The Mind of Man or the Mind of God?

There are turning points in the pages of history; times when decisions are made, actions are taken or things are said which mark the end of one chapter and the beginning on another. Matthew 16 marks such a turning point in the life of Jesus as He takes His disciples to the remote region near the city of Caesarea Philippi, and asks them what appears to be a relatively simple question, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" (16:13).

Some of the disciples say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus, however, is more concerned about what they think. He says to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus commends Peter for his answer and instructs the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. But He is not finished, as verse 21 marks the turning point in Jesus’ ministry.

"From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

I can only imagine how the disciples felt when they heard these words. I suspect, however, that what they were thinking is reflected in Peter's words, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you" (16:22).

Jesus had heard this message before. During His temptation in the wilderness, Satan had tempted Him to achieve greatness without dying, inviting Him to bypass the cross. Now, He hears the temptation again from the mouth of one of his disciples. And so, just as He rebuked Satan in the wilderness (4:10), He turns to Peter and says, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" (16: 23).

In our day, the mind of man is manifested similarly in the belief that suffering has no place in the life of the Christian. It finds its voice in the assertion that persecution is an intrusion in the life of the Church and the believer, and that opposition is a rare exception. It is heard when people wonder aloud that perhaps God has forsaken those who suffer persecution or that the persecuted are suffering because they have done something wrong or because of sin in their life.

A number of years ago, I was representing The Voice of the Martyrs at a large conference. As part of our display area, were displayed the pictures and testimonies of a number of Christians who had been tortured for their faith and yet had persevered by God’s grace. One of the stories was about a young Sudanese man named Philip.

Philip had been captured by Islamists loyal to the government of Sudan, who tried to force him to convert to Islam. As a Christian, Philip refused. In order to compel him to change his mind, the soldiers held burning sticks to his chest, while others held him down. Philip was sure that he would be killed, but he determined that he would rather die than deny his Lord. Miraculously, he survived, and his life is a testimony to the power of God in the midst of persecution.

At one point in the conference, a middle-aged woman came to our display. As she was reading Philip’s story, I could not help but notice that she began to shake her head in disbelief. As I walked towards her, I could hear her muttering to herself, "I don’t understand. I just don’t understand." Drawing up beside her, I cautiously inquired, "Excuse me, Ma’am. What is it that you don’t understand?" Looking at me with wide eyes, she pointed to the picture of Philip and blurted, "I don’t understand how God could forsake His people like that!"

Such a comment starkly reflects the mind of man. Of course, it is often more subtly expressed by believers who suggest that God's plan for His people is inevitably a trouble-free life, characterized, for the most part, by health and happiness. This is not that far removed, however, from Peter's rebuke of Jesus. To this disciple's mind, suffering had no place in the plan of God for His Messiah. While he had correctly identified Jesus as the "anointed one" of God, it is obvious from his response to Jesus' words that he does not understand how suffering, shame and death can be part of the plan of God for His anointed one. His Messianic expectations did not include a suffering Christ. He was thinking as men do, not as God does.

How does Jesus respond to this mentality?

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (16:24-25).

Jesus wants Peter to understand that what He has just said about His own life and ministry is exactly how God is going to work in the life of all who are part of God’s plan. It is not only the Christ who will suffer and die; it will also be the fate of all those who follow Him. This is how God thinks.

While Peter was able to identify who Jesus was, he failed to grasp what being the Messiah of God meant. What Jesus was talking about did not fit Peter’s expectations for who the Christ was.

Who do you say Jesus is?

New resources on the Persecuted Church from The Voice of the Martyrs

With recent events in Iran, I am excited to let you know that, among the three new resources that we just released last week, is our new book Restricted Nations: Iran.  Also included is updated and edited version of our founder, Richard Wurmbrand’s book formerly entitled The Sweetest Song that contains daily devotional questions.  And now for the first time, you can now order separately the specially VOM-commissioned Cross of Fellowship that that appears on the cover of the of Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs and included in every purchase of the book.

Restricted Nations: Iran by The Voice of the Martyrs with Riley K. Smith
In the face of oppression and hopelessness, many in Iran are today finding hope in Jesus Christ. And they are meeting Him because others are risking their lives as they share the message. As you read this history and analysis of Christianity in Iran, may you be encouraged to be bold as you share your faith with others in this world that desperately needs to hear the hope that Jesus offers. ($7.00 Paperback, 111 pages)

Cross of Fellowship Necklace
This beautiful copper-tone cross pendant with double-band leather necklace will serve as a constant reminder that you are a part of "the fellowship of his sufferings." Each time you put on The Cross of Fellowship, you'll be reminded to pray for brothers and sisters around the world who suffer for their faith in Christ ($10.00)

The Midnight Bride by Richard Wurmbrand
Walk with Richard Wurmbrand on a devotional journey through Song of Solomon. Using stories of the persecuted and drawing on his own experiences, Pastor Wurmbrand delves into the riches of God's love for us. Each daily devotional entry ends with a probing question that will challenge you to an even greater love for God.

Also don’t forget to check out our online discount specials! VOMC t-shirts, caps, jewellery, DVDs, posters, and books – most only $5.00 or less!  New items are added almost every week!

[Note: Offers available only in Canada.  For those of you from the United States, you can find these resources on VOM-USA’s online bookstore. For other international inquiries, contact our office for details.]

