I was thinking this morning that Thanksgiving could not have come at a better time this year- a person is hard pressed to find much good news these days (unless of course you are a Sooner fan and your team obliterated the number 2 team in the nation last week!).
Providentially, our text and memory verse this week is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:16-18)
I will never forget my New Testament professor at Southwestern Seminary, Dr. J.W. McGorman lecturing on this verse one day in class. He said to us in his thick Nova Scotian accent,
"Give thanks IN all circumstances, not FOR all circumstances. One never gives thanks for those things that break the heart of God. But one can always find reason to be thankful."
C.S. Lewis has famously said he believes the first words we will say in heaven are the words, "Ah hah, now I understand..."
I think of a classic example of this in the story of Corrie Ten Boom, the committed Dutch believer whose family provided refuge for Jews during the German holocaust of World War 2.
She and her other family members were caught and as a result were thrown into several prison camps before eventually ending up at the infamous Ravensbruk concentration camp in Germany. She tells the story in her autobiography, The Hiding Place, of complaining to her sister Betsie about the horrible filth surrounding her bunk in that prison- and especially the flies. Her sister reminded her of this very passage- give thanks IN all circumstances. The two women sat on Corries bed and Betsie led them in a prayer of thanks for the flies.
Corrie commented that she could be thankful for just about everything in her life- except for those blasted flies.
It wasn't until years later after Corrie had been liberated from the prison that she had a conversation with one of the men who had been a prison guard at the camp that she learned the reason she and Betsie were provided relative freedom in their rooms- and thus were able to keep Bibles and to hold Bible studies and to develop somewhat of a Christian community in that horrible place-
The reason was that the guards couldn't stand the flies.
We may not always know why we are giving thanks IN the circumstances- but God does.
This Thanksgiving in between watching football and cooking meals and catching up with family-why not spend some time thanking God for those blessings you can see all around you- and then devote some time thanking Him even for the things you don't understand right now-
but one day will.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
new day at imb
This past week I have been in Houston Texas for the latest installment of the International Mission Board. Here are the highlights:
1. The Board has definitely changed. I am truly amazed at how quickly the complexion and dynamics have changed over the past year. We are no longer bogged down in meaningless controversy over senseless minutia. There is a strong sense that what we are dealing with matters and that we are putting our energies into those things the convention has assigned us to- reaching the nations for Christ.
2. Paul Chitwood is proving to be an excellent chairman. He is professional, concise and fair. I appreciate how he handles our meetings. He is well informed on the issues and anticipates problems before they come to the public meetings. He is well liked and seems to have a great relationsihp with staff.
3. The Board is setting a course for radical change within the IMB. The details have not yet been hammered out, but to summarize we are moving from a strategy that is regionally based to a strategy that is more oriented to people groups and will seek to more concisely partner with local churches to reach clusters of people groups around the planet. Although there are still many questions, I am excited about what these changes may mean for the future of misisonal strategies for churches like ours. The hope of the board is that we will be ahead of the curve in implementing this strategy as missional philosophy changes in the coming years from a more institutional centric approach to a more local church sending approach.
4. There is more harmony and synergy on the Board than at any time in my five years. We are finally working together WITH staff to accomplish objectives. The divisiveness, power plays and suspiciousness of the past has given way to a dedicated commitment to accomplish a big and meaningful objective. The controversies of the past have practically evaporated. Trust levels are high and the spirit is positive. We all seem to be driven the same agenda.
5. We commissioned one of our largest groups of missionaries in the history of the Board this week. I continue to be blown away by the quality of new missionaries coming in. The young men and women coming on the field are the absolute cream of the crop! There is no question about it- the best thing we do as Southern Baptists is world missions.
In a day of great skepticism regarding convention politics and power plays, at least from my little corner of the world within the IMB Trustee Board, I will tell you I am increasingly optimistic that though we are not perfect by any stretch, we finally seem to be spending more time focusing on the mountains than we do the molehills.
For that I give God the glory!
1. The Board has definitely changed. I am truly amazed at how quickly the complexion and dynamics have changed over the past year. We are no longer bogged down in meaningless controversy over senseless minutia. There is a strong sense that what we are dealing with matters and that we are putting our energies into those things the convention has assigned us to- reaching the nations for Christ.
2. Paul Chitwood is proving to be an excellent chairman. He is professional, concise and fair. I appreciate how he handles our meetings. He is well informed on the issues and anticipates problems before they come to the public meetings. He is well liked and seems to have a great relationsihp with staff.
3. The Board is setting a course for radical change within the IMB. The details have not yet been hammered out, but to summarize we are moving from a strategy that is regionally based to a strategy that is more oriented to people groups and will seek to more concisely partner with local churches to reach clusters of people groups around the planet. Although there are still many questions, I am excited about what these changes may mean for the future of misisonal strategies for churches like ours. The hope of the board is that we will be ahead of the curve in implementing this strategy as missional philosophy changes in the coming years from a more institutional centric approach to a more local church sending approach.
4. There is more harmony and synergy on the Board than at any time in my five years. We are finally working together WITH staff to accomplish objectives. The divisiveness, power plays and suspiciousness of the past has given way to a dedicated commitment to accomplish a big and meaningful objective. The controversies of the past have practically evaporated. Trust levels are high and the spirit is positive. We all seem to be driven the same agenda.
