Witnessing

The Nice Guy

Leave a Comment / July 17, 2014

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I met the nicest guy on vacation this week. Seriously. We were chatting by the pool on Sunday and he couldn’t have been friendlier. He was clean cut and his daughter was well-behaved. We had seen him all dressed up before we saw him at the pool, so we made the assumption that he must be a church-goer.

As we started chatting, I found out that he and his family are moving to Costa Rica for ministry in August. This area is home, but they are living at the campground temporarily, because their house is already sold.

I started thinking that this may be a fellow believer so I asked the “church” question– “So where do you go to church?”

We attend Kingdom Hall, just down the road.

Oh. Not a fellow believer, after all. My heart sank, because he really is a nice guy. And he really believes he knows the truth.

But he doesn’t.

So how do I know that? Because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not follow “only the Bible, and nothing but the Bible.” Instead they have twisted the scriptures to say things that are in grave error. These changes were made by two human (and fallible) men named Russell, and later Rutherford. Satan has used these two guys to draw thousands — probably millions– away from the Truth.

As I sat there, chatting with this really, really nice guy I realized that even though he is really nice, it doesn’t really change anything. He doesn’t know the Truth. He is as guilty before God as the murderer sitting in prison, because he does not understand that Jesus paid the price for his sin.

Later on, we watched him chat with a young mom. She was truly a sweet young girl and we had the delightful opportunity to chat with her later on. As we got to know her and her beautiful baby during the next few minutes, she mentioned that he had invited her to a picnic. And she seemed pretty excited about that.

After we left the pool, the girls and I talked about how bold he was to invite a complete stranger to his site for a get-together. And we talked about her reaction to that invitation. That man — sold out to heresy– is more bold and more excited about his faith than I have ever been.

Why can’t I be more like him and witness freely and without reservation?

I think there are two different reasons we are so close-mouthed when it comes to sharing the gospel-

1) We are so worried about our reputation. We want to be cool. We don’t want to be linked to the “crazy Christians” (Christianity is so out of vogue) and we certainly don’t want to be linked to the J.W.s or Mormons, because we don’t like their reputation.

2) We are so worried about being asked questions we can’t answer. What if they ask us something and we have no idea how to answer? What if we don’t even know how to share the gospel clearly?

But here is what I learned from that really nice guy– there are people, so many people, just longing for joy and fulfillment. They are searching and they don’t know what they are searching for. They jump at the chance to belong and to feel some sense of purpose. Because of this, they are not going to mock us. I also learned that no matter what the response is, we still need to share our faith. This guy did it because he is in a works-based religion and he believes he has to in order to reap his reward. We Christians have a different reason, don’t we? We do it because our hearts are filled with love and passion for the Savior who died for us.

So really, the things listed above are just excuses. Excuses to keep us doing from we are called to do (Mark 16:15-16). Excuses that keep people from hearing the Truth of God’s Word (Romans 10:14).

We run into so many people each and every day and most of them are not headed to heaven. And, yet, they think by being a good person, they will end up there. Who is going to tell them the truth, if not us? Who will tell them what the Bible says, if not you? If not me? We need to stop worrying so much about ourselves and grow in courage and boldness. We are God’s hands and feet in this world. He doesn’t need us but He certainly delights in using us to reach the lost.

 

What is the Gospel?

4 Comments / June 27, 2016

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With Easter almost upon us, it may be a good time to review just what the true gospel of Jesus Christ is, as written in the Bible. The other day I heard a supposedly Christian young man on a radio program answer a question about how he would share the gospel. It got me thinking about my own answer to that question, as he proceeded to give all of the selfish, shallow reasons why someone should “follow” Jesus.

Maybe it’s a good idea to first talk about what the gospel is not–

The gospel is not an all-encompassing panacea, solving all of our worldly problems.

The gospel is not our guide through life’s trials and tribulations.

The gospel is not to fill us with a sense of purpose.

The gospel is not designed to teach us that we are beautiful and worthy.

The gospel is not an insurance policy to protect us from a hell.

So exactly what is the gospel?

The gospel is the term used in scripture to depict God’s plan of salvation, available to all mankind. The plan of salvation cannot be understood unless we first understand that we are sinners (Romans 3:23). We cannot truly understand salvation until we truly understand our need to be saved.  Repentance of sin is absolutely necessary for true salvation. In fact, without it we cannot even be saved (Luke 13:5).

Once we understand our sinfulness, we can then understand the quandary we are in. We can never be good enough to meet God’s standards (Isaiah 64:6). God cannot tolerate any sin and we can never be perfect (Isaiah 59:2). So how can we be at peace with God?

