Betrayal and the Plan of God

For Jesus' enemies to overcome Him, they needed His friends. Have you ever thought of that?

They needed one, whom Matthew 24 clearly describes as "one of the twelve" to betray Him. What a sting to that phrase. "One of the twelve." Judas is not identified by name. He is described as belonging to the Lord's trusted inner circle

But Judas' actions were not the only betrayal. The other disciples abandon Him, refuse to stand with Him, will not identify with Him. They discard Him.

The amazing thing is that He knew that they would do this to Him, that their joining the ranks of His persecutors would be the means by which His enemies (and His "friends") would be reconciled to the Father and God's purposes accomplished. This is not to absolve or excuse His betrayers; the Bible refuses to do that.

But who would have thought that God would work this way?

It's Back

A week and a half ago, as the result of a preliminary biopsy on a lymph node on my neck, I was warned that it appeared that the cancer that we had hoped had been successfully treated had returned.  Further bone marrow tests have unfortunately confirmed that this is the case, although the type and virility of the chronic lymphotcytic leukemia (CLL) has yet to the determined.  At this stage, there is no indication as to the kind of treatments that will be required or how soon. We will simply be working together with the capable staff at Princess Margaret Hospital in determining what exactly I have and how we might effectively address it. This will require some further testing, of course, and more time and patience than I had hoped. 

I do want to assure those of you who know me that I am genuinely feeling fine and that there is no need for undue concern.  Yes, my family and I are disappointed.  We are confident, however, that God is control and that He will enable me to continue to fulfill my responsibilities at home and at the mission for the foreseeable future.  I do not believe that God's call on my life is winding down. I am committed to serving Him and His persecuted church with all of my heart for as long as I have strength.

Where God is, there His Kingdom is

"Where God is, there His Kingdom is." Throughout my sleep last night this little thought rolled around in my mind. Not overly profound perhaps, but surely not easy to live out, especially in times of trouble and trial when the temptation surely must be to take the rule of one's life into one's own hand. Pope Benedict XVI in his magnificent book, Jesus of Nazareth (which I have been reading off and on since early May), writes that the last petition of the Lord's Prayer brings us back to the first one. In asking to be liberated from the power of evil, we are ultimately asking for God's Kingdom, for union with his will, and for sanctification of his name (page 167).

This reminds me of a story that was reported this past weekend of Eloise (66) and John (70) Bergen from Vernon, British Columbia, a retired couple had moved four months ago to western Kenya to help widows and orphans in the city of Kitale and to help refugees who had fled a political crisis. They serve with the non-profit organization Hope for the Nations. They had recently moved into their own house on a farm where they grew food for local children.

Last Wednesday, the unimaginable happened, as this elderly couple were robbed and brutalized by several men (two of whom were apparently the guards they had hired to protect them). John was badly beaten by the machete-wielding thugs while Mary was repeatedly raped over 45-minutes. Throughout her ordeal, Ms. Bergen said she uttered a single word, whispering "Jesus" over and over.

But while this dreadful attack would have been newsworthy for the media, I find it significant that it was the forgiveness of this couple towards their attackers that came out front and centre in the reports over the weekend. According to the National Post, Mary said one of the first things she and her husband want to do once they fully recover is to visit their assailants. "When I woke up this morning, I was picturing the time will come when John and I are physically well again," she said. "It's in both of our hearts to go to the prison and tell them about our forgiveness." John said something similar, according to the Toronto Star, ""What we're going to do is go to the prison where the perpetrators are and show them that Jesus loves them and we forgive them."

Where God is, there His Kingdom is.

More Than Advocacy

VOMC founder, Richard Wurmbrand, once spoke at a Christian rally.  He asked those in attendance why they were protesting against those whom they opposed.  Rather, he said, they should be inviting them into their homes for a warm meal.  Their friendship would speak louder than bullhorns.

Jesus did give His followers a most unusual command on how to deal with enemies; they were to love them and do good to them (Matthew 5:44).  Not exactly the most strategic way of doing advocacy, some might argue.  But advocacy, as important as it is, is not the first call of the Christian.  Yes, we are to raise a voice on behalf of our suffering brothers and sisters, but not at the cost of neglecting the call to actively love those who seek our harm. 

