Observations from Haiti

I am leaving Haiti tomorrow, a beautiful mountainous island nation that Christopher Columbus called the “Pearl of the Caribbean.”  Here I have witnessed the greatest poverty of the western hemisphere, compounded by January’s terrible earthquake which crippled whatever infrastructure this nation had.

Here I have climbed mountains, waded through streams, slogged through mud, rode a donkey to distant places, preached and taught in scorching heat, but have rarely felt happier. It is here that my wife’s grandfather (who is still alive at age 100) spent 35 years of his life, starting and building churches, schools, mission compounds and anything else that needed to be started and built.  While I have put up with a few difficulties for 12 days, he and the couple that followed him have endured these difficulties during a combined 53 years of service to Haitians.  As a monument to their work, there stands 17 churches, 6 primary schools, one high school, an orphanage, a bakery, a medical clinic (which treats 60 people a day), and several trade schools.

When one watches the people of Haiti, it becomes apparent that it doesn’t take a lot of material possessions to make people content, and even happy.  It seems to me, that of the countries I have visited, Haitians are as content and happy—if not more so—than most of the rest. Even in the face of harsh poverty and natural disaster, they still seem to find a reason to rejoice.

For example, a little boy, who lost his parents and family in the earthquake, but is now living in the orphanage, smiles as he sucks the juice from a mango.  Two women, carrying heavy loads on their heads for long distances, call out a friendly bonjour as we passed by.  On Sunday morning, a lady in the church stands to sing a song of praise to God for His unfailing goodness, even though she lives in a shack with her children, and her husband was buried in the rubble of the recent earthquake.

And then there is Pastor John. After a busy Sunday morning interpreting my message and baptizing new converts, he treks to the mountainside in the scorching heat with other Haitian believers, because he had received word that a young married man requested the pastor to come to help him give up his voodoo paraphernalia and seek healing for his ailing wife.  As the smoke of the consumed voodoo materials ascends to the sky, the believers and Pastor John pray, sing, and rejoice that another Haitian has turned to the Lord.

None of these individuals have much by way of this world’s goods, and some have suffered great loss, but they are surprisingly happy.  Happy because they are alive, happy that they were not injured or killed in the recent earthquake, happy because they have food and clothing, happy because they know the Lord and have the privilege of serving Him.

I have observed the Haitian church worshipping God with an exuberance that brought tears to my eyes, warmth to my soul, and a sting to my conscience—my own worship being a bit deficient alongside theirs.  I have learned from these sincere believers that praying, rejoicing, and praising God, and quite loudly at that, seems very “decent and in order”.

Here in Haiti I have had some thoughts about who the truly poverty stricken people of the world are. Just maybe it is not the people who call a little shack their home, who sleep on a straw mat, who feel blessed if they have a good mule, who would never dream of owning a car, and who are happy because they have a mountain stream nearby in which they can bathe.  Perhaps the truly poor people are not those without a bank account, who have never heard of a 401K, know nothing of air conditioning, and have to walk miles to tend their gardens and/or attend church.

No, a visit to Haiti has reminded me that the truly poor people of earth are people who live with abundance and yet complain, who have surplus but don’t share it, who have enough but never cease desiring and striving for more.  This is a poverty of spirit far more dangerous than poverty of possession.  Haiti’s poverty can be cured by man; only God can cure the other kind.

I wrote this the day before I left Haiti, June 15, 2010

The Pastoral Counseling of John Wesley Through Written Correspondence: The Years 1777-1782

John Wesley was a man endowed with remarkable abilities. Not least among them was the gift of giving sound and encouraging advice to those who asked his counsel. Though Wesley was a very active man, he encouraged his friends and fellow Methodists to write and share their problems with him. He let them know that he never tired of hearing from them. In this way he was able to fulfill a pastoral role to the entire body of people called Methodists.

For half a century he advised them on such matters as marriage, health, spiritual formation, education, employment, and finances. For half a century his people were instructed, encouraged, and directed by what could be considered timeless wisdom, rooted in God’s Word and good common sense.

It is our desire that through this counsel, given over two centuries ago, you might be thus instructed, encouraged, and directed in the 21st century.

Marriage

John Telford says that during this period of Wesley’s life “he seems to have been consulted on all the love affairs of the Connexion.” 1 Since he had experienced a tragedy in his own marriage, he seemed very anxious that the domestic affairs of his friends and co-laborers would turn out well.

He writes to a George Robinson in 1777 who had apparently lost his first wife, and because he had numerous children, was thinking about hastily remarrying

          ”Although the number of your children may incite you to it, yet I hope you will not be in haste to make a second choice. Let it be a matter of much prayer and deliberation. Many women will doubtless be offered. But let piety be your first consideration and fortune only the last.” 2

Ann Bolton, a frequent correspondent of Mr. Wesley’s, who he endearingly called Nancy, was engaged to a man who had the appearance of religion but nothing more than that. After breaking off from him she spent a period of time grieving about the incident. The following illustrates Wesley’s direct style of counseling with those who sought his advice.

          ”You are fretting and grieving yourself because the snare is broken, because your soul is taken out of the net! What deep unthankfulness!…My Nancy, arise and shake yourself from the dust! You have acted wisely and faithfully…He is well pleased with the sacrifice you have made.” 3

Perhaps one of Wesley’s most significant convictions concerning marriage came through in his letter to Elijah Bush in 1781. This local preacher was making plans to marry a woman against the consent of his parents. “I have never in a observation of fifty years known such a marriage attended with a blessing. I know not how it should be since it is flatly contrary to the fifth commandment.” 4 Wesley then preceded to tell Mr. Bush  that he (Wesley) did not allow his own mother a positive voice, that is he would not marry a woman because she bid him to; but he would allow her a negative voice, that is he would marry no person if she forbade it.