5. We commissioned one of our largest groups of missionaries in the history of the Board this week. I continue to be blown away by the quality of new missionaries coming in. The young men and women coming on the field are the absolute cream of the crop! There is no question about it- the best thing we do as Southern Baptists is world missions.
In a day of great skepticism regarding convention politics and power plays, at least from my little corner of the world within the IMB Trustee Board, I will tell you I am increasingly optimistic that though we are not perfect by any stretch, we finally seem to be spending more time focusing on the mountains than we do the molehills.
For that I give God the glory!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
why so downcast?
Have you noticed that there is more than a little paranoia going around today? What is our response as believers?
I have always found it interesting that Psalm 42:5, 42:11 and 43:5 all say the same thing.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
The implication of this passage is that if I look on the inside and see that I am downcast, it can only mean that I have been investing my emotions in the wrong stock.
All of this is a good reminder for us that as Christians we have a view of history that is unique in all the world. When the Psalmist says "Why so downcast Oh my soul?" he is not just soul searching, he is making the point that the way we believe about our faith (trust in the Lord) will impact the way we see our future.
So how are we as Christians to see history and our future? Here are a few things to keep in mind while living in times of uncertainty:
1. To understand the meaning of the future is to understand the meaning of history.
The reason so many are paranoid about the future is because they don't have a proper understanding of history. Hedrikus Berkof observes:
"Our generation is strangled by fear: fear for man, for his future, and for the direction in which we are driven against our will and desire. And out of this comes a cry of illumination concerning the meaning of he existence of mankind, and concerning the goal to which we are directed. It is a cry for an answer to the age old question of the meaning of history."
He goes on to say that the church should provide the answer to this question since we have it in the Bible. We have in scripture all we need for a complete theology of history. But because we don't have it and don't contemplate it, we are struck down by our fears and fail to live in the full light of the Christian interpretation of history.
He continues:
The twentieth century Church is spiritually unable to stand against the rapid changes that take place around her because she has not learned to view history from the perspective of the reign of Christ. For that reason, she thinks of the events of her own time in entirely secular terms. She is overcome with fear in a worldly manner, and in a worldly manner she tries to free herself from fear. In this process (her view of) God functions no more than a stop-gap."
So it is good for us to have a clear understanding of history. The Bible teaches us plainly and effectively that all of history has a beginning, a middle and a glorious ending. This is unique in all world philosophies and religions. Only Christianity sees history and the future as a linear plane from beginning to end.
Ancient Greek philosophy and Eastern religions saw history as cyclical- nature and creation are constantly reincarnating and reinventing itself. Things occur in endlessly repeated cycles so that what is happening today will somehow be repeated in the future. This is the common world view of most Eastern religions today. In this perspective of life, the individual is devalued and life cannot be seen as moving toward any significant end. Time and history are not on a linear plane, therefore the only relief from the bondage of time is to somehow be released from it. In other words, in this view life is something to be escaped from- there is no sense of destiny or hope or future glory. This is the predominant view of most of the world's population.
Another view of history is the atheist view that we are all here by chance. The atheist sees no purpose for history or the future and believes that life has no meaning whatsoever. This is the existentialist view that says "get all you can out of life, can all you get, and then sit on the can!" Life has no meaning in other words, history is just a chance conglomeration of events that have no significant meaning or course.
There are many Christians today who are practical atheists. That is to say they profess Christianity but they live like atheists. In other words they live as if man is at the center of history. They live as if life has no meaning or direction. They live as if they are the center of the universe and "if it is to be it is up to me!" They live as if they are the captain of their own ship and the master of their own soul.
That is the atheist view of history.
But it is not the Christian view.
a. First of all, the Christian sees that everything in life is working out for the good.
This is what we call "sacred history". That is to say the redemptive plan of God is working all throughout history from the time of the Old Testament to it's fulfillment in the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ. All of history points to that central event. The Christian perspective since that time understands that we have entered a "new age" in which the purposes of God will finally culminate in full fruition at the final redemption at the end of the age in the second coming of Christ.
b. God is the Lord of history.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, happens in this life without the knowledge and direction of God. He turns the heart of the king wherever he wishes (Proverbs 21:1), He accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will (Ephesians 1:11), and he has set the times and determined the direction of nations (Acts 17:26) and all things work together for the good of those who know Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Because He is in control, history has direction and meaning and purpose.
c. Christ is at the center of history.
Have you ever wondered why we live during a time that is called 2008? The reason is that we mark our calendar by the time of Christ. All of history is marked by B.C. and A.D.- "Before Christ" and "After His Dominion". This illustrates an important biblical understanding of history- that the central event of human history was the coming of Christ. The central truth of our lives is the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross for payment for our sins and the redemption of mankind.
d. The new age has therefore already been ushered in.
The Christian in the early church believed he was living in the last days and in a new age. Every believer since that time has seen that he or she was living in a new day that was ushered in by the coming of Christ. "The Kingdom of God is among you" Jesus told the disciples. When Jesus said of John the Baptist in Luke 7:28, "Among those born of women none is greater than John, and yet he who is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John" He is making an important point about the Kingdom ushered in by Christ. He is making the point that John the Baptist is the last of an old age- he is an Old Testament prophet pointing to Christ. But that those who become a part of Christ's kingdom will begin to live in a new aeon- characterized by the work of His Spirit and the formation of the Church. We are living in a new age brought about the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ.