The answer is in the marvelous plan of salvation, designed by our loving heavenly Father, who sent His son Jesus to make himself a propitiation for our sins by dying on the cross. That is a big word, but it basically means that Jesus bore God’s wrath for our sins, indeed making a way for us to be reconciled to God (I John 4:9-10).

But it did not end there. Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the grave, victorious over sin and death (I Corinthians 15:55-57). He has promised that those who accept this free gift of salvation will live with Him forever in heaven, where He has prepared a place for us (John 14:2-3).

Salvation comes when we believe with our hearts what the Word of God says (Romans 10:9). Of course, with true belief comes the transformation that can only come from the Holy Spirit’s working in us, paired with a deep desire to please God with all of our being.

Wonderfully, when we do put our faith in Jesus Christ and experience His life-changing power, we do get the benefits of peace, guidance, and purpose that come along with being a true Christian. But these are not the reasons we follow Jesus, they are only by-products of the choice to put our faith in Him.

So, why am I writing this? Most of my readers already are familiar with the gospel. Isn’t this a bit redundant?

I don’t think so, and here’s why: If you aren’t caught up in a few lies about the gospel, chances are pretty high that many others around you are.  Mark 13:22 tells us that in the last days even the elect would be deceived, if possible. I believe we are living in those days. And that means there are a lot of variations on the true gospel.

It has been twisted into various forms. A few popular ones I can think of are the self-centered form — we come to God for material wealth, answers to selfish prayers, or happiness. We expect Him to fix our lives just the way we want. Another very popular form is filled with “extra-biblical” things we need to do in order to be saved — such as pray to Jesus’s mother or special saints, witness door-to-door, or follow certain rules. Any time there is anything other than faith in Jesus Christ alone, the true gospel has been twisted irreparably.

My dear friends, I pray that you know Jesus as your personal savior today. If you do not know Him, then I pray that you will soon! How I wish I could truly express the deep love I feel for Him and what He has done for me. The older I get the more I realize just how sinful I am. While I can see myself becoming more like Jesus in certain areas (an outworking of the Holy Spirit in my life), my eyes are also opened a little more each day to the depth of my sinfulness. Oh, how thankful I am for the sacrifice Jesus made for me! Jesus just grows sweeter and sweeter to me each year. How I long for you to have that salvation, and the peace and joy that comes along with it, as well!

If you do know Him, then I pray that you would want to share this with your world. Don’t be shy! Easter week is a great week to share the gospel with your circle of unbelieving family, friends, and acquaintances. Many are terrified by what they see happening in the world and even their communities. Many are without hope, seeing no sense of purpose or reason to what’s going on in their families, their work places, and on the news. But if you follow Christ, you have answers! Don’t be afraid to share them.

I end here with the chorus of a familiar hymn that reminds us of the great blessing of the cross. May we live in the victorious glow of it each and every day–

Calvary covers it all
My past with its sin and stain;
My gilt and despair Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.
 

Oh, praise God, Calvary cover it all!

 

If you like this post, I would appreciate  it very much if you would share it with others. That is the only way I know of getting the word out. Thanks so much! :)

 

 

The Dialogue Deception

2 Comments / April 9, 2014

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I don’t really consider myself a deeply philosophical person. I cannot look deep within movies and books and find themes. Nor do I really want to.

But I can spot a big fat lie when I see one. And it is about time someone exposes this one–The Dialogue Deception.

We have heard this typical excuse for the lack of discernment for years now. But with the current fascination Hollywood has with biblical tales, it has become even more prevalent.

“I know it misrepresents scripture, but it starts a dialogue.”

Come again?

It starts a dialogue?

SO you mean to tell me that we cannot talk about the marvelous gift of salvation without a movie? We can’t start a conversation about the eternal stuff of life without some help from Hollywood? Do we realize how pathetic that sounds?

It’s not that we can’t, we just don’t want to.

You see, many years ago, right around the time I was in college, we were sold another big lie–we need to be relevant to reach the world. Now, nowhere in scripture can this be found (those who want to use I Corinthians 9:20 as a defense for this philosophy clearly do not understand context), and yet, the church as a whole, desiring for an excuse to continue in their worldly ways, jumped on this bandwagon in full force.

Fast forward thirty years. We are in a culture that literally hates true, biblical Christianity and anyone that follows it-– for Christianity actually has the audacity to follow a Book that includes absolutes and moral standards and teaches that there is a literal hell and only one way to heaven. These are in direct opposition to the post-modern philosophies so prevalent today.

And so, with our minds firmly sold on the relevance lie, we recognize the possibility of looking very uncool if we clearly state we believe in God’s Word. And cool is everything. Look– I am right there with you. It is so much easier for me to casually mention a movie about God than to ask the question “If you die tonight, do you know, without a shadow of a doubt, where you would go?”