Health

It would seem that Wesley, if he had not been a preacher, would have made a good doctor, for he was obviously very interested in any health related matters. He was in the habit of collecting homemade remedies for various illnesses and then passing them on to his friends. He frequently discussed helpful ways to prevent illness, and methods to recover health once it was lost. In a letter to Elizabeth Morgan, a friend of Wesley’s who was temporarily retired from her work in order to recover her health, Wesley advocated that she mix reading, meditation, and prayer along with exercise in the open air. He then adds, “And why should you  not add that truly Christian diversion, visiting the poor, whether sick or well?” 5

With this last bit of advice, Wesley seems to indicate a belief that therapy often comes to the sick (whether in mind or body) by taking account of those who are worse off. Concerning exercise in the open air, he was a constant advocate. Wesley tells his niece, Sarah Wesley, that she can attain more health in both body and mind by being temperate in sleep. Lying too long in bed would hurt the body by causing nervous diseases, weakness, depression, and headaches. He also maintained that it hurt the mind by weakening the understanding, blunting the imagination, dulling the affections, and infusing a certain kind of softness that is inconsistent with the character of a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 6

On the other hand, the danger of overwork was a concern that Wesley carried for some of his preachers. He cautions John Valton, “Take care you not preach more than your health allows. You must not offer murder for sacrifice.” 7 To Robert Carr Brackenbury he writes, “We are not at liberty to impair our own health in hopes of doing good to others.” 8

Wesley was attuned to the fact that spiritual depression could often be attributed to physical weakness or illness. He endeavors to comfort Ann Bolton with this connection in a letter dated April 24, 1777. Miss Bolton apparently felt like God had deserted or forsaken her. Wesley’s response,

          ”But this is absolutely impossible.: I deny that such a state ever existed under the sun (that God would desert a Christian). As I observed before, the trouble you feel is in the very root and ground of it, a natural effect of disordered liver, of the corruptible body pressing down the soul.” 9

Worry too was detrimental to good health of body and mind. To a sickly young man not yet 25, Wesley writes,

          ”With regard to your health, both of body and mind, if you could take one advice it would have a surprising effect. It is this: ‘take not thought for the morrow.’ You know not how much even your body suffers by this.” 10

Employment

A consideration of Christians in every age is the concern of proper employment. How can one be certain that he/she is fulfilling his/her calling? Wesley found much occasion to give advice in this area. For the most part he encouraged, like the Apostle Paul, that his people stay in their present employment.

One traveling preacher, who was laboring under considerable depression of mind because of insinuations from the great adversary, wrote to Wesley requesting that Wesley send a preacher to the circuit in his stead, because he believed he was “out of his place.” Wesley got immediately to the point, “Dear brother, you are indeed ‘out of your place’, for you are reasoning when you ought to be praying.” 11

When Mary Bishop wrote and asked whether he thought she should relinquish her present work for employment in a boarding school, Wesley replied, “You have now a large field of action: you have employment enough, both temporal and spiritual; and you have ease enough. Abide in your calling.” 12

Another preacher wanted to cease being a local minister and become a traveling evangelist. But because of some impediments Wesley discouraged him with the following.

          ”When a preacher travels without his wife, he is exposed to innumerable temptations. And you cannot travel with your wife till she is so changed as to adorn the gospel. It seems, therefore, all you can do at present is to act as a local preacher.” 13

Sanctification Obtainable by Faith

Wesley seems to have been chosen by God to revive the doctrine of sanctification in a day of corruption and ecclesiastical lethargy. It is obvious that he himself recognized this, for on occasion he stated that God has raised up the Methodists to spread Scriptural holiness across the land.

He was adamant in his belief that holiness was obtainable by faith alone and not by works. He believed that where holiness of heart and life were taught and emphasized, there the whole work of God would prosper in general.

To Hannah Ball he writes, “If the preachers and leaders strongly exhort the believers to go on to perfection, then the entire work of God will prosper among you; otherwise it will languish.” 14

Endeavoring to guide Robert Carr Brackenbury to seek for the blessing of heart purity by faith, Wesley says,

          “You must not set the great blessing afar off because you find much war within. Perhaps this will not abate but rather increase till the moment your heart is set at liberty. The war will not cease…but by your attaining the promise. Stand if you look for it by naked faith, why may you not receive it now?” 15

To Lady Maxwell, Wesley writes on May 3, 1777, “There is the prize before you! Look up, believe, and take all you want!” 16

Advice for Preachers and Christian Workers

Wesley spent a great deal of time corresponding with his preachers that he placed in the field of labor. He had a small army of men who were servicing the Methodist fellowships along with the society at large in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Many of these men were untrained, and it fell Wesley’s lot in instruct them in the ways of ministry. His letters reveal a great variety of subjects in which he gave admonition. In regards to preaching, a letter dated February 16, 1977, asserts,

          “If any other of the preacher exceed their time (about one hour in the whole service), I hope you will always put them in mind what is the Methodist rule. People imagine the longer the sermon is the more good it will do. This is a grand mistake. The help done on earth God doth it Himself; and He doth not need that we should use many words.” 17

In 1778, Thomas Taylor was stationed at Wednesbury. Upon arrival he found that “Calvinism, Antinomianism, and downright ranterism had so laid waste this country, that there was small hopes of doing much good”. 18 Taylor apparently had fallen into the practice of preaching against these false doctrines incessantly. Wesley’s advice was,

          “As to preaching, you ought not to preach against that unscriptural, blasphemous, mischievous doctrine constantly – no, nor very frequently. But you ought now and then to bear a full, strong, express testimony against it; otherwise you are a sinner against God and your people and your own soul.” 19

Wesley advocated that his preachers use as much tact as possible in the presentation of the gospel. However he warned them that at times the plain gospel would give offense and therefore they were not to fear or show fear. He instructed John Mason, “If it be possible, say not one offensive word. But you must declare the plain, genuine gospel, and sooner or later God will give you His blessing.” 20