Partnership beats pity

Over the past year or so, I have been privileged to get to know Eric Foley, our colleague with VOM-Korea.  One of Eric’s specialities is a concept of donor development called Transformational Giving. One of the primary principles behind this development strategy is that people are more interested in your cause than in our organization and that a non-profit must find ways of developing meaningful links between those you are trying to serve (in our case, persecuted Christians) and your donors and those whom they network with in ways that truly enrich all parties.  In his book Coach Your Champions, Eric introduces this philosophy of fund-raising and as I read it earlier this month, I realized, to my delight, that we have actually been using here at The Voice of the Martyrs in some form for years (even though we didn’t know it at the time).  If you are an executive of a ministry, you really should get this book. We are hoping to work together with Eric in the future to train our entire staff and Board and to coach us as we seek to further implement this philosophy of development. 

One of the few blogs that I am reading regularly now is Eric’s and he has been discussing this week how we need to partner with those we serve and seek to build links between them and our donors in ways that are based on partnership rather than pity.  Partnership beats pity any day. On Wednesday, he wrote:

Transformational Giving (TG) is first and foremost a submission to what the Scriptures teach us about being shaped in the image of Christ. One of the coolest things about TG (and, more completely, the Scriptures) is that giving is grounded in identification with the recipient, not pity. For example:

• Leviticus 19:34 says, ‘The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.’
• Hebrews 13:3 says, ‘Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who were mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.’

Were modern fundraising letter writers to pen Leviticus 19:34, I suspect they would have written something like this:

Treat the alien well. After all, you’ve got a lot to be grateful for, and it’s tough being an alien. Here’s a tear-jerking story of an alien that will cause you to say, ‘Man, compared to this alien, I have no troubles.’ Your gift of $15.70 can provide education and shelter for one alien for a week.

And who wants to be a persecuted Christian? Modern fundraising moves us to help the poor persecuted folks. Interestingly, however, the call in Hebrews is to remember them as if you were there with them.

Identification. Not sympathy prompting help.

(And if you find yourself asking, ‘So you’re saying we shouldn’t help these folks???’, please scroll back up to the two numbered questions noted about a dozen lines back.)

Fundraising today is largely an effort to drive people to help, based on sympathy. Transformational Giving can be fairly thought of as an effort to encourage us to bear one another’s burdens, based on identification.

I could not agree more!  I have seen too many programs implemented in developing world countries that were obviously designed more with raising funds through appealing to pity in mind than actually partnering with those who were the recipients of the intended aid.

In yesterday’s blog, Eric provided a very helpful reading list for development professionals interested in developing donors who will truly bear burdens with, not for, those we wish to serve.  Some of these I am already familiar with; others I will definitely be looking for.  The more I read Eric’s stuff, the more I realize how much I need to learn. I am flattered that he included one of my blogs from a while back (thanks, Eric!).  I hope you find this list helpful:

1. Opening Doors: Pathways to Diverse Donors, by Diana S. Newman. Check out this post from last week for my lavish praise of this 2002 work. I love it so much I can almost even forgive Newman for using the d-word in the title.
2. If Jesus Were Mayor, by Bob Moffitt. We’ve talked about this marvelous tome in past posts (namely here and here), but never in light of Moffitt’s brilliant discussion of ways to give and get involved with churches overseas that lead to partnership rather than dependence.
3. A Model For Making Disciples, by D. Michael Henderson. We’ve swooned over this title in past posts here and here, but, again, never in light of Henderson’s pointing out how John Wesley’s Class Meeting discipleship model arose to meet a fundraising need, and how that need was met in a way that put rich and poor contributors on equal footing and even gave the poorest of the poor the opportunity to lead the richest of the rich.
4. When Charity Destroys Dignity, by Glenn J. Schwartz. The book’s subtitle is ‘Overcoming Unhealthy Dependency in the Christian Movement’. Some of the chapter titles are ‘What Should Wealthy Churches do with their Money?’, ‘Historical Development of the Syndrome of Dependency’, and ‘What can Missionaries do to Avoid or Break the Dependency Syndrome?’ Weird capitalization, sure. But a rich, rich work.
5. Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day, by Collins, Morduch, Rutherford, and Ruthven. Read this book and your pity for the poor will be overcome by admiration and astonishment. The book doesn’t address the topic, but I’ve always felt that matching gifts–where the poor provide  financial gifts of proportional sacrifice for joint projects with affluent Western champions–is TG of the highest order. (Note that I said ‘of proportional financial sacrifice’. There’s amazement aplenty waiting to happen when champions see what kind of a ‘proportional gift’ they would need to make to match a 15 cent gift from someone from half the nations on the globe.)
6. Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa, by Dambisa Moyo. As we were saying in yesterday’s post, when our mindset is ‘help the less fortunate’, it is truly jaw-droppingly astonishing how badly that kind of help can backfire.
7. Missions and Money, by Jonathan J. Bonk. The subtitle, Affluence as a Missionary Problem, is sheer genius. Most missionaries are convinced that Low Support Account Balances are the primary Missionary Problem. The best sections of the book are the ones labelled ‘Old Testament Teaching That the Wealthy Find Reassuring’, ‘New Testament Teaching That the Wealthy Find Reassuring’, ‘Old Testament Teaching That the Wealthy Find Troubling’, and ‘New Testament Teaching That the Wealthy Find Troubling’. Why isn’t this written down anywhere else?
8. The Ethics of Giving and Receiving: Am I My Foolish Brother’s Keeper?, edited by May and Soens. Lots of great essays in this book. Make sure especially to check out Roy Menninger’s ‘Observations on the Psychology of Giving and Receiving Money’. (That’s a great question for champions to ask, by the way: What are the possible responses that can be made to this donation by the end recipient, not the charity?)
9. www.vulnerablemission.com. This is the web home of the The Alliance For Vulnerable Mission, dedicated to the premise ‘That there should be some missionaries from the West whose ministries are conducted in the language of the people being reached, without use of outside financial subsidy.’
10. Why am I concerned about dependency, a blog post by my dear bro and kindred spirit Glenn Penner, CEO of VOM/Canada. Glenn makes a fascinating connection between persecution and dependency and then notes how it’s the latter, not the former, that really gives him the willies.

