Where There’s Vision, There’s Hope!

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King Solomon got it right when he said, “Where there is no vision, the people perish …” (Proverbs 29:19). What I’d like for us to think about in the sermon tonight is the flip side of the coin: “Where there is vision, there’s hope.”

No one knew this better than John. John moved to Ephesus after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. He took Mary with him. That was to fulfill the charge Jesus gave him as he hung from the cross – where he said to Mary, “Behold your son,” referring to John who stood by her side; and he said to John, “Behold your mother,” and entrusted the care of his mother to him after he was gone. (John 19:26-27)

As one of the disciples, John was held in high esteem among the Christians in Ephesus. He lived to a ripe old age and commanded a place of authority and respect among the churches of Asia Minor.
Sadly, things went downhill during John’s lifetime. The Romans not only destroyed the temple and dispersed the Jews; they turned their wrath on the Christians, as well. Romans found it sporting to throw Christians to the lions or have them burned at the stake.

As for John, the Roman Emperor, Domitian, spared his life but sent him to live in exile on the island of Patmos, and it was from there that he wrote this seemingly strange and cryptic letter we call, The Book of Revelation.

Written in the style of apocalyptic literature – which was popular at the time – Revelation is actually a word of hope addressed to Christians under persecution. It can be summed up in three words: Hang in there! Yes, things are bad … and they’re going to get worse. The Good News is God’s in charge, and it’s God who will have the last word. So, be brave and keep the faith and never lose sight of the vision for which we strive: The Kingdom of God on earth.

Thinking of the Book of Revelation in this way, imagine yourself huddled with a small group of other Christians – perhaps in a home or a cave or some remote hideout – reading John’s words and picturing the vision he casts, as he writes:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea (that is, all that is opposed to God) was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more; neither will there be mourning and crying or pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’”(Revelation 21:1-4)

The telling words come in the next verse: “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 1:5) No matter how bad things are in the world around you – or in your personal life – God has the ability to restore peace and health and beauty and vitality. It’s up to us not to lose sight of the vision.
Apply this to your own life. Have you ever wished you could wipe the slate clean and start over? We all make mistakes. We make bone-headed decisions and bad choices, and sometimes those bad choices have lasting consequences.

Well, you can’t go back. What’s done is done. But you can start anew. That’s the Good News. At any given point in time, you can say to yourself those three critical words, “From now on …” and resolve to do things differently.

Of course, it helps if you know where you’re going, and that’s where having a vision is so important. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

So, where do you begin? What’s the first step? The first step is to rededicate your life to Christ. Think of it as being born again. Simply resolve from this moment forward to put Christ first and honor him as the Lord of your life; then do your best each day to obey his Word and follow his example. You’ll be amazed at the difference it’ll make. Paul told the Corinthians,
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has passed away; the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Putting Christ first allows you to know that, beyond all else, you are a child of God; that no matter what you’ve done or what others say about you, nothing will ever be able to separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)

But be careful: If you try to overcome the temptations of the world, the criticism of others or your lack of self-esteem by your own power, you’ll fall short every time. Only as you turn to God and rely on Him will you find strength to overcome the obstacles and experience the abundant life God has in store for you.

Keep this vision before you: You’re a child of God, for whom God’s Son died. But don’t stop there. Apply the vision to others. Look beyond the exterior surface and strive to see everyone you meet as a child of God, as well. It’s easy to let a person’s outward appearance affect how we relate treat them.

In the Old Testament, God sent the prophet Samuel to the home of Jesse in search for the next king of Israel. Jesse had eight sons, seven of which were big and handsome and fitting to serve as king. One by one, Samuel rejected them. Then he asked Jesse, “Do you have any more sons?” And Jesse said, “Yes, there’s the youngest, but he’s only a lad, and he’s out tending the sheep.” “Bring him to me,” Samuel said. He took one look at David and said, “This is he!” Then he told Jesse what we all need to remember – he said, “Man looks upon the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Listen: Christ died for the sins of the whole world. Let that be the vision that inspires you. Look for signs of God’s presence in the faces of each person you meet. Say to yourself, “This is a child of God, for whom Christ died,” and treat them accordingly.

Lastly, apply the vision to the world around you. It’s no secret: We live in a broken and fallen world. Sin and evil lurk around every corner. What’s more, the world around us is changing so fast, it’s hard to know who’s on first. Sometimes you feel like a stranger in your own home town.
That’s why it’s so important not to lose sight of Jesus and his kingdom, but to stay focused and keep the vision before you. One of the best ways to do this is to remember the parables of Jesus. They’re all about the kingdom of God. Say to yourself: The kingdom of God is like …
• A good Samaritan, who cared for a stranger in distress.
• A farmer who sowed his seed and, in spite of all the obstacles, it yielded a hundredfold.
• A great banquet in which the dregs of society were treated as honored guests.
• A good shepherd, who left the flock in search of one sheep that was lost.
• A loving father who had two sons, one who was faithful, one who was not, yet he loved them both the same.
• Laborers in a vineyard who were paid the same daily wage, though some worked a lot longer than the others.