To another friend,

          “Dear Billy, –Never imagine you can be ‘faithful to your trust’ without offending anybody. Regard not that; follow your own conscience without fear or favor. Do the best you can, and you do enough! ‘Angels can do no more.’” 21

One temptation of every Christian worker at some point in their ministry will be the temptation to succumb to discouragement because of a lack of visible results. In a letter to a leader of one of his societies Wesley says, “Sometimes you will be in danger of dejection; when you have labored long in any instance, and see no fruit of your labor. But remember! You will be rewarded according to your labor, nor according to your success.” 22

A Fallen Brother

It can certainly be argued that Wesley was a strict disciplinarian. He lived a disciplined life and he expected his preachers and fellow Christians to live one too. When an erring brother or sister broke the rules of the Society, full discipline was always to be enforced by the leaders. On one occasion Wesley wrote, “I do not admire fair-weather preachers.” 23 And yet beneath this somewhat austere external, Wesley had a great compassion for the fallen, and he clearly counseled others to have it too.

When William Shent, a former Methodist, fell into sin, Wesley wrote the Society at Keighley.

          “I have a few questions which I desire may be proposed…

          Who was the occasion of the Methodist preachers first setting foot in Leeds? William Shent

          Who received John Nelson into his house at his coming thither? William Shent

          Who was it that invited me and received me when I came? William Shent

          Who was it that stood by me while I preached in the street with stones flying on every side? William Shent

          Who was it that bore the storm of persecution for the whole town and stemmed it at the peril of his own life? William Shent

          Whose word did God bless for many years in an eminent manner? William Shent’s

          By whom were many children now in paradise begotten in the Lord and many now alive? William Shent

          Who is he that is ready now to be broken up and turned into the street? William Shent

          And does nobody care for this? William Shent fell into sin and was publicly expelled from the Society; but must he be also starved? Must he with his grey hairs and all his children be without a place to lay his head? Can you suffer this? O tell it not in Gath! Where is Gratitude? Where is compassion? Where is Christianity? Where is humanity? Where is concern for the cause of God? Who is a wise man among you? Who is concerned for the gospel? Who has put on bowels of mercy? Let him arise and exert himself in this matter. You here arise as one man and roll away the reproach. Let us set him on his feet once more. It may save both him and his family” 24

Other Religious Affiliations

John Wesley was certainly no religious bigot. Even though the Church of England was at times a “thorn in the flesh” to his work, he never left the Church to the day of his death. He advised the Methodist to follow his example, although he did have second thoughts about this in the last decade of his life.

In two of his sermons, A Caution against Bigotry, and Catholic Spirit, it is plain to see that Wesley had a broad view of the church. However he was not unaware of the difficulty of mixing certain points of theology and ecclesiastical practices in the same organization. Sometimes he called outright for his people to separate themselves from the influences of certain teachings and yet to maintain a loving spirit. This is demonstrated in the following letter to Mrs. Crosby. “Fire and water cannot well dwell together, nor warm Calvinists and Arminians. Let us love them and help them all we can. But the less intercourse our people have with them the better.” 25

At other times and under other circumstances Wesley’s advice seemed to indicate that he felt like the Methodists should associate with “other” Christians if they could do it without harming their own faith. In 1781, Wesley received a letter from a group of men who were members of one of his societies. These men were to be noted for a loving spirit and unblamable conversation. They reminded Wesley that for years he and his preachers had told them that they should attend the Church of England services. And yet at these very services they were constantly hearing Calvinism lauded and Christian Perfection exploded.

They asked Wesley if he thought they could profit from such sermons, and if they were not providing themselves with a means of filling their hearts with prejudice against his preachers and the truth. Furthermore they were asked after the sermon if they liked it. Here they either had to dissemble or offend the ones who asked.

This letter caused Wesley to do some soul-searching. After careful deliberation he returned the following answer.

          “It is a delicate as well as important point, on which I hardly know how to answer. I cannot lay down any general rule. All I can say at present is, If it does not hurt you, hear them; if it does, refrain. Be determined by your own conscience. Let every man in particular act as he is fully persuaded in his own mind.” 26

Wealth and Finances

“Make all you can…save all you can…and give all you can” is the well-known admonition of Wesley concerning money”. 27 By the records left us it seems clear that Wesley followed his own advice.  He took seriously the claims of Jesus that money could prove to be a hindrance in entering the kingdom of God. He also knew that Christianity by its very nature teaches a man to be industrious and wise. This tends to produce wealth which will in turn eventually produce self-indulgence rather than self-denial that is so necessary for one to follow Christ.

To avoid this vicious cycle, Wesley deeply believed that the Christian should give away his excess money to Christian causes and the poor. In this way he would meet the real needs of others and at the same time he would remove a snare from his own life. Several letters during this period of his life underscore this conviction.

To Miss March he wrote,

          “I do not remember the making mention of covetousness: but it is likely I might; for I am exceedingly afraid of it, lest it should steal unawares (as it always comes in disguise) either upon myself or my friends. I know no way to escape it but (having saved all we can) to give all we can. I think this is at present your rule as well as mine; and I trust it always will be.” 28

To Mary March he wrote,

          “Two-thirds of those who are grown rich are greatly degenerated. They do not, will not save all they can in order to give all they can. And without doing this they cannot grow in grace; nay, they continually grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” 29

          ”Oh who can bear riches! Who can gain money without in some measure losing grace!” 30

Wesley reminded Mrs. Woodhouse that in the face of death, “What do riches avail?” He proceeds, “In such circumstances you are richer than them all. You know in whom you have believed…you have in heaven a better and more enduring substance.” 31

While excess wealth should be avoided, so should debt, especially in the ministry. To Samuel Bradburn he gave the following instruction, “You must stop local preachers who are loaded with debt.” 32

Education

Any serious student of John Wesley will soon discover that Wesley had a great love for learning. Study was with Wesley a way of life. His formal schooling included a Master’s degree from Oxford, but his constant reading and wide experience gave him a grasp of things far beyond his years at Oxford. He once declared that his goal was to be holy and scholarly.