Can the faithful challenge the faith and still be considered faithful?

As a follow up to the topic of our blog from Tuesday (Catholic bishop faces complaint to human rights tribunal for removing gay altar server), Michael Coren has written an op-ed piece for today’s National Post is which he argues that faithful Christians don’t challenge the teachings of their church in a state arena.  After you have read it over, let us know your opinion. 

Michael Coren: The faithful don't challenge the faith

Posted: July 16, 2009, 10:00 AM by NP Editor

It did, as it were, have to happen. A human rights body taking on the Roman Catholic Church. In this case the issues are still murky and confused, but it appears that an openly gay man who has been living with his partner for 19 years has been dismissed as an altar server in his Peterborough, Ont., parish. Several long-standing parishioners complained, and local Bishop Nicola De Angelis, one of the gentlest and kindest priests you are likely to meet, decided that the situation was inappropriate.

The man in question, spa-owner Jim Corcoran, claims that while he is homosexual he is celibate and a devout Catholic who observes Church teaching. Not, it seems, so devout and so observant of Church teaching that he is prepared to accept with Catholic humility and self-control the decision of that very Church to terminate an entirely voluntary (if important) position. Instead, he has appealed to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, a secular body that has habitually ruled against individual Christians and, some would argue, is in direct conflict with Roman Catholic teaching and pursues a pugnaciously anti-Catholic agenda. These are hardly the actions of a faithful Catholic in good standing, which leads one to wonder if there is more to this story — and to Mr. Corcoran.

Any serious Catholic knows of people who faithfully attend Mass but cannot receive Communion, let alone be an altar server, because they are waiting for an annulment or face some other obstacle. Nonetheless, they accept Church teaching; they love and follow the Church. For Mr. Corcoran to lash out at the Church because it refuses to bend to his will indicates, at best, a somewhat weak faith, and, perhaps, utter hypocrisy.

As a result of Mr. Corcoran’s actions, Bishop De Angelis and 12 parishioners could face financial penalties, and be forced to defend their actions — and the basics of Catholic theology — before an increasingly delegitimized tribunal. More significant, the challenge will establish a precedent of whether the Roman Catholic Church in Canada is allowed to behave as the Roman Catholic Church.

This is not really about homosexuality or Scripture, but about the separation of church and state. This is important, because it is invariably the left, social activists and gay leaders who are some of the most vociferous supporters of human rights commissions, and the strongest opponents of Catholicism. These are people who lecture about the concept of church and state separation and insist that organized religion not interfere with state policies. (By that logic, they should also argue that state policies should not interfere with organized religion.)

Their history is, of course, terribly wrong. Church and state separation is an American, not a Canadian, idea — and anyway was introduced to protect evangelical Christians from the established Anglican church. More to the point, however, the argument is used with a staggering inconsistency. It is considered acceptable for a liberal Protestant to speak out in favour of same-sex marriage but heresy for a Catholic or evangelical to speak out against it. When the Pope condemns poverty in Africa he is praised, when he opposes contraceptives he is abused.

Good history or not, this latest nonsense should outrage honest atheists, statists and gay people just as much as it does Catholics and other Christians. Nobody is demanding that Corcoran not be gay and nobody is denying him a home or an income or even preventing him from attending a church. Those given authority within the Catholic Church are daring to act as people given authority in the Roman Catholic Church — to govern and decide regarding internal issues as they are obliged by oath and faith. For a non-Catholic body to interfere at all in such a manner is disgraceful; for an obviously politically driven human rights tribunal to potentially smash the barrier between church and state is terrifying.

Is it wrong to get angry with God?

Each morning for the past couple of months, I have been reading, as part of my daily devotions, a chapter or two from Mike Mason’s excellent devotional commentary The Gospel According to Job.  I found yesterday’s reading particularly thought provoking, especially in light of the many reports we receive each day of persecution here at The Voice of the Martyrs.  Sometimes we read a story that brings us to tears, as Floyd mentioned in his blog yesterday.  Occasionally, anger rises up.  Is it wrong to be angry with God, as well as the persecutor? Read this over and let me know what you think.

The Primal Scream

"Why has your heart carried you away,
and why do your eyes flash,
so that you vent your rage against God?" (15:12-13)

"Dialogue" is a very polite term for what happens in Job. Really it is an argument, and a hot one at that. Not only does Job argue with his friends, but he also argues with God. As for the friends, they too are engaged in a heated dispute with God, but like many people they do not care to admit this, and so their anger is directed instead against Job. A man like Eliphaz thinks that if he gets mad at God, God in turn will get mad at him and condemn him. So Eliphaz suppresses his anger and lives in continual, subconscious fear of divine wrath. He is like a hermit who prides himself on having no interpersonal hassles to upset his tranquil and ordered lifestyle. But anyone who lives in a family, in close fellowship with others, lives with tensions, complaints, disputes. Different families cope with these stresses in different ways - some quietly and some noisily, some effectively and some pathologically - but no family survives for long without some form of argument, and the family of God is no exception.