But just because Christ rules in our heart and has begun a new age, it does not mean that there are not other forces at play. We are in the "already not yet" time of the Kingdom. The wheat continues to contend with the tares. The kingdom of man exists alongside the Kingdom of God. There will come a day when the Kingdom is experienced in full fruition after the coming of Christ, but until that time we still deal with "this present darkness". In other words, just because Christ has won the victory, it doesn't mean that all of creation has figured it out yet. I can see that in those times when my soul is downcast it is likely because the enemy has done a good job of convincing me that I can be my own salvation. John Marsh illustrates this point well:
Hitler had occupied Norway, but in 1945 it was liberated. Suppose that up in the almost inaccessible north, some small village with a Nazi overlord failed to hear the news of the liberation for some weeks. During that time, we might put it, the inhabitants of that village were living in the "old" time of Nazi occupation instead of the "new" time of Norwegian liberation. Any person who now lives in a world that has been liberated from the tyranny of evil powers either in ignorance of, or in indifference to, what Christ has done, is precisely in the position of those Norwegians t o whom the good news of deliverance has failed to penetrate. In other words, it is quite easy for us to see that men can live in B.C. in A.D.
e. All history is moving toward the ultimate goal of the new heavens and the new earth.
The Bible sees all of history moving toward a divinely appointed goal. Every line, paragraph and page of scripture points us to the centerpiece of history in the coming of Christ and moves us forward toward the ultimate day of His second coming when all of creation will be healed once and for all.
This leads to the second important point about understanding history:
2. The Christian view of history is overwhelmingly optimistic
The cosmic dimensions of history are clearly taught in scripture in glorious passages like Ephesians and Colossians 1 and Romans 8. Scripture is replete with enthusiastic passages that are incredibly optimistic in their scope and future outlook. All of scripture is escatological in nature. That is to say scripture is continually pointing us to the future. Christianity, therefore, by it's very nature is optimistically futuristic.
We will live today exactly the way we believe about the future. If you have hope for a glorious future, it will impact your present.
As an example, think of two people who both have the same boring and difficult job. Imagine that they both work 10 hours a day doing the same laborious task over and over again- but one of them believes that at the end of the year he will make 10,000 dollars while the other one believes he will make 10,000,000 dollars. Do you think they would see their work differently?
Of course they would! The one who believes he is only making 10,000 dollars at the end of the year will probably quit after a few days while the other one who believes he is making millions will see his work as joy.
The way you believe about your future will absolutely impact the way you live today. So when the Psalmist asks, "Why so downcast?", he is making the point that when we have our trust directed at those things that really matter and really count, it will impact the way we see life to the degree that we are not overwhelmed by life's circumstances. This is why we say a proper theology of history will help us to see current events no matter how daunting or discouraging, in a realistically optimistic light.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
light and darkness in india
As a follow-up to last weeks post- here are the reflections of one of our lead pastors, Todd Tamura, who traveled with our team on the mission trip to the orphanage we are helping to build in Motipur India:
India is an all-out assault on the senses. From the moment we hit the ground in Delhi, we were bombarded by the sights, sounds and smells of the city. People are everywhere and packed into tight spaces – over 18 million in this city alone. Smoke and fumes from countless fires and motor vehicles hang heavy in the air. Traffic is a symphony of chaos. The sound of honking horns is constant as cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, rickshaws, pedestrians and animals all vie for the road. It is impossible to venture anywhere on foot without being accosted by beggars. Images of Hindu gods adorn vehicles, homes and places of business. Temples and mosques are woven into the city’s grid at frequent and regular intervals. Everywhere there is filth, abject poverty, hopelessness and despair.
Yet in the midst of this dark landscape, we visited one of the Christian “slum schools” run by Global Action on the south side of Delhi. The children greeted us with beautiful smiles and sang joyfully of Christ. Some blessed us with Scripture they had memorized, and we prayed for them. When school was dismissed, many of the children escorted us to our vehicles, waved goodbye and then disappeared into the neighborhood. God is at work here.
Later that evening, we attended a Glomas graduation ceremony for over 100 graduates of Global Action’s 10-month training program for pastors. Sundar Singh Moses, who preached at Council Road this past February, has left his pastorate to become the National Director for Glomas training in India. Reverend Moses gave the graduation address and exhorted the graduates to remember the Lord’s call on their lives as children of the Father, ambassadors of the King, servants of the Master and shepherds of God’s flock. The atmosphere was exciting and celebratory. We enjoyed worship with these Indian brothers and sisters. Some of the songs we knew, some we didn’t, but it didn’t matter because the Spirit was the same. And I am reminded of one of the great designations of the church as the “communion of saints,” a phrase dating back to The Apostles’ Creed regarding the communion of all Christians that is rooted in Jesus.
Our constant escort and companion from this point on was Abhishek Subhan. Abhishek’s father, Daniel, is the Director of the India Hope Center, the primary focus of our trip. “Abhi,” as we call him, is Chief of Operations for the center which includes the orphanage, school and church. An overnight train ride brought us to Lucknow, another bustling city of over 11 million. We met Ahbi’s wife, Jessie, at their home. They are expecting their first child in January.
