Small Things

Think for a moment of some amazing, historical men and women of God.

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to witness the calling of spiritual giants like Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, George Muller, or Jim and Elizabeth Elliott? To have been present the moment that those individuals responded to the call of Christ in their life and began the journey of immense impact for the Kingdom of God?

If we were to have witnessed first-hand the calling of a missionary pioneer to South Africa who would serve faithfully for over 50 years, it would have looked no different then what we witnessed recently in the Dominican Republic, during a vacation bible school, where numerous children responded to a Gospel presentation.

In Zechariah 4:10 the Lord challenged Zechariah, “Who dares despise the day of small things?”

This short phrase refers to the building of the second temple, which was contemptible to the enemies of Judah, and little in the eyes of many of the Jews themselves, who had seen the former temple built by Solomon, yet not in the eyes of the Lord of hosts.

Fred Barlow writes on wholesomewords.org,
When I think of Robert Moffat, I am rightly reminded of the Scripture in Zechariah 4:10, which
witnesses, “For who hath despised the day of small things?” It seemed a small thing to some godly men in a southern Scotland church when a boy about four years old, from a home of poor but pious parents, knelt at an altar to pray. His decision was despised by the elders as one who was too young to understand. Thank God, one unnamed, unknown-to-us brother bothered to kneel in prayer with “Robbie.” Moffat may well have been converted to Christ then — if not, it was the commencement of a chain of events that led to his conversion and to the opening of doors of evangelism to the uncharted depths of the dark continent of Africa.

While growing up, his mother during the long winter evenings would tell Robert and his siblings of stories of missionaries. In his teens he saw a sign announcing a missionary meeting. Robbie attended and responded to God’s call on his life to become a missionary. He went on to serve the Lord faithfully for 50 years: Laying the foundation of the church in Botswana and Zimbabwe; translating the Bible into foreign languages, a task that in one case took 17 years.

The prime minister of South Africa said of Robert Moffat, “Among missionaries, there was none greater, none holier.”

When on March 20, 1870 he preached his last sermon, most of the congregation were the children of his first church 50 years earlier.

The Lord had graciously allowed him to play a role in generational change for Christ. This is our prayer for the Genesis Program as well, and a good reminder to never “dare despise the day of small things.”

The Gospel

Last month I had the opportunity to share the gospel at our church’s Vacation Bible School with the teenagers. While I wasn’t asked to do so until I arrived, I had anticipated the opportunity might present itself, and so I had prepared a brief outline before heading inside. When the pastor asked me to help, I smiled, agreed and remembered the words of Paul to his student Timothy,

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2)

The following was my outline:

I showed the students my graduate school class ring, explaining that it was the culmination of 20 years of education (12 grade school, 4 undergrad, 4 graduate). However, I explained that when I was their age I had made the most important and wise decision of my life, when I chose to believe the Gospel and trust Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross for my sins. At that moment, by the grace of God, the cross went from foolishness to the power of God to save me from my sins.

1Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

I then used Paul’s words to the church in Corinth to explain exactly what we mean when we use the term “Gospel.”

1 Corinthians 15 – Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

I went on to explain that until we receive God’s gift of salvation through his Son Jesus’ death and resurrection we are essentially a “Dead Man Walking,” the term used for death row prisoners, as Paul makes clear that we are dead in our sins, headed to an eternity separated from God, which we know as hell, but through Christ can be made alive until salvation.

Colossians 2:13-14 – When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

However, Jesus himself indicated that faith in Him enables us to cross over from spiritual death to eternal life.

John 5:24 – I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

We then prayed through Romans 6:23,

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

And I offered them an opportunity to, in their owns words in the quietness of their hearts reaffirm or for the first time, trust in Christ and make that all-important spiritual transaction between them and their Creator, remembering that,

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

I then challenged them with the following words of Paul,

Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. (Colossians 2:6-7)

And recommended that they do the following three things, if they had made a profession of faith this week:

– Tell a leader/parents
– Get a bible and begin reading The Gospel of John
– Begin faithfully attending a Bible-teaching church

While only the Lord knows those who, in that moment, “produced fruit in keeping with true repentance” (Matt. 3:8); however, we trust the Holy Spirit’s continuing work in their lives, remembering Paul’s words,

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6)

Wanted: Zealots

There is one characteristic, above all else, that sums up what we, as an organization, look for in those who desire to serve on short-term teams, in order to encourage and equip (and be edified) by our full-time, in-country church partners.