Our letters of protest, our blogs, our rallies; they must not be marked by hatred or a lack of respect.  This is a fine line that is so easy to cross.  It seems to me that it would be better not to protest if we cannot hold on to love and concern for those who seek to take away our freedoms and those of our family around the world. 

I thank God that one of the priorities of The Voice of the Martyrs is our commitment to reach out to those who persecute the Church with the Good News of Jesus Christ. In projects in the Middle East, Colombia, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere, we are working with local believers in supplying them with literature specifically geared for reaching those who are opposed to the gospel.  And to the glory of God, many are responding to this act of love with faith. 

What Kind of God Does Jesus Reveal?

In Isaiah 40:18 the prophet asked, "To whom, then, will you compare God?  What image will you compare Him to?"   Every religion in the world is, in a sense, an attempt to answer this question. What is God like?  What can we point to and say, "That is God!"

To the people of God, Isaiah's question was rhetorical.  There simply is no one to whom God can be compared; no image (mental or physical) that will adequately reflect His being.  Any image is inevitably misleading.

With the revelation of Jesus, this abruptly changed. Suddenly God supplied His own image.  The question "To whom will you compare God?" suddenly had an answer.  Those who want to see what God is like can see Him in Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Colossians 1:15 Jesus is called the image or icon of God, the representation that God has chosen to reveal Himself to man.  In even more explicit terms, the author of Hebrews 1:2-3 writes that Jesus is the "exact imprint" of God's nature and the radiance of God's glory. Jesus is the exact reproduction of God.  When you look at Jesus, you see what God is like. Those who want to know what God is like can see Him in the person of Jesus.  

But what do people see when they look at Jesus?  What kind of God does He reveal? 

In Isaiah 53 we read, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. . . ."  By coming and living among us, Jesus took on all aspects of what it meant to live in a fallen world.  As He saw the suffering of people, his sympathy was so intense that he actually felt their pain and weaknesses. He saw the burdens that many carried, and He stepped under the load with us and helped carry it (Matthew 8:17).

Jesus continues to do that with His people today, especially those who suffer persecution because they follow Him.  When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, God not only saw their plight and heard their groaning (Exodus 2:24) but Isaiah 63:9 says "In all their affliction He was afflicted."  When the Lord struck down Saul of Tarsus on the dusty road to Damascus, He asked, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4).  In this statement, Jesus declares His solidarity with His Church when they suffer for His sake.

When His people suffer, He suffers.  Our God does much more than merely watch over us.  He is Emmanuel, God with us.  He does more than feel sorry for us; He gets involved.  As Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you; do not be discouraged."

When God's Rule Breaks In

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

Many mistakenly suppose that our work here at The Voice of the Martyrs is fairly grim business. Daily we receive reports from around the world laced with pain, sadness and loss. And so there is unquestionably an aspect of sorrow and somberness to our ministry. It is what drives us to our knees and compels us to seek ways of ministering to those who suffer for their faith.

But there is also the unexplainable joy that surrounds so many of these saints. A well-know church leader has stated in his recent book: "In his messengers Christ himself still suffers, still hangs on the Cross. And yet he is risen, irrevocably risen. Although Jesus' messenger in this world is still living the story of Jesus' suffering, the splendour of the Resurrection shines through, and it brings a joy, a "blessedness," greater than the happiness he could formerly have experienced on worldly paths. It is only now that he realizes what real "happiness," what true "blessedness" is, and, in doing so, notices the paltriness of what conventional standards must be considered satisfaction and happiness."     

Joy in the midst of suffering and loss; this is what happens when God's rule breaks into our life, when the Kingdom comes.