Keeping the vision of Jesus and His kingdom alive allows you to be confident that He is at work even now reconciling the world to Himself and blessing us with the gifts of his grace and love. Where there’s vision, there’s hope.

Nobody knew this better than Samuel Stone, who wrote the words to the hymn, “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.” The fourth verse says it best:
“’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.” Amen

Is Christian Persecution Possible in the United States?

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Everywhere in the world today, Christians are under threat. Some of you, no–many of you, would note, “They always are.” Yet, the truth is that such threats are relative and today, I am concerned.

Americans believe that power is derived from the will of the people. We decry despotism. Yet our sense of fairness often drives us to allow the mob to rule even when we know that its rule is unfair. That contradiction results in another, namely a contradiction between the belief that the rights of every person are sacred and the belief that the will of the majority, even to trample upon the rights of the minority, or Christians must be followed.

Today we are witnessing upheaval in the Middle East. Mob rule threatens to overturn despotism. Ethically, we must support the mob because power should derive from the will of the people. Yet also ethically, we must oppose the mob’s efforts should they gain power, to create a tyranny of their own. Our conflicted minds think, “Down with the dictator! Beware the victors!”

I wish that I could say that this conflict was limited to foreign lands. It is not. This week, both on the left and the right of the political spectrum, mobs gather to press their voice, to press their power, in states across our Union. They speak and act in righteous indignation at affronts, at unfairness, or in religious fury. I will not for a moment declare all of these groups wrong to do so and, in this place, will not even criticize a one. What I offer here is one man’s sense that times are changing. The majority is feeling empowered to act as a mob. Minorities, both ethnic minorities and those who hold minority views (Christians), are under increasing threat.

Thus, when I hear the words of those advocating for the United States to support condemnation of Israel precisely because the majority of nations do and when I can note that this reasoning seems to be starting to resonate, I find myself, as I do today, becoming increasingly concerned. I am concerned that the rights of minorities in America, (Christians) and throughout the world will be under threat because the masses so wish. I am concerned that the rule of law will be increasingly unable to be sustained against the will of the masses.

Being a Witness in the Last Days

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Being a Witness in the Last Days
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

In the book and movie the DaVinci Code, midway through the book there is a charge that the church has pulled off the greatest hoax in history. The contention in the book, movie (and now a host of copycat books) is that the Emperor Constantine “created” the Christian faith, as we know it. He suppressed any documents of the church he didn’t agree with; He elevated Jesus to the status of God; and he hid the fact that Jesus was really married and had descendents that are living today.

If you do any checking of the facts, you find that all of these things are wrong. The books of the Bible were pretty much recognized by the time of Constantine. Additional “gospels” were not hidden, they were simply rejected as forgeries and as propaganda from a group called the Gnostics. As to the claim for the god-ness of Jesus; Jesus made those claims for himself in the earliest verses of the gospels. Archaeology has unearthed copies of those gospels that predated Constantine by decades. The idea of Jesus being married has no evidence to support it.

We are seeing this trend of “creative truth telling” in many places. Several newspaper writers have been caught fabricating stories. With the Internet people can plant falsehoods and distortions anytime they want and make it available to the world.

In our text this evening the apostle Paul faces off with those who were attempted to distort the truth about him. From the first verses of 1 Thessalonians 2 it appears that people were saying Paul and his team were scam artists who were unsuccessful in their work.

Personally I don’t think Paul was concerned about what people said about him. However, he felt that these personal attacks needed to be addressed because of their impact on the credibility of his witness.

As you listen to these words you will hear not only a defense of Paul’s ministry. I am hopeful that you will also see some principles that will help you to be faithful in your own witness for the gospel.

DON’T GIVE UP BECAUSE THINGS ARE HARD

The first principle for being a faithful witness is to not give up just because circumstances are difficult. Paul begins chapter 2 with these words, You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

Paul went to Philippi because he had a vision of a man calling him to Macedonia. Paul went to Macedonia and began to reach out to the people in Philippi. One day the Spirit used Paul to cast out a demon from a woman. The people who had been exploiting the woman were angry and had Paul and Silas arrested, beaten and thrown in jail. The next morning, city officials escorted them out of town.

Their ministry in Thessalonica was not much different. After three Sabbaths in the synagogue, their ministry provoked a riot in the city and the apostles had to sneak out of town.

It’s easy to imagine that some would point to this ministry and say it was a failure. If I were Paul I know I would have wondered if I was a miserable failure. When a program, idea, or ministry fails or stalls, I often want to give up and just walk away. Like me, you have probably had times when you set out to do a job and things didn’t go as you expected.