And so we skirt around the issues and casually try to work our way to the plan of salvation. The funny thing is that we see none of this skirting the issues in Paul’s epistles, or even the life of Jesus. They were straight forward and to the point. Loving, yes. But never vague. And certainly never needing a helping hand from a worldly practice (unless publicly denouncing it) to start a dialogue.

In all of the days of my almost fifty years, I have never seen the world so lost. The consequences for leaving biblical standards are tremendously painful. In just my little world alone, I know of many who have walked into the gay lifestyle, a few suicide attempts, and countless struggling marriages–and that is just the very small percentage of situations that have made their way to my ears. People and even entire families lie broken in the ash heaps of these sinful choices. This world is hurting!

Do we really need a movie to talk about the hope that is within us?

I don’t think so. In fact, I think that this lie of dialogue is hurting Christians far more than it is helping unbelievers. With each step away from a commitment to biblical doctrine and the inerrancy of scripture, we find ourselves with harder hearts and a growing lack of discernment.

Satan is no fool. He knew this would be a very effective way into the church and he was right.

It is time for thinking Christians to stand and fight. Let’s have the courage to stand for the Truth. And let’s bravely start the conversations that offer hope. Yes, that means we may be ridiculed. But we are talking about eternity here.

If you like this article would you consider sharing it? Thank you!

 

What Is One Life Worth?

2 Comments / March 13, 2014

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I watched one of those old disaster movies the other day– you know where the world is ending and they have to decide who are the lucky ones who will be saved. This isn’t really my normal style of movie, but I had watched it years ago and a bit of nostalgia nudged me to watch it again. At any rate, in this particular movie, when the announcement was made that a random lottery would be held to save humanity they added this caveat — Anyone over the age of fifty will not be entered into the lottery.

Funny. When I watched this movie the first time I didn’t give a second thought to that sentence. But this time, it really hit home because I am approaching 50 rather rapidly. And my thoughts started turning. Is that what our society really believes? That anyone over fifty isn’t worth saving?

These thoughts came to my mind again this week as I did some transplanting in my greenhouse. I naturally go towards the stronger, taller plants and throw the small, frail-looking ones in the trash. I only need so many plants and when the germination rate is high, I have to pick which ones I am going to keep. Whether or not it was the movie that made that day’s transplanting extra hard, I am not sure, but I found myself feeling rather badly for the small plants and transplanting a few of them just to give them a shot. I know, I know. That is really strange.

But it was with remarkable clarity that I suddenly realized that this is why we should never view humans in the same way we view animals and plants. The Bible tells us that we have been designed by God in His image (Genesis 1:27) and we are each fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). We have eternal souls, unlike other forms of life on earth. Whether we are still within the warm womb being shaped or approaching our 90th birthday does not make us any less valuable in God’s eyes and should not make us any less valuable to each other.

But when a culture makes the switch from believing in a Creator to believing that we all just happened by chance, how we view humanity inevitably changes. Because, in this system of belief, everything is simply a bunch of cells that “just happened” to form plants and animals and people (and they say believing in God takes faith?!), the view of the human race naturally becomes equal to that of any other life on this planet. We are no different than dogs or the whales. All are equally important.

Interestingly enough, there are a few ways we have seen this belief take shape. Some people actually elevate animals as more important than humans. Have you run into any of those people who “save the whales” one day and hold a sign for abortion the next? But the fruit of this belief that is even more evil (if that’s possible) than animal elevation is the belief that human life is only worthwhile if it is productive. This is why a society will eventually allow for the practices of infanticide and euthanasia.

You can see it coming. In fact in some ways and in some countries it is already here.  Much of our society does not give a second thought to aborting an imperfect child already. There is also very little value placed on those who are languishing in nursing homes and have become a large “drain” on society. Self-inflicted euthanasia is already a popular reason to travel to the countries of Switzerland and Belgium. In fact, just recently, Belgium even lifted their age restrictions to include suffering children. (See article here) If this is allowed, how close is it until we go to the next step of forced euthanasia? I can’t imagine it will be very long.

And I believe that this all stems from man’s belief about origins. But should we be surprised? It makes complete sense from a worldly perspective that man would try to eliminate all accountability that would keep him from living the way he wants to live. Unfortunately, the consequences of that type of life are very, very high and there is a plethora of negative effects that have been the result of this effort to convince man he is nothing but a bunch of cells. It is not simply coincidence that the amount of fatherless children, divorce rates, and abortions have sky-rocketed in the last fifty to a hundred years.

So what can we do?

