Return to Candidate School

By: Kristen Kelley

The truth? Last year, I sat at missionary candidate school and I cried as I asked my husband, “Can we really do this?  Can we really do this to our kids?”  You see, deputation can be a daunting task.  Missions conferences all over the U.S., late nights, long drives, strange beds...

Yesterday afternoon, I found myself at BIMI’s headquarters, sitting in the same exact bedroom we had last year.  I’ve often thought about the 2017 training session where Mrs. Snyder had all the second-year candidate school ladies share lessons and blessings from THEIR first year of deputation . . . Now, here I am, myself.  We’ve only been “full time” since January, but oh how our lives have changed since this time last summer! 

What would I say to those following along behind us?  What would I share with the missionary mamas who are just about to embark on this deputation journey?

There will be “fewer” – fewer movies and TV shows, fewer possessions that you feel are “must haves”, fewer evenings alone with your husband . . . But there will be “more” too – more restaurants, more opportunities for creative romance, more road trip photos, more friends than you’ve ever had before, more preaching from God’s Word . . . Don’t be afraid to embrace the changes!

Psalm 65:11 “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness. . .”

You’re going to swap overwhelming “Mommy tasks”.  Piles of dishes and meals to prepare will turn into packing, unpacking, and re-packing, and organizing things to occupy your children in the car for hours on end.

Psalm 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Education for the children will switch from “at the kitchen table” to clipboards, and missionary encounters, and totally awesome field trips along the way.

Deuteronomy 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Be prepared for days you want to jump out of the van and leave your husband behind - LOL, and moments when you realize you’ve never been closer together as a family in your life. God’s blessings are always there if you look for them. 

Psalm 26:3 “For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes . . .”

Open your heart to love and be loved by ladies in churches all across America.  Open your heart to love and be loved by fellow missionary wives all over the globe.

Psalm 26:12 “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.”

Psalm 122:1 “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

Don’t let your guard down in thinking that 15 or 20 “church days” in a month is “sufficient” or “enough” – You’re going to need your PERSONAL time with the Lord like never before.  You’re going to need some special-to-you deputation verses to cling to, as well.  God is the Only One Who can see you through this journey!

Psalm 119:2 “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”

It is vital that you “love on” your children daily – hugs, snuggles, books, audio adventures, art projects (even in hotel rooms), puppets, funny songs in the car . . .

Genesis 33:5 “. . . And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.”

Be ready to use some God-given creativity.  You may be making peanut butter sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls, when the sliced bread is running low.  You may be laying your kiddos crossways in order to fit three to a bed, or placing a sleeping bag on top of a deflated air mattress for added cushioning.  Make sure you have plenty of Bible songs, and coloring sheets, and washable crayons in your “back pocket”.  Ask the Lord to help you be flexible!  

Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.”

Your children are going to love it more than you ever thought they would!  Sure, they’re going to have days when they admit, “I want to go home!”  You are too!  But most of the time they’re going to be begging to be the next one to push the elevator button, and asking if they can have waffles at the continental breakfast.  They’re going to be excited to sit beside the pastor’s wife at the missions banquet, and inviting other children to look at their display table.  They’re going to be telling others about cool places they’ve visited, and requesting to see your hostess’ talking parrot as soon as they wake up in the morning. Deputation can be a childhood adventure they’ll never forget!

Isaiah 54:13 “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD;and great shall be the peace of thy children.”

God can take care of any and every financial difficulty you’ll face.  You can truly leave every need and every want in His care. You might be running low on gasoline or “Goldfish” crackers, needing a date night with your husband, worrying about how worn your girls’ church shoes are, or thinking how pleasant it would be for them to have a new book to read or a doll to share this journey with them, and the Lord will suddenly provide! Sometimes from a corner you never would have expected . . . When you’re doing God’s will, He truly DOES take care of you! He shows Himself FAITHFUL – again, and again, and again, and again . . .

Matthew 6:32 “ . . . for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

Are you about to “step out by faith”, as they say? Is the “road to missions” laying before you?  Rest assured that the Lord is by your side!

Psalm 121:8 “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

May the Lord bless you, Dear Ladies, as you seek to serve Him with your lives!

iProtest Part Seven

by Daniel Brown

The Conclusion

These are some principles that I believe should be, at the very least, considered before we stand-in, sit-in, walk-out, or take part in any protest.

The more I hear of Christians “standing-up” for their “rights”, the more I am convinced that we have completely lost sight of what it means to be a Christ-follower. Paul admonished the Ephesian believers, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:1,2). The phrase “followers of God” literally means, “mimickers”. We are to mimic or imitate, not just the actions, but the entire lifestyle of Jesus Christ. We are to be Christ-like.

Often, in the name of Christianity, we strive for public admiration, yet Jesus Christ “made himself of no reputation.” We demand to be seen and recognized, but our King “took upon him the form of a servant”. We challenge and even defy the God-given authorities in our lives, demanding our “rights”, yet the Sovereign Lord “became obedient”. Imagine this! The one who is “the life”, and the giver of life, willingly became “obedient unto death” Philippians 2:5-8). Does there not seem to be a disconnect between the Christian and his Christ?

In her book Have We No Rights?: A frank discussion on the ‘rights’ of missionaries, Mabel Williamson recalls hearing a Chinese missionary speak from his heart. “You know…” he said, “there’s a great deal of difference between eating bitterness [Chinese idiom for ‘suffering hardship] and eating loss [Chinese idiom for ‘suffering the infringement of one’s rights’].” He spoke of the adventurous experience of what some call “suffering” in missionary work. The relinquishing of daily comforts, to live a rugged lifestyle, all for the noble cause of rescuing some perishing folk; what Christian couldn’t find some enjoyment in that? He continued, “Eating bitterness’ is easy enough…that’s a thrill…another thing, however—another thing that I had never thought about came up to make trouble. I had to ‘eat loss’! I found that I couldn’t stand up for my rights— that I couldn’t even have any rights. I found that I had to give them up, every one, and that was the hardest thing of all.” Mabel Williamson expounded on this wise missionary’s words, “The missionary has to give up having his own way. He has to give up having any rights. He has, in the words of Jesus, to ‘deny himself’. He just has to give up himself.”

Why is it, that a foreign missionary must “give up himself”, but a child of God who is supposedly living the same Christian life at home must not? An attachment to this world, and in particular to the freedom of this country, has quite duped the western believer into thinking that he must fight for his “rights” at all costs. It would behoove us to remember, that our Christian brothers and sisters in other, less fortunate nations know nothing of the civil liberties we hold so dearly; yet, somehow, they remain faithful to preach Christ in their corners of the world. I think they would be confounded to discover how much time, energy, finances, and how many moral “exceptions” believers are making to protect those liberties.

Oh Christians! By all means, vote when it is time to vote! When the opportunity avails itself, speak out in favor of biblical moral principles. Make use of every means possible to advance any righteous cause, when it is, in fact, biblically right. Pray, as we are commanded to: For kings, and for all that are in authority. However, never forget to which King and country you belong. May our earthly public service be always secondary, in means, method and message, to our heavenly.

This has been the final part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

iProtest Part Six

by Daniel Brown

The Cure

“We are not going to move this world by the criticism of it, nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.” - Vance Havner

So, what do we do? Should we just sit on our hands? Should we say nothing? Should we do nothing while lives are being taken, people are being abused, and injustice is pervading every aspect of our society? Absolutely not! Why do we feel that the answer can only be found in the extremes? We are required by God to make a difference. It is our Christian duty, not to protest, but to proclaim. There is a difference. While demonstrations, adhering to the aforementioned criteria, are permissible, they are ultimately useless unless the Lord Jesus Christ is being preached to those on both sides of the issue.

The abominable preaching of “replacement theology” (the teaching that Israel, and the subsequent promises to Israel in the scriptures can be replaced with the church, a country, or any other entity) in our churches has raised a society to believe that we can somehow make this world “Christian”. This is not scriptural, and it is not God’s will. The world will not evolve into something better, or more Christ-like, when we protest and hold public demonstrations. To be sure, decisions will be made that may fix one problem, all the while making way for yet another. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warned Timothy that the “last days” would be “perilous times” (dangerous). He said that things would get “worse and worse”, not increasingly better. Away with the idea that we can Christianize the nation through policies, politics, and protests.

How do we do “fix” this? What is the cure? It is very complex and very simple at the same time. The cure to the violence issue, the cure to racial discrimination, the cure to drugs, the cure to sexual abuse, and the cure to any other problem which is rooted in sin, is the preaching of the gospel. This was for Christ, complex. In fact, it was brutal. For us, it is simple. He had to come to earth and lay aside his glory to perish for the debt of unworthy sinners. We must simply repent and believe the gospel. Our mission is simply to proclaim salvation in His name.

No; preaching the gospel will not prevent all future mass murderers from killing people, but neither will restricting the rights of gun owners. Preaching the gospel will not prevent all mothers from aborting their unborn children, but neither will political policies. The best that a policy can do is to make someone’s world a better place from which he will go to Hell. This sounds harsh, but it is true. The preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ however, can change that same person’s eternal destination. Subsequently, the clear proclamation of the gospel of Christ dramatically improves that person’s “world”, and that of those around him.

