What to say?

I am back in the land of few friends and no personal computer, otherwise known as Launceston. So yesterday I dropped into the online access centre to book myself a couple of hours on Friday. The person who booked me into the computer was apologising for not remembering my name, and told me he was very tired. He said "I do the tarot card readings. The lady this morning didn't want to use the tarot cards, so I had to rely on my clairvoyants and boy am I exhausted." I said "Oh no, that is no good, that is no good at all" or something of that nature. I was thinking of the clairvoyants, not the exhaustion! I was grasping for somthing more intelligent and spiritual to say, but nothing came. So I wandered out the door feeling a little stunned! What do you think you would have said? "Repent and believe in the living God, do not call upon dangerous demons", or something a little more innovative? All I could think of afterwards was that I could have spoken with him about my limited experience with witchcraft and its dangers, and how God can set you free, but it sounds like he is into it much more than I ever was.

This experience reminded me of how easy it is to meet non-Christians simply though being involved in community groups or activities. For example, you could join a garden club or a patchwork class. These groups are usually full of people who don't know God. I could volunteer to help run the online access centre, but I don't think I'd have the time or be reliable enough with all my travelling to and from Hobart. However, I always want to keep in mind that joining in with community activities is a great way to meet people if you have time. You can often combine doing something you enjoy with reaching out to the lost. A happy mix, I think.

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Praying for the Persecuted

Today I received this Open Doors email prayer alert. For many years God has impressed upon me the importance of remembering the persecuted. I don't always do this well, but God keeps reminding me! The abduction of Christian young women, which this email alert speaks of, is not an uncommon threat in some countries. Tonight one of my Bible readings was Psalm 31, and I prayed that verse 20 would be real for Dorothy and Pastor Reggie:

"You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the secret plots of man"

Daughter of Indian pastor abducted

Dorothy, the 25-year-old daughter of Pastor Reggie Howell from Ferozepur, Punjab, was kidnapped at 7:30am on Wednesday 19 April. She had gone for a morning walk and did not return home. The abductors called Pastor Reggie at 11:30am to tell him she was with them. There has been no news since then.

An OD staff member spoke to Pastor Reggie on the phone and said he was weeping so much, he could hardly talk. The same staff member met Dorothy last year and said "she is really anointed and gifted by the Lord, and has been in ministry for several years, helping her dad."

Pastor Reggie is the pastor of the Good Shepherd Community Church. He and his team of pastors are reaching out to some 840 villages Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The terrain in these areas is difficult and there are many spiritual strongholds. Pastor Reggie also runs the School of Evangelism to train more workers.

Please pray for Dorothy to be released unharmed and for the family to know the Lord's comfort at this time.

Thank you for your faithful support

John

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Good Reasons to Hesitate

On Friday 24 February, I wrote about how I question my motives for not speaking when truth is at stake. Two of my Bible memory verses give good reasons for hesitating to speak:

The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.
Proverbs 17:14

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world
Philippians 2: 14-15

Some disputes are pointless and fruitless. We are called to avoid those. There is a difference between stating the truth, and pushing the truth so that you end up in an argument.

Sometimes in discussions with Christians I am coming from such a different perspective or knowledge base to those I am trying to communicate with, it feels like fog surrounds us. This is especially so in areas like politics, education, or entertainment. This “fog” can lead to frustration, distress, or anger in my heart. I do not want to discuss issues like this unless I can do so peacefully and without sin.

Another reason I hesitate is that in the past I have held views strongly, and spoken them, later to have the Holy Spirit show me through God’s word that I was wrong. Before I speak strongly, I need to be sure truth not error is being presented.

I also recognise how long it has taken me to come to some of the positions I now hold. I cannot expect others to instantly agree with ideas that used to shock me! Often one small statement is enough to get someone thinking. People progress in ideas and beliefs through small and gradual steps.

Charlotte Mason expresses something of what I am saying:

That which has become the dominant idea of one person’s life, if it be launched suddenly at another, coveys no very great depth of weight of meaning to the second person – he wants to get at it by degrees, to see the steps by which the other has travelled.

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Make them life, Jesus

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,

But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Proverbs 15:4

What a heart warming image the first line presents. A tongue that is wholesome builds up and causes people to flourish. This passage is an inspiration to seek God, to pray that he will make my words life-giving.

In contrast, the second line presents a tragic image. A broken spirit, a crushed heart, is something we can all identify with. There have been many times when a few words have broken my spirit. They have festered and hurt long after they were spoken. The saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is not biblical. Words can hurt more than stones.

This verse is so meaningful to me that when I did a poetry writing unit at university, I tried to write a poem on it. The title was "Make them life, Jesus."My tongue is evil and difficult to control, as James points out. I cannot even control it without God's help.

Here at the school I pray this even more. Teaching is so much about communication, speech. The children are always doing things that are irritating, or need correction. They often struggle with school work, and I need to explain their mistakes whilst encouraging them. If their spirits are broken they will not even want to learn. In the midst of all this, I often pray about my words: "Make them life, Jesus."

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When to Speak?

There are many situations, and many people, who confront me with ideas or actions that I do not agree with. Recently I have been considering the questions such as: "When is it wrong to be silent?", "What are good motives for remaining silent?", "When is it my duty to speak?". Those who know me may find it hard to believe that I often choose not to speak up, but it is true nonetheless!

Two areas I always try to speak on, if confronted with them, are the gospel and abortion. I consider it a duty of love, or a moral imperitive, to speak truth on these topics. The eternal souls of people, and the lives of the innocent, are more imporant than my comfort zones. Sometimes I have talked too much about life issues like abortion. There is a balance here, which I pray God will help me achieve. It is harmful to go on about things too much, but if someone does raise the topic it is important to speak truth.

In many other areas, I wonder if my failure to speak is simply selfishness. When an opponent of predestination asked me if I believed it, I told him he'd have to work it out for himself. Was this a choice not to get into a bothersome conflict, considering only my own peace of mind? Or was it a realisation that considering my own experience of vehmently rejecting predestination and then embracing it as Biblical, this topic is best left up to the work of the Holy Spirit?

When a lady declared to me that a wife's duty to submit to her husband was not a biblical teaching, was my choice to simply say "I don't hold that view, but I understand your perspective" diplomatic or a failure to defend God's word? Perhaps it was both.

There are matters that are less important than others, and we do need to choose our battles. The Scriptures have nothing positive to say about quarrelsome people. Yet our motives for avoiding battle need to be considered. Personal comfort is not a worthy one.

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