The five-hour drive from Lucknow to the India Hope Center in Motipur defies description. We share the road with thousands of motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and an assortment of animals including cows, water buffaloes, goats, dogs and monkeys. There is no concept of “your lane” as we know it in the U.S., and nose position determines right of way. The result is that you end up playing a constant game of “chicken” with oncoming and merging traffic. Not that you ever become accustomed to it, but eventually you realize that no matter which way you lean in the backseat, it has no effect on your driver. Never before have I seen people so reckless with their lives. Abhi tells us that in India there is not the same value placed on human life: “They think, if I die, I die, and I no longer have to struggle.”
On the edge of the north Indian jungle, not more than 15 miles from the Nepali border, stands a small collection of buildings called the India Hope Center. Fifty-three boys and girls have been rescued from unimaginable circumstances and call this place home. The children sing of Jesus with all their hearts, and their smiles tell you all you need to know. They are genuinely happy in this place!
They have so little here compared to what we are used to in Oklahoma. But they have a bed to sleep in, a roof over their heads, three meals each day and foster parents who love them. They go to school and worship together. They help each other and relate to each other as brothers and sisters. And somehow it is enough.
There are four couples who act as foster parents, as well as teachers. They are devoted followers of Christ and called to this sacred work. They must be. This is an up at dawn, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year call to a very arduous life with very few comforts and no luxuries. The heat and humidity must be unbearable during the summer months. The commitment as a foster parent at the center is a minimum of 10 years.
What a joy and privilege to play with the children and help teach in their school. They are so bright and love to learn. I taught fifth grade math. We multiplied and divided fractions. The children kept asking me for more problems. We also helped the contractor pour concrete for the footings of new family units that are under construction.
One week in India is really not enough to be of much practical help. The real benefit of a short term mission trip like this is mutual encouragement in the faith and the changes that take place in one’s own heart. We came to India hoping and praying that we would be of some blessing and benefit to our hosts. Instead, those of us who went were the ones who were overwhelmingly blessed. Despite the darkness of this country, God is rescuing children from the brink of disaster, and we have seen it with our own eyes. What long arms of grace our God has! He is raising up leaders from among His people to minister to this land in spite of persecution and great spiritual resistance. Clearly, those of us who went on this trip have a responsibility to be advocates for our brothers and sisters in India.
Pray for Abishek Subhan and his wife, Jessie. Pray for the pregnancy and the health of mother and child. What great respect and admiration I have for Abhi. He is so gifted. He could be and do anything, but he has answered his call to the India Hope Center. In addition to the day-to-day operations of the center, Abhi also oversees the construction of six new family units. These units are fully funded in large part because of the fund-raising efforts of those in our church and in our local business community. Future plans include a dairy farm, medical clinic and vocational training center. As if this were not enough, Abhi also has a heart for the surrounding community. The local town is Muslim, but secularized and practical in their thinking. The people are very curious about the center, and they see the improvements that are being made to the property. We were able to host games for the local children, and our men even played cricket with men from town. The mayor hosted our entire team for dinner one evening. Some of the town children joined us for Sunday night worship where the gospel was shared. Pray that the India Hope Center would be salt and light to this Muslim community.
Pray that God would raise up more foster parents to staff the center. With the six new family units scheduled for completion in six months, the limiting factor for expanding the center’s operation and taking on more orphans is the identification of more foster parents. Pray for Global Action’s slum schools. Pray for the young pastors who are graduating from Glomas training and are returning to their cities and villages to minister in the face of persecution. Pray for Sheeba Subhan, Abhi’s sister, and Director of Global Action Projects in India. These projects include Glomas training for pastors, the slum schools, the India Hope Center, and blanket distribution. Pray for Lars Dunberg as he directs Global Action on an international level. Pray for a great outpouring of God’s Spirit across the land of India.
When our pastor returned from India last year he said, “I think I have seen genuine Christianity for the first time.” I understand now what he meant. The Christian leaders God is raising up in India are completely sold out to Christ. They have forsaken all that this world has to offer for the sake of the cross. Here in America we are so tied to our comforts. We consider them “necessities.” We want all the spiritual blessings in Christ, but we hedge, not wanting to miss out on anything this life and this world has to offer. We want it all, and I include myself in the indictment. But what we saw in India were believers who embrace the sufferings of Christ just as readily as they look forward to sharing in His glory.
We have seen great darkness, and we have seen a bright light, and the light has a name.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 NIV
India is an all-out assault on the senses. From the moment we hit the ground in Delhi, we were bombarded by the sights, sounds and smells of the city. People are everywhere and packed into tight spaces – over 18 million in this city alone. Smoke and fumes from countless fires and motor vehicles hang heavy in the air. Traffic is a symphony of chaos. The sound of honking horns is constant as cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, rickshaws, pedestrians and animals all vie for the road. It is impossible to venture anywhere on foot without being accosted by beggars. Images of Hindu gods adorn vehicles, homes and places of business. Temples and mosques are woven into the city’s grid at frequent and regular intervals. Everywhere there is filth, abject poverty, hopelessness and despair.
Yet in the midst of this dark landscape, we visited one of the Christian “slum schools” run by Global Action on the south side of Delhi. The children greeted us with beautiful smiles and sang joyfully of Christ. Some blessed us with Scripture they had memorized, and we prayed for them. When school was dismissed, many of the children escorted us to our vehicles, waved goodbye and then disappeared into the neighborhood. God is at work here.