Our responsibility is not to make the world a better place from which to go to hell. It is to simply, with words and actions, preach Jesus Christ. How much more effective would our demonstrations be, if we used them as opportunities to challenge our fellow-protesters to search the Scriptures? How much more powerful would the difference be in our communities, if we would use the evil in the world as an opportunity to speak of our own sinful nature, and need for redemption through Jesus Christ?

It is the height of hypocrisy, and it is the cruelest of treatment to publicly give our voice to promote a social cause, if we are not using that same platform to preach Jesus Christ.

This has been the sixth part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

How Can a Christian Make Sense of Personal Tragedy?

By Steve Schramm

It was September 11, 2001.

This was a day filled with tragedy. For many, this was a day filled with very personal tragedy. In fact, as I was looking through the bookstore the other day, I came across a book called Let’s Roll, which many know is the story of Todd Beamer.

Todd was a heroic passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 which was hijacked on that fateful day. He led the charge against the hijackers on his flight, leading the plane to crash into a small field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania instead of its intended target–thought to be eithher the White House or the U.S. Capitol Buiding.

 For a long time, it was hard to pass a car that did not boast a sticker saying, “9/11 We will never forget.”

 At only 12 years old, this was an event full of tragedy for me as well–but if I’m being honest, my age hindered me from feeling the full weight of it.

 September 11, 2001, however, was a day of personal tragedy for me, but for a different reason.

 It was the day we buried my father after a struggle with Leukemia and eventually, due to his weakened immune system, Pneumonia, which took his life.

 As we rode to the graveside burial, listening to the news reports of the ensuing events, my mind and heart were racing. It was hard to know what to make of it.

 As I look back on that day now, I can so clearly remember all of the events. I cannot remember a THING about the day before or the day after. But I could walk you through the events of that day as if it had happened only hours ago.

 Personal tragedies are hard to forget. They strike us at the very core of our being. They cause us to pause and ask deep questions about ourselves. They cause us to re-evaluate life. They cause us to question our fundamental beliefs.

 Personal tragedy, in the Christian life, is no real mystery. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”

 You see, he knew how easy it was for a person to question God in their trials. If we’re honest, many of us DO think it’s strange when something bad happens!

 We’re Christians, right? Doesn’t that mean we get to take the easy route? Doesn’t that mean “all things work together for good to them that love God?” Doesn’t that mean God “knows the plans He has for us?…thoughts of peace, and not of evil?”

 When people use these verses, they terribly misuse the context–usually, they just remove it all together and take the verse to mean what best suits their situation.

 Paul wrote to Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” All means ALL. There is a cost associated with living godly.

 But, let’s finish the Apostle Peter’s thought from above: “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

 Rejoice?! In suffering?! That’s what it means to be a Christian.

Story after story can be read about Christians enduring suffering and persecution. Not only for their beliefs, but in the usual aspects of life and family which affect everyone.

The difference is that we have “not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

 Jesus Christ knows what it means to endure hardship and persecution. God is not removed from our trials. Rather, He has already been there and endured them! Jesus bore our burden of sin.

 There is no trial weightier than that.

 Practically speaking, how do we make sense of personal tragedy? How do we learn to rejoice as partakers of Christ’s suffering? How can we give answers to others when they ask how a loving God could be “okay” with such an evil world?

 Here are four, Biblically-motivated thoughts:

1. A Fair Discussion

James 1:2-4–“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

 Importantly, we must approach a subject such as this with the utmost humility.

It’s easy to look at someone going through a trial and respond in a pompous manner. I’ve been guilty of this. The Bible teaches pretty clearly about suffering, but we must remember that everyone is unique, and it’s not so easy to identify with others experiencing personal tragedy.

 The point I want to make is that it is fair to ask God “why” when you don’t understand.

 Those who say it is unethical and sinful to question God have not taken away anything meaningful from studying the Book of Job or the writings of Paul.

In his darkest hours, Job asked in pain and agony, “Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?” Job asks a fair question. If we remove the obvious emotional nature of these questions and ask them from a purely logical perspective, are they not warranted? 

Job, unable to see God’s purpose in allowing such pain, is simply asking why God didn’t just allow him to die when he was born. It’s fair. If life is going to full of pain and agony, why not just die? Job later observed, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”

 Paul reports to us that he pleaded with God three times for the removal of his “thorn.” Continually, God simply said no.

If we take nothing else from these stories, let us agree and conclude that this is certainly a fair discussion to have. It’s okay for people to wonder why God could allow personal tragedy. What a disservice we do to those who ask when we reply with unthoughtful rhetoric.

 “God has a plan.” Certainly so. However, and especially in the life of a new Christian, this plan is not so easy to recognize. We must encourage those experiencing personal tragedy to have faith and to trust in God, but it must also be done within its Scriptural context.

 Even taking a few moments to go through the actual Bible with someone and recount the experiences of those before us may be enough. The Holy Spirit can do His comforting work unhindered, but He always works within the context of the revealed Word of God.

 It’s important to remember that “all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

2. Biblically Speaking

Hebrews 4:15–“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Pain and suffering are not abstract concepts in God’s Word. They are very real.

The Bible is, of course, an accurate picture of the way the world actually is. As we’ve written before, a fundamental requirement for a coherent worldview (especially concerning any religious motivation) is that it must match the reality of our daily experience.

The Bible is an incredible book. It meets us where we are. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Bible exists to teach us about God. But it also exists to teach us about ourselves. See, the Bible is able to reveal things about ourselves that we could not know otherwise.

 For example, even if the first time you realized you were a sinner was because you heard a preacher preach, he was preaching the Word of God! And that’s how he found out that he was a sinner!

Therefore, suffering in the life of a Christian MUST be examined in the context of God’s Word.

It’s not just that God has a purpose and a plan for your life. It’s that He has ordered the entire world to operate in such a way, and is able to use things that are not His will to accomplish His will (more on that in a moment).

But there is another step. 

Just as suffering and personal tragedy must be examined in the context of the Bible, it must also be examined in the context of eternity. Here is what the Apostle Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Paul is making a remarkable statement. Because we are children of God, Paul reckons (i.e., concludes) that our suffering has so little worth in light of eternity that not even a comparison should be drawn between it and the glory that will, one day, be revealed in us.

In short, Biblically speaking, we can make sense of personal tragedy because it does not define us. Our lives are not the sum of our multiplied tragedies. Our lives today ought not to be compared with what they one day will be.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

We can expect personal tragedy. But in and through Christ, we can also expect to overcome it.

3. A Purpose in the Pain

Proverbs 16:9—”A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

Thus far we have briefly mentioned abstract concepts such as “God’s purpose” and “God’s plan” all while making the case that pain and suffering is not an abstract concept, Biblically speaking.

The thing we must come to terms with is that, if Christianity is indeed a picture of reality, then we have some major emotional difficulties to work through.

 Not the least of these is the sin of humanity.

 When we (human-kind) wonder what is wrong and broken in the world, our minds often drift to various places. Atheists blame religion (many blame Christianity in particular). Religionists blame atheists and other religionists.

Many would like to be able to blame other humans, but cannot because it would mean conceding that there are objective moral obligations and duties. Everyone is surrounded by utter absurdity trying to make sense of the pain and suffering in the world. 

But not the Christian. The Christian worldview alone provides a basis for these propensities and thoroughly explains why we have them and what can be done about them.

What we’re left with is a world that is broken because of the very thing that allows us freedom and life: choice.

God gave us (humanity as a whole) a choice in the garden of Eden. We told God that there was something more important to us than Him–ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

This is fundamentally true and can be seen in the first chapters of the Bible. Pride and a haughty spirit came before the destruction and fall of man.

But, according to our Bible, God is a good and loving God–despite the fact that we often experience personal tragedy. He doesn’t desire that any go to Hell (2 Peter 3:9), and yet, gives us the right to choose Him out of love. It is because of that choice that we must deal with pain and suffering. Can God work out this paradox in our lives?

 He can–something we see clearly in the story of Joseph.

It’s a familiar story—Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Joseph spends some time prison and has a few mishaps, but ends up becoming “Vice-Pharaoh” if you will—the second in command of Egypt. When his brothers come to Egypt seeking for food during the famine, Joseph messes with them a bit before revealing his identity.

 He then says these words, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20). 

These are, in my estimation, some of the most comforting words in the Bible. Knowing that God can use ANY circumstance in my life is an incredible thought. And, looking back on my life, I have seen it to be true! I’ve seen God use tragedy in my life to do great things. I’ve seen God restore broken relationships. I’ve seen His will revealed in my life through what otherwise would have been meaningless sorrow.

While I do not believe it is a thoughtful enough to respond to a hurting person by simply saying “God has a plan,” we can certainly comfort in the fact that we know it’s true. Over and over again we’ve seen God do the impossible—both in our lives and in His revealed Word. He can do it again! All He requires on our part is faithfulness to Him and trust in Him.