Bible Publishers Sued over Translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9

In one of the oddest stories I have read in a while, Christian publisher Zondervan Publishing is reporting facing a $60 million federal lawsuit in the United States filed by a 39-year-old man who claims he and other homosexuals have suffered based on what the suit claims is a misinterpretation of the Bible.  His suit centres on one passage in scripture -- 1 Corinthians 6:9 -- and how it reads in some editions of Bibles published by Zondervan.  He levels similar allegations against Thomas Nelson regarding the company's earlier versions of the New King James Bible and is suing them for $10 million.

A company spokeswoman with Zondervan suggested that even if the accusations had merit, Bradley Fowler is suing the wrong group because Zondervan doesn't actually translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations.   Instead, she said in a statement, the company relies on the "scholarly judgment of credible translation committees."

According to a report by WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 8, Fowler says Bibles published by Zondervan in 1982 and 1987 used the word "homosexuals" among a list of those who are "wicked" or "unrighteous" and won't inherit the kingdom of heaven. He claims that because his family's pastor used that Bible, his family considered him a sinner and he suffered.  Now he is asking for an apology and $60 million to "compensate for the past 20 years of emotional duress and mental instability."  

Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. refused to appoint an attorney to represent Fowler in his case against Thomas Nelson, writing "The Court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims."

Comments anyone?

Do You Really Love the Church?

As I noted in yesterday's blog, I recently read Paul Yonggap Jeong's book, Mission from a Position of Weakness.  I didn't note that Jeong is Korean and concludes his study by evaluating the Korean church's history and present practice of missions, especially as it concerns doing mission from the perspective of weakness rather than from power.  Jeong notes a fact that I had read elsewhere that one of the most important reasons for the dynamic growth of the Presbyterian church in Korea in the 20^th century was that Western missionaries, unlike some other denominations, did not give salaries to the Korean workers, nor did they pay for the construction of buildings. From the beginning, they let the Christian workers and the local churches support themselves (pages 121-122). 

This is a significant departure from present day practice of many (if not most) Western and Korean missions.  Jeong notes that Korean missionaries today seem to have forgotten the lessons from their own past, to the detriment of the health and growth of the church where they minister.  He notes that for many Korean missionaries, their relationship with national workers is more like that of an employers and employee than co-workers in Christ (page 126).  By giving out money to national workers, they tend to exercise power to control them.  He cites one highly successful pastor in the Philippines who pastors a church of 12,000 members who spoke to a group of Korean missionaries and asked them, "Do you really love the Philippines? Then do not give money to the national workers?  Do you hate the Philippines?  Then give money to them.  Remember how the Korean Church started about one hundred years ago.  Did they have money?  Even though they were poor, they sacrificed a lot and did great works" (page 125-126).

The intentions behind financially supporting the salaries of national workers are usually good.  The idea that freeing up someone to engage in full-time ministry with what we perceive to be adequate resources seems like good stewardship. Most missions that promote this kind of support mention reflect this perspective.  But are we inadvertently forgetting that God's mission to the world rarely fits what we would perceive to be wise and efficient?

Want to check out an alternative to the normal "sponsorship" program; one that helps persecuted Christians help themselves?  Check out our brand new 3.45 minute "Jars of Hope" video on www.persecution.tv.

So What Have You Been Reading in May & June?

It's been a couple of months since I updated you all on what I have been reading.  To be honest, due to health issues since early May, it was only recently that I felt well enough to concentrate much on reading.  But let me give you brief reviews on four books that I have read which you may decide to look into yourself. I welcome any questions or comments you may have.

I'll Cross the River by C. Hope Flinchbaugh. Recognizing that many VOMC supporters enjoy reading Christian novels, I was hopeful when I saw this recent book by C. Hope Flinchbaugh which I was made to understand focused on a family in North Korea. I was disappointed to find that it was primarily a continuation of her early two novels focusing on a fictional Chinese Christian woman named Mei Lin.  I was also disappointed by the weak storyline and even weaker theology evidenced particularly at the end of the book.  Enough said; this book will not be offered for sale here at The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada.  Just glad that I read it first before offering it to our supporters.

