C.T. Studd--Passionate, Single-minded, Dedicated....Neglectful?

I received a recommendation to read C.T. Studd; Cricketer and Pioneer 

I enjoyed the book which gives a great amount of detail about the practical ministry experiences of C.T. Studd on the field. I appreciated this as sometimes these biographies go off on tangents about various personal spiritual experiences that the reader cannot relate to.

C.T. was a cricketer and pioneer missionary. His father, the wealthy E. Studd had been converted later in life dramatically giving up his racing business and everything else to evangelise before his death just two years later. C.T recalls the change in his father after his conversion.

“Then all at once I had the good fortune to meet a real live play-the game Christian. It was my own father. But it did make one’s hair stand on end. Everyone in the house had a dog’s life of it until they were converted. I was not altogether pleased with him. He used to come into my room at night and ask if I was converted. After a time I used to sham sleep when I saw the door open, and in the day I crept round the other side of the house when I saw him coming.”

Despite his father’s efforts it was a family friend, a Mr W, who was finally successful after just as forcefully confronting CT about his soul. After Mr W had quoted a Bible verse;

CT “No, I don’t believe that.”

W “Now, don’t you see that your statement contradicts God? Either God or you is not speaking the truth, for you contradict one another. Which is it? Do you think that God is a liar?”

CT “No”

W “Well then, aren’t you inconsistent, believing one half of the verse and not the other half?
 

CT “I suppose I am”

W “Are you always going to be inconsistent?”

CT “No, I suppose not always”

W “Will you be consistent now?”

I saw that I was cornered and I began to think, if I go out of this room inconsistent I won’t carry very much self-respect

CT “Yes I will be consistent”

W “Well don’t you see that eternal life is a gift? When someone gives you a present at Christmas what do you do?”

CT “I take it and say thankyou”

W “Will you say thankyou to God for this gift?”

Then I got down on my knees and I did say thankyou to God. And right then and there joy and peace came into my soul. I knew then what it was to be “born again” and the Bible, which had been so dry to me before, became everything.”

CT became an excellent cricketer, and no doubt could have made this his long –term career.

“CT never regretted that he played cricket (although he did regret allowing it to become an idol,) for by applying himself to the game he learned lessons of courage, self-denial and endurance, which, after his life had been fully consecrated to Christ, were used in His service.”

But after a six-year period of backsliding, he chose to forsake everything and head to the mission field after being convicted and hearing the call of God through a tract written by an atheist (It was this same quote which also partly challenged me (the writer) into mission.)

“If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge of a practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the marrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences would never stay in my head or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul”

CT married fellow missionary Priscilla Stewart. Together they operated the “living by faith” principle, giving all of their money away. They first were called to China where they saw some remarkable conversions particularly amongst opium addicts and later to India (partly to honour the dying wish of his father.)

“I am a murderer, an adulterer, I have broken all the laws of God and man again and again. I am also a confirmed opium smoker. He cannot save me.” This man was soundly converted and later said “I must go to the town where I have done all this evil and sin and in that very place tell the good tidings.” He gathered crowds, was brought before the mandarin, and was ordered 2000 strokes with the bamboo, till his back was one mass of red jelly, and he himself was thought to be dead. He was taken to hospital and nursed, till he was at last, able to sit up and said “I must go back again to ……..city and preach this Gospel.”

CT often used unorthodox methods of evangelism, this conversation with a Mrs Thomas;

“What an awful thing you said this afternoon, Charlie, comparing religion to smallpox. I thought it disgusting.” This led to a long talk….later she made him a cup of cocoa and handed it to him as he sat on the sofa. But he went on talking, while she stood there holding the cup. She spoke to him but he still ignored it. Then she naturally got annoyed. “Well” he said “That is exactly how you are treating God. Who is holding out Eternal Life to you.” The arrow pierced right home. She went to her room and accepted Christ later sending a telegram “Got the smallpox badly.”

But due to the harsh and primitive conditions both CT and his wife were plagued by ill-health and returned to England, now with four daughters in tow.

In 1908 CT saw an advertisement for missionaries to go to the unreached cannibals in Africa and decided to set out alone as his wife was too ill to accompany him and did not at first agree with his call. She later became his most ardent supporter and worked tirelessly to support him by raising the profile of the campaign. (CT went alone after a mission agency and a doctor advised him against it.)  CT and his wife spent the best part of the next 20 years apart (during the last 13 years of his life he saw his wife for just two weeks when she paid him a visit on the field.) CT continued to have remarkable success in his ministry with many more conversions amongst this previously unreached group of Africans. He also translated parts of the Bible into a generic tribal language that is still used today. He heard news of his wife’s death and died himself not long after, having suffered ill health for a long time.

