Keep it Simple, Missionary

I’ve recently returned from a cruise to the South Pacific Islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu. It was a wonderful time, relaxing in the beauty and friendliness of these islands, absorbing indigenous culture, swimming in pristine waters and enjoying a more relaxed pace of life.

When we were walking around the island of Lifou we were pleased to see that there were Christians spreading the gospel, or so we thought. It transpired that there are many Jehovah’s Witnesses seeking converts among the native population and visiting tourists. 

The more I learn about less developed nations, the more I understand that there are many groups operating under the banner of Christianity, seeking to influence others to their cause. Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormon religion are two of the most active. Unfortunately, it would be easy for the uninitiated to imagine that either of those two religions represent the Christian faith and thus represent a way to connect with God and enjoy a life of prosperity and happiness. Unfortunately, people can become ensnared in these religions and find themselves increasingly controlled and confused to the point that they require release from them. As a result, they can become cynical about Christianity as a whole.

To me neither of these two pseudo religions represents the truth of Christianity. If you want to be a Christian, if you want to draw others to Jesus Christ there is one point of reference that is trustworthy above any other – the Bible.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible is God’s word to mankind- through the prophets, through the words of Jesus and through the apostles writing under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit. If it’s in the Bible, you can believe it.

We are warned in the Bible not to add anything to scripture, nor to take anything away from it. The apostle Paul tell us:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1:8)

In the same manner, in the final chapter of the Bible we are again warned not to add or detract from scripture:

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”

This is why it’s so important for anyone ministering the gospel to do so Biblically. Be suspicious of any organization or person who wants to add additional material to the Bible. Be suspicious of any organization that suggests they have secret pathways to enlightenment which can only be achieved by studying their methods. Be suspicious of any religion that requires you to work your way to God.

The God of the Bible, the only true God, is freely available to all who seek Him, through His Son Jesus Christ. Fellowship with others in a Christian community should enhance our knowledge of God and commitment to Him, not enslave us to a church. If a church is open about their beliefs through a statement of faith, we can determine if they rely on God’s word, the Bible. 

Philemon and the cost of forgiveness

In the Biblical book of Philemon, Paul is writing to a friend and fellow Christian, a man described as having great love and encouragement for others in the body of Christ, one who shares his faith to the extent that a house church meets in his residence. Philemon was probably a wealthy man, given that he owned at least one servant. It's the subject of Philemon's servant, Onesimus which occupies the major part of the subject matter of this brief letter.
It seems that Onesimus had run away from the household of Philemon, possibly taking food or other articles with him, and had made his way to Rome, where he had come into contact with Paul, a contact which continued during Paul's imprisonment. At some point Onesimus had become a Christian. Paul is now urging Onesimus to return to his former master, but advocating for him to be received with forgiveness, and not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. Paul declares that he will be responsible for any debts owed by Onesimus to Philemon. Paul adds that he, Philemon, owes Paul a debt of gratitude for his life. Possibly Paul was the person who converted Philemon.

When reading the passages in the epistle to Philemon, I think of what it teaches us about forgiveness. Imagine if it were God writing to you or I. Someone has betrayed our trust. They have hurt us. They have robbed us of something- material possessions, faith in others, self-esteem, relationship. Maybe they weren't a Christian and had no idea of what they were doing. Or maybe they called themselves a Christian. Some of the worst hurts, the hardest to forgive come from others within the body of Christ.

Now imagine if what Paul is saying to Philemon, God is saying to us. Don't hold a grudge. If that person who has wronged you comes back into your life, treat him or her with all the love that you would show to a brother or sister. Easier said than done right? Because in the case of Onesimus, he was a changed man to his former self, now a Christian. He was trying to make right what he had previously done wrong. What about those who have mistreated us with no turn of direction?

One of the wisest points in a sermon that I ever heard was spoken by Wesleyan minister Rev. Peter Breen, who stated "You can't expect non-Christians to behave like Christians." Despite living in a Christian household, Onesimus wronged Philemon. I wonder if Philemon's response was to pray for the missing man, and if so, were those prayers a contributing factor to Onesimus being converted and meeting Paul?

Listen to what Paul is saying to Philemon, indicative of what God is saying to us- I know your heart, your character, your love. I will make it up to you for anything that has been taken away from you. I, Jesus, have paid the penalty for all sins on the cross- that includes those who sin against you. Forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. And don't forget, I have forgiven you for the sins you have committed against Me, and against other people.

If we have been sinned against, we can rest assured that God knows and understands and will strengthen and grow us through this experience. He gives far more than others can take away. If we are finding it hard to forgive, this story points to how we can best view the person who has hurt us. We can pray that like Onesimus, the person who has hurt us may have contact with a Christian who will lead him or her into relationship with Jesus Christ.  This is why Jesus asks us to " Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27,28)

 

I do not want you to be unaware

“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.” Romans 1:13

“I do not want you to be unaware” – What an outpouring of love is contained in these words. Did Paul write them to edify himself? Surely not. They convey such a sense of concern for the readers. Paul wants them to known his concern for them, that they would not feel neglected or overlooked. Circumstances had prevented Paul from visiting the church in Rome, but they were on Paul’s mind, in his heart, in his prayers and in his letter. He had not ceased to intercede to God on their behalf.

Are we aware of the love of God, of the great gift that He gave us through His Son Jesus? Are we aware of the gift of His word, the Bible and the presence of His Holy Spirit in our lives? Do we, as the old refrain goes, count our blessings?