Later that evening, we attended a Glomas graduation ceremony for over 100 graduates of Global Action’s 10-month training program for pastors. Sundar Singh Moses, who preached at Council Road this past February, has left his pastorate to become the National Director for Glomas training in India. Reverend Moses gave the graduation address and exhorted the graduates to remember the Lord’s call on their lives as children of the Father, ambassadors of the King, servants of the Master and shepherds of God’s flock. The atmosphere was exciting and celebratory. We enjoyed worship with these Indian brothers and sisters. Some of the songs we knew, some we didn’t, but it didn’t matter because the Spirit was the same. And I am reminded of one of the great designations of the church as the “communion of saints,” a phrase dating back to The Apostles’ Creed regarding the communion of all Christians that is rooted in Jesus.
Our constant escort and companion from this point on was Abhishek Subhan. Abhishek’s father, Daniel, is the Director of the India Hope Center, the primary focus of our trip. “Abhi,” as we call him, is Chief of Operations for the center which includes the orphanage, school and church. An overnight train ride brought us to Lucknow, another bustling city of over 11 million. We met Ahbi’s wife, Jessie, at their home. They are expecting their first child in January.
The five-hour drive from Lucknow to the India Hope Center in Motipur defies description. We share the road with thousands of motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and an assortment of animals including cows, water buffaloes, goats, dogs and monkeys. There is no concept of “your lane” as we know it in the U.S., and nose position determines right of way. The result is that you end up playing a constant game of “chicken” with oncoming and merging traffic. Not that you ever become accustomed to it, but eventually you realize that no matter which way you lean in the backseat, it has no effect on your driver. Never before have I seen people so reckless with their lives. Abhi tells us that in India there is not the same value placed on human life: “They think, if I die, I die, and I no longer have to struggle.”
On the edge of the north Indian jungle, not more than 15 miles from the Nepali border, stands a small collection of buildings called the India Hope Center. Fifty-three boys and girls have been rescued from unimaginable circumstances and call this place home. The children sing of Jesus with all their hearts, and their smiles tell you all you need to know. They are genuinely happy in this place!
They have so little here compared to what we are used to in Oklahoma. But they have a bed to sleep in, a roof over their heads, three meals each day and foster parents who love them. They go to school and worship together. They help each other and relate to each other as brothers and sisters. And somehow it is enough.
There are four couples who act as foster parents, as well as teachers. They are devoted followers of Christ and called to this sacred work. They must be. This is an up at dawn, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year call to a very arduous life with very few comforts and no luxuries. The heat and humidity must be unbearable during the summer months. The commitment as a foster parent at the center is a minimum of 10 years.
What a joy and privilege to play with the children and help teach in their school. They are so bright and love to learn. I taught fifth grade math. We multiplied and divided fractions. The children kept asking me for more problems. We also helped the contractor pour concrete for the footings of new family units that are under construction.
One week in India is really not enough to be of much practical help. The real benefit of a short term mission trip like this is mutual encouragement in the faith and the changes that take place in one’s own heart. We came to India hoping and praying that we would be of some blessing and benefit to our hosts. Instead, those of us who went were the ones who were overwhelmingly blessed. Despite the darkness of this country, God is rescuing children from the brink of disaster, and we have seen it with our own eyes. What long arms of grace our God has! He is raising up leaders from among His people to minister to this land in spite of persecution and great spiritual resistance. Clearly, those of us who went on this trip have a responsibility to be advocates for our brothers and sisters in India.
Pray for Abishek Subhan and his wife, Jessie. Pray for the pregnancy and the health of mother and child. What great respect and admiration I have for Abhi. He is so gifted. He could be and do anything, but he has answered his call to the India Hope Center. In addition to the day-to-day operations of the center, Abhi also oversees the construction of six new family units. These units are fully funded in large part because of the fund-raising efforts of those in our church and in our local business community. Future plans include a dairy farm, medical clinic and vocational training center. As if this were not enough, Abhi also has a heart for the surrounding community. The local town is Muslim, but secularized and practical in their thinking. The people are very curious about the center, and they see the improvements that are being made to the property. We were able to host games for the local children, and our men even played cricket with men from town. The mayor hosted our entire team for dinner one evening. Some of the town children joined us for Sunday night worship where the gospel was shared. Pray that the India Hope Center would be salt and light to this Muslim community.
Pray that God would raise up more foster parents to staff the center. With the six new family units scheduled for completion in six months, the limiting factor for expanding the center’s operation and taking on more orphans is the identification of more foster parents. Pray for Global Action’s slum schools. Pray for the young pastors who are graduating from Glomas training and are returning to their cities and villages to minister in the face of persecution. Pray for Sheeba Subhan, Abhi’s sister, and Director of Global Action Projects in India. These projects include Glomas training for pastors, the slum schools, the India Hope Center, and blanket distribution. Pray for Lars Dunberg as he directs Global Action on an international level. Pray for a great outpouring of God’s Spirit across the land of India.
When our pastor returned from India last year he said, “I think I have seen genuine Christianity for the first time.” I understand now what he meant. The Christian leaders God is raising up in India are completely sold out to Christ. They have forsaken all that this world has to offer for the sake of the cross. Here in America we are so tied to our comforts. We consider them “necessities.” We want all the spiritual blessings in Christ, but we hedge, not wanting to miss out on anything this life and this world has to offer. We want it all, and I include myself in the indictment. But what we saw in India were believers who embrace the sufferings of Christ just as readily as they look forward to sharing in His glory.