First, we need to know why we believe what we do and why it is not the fairy tale the world tells us it is. We need to know God’s Word and what it says about man and his sinful state. We need to understand why it is impossible, not only to believe in evolution, but to believe in anything but a young earth (hint: death cannot come before sin for the gospel to be true).  I am so very grateful for men like Ken Ham and his ministry, Answers in Genesis, who, unapologetically, stand for a young earth.  He has great resources on his website and I highly recommend it.

Second, we need to be willing to speak up as God gives us opportunities. I mentioned in a recent blog post, that we are probably not going to be changing our culture anytime soon. But does Jesus Christ ever mention anything about saving the culture? I can’t think of any verses that call us to do this. No, instead, we are to focus on preaching the gospel and winning disciples (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Mark 13:10). We need to take this more seriously! I need to take this more seriously. We’ve been stone-walled into silence in many ways. Oh, we won’t get hauled off to prison or lose our lives, but a threatened reputation and ridicule are still very effective ways to get people to keep their mouths closed, are they not? Think about how Christians are portrayed in almost any Hollywood movie and the reputation they are given in the press and in politics. It is no easy thing to stand up for Christ. And it shouldn’t be. We have been a bit spoiled in this country with just how accepted Christianity and the Christian world view has been. But no more. That means now is the time for boldness and courage! (Joshua 1:9)

And, finally, I think we need to be careful how we value life. How important it is that the world doesn’t “rub off” on us in this area. Let’s not forget that all people are valuable to God– not just the ones who contribute to society. Precious children, who, with their imperfect bodies and minds, teach their parents invaluable lessons, as well as the elderly souls who are nearing the end of their lives. Our senior population has been pretty much left in the dust, haven’t they? Once they can’t function as a normal human being they are put in a home and pretty much forgotten. But let’s remember that one day that will be us. And the example we set will most likely be followed.

Oh, may we stand boldly and set a good example for future generations. May all who come behind us find us faithful! I conclude with the lyrics from this old song—

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful!

The Football Huddle

2 Comments / February 27, 2016

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The team huddled closely together, taking direction from the quarterback. They all knew their job was to win. Suddenly, a player looked up to see a member from the opposing team come trotting across the field to join them. As he worked his way into the huddle, the quarterback warmly welcomed him. And while some of the team followed the quarterback’s lead, other team members wrinkled their brows in the perplexity of the situation and stood back to watch what was going on. What they saw stunned them. The opposing team member not only joined the huddle, but went on to call the plays. And the most disturbing thing of all was that the plays were designed to give the other team the win. It was a situation that just did not make sense.

Does it make sense to you?

If not, then I have a question for you– why does it make sense to invite unbelievers into our church huddles and call the plays?

Now, don’t get me wrong– I am not suggesting that we shouldn’t welcome unbelievers into our churches. It is important to first understand this fact before reading the rest of my post. I firmly do believe that when God puts an unbeliever in the midst of the brethren he should be warmly welcomed. But American churches are going beyond a warm welcome of the unbeliever. They are actually designing their services to meet the needs of them. Why?

Let’s talk about what the church was biblically  designed to be and what it has been all through the ages– until about the last thirty years.

Scripture tells us that the church was designed to be the assembly of believers. In Acts the church was referred to as a group of people with the common bond of saving faith. It was designed to edify and encourage believers. It is always referred to in this context. I, personally, know of no passage in which it does not. Here are a few verses–

Hebrews 10:25  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Acts 2:47b  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

All through history, the church has continued to follow that original biblical model. Until about 1980. When, rather gradually, there was a shift. This was when a church model came forth that started changing things. The vision and the thrust of the church became about evangelism. Because it was so hard to get people to witness to others in their lives at home, work, and school, they changed their service format so that instead of having to do the hard stuff to share the gospel, people could just say, “Hey, why don’t you come to my church on Sunday?”

As the years progressed, more and more churches fell to this church model, designing their whole services and programs around reaching the unbeliever. Meanwhile, their sheep were starving as they were fed a solid diet of milk. No meat was forthcoming because there was so much effort on reaching the world.

The thing that they didn’t see is that instead of winning the world, the church became like the world. In having the other team join ours, we were absorbed by them.

And that is how Satan single-handedly (in my opinion) won the battle of separatism. No longer do we believe there is any reason to stay separate from the world, even though scripture clearly states we are supposed to (James 1:27, II Corinthians 6:14-18). In fact, we have believed the insidious lie that we need to be like the world in order to win the world. A principle that is found nowhere in scripture.

Satan also won another important battle — and that is the battle for scriptural literacy. If Christians would know scripture, many of the things that split churches would be non-issues. But because most are operating out of their own opinions and many aren’t even saved — our churches are full of strife and anger and quarrels. If Christians knew scripture, they would see the need to remain separate. They would understand God’s holiness and fear Him as much as they love Him. They would grasp just what Jesus did for them on the cross. But, alas, most have no idea, because they never open their Bibles at home and they rarely, if ever, open them at church, hearing, instead, practical sermons based mostly on opinion and, occasionally, on the latest Hollywood movie.