 He can and will do amazing things in your life—through any circumstance. In return, He asks for your full heart and a consecrated life. He gave His for us—how much more willing should we be to do the same for Him?

4. Expressing Thanks

Ephesians 5:20—”Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

On a recent Sunday School trip to Northern Kentucky, one of the young preachers from our church gave a succinct—and very powerful—devotion.

To paraphrase, he said, “We must not only thank God in all things, and with all that we have, but also we must thank him for all things—this is the hardest to do.”

And He’s right!

 The above verse is true of any circumstance. Somehow, we ought to find it within ourselves to be thankful to God for everything that has happened in our lives. Somehow, I am to be thankful that my father died when I was only 12 years old.

Somehow, those families with children that have cancer are to be thankful to God for it. Somehow, the Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas is to be thankful that a man tore into his church building with a gun and murdered 27 faithful church members—including his own 14-year-old daughter.

My heart—and probably yours too, if you’re honest—rebels vehemently against this admonition. This is probably why Jeremiah describes our heart as being “desperately wicked”—because it refuses, in and of itself, to be thankful to God when it feels violated. 

But Colossians 3:15 may give us a clue as to how we can come to terms with this in our own lives—”And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

The verse ends by telling us to be thankful. But, it lays out a prerequisite—“let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Are we doing that today? Consider that a question for personal reflection. Does the peace of God really rule in our hearts? Do we rest and take confidence in God in our daily walk with Him, or do we constantly try to solve our own problems?

How we answer that question may give us a clue as to how we’ll react in a time of tragedy. If we’re used to taking our own problems to task, we will probably just turn to our old ways during tragic times and try to figure it all out on our own. But if the peace of God rules in our hearts, that undoubtedly (and quite literally) means that there is no higher feeling in our hearts than God’s peace. And—what can possibly trump that?

Remember—God gives us peace that “passeth all understanding.” And that peace “shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” What a promise! The Scriptures, then, seem to be saying that in order to be thankful for all things, God’s peace—which passes all of our human understanding—must rule in our hearts. Only then can we express the level of thankfulness God requires in our lives.

But the verse in Colossians places a very important condition on this—“to which also ye are called in one body.” That means a true Christian is the only one will have his part in this experience. While my intent is not to make you doubt, perhaps, if you have no peace in your heart, it is because you do not have Him in your heart?

It is good to take account of ourselves—“examine ourselves”—to use the Apostle Paul’s phraseology. Peace is also one of the fruits of the Spirit. A life without God’s peace simply cannot be thankful to God for all things. This is a true test of faith in God. While there is no expectation of you to do this with ease, it is something a child of God will naturally do.

 True Christians run to God in the midst of trouble. False professors run away.

To finish out that thought, notice Galatians 4:6—”And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” “Abba” literally means “papa.” It speaks to a deep relationship—not the “Lord to servant” relationship but the “Father to son” relationship. If, in our sorrows, we turn to the One whom we know to be faithful and true instead of running from Him, then indeed, we know we are sons.

 What peace could be greater than knowing you are a son of God?

It’s amazing, really, what God has done for us. He has given us everything. As the song says, “How deep the Father’s love for us…that He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure!”

How can we not be thankful for giving us the ultimate peace in spite of our pain—freedom from the greatest tragedy—a life in the bondage of sin and an eternity spent in hell?

For those of who have been born again, we have already been rescued from it. And though that in itself may be hard to make sense of, I’m glad we have a “more sure Word of Prophecy”—God’s Word—that has stood the test of time and eternity.

 How do we make sense, ultimately, of personal tragedy? By letting the peace of God rule in our hearts, as His children, and by giving thanks for all things unto Him.

(This article originally appeared on www.steveschramm.com)

iProtest Part Five

By Daniel Brown

The Conduct

We must not allow our emotions, or our “conscience” to be our guide. We must surrender our opinions to the Word of God, and when we find that our argumentation is truly in line with the Bible, we must allow the Bible to interpret how we express it.

This is the “How?” question, being brought into perspective. We cannot speak of the Christian’s involvement in debate, without addressing Christian conduct. Setting aside the groups we choose to associate with, and assuming that we have actually unearthed a truly righteous cause, expressing ourselves in a Christ-like manner must be at the peak of our priorities.

Not all protests are necessarily evil. Surely, there must be social or political causes worth joining. If we can manage to align ourselves with biblical agendas and those who are not in obvious opposition to biblical truth; if we can find a way to get the message across so as not to hurt the name of Jesus Christ, or hinder the unsaved from coming to Christ, we are obligated to do everything in our power to help.

The typical protest however, is neither the place for a Christian, nor is it the practice of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Screaming, cursing, chanting rude phrases, damaging property, not listening attentively to the argument of our opposition, assaulting other people; these are the practices of many (not all) protests. Even the “peaceful” protests of our day, undermine Biblical principles. The recent protests against alleged police brutality are a perfect example of this. Even those that were not described as “violent”, were very disrespectful to established authority. The Bible is very clear, that God is the Establisher of government. The true Church of Jesus Christ has never rioted, nor has she taken up arms to oppose the government in order to promote Christianity. Remember, our cause is not political, but ultimately spiritual. The Lord Jesus Christ himself rebuked his apostle Peter for using the sword to “advance his kingdom”. He is building a church, not an earthly kingdom. Therefore, He advances His Cause through the preached Word of God, not political resistance. Even under great persecution, believers have stood with God’s Word, but “submitted themselves to every ordinance of man” (1 Peter 2:13).

We must not forget that the most noble of intentions do not justify the setting forth of principles that oppose biblical truth. Staging a “walkout” at a work-place, in a school, or in any other civil environment does not seem to be consistent with the Biblical values of respecting authority. The parent who seeks to raise his children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), would never permit such behavior at home. When the children feel that they have been unjustly treated, are they permitted to simply “walk-out”? It seems to be the equivalent of a “grown-up” tirade. If discipline is required to keep a young child from collapsing on the floor into a fit of screaming and crying, because he does not get his way, why would we effectively do the same thing in a more “civilized” manner? We do this, because we have justified our own tirades. Christian employees have joined strikes, and have vocally disrespected the authority of their God-given places of employment. Unions are filled with believers who, for more money, are willing to take part in any number of disrespectful displays of disapproval. Even our harsh criticisms of government authorities, regardless of what they may promote, often violate Christian conduct (Read Ephesians 5-6; 1 Peter 2; Colossians 3)

We are forced to consider what affect this will have on future generations. What of the effect it will have on our children’s view of the local church? Should we “walk out”, or stand in protest when we disagree with the Pastor, or another church leader? Where there is no respect for authority, there will eventually be no fixed authority. Every man will do that which is right in his own eyes. This is normal; even expected in the world. This is how the unregenerate world-system functions. He has no regard for God’s Word, for He does not know God. However, we are not speaking to the world. We are addressing believers. Our connection to Jesus Christ demands a dramatically different conduct than that of the world.

How can I get the point across in a way that is respectful, and does not encourage disobedience to the principles of Scripture? If I am to participate in a protest, is it to be performed in such a way as to adhere to company, school, and civil policy? Have I followed the principles of Matthew 18 to resolve the conflict: Attempting to first handle it privately, then in the presence of two or three witnesses, and finally, as a last resort, publicly?

This has been the fifth part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

The Lord and the Crockpot

By Jason Tsaddiq

“Good morning, Lord; I’ll be right there.”

After I showered and made myself somewhat presentable to other humans, I met the Lord in the kitchen as I poured the cure-all for all that ails mankind into my favorite mug and began to stroll back into the living room to “officially’’ begin my day with reading His word and having a full conversation with Him. However, He didn’t follow me into the living room.

“Um, Lord?”

“I think we’ll stay here in the kitchen this morning. Don’t you have supper to prepare?”

“Oh, dear! I forgot to plan supper. And I’ve got to teach all day. Wonder what’s in the fridge?”

“Well, let’s look. Oh, what in the world is this?”

“Oh. Well, Lord…. It’s like this…..um.”

“Yes, I see. It’s something that needs to be discarded into the trash immediately, isn’t it, My child?”

“Yes, Lord; You’re right.”

“Okay, now that the odor is out, let’s find something profitable to prepare for your family. Ahh, carrots and celery. Here, lay those on the counter. Prepare a cutting board and a knife and I’ll get out the crock pot.”

“Carrots and celery? I was hoping for prime rib, Lord.”

I thought I heard Him snicker. “You’re not on Bill Gates’ budget; you teach at a Christian school, remember?”

As we worked side by side, we chatted – about my family and their needs and desires, about the neighbor lady who is struggling, and of course, the preacher and his family. 

“Argh! I cut my finger with this knife! Great! Now I’m bleeding all over this carrot. Where’s a clean dish towel when ya need one?”

“My child, be still. Does panic actually help the problem?”

“No. You’re right, Lord. I’ll stand still and watch you heal this and then I’ll rinse off the carrot. Uh…hmmm….a bandaid?  Th..tha…that’s ..that’s all you’re going to do? Your Word tells that You healed a gazillon people; why aren’t you healing this cut? Lord, You’ve raised the dead, made the blind see, and the lame walk. Why can’t you heal this little ol’ cut?”