However, Wesley knew that education could be a stumbling block for some. He taught that it was unquestionably the Christian’s duty to cultivate his understanding, but that he should beware of pride and the thinking of himself more highly than he ought to think. Also there would be the danger that knowledge would be stressed more than love. “We allow it is of great value in its place,” wrote Wesley, “that is, in subordination to holiness as the handmaid of love.” 33

After Mary Bishop started a Christian school for children in Publow, she received a letter from Mr. Wesley detailing some of the concerns he had for the school. He felt that her students lacked simplicity. That they had good breeding and culture was clear, but they seemed to be without spirituality and the mind that was in Christ. He insists that her first goal should be to make her students Christian, and only then genteel. 34

Wesley often prescribed a course of study for those who didn’t have the opportunity to take higher education. He counseled his niece, Sarah Wesley, to read the Bible for an hour every day because “all you learn is to be referred to this, either directly or remotely.” 35

In addition, she should study English grammar; arithmetic; geography; logic; philosophy; history of the ancient world, of the church, of the Reformation, of England, of the Puritans, of America. She was also to study poetry and theology. 36 Wesley not only told her what subjects to study, he also gave her a list of textbooks.

Spiritual Encouragement

Wesley had a tremendous gift of encouragement. This undoubtedly was the reason he was so loved by the people. He always seemed to have a “word in season” that ministered grace to the hearer. The following is illustrative.

To Ann Bolton,

          ”It is a great step toward Christian resignation to be thoroughly convinced of that great truth that there is no such thing as chance in the world; that fortune is only another name for providence. An event the cause of which does not appear we commonly say ‘comes by chance.’ Oh no: it is guided by an unerring hand; it is the result of infinite wisdom and goodness. Such are all the afflictive circumstances that have followed you in constant succession almost from your childhood.” 37

To Hester Ann Roe,

          “We know, indeed, that these (as well as all things) are ordered by unerring Wisdom, and are given us exactly at the right time and in due number, weight, and measure. And they continue no longer than is best; for chance has no share in government of the world.” 38

To Ann Bolton,

          “And you cannot insist too much on that point – that, whatever our past experience has been, we are now more or less acceptable to God as we more or less improve the present moment.” 39

To Mrs. Johnston,

          “I make no doubt but He will hear the prayers on behalf of your whole family; but the time and manner of answering our prayers He reserves in His own power. And He has given you a token for good, already you have one, if not more, children that love and fear Him; and the rest are not such enemies of the gospel as persons of their rank usually are. You have reason to thank God for what He has done, and to expect all that He has promised.” 40

Finally, no discussion of Wesley’s pastoral letters would be complete without some reference to the letters he  wrote to a man named Alexander Knox. Knox, it seems, was a young man is his early twenties who suffered exceedingly from spiritual depression as a result of a physical ailment and a constitution plagued with an inclination to worry, fear, and melancholy.

Letter after letter flows from Wesley’s pen to Knox during this time. They are filled with an abundance of love and compassion. It is evident that Wesley has taken this struggling young person to his heart (as a son in the gospel) and is determined to nurture him back to spiritual and physical wholeness.

Because of Knox’s incessant self-condemnation Wesley writes,

          ”Some time since, I was reading an account of a person in France, whom his confessor absolutely forbade (for such a time) to think of his sins and ordered him ‘to think only of the mercies of God in Christ.’ It had an admirable effect on that desponding man. I know not but it might have the same upon you. Do not look down, but look up. Let not the corruptible body press down the soul, and give no place to the evil one, who would keep you continually poring on the dark side of the prospect. There is good determined concerning you, and not evil. God has not forsaken you.” 41

In another letter, Wesley advises Knox that it is good to know one’s self, but that one should not stop there, as he (Knox) is so apt to do. This knowledge on oneself should lead us to know Christ who loves and saves sinners. 42 He encourages Knox to “break through the fear, which is a snare of the devil.” 43And to “trust in God.” Resist every distrustful thought the moment it is injected. God is on your side. Believe not the old murderer who tells you the contrary.” 44

 

__________

1 John Telford, The Letters of the Rev. John Wesley, vol 6 (London: Epworth Press), 248.

2 Ibid., 270-271.

3 Ibid., 279-280.

4 John Telford, The Letters of the Rev. John Wesley, vol 7 (London: Epworth Press), 83-84.

5 Ibid., 51.

6 Ibid., 75.

7 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 380.

8 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 90.

9 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 261, 262.

10 Ibid., 308.

11 Ibid., 369.

12 Ibid., 158.

13 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 32.

14 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 360.

15 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 33.

16 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 264.

17 Ibid., 255.

18 Ibid., 294.

19 Ibid., 295.

20 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 37-38.

21 Ibid., 38.

22 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 353.

23 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 68.

24 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 334.

25 Ibid., 331.

26 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 92-93.

27 The Work of John Wesley, vol 6 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), 124-136.

28 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 263.

29 Ibid., 288.

30 Ibid., 255.

31 Ibid., 251-252.

32 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 68.

33 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 335.

34 Telford, Letters, vol 7, 62-63.

35 Ibid., 82.

36 Ibid., 83.

37 Ibid., 45-46.

38 Telford, Letters, vol 6, 339.

39 Ibid., 297.

40 Ibid., 310-311.

41 Ibid., 320.

42 Ibid., 309.

43 Ibid., 377.

44 Ibid., 314.

 

 

 

 

When Desire Comes Knocking: Resisting the Appeal of Immorality

 “He who commits adultery lacks understanding; he who does it destroys himself”

Proverbs 6:32(ESV)

 

Several years ago while flying I was assigned to a seat between two women; I soon discovered that they were related.  The woman to my left was the daughter-in-law to the woman (the mother-in-law) on my right.  Looking to generate a little conversation after settling into my seat, I asked one of the ladies what she believed was the greatest problem facing women today.  That question sparked no small amount of conversation.  For the next several hours these women unburdened their hearts.  I learned regrettably that the daughter-in-law’s husband, a doctor, was having an affair with a nurse in her twenties.  The mother-in-law felt great shame for her son’s behavior and was intensely empathetic with her daughter-in-law!