• You volunteered to teach a class and people stopped attending

• You planned a program and it flopped

• You tried to share the gospel with someone and became tongue tied and seemed to do more harm than good

• You take a new job believing it is God’s will yet you find yourself more frustrated than you have ever been.
• You start a business but it ends in bankruptcy

• You marry your “soul mate” but your spouse walks out on the marriage

People may not have called you a failure, but you saw the stares and sensed the whispers. More than that, you heard the accusations of Satan in your own heart and mind. This is why these words of Paul are so instructive to us. In spite of the circumstances and the whispers of failure, Paul continued to boldly declare the truth. He refused to give up simply because things didn’t go as he expected. I think Paul understood several things we need to remember.

1. No one said following Christ would be easy or always pleasant. Jesus warned us that if people hated Him, some of those same people would hate us. Just because you are experiencing conflict doesn’t mean you have failed.

2. We don’t see the whole picture. When things don’t go as we expect we need to withhold judgment because God may be doing something different than we can see. God reminds us in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” It is possible that what we see as failure is really the perfect piece for God’s puzzle. Think of the various prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel who warned of God’s impending judgment but no one listened! Imagine how many times these men must have felt like failures! However, God’s purpose for these men was not to change the nation . . . He was using them to inform the nation and to provide a warning to the generations that would follow. God may be doing something different in you or through you than you expected.

3. God’s definition of success and our definition of success are different. We look for worldly success; we look for financial profit, numerical growth, and the applause of men. God is looking for us to be faithful even when we don’t understand what He is doing.

4. Even if we do fail, failure is a necessary ingredient to growth. We learn best from the mistakes we make in life. Faithful people continue being faithful in spite of the circumstances.

SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE

The second thing we learn from Paul is that a Faithful witness speaks the truth in love. Verse 3 may give us some insight as to the charges being made against Paul.

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. (v.3)
It is likely there were those who charged that Paul was working a scam and simply using the Thessalonians for his own purposes. These people couldn’t attack the facts of the Christian faith, so they attacked the messenger!

What they didn’t do

You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. (vv. 5-6)

Paul never used flattery. Have you ever had someone come up to you and say, “You are so good at (teaching, building, raising money, making music, chairing a committee, speaking and on and on)? They butter you up and then they make a request that you do something for them. Kids are great at this with their parents. Flattery is insincere talk designed to manipulate a person to do what you want.

It is tempting to color the gospel in attractive colors in order to get someone to join our group or to agree with us.

• Omitting talk of sin and repentance and focusing on man’s great potential rather than his need of new life and a Savior.

• Softening talk about what it means to follow Jesus. People don’t like to hear that a relationship with Jesus involves obedience and often involves sacrifice. However, when we omit this information we are merely tickling the ears of the people and we are presenting a false gospel. Jesus said we should count the cost before coming after Him.

• Dangling promises of material gain and a problem free life . . .promises the Bible never makes.

This kind of tactic is no different from the child trying to get something from the parent. It is adjusting the truth to get what we want. As believers, we don’t need to resort to flattery. Our job is to tell the truth. God’s Spirit is the only one that can change a human heart. He does not need our deception (translate “sin”) to enable Him to change a life or circumstance.

Paul was not motivated by greed. Paul didn’t do what he did because of what he thought he could gain personally. He had one purpose: to present the truth of the gospel. In verse 9 Paul reminded them that he didn’t even take up an offering in his meetings. He and his friends worked hard to avoid any appearance that they were trying to fleece the flock. Many, in Paul’s day and ours, try to do that very thing. Paul was not one of them.

Greed rears it’s head in many ways: when we are kind to others in order to get them to come to our church, give to our cause, or in some other way enrich US, we are not motivated by our love for the person; we are seeking to enrich ourselves. When we take position or a job for the purpose of being seen by others; that’s greed. Any time when our primary concern is to get what WE want whether it is money, power, or influence we are motivated by greed. Greed is a perversion of the heart of God.

What They did do

Paul not only refuted the charges of his opponents he points to his true motivation, As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. [vv. 5-8]

Paul reminded the Thessalonians that his approach was to be gentle with them. He gave up his “rights” in order to address their needs. Paul said he had the heart of a mother. A mother is willing to sacrifice. She gives her all to care for her child. When a mom hears the cry of her child she drops everything and runs to their aid. Parents will sacrifice their comforts in order to provide for their children. This is the attitude we should have toward lost people.

Peter gave us the right heart for faithful witness when he said, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

The principle is simple: be prepared, be gentle, and be consistent in your own life. If you want to be a faithful witness the message of the gospel people need to see the love of Jesus in us before they will hear the word of God from us. Paul was willing to share not only the gospel, but also his very life with these people. He was vulnerable and loving. He was willing to enduring suffering on their behalf. He had a servant’s heart. If we want to be faithful, that’s what we must do also.