Is not the whole human race engaged in one long argument with God that is called "history"? The difference between believers and unbelievers is that while the former argue on speaking terms with the Lord, the latter do so by turning their backs and giving Him the silent treatment. Those who choose to live outside the family circle end up with no proper forum for expressing their hurts and resentments against their Heavenly Father. But those who gather around the Father's table know that such problems must be regularly aired, for if they are not, they will poison intimacy.

In our culture anger is generally frowned upon as being disruptive. But there are different ways of being disruptive. A chronically loud, critical person is certainly disruptive. But a polite, well-behaved person may also be disruptive, and in a church such a person may be using their friendly and unassuming ways to obstruct the purposes of God. A cult of niceness is as effective as heresy for destroying the spiritual life of a church. Anger, on the other hand, may be used by God to break up a spirit of complacency. Ezekiel, who when the Lord first called him to a prophetic reacted "in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit" (3:14). case the Lord used anger and bitterness to inflame Ezekiel's heart with passion for Him. If Ezekiel had insisted on remaining a mild-mannered priest (which he probably was by nature), he would have thwarted God's purposes.

Little wonder that the great believers of the Bible have also been great arguers with God - from Jacob, who actually came to blows with the angel of the Lord, to Peter who in Acts 10 answered a divine command three times with the words, "Surely not, Clearly, anger at God can be a sign of spiritual growth. It can mean we are outgrowing a concept of God that is no longer adequate for us. It could even be said that our anger is directed not at the living God Himself but at our own idolatrous concept of Him. While we ourselves may not understand this, nevertheless our anger functions to move us closer to God as He really is. Religious phonies will go to almost any lengths to hide the fact that their relationship with God is not real or satisfying. But people who truly love the Lord have a consuming hunger for reality. Freedom, truth, peace,joy: such things have a taste and a feel all their own, and we know them when we see them. If the people of God are deprived of these fruits of the Lord's real presence, naturally they grow angry and disconsolate. Is it their fault that they cannot live without God?

There are times when the Lord is actually honored and glorified by our anger at Him, in ways that He may not be by an attitude of unruffled "trust." Job provides a healthy balance to the traditional picture of the bloodless, gutless, cheerfully suffering saint. At the very least, anger means that we are taking God seriously and treating Him as a real person - real enough to arouse our passions. Angry prayer is not to be recommended as a steady diet, perhaps, but it is certainly preferable to lip-service prayer. Doesn't artificiality in relationships belie a far greater hostility than the honest expression of deep emotion? In the prim and proper prayer lives of many devout folk, a good old-fashioned temper tantrum might one of the best things that could happen. In the courts of Heaven there is a place for the primal scream.

(Mike Mason, The Gospel According to Job, Crossway Books, 1994: 175-176)

Willing to face the answer

The following article was written by Floyd Brobbel, VOMC’s Chief Operations Officer

Two stories recently came across my desk that caught my attention. Every now and then, out of the numerous stories of persecution that I see on a daily basis, one will assault my emotions with the weight and force of a sledgehammer breaking up concrete. It’s not that one story is more worthy or better than any other because they aren’t. If fact, after awhile, being exposed to so many stories of persecution, my defences tend go up and my heart becomes hard. But then God uses certain stories to make my heart soft again so that I can continue to be an effective servant for the Persecuted Church.

The first story was particularly hard to take and not for the faint of heart. Tears flowed freely as I sat at my desk and read the following report:

A nine-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan was reportedly gang-raped before being killed and dumped in a canal and outrage is growing amid reports that almost a month later no arrest has been made. Nisha Javid was walking close to her home when she suddenly disappeared, prompting her parents to mount a search for her. Barely two days later, with a police-led search underway, her body was found in a canal not far from the Javids’ home in Essangri village, outside the town of Jaranawala, Faisalabad. A post mortem revealed Nisha had been gang-raped and had died after repeated blows to the head.

The next story hit a little closer to home in that this could be me or any of my friends who work for The Voice of the Martyrs and minister in difficult circumstances.

Al-Qaeda has reportedly claimed responsibility for shooting and killing an American aid worker, Christopher Leggett (39), on June 23 in Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania. On June 25, Al-Jazeera TV reportedly received an audio statement from al-Qaeda which stated that "two knights of the Islamic Maghreb succeeded Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. to kill the infidel American Christopher Leggett for his Christianising activities." Leggett worked for a non-governmental organization in Mauritania involved in training and equipping prisoners to re-enter society. He also oversaw a microloan program which fostered the growth of small businesses. He had been a resident of Mauritania for the past seven years along with his wife and four children.

With each story I read, I sift through my emotions searching for an answer that will make sense out of all this madness. What I have come to discover is that the answer is not so hard to find but rather that I would rather not know it. The answer demands that it bring a profound impact on how I live my life. It requires that I change.

You see, the real issue that I wrestle with is not so much the injustice, persecution, or martyrdom of the brothers and sisters I read about. It is about my own willingness, as a follower of Jesus, to be willing to be used for the glory of God; by life or by death. That’s what is hard to embrace. Yet, what choice do I have?

This has been reinforced by what I have recently been spending my devotional time studying. Going through the Psalms, I came across this quote by John Calvin from a book entitled Heart Aflame – Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms. The quote is in reference to Psalm 10:6 where the psalmist summarized the thoughts of the wicked, “Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble."