“Not all my children have the same needs. You, Dear, need to be hindered today. You need to be aware of a particular fault in your humanness. If you waltz through your day with nary a care, you’ll forget Me; won’t you?”

I nodded in agreement, head bowed, tears threatening.

“Ok. Now for the onion. Please, My daughter, grab us an onion.”

“Oh, no, Lord. My family doesn’t like onion. They’re pretty picky and all.”

“But I know what is best for you and your family. Now we can stand here and argue, not getting My will accomplished or you can just find an onion for the pot. 

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Let’s look through the cabinet and see what other items will be good for this soup. Ahh, yes. Just what I was looking for. Your face shows Me that you disapprove of this item too?”

“Um, well. I don’t really see how that flavor is going to mix well with the others. I guess we’ll try it Your way.” I tried not to roll my eyes in front of the One Who sees all.

“Now, the vegetables are in the crockpot. Where are your seasonings and spices?”

“Uh, well, Lord, that cabinet’s rather messy and disorganized. Let’s just skip the seasonings and um, well, ya know, like they say on the Food Network, ‘let the flavors marry.’”

“The spice cabinet, please.”

“Yes, Lord,” as I cautiously, ever-so-slightly opened the door, knowing what would happen. 

It did. Garlic, onion powder, parsley, basil, poppy seeds, mustard seeds – all tumbled out, spreading themselves on the counter and some even bouncing onto the floor.

“Hmmm. Not all of your kitchen is in order, is it? Is there a reason?”

I hesitated, full knowing that He knew my thoughts and intents.

“Well, Lord, I just get busy sometimes and I let some things go; I can’t do everything, ya know, right? I’m only human.”

“Who has asked you to do everything? Who has given you your to-do list?”

“Well, I saw on Pinterest all these cute little things I could do to re-decorate the bathroom and I’ve been overwhelmed with all that and work and family stuff and church stuff.”

“Didn’t I ask you to organize the kitchen the last time we met? I didn’t need your bathroom re-decorated. Why did you choose that chore instead of the chore I asked of you?”

“Lord, I just thought….”

“’You just thought’? Are your thoughts and plans better than mine?”

Ashamed at my disobedience, I bowed my head.

“Now, please add a little salt.”

“Salt? But Lord, salt stings.”

“Yes, I know. Now some pepper.”

“Pepper? But my family doesn’t… Oh, never mind.”

“Now the parsley.”

“Lord, You know all things but parsley sticks in my teeth and I have to stand in front of students and it’s quite embarrassing to have little green flecks stuck in your teeth. Could we use something different?”

“You’re embarrassed about little green flecks? Have you heard about My children who are being persecuted because they claim My name and you’re worried about little green flecks? Do you want to put it in or should I?”

“Oh, no, Lord; I’ll submit.”

“Let’s turn on the pot and go about My business for the day.”

“Are you sure this crock pot won’t catch the house on fire while I’m gone all day?”

“Who made the metal that makes this crockpot? Who made the materials to build this house? Who made you healthy enough to earn money to purchase this house?”

He paused. “And don’t you think it could catch on fire when you’re here? Does your presence protect this house or does Mine?”

I was catching on. Somewhat. I should just do what He says to do.

We drove to school, singing His praises to the radio. Well, I tried to sing and He just listened with a “That’s nice, little girl” look on His face. I was honored though; He could’ve been listening to Ray and Ann Gibbs or a Scovill or Dr. Beal or Mina Oglesby but He was listening to little ol’ me.

I scurried to gather my briefcase and other supplies and rushed to my first hour class, still wondering about the crock pot. How was the soup going to taste, especially with that ingredient of which I didn’t approve?

“Oh, no, Lord; we didn’t put in any meat. The kids need protein for their growing bodies. Oh, the whole meal is ruined!”

“Meat? You want meat? ‘My meat is to do….’” He left the sentence undone. I knew what He was saying: “Do My business and your life will be just fine.”

Teaching is exhilarating. Exhausting, but exhilarating. Except for that one student. He knows everything; at least, he thinks he knows everything. 

Out loud, I said, “Now, a gerund is a verb-looking critter acting as a noun.” Inside, I said, “Lord, he’s raised his hand again. This is the fourth time just this hour. Will You protect me from a law suit if I don’t answer him every. single. time. he raises his hand?”

“Don’t I answer you every. single. time. you raise your hand?”

Out loud, I said, “Franklin, do you have a question? I’m ready to answer it now.”

The day hastened by: busy, busy, busy – answering questions, helping with make-up work for previously absent students, a speech recital practice, a conversation with a colleague – all the while, I was thinking, “Vegetables and salt and pepper and low heat all day? Oh, and that parsley?! I might as well stop by Bojangles on the way home ‘cuz there’s no way that crockpot meal is going to be satisfying.”

And the One Who knows my thoughts simply asked, “Are you trusting me?”

The school day was over and my weary mind was glad! My hungry body was nervous: was supper coming from Bojangles or from the crockpot? Was I going to be fed from His recipe or from mine? Yes, the choice was mine. The power was His.

As I walked into my house, the heavenly aroma of an already-prepared feast awaited me. Oh, the lessons I had learned: God doesn’t need to meet me at the couch to fulfill my needs; He can meet me anywhere, even in the kitchen.  My time with Him must begin with removing the moldy, old sin that’s been hiding in plain sight. He works with each of His children on their level to meet their individual needs. I must obey His commands for future projects to be accomplished smoothly. Embarrassment is nothing when compared to doing His will. And probably the most important lesson: “All things work together for good to them who love God.”

iProtest, Part Four

By: Daniel Brown

The Consistency

One of Jesus Christ’s greatest criticisms of the Pharisees was their hypocrisy. In fact, the words “Pharisee” and “Hypocrite” are now used synonymously. He said of Pharisees, “they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men:” (Matthew 23:4,5). He was teaching that the Pharisees, for their own personal gain, and to be seen of men would teach one thing, while ignoring another that might inconvenience them. Much debate today is like the reasoning of the Pharisees. We are all too concerned about advancing our agenda, but not so concerned with challenging the consistency of our arguments.

Although we have defined our terms, and chosen our sides, it is often a human failure to accuse without considering the consistency of the present argument with other major issues. In the gun control debate, the lives of the “innocent” are being threatened, and therefore must be protected at all cost. What seems to be a contradiction, or at least an inconsistency, is that the very ones lifting their voices for the cause of “safety” and “security”, have not so much as given a grunt in opposition to those organizations who have taken the truly innocent lives of unborn babies through the brutal act of abortion. We are speaking of Christians, not of the world.

Today, even in many Christian circles, the mention of an “Abortion” protest elicits criticism. The eyes roll, and the sarcastic comments of “extremism” or “fundamentalists” come pouring out. We know it is wrong to abort babies, but we would never hold up a sign, or march in front of an abortion clinic. After all, there are other ways to get your message out there than to have a “shouting match” with Planned Parenthood. Right?

Although it is a truly life- and culture-altering moral issue, opposing abortion is, however, still only dealing with the “here and now”. Even more disconcerting than our inconsistency in moral issues, is the Christian’s obsession with the physical threats being posed, real or imagined, while ignoring the impending eternal threat which the unregenerate face. How can we truly justify waving any banner for any cause, if we are not willing to lift the “banner of the cross”? How appalling it would be to watch those who possess the cure to cancer championing the fight against the common cold, while millions perish under the greater illness. Yet the only ones in the world who have the answer for man’s sin problem, and ultimate eternal damnation, Christians, spend their days fighting any number of lesser battles, all the while never giving a clear presentation of the gospel to the lost.

The concept of our argument must be consistent, not only with our own principles, but also with the emphasis God places upon it in Scripture.

This has been the first part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

Grace

By: Jilene Scherenske

A Short Meditation on I Timothy 1:14

In I Timothy chapter one, verse thirteen, Paul, in thanking Jesus for the ministry in which He has placed him and enabled him to minister, declares what he used to be before his ministry began (“…a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious…” to the church).  Then Paul goes on, in verse fourteen to extol the grace of God which he says was “exceeding abundant” toward him.  Just what is grace?  Let us ponder this question and perhaps gain a crumb’s worth of greater understanding of this marvelous attribute of God.

Firstly, grace is the cross.  2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.  Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;  This is the grace that saves.  If it were not for grace and mercy, there would be no cross; there would be no salvation option!

But grace didn’t stop at the cross.  Now it has taken on a huge ministry to usward who have been saved.  Because of grace, once we have experienced saving grace, we now, by grace, are compelled to serve God, to glorify Him.  It is His grace that works in us to accomplish this.  It both employs us and enables us, as Paul stated in verse 12.  Although we don’t think of the following verse in this light, I believe a good definition of grace is found in Galatians 2: 20-21  "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  I do not frustrate [reject] the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."  Christ living in me and living out His life through me is grace!  Another verse that we often claim to be the definition of grace is Php 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”  So we can most accurately say that grace is the power of God working in us.  