While not sounding bitter or unforgiving, the wife, who was a Christian, felt deeply the betrayal of her husband.  In my estimation, she was between 40-45 years of age, quite attractive and had two teenage children.  The children totally despised what their father was doing.  His years of moral instruction were being washed away by the raging waves of his own self-destructive behavior.  He appeared to them to be a hypocrite of giant proportions.  The truth is—he was.

As I listened to these two grieving women, their words were a stark reminder and a grave warning.  No sexual liaison with any woman, be it Miss Universe, could possibly be a good exchange for the shame, heartache and devastation that this man was producing, both for his family and for himself.  Sin always has its payday, and for this man that day had dawned.

The husband was now trying to piece some of the parts of his life back together, but things were not going well. He was discovering what remorseful adulterers often come to realize; affairs of this nature tend to run their course, and then neither party knows what to do with the other.  The situation turns bitter; life becomes awkward and extremely difficult. And while redeemable, things are never quite the same.

Living, as we do in a sex-saturated society, how is it possible to overcome the appeal of immorality?  It is safe to say that all of us will feel at some point the power of wrong attraction. Desire happens, and it is a mark of great foolishness to think that we are above such appeal.  From the pages of Scripture we learn that Samson, Solomon, and David were all troubled by wrong attractions and their subsequent choice to indulge.  The strongest man, the wisest man, and the most devoted man in the Old Testament were thus brought into captivity by the influence of illicit desire.  That is reason enough for all believers, even the most pure-minded among us, to avoid being cozy with the thought that we are not susceptible to failure. 

But what is the path to purity?  How can we resist through an entire lifetime the appeal to sexual immorality?  The following is an attempt to answer that question.

  

Faith in God

Immorality, like all sin, begins with a lack of trust in God.  We fail to trust the goodness of God as it is expressed in the commandments of God, especially when those commandments conflict with our desires and emotions.  This gives an opening to Satan who can deceive us, like he did the first couple, into believing that God is a kind of cosmic sadist, crafting laws which restrain us from experiencing the good, rather than saving us from what is inherently flawed. 

To successfully resist temptation, we need to believe that God’s commandments are given not to limit us, but to save us; not to restrict our good, but to enhance it.  God labels immoral behavior evil precisely because He knows it will always result in evil—for everyone involved.  Failure to believe what He says and to acknowledge His goodness as reflected in His restrictions lies at the heart of all moral failure.

The problem with the immoral is that when they revolt against the commandments of God and act upon their lust, they believe they are acting in their own best interests.  Immorality, however, is never in one’s self interest. It may appear to be, but it will always prove opposite. This is why immorality is more than just sinful behavior; it is stupid behavior. It does nothing to promote one’s own good. On the contrary immorality is a self-demolition project of great proportion.  It is essential that faith be exercised in a good God who is acting in our self-interest when He forbids it.

 

Focus on the consequences

The wise sayings of Solomon inform us that the adulterer lacks sense or understanding.  This is true for two reasons: first, the adulterer holds the misguided belief that lasting pleasure can be realized without bothering to pursue holy behavior, and secondly, because the adulterer fails to sufficiently comprehend the deadly outcome of such action.  In twenty-seven years of ministry, I have never met an immoral person who was either happy after the adultery or who had sufficiently counted the cost of such behavior before the adultery. 

            Some years ago a young man asked me if I thought it was a good practice to enumerate the ways that immorality would adversely affect his life and use that information to fight his temptations.  Not only did I encourage such thinking, I offered to be of assistance.  Here is at least a partial list:

• Adultery betrays the trust of the offended spouse and forces him/her to deal with a mountain of issues—bitterness, forgiveness, disillusionment, destroyed self-esteem, fear—to name a few.  It is generally easier to deal with the death of a spouse than with marital infidelity.  Adultery murders the spirit of the faithful spouse. 
• Children will be deeply disappointed and will find it difficult to believe in the parent again. The opportunity is gone forever to look children in the face and encourage them to follow the moral example of the parent.
• Friends will feel awkward and not know how to respond to the offender.
• The church will be forced to rescind membership and take away ministerial credentials if the offender is ordained.
• A good name and reputation will be soiled if not permanently damaged. Scripture warns of this consequence. “A wound and a dishonor shall he [the adulterer] get and his reproach shall not be wiped away” (Proverbs 6:33).
• Conscience will be defiled, relationship with God severed, and in the place of God’s blessing—judgment. “For God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4).
• The claim of “love” which the adulterer usually professes will be seen for the lust and the spite that it really is.  Dragging a person into guilt, shame, and defilement can hardly be considered anything but the antithesis of true love.
•  Possibilities for the future may have been promising, but now they will be seriously diminished, if not forfeited.

How could any illicit sexual relationship be worth reaping a harvest of such heartache and devastation?  Focusing on a list like this, especially during times of temptation, could prove to be preventative.

 

Flee temptation

Paul’s advice to believers is that they should “flee from sexual immorality” (I Corinthians 6:18). To the young minister, Timothy, he wrote “flee youthful passions” (II Timothy 2:22).  Temptation is not something with which to argue, reason, or play; it is that from which we should flee.  The Old Testament character Joseph is an excellent illustration of one who did just that (Genesis 39:12).  When pressed by Potiphar’s wife to engage in an illicit relationship, he quickly and rightly fled the house.