We have seen great darkness, and we have seen a bright light, and the light has a name.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 NIV
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
putting worry in context
Our team that has traveled to Motipur India to help with the orphanage we are helping to build there is making their way back to the states as I am writing this. We just got a note from one of our lead pastors, Todd Tamura, who is on his first trip to the orphanage and who, as a former fighter pilot with the United States Air Force (insert your favorite F-150 joke here) has seen a lot of the world and has had his share of adventure. He wrote in part:
It's around midnight Wed night/Thurs morning. We just drove 5 hrs from
Motipur. There are no words to describe how dangerous the roads are
around here: thousands of people walking on and along the road, cows,
monkeys, dogs, water buffalo, trucks, buses, cars, bicycles, rickshaws.
They drive on the left side of the road around here, but really noone
owns any lane. My pics will never do justice to the head-on games of
chicken that they play around here.
The Hope Center and the children were absolutely awesome. Over fifty
children who have been rescued from unimaginable circumstances. Now in
school, in a Christian environment, with food to eat and people that
love them. It's amazing what God is doing there. It gives you a sense of
how big our God is and His love for all people. The children have such
joy even though they have so little. The foster parents have 10-15
children each and they are the limiting factor in terms of expanding the
operation. It's a 10 year commitment and huge because of the remoteness
of the location and the austere conditions.
Here at home, we obsess over elections and stock markets and who will win the next football game.
It is a good reminder that in most of the rest of the world, the part of the world where transportation likely means a donkey or moped and the burning question of the day is not where I will eat lunch today but IF I will eat lunch today- that part of the world where (as it is in Motipur) the nearest medical clinic may be 60 miles away and you and your loved ones have no way of getting there- the rest of the world where 18,000 children die every single day of starvation- and where 2.67 billion people have never heard the gospel or own a Bible...
...people in the rest of the world don't have the luxury of worrying about the kinds of things that give us stress.
I have a feeling that when our team comes back, we will notice that something about them has changed- and I am not just talking about their renewed enthusiasm for American cheeseburgers- I have a strong sense that "worry" will have a different context.
It's around midnight Wed night/Thurs morning. We just drove 5 hrs from
Motipur. There are no words to describe how dangerous the roads are
around here: thousands of people walking on and along the road, cows,
monkeys, dogs, water buffalo, trucks, buses, cars, bicycles, rickshaws.
They drive on the left side of the road around here, but really noone
owns any lane. My pics will never do justice to the head-on games of
chicken that they play around here.
The Hope Center and the children were absolutely awesome. Over fifty
children who have been rescued from unimaginable circumstances. Now in
school, in a Christian environment, with food to eat and people that
love them. It's amazing what God is doing there. It gives you a sense of
how big our God is and His love for all people. The children have such
joy even though they have so little. The foster parents have 10-15
children each and they are the limiting factor in terms of expanding the
operation. It's a 10 year commitment and huge because of the remoteness
of the location and the austere conditions.
Here at home, we obsess over elections and stock markets and who will win the next football game.
It is a good reminder that in most of the rest of the world, the part of the world where transportation likely means a donkey or moped and the burning question of the day is not where I will eat lunch today but IF I will eat lunch today- that part of the world where (as it is in Motipur) the nearest medical clinic may be 60 miles away and you and your loved ones have no way of getting there- the rest of the world where 18,000 children die every single day of starvation- and where 2.67 billion people have never heard the gospel or own a Bible...
...people in the rest of the world don't have the luxury of worrying about the kinds of things that give us stress.
I have a feeling that when our team comes back, we will notice that something about them has changed- and I am not just talking about their renewed enthusiasm for American cheeseburgers- I have a strong sense that "worry" will have a different context.
Monday, October 13, 2008
reasons i'm not worried
Someone asked me last week if I thought the latest financial crisis was a sign of the second coming?
I gave him all the reasons I believe the Bible seems to speak more to the advancement of the gospel around the world as something to look for than it does to any particular socio-economic or political event when it comes to the coming Parousia.
The last few sands in the hour glass will not be shifted as much by these kinds of crises as they will by the darkest corners of the planet being reached by the light of Christ and every nation language and tongue having access to the message of Christ. I believe that is what we are to look for more than anything that happens on Wall Street or the White House or on some foreign battlefield or inner workings of an earthly kingdom.
So, in short, I didn't think what were experiencing last week was more than a blip on the radar screen in the total scope of human history. It feels unsettling and is definitely a troubling and dynamic financial crisis- but I certainly don't see it as having much escatological significance.
Of course, that was before Texas beat OU and OSU beat Missouri in the same weekend.
That aside, the current political and economic upheaval does raise some important theological questions I would like to briefly address. How do we as Christians respond when the foundations begin to shake?
We need to keep in mind these three key promises of scripture:
1. For the Christian, the worst things that happen to us in this life are used for good.
All things work together for the good of those who love Christ and are called according to HIS purpose (Romans 8:28).
Those of us who have been around more than three decades would attest to the truth that the bad things that happen to us in this life God has used effectively to grow and shape our character in Christ. It is helpful to remember that God is more interested in our character than He is interested in our circumstances.
2. For the Christian, the truly good things in this life can never be taken away.
Scripture teaches that there are really only certain things in our life that are truly good. By that I mean there are some things that are good to the core and many things that seem good but are only a mirage. There are only certain things for instance that will last forever and consequently will truly matter to you a hundred years from now.