On finishing this compelling book there were many questions in my mind. It was challenging to read of a man so single minded, so determined, so sold-out for God that he literally sacrificed everything for Him. Indeed, some of his most famous quotes are.

“How could I spend the best years of my life in living for the honours of this world, when thousands of souls are perishing every day?”

“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”

“Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

In our apathetic and indifferent day, it is exciting and inspiring to read of missionaries willing to go to this extent. But the biggest question that needs to be asked is whether that was what God was really calling CT and others like him to do. Did God really want him to make the sacrifices he personally made? Did God want him to leave his family in England, to be an absent father and to force his wife to raise their children effectively as a single parent? Did the fact that conversions continued to make the ministry successful mean that God was blessing CT or was God just being gracious to him and working things out for His own purpose?

I’ve no doubt that CT himself believed that he was obeying God’s call by going alone to Africa but there are parts of his story that give cause for concern. His prayer life and personal discipline are admirable; rising every day at the crack of dawn to spend time with God, often going without sleep, delivering lengthy sermons where many people made professions and this despite on-going poor health. But refusing to take furloughs, rest days, vacations or participate in any type of recreation and forcing his staff to abide by these rules when they joined him? Didn’t God give us a six-day week pattern with a rest day as an example for us to follow?

There came a time when everybody was clamouring for CT to return home, but he refused believing that he was obeying the verse in Luke 14 vs 26.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.”

But what of the many verses about husbands and fathers and their roles and responsibilities? Why did CT marry in the first place if he was going to neglect his wife and children to that extent? I believe CT had misinterpreted this verse and taken it to an extreme as it is really about priorities. All of us should always seek to put God first in order to be a true disciple but should we place “ministry” above our other God-given responsibilities to our families?

CT used strong language to convey his contempt for those who remained in England even during the war. He believed that every person needed to go to foreign lands and be part of the missionary programme sacrificing all material things for the sake of the work. At one point he is faced with a clear decision about whether or not to return home but in the end, he cannot do it as he sees multitudes perishing and going to a lost eternity in his absence. But this is where I believe he is doing things in his own strength. CT seemed to fall into the trap of believing that he was the only one capable of performing this service for God and being used by Him and that in some way God needed him to do the work. God doesn’t need any of us, it is a privilege to be used by God.

I also felt that there were times when CT seemed to be seeking hardship/trials by failing to look after himself and again by demanding the same standards of those who worked with him. Many left the field as a result of this, but CT’s role surely should have been to inspire, encourage and strengthen these aspiring missionaries with less life experience than himself not to put them through things that might crush even the strongest and most determined Christian. There is also a place where some of his converts are imprisoned and the rest of them are demanding to be imprisoned also in order to suffer for the sake of Christ and receive a blessing. It is not biblical to seek persecution, only to be prepared to deal with it when it comes.

There were also various dreams and visions mentioned to confirm callings/movements which in my view can be dangerous unless they are received through Scripture and tested by a discerning mind. He seems in places to advocate a baptism of the Spirit after conversion (referring to the book of Acts.) I believe the Holy Spirit enters all true believers at conversion and that there is no second baptism although we can pray to be filled with the Spirit at any time, eg to be strengthened for a specific task…

My conclusion is that no missionary (or other person) is perfect and there will be things in each of our lives as Christians that we get wrong.  A lot can be learned from CT Studd’s journey; his dedication, his single-mindedness, his tireless commitment, his living completely by faith, his willingness to give up everything and his passion for souls. I would encourage Christians to read his story and to be inspired and encouraged by the much good work that was done. But personally, I believe he either should not have married, or he should not have gone to Africa leaving his wife and children behind. He should not have judged those who did not receive a call into mission, and he should have recognised the commitments of others at home. It was a sad ending for me of a life of consecration, made more so by the fact that CT undoubtedly believed he was following the will of God in making these sacrifices.

Have YOU Counted the Cost of Coming to Christ?

I finished reading yet another book late last night; Captive in Iran.  I realised that for the third time this month I had been challenged in an area of Christian life that is rarely spoken about in the West; the persecution of Christians. This was also the subject of the books Tortured for Christ  and The Hidden Altar. I have been thinking about this subject as it is rarely the focus of our Sunday messages, most likely because we don't tend to suffer the same type of persecution that is highlighted in these books. But how would we respond as individuals if God allowed these situations into our lives or the lives of our families and friends?