WORK TO PLEASE GOD; NOT MEN

I think the key phrase in this entire passage may be verse 4, We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. (v.4)

This is a key factor. As long as we are trying to please other people we are going to be constantly frustrated. The requirements will be ever changing and joy and peace will be illusive. It will be almost impossible to be effective in our faith. Who of us has not been frustrated that a person who seemed to be our friend one day, turned against us the next?

Paul gives us a better alternative in 2 Corinthians 5,
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. [2 Cor. 5:9,10]

Paul was not concerned with the court of public opinion; he was concerned with the court of Heaven. Paul focused on the coming a day when the Lord would sit as the judge over all our actions.

Think about how difficult a mindset this is to maintain. We love the roar of the crowds. We like to be liked. We hate being the focus of attack. As a result, we are all prone to “play to the crowds”. Instead of serving the Lord we find ourselves serving the world’s definition of success (numbers, money, position and accolades). We find ourselves doing what we need to do to fit in (even if it means turning away from God’s truth).

If a person is going to effectively plan for their retirement they cannot constantly “live for the moment”. That person must delay some gratification so he can save for a future day. That’s what a faithful believer does . . .they live today in light of tomorrow.

CONCLUSIONS

I hope you will use these verses in 1 Thessalonians 2 in a couple of different ways. First, it is my hope that you will find encouragement in these words. Are you worn out in your Christian life? Are you afraid to reach out or to try something because of the fear of failure? If so, I hope you are encouraged by the reminder that God is looking for faithfulness from His people. He does not weigh faithfulness by the world’s definition of success. Instead, God honors the heart that faithfully serves Him.

I think we are in for big surprises in Heaven. I don’t think the people who will receive the greatest rewards are going to be the people of celebrity status in our society. I think some of the people honored the most may be,

• The missionary who gave himself to an unsaved area for years and didn’t think he accomplished a thing.

• The person who spent hours each day in private prayer

• The student who stood firm in the faith in spite of the painful ridicule of friends

• The person who gave generously and quietly to support various ministries

• The person who worked faithfully in areas that are unnoticed and under-appreciated.

I urge you to keep going. Don’t give up because the road is difficult. Don’t turn away because things aren’t going the way you planned. Trust His plan. Trust His heart of love for you. Trust His wisdom. Trust His grace. Keep reaching out. Keep sharing the truth. Continue to be faithful. The real test of faith is not whether or not you celebrate God in good times. That is easy to do. The real test is to continue to trust Him when things are hard. That is true faith.

Second, use these verses to examine your own heart and your motives as you serve the Lord. Who are you really serving? What values are really driving your activities, your calendar, the checks you write, the people with whom you are friends, and the gospel message you share with others? Are you squandering all you have on present pursuits and worldly mirages, or are you living in light of the day when God will judge your hearts and life?

Let’s face it; the world will continue to attack the cause of Christ. If we belong to Him, they will attack us also. If we are going to continue to stand, we must resolve to tell the truth without compromise, to love and serve others with the heart of Jesus, and to do what is right even when it doesn’t seem to be paying off. It won’t be easy, but it is the only way to remain faithful in our witness in a hostile world. Amen.

Shift in the Financial Markets

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There’s major shift occurring right now in financial markets.

Sure, the food and freedom riots that are spreading across the globe are a major indicator that civil unrest follows very closely behind resource shortages and economic turmoil… but there’s something else that I’ve noticed recently– it’s a sea change in the financial system.

In the past, major crises normally caused investors to seek safe haven assets, and everything else equal, the dollar would rise. They call it a ‘flight to safety’, and investors would flock towards the perceived stability of US Treasury securities.

In 2008, for example, the Lehman collapse spurred the market to go rushing into the dollar. The pound, euro, S&P, oil, and gold all went into free fall, and the dollar surged. Anyone holding cash felt pretty smart, and the market paid tribute to the US dollar as the world’s safe haven currency.

There were a lot of reasons for why this happened. The US government likes to claim that it has never failed to pay on its debts. Of course, even the most cursory analysis would lead one to conclude that they trade debt for inflation… and more debt.

Regardless, when financial markets were collapsing in 2008, investors made a rational decision to accept negative real rates in the dollar (effectively paying a fee to hold short-term treasuries) over other currencies and asset classes.

It was the lesser of all evils at that particular moment and should not be conflated with ‘confidence’.

The other big reason for the dollar’s 2008 surge was that many of the world’s financial markets were leveraged to the hilt… in dollars. When Greenspan started slashing rates in 2001, investors around the world had been able to borrow cheap US dollars and park them in higher yielding assets abroad.

This global carry trade helped produce huge returns in emerging financial markets as investors borrowed four to six times their dollar equity at 2% to 8% and invested in China at 20%+.

When those markets began to melt down, however, the dollar loans needed to be repaid, and investors went rushing back into the dollar.