That phrase, found in Titus 2:14, is “zealous for good works,” where an individual is willing to labor in any capacity that furthers the cause of Christ, casting aside any personal preferences or inhibitions, in order that they might maximize God’s glory in their momentary service alongside their Dominican brothers and sisters in Christ.

Titus 2
“11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

J C Ryle writes of this passage and characteristic,

“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted—but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others, that they alone deserve to be called zealous. It impels them to make any sacrifice, to go through any trouble, to deny themselves to any amount, to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil, to spend themselves and be spent, and even to die, if only He can please God and honor Christ. They see only one thing, care for one thing, live for one thing, are swallowed up on one thing, and that one thing is to please God. Whether they live or whether they die; whether they have health or sickness, whether rich or poor; whether they please others or give offense; whether they are thought wise or foolish; whether they get blame or praise; whether they get honor or shame—for all this the zealous person cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God and to advance God’s glory.

 I want to strike a blow at the lazy, easy, sleepy Christianity of these latter days, which can see no beauty in zeal, and only uses the word ‘zealot’ as a word of reproach. I want to remind Christians that ‘Zealot’ was a name given by our Lord to His Apostle Simon as a mark of honor, and to persuade them to be zealous men…. There is in a sense in which it may be said that zeal is contagious. Nothing is more useful to the adherents of Christianity than to see a real live Christian—a thoroughly zealous man of God…. Zeal is good for a Christian’s own soul…. It will help mightily to promote inward feelings of joy, peace, comfort, and happiness. None have so much enjoyment of Christ as those who are ever zealous for His glory.”

The 2 Most Wonderful Words of the Bible

The Bible, written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, contains 31,173 verses. Amongst the 773,692 words that comprise Scripture, there are two that the influential 20th century theologian Martin Lloyd Jones says reign supreme.

These words can be found in Paul’s epistle to the Romans in chapter 3. In verses 9-20 Paul clarifies that no one is righteous:

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

And then we come to those wonderful two words: “But now…” found in verse 21,

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Martin Lloyd Jones presents his belief regarding the power of 6 simple letters,

“There are no more wonderful words in the whole of the Scripture than just these two words ‘But now’. What vital words these are! These are the words with which the Apostle always introduces the Gospel…He first of all paints his black and his somber and his hopeless picture. Then, having done that he says, ‘But now’.

 Having considered every statement that he makes about man under sin and in sin and having seen ourselves as we are by nature and as descendants of Adam, can there be two words which are more blessed and more wonderful for us than just these two word, ‘But now’? To me they provide a very subtle and thorough-going test of our whole position as Christians. Would you like to know for certain at this moment whether you are a Christian or not? I suggest that this is one of the best tests.

 These words come to us in a two-fold manner. They come as the introduction of the Gospel, but at the same time they come as words that test us. This, to me, is so important that I cannot leave it. Let us examine our experiences.

 When the devil attacks you and suggests to you that you are not a Christian, and that you have never been a Christian because of what is still in your heart, or because of what you are still doing, or because of something you once did – when he comes and thus accuses you, what do you say to him? Do you agree with him? Or do you say to him: ‘Yes, that was true, but now…’ Do you hold up these words against him? Or when, perhaps, you feel condemned as you read the Scripture, as you read the Law in the Old Testament, as you read the Sermon on the Mount, and as you feel that you are undone, do you remain lying on the ground in hopelessness, or do you lift up your head and say, ‘But now’?

 This is the essence of the Christian position; this is how faith answers the accusations of the Law, the accusations of conscience, and everything else that would condemn and depress us. These are indeed very wonderful words, and it is most important that we should lay hold of them and realize their tremendous importance and their significance.”

The Comfort of Imperfect Messengers of a Perfect Message

Mark 9:38-40 reads,

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”

John McArthur writes in Twelve Ordinary Men,

“[The Apostles] were perfectly ordinary men in every way. Not one of them was renown for scholarship or great erudition. They had no track record as orators or theologians. In fact, they were outsiders as far as the religious establishment of Jesus’ day was concerned. They were not outstanding because of any natural talents or intellectual abilities. On the contrary, they were all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith and bitter failure…Yet with all their faults and character flaws – as remarkably ordinary as they were – these men carried on a ministry after Jesus’ ascension that left an indelible impact on the world.”