Missions in Contexts of Violence edited by Keith E. Eitel. A 2008 compilation of various articles by the Evangelical Missiological Society on the subject of doing missions in contexts of violence.  Starting with biblical and theological studies and ending with cases studies from various parts of the world, I found this to be quite a helpful read.  Not all of the articles are of equal value.  Some are quite scholarly; others a tad simplistic.  I thought a couple of the articles were a bit irrelevant but all in all, I would recommend the book especially to those involved in ministry where persecution and other forms of violence are reality or a threat.  Personally, I found the Biblical and theological foundations section the most useful (no surprise there for anyone who knows me well).

Truth With Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer by Bryan A. Follis.  A very useful study of the apologetical methodology of one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20^th century. Its particular strength is the reminder that Francis Schaeffer was first and foremost an evangelist and not a philosopher despite how he has often portrayed.  Neglecting this has been one of the chief errors of Schaeffer's critics.  If you are a Francis Schaeffer fan (as I am) you will find this a very helpful assessment of his contribution to the field of apologetics and the continuing value of his methodology in today's postmodern society. 

Mission from a Position of Weakness by Paul Yonggap Jeong.  This book addresses a key biblical thought from my opinion; doing mission from a position of weakness, exhibiting cross-centredness and servanthood rather than power and strength in our attitudes and methodology.  This is the only book that I know of that specifically addresses this as its sole topic. Hence, it has value due to its uniqueness.  However, costing $63.00, coming from what I have found to be a reputable publisher, and purported to be the author's doctoral thesis, I expected a higher level of scholarship and editing than I found in this book.  I am left waiting for someone to write a more significant study on this key subject; wish I had the time to try.

Welcome Decisions by the Canadian Human Rights Commission... With a Few Notes of Caution

For the second time in two weeks, the Canadian Human Rights Commission has dismissed charges against a Canadian publication.  Last Friday, the CHRC dismissed the complaint brought against Maclean's magazine by the Canadian Islamic Congress on the basis that the CHRC did not believe there was evidence to support a complaint that the Steyn article (which was the basis of the complaint) was "likely to expose" Muslims to hatred or contempt.  Yesterday, the CHRC dismissed a complaint brought against Catholic Insight by Rob Wells, an Edmonton-based homosexual activist, on the basis that the material published in their magazine was "not likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt based on sexual orientation."

It is worth reminding ourselves, however, that the CHRC is not the same as the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.  The CHRC investigates complaints and if they feel there are sufficient grounds, prosecutes them before the tribunal.  Neither Maclean's nor Catholic Insight was found "not guilty"; the complaints were simply dismissed.  It is analogous to the police and the prosecuting attorneys deciding to drop charges not because they don't believe in the guilt of the suspect but because there is not enough evidence to prosecute.  As has been pointed out by some, the Tribunal has a 100% conviction rate of any section 13 complaints brought before it.  As Ezra Levant recently stated, "In other words, if the CHRC takes you to ‘court', there's really no point in showing up -- you'll be found guilty."  

Levant also suggests that we should not get too excited about these two dismissals, thinking perhaps that the CHRC has suddenly seen the light of reason.  In his opinion, "the CHRC's decision to abandon the ‘homophobia' charges against Catholic Insight must be seen for what it is: an attempt by the corrupt CHRC to get out of the media spotlight, and reduce the political pressure that is mounting for its abolition."   He suggests that this was the same motivation behind the Maclean's dismissal.  I suspect that he may be right.

The heat is also not off of Maclean's.  In a July 3 letter in the Globe and Mail, Zijad Delic, national executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, wrote that the CHRC's decision not to prosecute the CIC's complaint against Maclean's "will soon be appealed to the Federal Court."  Given Rob Well's rabid hatred of Christianity and his relentless pursuit of Christian organizations that speak against homosexuality as sin, I suspect that we have not heard the last of him either.  Some folks just seem bound and determined to further reduce our already threatened rights to freedom of speech and belief.