We, the church, have lost sight of the reason we exist. We have neglected our duty to be witnesses in our everyday lives by falling back on the “come to church with me” sentence instead of doing the hard duty of sharing the gospel personally with unbelievers around us. Meanwhile, we are starving spiritually because of the lack of good, solid meat we should be receiving in our church services.

And, so, our church huddles have become full of the world. And instead of turning the world towards Christ, we have become like the world, ’til there is hardly any difference. And, instead of the term “Christian” meaning someone who has a transformed life because of their love for Christ, it is just a term– leading us to wonder who is really saved, trying to leave that judgment firmly in the hands of God while we tremble at the thought of who actually may be lost.

Somehow I can’t help but think that God must be very sad about the state of the church today.

 

6 Reasons You Should Go

2 Comments / October 31, 2013

orphans collage

As you may have noticed by now, I am keeping to the theme of missions this week, in light of my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. You can read the whole story about why I am taking this particularly trip here if you missed it.

As I was thinking about leaving on Sunday, I started remembering some of the other mission trips I have been on. When our children were young, my husband and I determined that, if we had the resources to do so, we would make sure each of our children left United States soil at least once before they left our home. We felt it important for so many reasons. In the past five years, I have had the privilege to take my oldest daughter to Ukraine and my middle daughter to Guatemala. We saw God worked in an amazing way so that our whole family could go to Haiti. I feel so blessed to have been able to take these trips. Not only for the sake of my children, but for mine.

You see short-term mission trips, while definitely a blessing to those who are on the receiving end of our help and supplies, are perhaps an even bigger blessing to those of us who are on the giving end.

Why do I believe this?

Here are a few reasons–

1. We get out of our comfort zone. Oh, how so many of us love our comfort zones. So much so that many of us aren’t willing to go somewhere where we might be uncomfortable or hot or thirsty or have to work or can’t speak the language. It freaks us out and we exaggerate the awfulness of it all. But when we actually go, we see it isn’t so bad, after all.

2. It helps us gain perspective. If we live in the U.S. (or any other wealthy place) we can lose sight of the fact that the luxuries we take for granted are not worldwide. Taking a short-term trip shows us that there are actually people who live without computers (gasp!), cars, and running water. There is a whole world of people who have never been taught how to read or write. People that somehow make a plastic grocery bag full of rice and beans sustain their families for an entire month. There are children who live in institutions without the loving care of a family. Taking a mission trip opens our eyes to the real world that lies just outside our little sheltered place where we live most of our lives.

Let me add here that, while I believe we can find many places to minister here in the U.S. that will help us gain perspective, most countries do not have the welfare programs and government helps that we have here and so it is generally far worse conditions in many lands on this earth for those living in poverty.

3. It kindles our heart for the lost and renews our dedication to sharing the good news of the gospel both abroad and at home. Taking a trip reminds us of just how many people do not know the Lord personally. Many people have never even heard the gospel. Actually sharing the good news with lost souls is such a privilege. Sometimes we forget that in our day to day lives.

On one of my trips, I was one of the oldest team members and so I was the one they picked to actually sit down with the nationals and share the gospel, through an interpreter. I was so nervous. But I did it and it became more and more natural. And I was reminded that sharing the Lord with others isn’t as hard as I make it out to be.

4. We make incredible memories and new friends.  From the poignant to the crazy, memories abound on these trips. I remember vivid moments of frustration and fear. But I remember many more moments of satisfaction and joy. On each trip I made new friends, some of which I am still in touch with today.

5. We touch the lives of others. The photos above are all from my previous mission trips. Each one of these faces brings back beautiful memories. A connection of hearts was made, if even for the briefest moment. There are a few I still think of and occasionally pray for today–the beautiful young girl in a Ukrainian orphanage for the mentally handicapped, even though she didn’t seem to belong there; the energetic twin boys in Haiti who just loved my son; and the laughing, silly 2 year olds that I would spend my mornings with in Guatemala, helping to get them dressed for the day and giving them hugs. So many more encounters that I could fill up several pages worth (I won’t!) but as I write, my heart is filled with such thanksgiving that I was able to meet these precious souls, if even for just a few meager minutes of my life.