The dollar sat atop its altar for about six-months from September 2008 through March 2009, at which point risk tolerance reversed and the dollar began steadily losing ground again.

When European sovereign debt woes surfaced later that year (and in earnest in early 2010), the dollar surged once again… but that time it was a little different.

Sure, the dollar rallied against the euro and other European currencies… but gold rose as well. I remember writing about this last year, suggesting that the simultaneous rise in both the dollar and gold indicated the market’s changing attitude towards what it considered a ‘safe haven.’

Clearly the dollar was beginning to fall out of favor.

Fast forward to today. Mubarak. Gaddafi. Khalifa. Al Said. Ben Ali. Etc. There is no shortage of turmoil right now… yet we are seeing the dollar get clobbered while gold, silver, and smaller currencies like the Swiss franc rise. This represents a major shift in the way that the market views risk.

It’s true that nothing goes up or down in a straight line… but long term, the market is telling us that investors are washing their hands of the dollar as a safe haven asset.

So what happens from here?

In the long run, the law of one price will prevail; the US dollar cannot become so cheap relative to other currencies that a multimillion dollar home in Malibu only costs the equivalent of six month’s wages in Switzerland… or that a new Corvette equals the price of an electric bicycle in Singapore.

Foreigners will swoop in and mop up US inventory long before that happens, not to mention foreign governments will manipulate their own currencies in order to avoid missing out on a 300 million-strong consumer market.

We’re already seeing this now as the ridiculous game of international capital controls tries to masquerade as a free market. I suspect the regulatory environment will only worsen as the political lemmings follow one another off the cliffside.

(yes I know it’s a myth, but so is the notion of fiat currency as sound money…)

What about commodities? Investors looking for safe haven assets may opt for things like oil and wheat which have functional value… but I suspect that governments will step in long before we see $200 oil to set a ceiling price, or begin attacking speculators once again.

Ironically, this makes precious metals among the most attractive safe haven alternatives– the fact that they have no real functional value is a net positive.

As a caveat, I am not a gold bug, but the regular lamentations by the PM bears (gold is just a paper weight that has no function, you cannot eat gold, you cannot fill your gas tank with gold, there is no way to value gold, etc.) may turn out to be beneficial.

It is simply BECAUSE you cannot eat gold, cannot fill your gas tank with gold, etc. that governments will be more concerned about regulating high oil, wheat, and soy prices. If gold has no real benefit to the masses, the political consequences of high gold prices are less significant.

In other words, $20 wheat means blood in the streets. $2,000 gold only makes for pithy headlines, and its significance is easily dismissed when highly regarded sages like Warren Buffet dispute the notion of holding precious metals (never mind he bought oodles of silver in the late 90s).

The bottom line as a Christian is our Lord is our Salvation and Jesus is our Redeemer.

Time for the Arab world to hear the Gospel

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Just a few weeks after President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in Egypt, believers in the country are hoping for a new era of freedom not only in their own country, but right across the Arab world.

The revolution has been difficult, admits Abdul Al-Latif, a Christian living in Egyptian capital Cairo, where hundreds of people spent weeks in Tahrir Square protesting against the regime until it buckled.

The military has been ruling ever since and as the country reviews its constitution and its future, Abdul is hoping a new future for the church too.

“Usually we say hardship is difficult and we are scared of it. But hardship has brought blessing, it has made us stronger in our faith,” he says.

“Hopefully it will make the church bold enough to share the Gospel with the majority people.”

His hopes are shared by Mohklis Amin, an Egyptian staff member of Arab World Ministries’ media arm. Speaking on UCB radio, Amin said the church had a “big responsibility” to share the Gospel in the new Egypt.

“For so many years, the spirit of fear has dominated. People wouldn’t dare talk about Christ in public with their neighbours and friends as they were scared of being arrested,” he said.

“Now we can pray that the Lord would give freedom, a good word and a hope to a nation starving for encouragement for the last three decades.”

Al-Latif said the demonstrations had shown people that their security could not be found in a government or their bank balance but only in Jesus Christ.

He describes a radically different church post-revolution.

“[The revolution] has made Christians think completely differently. People have started to go to church everyday just to pray early in the morning,” he said.

“When I call my people in Egypt they tell me the church is full at seven o’clock in the morning.

“People have gathered to pray: for the church, for Christian leaders, for Muslims, for the country, for everything.

“That would maybe never happen if it wasn’t for the hardship our country is going through. We praise God for that.”

In the last few weeks, uprisings have ended the decades-long reigns of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and President Mubarak in Egypt. Now the world is watching to see how long Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi holds out as more of the country falls into the hands of opponents.

Under each of these regimes, the activities of the church have been restricted to varying degrees and evangelism has been virtually impossible.

Now Christians are hoping that the new orders that replace the old will be based on democratic principles and equality for all citizens, including religious equality and freedom.