My husband and I frequently acknowledge what makes our marriage worthwhile and strong- the bonds of love and sharing that we enjoy. We don’t want to be unaware of the happiness we have. There can be terrible regret associated with loss if one reaches a point of knowing they never appreciated what they had.

Similarly, each of us is offered an eternity-long relationship with our Creator, the most valuable and life-enhancing one we can ever hope to enjoy. Do we live with happiness and contentment for what we have?

Are we aware of the huge responsibility borne by our pastors and teachers who operate in our churches as they seek to care for their flock? They pray for us and minister to us. Do we pray for them and support them?

Finally, there are those that we see as our area of ministry, the people who may or may not be aware of our thoughts, prayers, efforts and activities on their behalf. They can be as close as our own children or as far away as someone experiencing persecution in the middle east or someone being prayed for in the Russian republics, or a sponsored child in a Christian sponsorship program. They can be our unsaved workmates or extended family members. They may be unaware of our prayers but we do not want them to be unaware of God’s love for them and pray that they will come to know Him and know what it means to experience a personal relationship with Him through Jesus. 

Happy Mother's Day

When I think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, I consider her the most remarkable of mothers.
In the time of Christ's conception and birth, Jewish scriptures had foretold that a Messiah would be born who would be the Saviour of the Jewish people. As they were living under Roman occupation, they were eagerly awaiting a Messiah who would deliver them from their captivity, in the same way that Moses had led them out of slavery in Egypt centuries earlier. Therefore many young Jewish women were hoping that they would be the chosen girl to bear God's gift of a Messiah.

Mary was no doubt a young woman of exceptional character, chosen by God. When an angel appeared to her to announce that she would be the mother of the Saviour, she, very naturally, enquired as to how this could come about. She was a virgin, engaged to be married to Joseph. The angel explained that the child would be an immaculate conception, conceived through the presence of the Holy Spirit in her, not a sexual relationship.

"the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."
Luke chapter 1, verses 30-35. 

Mary was honoured to be the mother of Jesus. She and her family and husband Joseph no doubt experienced being the subject of much gossip and slander. Forever after she was chosen to walk a different path to what she would have experienced otherwise. Perhaps her wedding was different. The circumstances of her baby's birth, away from home in a crude stable were probably different to what she had dreamt of. She was aware that her son was destined for greatness, but also for suffering. She was with her son until His earthly end, and endured the agonising experience of His crucifixion. No mother could have loved more.

Mary was a godly example to all mothers, a woman who was obedient to God no matter what the cost, a woman of great love and faithfulness.

Her story reminds us to be faithful to God in honouring our own mothers, and for those of us who are mothers, to pray for our children, to teach them of God's love and to try and live a life which will reflect His ways. It's a reminder too, to care for those women who, through whatever circumstances are doing the tough job of mothering on their own. 

"And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
   for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

(Luke chapter 1 :46-55)

"his mother treasured all these things in her heart"  (Luke chapter 2, v 51).

Happy Mother's Day 2018 to all the mums near and far.

 

Passing the baton

I recently had cause, whilst browsing on the internet, to look at some online information about a man that I knew some years ago when he was a teenager. Back then he was involved in church activities and was liked and respected by those who knew him. A born stage performer, he was outgoing and athletic and hero-worshipped to some extent by some of the younger boys.

Wind the clock forward ten years and the man that I saw on the internet was still handsome and athletic, his outside appearance having changed but a little; yet his demeanour seemed so completely different. His online conversation was peppered liberally with foul expletives and his biography indicated that he was living a lifestyle far from Christian principles.

I was filled with great sadness when I read this. We can never know for sure what causes a young person to turn away from God’s ways. No doubt there are often a number of factors. What I do know in this case, however, was that the father of the young man concerned was heavily involved in a church which experienced infighting and as a result lost his church ministry (but not his faith) after being publicly humiliated in a very raucous and bitter church meeting. A church split ensued, a small but vocal group of elders held sway and a large proportion of the youth left.  One can only wonder if the hurt that the church caused his father created a cynical and antagonistic attitude in his son. Yet hopefully this young man will have many praying for him and the foundations of his Christian faith will remain, if clouded for a time, and he will return to his Father’s care.

The root cause of church hurt, of course, is Satan, who loves to create dissention among the followers of Christ, having already in hand the allegiance of the world’s unbelievers. Two of the most readily available tools he uses to this end are criticism and gossip. In the case of the church above there was much of the two behind the scenes. Perhaps there were some valid reasons for concern, but these should have been dealt with privately and respectfully.

We older folk in a church congregation must ask ourselves the questions-

“What messages am I giving to the children and youth in my church?”

“Am I supporting them in encouragement? In Godly example?”

“Do I want things to remain just how I like them, or am I accepting of new ways of doing things?

“Am I willing to release finances for youth/ young adults programs, knowing that many young people are not able to contribute financially? “

“Am I committed to praying and supporting the ministry leaders in my church? Do I pray for my fellow brothers and sisters in my church family, including the young adults and children?”

“Do I speak words of wisdom, praise and encouragement or do I enjoy spreading juicy gossip? Do I find faults in and criticise others in my church?”

As I reflected on the situation of the young man who had fallen away, I was challenged to repent of any times in my church life when I have criticised, carried gossip and failed to encourage those in ministry and young people. May God give me a willing heart to support and encourage others. As one of my online mentors, Pastor Chuck Smith says, the young people are the ones who will be carrying on when we are carried out. A relay race is not won by the final leg runner alone. It's also won by the others who ran their leg and passed the baton on to their successors.