But grace is even more!  Grace is everything! It is responsible for my salvation.  It now is responsible for every part of my daily living.  It is even responsible not only for the hope of heaven but for getting me there as well.  Grace is eternal; it will be with me throughout eternity.  My God is grace…He is the God of all grace; His throne is grace; He is full of grace (John 1:14).  I cannot live without grace each moment; but more than breath, grace allows /enables me to live for God.  I resist grace when I go my own way.  I accept grace when I yield to God.  Grace truly is God working in me; but even more than that, it is the privilege I have for God to work in me.  Grace is God working personally with me, through me, for me so that I may live unto Him.  It is my link to Him.  Grace has everything to do with His relationship to me personally.  Grace is my privilege to have a personal relationship with God no matter who I am or what I have done.  I may not always respond/yield to His ‘advances’, His wooing of me, but that doesn’t keep grace from trying!  Why does God choose to shine His favor/grace on us?  Because He loves us so!  Amazing!  He gives us His grace continually even though we fail to recognize it or be thankful for it.  He continues to be kind to us because He wants to!  It is never meted out according to our behavior, for our behavior does nothing to earn or deserve His grace.

So how much grace does God give me?  

Ephesians 2:7  That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. When we get to heaven we will indeed realize fully the exceeding riches of His great grace.  Oh, how I wish I could fully realize the exceeding riches of His grace to me now!  I must never forget that His grace comes to me because of Jesus.  

2 Corinthians 9:14  And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. The Corinthians had given to the poor believers in Judea, prayed for them, and displayed their surrender to the gospel, thus they had been quite an example of the exceeding grace of God in themselves.  Paul calls it exceeding grace!  

1 Peter 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. God gives to us, as we saw in the preceding verse, more than enough grace to minister to others.  Here the grace is said to come in many and various ways which is what we need in order to minister.  What grace will do for one situation, will not do for another situation, so God, in His great wisdom, makes His grace diverse so that it will fit every circumstance.  

2 Corinthians 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: In light of the previous verses’ comment now we can see why it is “all” grace.  God’s grace covers everything we have need of.  But it also ‘abounds’.  It is in excess, it is in abundance, there is enough and some to spare, it is over and above.  At all times, in every circumstance, we have more than enough grace!!!!!

James 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Grace is available to us when we are humble, not going our own way, not thinking we have a better idea, not doing our own thing, but looking to God for our every move.

2 Corinthians 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   God’s grace to us is sufficient, it is all that we need.  

With all this grace how can we not recognize it, and accept it and use it (for often we reject it), and be exceeding thankful for it?

Paul continues in verse fourteen to state that God’s grace was abundant “with faith and love in Jesus.”  That’s how grace was shown to Paul, this is the fruit of grace – it gave him faith in Jesus and by giving him that displayed the love of God.  Look at who he declares he was in the previous verse – a blasphemer, persecutor, one who was injurious to Christians.  But then God gave him faith in Jesus and wrapped him in His love.  That’s what grace did for Paul.  That is also what grace has done for us – given us faith as well as the love of God and love for God.  And the faith and love for God that Paul received was indeed exceeding abundant, extraordinary, as we have seen from the life he led once he trusted in Jesus.  Paul was a champion of accepting God’s grace in every area of his life.  Look what he says about himself in 1Co 15:9-10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  Even in Paul’s physical trial he accepted God’s grace:  2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

So, in your own life, can you see how super abundant grace has been given to you, not only in your conversion, but then in your life every day?  Can you see the power grace imparts to enable you to live for God?  Think about it.  Pray for an awareness of this exceeding grace which God has imparted to you.

We must remember that this grace is exceeding abundant.  You never leave your house without exceeding abundant grace.  Never do you go to the grocery store or to work or any other place without exceeding abundant grace encompassing you.  That means that you have no need to be timid or to be hesitant, or to hold back in sharing Jesus with everyone you meet.  God has them cross your path for a reason.  How many times do we miss these opportunities?  All because we do not accept the grace that is there?  What God commissions, He provides for in His great grace.  Ex 18:23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.  In other words, “….if God command thee….thou shalt be able to…”!!!!  All because of His grace!  Grace permeates our daily life so that we can live with the characteristics of I Corinthians 13.  It shows up wherever and whenever we need it.  It is just that we so often do not realize it is there and so fail to accept it.  Once again I remind you of this verse: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8  

Grace allows us the privilege of glorifying God.  It is the natural outcome of appropriating God’s grace.  Even in our redeemed state, we would seldom, perhaps never, glorify God if it were not for grace.  Grace enables us to do the very thing we were created to do – glorify God.  We do this, not just when we leave home, we do this every moment of the day, whether we are with family, or even when we are alone.  Do you feel inadequate?  Unworthy?  Paul felt that all the more!  He stated in I Cor 15:9 that he felt like he was “the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle”.  Again in Eph 3:8 he said that he was, “less than the least of all saints”. Yet God’s exceeding grace made him what he was and enabled him to do what he did.  He knew it was God’s grace.  He never took any credit for anything he did.  God’s grace can work in you the same way that it did in Paul.  How are you doing with accepting this most exceeding abundant grace?  

May… “the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1Pe 5:10

iProtest, Part Three

By: Daniel Brown

The Company

Who are the protesters? What do they stand for? Is this protest part of a larger agenda (political, religious, anti-religious)? We have to work our way through the propaganda facade of “we are common people with a common message”. While this may be the genuine mindset of many of those joining in the supposed “fight for justice”, we must not be naive. We have to question everything, even our own associations, if we are to truly approach this objectively. In reality, the “who” (Company) of our demonstration, is possibly as important as the “what” (Cause)!

Psalm 1 outlines the “Blessed life”. Simply put, the truly “Blessed” person, avoids associations with those in opposition to God’s Word, and purposefully surrounds himself with those who love God and are obedient to Him. “The counsel of the ungodly....the way of sinners... the seat of the scornful” are God’s description of the type of company we should beware linking up with to promote a cause.

If we do not examine the “company” or the “crowd” with whom we are demonstrating, we will surely become someone’s pawn. As Christians, we do not adhere to anyone’s doctrine, outside of Christ. Why would I open myself up to being used by anyone to advance his agenda, other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?

The “gun-control” debate, for example, is touted by both sides to be a just cause. However, the thinking Christian steps back and questions the motives of the ones shouting the loudest. Regardless of our opinion in general, if we take the side of the political “right”, specifically giving our voice for the NRA, we will branded with Neo-Nazi groups like Ku-Klux-Klan, and other extremist groups. Is this really the portrait of Christ’s church that we want the world to see? On the other side, those who vocally join the fight against the NRA will most certainly be linked with groups like N.O.W., Black Lives Matter, NAACP, Planned Parenthood, the LGBT community in general, and several other groups who have openly expressed strikingly anti-biblical and anti-God views.

The Company principle is not as “minor” as siding with the political left or right on an issue. It is as major as deciding whether or not to join up with the outspoken opponents of God. We must use discernment.

For the sake of objectivity, and in an effort to keep our theme in focus, I am not advocating nor condemning a believer’s association with any one group. To be sure, there is “leg-room” on both the right and the left side of many (not all) political and social issues. However, “taking to the streets”, and sending “Tweets” in favor of any organization is a vocal stamp of approval on possibly everything that the said organization promotes. This is quite a statement, and one that must be carefully considered prior to any demonstration.

To be a friend of someone who is, simply put, a sinner in need of salvation, is not sinful. We should, in fact, do everything we can to have contact with the lost. This means, of course, that we should purposefully involve ourselves in the lives of those who do not know God, and even oppose his Word. How can the “light” affect the darkness, if it is hidden under the bushel of the “church-building” or “Church-only” events. We have to get out among the world to reach the world. This includes, but is not limited to abortionists, gays and lesbians, pro- and anti-gun activists, and even those with opposing religious backgrounds. However, we must distinguish the person from the agenda he promotes. We must not be deceived by the modern interpretation of “evangelism”, by thinking that if we join-in the causes of the world, we will somehow secretly surprise them into salvation.

Who are we joining to get our message across? If we are unable to say with confidence, that the all-encompassing goal of our “comrades” is one of true biblical righteousness, we must avoid it at all costs. If the cause is of the Lord, there will be a way to promote it, joining others who stand with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This has been the third part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

The Great Need for Revival

REVIVAL MUST START IN OUR OWN LIVES 

By Dr. Byron Foxx

We are becoming a nation of lawlessness and violence.

• We have alcoholic beverages and other drugs to destroy our bodies.

• We have immorality and perversion to destroy our homes.

• We have vandalism and mischief to destroy our properties.

• We have gangs and violence to destroy our schools.

• We have hatred and bitterness, in the neighborhoods, to destroy our cities.

• We have false religion and cults to destroy our churches.

• We have lies and scandals to destroy our government.

What is needed? There is only one solution. The only hope for our country is a sweeping revival. A Heaven sent revival can save any nation! Do you want proof? Read Jonah chapter three and find what happened in ancient Nineveh. Next, read about the Welsh revival of 1904-1905 when the jails were closed because there was no crime.