Understanding Persecution Better

I have been reading through Meditations on the Cross, a collection of writings by Dietrich Bonhoeffer as part of my daily devotions.  In today's reading, I read a letter by Bonhoeffer to a friend in which he resists calling his two-year imprisonment "suffering".  And it struck me just how often persecuted Christians resist calling what they are going through "persecution".  Coptic Christian leaders in Egypt frequently deny that the church there is undergoing persecution.  In recent article in Time, Leah Ortiz, the mother of 15 year-old son Ami who was injured by a bomb disguised as a holiday gift package, when asked if Christians are persecuted in Israel, denied it.  I often find in discussions with expatriates from religiously restricted nations that they deny that there is persecution back in their homeland.  This is puzzling to many, leading some to conclude that perhaps groups like The Voice of the Martyrs aren't exactly telling the truth. 

It seems to me that a large part of the problem has to do with a misunderstanding as what exactly persecution is.  Persecution to many conjures up images of extreme violence, martyrdoms, imprisonments and torture.  They think of what they imagine the early church went through or the church in the former Soviet Union. Expats think back to their own experience and while they may have faced societal discrimination and the like, they took it in stride as everyone else did and saw it is just a part of life; unpleasant perhaps, maybe even annoying or slightly humiliating, but hardly persecution. 

Two points need to be made:

First, it is worth remembering that persecution on a country-wide scale is rare in history, both now and throughout history.  In most countries, violent persecution tends to be focused in specific, often remote, areas where religious tensions have been enflamed for one reason or another. Hence, believers in one city may never experience violence for their faith while in another, Christians are being beaten and driven from their homes. 

Second, persecution as a term needs to be understood in its biblical sense.  As Charles L. Tieszen reminds us, persecution in the Bible manifests itself within a broad spectrum ranging from mildly hostile to intensely hostile actions. These actions range from ridicule, restriction, certain kinds of harassment, or discrimination on one end of the spectrum to torture, imprisonment, ostracism, or killing on the other.  Persecution, hence, must be understood to encompass actions spanning the full range of hostility whether they are violent, physical, psychological, or social.  Tieszen reminds us that we cannot define persecution based on the level of harm it might cause or the level of hostility in which it occurs.  To do so would be inconsistent with Scripture.  The issue that missions like The Voice of the Martyrs must consider is at what level on this spectrum do we see our involvement as necessary?

In other words, we need to see persecution as the Bible sees it, within a wide spectrum of hostility.  It need not involve violence, although it may.  This is not to say that all persecution should be treated as equally grievous.  Nor is all persecution a violation of our basic rights as a human being.   To be despised, hated, and ridiculed is not a violation of one's rights, as unpleasant and unjust as these things are. 

Significantly, understanding persecution in a biblical sense helps to include the Western Christian's experience in what it means to follow Jesus.  Understanding persecution as only including violent acts often leads us to conclude that Western Christians are never persecuted, only those in the Majority World.  Understanding persecution to include a wider spectrum of hostility makes it obvious that even Western Christians can and will experience persecution if they faithfully follow Christ, even if it is of a milder degree.  The biblical passages on persecution then can become more meaningful for us and we can properly apply them to our present situation. 

I wish that I had had this understanding when I taught my students at Oklahoma Wesleyan University a few years back as we wrestled to apply the biblical passages on persecution to their present lives.  The verses that spoke of rewards to those who were faithful in the face of persecution seemed out of reach, since we understood persecution primarily as suffering violence for Jesus.  With little opportunity to suffer in this way, how were they to ever receive these rewards?

Such an understanding of persecution should do nothing to cheapen the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world.  It should, however, help us to see the Body of Christ as one Body; not a Persecuted Church and a Free Church.  We are all the Persecuted Church and our calling is to reach out and minister to those who are suffering violence and loss for Christ's sake since we are one Family.  Tieszen again reminds us that no prayer is required as to whether we should help our persecuted brothers and sisters. The question, if we are to be true to scripture, is not if we should help but how. 