There will be situations in life that call for this sort of radical action.  A friendship may need to be terminated; a place of employment changed; a cherished entertainment abandoned, a trip alone canceled, a computer set in an open place. Any of these actions could very well represent what Paul meant by his admonition to “flee temptation”.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also spoke in radical terms (even if they were figurative) when he said that an eye should be plucked out and a hand cut off if they are the means by which one is led into sin. Something very cherished may have to be deserted in order to keep one’s purity, but for the Christian the loss of virtue always trumps the loss of the tangible and the temporal.

Fleeing temptation may also mean taking the step to make ourselves accountable to a godly brother or sister.  If this cannot be a spouse, it needs to be someone of the same gender to whom we can freely expose our thoughts, our heart, our temptations.  An accountability partner will not only encourage us, but pray with and for us.  Immorality flourishes best in the darkness as does the temptation to immorality.  Accountability has a way of bringing our temptations into the light, and being exposed to the light, they often diminish in strength.

 

Filled with the Spirit

            Any message on overcoming the appeal of the immoral would not be complete without consideration being given to the importance of staying filled with the Holy Spirit.  In spiritual matters, we simply cannot afford to run on empty.  Without inward joy, and contentment, and spiritual satisfaction, any Christian can become vulnerable to the appeal of the flesh.  The antidote to immorality is spirituality and the inward fullness of the Holy Spirit.  St. Paul’s advice is to “Walk in the Spirit” and we “will not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).  One cannot walk in the Spirit unless one stays filled with the Spirit, and living and walking in the Spirit is our strongest defense against sensual appeal.  When our inward joy exceeds the outward allure of sin, it is not difficult to resist.  Deeply satisfied within, we will not be looking for something to satisfy without.

            Jason and the Sirens is a story from Greek mythology that is illustrative of this point.  The Sirens and their fatal attraction are described in many ancient writings.  The Sirens were seductive “bird-women” who lived in a flowery meadow on an island called Sirenum Scopuli. This island was surrounded by rocks and cliffs that proved deadly to any crew whose ship ventured too closely to the shore.  The Sirens had a beautiful, captivating song by which they were given the power to destroy men. Unlucky seaman who came a little too near the island inhabited by the Sirens would become so enthralled by their irresistibly beautiful music and seductive voices that they would shipwreck against the rocky coast and subsequently drown.

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew had to pass by the island inhabited by the seductive Sirens. Odysseus knew that if extra measures were not taken, he and his crew would lose their lives. Odysseus had his men’s ears plugged with wax. He himself was curious about what the song and voices of the Sirens sounded like, so he had his men tie him tightly to the mast instead, to prevent him from steering the ship into the rocks as he listened. Upon hearing the Siren’s song, he begged to be released, but his crew held fast and would not let him go. Soon, they passed the island and out of range of the Sirens.

When Jason and the Argonauts had to traverse closely to the island, he followed a wiser strategy.  Having been forewarned of the Sirens, he asked Orpheus to play loud and beautiful music on his lyre when they passed by the island so that his men would not hear the captivating song of the Sirens. Orpheus did as Jason directed and the men captivated by their own music, never heard the seductive call of the Sirens. 

I suppose there are several ways to fight temptation.  One way is to strive in one’s own strength, heroically struggling against the flesh, doing the equivalent to plugging one’s ears or tying oneself to the mast of the ship.  A better and wiser course would be to stay so filled with the inner music of the Holy Spirit, finding such joy and satisfaction in Jesus Christ, that the appeal of the flesh is greatly diminished, while virtue and purity are preserved.

  

All Four Are Important

            In answering the question, “How may we overcome the appeal of the immoral?” it is important that we give due consideration to all four of these areas. It is needful that we place total faith in a loving and wise God who points us to the good life and away from disaster by way of His commandments, that we focus on the negative consequences of immoral actions, that we flee temptation when it comes knocking, and that we stay filled with the Holy Spirit.  Each one of these areas is vital, and taken together, they form a strategy that will keep us empowered to remain sexually pure and faithfully committed to our spouse “till death do us part.”  

 

 

The Importance of a Mission Education for Today’s Missionary

The landscape of Christian missionary history is filled with the lives of great men and women who gave their all to advance the cause of God’s kingdom on earth.  They took seriously the words of the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” frequently risking their own lives and the lives of their families in the process. 

 

These men and women have repeatedly been denigrated as a group of adventurers, thrill-seekers and uneducated  commoners who did not have the talent to excel at home, hence they traversed to faraway places, where falling into the company of the ignorant, their own ignorance did not look so obvious.

 

This, however, was rarely the case.  The men and women who established Christianity on every continent of our world were, in great part, loaded with talented and quite well educated; they represented some of the best spiritual and intellectual minds that the sending churches had to offer. These missionaries took the time to acquire a good education, very often becoming skilled in more than one area, so that they might be prepared to work in the harvest where God led them to labor.

 

For example, William Carey learned seven languages before he even left home for India where he was involved in education, translation, and evangelism.  Adoniram Judson, one of America’s first foreign missionaries, was a graduate of Brown University where he was the valedictorian and later a student at Andover Seminary.  Count Nicolaus Zinzendorf was born into wealth and nobility, attended both the University of Halle and Wittenberg, and later became the leader Moravians who became a mighty missionary force in the eighteenth century.  Hudson Taylor studied medicine to increase his effectiveness in China.  David Brainerd attended Yale. Ida Scudder studied medicine at Cornell and became a doctor to India where she built a large medical complex. Nate Saint mastered aviation and advanced the cause through his outstanding skill. Cam Townsend attended a college in California and later founded Wycliffe Bible Translators. Charles and Lettie Cowman attended God’s Bible School before they went on to a successful missionary career in Japan. I could go on and on with a long list of eminent missionaries who took their time to prepare to do God’s work. 