And yet, there is much to glean from their recorded interactions, successes and failures, as they related to Christ during his earthly ministry.

Ministry, both the highs and lows, must drive us to our knees and the pages of Scripture. This past week drove me to the passage above and to glean from the faithful expositors below.

Warren Wiersbe
“Jesus did not treat John’s statement lightly; in fact, He went on to explain the danger of causing others to stumble and therefore stop serving the Lord (Mark 9:42–50). ‘These little ones’ refers to all God’s children who follow Christ and seek to serve Him. The way believers treat others in the family of God is a serious thing, and God wants us to ‘have peace one with another’ (Mark 9:50). The disciples did not get along with each other, nor did they get along with other believers!”

Albert Barnes
“True likeness to the Savior would lead us to rejoice in all the good accomplished, by whomsoever it may be done; and to rejoice that the kingdom of Christ is advanced.”

John Calvin
“There is reason to suspect the disciples of Christ of ambition, because they are anxious to maintain their privilege and honor. For why is it that they all at once forbid a man who is unknown to them to work miracles, but because they wish to be the sole possessors of this right?”

“If the disciples had not been more devoted to their own glory than anxious and desirous to promote the glory of their Master, they would not have been offended when they saw that glory heightened and enlarged in another direction.”

16th century theologian Richard Hooker is created with saying,

“Wise men are men, and truth is truth.”

This should be of comfort to all Christ-followers: our faith lies not in imperfect messengers, historical or contemporary, but in our perfect Savior and His perfect message of Salvation found in Scripture.

The Path of Life

In the past week America has been shocked and saddened by the unexpected suicide of two high profile, immensely successful celebrities with a combined net worth approaching $200 Million Dollars, leaving behind young children.

At times such as this, our hearts are broken and ache for their loved ones, and yet we are reminded of the danger and emptiness of pursuing satisfaction apart from Christ.

As H.A. Ironside stated,

“The sluggard and the shiftless are not commended by the word of God, but rigorously condemned, and exhorted to thrift and energy. But to run to the other extreme, and to set the heart upon business and the accumulation of wealth, is equally fatal to spirituality.”

And D.L. Moody reminds us of the theology at work, stating,

“Man, like the sea, has no rest. He has had no rest since Adam fell. And there will be none for him until he returns to God again, and the light of Christ shines into his heart. Rest cannot be found in the world, and thank God, the world can’t take it from the believing heart. Sin is the cause of all the unrest. It brought toil, labor, and misery into the world.”

 

“You make known to me the path of life;
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
(Psalm 16:11)

 

Handless Jesus

Some may wonder why we, as an organization, are so passionate about prioritizing training of the church leaders in the Word of God, even, over doing the Work of God.

The story and passage below provide the answer:

The story is told of a church in Germany that was bombed during WWII. When the congregation returned they found that the roof had caved in. In the middle of church was a beautiful statue of Christ with his hands outstretched, which had been carved years before by a famous artist. The people were amazed to find that the statue remained standing; however, a beam had severed off Jesus’ hands. The parishioners hurried to a local sculptor, asking if he would be willing to replace the hands. To his credit, the artist indicated that he would do so for free. The proposal was taken to the church board. To the congregation’s surprise the board emerged from the meeting and announced that they had rejected the artist’s offer, as they felt the statue without the hands would be the greatest representation of the fact that God does His work through His people.

And how does He equip His people to do His work?

The answer is through His Word.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Ultimate Peace Treaty

The Treaty of Kadesh in 1258 BC, between the Egyptian pharaoh, Ramses and Hattusilis III, holds the distinction as the world’s first peace treaty. As I write this, some 760 years later, various peace treaties are being pursued worldwide, and yet, all pale in comparison to the ultimate peace treaty, made possible by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Son of God.

This week, as I read the devotional from Joni Eareckson Tada, I was reminded of the truth of Romans 5:1-2,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Peace Be with You by Joni Eareckson Tada

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” John 20:19-20

The disciples were huddled together, shaking in fear for their lives — doors were locked, curtains were drawn, and lights were dimmed. Suddenly out of nowhere, Jesus appeared in the middle of the room and announced, “Peace be with you!” This was no happy-go-lucky greeting like, “Hey everybody, I’m here!” He wasn’t offering the disciples mere peace of mind by His presence. When Jesus said, “Peace be with you,” He pointed to the wounds in His hands and side for a reason.

