people into our nets, but to free a people from the tyranny that surrounded their lives for many years.

It does not matter how pure the motives of our government have been.  What matters is the perception that many have.  They may envy Americans while not really liking them.  While in South Africa I had some friends who spoke freely of their bad feelings about the apartheid sanctions promoted by the US.  I think they liked the result of the sanctions without liking the sanctions. 

How do we stay on the side of the people we are working with while being identified with the government they resent.  It is not easy.  If it is at all possible it is preferable to try and not defend policies that bring resentment in the hearts of the good people with whom we are working.

We not only go as Americans, but we also go as missionaries.  In that we represent the King of Kings and all of His policies rather than the policies of our earthly government.  In this it is important that we don’t allow the American nature of our lives and background to override the development of a work within a foreign culture. 

It concerned me when we were in the Philippines that we saw churches that were duplicates of the churches of the missionaries who had brought the Gospel to the people there.  The things that were distinctive to those churches may have been fine, but there were many things that should have been left in the States. 

I remember reading a book by a Chinese missionary who was describing how there was a comity agreement between Southern and what was then Northern Baptists in their ministries in China.  He said that the Northern Baptists agreed to work in the south and the Southern Baptist agreed to work in the north.  This meant that the churches in the south were called northern Baptist churches and the churches in the north were called Southern Baptist churches.  The Americans understood why but the Chinese people didn’t understand why.

We can do many things like that which are unfortunate.  We carry concepts and procedures with us and most of them should really be left at home.  There was a conversation I had with a missionary who felt that the races should not be mixed in a church.  He was working in France where that concept was foreign to the people.  He should have left his prejudices at home.

We probably have trouble knowing what it is that makes a church a church that is not encumbered with cultural prejudices.  It would be nice if we could just say to the people, “Here is the Bible.  Go ahead and build a church that is consistent with all the biblical teaching.  It is hard to sit back and let that happen.

It is a great privilege to carry the good news of the Gospel to another people.  We should pray that we don’t do anything to stand in the way of the work in that new area being hindered in any way by our prejudices.  It is possible that we are afraid to let the Holy Spirit work in the hearts of people and allow them to become the very best Christian they can be in their own land.  God is able to do that.

More Than Conquerors

HERE I STAND

I once heard a young man speak to the question raised about his going to a country where his life was in danger.  His answer to the question was, “God has called me to go.  He has not promised I will return.”

There are new dangers in the world every day.  We seldom think in terms of our lives being the ones that are on the line.  We marvel at those who are like that young man and can handle the danger with such calm resolve to do what God has called them to do. 

We do not have to be someplace where there is an imminent danger, but we have to be prepared to face that kind of danger.  I am sure that the missionaries in the Philippines that were captured on their vacation did not expect to be taken as hostages at that point, but it is evident that they were ready for it and when death came to the husband, the wife showed the kind of resolve that we all should have.

We need to be reminded that death is certainly not the worst thing that can happen to a child of God.  Death is the entrance into the presence of the Savior.  No one likes the prospect of facing torture or any kind of mistreatment, but God is ready to give us the strength to go through that kind of experience.  We just have to put it in His hands and expect Him to give that great strength He has promised.

Recently I read of an Indian pastor in the Indian province of Orissa who, when he left his home, the Hindu forces who were persecuting the believers in that area, burned his home and took everything that he had there.  When he arrived at the conference to which he was going, he said that he would not return to his ministry in that place of persecution.

The conference was a refreshing time of study in the Word of God and challenge to be committed to whatever God has in store for you.  By the end of the conference that pastor indicated that he had to go back.  It is difficult to understand what it would be like to return to a place where your home has been burned.  The place of your ministry has been burned.  Those who did those terrible deeds were still there to carry out all the threats that they had made for the safety of the believers.

We have to admire the commitment that makes a person willing to face persecution that has been promised.  It would be much easier to conclude that God brought you out with your life and your family and it would be unwise to return to what looked like certain persecution and probably death.

Even though most of the people in the world do not like committed believers, the worst prospect for most of us is a little embarrassment for our testimony.   What is Paul talking about when he says that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.  Paul knew what it was to be stoned, thrown out of town, and on occasion, escape with his life. 

We need to shore up our lives and be sure that we are ready to face whatever it is that the world has for us.  It is important to realize that this is not something that can be done in our own strength.  That is the wonder of it.  He has promised the strength for the trials and we can know that this resource is ours right now.  We can be prepared because we are more than conquerors in Christ.  Perhaps we need to be reminded of the price paid by others like Martin Luther who was ready in the middle of controversy to say, “Here I Stand.”

 

What does it take to make a disciple?