6. We have the opportunity to trust the Lord in the fearful moments and watch Him work. From how to raise the funds to go to some very frightening moments in airports, God has been so faithful to me through these trips. I honestly believe if we never take a risk we can never truly see Him work. Let’s face it, if we are average people in the first world, we have most of our needs and many of our desires met every day — food, water, clothing, and shelter are a given for most of us. Sure, we may have to choose ramen noodles over steak, but we aren’t starving. We rarely remove ourselves from this comfortable place to even be able to watch the Lord work. Of course, sometimes things beyond our control happen, such as accidents and diseases and we are thrust into that world quite suddenly. But a short-term mission trip is a way to give up a little control and quite purposely put your life in the Lord’s hands, if even for a week.

And so if you can find a trip, you should go! If the Lord’s been tugging at your heart about the trip with your church, then call today and get more details. If you heard about a trip a friend is going on and it keeps coming to mind, then do some checking online. But I would just encourage you, in keeping with my post yesterday, to make sure it is with an agency that keeps sharing the gospel as their number one priority.

Anyone can give food and shelter, but only Christians can give the life-giving water that changes lives for all eternity.

 

 

Wednesday Wisdom: Sham Compassion

Leave a Comment / March 15, 2017

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One of the biggest concerns I have regarding modern missions is the focus on the physical needs of man without care for the soul. 

Mark 8:36 says, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” This is in the context of gaining material wealth, but I believe it can also be applied to our mission philosophy. 

I know this is an unpopular stance to take, but Mark 8:36 makes it clear: all of the clean water, used clothing, and healthy food in the world isn’t going to make a difference eternally.  All of the educated masses, peace projects, and new buildings are not going to save a soul. Unless they are accomplished alongside sharing the truth about God and His way of salvation. For what do we accomplish enduringly if we don’t share the gospel? It is my opinion that all Christian mission agencies should have sharing the gospel as their primary purpose.

I have been so disappointed to see many “Christian” mission agencies relegating what should be their main purpose to fourth or fifth on their list or, for some, to not even making evangelism a part of their purpose, choosing instead to encourage the false religion that is already embraced in the foreign country for the sake of diversity and unity. I recently read a pamphlet by a Christian mission agency that actually put it something like this– “We exist to provide clean water, education, and care for {the people} and we teach them about God’s love, too.” Not exact words, but close. 

My thought was that this is a rather new occurrence in our modern day messed-up church. But, alas, Catherine Booth was running into this same problem in the 1800’s as she and her husband started the Salvation Army. This short excerpt is from her book Popular Christianity. She goes on to expound on the different errors that we make in our human take on missions and it is an excellent piece, but much too long to offer here. And so I will share her introduction and her last paragraph. Both of which are full of wisdom when it comes to this topic of missions, whether they be at home or on foreign soil. Let’s keep first things first!

Here is the excerpt–

Benevolence has come somewhat into fashion of late. It has become the correct things to do the slums, since the Prince of Wales did them; and this general idea of caring in some way or degree for the poor and wretched has extended itself even into the region of creeds, so that we have now many schemes for the salvation of mankind without a real Saviour.

Do not misunderstand me. I have no objection—nay, I rejoice in any real good being done for anybody, much more for the poor and suffering—I have no objection that a large society of intelligent Christians should take up so noble an object as that of caring for stray dogs, providing it does not interfere with caring for stray babies! I desire not to find fault with what is good, but to point out the evil which, to my mind, so largely diminishes the satisfaction one would otherwise feel in much benevolent effort being put forth around us. As I said at the beginning, the most precious stone given instead of bread is useless to a starving man.

Surely nobody ever cared for poor suffering humanity so much as Jesus Christ. He gladly put forth His mighty power for the healing and feeding of the body, and He laid it down most distinctly that all who were true to Him must love the poor and give up their all for them in the same practical way in which He did; but all this real brotherhood did not prevent His keeping the great truths of salvation ever to the front, and applying them as relentlessly to the poor as to the rich, and vice versâ.

But now in the name of Christ we are asked to believe either that the truest way to carry out His intentions is to ignore men’s souls and care only for their bodies, or else to join with this sort of material salvation some theory that will practically get rid of all serious soul-need.

And she closes with this final statement–
Let no benevolent projects, no magnificent phrases deceive you. The good done to mankind by the poor fisherman who spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, has surpassed all the achievements of modern philanthropy as far as the noon-day sun surpasses the rushlight.

If you want to elevate the masses, go and ask HIM how to do it, and if the answer comes, “Take up thy cross and follow Me,” OBEY.

 

The Party on the Cruise Ship

Leave a Comment / September 5, 2013

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It was a beautiful summer evening. The stars were starting to twinkle and the moon was shining brightly. The huge cruise ship sailed through the smooth waters, while the passengers drank and gambled and danced. It was like a giant party.

Meanwhile, a small fishing vessel bobbed nearby. The crew looked with envy and longing at the wonderful time the passengers on the ship seemed to be having. They could hear the laughter and the clinking of wine glasses. They saw young people swaying their bodies to the loud music and couples holding cocktails while they stared out at the sea. It all looked like such a good time. And it was. For awhile.