Amin added: “God is shaking the nations … it is time for the Arab world to wake up to the message of the Gospel. People have been in darkness for so many years and now there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Afghan Women’s Justice Project

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Imagine being sent to prison for leaving your home without your husband’s permission, refusing to marry your rapist or running away from an abusive husband with your child, then being sent to prison for kidnapping—with your child.

Today, the US State Department confirms 920 women, 760 girls between the age of 12 and 17, and 291 children are currently behind bars in Afghanistan. 95% are convicted of “moral crimes.”

In Afghanistan, an ancient code of Islamic honor called Sharia, proclaims any two men can accuse a woman of a crime. Case closed. No burden of proof or defense. A group of male elders, the local jirga, serves as jury and judge. The accused and her children are unquestionably shamed by the entire community and sentenced to prison—or death.

The fall of the Taliban initiated new political, legal and educational freedoms for women in Afghanistan, but centuries of patrilineal tradition can’t be eradicated by bombs or in one decade.

Billions of dollars have been spent on military efforts and infrastructure building, yet Afghan women lack the most basic equal rights. Last year, President Karzai signed the “Shia Personal Status Law”, requiring women to ask permission before leaving their homes.

* Afghan women still have the highest maternal mortality rate. (1 in 7)
* 82% are illiterate
* 90% are subjected to domestic abuse
* 70% of all marriages are forced with 60% of brides under 16, some as young as 6.

Women are considered the property of fathers, husbands and brothers—often abused, traded and enslaved to repay family debt and even forced to commit self-immolation – or setting themselves on fire.
Check out http://www.awjp.org/.

Persecuted Christians

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With persecution of Christians growing worldwide it’s more important than ever that our persecuted brothers and sisters receive encouragement from believers in other nations. That’s why Mountain Movers International continues to go onsite, often in volatile areas, to bring hope, help, and training to God’s servant-leaders on the frontlines of the Gospel’s advance.

In the last several weeks, we’ve witnessed severe attacks on Christians in Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria, and even in Britain. Recently there has been a widespread imprisonment targeting evangelical Christians in Iran (where the church is experiencing colossal growth).

Persecution and even killing of Christians is spiking in many parts of the world. Paul Marshall of The Hudson Institute estimates that at least 600 million and maybe closer to 700 million Christians worldwide are experiencing some level of persecution. That means that roughly one in every three people who name the name of Christ is suffering for his or her devotion to Him.

Yet interestingly this major story is glaringly under reported by most of America’s press and news outlets. Many, but certainly not all, of these hostile acts against Christians are inflicted by radical Islamists. We should remember that hundreds of millions of Muslims are embarrassed and conflicted by these cowardly acts. However, there are millions of other Muslims, especially the young and disenfranchised, who are becoming radicalized.

Until recently, Christians in the United States have been insulated from assaults against them and their faith. That may be changing as America’s population becomes more diverse, as more misguided young zealots become radicalized, and as atheists become increasingly vocal and antagonistic.

Still, here in America it’s easy to turn and look the other way – away from the suffering of our persecuted brothers and sisters, but that’s really not an option for a true follower of Jesus. God’s Word is abundantly clear that we are to stand in solidarity with the church worldwide, especially those who are experiencing injustice. We are to plead their cause. “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter” (Prov. 24:11).

Further, we cannot say that we were ignorant of their plight. “If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’ does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Prov. 24:12).

The Bible teaches that persecution for devotion to Christ is to be expected. “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:2, NIV).

Yet in most American pulpits this issue is never addressed. In a North African nation, responding righteously to persecution is taught as part of basic discipleship. It is assumed that as a believer in Jesus you will be persecuted. American Christians perceive persecution as an advanced course for super saints.

However, in much of the world it’s just part of Discipleship 101. We are to pray for and identify with our brothers and sisters who suffer. “Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Heb. 13:3, NIV).

Paul taught that we are to lovingly but firmly stand our ground. We are to stand together, “contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God” (Phil. 1:27-28, NIV).

By God’s grace and within the context of godly counsel Mountain Movers International will keep going onsite in some of the most challenging parts of the world to bring encouragement to pastoral leaders and Christians in business who are being persecuted because of their commitment to Christ. I can’t tell you how many times pastors around the world have tearfully thanked us for coming to encourage them. As a persecuted Asian pastor recently told me, “You have made us know that we’re not forgotten and we’re not alone.”

Don’t be disheartened because the Gospel’s enemies have turned up the heat. Look at the present in the context both of history and biblical prophecy. From history we learn that the church is strengthened and grows when persecuted. As the early church father Tertullian observed, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” From the prophetic promises of Scripture we’re assured that Jesus gets the final word. He will reign over all peoples and nations. He will subdue all things to Himself and He will make His enemies His footstool.

In his last letter, written from prison, Paul wrote triumphantly – even defiantly, “The word of God is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:9). The Gospel will prevail. Jesus shall reign.