"Captive in Iran" tells the story of Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, two women born into Muslim families in Iran that converted to Christianity in their later teens. Both relay similar stories of dissatisfaction with Islam, a growing sense of emptiness and a sincere desire to know the truth about life, faith and God resulting in their eventual conversions. Although their sisters are mentioned frequently in the book, their parents are not. I'm guessing this was one of the consequences of their individual decisions to follow Christ. The two women, strangers at this stage but having had similar experiences already, met during a Theological Training course in Turkey with "Elam."

The organisation supplied them with a large quantity of New Testaments in the Farsi language. Bravely these women brought these to Iran, where it was and is illegal to "spread the Christian faith" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Iran) especially amongst Muslims (the majority religion.) Over a 3 year period they covertly placed 20,000 of these Bibles in the hands of people they had conversations with in the street or in restaurants and left them in other public places. They each carried in their backpacks 10/15 Bibles for giving away whenever they went out. They marked the areas covered on a map which is featured in the book and shows extensive activity. They relay almost being stopped by security police at a checkpoint when they had 3000 Bibles in their vehicle but due to a commotion further up  the line (and after desperate prayer) they passed right through. What these two women did is incredible and likely reached countless souls for Christ in a country where Christian Bibles are not easily accessible and the "gospel of Barnabas" (conforms to the Islamic interpretation of Christian origins and contradicts the New Testament teachings of Christianity,) creates confusion for many (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Barnabas.)

In the end, the inevitable happened and these two courageous women were arrested by the Iranian secret police. They were detained on charges that were never officially and clearly relayed to them in writing but the gist of it was two fold; promoting the Christian faith and apostasy (converting from Islam to Christianity which if proven carries the death penalty.) You might think the story would end at this point but the bulk of the book is about their evangelistic witness whilst in prison! Shortly after their detention, in terrible conditions that most of us would not even want to dream about, they came to believe that God brought them into prison for the purpose of reaching those within the walls.

"Though I had no way to give her a Bible, her request was another reminder of how easy it was to witness behind bars compared to the work we had done on the outside. Maryam and I didn't have to look for prospects or sneak New Testaments into their mailboxes. We could talk to them openly, rather than hiding behind closed doors or in basements. Our fellow prisoners were hungry for the truth. Desperate for it. The guilty ones felt the weight of sin for their crimes and believed Islam condemned them to punishment or death. They had lost all hope until they heard the good news of the true God. On the surface the prison environment seemed to be a dead end. At the same time, the truth of Jesus, His love for sinners, and His atonement for their sins, was a miracle to these inmates , a balm for even the oldest and most painful wounds in their souls. Most of these women had lost all hope of salvation....... And because we were already in prison for promoting Christianity, we figured we might as well shout the good news of Jesus Christ from the rafters."

During their 9 month detention, they actively shared with prisoners, guards, officials and even judges. They did this with few (if any) material resources and often whilst suffering from chronic illness due to the harsh conditions

"As I carried the box to the trash, I looked through it, just in case. Even trash might have some value in prison. To my surprise I found a pocket-size Gospel of Luke mixed in with the scraps and castoffs. "God has answered your prayers," I said, handing it over. "Now you can read a portion of the authentic Bible you've always wanted. As word got around, many, many prisoners wanted to read it. Before long, dozens of women had their first look at the true Christian Scriptures, reading the little volume signed by one of the most powerful men in the church (Archbishop Ramsey- Former Archbishop of Canterbury,) who had died more than twenty years before and whose little pocket Gospel had miraculously turned up under a bed in a women's prison in the middle of Islamic Iran."

Their case began to be highlighted internationally and people around the world  campaigned for their release. This created an embarrassing situation for the Iranian authorities who needed the girls to apologise or at least to distance themselves from their bold statements about their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. This from one such frustrated Judge during the proceedings;

"Of course, you are aware that I am allowed by our religious law to cut you in half with a sword right now," he fumed at them , his voice rising. Then he regained control of himself. "But I prefer to leave it to the law to decide."

I'm not going to spoil this very readable story by relaying any further detail here suffice to say that I would recommend this book for adults. It is clean in terms of language, except for one use of God's name in vain early on, there is some violence and sexual content but it is not in graphic detail.