 

Christ’s great commission was clearly given in Matthew 28.  We have often made it sound like His commission was that we should go into the entire world.  That idea is implicit in the commission but it is really not the commission.  His commission is that we are to make disciples.

That has never changed from the time that Jesus gave the command to the day we live and until the day that we enter into His presence. If that is the case then we need to be sure that we know how we are to go about making disciples.  Discipleship is not a Friday night meeting over coffee and donuts while we discuss great Biblical truths or perhaps just talk about life’s problems. 

That kind of a meeting may be incorporated into a life committed to discipleship, but it is not an end in itself and many times fails in its purpose because that concept of discipleship may be too shallow.

Discipleship is built on the promise and power of the Lord Himself.  He has declared in verse 18 that “all power is given unto me,” and then He concludes, “Lo, I am with you always.”  The impetus of the presence and power of Christ Himself should be enough to stimulate a successful discipleship ministry.  Certainly it should remind us that while we are not sufficient, we go in the power of the all sufficient Christ.

The Commission makes it clear that baptism is a first step in the life of an obedient disciple.  Obedience should be a mark of a believer evident in the life and walk of a follower of Christ.  There is a question about the commitment of a follower of Christ who does not do the first thing He says should be done.

Obviously we are not able to make disciples, but we are able to aid people in becoming disciples.  Jesus says that we should do that by teaching these disciples everything that He has commanded.  Implicit in that is that the true disciple learns what Jesus has taught and understands that all of His commands are to be obeyed. 

 

What does it take to make a disciple?

Christ’s great commission was clearly given in Matthew 28.  We have often made it sound like His commission was that we should go into the entire world.  That idea is implicit in the commission but it is really not the commission.  His commission is that we are to make disciples.

That has never changed from the time that Jesus gave the command to the day we live and until the day that we enter into His presence. Since that is the case we need to be sure that we know how we are to go about making disciples.  Discipleship is not a Friday night meeting over coffee and donuts while we discuss great Biblical truths or perhaps just talk about life’s problems. 

That kind of a meeting may be incorporated into a life committed to discipleship, but it is not an end in itself and many times fails in its purpose because that concept of discipleship may be too shallow.

Discipleship is built on the promise and power of the Lord Himself.  He has declared in verse 18 that “all power is given unto me,” and then He concludes, “Lo, I am with you always.”  The impetus of the presence and power of Christ Himself should be enough to stimulate a successful discipleship ministry.  Certainly it should remind us that while we are not sufficient, we go in the power of the all sufficient Christ.

The Commission makes it clear that baptism is a first step in the life of an obedient disciple.  Obedience should be a mark of a believer evident in the life and walk of a follower of Christ.  There is a question about the commitment of a follower of Christ who does not do the first thing He says should be done.

Obviously we are not able to do the making of disciples, but we are able to aid people in becoming disciples.  Jesus says that we should do that by teaching these disciples everything that He has commanded.  Implicit in that is that the true disciple learns what Jesus has taught and understands that all of His commands are to be obeyed. 

 That is a very simple program.  It is not hard to understand that as we go into all the world, we are to teach everything that the Lord commanded so that those whom we reach learn to obey all that He has commanded.  The great thing about this simple program is that He then promises to be with us each step of the way.   We don’t have to rely on our own smarts, but we have the presence of Christ in our lives speaking to those are in the process of becoming His disciples.

Too often we fail in seeing believers become disciples because we have set our own methods and our own standards in determining how to reach that goal.  Sometimes the failure comes because we do not model what that disciples should be.  We can’t teach new believers to trust completely if we are not trusting completely.  We can’t see new believers really loving others as they ought if we are not really loving as we ought.  We must be ready to see that the new disciple may not becoming all that he/she should be because that new believer is not seeing a model that is all that a disciple should be. 

All of this means that when we don’t see the final product that should be the result of carrying out the Great Commission, we ought to take a hard look at ourselves and be sure that we are the model that the new believer needs to see.  Trust begets trust.  Love begets love.  Disciples beget disciples.

 

 

Religion With or Without Hate

I have been reading about believers in India who are being chased away from their homes and villages.  This is not being done by extreme Muslims, but it is being done by Hindus, and they are following recent rulings by the national assembly.

It is always hard to understand religion that hates and feels so threatened by other beliefs.  James Michener, in his book called POLAND, tells of Crusaders who returned to Germany after their last Crusade.  They did not know what to do with themselves so they decided to evangelize the land of Poland.  What they meant by this was that they would go to Poland and kill every person they could find and then bring German people there to repopulate the land. 

It does not matter what religion is involved, there is something wrong when hate becomes the motivation for dealing with other people.  The Bible teaches that God loves the world so much that He sent His Son into this world to be a sacrifice for the sins of all people.  “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

It is the responsibility of every believer in Christ to love all people and proclaim the good news that God loves them.  There is no point in the Gospel message where that love is to turn to hate and we are to force people into a relationship with God.  Responding to the Gospel message is a matter of choice.  People are expected to decide whether they will believe or not believe. 