 

Here at GBS&C we are endeavoring to follow in this great mission tradition by faithfully preparing young people to obey the words of our Lord to “go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creation.”  Our mission statement says, “The Division of Intercultural Studies and World Missions seeks to prepare missionary candidates spiritually, academically, and practically for contemporary cross-cultural ministry at home and abroad.” 

 

Today’s missionary cannot afford to enter the complex world of foreign missions without adequate preparation.  Below we have listed some of what we consider to be the essentials of that preparation:

 

• A solid grounding in biblical and theological studies. 
• A general education that includes writing skills, computer skills, and social sciences like sociology and cultural anthropology.
• Specific missionary education which includes the knowledge of  the History of Missions, Theology of the Christian World Mission, Principles and Problems of Missions, Current Issues and Methods in Missions, World Religions, Cross Cultural Communication– all subjects that are taught at GBS. 
• At least one professional skill—if not more—that can be used in overseas service.  Skills like the ability to preach, teach, write, administrate, translate, plant churches, teach English as a second language, or medical work.  

God is never in a hurry.  He wants his people to take time to sharpen their swords before entering the battle.  God does not put a premium on ignorance–spiritual or intellectual.  This is why today’s missionary will do well to invest in careful preparation to do the work of the Lord.  For most important occupations there is a lengthy period of preparation and training.  It could be argued that there is no task more complex, more challenging, and more important then going overseas, learning a new language and culture and then involving oneself in spreading the Gospel.  To accomplish it, just as in the past, it takes men and women dedicated to thorough preparation. 

Devotional for February 2

But One Thing is Necessary (Luke 10:42 ESV).

 

The scriptural tale of two sisters, Mary and Martha, is one of my favorite stories in the Gospels. These sisters lived in a small, quiet village several miles east of Jerusalem, away from the distractions and commotions of urban life, and though they lived nearly two thousand years ago, long before the industrial revolution or the computer age, their story holds important lessons for moderns.

 

One such lesson is that inward peace does not primarily come through outward circumstances. One would think that Mary and Martha’s historical and geographical setting would have made a contemplative and peaceful life an easy achievement. Not so for Martha. It sounds like she could have been a 21^st century urban dweller. Jesus described her as “worried and troubled about many things” (v. 41). While her sister sat at the feet of Jesus to hear his words, she scurried around the kitchen worrying about the trivial. In spite of her peaceful surroundings, she lived a life of inner turmoil, demonstrating that inner peace will escape us, regardless of where and when we live, if we are not choosing the “one thing necessary”—communion with Christ.

 

 Martha also serves as an example of those who experience failure through misguided priorities. “Anxious and concerned about many things,” she failed to be concerned about the “one thing necessary” (vs. 41-42). She may have had the best of intentions, but she was focused on the less important. In her concern to feed the Lord, she failed to be fed by the Lord. Heading to the kitchen, before spending time in the closet, she engaged in service that was shallow, self-serving, and a source of great agitation. It is shocking that Martha was not only upset with her sister; she was upset with the Lord. “Do you not care that Mary has left me?” (v. 40). In her agitated state she even presumed to give Jesus advice. “Tell her to help me” (v. 40). Because Martha failed to sit at Jesus’ feet, her service left her feeling frustrated and fuming at her sister, rather than calmly enjoying the fruits of a ministry resulting from the overflow of her heart.

2008: The Highs and the Lows

It has been an interesting year.  Here are a few of the highs and lows:

1. There were the hospital incidents and medical emergencies.  One for me (heart operation in January), one for Rachel (head trauma), one for Rebekah (head trauma), one for Tim (broken nose), three for Martha (reconstructive neck surgery-the most serious).  And though not a medical emergency (even though it could have been) Andrew was held at gunpoint in South Africa during a robbery.  Thank God, we have all made it to 2009.

2.  There were the good experiences:  Andrew spending two summer months doing Bible distribution in four African countries.  Our ten year old daughter Rachel getting baptized (I had the joy of doing it). The birth of our second grandchild, Lillie Grace.  A doctoral degree put behind me after 10 years.  Interviewing a number of Ukrainians in the summer for an upcoming book on Ukrainian conversions. 

3. The sad deaths of several very special people in our lives.  Taiya Handzyuk (age 53) whose home I called home when I was in Ukraine on many trips there.  Earl Rohrer (92), a former parishioner who prayed for me daily since my conversion.  Earl was the godliest man I have ever met.  Vince Adams (82?), a member of my current church and a veteran of WWII.  All three of them were very special people who will be greatly missed.

4. Special times with friends.  I had the privilege to be with Scott Sobie at least three times this year.  Twice at GBS and once in the Ukraine where Scott and I traveled conducting interviews.  It is always a great joy to be with this long-time friend.  And then there was Doug Kline.  Just a few days before the end of the year, we met each other at Hobe Sound and knew that we were kindred spirits.  It is great to meet and make a new friend.

5. New experiences:  Martha and I learned to rollerblade–and, yes, we love it.  I started this blog, snorkeled with the children in Key West, strolled through Rome with Shane Muir, and relaxed with my family in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina.  My daughter Ruth introduced me to artichokes.  Wow! do I ever love eating them with tomatoes and feta cheese.

6. And finally, the happy purchase of a Kawasaki Vulcan 800 motorcycle.  I can’t wait for summer again.  Riding with that warm summer breeze beating against my face.  What a feeling! 

What a year!

May God bless you and me in 2009.  A year without His blessing will be a wasted year.

Devotional for November 14

What, could you not watch with me one hour…watch and pray that ye do not enter into temptation (Matthew 26:40-41).

 

When surveys are done among American Christians, it is generally discovered that they spend less than ten minutes a day in devotional exercises.  It seems to be a sad fact that the Lord of the Heaven has a difficult time getting much of an audience with those on earth who openly profess to love and serve Him.