I am reluctant to place a health warning here but it is necessary especially for less mature Christians who may be confused by some of the content. These women speak of charismatic type subjective experiences (tongues, prohecy, healing etc) that led to their conversion to Christianity. They mention dreams of Jesus and at times prophetic dreams leading them to confidently assert that several prisoners will be released within a certain time frame. Indeed a man involved in their eventual release states that Jesus appeared to him personally in a dream and "ordered" him to help them out of their situation. This man is described as a non-religious figure who "can connect to all the prophets." Later one of the women gets into an argument with an official figure about whether or not she has actually heard the audible voice of God. Although this is not a main theme in the book it could be dangerous for readers to place too much/any emphasis on these type of experiences especially as none of them seem to happen as a result of the Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God. The Bible also makes it clear that there will be no new revelation as it is sufficient for all situations/circumstances here on earth.

Despite the health warning, I believe that this book, the others I have mentioned and others on the subject of the persecution of Christians in various parts of the world, written recently and historically should be examined and considered carefully by sincere Christians. When reading these books and others I have been greatly encouraged by those who took a stand for their faith,  but this has also been mixed with a tinge of fear. Some of the experiences these writers have gone through are truly terrible in terms of living conditions, chronic illness, loss of liberty, physical punishment (even torture,) loss of family members and the list goes on. This not mentioning the emotional impact of all of these things over time.

What if God required this or something worse of you or me? Christians are keen to quote verses reminding us that God won't allow us more than we can bear but how much could we really handle? What about Paul and Job, what was their breaking point? Are we anywhere near our limits of endurance when facing the often trivial things that we moan and complain about every day? Have we truly counted the cost of following Jesus as these fellow believers did? Would we be able to maintain our behavioural witness whilst in prison and suffering for it? What if we were languishing there knowing that an apology and partial recantation would result in immediate release? What if our family members were not saved and were desperate for us to take this course? What if we were sentenced to die and only had to amend our public statement of faith slightly to avoid execution? Would we waver? How soon will it be before we are faced with these choices in the West? Are we prepared? Have we even thought about it?

Finally, What are we doing to help those persecuted Christians around the world in terms of prayer and financial support? Could we do more to help them? Are we called to go to these countries ourselves? Are we resisting that call due to fear?

"And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you"  Luke 14 vs 27-29

"And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Mark 8 vs 34

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." Luke 14 vs 33

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3 vs 7-8

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Luke 14 vs 26

"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."  2 Timothy 3 vs 12

"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." Matthew 24 vs 12-13

Help, Hope and Apathy! (Elisha Press Blog)

http://elishapress.com/blog/2016/04/07/help,-hope,-and-apathy-an-interview-with-missionary-author-natalie-vellacott/

Is Our Westernised “Help” Actually Hurting Poor People?

I saw this book “When Helping Hurts; How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself” and just had to read it. With a dramatic title like this the book is bound to draw attention. It is screaming; “You are all doing things seriously wrong and need to change immediately or suffer serious consequences.”

My first thoughts were that the authors were very brave to write this book effectively criticising the way Christians have been operating for decades. They also must have been very confident in the “new” methods introduced as the book attempts to change not only the way Christians operate but also the way they think about giving. I would hesitate to write a book like this myself in case my efforts resulted in people giving up completely as “helping the poor” suddenly becomes too complicated! After all, people are always looking for excuses not to give and this could be the perfect reason with no guilt attached; A beggar asks you for food or money and instead of giving him the change in your hand or buying him a snack and drink whilst giving him a Gospel tract and offering a word or two from Scripture, you pause to consider chapter 11 paragraph 2 of “the book” which states that you should establish the background of and try to form a relationship with this person before giving him anything as it may make his situation worse…you walk away.....Becoming afraid of doing more harm than good and ending up paralysed in indecision was sadly the response of some readers when the book was initially published, although the newest edition addresses that and begs people to continue helping the poor.

After just a few years in the mission field, I agree with the basic principles in the book which are;

*The true hope of the Gospel is what people really need and this should always come first. (There is a good emphasis on the Gospel for transforming lives within the book)

*Money is not always the solution and in some cases can make situations worse. We should ask the people what they need before giving material gifts rather than assuming.

*Love, time, care, compassion and relationship building are foundational to helping people and must always be central whether or not material help is given

*Where possible we want to be conducting ministries that allow people to support themselves financially in the longer term so that they do not become
dependent on us removing the motivation to work

*Local church ministry to the poor is always better than foreigners sweeping in and taking over. Foreigners should work under the direction and supervision of existing local Christian ministries rather than taking the lead

Although I agreed with the basic principles I found myself irritated as I was reading the book as it reminded me of a rather lengthy police diversity textbook full of procedures, methods, charts and diagrams with this and that “experts” opinion and theories about the human mind and behaviour and how people in various different cultures view the world. There was an emphasis on building people’s self-esteem/self-confidence and talk about reconciling relationships with God, others, ourselves and the rest of creation. We are told that there is “goodness” to discover and celebrate even in a fallen world and that we are not “as bad” as we could be. The language used seems to me to be far beyond the abilities of the average Christian reader and the things described remarkably complex. I’m sure there were some good ideas and practical suggestions in there somewhere but a lot of it was lost in “management speak” and politically correct jargon about what is and isn’t “appropriate.”