It is difficult to know that people are already condemned to an eternity without God if they don’t believe the Good News of the Gospel, and then wait for those same people to respond to God’s message.  God does not expect us to make anyone believe.  Just tell the Good News and leave it up to the person and God.  It is not between us and them but between them and God.  Tell the Good News in such a way that people know that you love them and God loves them. 

Exploding World

 

 

We live in a world that has seen more change in the last two hundred years than men have known throughout all the preceding history.We have moved from candles to lasers, horses to Ferrarris, quills to computers, spears to uzzis, bloodletting to MRIs, and so many more changes that it defies the imagination to even mention them all. We should mention telephones, MP3s, cell phones, air conditioning, space travel, and so much more that has become the norm for our day.

We spent a year in the Philippines in 1994. The contrasts indicated that change was on the move in that country. A person had trouble getting a telephone in the house or business, but nearly everyone was walking around with a cell phone. Ox carts were common as were Toyotas, BMWs, and all kinds of cars.

This is a day of change and we need to recognize that in our outlook on reaching the world with the good news of the Gospel. We need to be a part of the explosion that is taking place throughout the world.

China and India have become economic leaders in Asia as well as throughout he world. We may complain that we can only buy goods from overseas in our stores while the change in sources has contributed to our economy in a positive way. It has inconvenience some who have to retrain and find new jobs, but wouldn’t it be terrible if there were not new jobs for which to train.

We spent some time in South Africa. We went soon after apartheid had ended. We did not like apartheid and were very glad that there had been sanctions that had helped to end the practice of separating and persecuting people. We did have people in our church who were in businesses that had been affected by the sanctions. With apartheid ended they were ready to do more business, but we heard them saying that their business would be with the countries which had not imposed sanctions on them.

It was not easy to hear them saying things like that, but we listened and then we loved them and tried to ignore their bitterness at the sanctions. We did not say to them, “You should understand that the sanctions got the job done.”

We are trying to reach countries where we have been silent through some very serious mistreatment by Westerners. We are fortunate that they let us come in spite of the mistreatment by some.

There are serious gaps between rich and poor in many of the countries of the world. We have been in churches where there are members who have very nice vans and drivers to drive them around while there were many more members of the same church who could not afford to buy the oldest cars available. We can’t correct the inequities, but we can treat them all with love and respect and pray that a rising economy will benefit the ones who have so little.

We have a glorious message to carry with us. We must never forget why we are there and lose sight of the change that the Gospel can bring. Many times coming to know Christ will put a new spring in the step of a believer and with that change will come a new desire to produce and be a fantastic citizen of the country. It would be great if we could give the ones who are better off a vision of helping the others by presenting new jobs, new opportunities, and new hope for the future of the others who have such  great needs.

It is great to live in an exploding world. It is a world that is full of problems. It is also a world that is full of potentials. Every person faces the problem of eternity and what it will mean. We go with an answer to the most important question faced by all. When that is settled it is amazing how the peace of God rules over the direst of circumstances and tomorrow is a much better day than today.

 

First Things First

       1 

I think that everyone would agree with the adage that we should put first things first.  Even though all might agree on this as an obvious truth, it does not tell us what things are really to be first. 

I can remember when I felt that learning the language well was essential to being able to deliver the message of the Gospel to the people in a land where they spoke a different language.  Common sense says that knowing the language will make you a more acceptable communicator and friend.  One day I met Carl Matthews.  Carl was a veteran missionary who served in Brazil for many years.  In spite of the fact that he had been in Brazil many years, he had never learned the language well.  Someone said that when Carl spoke Portugese, it was like he was saying, “Me Tarzan, You Jane.” 

In spite of his lack of language skills, Carl could walk into the office of the president of the country and talk at length with his old friend.  If the ABWE missionaries wanted something done in the capital, they would send Carl to get it done because he was friends with every government official.  He loved Brazilians with all his heart and they knew it.  There are some people who have become great linguists, but have never become great lovers of the people.   

Learning to love a people is not the easiest thing to learn to do.  It must come from the heart and there is no way that you can fake it.  You may say nice things, but if you don’t really feel  a heartfelt love for the people you will just be a phony and they will know it.

The wonderful part of this is that when we learn to love a people with the real love of Christ, we will be doing just what Christ told us to do.  All the gimmicks in the world will not replace this real love of Christ.  I believe that learning the language is very important and that we can demonstrate our love for the people by working hard to learn their language, but it will never replace the first thing.  We must learn to love and then we will know whatever else it is that God wants us to know.