But, suddenly, a thunderous sound ripped through the night! It was the terrible sound of metal hitting rock. The ship shook and rocked and heaved. Glassed tumbled out of hands and broke as they hit the floor. Some of the partiers went flying over the side of the ship and fell into the cold, unforgiving sea at the sudden movement.

The crew on the little fishing boat watched with horror. The ship had sailed unsuspectingly into a group of rocks that sat treacherously just below the surface of the water. Suddenly, the night noises went from glee and happiness to terror and anguish.

Another fishing boat had been watching. The crew on that ship had watched with concern as they saw the ship steer closer and closer to the rocks they knew were underneath the water. They had tried to radio a warning. They had sent up flares. But all was done in naught. No one on the ship was paying attention.

Except for–over there–was someone waving? Why yes! There was one couple up on the third deck who had seen their warning. They called out to the small vessel and upon understanding the danger that was ahead, chose to heed the warning to get off of the ship in order to save their lives. After trying to warn their fellow passengers and finding themselves completely ignored, the young couple had lowered a life boat and rowed over to the fishing boat and climbed aboard. From this safe place, they joined the small crew in their efforts to save the ship.

Life had changed dramatically in just a few minutes for all on the cruise ship.

So what is the purpose of this little story?

The world is the cruise ship. They are having a great time but heading for sure disaster. And most of them, just like the ship passengers, have no idea.

If we are Christians, we are not on that big ship, nor should we long to be, for we know where it’s headed. Why do so many of us bob around in little boats, dissatisfied with the incredible blessings of a life lived at peace with God, and looking at the ship with envy and longing?

Why aren’t more of us sending up flares and sounding a warning?

Sure, we would never be able to turn the whole ship around but we could help some jump to safety. But most of us are so worried about being like those on the ship — partying it up, having a good time, and keeping temporal things our priority — that we do not bother with the lost souls on the ship. Many of us do not even give their horrible destiny a passing thought.

Why don’t we care?

What boat are you sailing in today? Are you part of the world’s party on the cruise ship having a good time but heading for disaster? Are you on a small boat looking at the world with envy and perhaps even trying to have your own version of the world’s diversions on your own little vessel? Or are you on a boat that is trying desperately to sound a warning and save as many as possible?

Where are you?

 

Wednesday Wisdom: Thinking Outside Our Box

Leave a Comment / May 15, 2013

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It was mid-afternoon and I was running out of energy after a busy morning. I decided it was the perfect time for a cup of coffee. I put a cup into the Kuerig and while it brewed I noticed the May issue of the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter lying on the table. Perfect. I would read while I took a short coffee break.  

For a few moments I entered a different world. In this world being a Christian means great sacrifice. I read of a couple who lost a job, their home, and familiar surroundings because of their new found faith. As I turned the page, I learned of a  family whose father was ruthlessly shot in front of his young children while his wife had run out to help a neighbor. 

I was overwhelmed with how small so many of my problems are. And challenged, too, wondering how strong I would be in similar circumstances. I felt a deep sense of sympathy for my Christian brothers and sisters in other lands. But, mostly, I felt admiration for the firm faith of these believers as they face the unthinkable. Their faith does not disappear under the weight of their trials, but grows stronger. Surely our God is alive! 

I wanted to share one of the stories here with you, but I could not find the newsletter online. However, I did find a very similar one on their website. Please take time to read this. I can say with assurance that many (of course, not all) of our trials pale in comparison. Violent movies and video games are part of almost all American homes, and yet most of us aren’t willing to face the very real violence that goes on every day in the lives of those who love the Lord Jesus. They deserve our prayers. Let’s step outside our comfortable boxes for just a moment–

Four months ago, National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas demanded that Alicia Castilla leave her home in Arauca, in northeastern Colombia. On the evening of Jan. 7, during a visit from the family’s pastor, assassins entered her home and shot her in front of her three children and her father. She died immediately. The guerrillas had killed Alicia’s husband, a lay-minister, two years earlier.

The guerrillas told Alicia’s 18-year-old son, Hernán, that the rest of the family had three days to leave the region. After that, they warned, the killers would return and kill the other family members one by one.

Alicia was the widow of lay-evangelist Nelson Ramos, who was killed by the ELN in January 2011. Nelson became a Christian two years before his death and often shared the gospel in Saravena, a town near Colombia’s border with Venezuela. A few months after his conversion, the ELN issued its first expulsion order against him and his family.

According to Hernán, the guerrillas never fully explained why they were so adamant about driving the family out of the area. Nelson was shot to death in the family’s home as his wife and two small daughters, now 9 and 6, watched.