Everything else is just chaff in the wind.
The Bible teaches that the truly good things you possess in this life- God's love, His joy, His peace, His salvation - can never be taken away.
When the Bible speaks of the "glory of Christ", it is using a very important and specific word in defining the lasting nature of what is truly good. The word "glory" means literally "weight". It is where we get the English word "matter". The only things in this life that really have weight, that really matter, are those things that last.
When you drop paper in a stream it floats with the current, but when you drop a stone in the current, it sustains it's position despite the water flowing over it.
In the same way, the truly substantive things in this life that are promised us by Christ can never be taken away.
It is important to remember in times of change and turmoil, that there are things in our life that have enough substance to withstand whatever is thrown our way.
That is what we mean by the glory of Christ.
3. For the Christian, the very best things in this life are yet to come.
Christianity is the only religion that is truly escatological and futuristic. Every other religion either looks backward to a law and tradition or spins the adherent in endless cycles or reincarnation and reinvention.
Only Christianity sets the future on a linear plane and points to a glorious conclusion.
Christianity teaches that our future will be so glorious and complete, in fact, that whatever we go through in this life cannot even be compared to is as far as it's value and importance.
We all know that when a person has lost only one of his senses, his life is changed dramatically. Imagine having thousands of senses! Imagine seeing millions of colors and having your taste sensation multiplied exponentially! The Bible seems to imply that this is what we will experience in our future.
I think of the words of C.S. Lewis as he reflects on what all of us will one day be:
Remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you may talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare. (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).
Think of it like this- our future glory will be so overwhelming that comparing our present self to our future self is a little like comparing a tomato or squash to our present self.
The apostle Paul put it like this in Romans 8:18:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
These are the important Biblical truths that every Christian has access to- the worst things in this life Christ will use for good- the truly good things can never be taken away- and the very best in this life is yet to come!
I gave him all the reasons I believe the Bible seems to speak more to the advancement of the gospel around the world as something to look for than it does to any particular socio-economic or political event when it comes to the coming Parousia.
The last few sands in the hour glass will not be shifted as much by these kinds of crises as they will by the darkest corners of the planet being reached by the light of Christ and every nation language and tongue having access to the message of Christ. I believe that is what we are to look for more than anything that happens on Wall Street or the White House or on some foreign battlefield or inner workings of an earthly kingdom.
So, in short, I didn't think what were experiencing last week was more than a blip on the radar screen in the total scope of human history. It feels unsettling and is definitely a troubling and dynamic financial crisis- but I certainly don't see it as having much escatological significance.
Of course, that was before Texas beat OU and OSU beat Missouri in the same weekend.
That aside, the current political and economic upheaval does raise some important theological questions I would like to briefly address. How do we as Christians respond when the foundations begin to shake?
We need to keep in mind these three key promises of scripture:
1. For the Christian, the worst things that happen to us in this life are used for good.
All things work together for the good of those who love Christ and are called according to HIS purpose (Romans 8:28).
Those of us who have been around more than three decades would attest to the truth that the bad things that happen to us in this life God has used effectively to grow and shape our character in Christ. It is helpful to remember that God is more interested in our character than He is interested in our circumstances.
2. For the Christian, the truly good things in this life can never be taken away.
Scripture teaches that there are really only certain things in our life that are truly good. By that I mean there are some things that are good to the core and many things that seem good but are only a mirage. There are only certain things for instance that will last forever and consequently will truly matter to you a hundred years from now.
Everything else is just chaff in the wind.
The Bible teaches that the truly good things you possess in this life- God's love, His joy, His peace, His salvation - can never be taken away.
When the Bible speaks of the "glory of Christ", it is using a very important and specific word in defining the lasting nature of what is truly good. The word "glory" means literally "weight". It is where we get the English word "matter". The only things in this life that really have weight, that really matter, are those things that last.
When you drop paper in a stream it floats with the current, but when you drop a stone in the current, it sustains it's position despite the water flowing over it.
In the same way, the truly substantive things in this life that are promised us by Christ can never be taken away.
It is important to remember in times of change and turmoil, that there are things in our life that have enough substance to withstand whatever is thrown our way.
That is what we mean by the glory of Christ.
3. For the Christian, the very best things in this life are yet to come.
Christianity is the only religion that is truly escatological and futuristic. Every other religion either looks backward to a law and tradition or spins the adherent in endless cycles or reincarnation and reinvention.
Only Christianity sets the future on a linear plane and points to a glorious conclusion.
Christianity teaches that our future will be so glorious and complete, in fact, that whatever we go through in this life cannot even be compared to is as far as it's value and importance.
We all know that when a person has lost only one of his senses, his life is changed dramatically. Imagine having thousands of senses! Imagine seeing millions of colors and having your taste sensation multiplied exponentially! The Bible seems to imply that this is what we will experience in our future.
I think of the words of C.S. Lewis as he reflects on what all of us will one day be:
Remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you may talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare. (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).
Think of it like this- our future glory will be so overwhelming that comparing our present self to our future self is a little like comparing a tomato or squash to our present self.
The apostle Paul put it like this in Romans 8:18:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
These are the important Biblical truths that every Christian has access to- the worst things in this life Christ will use for good- the truly good things can never be taken away- and the very best in this life is yet to come!