Calvin wrote:

“There is a very great difference between a despiser of God who, enjoying prosperity today, is so forgetful of the condition of man in this world, as though through a distempered imagination to build his nest above the clouds, and who persuades himself that he shall always enjoy comfort and repose, - there is a very great difference between him and the godly man, who, knowing that his life hangs only by a thread, and is encompassed by a thousand deaths, and who, ready to endure any kind of afflictions which shall be sent upon him, and living in the world as if he were sailing upon a tempestuous sea, nevertheless, bears patiently all his troubles and sorrows, and comforts himself in his afflictions, because he leans wholly upon the grace of God, and entirely confides in it.

The ungodly man thinks himself sufficiently strong and powerful to bear up against all the assaults which shall be made upon him. The faithful man says that although he may even fall and sink into the lowest depths, his fall will not be fatal, for God will put his hand under him to sustain him.” (emphasis added)

What a powerful statement and one that has started to bring some clarity for me. As Christians, we should not be surprised when suffering, in whatever form it comes to us in, assaults us. Not only should we be willing and ready to suffer, we must accept the fact that these things will happen. It’s inevitable. It’s unavoidable. This, as a result of the Fall, is what life in the real world is. Understanding that allows us to see that God had better plans for us and has a better future in store for us that goes beyond our personal comforts. This is where we live, like it or not.

We do not easily accept that, however. Our western culture especially resists suffering of any kind and seeks to avoid it as much as possible. I wonder how much time is wasted trying to build a life free from trouble and suffering instead of embracing life as it comes to us. Living a life that seeks to live in obedience to God and following Him in the midst of the thorns and thistles. Living for God and following after him often means walking through a brutal desert wasteland with no foreseeable provisions. It always involves actually picking up a cross in order to effectively communicate the Gospel to others. That type of living calls for a readiness to suffer and sacrifice rather than seeking after personal peace and affluence.

The early Christians understood this. I wonder, what changed? How is it that we, as Christians in Canada, find ourselves where we are today? How is it that we as Christians can believe that we can have our cake and eat it too, that we can hold onto this faith yet seek to live a life of pleasure and ease? How is it that we expect all our needs to be taken care of, that every sickness will be healed as we request, that we will lack for nothing and will be satisfied with a warm home and a full belly, and that any affliction or pain that comes our way is from the devil and with the right amount of faith we can bypass these inconveniences and live a life nestled above the clouds?

In “Choruses from the Rock” T.S. Elliot wrote:

O world of spring and autumn, birth and dying!
The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,|
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;
Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word.
All our knowledge brings us nearer to death,
But nearness to death no nearer to God.
Where is the life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Bring us farther from God and nearer to the Dust.

“Where is the life we have lost in living?” Seeking a life devoid of suffering is futile and in the end brings us further from God. Living a life running from the desert, running from our cross, brings us nearer to the dust. Living a life seeking only the good, at the expense of the inconvenient and walking a path of least resistance is not only futile, it is folly. Paradoxically, the very life we try to avoid is the life that will bring us closer to God and to finding life itself.

To truly live is to embrace the day with all that it holds and to bring glory to God in the midst of it, because it is the righteous will see His face. Again, paradoxically, in that sense, we can have our cake and eat it too. But not according to conventional wisdom.

I have also been inspired and blessed by my friend and colleague, Glenn Penner. I have witnessed many servants of God humbly accept the suffering of a deadly disease that slowly laid waste to their bodies. I have stood in utter amazement to witness the gold that suffering has revealed in each one of these saints and passed on to those around them. Glenn is no exception.

The following is an excerpt from an interview “Faith Today” conducted with Glenn in their May/June edition:

Q. Glenn, what is the one message you would like to give to the evangelical church in Canada?

A. The fact of the reality of suffering Christians around the world. That suffering is normal for Christians. I was a pastor before I joined VOM. I don’t understand how people can run away from God in the midst of suffering but they often do. When we need God the most, we often run away from him. I have been so blessed, so honoured to work with our suffering brothers and sisters. They are so thankful that we come and serve them and show them we care. If the Canadian Church could see how improvised we are because we have robbed ourselves of the part of the Body of Christ...

Q. We’re not very good at suffering are we?

A. We see suffering as the worst thing that can happen whereas our brothers and sisters in the Persecuted Church see disobedience as the worst thing. I couldn’t have gone through this time without having my life enriched by them, by their faithfulness and trusting even when things don’t get better. One of our problems is we expect God to protect us.

Q. And God is not doing that?

A. He has greater priorities in our life than keeping us safe from harm. His priority is to make us into the image of His Son. We serve a suffering God.

“Where is the life we have lost in living?” I can say I see that life being lived by my friend and I pray that I can say that is the life I am living as well.

Catholic bishop faces complaint to human rights tribunal for removing gay altar server

We are certainly in for an interesting time now.  The National Post reported this morning that a gay man has filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal against a Catholic bishop after he was removed from his volunteer job as an altar server because of his sexual orientation. Here’s the story:

Gay altar server contests firing

By Charles Lewis

A gay man has filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal against a Catholic bishop after he was removed from his volunteer job as an altar server because of his sexual orientation.

The case is the latest involving the human rights tribunal to address whether Church doctrine should be subject to review by a secular body. 

Jim Corcoran, who owns a high-end resort and spa near Cobourg, Ont., was asked earlier this year to step down from his role at St. Michael’s Church after 12 of his  fellow parishioners complained to the Diocese of Peterborough.