Sowing Seeds in Dying

                                     

Have you ever noticed that a great number of missionary biographies are about people who never did anything more than die, or, at least died very early in ministry so that their deaths become the most significant thing about them.

One of the first major stories in the book of Acts is about Stephen.  He had a great testimony in dying.  He showed no signs of fear when the crowd began to pelt him with vicious words and damaging rocks.  He died praying for his persecutors and praising the Lord. 

Down through the years, there have been many missionaries who have left home and given their lives for service to Christ only to find themselves rejected by the people to whom they have come to minister. When we reflect on their lives, the most notable fact is that they died.  The challenge that is given is not that they served, but that they died.  Of course they died in his service, but they serve as a reminder that God is more interested in who we are and our willingness to do what He wants.  What we do is not nearly as significant as what we are and what we are willing to do.

The testimony of the death of a servant of God may be a challenge to many to go and serve.  The greatest result that may come from the martyr’s going is that as the death is reported, hundreds and thousands respond and go.  That death has been a challenge to many and will continue to be that challenge.

It is like they are saying, “If you are going to go, you must be willing to die.”  The sand on the beaches of that river in Ecuador cry out, “There are people here who need your message. Will you follow in the footsteps of those whose blood saturated our sands?”

God doesn’t ask you to die.  He just asks you to be willing to die.  Neither does He ask you to live.  He just asks you to be willing to live for Him. As we face our future, are we willing for our biography to be one that tells of the life that we laid down in service for Him?

What Made Paul a Great Missionary?

    Grrrrreat

We often look to Paul as a model for all missionaries to follow.  That certainly is a worthy study, but it should be noted that Paul had character that made him a great (whatever he felt called to do)  The fact that he was a great missionary was conditioned on his basic character.  This should come as a great reminder to us that we need to discover just what that character was and be sure that people find out that we have character that enables us to become what God wants us to be.

1.       Paul had a clear sense of purpose.  When God confronted him on the road to Damascus, his reply was:

“Lord, what do You want me to do?” 

 

That was an amazing response that was made in his first encounter with the Lord of Glory.  He had a clear understanding with whom he was dealing.  He had been going in a completely different direction, and now he simply said to the one whom he was persecuting, “What do you want me to do.”  His allegiance was already complete and uncompromising.  He still had a lot to learn which will happen during his days in Arabia, but the Lord could count on his super surrender.

2.       He had a complete change of attitude.  This one who had been hauling Christians into prison and dealing harshly with them would show his love for the Savior and his desire to make every person he met a child of God.  He now was filled with love instead of hate.  His purpose was now to build up rather than to tear down. 

3.       Paul had always been a student.  He had studied at the feet of Gamaliel and was considered a scholar.  He still was a scholar but his resources were now different.  His studies included an extended trip to Arabia where he spent time alone with God.  It is difficult to imagine what those sessions were like, but we should note that he was the only one in history who had those studies.   He was one on one with Jesus for three years.  He was not just learning facts, but he was learning to become like the Savior.  He knew what he was talking about when he later said, “That I might know Him.” 

4.       He was no longer a men pleaser.  His days of persecution were times in which he endeavored to please the Sanhedrin and all the religious leaders of his day.  Now he had one purpose and that was to please the Lord Himself.  It did not matter what men thought.   He was sensitive enough to ask Peter if the older apostle thought Paul had done the right things in his ministry of outreach.  He knew that believers need to consult with one another, but he also knew that they must direct one another to the purposes of God and the person of God or the consultation was invalid.

5.       Paul was being prepared to face persecution himself.  He would spend a good part of his days of ministry in prison.  If he were not prepared for that he would have faltered and fainted during his days under guard.  Instead he saw that those days were completing God’s purposes in him and Paul used them for the extension of the Gospel message.  In Philippians it even talks about those in the palace who had come to know Christ and were serving Him. 

6.       Paul not only faced the kind of persecution of which he had been a part, but he also had to face the questions that the believers had.  Barnabas came to his aid when the questioning began, but it must have happened on a number of occasions.  It is difficult when those who should be your allies and friends become your tormentors and questioners. 

7.       He learned to deal with his “thorn in the flesh.”  We don’t know what that was, but Paul reports that he asked three times for it to be removed and he still had it.  He knew what it meant to live with suffering.

8.       He had a burden for people to come to Christ.  He reports that his desire for Israel was overwhelming.  He says in Romans, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.”  When in Athens to stay out of the presence of people, he has a deep concern for the people of the city and participates in public ministry rather than in private pity. 

He became a trainer and leader.  At the same time he clearly was a follower and servant.  He could put them all together because of his love for the Savior.  It is good to look at his methods, but if we are going to duplicate his success in any way, we must learn to be like him who had learned to be like Christ.