Monday, September 15, 2008
india burning
If you think Islam is the biggest offender of religious liberty around the world- you are mostly right. In India, Hindu radicals are now making a run for that ominous distinction. The next time you hear a Hollywood celebrity talk about the acceptance and tolerance of Eastern "New Age" religions, think about how Hindus are treating Christians in "modern" India. (Read the documentation of the persecution here).
Over the past few weeks, while we here in America have been consumed with elections and hurricanes, churches in India have been burned to the ground and Christians thrown into prison, beaten, persecuted and in some cases brutally killed. One of our church planters from India recently learned that his elderly mother has been arrested by the Hindu thugs. Her crime is that she runs a Christian Orphanage that takes care of over 1,000 children.
Last Friday I received the following email from my good friend Lars Dunberg, whose organization Global Action we are partnering with to build an orphanage in Motipur. You may remember that Michael Butler and I traveled to Orissa last year to help lead a conference for young Christian leaders. That part of India is now especially out of control:
Twenty fifth August 2008 has become one of the saddest days in the history of Orissa as the angry mob attacked Christian Churches, Institutions, burned houses to ashes, beaten and even killed a number of pastors, missionaries and believers. 4014 houses burnt in 300 villages displacing more than 50,000 people, 2 pastors killed, 6 priests severely injured, 1 Nun gang raped, 2 ladies burnt alive, 24 other Christians killed and many injured. The young pastor of the church in Tatamaha was brutally killed. The mob dragged his dead body and thrown it in the field by the road-side. His wife and two-year old daughter are missing. At Sankarakhol, the pastor was asked to deny Jesus, as he refused to deny Him they cut his throat and killed him. His house and the church destroyed.
The village of one of our students was attacked by the mob. Church building and Houses were destroyed and burned. Three people were killed in this village. The believers are still hiding in forest. In Gajapati, about fifteen villages have been attacked. Churches and houses burned, destroyed and looted. Another one of our students said, ‘Two men were killed; one of them was burnt alive. People are still in jungle as some of these villages have been attacked for the second time."
Another student serves as a pastor with Bible Fellowship Church. About 70 people came and ransacked his house and destroyed it. He, his wife and their two little children ran for their life and escaped. Meanwhile the mob looted his house and another student, being unaware of what has happened, came across the mob as he was riding his bicycle on his way to conduct worship service at a house church four kilometers away from Khurda district head quarters. He thought some accident might have taken place, so the people have gathered. But when he came nearer to them one from the mob said this fellow is a Christian, catch him. The mob got hold of him, beaten him badly, poured diesel on him to burn him alive. But something unusual happened, none of the match-sticks lit up. By the time police came and he was rescued. Even our own office was not spared. The mob managed to take about eight cartons of books, dumped those in front of our gate, poured petrol over them and burned them."
The church here in America needs to pray for India. The church here needs to pay attention. We need to get the word out about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in this part of the world.
Spread the word.
Indian churches are burning.
Over the past few weeks, while we here in America have been consumed with elections and hurricanes, churches in India have been burned to the ground and Christians thrown into prison, beaten, persecuted and in some cases brutally killed. One of our church planters from India recently learned that his elderly mother has been arrested by the Hindu thugs. Her crime is that she runs a Christian Orphanage that takes care of over 1,000 children.
Last Friday I received the following email from my good friend Lars Dunberg, whose organization Global Action we are partnering with to build an orphanage in Motipur. You may remember that Michael Butler and I traveled to Orissa last year to help lead a conference for young Christian leaders. That part of India is now especially out of control:
Twenty fifth August 2008 has become one of the saddest days in the history of Orissa as the angry mob attacked Christian Churches, Institutions, burned houses to ashes, beaten and even killed a number of pastors, missionaries and believers. 4014 houses burnt in 300 villages displacing more than 50,000 people, 2 pastors killed, 6 priests severely injured, 1 Nun gang raped, 2 ladies burnt alive, 24 other Christians killed and many injured. The young pastor of the church in Tatamaha was brutally killed. The mob dragged his dead body and thrown it in the field by the road-side. His wife and two-year old daughter are missing. At Sankarakhol, the pastor was asked to deny Jesus, as he refused to deny Him they cut his throat and killed him. His house and the church destroyed.
The village of one of our students was attacked by the mob. Church building and Houses were destroyed and burned. Three people were killed in this village. The believers are still hiding in forest. In Gajapati, about fifteen villages have been attacked. Churches and houses burned, destroyed and looted. Another one of our students said, ‘Two men were killed; one of them was burnt alive. People are still in jungle as some of these villages have been attacked for the second time."
Another student serves as a pastor with Bible Fellowship Church. About 70 people came and ransacked his house and destroyed it. He, his wife and their two little children ran for their life and escaped. Meanwhile the mob looted his house and another student, being unaware of what has happened, came across the mob as he was riding his bicycle on his way to conduct worship service at a house church four kilometers away from Khurda district head quarters. He thought some accident might have taken place, so the people have gathered. But when he came nearer to them one from the mob said this fellow is a Christian, catch him. The mob got hold of him, beaten him badly, poured diesel on him to burn him alive. But something unusual happened, none of the match-sticks lit up. By the time police came and he was rescued. Even our own office was not spared. The mob managed to take about eight cartons of books, dumped those in front of our gate, poured petrol over them and burned them."
The church here in America needs to pray for India. The church here needs to pay attention. We need to get the word out about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in this part of the world.
Spread the word.
Indian churches are burning.
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