“In their letter the group had tried to establish that I am married to my same-sex partner, that I am a homosexual leading an open homosexual lifestyle, and they implied I may be in relationship [with my priest],” Mr. Corocoran wrote.

“[The parishioners] have used their distaste towards homosexuality to limit my right to serve the Church.”

In an interview, Mr. Corcoran said he was told by his parish priest in April that he and his partner would have to end their altar duties.

He said it was Bishop Nicola De Angelis’s decision and the priest had no choice.

Mr. Corcoran added that he and his partner of 19 years have been chaste for years, which makes the decision to remove them even more difficult to comprehend. (Mr. Corcoran’s partner does not want to be named and did not file a complaint with the tribunal.)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says homosexuals “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. [And] every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” But it adds that “homosexual persons are called to chastity” because homsexual sex is an act of “grave depravity.”

Gerry Lawless, a member of St. Michael’s for 50 years, said he and 11 others signed the letter to the bishop because they believed that having Mr. Corcoran and his partner as altar servers violated Church policy.

“We have been told by someone in the diocese who is in a position to know that homosexual people are allowed to come to the church, that you have to welcome them and give them communion.

“But they’re not to be involved in the liturgy. And based on that we asked the bishop to act, which he did.”

Mr. Corcoran, 50, began as an altar server just before Christmas. He said St. Michael’s did not have altar boys and he thought that creating a group of adult altar servers would help the priest during Mass. Many Catholic parishes have adult servers.

His complaint has caused the Catholic Civil Rights League to send an open letter questioning whether the tribunal has jurisdiction in this matter.

“Without commenting on any individual personnel situation or personalities that are involved in this case, the relationship between the Church and altar servers has none of the attributes that would make it a subject for a complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal,” Joanne McGarry, the group’s executive director, wrote on Monday.

“No one serves on the altar as a right; it is at the discretion of the pastor, who in turn is at the service of his bishop. Mr. Corcoran’s role was not unlike that of other liturgical servers, who are part of the overall presentation of the Mass.”

Last year, the tribunal ordered Christian Horizons — a religious social agency that cares for 1,400 severely disabled residents — to pay damages to an employee who was fired for entering into a lesbian relationship.

Even though the woman signed a morals clause agreeing to the group’s beliefs, the tribunal still called it discrimination. The judgment is being appealed. Some observers said at the time that a religious social agency should be able to set its own hiring practices in regards to issues of faith.

Mr. Corcoran said he is seeking $20,000 from each parishioner and $25,000 from the Bishop. He said he wants the money to be donated to a charity of his choice.

The respondents have until July 28 to file with the tribunal. After that it will be decided whether a hearing is needed.

A call to the Diocese of Peterborough was not immediately returned.

I have a problem with this on several levels.  One, I do not believe that church matters should ever be settled by civil authorities (cf. 1 Corinthians 6).  Second, churches have the authority to set their own rules and regulations that are in line with their understanding of scripture. If you don’t like them, leave the church. Third, it is especially not the role of a human rights tribunal to decide such ecclesiastical things.  This is why I so strongly support the separation of church and state; to protect the church from interference by the state! Fourth, this case shows again the blatant unfairness of the human rights system here in Canada.  I suspect that Mr. Corcoran’s lawyer recommended this course of action because the conviction rate for human rights tribunals is much higher than if one to actually go to a real court.  Also, it’s cheaper – Mr. Corcoran, as the complainant, will have all of his lawyer bills paid for by the government while Bishop De Angelis will have to cover all of his own expenses, even if he wins.  Nasty and blatantly unfair.

We’ll certainly be keeping both eyes on this case.  One last note, we still have copies of Ezra Levant’s analysis of the abusive powers being exercised by Canada’s human rights commissions and tribunals (which is why I am so nervous about cases like the one above).  If you haven’t read Shakedown yet, you should, especially if you are a church leader….

The power of protest

Janet Epp Buckingham is one of those people whom I respect a great deal.  I haven’t always agreed with her on every issue, but I would never accuse her of being a lazy thinker. She has taught me a lot in the years that I have known her, especially when we worked together with the Religious Liberty Commission when she was on staff with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.  So I tend to pay attention to what she writes. 

In the most recent edition of Christian Week, Janet wrote a brief op-ed on “The Power of Protest” in which she writes on the need for Canadian Christians to exercise their right to protest on issues that concern them.  Sadly we often don’t or we feel that our attempts at protests are ignored.  She writes:

Christians who are frustrated that their voices seem to be silenced—at least by the news media—might do well to ask why? What is it about our voice of protest that makes it easy to ignore?

An easy answer is that news outlets are biased. Statistically, those who work in the media hold more liberal views than the general population. This is certainly true of the Ottawa media.

A second answer is that news media often think that religious issues have limited appeal to their audiences. A friend in the Halifax media told me about trying to get her editor to allow her to cover a Christian festival in that city. Even though 20,000 people were expected to come to the city for the festival, her editor did not think this was "real news" because it was just a group of Christians.

A third answer may be that Christians come to Parliament Hill for a few hours and then they go home. The Tamils made the news because they came and they stayed. They closed down the road in front of the Parliament Buildings. Then they had a sit-in on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.

Christians may be too nice to want to be a bother. And sometimes being a bother backfires. Quite frankly, the Tamil protest was not a success and may have done more harm than good to their cause.

Canadian democracy protects the right to protest. As Christians, we should exercise that right if the actions of individuals or governments infringe our ability to believe and practise our Christian faith. Respectful protests get the attention of elected officials and can produce results.