How can such a revival take place in our country? The revival we so desperately need will not begin in a nightclub, a bar, or a theater. So where would you suppose that revival begins? In the legislature? In the business world? NO! The people in the bar are committed to other things. Those in the theater are looking for pleasure. Those in the business world are buying and selling.

Revival is a Christian word. It is a church word. Revival is for Christians. It is our word! Revival is a gift from God to His people!

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?— Psalm 85:6

For churches, revival should be normal. Revival ought to be expected among the children of God. Every church service should be a revival service. Every day should be a soulwinning day. Each day, a Christian should walk a little closer with the Lord, worship the Lord a little more fervently, pray a little more earnestly, and seek the lost a little more zealously.

In order for revival to come, I must get right with God. Second, you must get right with God. You and I are part of our beloved country. One by one, each member of our nation needs to get saved, baptized, join a Bible believing church, and get busy obeying Almighty God!

O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.—Habakkuk 3:2b

May God Almighty send a sweeping revival among His people in America and around the world today!

iProtest, Part Two

By: Daniel Brown

The Cause

Have we considered the actual reason for the protest? Can we express our concerns in clear, thought-out, simple sentences? Do our reasons for protesting or arguing align with the Biblical principles concerning the matter at hand? Perhaps the biggest question is, what (Big “C”) “Cause” is going to be promoted most through this protest?

One realization that we must come to, if we are going to be truly discerning, is that there is most always a greater Cause that will ultimately drown out the chants and the motivations of even the purest of demonstrators. In other words, the demonstrator may cry out one thing, but depending upon his associations, or non-associates even, who are using the same terminology, the world will hear something completely different than what is intended.

If we are not careful, we could also allow our good intentions, or those of our loved ones, to be mis-used to promote a cause that is damaging to the testimony of Christ, and is harmful to society at large. We should be cautious so as to keep ourselves from being postured to advance the movements of this world-system. Remember, the agenda of the world is the agenda of Satan himself. Beware that we do not carelessly give a helping-hand to a Cause led by the Prince of Darkness.

This point is vital for the Christian! For it is our Cause that penetrates every area of our lives. It is not simply something that will end when the argument dies down, and the crowds go home. For the Christian, our Cause is the motivation for private actions, how we operate our homes, how we function in the business world, and every other aspect of life. What is our Cause? A better way to ask it, if we are truly following Jesus Christ is, “What was Jesus’ Cause?”

The Lord Jesus Christ said, in John 8:28, “I do always those things that please him (the Father)” The apostle Paul explained it this way, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23,24). He said in another place, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1. Corinthians 10:31). What is the (Big “C”) “Cause” of the Christian? It is to please and glorify the Lord! We must compare our agenda, our (little “c”) “cause”, with the ultimate (Big “C”) “Cause” of the One whom we claim to follow.

This has been the second part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

Review of The Weapon of Prayer

By: Jason Tsaddiq

Review of The Weapon of Prayer

E. M. Bounds

Moody Press: Chicago, 1980

Nothing is more important to God than prayer in dealing with mankind. . . Failure to pray is failure along the whole line of life. It is failure of duty, service, and spiritual

progress. . .He who does not pray, therefore, robs himself of God’s help and places God where He cannot help man. (page 9).

Author

Well-known for his series of books on prayer, Edward McKendree Bounds did not start out his life planning to write books. Admitted to the bar before his nineteenth birthday, he soon felt called to preach and left the litigation industry at the age of twenty-four. 

During his second pastorate, the Civil War broke out and he was arrested for sympathizing with the Confederate. Released after a year and a half, he continued his military service, being made chaplain of several troops. Again, being captured, he eventually was released and continued pastoring as the Lord led him.

His wife Emma gave him three children before she died nine years after their marriage. Her cousin Harriet became his second wife.

The final two decades of his life were filled with simple writing, praying, and reading. When he passed to Glory, he was not famous nor popular; however, he had tapped into a simple yet profound truth: prayer is the connection to God Almighty.

The estimate and place of prayer is the estimate and place of God. To give prayer the secondary place is to make God secondary in life’s affairs. To substitute other forces for prayer retires God and materializes the whole movement. (page 12)

Review

No soldier can move effectively if he is not in communication with his commander. In like manner, a Christian must be in constant communication with his Commander; listening, obeying, reporting of his actions must be an ongoing, constant activity. Mr. Bounds repeats his message of the weapon of prayer throughout this entire book, very seldom giving in to the modern author’s temptation to fill a book with funny little examples and dusty anecdotes that may or may not relate to the main Biblical truth being presented. Occasionally he quoted another man such as this example found on page 103: 

Go back! Back to that upper room; back to your knees; back to searching of heart and habit, thought and life; back to pleading, praying, waiting, till the Spirit of the Lord floods the soul with light, and you are endued with power from on high. . .  Samuel Chadwick

His vocabulary is fitting for his time period. No modern slang or examples or expressions are used. However, the sentence structure is more formal than what is currently used; therefore, this is not a book for easy reading. It must be read slowly, diligently, and deliberately. Then it must be acted upon immediately before the seed is snatched. Mr. Bounds recognized that prayer itself is slow, diligent, deliberate work:

Study how to pray, O Preacher, but not by studying the forms of prayer, but by attending the school of prayer on your knees before God. Here is where we learn not only to pray before God but learn also how to pray in the presence of men.

This book should be used for any Christian honestly searching to learn about God and His method of communication. One who struggles with reading should not attempt to conquer the whole book in a week. Probably for the average reader, a month of reading 10-15 minutes a day would give a myriad of prayer-truths upon which to meditate and to practice would suffice. Possibly writing down in a journal the important truths about which God convicts would further cement the truths in the heart. However, a time limit can not truly be given for God may stop the reader at any page.

An honest Christian will be changed by obeying the Bible truths presented in this book.

Chapter titles are as follows:

“Prayer Essential to God”; 

“Putting God to Work”; 

“The Necessity for Praying Men” (very convicting!); 

“God’s Need of Men Who Pray”;

  “Prayerless Christians”; 

“Praying Men at a Premium”; 

“The Ministry and Prayer”;

 “Prayerlessness in the Pulpit”; 

“Prayer-Equipment for Preachers”;

 “The Preacher’s Cry – ‘Pray for Us!’”;

 “Modern Examples of Prayer” (a chapter which includes women of prayer); 

“Modern Examples of Prayer, continued.”

Quotes:

Whatever affects the intensity of our praying affects the value of our work. . . Nothing is done well without prayer for the simple reason that it leaves God out of the account. (page 13)

It is so easy to be seduced by the good to the neglect of the best, until both the good and the best perish. (page 13)

In reality, the denial of prayer is a denial of God Himself, for God and prayer are so inseparable that they can never be divorced. (page 22)

The closet is the garden of faith. (page 41)

Prayer-leadership preserves the spirituality of the Church, just as prayerlessness leaders make for unspiritual conditions. (page 47)

We pray as we live; we live as we pray. Life will never be finer than the quality of the closet. (page 51)

There are certain conditions laid down for authentic praying. Men are to pray “lifting up holy hands”; hands here being the symbol of life. Hands unsoiled by stains of evil doing are the emblem of a life unsoiled by sin. Thus are men to come into the presence of God, thus are they to approach the throne of the Highest, where they can “obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” 

Here, then is one reason why men do not pray. They are too worldly in heart and too secular in life to enter the closet; and even though they enter there, they cannot offer the “fervent, effectual prayer of the righteous man, which availeth much.  (page 52)

. . . for secret prayer and holy living are so closely joined that they can never be dissevered. (page 92)

Adoniram Judson speaking of the prevailing power of prayer said, “God loves importunate prayer so much that He will not give us much blessing without it.” (page 157)

iProtest, Part One

By Daniel Brown

The disconnect between the 21st Century Christian and the Christ he claims to follow is glaringly obvious. This ever widening chasm between the two is apparent in his actions, yet perhaps more in his reactions. He stands in contrast to the proactive “prudent” man of the book of Proverbs, who sees the evil ahead and wisely addresses the issue before it overtakes him. Rather, the modern Christian is often caught off-guard; surprised by the evil of the day. Thus he stands in a defensive position, and in an effort to counter his lack of foresight, proceeds to do everything in his power to drown out the voice of his opposition; thus using the methods, means, and often even the message of the world to defend his position.

However, the committed follower of Christ is ever ahead of the game. He has found truths within the pages of Scripture, which address the evils of every generation before they are apparent to even the wisest of worldly minds. Thus his reaction to perceived injustice, is never based upon emotion, or the pressure of the moment, but upon principles found alone within the Word of God. These truths when applied to our efforts against evil, are not only concentrated on the problem at hand, producing temporary results; they rather cause us to view each situation as an opportunity to affect eternity.

Thus our associations, overall goals, the expression of our opinions and every other facet of argumentation will be consistent with biblical truth, the mission of the church, and with the person Jesus Christ himself. As we address the Christian’s role in public and private demonstrations, let us be mindful of our eternal citizenship, and of the King we are ultimately representing.