When describing things we “should not do,” the examples given where things had gone wrong were often extreme e.g a group of farmers worshipping a foreign god who, when helped financially by Christians increased their giving to their god to demonstrate thankfulness, and another group who didn’t understand the order of creation that God had placed man over animals and so were allowing rats to over-run their farm destroying everything year after year even after receiving material help. I think the point the authors were making here was that when giving we also need to teach Scripture/educate people so that resources are not wasted.

Naturally when reading something like this we tend to think of our own experiences and wonder whether we have “helped” or “hurt” people in the past. I realised that the reason I could agree with the basic principles of the book is because I learned them through experience (and many mistakes) in just a few years of mission work. There were many occasions when I tried to help the solvent addicted children in small material ways but all they really wanted was my time, attention and love.  Maybe others need to learn these things in the same way through experience and mistakes.

One of the main areas of the book concerns Short Term Missions (STM’s.) This was an area where I strongly agreed with the authors especially after some of my experiences on Logos Hope. When we were sent on teams to help people practically, we were often asked for money to solve problems that should have been dealt with by local churches. If we helped, we might have been undermining the local church and also causing the attention to be focused on us and not on God where it belongs. On the other hand, I would not discourage someone from helping a fellow believer with whom they have an established relationship although it is important to ensure that the money is used for the intended purpose.

I have never really understood STM’s, especially where a lot of money is spent to send a person/team as it seems that it is often more about the experience for the person/team taking part in the “mission” rather than the people they are going to help. These “missions” often cost a lot of money and cannot really accomplish anything due to the short duration. It is not possible to establish meaningful relationships in order to share the Gospel in a few weeks especially in a foreign culture. Literature may break the barrier here as it can be left, studied and read long after the mission is complete, but is it really necessary to send people halfway round the world to do this or could we just use local churches/believers and send them the literature for distribution? Money often seems to be wasted in the area of STM’s and I agree with the authors that they can do more harm than good. I would suggest that people wanting a “mission experience” (unless they feel called to a particular country where they could go for a longer trip to begin with) should join a team in their own country at first to avoid the huge costs associated with unnecessary foreign travel.

The main problem I had with the book is that it reminded me of the “Purpose Driven” material; where one method is used for every situation and where people began studying the “Purpose Driven” books instead of Scripture. At the end of each chapter is a study guide for small groups with questions for reflection that the authors stated was a mandatory part of the “course.” (I skipped it) They do say that they are not teaching a one size fits all approach and that there will be exceptions to every rule but that is not how the book comes across. One of the subtle messages is that you shouldn’t even attempt to help the poor unless you know exactly what you are doing and/or are an expert in the field. I would agree that if you are heading into long term work in this area you should conduct proper research in advance, but I would suggest that the authors should not have included the average person dealing with an individual on the street/in their community in their blanket ban on helping people. Although praying for discernment and being led by the Spirit (through the Word) are mentioned, in my view, they are not referenced enough. I believe a better way forward is to deal with people on a case-by-case basis as individuals as no person’s situation is exactly the same as someone else’s.

Of course, we can all do things in a more efficient and productive way, and we shouldn’t waste resources but is that really what God is concerned about? All of our resources/money belong to God anyway and I have to believe that when a person makes a decision to give for the right reasons (cheerfully and not under duress) that God will use that for His glory regardless of the circumstances. There is always a risk that some people will exploit generosity, but I don’t think the methods described by the authors will necessarily combat that.  They say that material/financial giving should always be “seldom, immediate and temporary” but where is this in Scripture? What the authors are really saying is that we need to check whether the people that are presenting themselves as “poor” are really poor or just lazy, but is that really our role or is it God's on Judgement Day?

The Bible uses all-encompassing words to encourage generosity in all situations without hesitation and with no qualifications or conditions. I have included some of these below, although I recognise that the authors are really seeking to address our methods of giving/help rather than the issue of whether or not we should give. There is no doubt that we should seek to be wise in our mission “giving, sending and going” for God’s glory but I would suggest that it is better to give and get it wrong than not to give at all.  This book is worth reading as it will make you think.