The mainstream news media, however, may need a little education and more open-mindedness to help them understand why Christian protests newsworthy.

[click here to read the full article]

What do you think?  Should Christians protest?  If so, why?  How can we be more effective?  If not, why not?

4 killed, 32 wounded as 6 Baghdad churches bombed

[click here for full story]

Please pray for Iraq’s Christians and especially for those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured in these attacks. We invite you to post a prayer on their behalf on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall.

This week in persecuted church history (July 12-18)

Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7b (ESV)

July 12, 2004: Chinese authorities raid a leadership retreat , arresting over one hundred church leaders. More than two hundred military police and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers surrounded the "Retreat Center for Railroad Workers" located in Section 5 of Liu Gong Town, Chang Ji Zhou (district) in Xinjiang in Western China, arresting everyone gathered there. No arrest warrants or official identification papers were shown by officers as they carried out the raid.

July 13, 1234: Dominic, founder of the Dominican order, is canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. His original intent was the establish an order that would counter false teaching through persuasion and preaching rather than persecution.  Sadly, the Dominicans eventually became the chief agents of the Inquisition. 

July 16, 2007: Eman Muhammad el-Sayed (26), a Christian convert from Islam, is attacked by her male Muslim family members in Alexandria, Egypt and arrested by the police who then tortured her for eight days.

July 17, 180: Seven men and five women who had been captured carrying "the sacred books, and the letters of Paul, a just man" are tried before Roman proconsul Saturninus. Since none would renounce their Christian faith, all 12 were beheaded.

July 17, 2003: Court proceedings begin against Pervez Masih, a schoolmaster of a Christian school charged under Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law. Pervez has been in prison since April 1, 2001 when the schoolmaster of a neighbouring Muslim school filed blasphemy charges against him, saying that two students had heard Masih blaspheme Mohammed.  He is eventually acquitted and released from prison in April 2006.

July 17, 2008. Iranian police raid a church meeting in the home of Abbas Amiri and his wife, Sakineh Rahnama. The elderly couple are beaten in the raid and die days later (Abbas on July 30 and Sakineh on August 3).

July 18, 64: The Great Fire of Rome begins. To direct suspicion away from himself, young Emperor Nero blames the city's Christians. A persecution followed in which Christians were (among other punishments) burned alive.

July 18, 2004: Five men armed with machine guns overpower a security guard at the Efatha Presbyterian Church in Palu, Indonesia during an evening service and open fire. The gunmen then flee, leaving the pastor dead and four others injured; one critically. Rev. Susianty Tinulele died instantly with gunshot wounds to her head.

(sources: Christianity Today, The Voice of the Martyrs)

Prayer: “Grant that we, who now remember these before thee, may likewise so bear witness unto thee in this world, that we may receive with them the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” – taken from The Book of Common Prayer, Canada (1962)

This week’s featured Persecuted Church resources (July 12-18)

The importance of training your children (or grandchildren) to follow Christ regardless of the cost is something that I am sure you take seriously.  We at The Voice of the Martyrs have made it a priority to provide a number of resources to help you do that. I am going to draw your attention to three great children’s books that we have on stock plus our free Bold Believers Magazine.

Bold Believers Magazine

Bold Believers Magazine (BBM) is an exciting quarterly publication of The Voice of the Martyrs geared especially for Canadian kids aged 6-12. Through BBM, kids can learn about the incredible courage of kids just like them in nations where it is dangerous to be a Christian. They will learn what it means to trust and love God in all sorts of circumstances, how to share the love of God with others, and how to pray and reach out to persecuted kids around the world. Subscribers to BBM also receive, free of charge, a subscription to The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

God’s Prisoner: The Story of Richard Wurmbrand by The  Voice of the Martyrs with Cheryl Odden

One man had the courage to stand up against a government that would not let him worship God. Because of his courage, VOMC founder Richard Wurmbrand was sent to prison. His wife was also jailed and his young son was kicked out of school. But Richard refused to give in to the communist leaders during his years of imprisonment. Share the incredible story of Richard Wurmbrand with your children through this beautifully illustrated book.
($15.00. Hardcover, 42 pages)

God's Pilgrim: The Real Story of John Bunyan by The Voice of the Martyrs with L.E. Zielke

From the filthy cell in which he was imprisoned for his religious convictions, one man pens a story that has influenced millions around the world. The man is John Bunyan. The book - The Pilgrim's Progess. Introduce your children to his incredible and inspirational story of faith and courage through this beautifully illustrated book. ($15.00. Hardcover, 42 pages)

God's Outlaw: The Real Story of William Tyndale by The Voice of the Martyrs

This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells the amazing story of William Tyndale, translator of the English Bible. Read with your family about the risks he took to get God’s Word into our hands, in the language we speak. ($15.00. Hardcover, 40 Pages)

Also don’t forget to check out our online discount specials! VOMC t-shirts, caps, jewellery, DVDs, posters, and books – most only $5.00 or less!  New items are added almost every week!

[Note: Offers available only in Canada. For international inquiries, contact our office for details.]

Special prayer called for kidnapped Christians in Yemen

It’s been a month now since a German family of five - Johannes (36), Sabine (36), and their three children Lydia (4), Anna (3) and Simon (1), and British engineer Anthony S. were kidnapped by unknown assailants in Yemen. As of today, there are no reports of their whereabouts or fate.