Viewing Canada Through the Lens of Ecclesiastes

Today as I read from Ecclesiastes 3 (yes, some do read Ecclesiastes devotionally), I was reminded that in the places where judgment and justice ought to be found, wickedness, instead, is there (verse 16). As I look at recent court and human right commissions rulings here in Canada, there is little doubt in my mind that these words are just as relevant for us as they were in the day in which they were originally written. It is almost enough to cause someone to despair. Today, I spoke to one of our supporters on the telephone whose voice contained a certain tone of despondency as she expressed her concerns for where she saw Canada heading. I understand that feeling.

Of course, I know that we are not as bad as most of the world today. I am not naïve, especially not witnessing what I have witnessed in the many countries that I have visited. But we are not nearly the country that we were even ten years ago, when it comes to certain rights and freedoms. Religious freedom is increasingly being privatized and marginalized. As gays and lesbians leave the closet, they are shoving Bible-believing Christians into it, telling us to keep our faith to ourselves. Freedom of speech is no longer seen as inviolable; now it can be subject to restrictions and censor if it can be shown that someone might possibly be offended or hurt by what we say. Human rights commissions are now the instruments of restricting our rights rather than defending them.

There is hope, of course. Verse 17 of Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. It may not be the timing we might desire; who wouldn't like to see things fixed up in our own lifetime. The author of Ecclesiastes is skeptical that this can really happen and he is right. In this fallen world, seeking for justice is usually an exercise in chasing after the wind; an exercise in vanity.

New Facts, Hard Truths

Algeria is a country I knew little about before starting at The Voice of the Martyrs. I knew it was a North African nation, but I hadn't heard as much about it as African countries such as Egypt, Nigeria or Guinea. As such, I didn't have any presuppositions about its political or religious climate--and I certainly had no idea that Christians are being persecuted there.

While putting together the July edition of our monthly newsletter, which focuses on Algeria and Morocco, I tried to imagine how I might have reacted if I read the feature back when I knew very little about the trials facing the Algerian church. Would I trust it, believe it, be moved by it? What if this glimpse of Algeria came just after I had read the comments recently made by Algeria's Minister of Home Affairs and Local Authorities, who said that the nation respects fundamental religious freedoms? Or after I'd read The Minister of Religious Affairs' claim that Christian groups are trying to "destabilize the country and sow divergences between people"? Would I have chosen to rest in these claims rather than accept the reports of religious rights denied, churches closed and believers beaten?

I'd like to think, of course, that I would have responded to VOMC's report on Algeria with trust and conviction. But perhaps the claims of these officials would have been enough to give me a little pinch me with doubt or disbelief. If, for example, I already had a picture in my mind of Algeria as a country respectful of religious freedom, I might not have wanted my peaceful view punctured by reports of oppression and injustice. Pleasant falsities are, after all, more appealing than hard truths.

When our July newsletter goes out next week, I will be especially thinking about and praying for the readers on whose ears the reality of persecution in Algeria and Morocco is falling afresh, that the truth of the trials and triumphs of the suffering faithful in these countries will radiate in their hearts and enrich their relationships with Christ.

Should VOM Canada Support Persecuted Canadians?

Several weeks ago, we received a letter from someone who was angry that we were providing some support to a marriage commissioner who is fighting in the courts for the right not to marry homosexuals.  His provincial government has ruled that he must or he will lose his license.  It is worth noting that marriage commissioners are licensed by their provincial governments and not employed or paid by the government. The Supreme Court of Canada has confirmed that clergy cannot be compelled to perform marriages contrary to their religious beliefs. This same freedom should, in our opinion, apply to licensed marriage commissioners. Interestingly enough, in the past, marriage commissioners could refuse to officiate at weddings that violated their religious convictions. All of that has changed since same-sex couples have been given the right to marry in Canada.

The letter writer was angry not because she felt that we should provide more support but because we were providing any support at all.  All of our funds, she believed, needed to go to persecuted Christians in other countries who cannot afford to help themselves.  This person, she felt (without knowing his actual situation) could support himself because he lived in Canada.

I am curious to know how you feel about this.  Do you believe that The Voice of the Martyrs should also provide limited support to those who face persecution (and, yes, we will call it "persecution") in Canada because of their biblical convictions?  I look forward to your participation in this poll and your comments.