Relevant Bible verses

1. Luke 3:10-11 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

2. Ephesians 4:27-28 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

3. Matthew 5:42 Give to everyone who asks you for something. Don’t turn anyone away who wants to borrow something from you.

4. Proverbs 19:17 The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD, and the LORD will repay him for his good deed.

5. Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you’ll be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others.”

6. Psalm 112:5-7 Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

7. Psalm 37:26 The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.

8. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.

9. Deuteronomy 15:10 Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the LORD your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do.

10. Romans 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

11. Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.

 12. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 If there should be a poor man among your relatives in one of the cities of the land that the Lord your God is about to give you, don’t be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative. Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need.

13. Acts 2:44-26 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.

Why I Don't Support Heavenly Tourism

Maybe this seems like an obscure topic but I hope you will see the reason this is important by the end of this post. I began hearing about the books published by various authors claiming that they had “been to heaven and back” a number of years ago. I immediately dismissed them from my mind believing that it was obviously a load of rubbish and that any sincere Christians would surely do the same.  I was shocked when I began hearing Christians talking about these experiences as if they might be genuine and when I saw people buying and reading the books. The interest in people’s stories about their personal experiences in “heaven”, whether real or not, seemed to be so intense that these books began hitting and remaining on best-seller lists worldwide. 

Did I develop a sudden personal interest and think that maybe I had been too hasty in my earlier judgement? Did I rush out and buy a copy of, The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, or, 90 Minutes In Heaven, to fill in the gaps that God had apparently left when He inspired the Bible? Um….no, actually I just forgot about all of this and assumed it was a fad that would die a quick death. I occasionally noticed the books in Christian book shops and on the internet, usually proudly displaying their best seller status on the front cover along with their high rankings, but that was the extent of it.

However, the subject came up again this week when I overheard a conversation amongst some Christians in an American book warehouse. Whilst sorting books, one of them asked whether they should dispose of a vast quantity of paperback copies of one such “heavenly tourism” book and remove the title from sale. (I forget which exact title they referred to as there are so many of them now.) Before the person could reply I spoke without thinking (it happens sometimes,) and commented that I couldn’t understand why any Christian would believe the stories anyway and that I was glad they were removing it from sale as it was clearly unbiblical. Then followed a period of weighty silence where no one seemed inclined to agree with my comments (at least not out loud.) Then, the person to whom the question was addressed eventually stated that actually it was  a different title (and therefore a different person’s trip to heaven) that was no longer going to be sold but that the original title would still be available for sale. 

Later, and more privately, I asked the manager about this and was informed that the reason the title, The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, was being removed was because the author’s son, who had claimed he had been to heaven, had now recanted his tale stating that he had fabricated the entire story as he knew it would gain him attention. To his credit he then sought to explain clearly and biblically why his earlier experiences could not have been true…

The conversation bothered me for a while but I knew from past experience that there was no point in taking the matter any further as it is not within my sphere of influence. Then today whilst sorting books in the same warehouse I stumbled upon a book that I had never seen before, the title of which immediately caught my attention, Visits to Heaven and Back; Are They Real?” by Mark Hitchcock. After reading the cover I borrowed the book and read it in one sitting. I read this book, not really to confirm what I already knew, that these claims could not possibly be true, but more to gain a biblical basis for my instinctive response. I thought, not for the first time, how confusing it must be for non-believers when they see Christian book shops selling one group of books with Christians' personal experiences in heaven, and hell now, as it turns out, and then other books, including the Bible, probably occupying the same shelf space, stating how these experiences cannot be true! What a mess we get into when we don’t take the Bible seriously.

Hitchcock’s book is well-researched and, I believe, timely. He lists forty of the most popular of these books by title. He then examines some of the very well-known titles in light of the Word of God. He documents error in each account proving from Scripture that these experiences cannot be valid. He gives a balanced review and highlights positive features where they exist, e.g. if a particular author has shared the Gospel correctly despite their erroneous claims. He further explains why these books are dangerous and why as Christians we should avoid and reject them, I have picked out some of the points he makes; 

a) They encourage people to search beyond the Bible for information that they are not at liberty to gain suggesting that the Bible/God are not sufficient. 

b) Many of the books indicate that everyone will go to heaven regardless their spiritual state.

c) Removing the fear of the unknown about death may also remove the necessary fear of judgement and create a false assurance in non-believers.

d) They encourage Christians to base their beliefs on personal experience and not on what Scripture says about that experience.

e) Many of the experiences are self-centred and trivialise the serious issue of eternal destinations.

f) The books and authors contradict each other in relation to what heaven/God/Jesus are like. 

g) Their descriptions of heaven do not compare with the glory of heaven described in Scripture.