After Nelson’s death, Hernán declared that he would avenge his father. He intended to join the Colombian military to gain training in weaponry, but he renounced his vow after a July 2011 encounter with children whose parents had been killed because of their Christian witness. Instead of seeking revenge, he was baptized and became deeply involved in church activities.

Hernán’s mother was at a workshop for widows of martyred believers in December when ELN guerrillas visited their home and warned them for the third time to leave the area. Although Alicia was willing to move, her elderly father was not.

After Alicia’s murder, government authorities refused to remove her body from the crime scene for fear of retaliation by the ELN. Funeral-home workers finally retrieved her body.

Founded in 1964, the ELN is one of several illegal armed groups fighting for control of the rich petroleum resources along the Colombia/Venezuela border. The guerrilla groups use the Arauca area as a narcotrafficking route. They forcibly recruit children into their ranks and persecute those who oppose them, including the church.

You can read more stories of faith and courage at persecution.com. It’s a great site to visit for a “perspective check”.  Voice of the Martyrs is an important ministry that helps persecuted believers and is worthy of our support. And, no, I have not been paid to say that! ;) 

You can find the above story here.

 

Face It

2 Comments / July 18, 2023

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I can’t remember where I heard this a few weeks ago, but wherever it was, I can’t stop thinking about it: The reason people refuse to face the truth is because it will cost them.

That is probably one of the most profound things I have heard in a very, very long time.

All of us have heard the excuses. But the bottom line, in most cases, is that facing the truth will cost something we don’t want to pay. And, many times, most of us don’t consider the greater cost at the end of the line.

I thought of this the other day when I watched a movie. It was an unrealistic, poorly cast movie about a couple who had adopted a little girl from an Eastern European country. In a few weeks, the wife came across some clues that this child was probably not an under-privileged child growing up in an orphanage, but instead a child maliciously stolen from her loving mother.  As she dug further, she became sure that this was the case and went to a federal agent. At one point in their conversation the agent looked this brave woman in the eye and told her that the outcome for this would not be good for her. The child would most likely be reunited with her biological mother and she would go back to a life of waiting for a baby to become available.  This was the time that she could choose to look the other way and move on with her new life of motherhood. No one would be the wiser. She could go home, treat this child as her own, and be a happy family.

Fortunately for the child’s biological mother, this woman had the character and the courage to do what would cost her the most. She faced the truth.

Oh, she and her husband tried to rationalize keeping the baby for a few moments: The baby would have a better life in America and they could give her so many privileges and opportunities that she would never have in her country.  But when the decision had to be made, they bravely did the right thing.

Would we have done the same?

I would like to think so. But sometimes we can’t even face our teenagers. Our spouses. Our friends. Our bosses.

Most of us walk right by truth and try hard to ignore it. Consider these examples–

–Our child wants to do something which we know is not a good idea. We will often cave because the cost (them being mad at us or screaming “I hate you!”) is not a price we are willing to pay.

–We find out our boss or a co-worker is dishonest.  We will often ignore it because the cost (getting embroiled in drama, being harassed, or losing our job) is not worth it.

Many times, we can’t even face ourselves. Because to look at ourselves honestly is to see a sinner. And most of us do not want to see that. Even if we are saved and came to that conclusion a long time ago, we don’t want to be reminded of it over and over again.

And so we just live as if everything is just fine. Except everything is not fine.

There are a few of us who wisely look down the road and see if we don’t face the truth now, it will cost us in the end and so we do face the truth head-on –at least in the things that affect us personally.

But when it comes to a boss (who cares?) or our church (it’s none of my business) or a friend (it’s their life) we are much less apt to be willing to stick our noses in.

We often don’t have enough love for our co-workers and friends and church family to do what will help them the most because of the cost to ourselves.

And, honestly, I’ll grant you this: it takes a lot of tact, careful words, kindness, love, and, most of all, courage, to speak the truth, even when it’s going to hurt our reputations or affect our comfort level.

But perhaps being able to see ourselves and the world honestly and then being willing to act on what we see is one of the most courageous and vital things we can do.  Instead, many–if not most–of us have been molded by our culture to shy away from it. We have also been scared by our culture and what happens to people who stand for truth–especially for God’s Truth.

We don’t have to be a preacher to share God’s Truth, we just have to know it (by knowing His Word) and then share it and stand for it. It’s that simple. But it’s that difficult.

But let’s always remember this: The price we pay for speaking truth may be very, very dear.  And through the journey we may have many questions. But God faithfully and lovingly cares for us when we do the right thing. Always. He comes alongside those who stand for what is right in a way that sometimes seems even miraculous. Yes, it is difficult, but God is faithful and it is worth it.

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