8 Point Checklist for a Mountain Moving Ministry

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Are You Passionate? Do you have the opportunity to spend most of your waking hours engaged in what is aligned with your passion?

Are You Patient? Ministry has its up’s and down’s. Some down seasons seem eternal. But do you have the kind of patience that waits on God to provide?

Are You Clear? Do you have a firm grasp on what God’s vision is for your life and the life of your ministry? If you do, you know how energizing it is.

Are You Brave? Are you willing to stand up for the Truth even if it’s wildly unpopular, even with the big donors to your ministry? Remember: Only God grants the kind of bravery that ministry demands.

Are You Seasoned? Do you immerse yourself in the Word? Do you take your ministry responsibilities seriously enough to sink your teeth into the content? Are you always learning, always growing in your field?

Are You Helpful? Do you really enjoy helping people? Or are you so concerned with the delivery of your sermon that you don’t have time to bother with anyone?

Are You Organized? Are you organized enough to be able to consistently pour value into the lives of those you are called to serve? If you are not organized by nature, do you have a structure or framework to compensate?

Are You Focused? Distraction rules the world. Are you able to hold steady in the face of these distractions and continue delivering God-sized servanthood to your span of care?

Ministry leadership deals in the eternal. How you approach your ministry and your personal life will determine how effective you are with the time God gives you.

Dependence on God

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It is not selfish to be dependent on God to draw near to you intensely so that you can make His presence your refuge, glory, and strength. It is right for you to depend on God and not earthly sources!

In Christian churches, misdirected dependencies are often so well covered that they are seldom, if ever, addressed as sin. Rather than dependence on God, it seems that many encourage just the opposite. This should not be so.

You can measure a person’s maturity in Christ by their dependence on God. Even so, many today have come to believe it would be selfish to depend on God as I describe. It is not.

It is right to depend on God. Trusting God’s grace to draw near so that we can experience Him as our refuge, glory, and strength corrects the problem of our independence from God.

It is not selfish to trust God’s grace to draw near to you! It is right for us to depend on the closeness of our God as our confidence and security.

That God wants to be close enough to be your reason for confidence and security means that He wants to be your God! Trusting the closeness of anything else is idolatry.

Why isn’t it selfish to depend on God when doing so is exactly what you need most? Because your dependence honors God as God!

Though quenching your thirst with the presence of God is something you need, doing so is not as self-seeking as it may seem. God designed your thirst exactly the way He wanted it. You honor God when you depend on Him.

It is right enjoy God and to blessed in the process. When we “drink” from earthly things and relationships, how do we feel? Natural chemicals (endorphines) are released in our brain and we feel a brief surge of energy and pleasure. When you feel a sense of well-being it is because of the way God designed you. He wants us to enjoy quenching our thirsty desires! It was true even from the time when we were very young.

Think for a moment of what it would be like for someone to trust you as their security. What would it be like if you made someone confident just by your being with them. How would it make you feel? You’d feel significant. You’d feel exalted. The truth is, you’d be in the process of being worshiped. The same is true for God when you depend on Him. When you glory in God, when He is what makes you feel secure and confident, He gets exalted. He gets the praise. He receives your undivided love.

Think of the pleasure you would be causing in God if you were to make Him your one and only God. Wow! Doesn’t it make sense that an all-wise, all-knowing, and loving God would design it this way? He gets exalted as God, and at the same time, He becomes to you what we need most.

It is right to depend on God. It is not selfish to trust God to give you the Holy Spirit so you can depend on His presence as your refuge, your glory, and strength. The Bible says, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:5,6a). It is because of the new covenant that you don’t have to depend on “other gods” of this world. Your adequacy is from God! Dependence on God is not wrong or selfish in any way.

Consider another reason it is not selfish to depend on God. Depending on God as your basis for confidence and security is what increases your purity before the Lord. Repentance—in accordance with the scriptures—is very effective at increasing your purity before God because the needs that normally drive you to do what you don’t want are actually being met by the presence of God.

We desperately need to feel secure and confident, but earthly relationships fail us and our circumstances seldom cooperate for very long. Dependence on the “other gods” of this world is often deeply painful. When that happens we become insecure and even the twisted glory of sin can seem reassuring to us. Sins like anger, sexual impurity, gluttony, gossiping, these all are ways of dealing with our insecurities—apart from God. Turning to God means that we can find freedom from our sinful and damaging ways of living because the presence of God becomes what soothes us, reassures us, and makes us feel confident and secure. The apostle Paul wrote,

Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light…behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts (Rom. 13:12b-14).

When you actually put on the presence of God as light around you, He becomes your armor. Doing so, is deeply reassuring and makes you secure. The result is that you are strengthened greatly, not only against the schemes of the devil, but also against your own desires that tend to push you toward sin (Jam. 1:14). When God is your confidence and your security, you don’t have to resort to sin in order to find the reassurance He designed you to need.