 

Jesus seemed to be astonished to discover that His inner-circle disciples, Peter, James and John, were sleeping when He was facing such a critical hour in the Garden of Gethsemane. Perhaps He was looking for some prayer support and encouragement.  What He found were men who had willing spirits but were weak in the flesh, unable to watch and pray for one hour.

 

 Could it be that Christ is dismayed to find many contemporary Christians in a state of spiritual stupor, when if they were spending time with Him, they would be both alive and alert?  They would have a much greater sense of God’s abiding presence within them, while they would be a much greater source of blessing and encouragement to those around them.

 

While we find it so easy to engage in a host of activities, e.g.. eating, talking, reading, playing, that fill the space of one hour, why do we find it so difficult to spend an hour with the Lord?  Is it that we have more important things to do?  Is it that we lack love and passion for our Lord?  Is it that we think time with the Lord is a misuse of time or that prayer doesn’t make a difference?  Is it that we lack discipline to persevere? Is it that we have deceived ourselves into thinking that we can accomplish much even though we pray little?

 

We desperately need the connection to God that a consistent prolonged daily devotional time will give. When Henry Nouwen felt dissatisfaction with his low level of spiritual development, he asked Mother Teresa for her advice.  She counseled him to “spend an hour a day in contemplative prayer and commit no conscious sins.”

 

 That advice, if acted upon, has the power to elevate any Christian above the lowlands of spiritual defeat and to bring the enablement needed for “soaring above with the eagles”.

 

 

Devotional for September 9

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time (Jonah 3:10).

 

This was the same word that came to him in the first chapter, but Jonah chose not to obey.  Instead of taking the Lord’s message to Nineveh, Jonah took a ship to Tarshish.  Bad decision!  He sailed straight into a storm, was thrown overboard, and was swallowed by a fish that the Lord had prepared.

 

The God of the Bible however is the God of the second chance, and while people rarely give second chances, He often does. Moses took matters into his own hands and murdered an Egyptian, but later he led the Hebrews out of bondage. David committed abominable sins for which he suffered great loss, but later he was restored and resumed writing psalms that even Jesus Christ quoted.  Peter swore and denied the Lord, but later he preached a sermon on the day of Pentecost that resulted in 3,000 conversions. He became a pillar of the New Testament church, and today cathedrals are named after him.

 

There is no question that Jonah sinned when he refused to obey the voice of the Lord.  God however is a God of radical mercy. He forgave Jonah and gave him another chance. Jonah’s sin did not change God’s plan for Jonah. The moment he turned to God in repentance the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. The voice gave the same set of instructions.  This time however Jonah obeyed, and a whole city was blessed because of his obedience.  Even though Jonah self-righteously was not pleased with the results, the city of Nineveh too received a second chance when its citizens repented and turned to the Lord.

 

Now perhaps you are thinking that your failure is final.  Believe it not. If you have blown it once, it does not mean you have blown it forever, or that you will necessarily blow it again. God’s mercy is greater than your sin.  It is mercy that you do not deserve but that God is willing to give. His mercy endureth forever.

Devotional for August 21

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24). 

 

These words are part of what we call the upper room discourse (John 13-17).  They are words of instruction and comfort from a Man for whom death and departure were looming on the horizen.  Jesus told his disciples that He would be leaving (John 14:1), but while His body would be taken away, His Name would be staying with them.  They were instructed to use it when approaching the Father, and that the Father would honor the Name and grant their requests.

 

Until that time, they had asked nothing in His name, but now with this new approach to prayer, powerful results were being promised.  It didn’t take long for the disciples to experience the power of the Name.  In Acts 3:6, Peter said to the crippled man lying at the temple gate, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”  The man’s feet and ankle bones immediately received strength, and he entered into the temple “walking, leaping, and praising God.”

 

Request, receive, rejoice.  This is exactly what Christ promised. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. He does not intend that our needs go unfulfilled and that we be joyless.  Our privilege is to ask in the Name, and then to be pleasantly surprised how the Father responds.  Requesting will soon be followed by receiving and rejoicing—just like Jesus said.

 

What needs and concerns are you fretting about today?  Instead of carrying them with you, why not go to the throne of grace and present the need—in the Name—to the Father, and see what happens. 

 

 

Devotional for August 4

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God  (I Corinthians 10:31).

 

Even though I was officially on vacation, the last two weeks have been filled with lots of activity. My journal, if I were keeping one, would have entries reading like this:  drove home and spent some time with my parents, went to lunch with a old friend struggling through the changing seasons of life,  took a 60 mile bicycle trip with my 13 year-old son, did some repairs in the bathroom, preached at a funeral of a former neighbor, went on several short motorcycle exclusions with my daughters, ate my favorite Dutch pretzels and Amish cheese, cleaned out my work van, admonished an acquaintance about the danger of a living a godless life, walked on my treadmill, mailed letters at the post office, changed the oil in my car, and helped an international student get a visa for study in the USA. 

 

While most of these activities can be considered rather mundane, it is heartening to know that the Apostle Paul himself believed that all of our activities could bring glory to God, even eating and drinking.  This means that they can have significance no matter how trivial they appear.

 

As we know, most of life is filled with doing simple things.  For the Christian however these simple things cannot be disparaged because when something is done for God’s glory it is permeated with a sense of the sacred.  The idea that we engage in some activities that are secular and some that are sacred is wrong.  There is no divide like this for the believer.  All activities are a sacrament to God.

 

Behavior that is wrong must be avoided because it cannot be done to the glory of God.  Behavior that is right but is being done for the wrong reason must not be changed but must have a new motivation—the glory of God.  When we sin we come short of the glory of God, either in what we are doing, or why we are doing it.  The glory of God should be the motivation as well as the measure of all we do.

 

The Westminster Confession reminds us that our purpose is to “glory God and enjoy Him forever”.  So today, as we eat and drink, as we work and witness, as we rest and play, lets do all to the glory of God.