The Contradiction

The Christian, by nature of his identification with the Lord Jesus Christ, is required to reason upon the basis of scripture. This sort of reasoning pervades every area of life, including how he addresses opposing viewpoints. Modern reasoning, however, even in the context of the church, no longer takes place on the basis of the Word of God. Instead, the Bible is brought to our already-formed opinions in an effort to support them. This is, of course, in contrast with generations of Christ-followers who found the Word of God to be their sole source of faith and practice.

Could it be, that decades of non-contextual topical teaching, “Hobby- horse” preaching, and the exaltation of tradition above biblical truth has led to the seeming extinction of the biblical Christian? Or, in stark contrast, is it the Social Gospel; “name-it-claim-it”; “Jesus is my Homie” brand of Christianity which is to blame; which has exalted experience and feeling above Bible exegesis? Perhaps the more likely answer is that both are equally responsible. From one extreme to the other, the church has forsaken scriptural literacy for the immediate result of “success”. The high cost being: generations of “Christians” who, in thought, life-style, and reasoning, resemble nothing of the Christ of the Gospel records.

In the context of demonstrations (public and/or private), we may argue the hypocrisies and inconsistencies on either sides of any given issue. They are often present and abundant. However, this is not our purpose. Rather than simply determining which side has the more “just cause”, or if there is truly such a thing in the socio-political culture of our day, the true Christian is compelled to dig a bit deeper. We must determine the real problem if we are truly to “root it out”.

It is a natural process that the mind undergoes in the light of any unfortunate event, especially a life-altering tragedy. A million questions flood the mind; the most plaguing of which are those with no pre- packaged answer. Each person has his own way of facing these questions. His response may hinge upon a myriad of underlying equations, depending upon how the event has effected his life. Some will seek to circumvent the hurdle, by simply avoiding the questions. To them, the best way to avoid the disappointment and heartache is to simply ignore reality, and move on with life as it is. Others will attempt to conquer the “un-answerables” by looking outside of themselves to find culprits other than an obvious perpetrator. Blame must be placed upon someone, and “we will not stop until it the ‘guilty’ have been identified!” This “blame-game” produces a sensation of vindication, but provides no true peace and no satisfying answer. Still others will look at the event as it is: a horrible and unfortunate result of the Fall of man. They will examine their own lives to discover how they might prevent repeat instances, yet through the tragedy look for opportunities to evangelize the unsaved.

The modern “protest” culture seeks justice using a combination of the “blame-game” and a genuine desire for real solutions. The problem with this combination is that, while attempting to legitimately solve the problem, the finger is still pointed outwards. Any time we begin by looking at people for blame or answers, we will always come up short. For the Christian, the answer is not an outward one, which is to be discovered “out there somewhere”, but an upward one, which will be discovered as we seek the Lord in His Word. Again, we must ask ourselves, have we searched the Scriptures for a meaning behind this, and have we spoken with the Sovereign God who knew about the given event in eternity past. Outside of this formula, we may march, sit- in, stand-up, walk-out, or do any other number of public or private protesting and simply find ourselves dizzy and frustrated at the end of the day.

This has been the first part of a PDF entitled iProtest by Daniel Brown. For the entire PDF, please click here.

America's Cities are Becoming Mission Fields

REACHING AMERICA’S CITIES WITH THE GOSPEL 

By Dr. Byron Foxx

For many years, we have thought of the frontiers of advancing the Christian faith in America as being “out there” somewhere in a new territory and “over there” somewhere a thousand miles away in the backwoods.

That may have been true at one time, but it is no longer true! The frontier of the spiritual life of our beloved America is now found in the heartland of our major cities. As a Christian, and an American citizen, I refuse to allow Satan to continue growing his ugly grip on the cities of America. I will not surrender our cities without a fight! I am deeply in love with my Lord and my country.

God has a beautiful plan for every city! Any city that will follow God’s plan will receive God’s blessing! In fact there will be no murder, mischief, or hatred in any city that will follow God’s plan! There will be love, compassion, and real kindness in every city that will follow God’s plan.

Where do you find God’s plan for the cities? It is found in the Bible!

What should city people do? Start with John 3:16. Read it, memorize it, share it with others, and do what the verse says. Then read Matthew 5. Read it about 100 times. Then read Psalm 119. It takes about 22 minutes to read that chapter, but if you will read it every day for a month, your life will greatly change.

Pray. Pray to God Almighty and pray through His Son, Jesus. It will change a city. Ask God to raise up Christian workers for the major cities of America. We need prayer warriors. We need soulwinners. We need Bible teachers.

Believe. God will not do great and mighty works in a city that does not believe. Want proof? Read the first few verses in Mark chapter 6 and you will find that no great miracles took place in that city because of their “unbelief.”

Chicken Chat #10

By: Jason Tsaddiq

A hen was brooding. The long, rectangular hen house had nesting boxes down each side and she had set up her “nursery” in a nesting box close to a door for which we were thankful since we could reach her and the chicks easily.

We affixed chicken wire to the outside of the nesting box – between the box and the rest of the hen house – to prevent the other hens from messing with the broody hen and her eggs, and eventually, her chicks. We cared for the broody hen daily by bringing just the right amount of feed and water only for her since she would not, and now could not, leave the nesting box.

Soon the eggs hatched and tiny little sounds joined the loud ruckus of the other larger, older, more experience fowl. Again, we cared for the babies as we had cared for their mama – bringing the proper feed and water in a small shallow bowl.

One spring day, I was tending the hen houses. As I approached the house, I heard a cacophony of commotion emanating from the hen house, not an uncommon occurrence. I opened the broody hen’s nesting box from the outside and saw the reason for the disturbance: one of the new baby chicks had some how found its way between the chicken wire and the rest of the hen house. Two or three older, more mature hens were pecking relentlessly at the baby chick who was now stranded: she couldn’t tackle the much larger hens and she could not return to the safety of her nesting box for the chicken wire had been bent back in all the chaos. 

But the most heart-breaking yet cheering aspect of the turmoil was the action of the mother hen: she was ramming her head into the chicken wire, attempting to destroy the one thing that was between her and her baby chick. The wire had been stapled somewhat securely against larger hens but evidently a little space was left unguarded – the little space that the chick found and escaped through. As relentless as the older, more mature hens were pecking, attacking, squawking at the little one, the mother hen was just as relentless in her attempts to protect and save her vulnerable chick. Head butt after head butt against the stapled wire, the mother tried and tried, to the accompaniment of the tiny, little chirps crying for help and the loud, ruckus war-like squawks of the older hens.

Quickly, slender teen son was fetched to crawl into the hen house to rescue the scared, helpless little chick and to return it to its now-bloodied mother. Peace reigned.

Chicken Chat #9

By: Jason Tsaddiq

The hen was brooding. We prepared: special medicated feed is important for the first few weeks of a chick’s life. The eggs hatched much to our excitement. New life is always fun to watch. 

However, as I watched the mother hen, I noticed that she dipped her head into the very shallow feed bowl which contained the medicated feed for the chicks and, in addition, she ate from her own bowl of feed. Always the penny-pinching one, I thought, “We can’t afford to feed this stuff to her, too; it’s just for the babies.”

But as I watched, I saw the chicks imitate her. When she dipped her head, they scurried over and dipped. I thought, “Well, this is the way the babies learn to eat. I guess I can afford it.’

Then I noticed another aspect: she didn’t eat the medicated feed; she only dipped her head into it, signaling its acceptability to her babies. She drank from their very shallow water bowl even though she had a fuller water bowl just out of their reach (to prevent their drowning).

The babies, not discerning enough to do research on their own, trusted their mother hen to teach them properly. Due to the mother’s teaching, the chicks survived and thrived.

When do I “dip my head”? Who is watching me dip my head, signaling acceptability for a younger Christian? When do I not dip my head? Whose head am I watching? Am I Biblically studious enough that I know into which philosophy I can dip and still please my Lord? Is someone, unbeknownst to me, watching my head? Have I dipped well enough that someone wants to follow my example as follow my Lord?

Chicken Chat #8

By: Jason Tsaddiq

To prevent the older hens from worrying and packing at the new chicks, sometimes, depending on which hen house our broody was in, we would have to move her to another hen house for protection until the chicks were large enough to hold their own.

Thus was the case one day. The mama hen was diligent, never moving from the nest except to sip some water. We were careful to place feed within reach.

One day, as I was tending to another hen house, I thought I heard a tiny little “chirp.” Excited, I strolled over to her little coop and peered inside. I saw no chick. Thinking that I was just too anxious, I busied myself with my duties.

This scenario played out several times. I was confused. I couldn’t see the eggs under her and I couldn’t see any tiny little beaks peeking out from under here. Moving a broody hen too often or too roughly can stress her, causing her to abandon the nest so I hesitated for several days to actually move her and examine the eggs under her.

Then one day, I saw it: a broken egg. Now I knew for sure that there was a chick somewhere. I definitely could hear the chick but couldn’t see it under the mother’s wings. 

The next day, I was walking across the yard, headed to care for the chickens and I noticed that the mama was not on her nest and that her head was bobbing up and down and jerking side to side in an unusual pattern. I scrutinized as I walked. Her actions almost looked like she were eating something and was trying to choke it down her throat. 