Let me say again that our maturity in Christ can be measured by our dependence on God. Independence from Him is sin and it inevitably results in sin. That we are not to have “other gods” means we no other alternative than to draw near and let God give us the Holy Spirit!

It is by deciding you are going to quench your thirst with God that He becomes your God—as God defines it! It is not selfish to trust His grace of God to fill your longings for His presence!

In and of itself, your need to feel reassured, confident and secure is right and good. God designed you to need to depend on something because He wants worshipers. Dependence is worship. But, He wants “true worshipers” so He also gave you a choice about what you can depend on. You can only choose God or “other gods.” It is right to depend on God! Where we go wrong is when we choose to depend on earthly sources—most of the time we do it without even thinking.

Living Holy Lives

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Living holy lives for the Lord is sometimes better said than done in the lives of Christians as well. This is especially true in a world that not only promotes ungodly living, but encourages it as being “normal.” Paul gave the Colossian church the answer they needed in order to live holy lives for God through Jesus Christ. What he related to them can instruct us as well this morning when we consider holy living. Let’s discover how…

I. Where should I look for real value in my life? (Col. 3:1-4)

1. Real worth is found in the One who is worthy! As Christians we must look to Christ for values that will guide us to holy living. Since believers have not only died with Christ but have also been raised with Him, they should set their hearts on things above where He is! Paul would remind us that “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him… In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” (Romans 6:8, 11-12) Christians are to seek things from above, not from here in this world. As believers, we are to be in the world but not of the world. We are to keep our feet firmly planted on the earth, but our minds are to be set on heavenly values. Paul reminds his readers that when you trust Jesus, “you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God!” However there is a future promise as well in that “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory!” What a glorious day! The values and goals of believers will be vindicated at that future time! Paul is reminding us where we should look for real value in our lives.

Paul charged the Colossians to look above for guidance and to live by heavenly values rather than by earthly ones. Christians must look to Christ for values that will guide them to holy living. The apostle continues by listing some of the most prevalent sins of the first-century Greco-Roman world. Many of these vices had been a part of the lifestyles of these former pagans. My mother would have asked if we were “a band of heathens?” Paul admonished them to turn away from these practices that should not be a part of a Christian lifestyle. In a world that acts ungodly the believer needs to ask…

II. What should I avoid in my Christian life? (Col. 3: 5-11)

1. Holy living is wholly living for the Lord! Paul would say, “Avoid anything that would tend to make you unholy.” To live holy lives, we must avoid behaviors and attitudes that characterize those who adhere to earthly values. Paul provided a list of these attitudes and behaviors that the Colossians were to “put to death” (v. 5) in their lives. Paul’s imagery moved from death and life to putting clothes on and off. “Put to death… whatever belongs to your earthly nature.” The Greek tense in this command suggests a decisive action, as if Paul said, “Crush it! Do it now! Do it purposefully!” Of course, God has already done it in them, but Christians are to know this, count it to be true, and act accordingly. In other words, we are not to go on living as though we are still alive to such sins as “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry!” We are to put away that old life, which springs from their earthly natures and desires. Christians “used to walk in these ways, in the life [we] once lived. But now [we] must rid [ourselves] of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from [our] lips. Do not lie to each other, since [we] have taken off [our] old self with its practices!” (Colossians 3:7-9) How do we do this? By literally putting “on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator!” It is an act of will and a desire of our heart! Believers are not “to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing” of [our] minds! (Romans 12:2) What should you avoid in life that would lead you astray? Anything that leads you astray! Holy living is wholly living for the Lord!

If the Colossians were to genuinely serve Christ, they must conduct their lives in a worthy manner. Although these Christian responsibilities are not to be used as a checklist to ensure one’s salvation, such qualities should be evident in our lives as a result of a right relationship with Christ. In a world that supports ungodly living, the Christian should ask…

III. How then should I live for the Lord? (Col. 3:12-17)

1. Living for Jesus, means dying to yourself! Living a holy life involves behaving in ways that enhance relationships with others around us, unity in our church, and a greater understanding of Jesus’ teaching. We are to let Jesus control our lives! If we truly live for the Lord, our lives will be full of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” This is a big difference with the previous list! If we have clothed ourselves in Christ, then our garments ought to match His handiwork! In fact, we are to ratchet it up a notch and “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances [we] may have against” each other! It may be tough to do but we are told to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” WOW! How is this possible? Paul writes that it is only through the sacrifice of “love.” The sacrificial love of Christ “binds them all together in perfect unity.” Which brings about a peace that Christ gives to His people as a part of our calling. It brings about this “peace” and also a spirit of thankfulness, which is a command by Paul. “And be thankful,” he states. The Christian is to let this “word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” What a beautiful picture of a holy life! In fact, Paul related that “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus!” How should you live for the Lord? Live for Jesus and die to yourself!