I am not going to go into detail about the biblical errors in each book as there are too many and, sadly, too many authors, making these, and similar, claims.  I suggest you buy and read this book if you want specifics or preferably read your Bible before rushing to celebrate the latest crazy claim. The idea that a professing Christian can somehow end up on a “guided tour of hell” isn’t really worthy of further comment….but many people obviously thought that it was, judging by the sales.

Hitchcock writes, “God is sovereign, but that’s no excuse for promoting error. Professing Christians who write books- even books about very personal experiences- are responsible to make every effort to interpret Scripture accurately and at least not to directly contradict it…..the prevailing notion today is that it’s unloving and uncharitable to question someone else’s experience or private revelation from God….but we are all subject to God’s Word…it’s incumbent on believers to discern the truth of the claims being made and to think biblically about heaven and the afterlife” (Pg 11)

So, the real reason for my post, other than drawing attention to this phenomenon and giving those who are uncomfortable with it some moral support, is a call for Christians to have greater discernment before blindly, hastily and often foolishly accepting anything and everything that crosses their path in the name of Christ. It’s time to examine Scripture in context to see if our experiences are biblical and not the other way around.

Revelation 21 vs 1-4

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The Danger of Labelling a Christian a "Legalist."

There is no doubt that Christian standards of holiness are lowering across the globe. We shouldn’t be surprised by this as the Bible tells us that there will be a progressive decline into worldliness. As individuals we can probably see that our “willingness to compromise” in some areas has grown stronger as we succumb to cultural influences and pressures over time. We eventually give in because we are fed up with standing alone on a particular issue or because we forget why we took a stand on that issue in the first place or because we wonder whether taking a stand is really that important. We become distracted and, like the Church at Ephesus, forget our “first love.”

But what will happen if Christians continue to “blend in” with those around them? When there is no visible difference between us and our non-believing neighbours, friends and colleagues, what happens to our message of HOPE in Jesus? It is nullified and becomes void and irrelevant. Unless our lives are visibly different, people will simply not be interested in hearing our message. How can we proclaim the life transforming power of God if our lives have not been transformed and if we are the same as our worldly counterparts?

I’m not speaking here of pretending to be people that we are not; pretending everything is fine when we are facing trials and struggles to create the illusion of happiness so that people won’t lose confidence in God. This is spiritual pride and a reason for a lot of loneliness in some churches where people feel they have to pretend they are okay as everyone else seems to be okay. So we all walk around telling each other we are okay when actually we are not. That is not biblical Christianity. Being real and honest about our problems and showing vulnerability at difficult times shows humanity that makes our message more authentic to non-believers. It also helps them to trust and confide in us as they realise, we can empathise with them when they are struggling. The point is that even in the midst of our trials we should be seeking to trust God as we know that He is faithful and will not leave or forsake us even when we fall into sin or other difficulties. Our hope is always in Him even when we face hardship or have a tough time understanding our circumstances. We believe that God is teaching us something through any and all troubles, so they are not in vain. We are looking for the spiritual life lessons that we can learn.

Every day as Christians we make decisions that impact those around us, those who are still walking in darkness, whose spiritual eyes have not yet been opened to the truth of the Gospel. The reality is that these people are on a broad road to an eternity in Hell. Do we really believe this? Do we have any care or concern for those people? Do we constantly remind ourselves “there but for the grace of God go I?” or do we sit in judgement over them and leave that conversation for another day?

Why are we allowing ourselves to compromise in areas that in the past would have been unthinkable? There is a danger that in trying to be more “relevant” and “progressive” we are wandering into sin and taking others with us. Have God’s standards of holiness changed? The obvious answer is “no” because God Himself does not change. Non-believers are closely watching us and our lifestyles to see whether our message is genuine. Subconsciously they are looking for an excuse to reject God and Christians who are not seeking to live holy lives can easily be used as that excuse. You may not even be aware that your conduct has resulted in a life-changing decision for another person, but God is aware as He cares for every soul. We are His representatives here on earth.

In a recent discussion a fellow believer commented that it would be good if we could have a “24-hour break” from being Christians. This person was struggling with the constant pressures of the Christian life; attempting to be different and to not conform to worldly standards. His comment will resonate with true believers as if we are striving for holiness in our Christian walk our lives will always be hard. The Christian life is a constant battle and “we are not wrestling against flesh and blood.” (Ephesians 6.) But the reality is that there is no break, certainly there are times of rest and reflection, but even during those we are still Christians and should still be seeking to trust and follow God.