As I drew closer, I noticed long string-like things hanging out the sides of her mouth. My first thought was “spaghetti.” Now, if you’ve never seen a flock of chickens party on spaghetti, your life is not complete! Pasta pretty much has no nutritional value for a chicken but feeding spaghetti to chickens is probably the cheapest clean fun in the whole neighborhood! Do they think they found the mother-lode of all worms? Do they think they are the Warrior of Worm Wars? I don’t know but they are hilarious to watch as they scurry around the chicken yard, spaghetti noodle flapping in the breeze, trying to find a calm place in which to enjoy their banquet.

As I walked closer, thinking about spaghetti, I realized that we had not had spaghetti recently and therefore, would not have had any to give to the chickens. I was the only one who fed the broody so I would have known if she had spaghetti. Usually, chickens don’t save the spaghetti for a rainy day – they eat it immediately.

When I reached the hen house door, I saw more detail of what was in her mouth. In horror, I recognized two scrawny little legs hanging out her mouth, a little body, and a small black and blue beak. Words left me as I realized that she was, and had been, eating her baby chicks. I instantly startled her enough for her to empty her mouth but too much damage had been done. Investigating her nest under the pine shavings gave the story: several broken eggs testified that several chicks had lost their life. She had been destroying her own family.

The unwed mother who was brave enough to confess her sin before the church…..do I talk about her “wicked, wicked ways” behind her back or do I bring her a meal?

That drug addict who seems to enjoy smelling up the back corner of my church auditorium…..have I ever taken him out for breakfast and learned how he landed where he is?

Oh, when the pastor mentioned that one sin, my sin……do I have “roast preacher” for lunch in front of my children and spouse?

That bonus money that came in my check…..did I give it to meet a missionary’s need or did I spend it on my boat, full well knowing that the boat will burn up one day and the missionary’s work is eternal? After all, I earned it, right?

And that soloist who sang in this morning’s service…..did I snicker as I asked another church member after the service, “Who told her that she could even carry a tune?”?

Did I roll my eyes when the visiting evangelist said, “The Christian army is the only one who shoots its own soldiers.”?

Heavy Burdens

By: Holly Minion

One evening, I was listening to a sermon that was preached about the 12 stones that were made into an altar after the crossing of the Jordan River in Joshua 4.

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

The preacher made an interesting statement that made me stop and go back to listen to that part again. Those stones must have been a heavy burden to carry. Why couldn't a God who just made the waters of that great river to part just assemble that altar Himself?

But sometimes God gives us a heavy burden to carry, because when He relieves us of that burden, we can look back at the landmark He made of those burdens and we can say to ourselves and to others:

"Look at what God has done."

I can look back on my life and see many heavy burdens. But one of the greatest joys of my life is the ability I have to point to the amazing things God made out of those hard times and tell others about what God has done in my life through those burdens.

I don’t know what burdens you are carrying today. But remember, we serve the God who makes the impossible things possible, and the God who makes monuments of glory out of our worst moments in this life.

Chicken Chat #7

As a youngster, I had always heard about the “pecking order” but never understood it until we had our own chickens. For some reason known only to the Creator, one or two hens will be the chosen ones – the ones who will get pecked at when she’s simply scooting up to the feed bowl. Because some chickens will peck another hen literally to death, some farmers place a red lamp inside the hen house, thus disguising the blood. Seeing blood enhances the cruel drive to peck even more. Some farmers use a specific medication to help heal the pecked skin because the purple color also disguises the blood.

Chicken farmers have their own advice to cure or to ignore this problem, but I can’t ignore it; I always cheer for the underdog, uh, the under-chicken. So when I feed them, I give a good portion in the regular feed bowl and then I walk over to where I see the runt and I lay some on the ground for her. Naturally, all the other chickens see what I have just done so they scurry over to eat the runt’s share. Therefore, the runt walks over to the regular feed bowl and eats until, of course, the others see her and run back to scold and peck.

Always watching for the little guy is a wise move for chicken farmers and for people.

A while back my family decided to change churches for doctrinal reasons. Not normal church hoppers, the knowledge of churches of like faith, close by, was lacking. We searched the internet, asked other Christians about local churches and their philosophy and music and pastor, etc. Then we started making our rounds. 

This was a new experience for our family since normally we attended the church associated with the Christian school at which I taught. Now we had several options. We started with the church closest to our house. Though the church name said “Baptist” on the sign, we were shocked as we attended the service.

A man shook our hand, said, “Good morning,” and walked away. We looked at each other: did we have breakfast still on our face? All morning, no one stopped at our pew and chatted with us.

We tried the evening service at another church pastored by a graduate from a well-known Christian college, according to the church website. One or two people shook our hand during “shaking hands time” and walked away.

Over the next four or five months, we visited good, fundamental, independent Baptist churches – probably ten or fifteen in all – within a forty-five-minute drive of our house located in the very center of the Bible belt. Time and time again, we were stunned. Church members noticed us, stared, walked on by. Sometimes the “official greeter” greeted us, pointed to the auditorium, and then walked away. For some of the services, I went alone for various reasons. Sometimes the children and I went. Our children were so tired of being ignored, they soon began to give excuses why they shouldn’t even go to church until the parents had found one that was worth attending.

What if I had been in the pit of despair and told God, “Ok, God; I’ll give church one more try?” And no one cared enough to ask me my name.

What if our marriage were on the rocks and we were looking for a pastor to care and this one didn’t even care enough to introduce himself to us?

For the services that I went alone, what if I had been suicidal and had made a pact with God: “Ok, I’ll go visit Your children one more time.”?

We filled out probably ten visitor’s cards: we received one visit and one letter. 

At one church we attended for a few weeks, I was under conviction that I should step out and engage the members instead of waiting on them to talk to me. So I walked over to a couple about our age, sat in the pew in front of them, turned around, introduced myself, and held out my hand. The wife looked horrified but they shook my hand and told me their names. I asked how long they’ve been coming to this church. They answered. 

Then I asked what I thought was an innocent question: “How many children do you have?” Who doesn’t like to talk about their children? Since they were about our age, I knew that they may possibly even have grandchildren.

She looked at her husband and stuttered, “Uh,. . .well, .. .  two.”

I didn’t understand why she looked at her husband; shouldn’t she know how many children she had? I wasn’t asking for social security numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, and blood type. I was trying to hold a simple conversation with a brother and sister in Christ about non-controversial topics. I asked all the simple questions I knew. They answered in one- or two-word answers. I returned to my seat, confused. Convicted.

Have I been guilty of ignoring a visitor out of fear? Or was it just simple ol’ pride: this is my church and I have my ministry to my people and I have to get things organized for the service and I am so important and I. . .  What choice friendships have I missed out because of my fear or my pride? Who did I “peck on” because he was not in my line of ministry or because I didn’t know him? What wound did I fail to even notice because I was not watching for opportunities to be like Christ? Whom did I not minister to because I was too lazy to get up and walk across the auditorium? Who never gave God another chance because the Christians at my church didn’t even care enough to ask him his name? 

Special to God

The world speaks to us often of “self-esteem”.  The Bible, however, tells Christians to “esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3) and “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think . . .” (Rom. 12:3).  I, Kristen Kelley, am nothing but a sinner, and all my “righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Is. 64:6). I have no worth in and of myself – no goodness of my own – but I was bought with a price: the precious blood of the Lamb of God!  Therefore, I am WORTH something to the Lord!  My self-worth is found in my Savior!

Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We are special because we are special TO HIM!

What makes you unique? Freckles, fingerprints, facial structure . . . Your talents and abilities . . . Your past . . . Your heart – who you care about and love . . .

God made no mistakes when He gave you life.  Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” The texture of your hair, the color of your eyes, your ability or inability to see, to hear, to speak, to walk . . . every detail was chosen by Him.  He had a purpose and a plan for each and every one of us, right from the very start. 

I have seen so many young ladies who have tried to “stand out” and to “make a statement” in this world.  Others so depressed by their appearance that they have sought to significantly alter it.  The world can be cruel and unaccepting - our Savior understands that fact.  He endured bitter mockery and even death at the hands of jealous, angry men.  He was not a man who stood out as being “handsome” by the world’s standards (Is. 53:2), and yet He was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  You may feel as though you are invisible, but you, My Dear, are God’s princess. 

You are SIGNIFICANT.  Out of the billions of people in this world, God cares about YOU.  He formed you and gave you life! He saved your soul!  The Creator of the entire universe knows YOU by name! You are God’s child!

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand . . .” (Ps. 139:17-18)

Yes, man DOES look at the external, and they often judge harshly by it.  This focus on appearance is evident all around us – plastic surgery advertisements, revealing clothing, expensive make-up brands, quick-fix weight-loss programs, etc.  But when God looks at you, He sees your HEART (I Sam. 16:7).  He knows every single thing that affects the exterior that others might judge you by – the blemishes, the scars, and the pounds in “undesired places” . . . And He sees you as BEAUTIFUL.  Because, you, Sweet Sister in Christ, are HIS.