For Jesus to gesture to His wounds was another way of saying, “Friends, look at these scars. They mean that the war is over. There is no longer any conflict between God and man. I have satisfied the Father’s wrath against you and the good news is, I am your peace treaty. These wounds in my hands and side are evidence of the price I paid for peace between you and my Father. Peace on earth and good will toward men has finally been secured through my cross. And the proof of it is, I’m here. I’m alive!”

What difference does the Prince of Peace make in your life? Jesus says in John 20:21, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” The peace that Christ offers is not for our pleasure only; God is sending us to go tell the world that the war is over, the white flag is raised, the treaty has been signed and eternal peace has been secured. The proof? Simply point people to the wounds of your Savior.

May Your peace rule in my heart today, Lord God. Give me courage to tell others they can have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

All Roads lead to Genesis 3

“All roads lead to Rome!”

This saying finds its origin in the fact that in the early days of the Roman Empire all the empire’s roads emanated from the capital city, Rome. Like the spokes of a wheel, the entire transportation system radiated from the capital.

In a similar manner I feel as though EA’s poverty alleviation efforts find their origin in an understanding of Sin and The Fall, with all roads leading to Genesis Chapter 3. As I listened this week to a sermon by John MacArthur entitled “The Breadth and Depth of Sin,” I was reminded of the power and perspective available exclusively through Scripture.

Pastor MacArthur states,

“The impact of that Fall has touched every part of the universe. It is accurate to say that absolutely everything wrong in our world is because of sin…

And people who don’t believe in sin and don’t understand the Fall cannot diagnose properly the human dilemma. It is impossible to understand the world. It is impossible to understand the cosmos, the ordered world of creation. It is impossible to understand man. It is impossible to understand the disintegration of matter. It is impossible to understand the collapsing world and universe. It is impossible to understand man’s behavior if you do not understand that it is all a product of sin. And all sin in the world is a result of what happened in Genesis 3.

So, Genesis 3 as a point of origin is absolutely critical. In fact, it is arguably the most important chapter in the Bible because it explains why the rest of the Bible tells the story of redemption.”

So whether the issue at hand is racism, pornography, natural disasters or EA’s church-based poverty alleviation efforts, our methodologies must find their origins in the theology of Genesis 3, both its diagnosis of sin, leading to death, and remedy of life abundant, found exclusively in Christ Jesus.

Describing Genesis chapter 3, the late theologian A.W. Pink states,

“Here is given the divine explanation of the present debased and ruined condition of the world. Here we are shown how sin entered the world, together with its present effects and dire consequences. Here are revealed to us the subtle devices of our great enemy the devil. We are shown how we permit him to gain an advantage over us. On the other hand, it is a most blessed chapter, for it reveals the grace and mercy of God, and assures us that the head of serpent will yet be crushed by the victorious Seed of the woman (Rom. 16:20), telling us that His redeemed will also participate in Christ’s glorious triumph. Thus we see that in wrath our God from the commencement ‘remembered mercy!’”

The Honor of Obscurity

Amidst the amazing story in Acts 9 of the conversion of the Apostle Paul is an often-overlooked character, Ananias, who deserves our consideration and admiration for his obedience in adversity.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

John Pollock writes in his book The Apostle: The Life of Paul,

“Ananias the obscure (never heard of before or since) had been chosen to baptize Saul. This was to be the first example of a historical pattern that great ambassadors for Christ, however much prepared in other ways, would be brought to their vocation by unimportant agents:

– Augustine hears a child’s voice repeat, ‘Take up and read!’;

– John Wesley listens to an anonymous Moravian reading Luther;

– D. L. Moody, wrapping up shoes in a store, pauses for a few words from his Sunday school teacher;

– Charles Haddon Spurgeon, sheltering from a snowstorm, hears a workingman in a snowbound minister’s pulpit.”

Among the many benefits of serving the local church, as a member of Empowering Action, is the opportunity to interact with modern-day Ananias’, whose obedience, often in obscurity and affliction, produce “fruit that lasts” for the Kingdom. Often their hearts reflect the words of the Psalmist,

It is good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:71-72)