Investigations indicate that the group (which included three other women who were subsequently shot and killed by their abductors) were targeted because they were Christian relief workers suspected by local imams of being involved in evangelistic work. 

As I read recent updates on the situation this morning and realized that a month had come and gone, my spirit was troubled. I can only imagine how they and the families of these hostages must be feeling as day after day has passed. Then I read of how Johannes’ family had pleaded with the kidnappers on German television to release their son unharmed and healthy. They told the Second German Channel that the worst thing for parents is to lose one of their sons and pleaded with Yemeni and German authorities to work towards the release of the kidnapped. How can we ignore their plight?

To that end, on behalf of The Voice of the Martyrs, I am extending a special invitation to the Body of Christ to set aside a few moments this weekend specifically to pray for the release of Anthony, Johannes, Sabine, Lydia, Anna and Simon.

I am urging you to do three things and to do them quickly:

1. Please spread the news of this call for prayer.  If you are on Twitter, retweet our messages to your followers.  If you use Facebook or other social websites, let your friends/followers know of this request and urge them to pass on the call to others.  Let’s use this medium for the good that we know it is capable of.

2. Please post a specific personal prayer on the behalf of these hostages and/or their families on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall. Even though it is the weekend, we will try to make sure that they get approved and posted as quickly as possible.  This situation is a priority to us.

3. If you are a church leader or worship leader, please pray specifically for Anthony, Johannes, Sabine, Lydia, Anna and Simon during your worship services this weekend.  If you are not, may I urge you to contact your church leaders or worship leaders today and ask them to please set aside a few moments to lead your church in prayer for them and their families?  I have just sent off an email to my pastor to that effect. 

I know that this is a rather last minute request, but it was only today that God has really impressed on my heart the need to pray for these hostages over the weekend. I hope as many of you as possible will join me.

Cuban pastor sentenced to six years in prison

UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has reported that Pastor Omar Gude Pérez, an evangelical church leader in the Cuban “Apostolic Reformation” organization was sentenced to six years in prison on the false charges of “falsification of documents and illicit economic activities” and accused of “counter-revolutionary conduct and attitudes.”  According to the sentencing announcement published on July 9, the pastor's family home will also be confiscated.

Originally charged with human trafficking, these charges were dropped in March 2009 after a court ruled there was no evidence to support them. Pastor Pérez , however, was not released from prison and new charges were laid. There is little doubt that the real reason for Pastor Pérez’s imprisonment is his activities in a growing Christian movement that functions outside of traditional and officially recognised denominations.  Hence, it is viewed with suspicion by the government.

Pérez’s wife Kenia informed UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) that false documents and testimonies were presented in court during the trial. According to their press release today:

CSW has also received reliable information indicating that more than twenty other church leaders were temporarily arrested and threatened in the last two months.  Some were detained just before Pastor Gude Perez’s court hearing in May, indicating an attempt by the authorities to prevent a show of support for the pastor at his hearing.

There has been an increase in reported violations of religious liberty since Raul Castro took power in early 2008, and the heavy sentence handed to Pastor Gude Pérez follows a pattern of mounting state hostility towards religious groups. For example, for the past nine months Reverend Roberto Rodriguez, a denominational leader, based in Placetas, has also been subjected to ongoing legal proceedings on trumped up charges. Last week he received a fourth citation commanding him to present himself to the local courts.

The Voice of the Martyrs condemns this sentencing and urges you to please continue to pray for Pastor Pérez. Pray that the Cuban government will investigate and review his case.  Pray, too, for his wife Kenia and their two children during this difficult time.  Consider posting a prayer on their behalf on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall.

Rights are never granted, my dear mayor

It is very easy for those of us who work in a ministry that works on a global scale to neglect local issues.  While local news is often what interests most people here in Canada, I have to admit that I often find it rather small and boring.  This evening, however, as I was reading the local newspaper, I noted a small article announcing that the Mississauga city council had decided to end a 30-year tradition of having a public question period during televised council meetings.  The reason for this action, reportedly, was largely due to the persistent, often abrasive questioning of a single citizen named Donald Barber.  City council had apparently had enough of Mr Barber and decided to end a practice that had long been trumpeted by our mayor as evidence that city council truly cared about hearing the concerns of Mississauga’s citizen.

This week, however, Mr Barber seems to have exercised his right to freedom of expression too much for the mayor -- so much so, that at one point she is reported to have told him to “be careful…you misuse the freedom that we’ve granted and the leniency that we’ve granted.”

Hold on!  As someone who defends religious liberty worldwide, where freedom of expression is often the first right to be suppressed, words like this light up my radar.  “Freedom that we’ve granted….” 

Mayor Hazel McCallion is a great woman and I hope that she simply misspoke.  But we all need to be reminded that freedom of expression is not a right that is granted or given to any human institute or leader.  It is a basic human right, recognized by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  No one and no government can grant this right. 

Not understanding this is at the root of the suppression of minorities, especially religious minorities, in many societies. Repressive governments often claim that they give their minorities the right to worship as they wish (as Egypt’s government claims, for example).  But the problem with this reasoning is that if a right is seen as given or granted, it can also be taken away or restricted when seen to be inconvenient.

Personally, I care very little whether Mississauga city council has a question period or not.  Nor is this specific incident particularly earth shattering in its ramifications. It does, however, provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the nature of our God-given human rights at whatever level we experience them.  And we also need to remind governments, at whatever level, as I have done this evening with my own city’s dear mayor, that rights are not gifts bestowed by them upon the worthy and cooperative.