Sometimes it seems that new believers have an advantage here as they see things with greater clarity than those who have become weary of the battle. Some relatively new Christians said to me recently that they didn’t understand why Christians were arguing about a certain topic in the Bible as God’s instructions on this topic were clear. Their faith has not yet been corrupted by worldliness so in their minds there was no debate, they accepted the Bible as the inspired and 100% accurate Word of God. How different would our churches be if we all did that? If we stopped listening to the enemy asking us “Did God really say?” to justify our sin and returned to a simple belief in God’s Word.

Maybe as Christians we should examine our current standards and see whether we have lapsed into worldliness or conformed to our various cultural standards over time. What we eat, drink, listen to, watch, say, wear, read, write, think, and how and where we spend our time and who with, is important to God and does impact those around us often unintentionally. Sometimes not doing or saying something when we should is just as damaging and stops others being bold and speaking out.

We should then ask the question whether the changes in our behaviour/lifestyles are acceptable in light of God’s Word or whether we need to re-evaluate our standards.  This may involve swimming against the tide and standing alone for a time, but this is what God calls us to do. Think of Paul, Daniel, Joseph and Job and the many other Scriptural examples of those who took a stand, or the more modern examples of the McArthur family in the Asher’s Bakery case and those individuals who have stood against Sunday trading. If more of us supported these individuals instead of hiding away or distancing ourselves then none of us would be forced to take the stand alone.

I will end with a word of caution as per my post title. Sadly, it is often opposition from within our own ranks that does the most damage to a Christian seeking to live for God. How careful we must be before labelling a fellow believer as a “legalist.” Surely, we should seek to encourage that believer and should not be doing something that might harm their conscience (Romans 14 vs 13-23.) In any case we should first make sure that whatever it is they are doing that has so offended us is not just our own sinful conscience seeking an excuse for our own sinful behaviour.

Let us pray that God will help us to humbly examine our behaviour in light of Scripture and seek ever increasing standards of holiness for His glory.

All I Want For Christmas Is...

There are those who will freely admit that this sentence concludes with a material item or items; a new book, item of clothing, CD or game or for some with bigger aspirations (and incomes); a new music system, item of furniture or even a car or house!

Then there are those who congratulate themselves by finishing the sentence with non-material things believing they are somehow better people for escaping the trappings of materialism; good health, success in business, and of course the ever elusive happiness.

There are even those (usually with some form of faith or moral conscience) who would answer with the less selfish desire for the health, wealth, success or happiness of someone else that is important to them.

But how many of us would answer that our only true desire this Christmas is for the salvation of a sister, brother, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, colleague, neighbour, friend or stranger that we pass every day on the street? And if we were to answer that this was our only true desire, how many of us would be answering honestly? To take it one step further, how many of us have been actively preparing for the opportunity since September when the Christmas shopping usually begins? How many of us have been sincerely praying and seeking God for an individual that is important to us in some way or another? How many couldn’t wait for Christmas to come in order to take the opportunity to send that person an evangelistic card or book, to invite that person to Church or to Christmas lunch or even just to have that conversation about the meaning of Christmas for a Christian? How many of us are excited about this opportunity even if we know it will be inconvenient in some way for us?

Mostly at Christmas, as Christians, we behave in the same way as non-believers with ever increasing budgets and excessive celebrations. We forget what we are doing and miss the opportunities for evangelism. We don’t take our calling seriously. We feel good if we go to Church, avoid drinking too much or spending too much and we believe that somehow this is a witness to non-believers. Maybe they will respect us more or think that we are morally more upright than they are for our stance but what does that really achieve if we don’t communicate the reason for our different behaviour. If we don’t tell them that Jesus is the only true hope this Christmas and if we don’t remind them who and what we are celebrating.

Bizarrely at Christmas we tend to focus on ourselves and our families (personal or Church) and forget those outside our circles who are likely more unhappy at Christmas time, and just after, than at any other time of the year. There is much disappointment, sadness, loneliness and tragically suicide at Christmas and yet as Christians we remain silent or take a “well deserved” break and withdraw from the hopeless and helpless souls that need us most.

We have the only message of HOPE for those still living in darkness but

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10 vs 14

With just ONE WEEK to go there is still time to reach out to that person(s) that God has laid on your heart OR you can let another year slip by and hope that God is patient with you and with the person whose heart He has already prepared.

Let’s be bold and reach out to those with whom we have contact as it may be our last opportunity to do so.

Have a blessed and fruitful Christmas and a peaceful New Year.