Don't be surprised at trouble along the way

Many years ago a man blithely said to the famous preacher Charles Finney that he didn’t believe in the existence of a devil. The old preacher wisely commented “Well resist him and his works for a while and then you certainly will!” Scripture teaches that at the moment there is a massive spiritual battle going on for the heart and soul of every individual on this planet.  Is an individual going to follow the path of evil and selfishness, or are they going to follow the path of righteousness and Godliness? This is a question which confronts us all day by day and hour by hour.  Every time we have to choose what we are going to do or think or say we are involved in this spiritual conflict to some degree. Are we going to obey the Lord’s will concerning our conduct, or are we going to reject it?

In John Ch10v10 Jesus said “I have come so that people may have life, and that they may have it in full abundance.”  He further added in Ch14v6 “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”  Following the Lord and the path of Godliness is the way to experience full life along with the promise of eternal life in the age to come. A person following this path receives complete pardon for all their sins and begins to develop a new and Godly character. They will begin to experience an inner peace and joy which they never had before and they will sense that they have the Lord’s Companionship with them moment by moment.

Finney’s wise reply is based on the Biblical warning that there is an entity which doesn’t want individuals to have this new life and who makes things difficult for them when they choose it. Scripture calls this entity, the devil, Satan or The Deceiver. In Revelation Ch12v12 we are told that Satan or the devil has come down to this earth “having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time left.” Satan’s rebellion against all that is good and pure and lovely is running out of time and this has made him even more frantic to turn people away from choosing the path of life.

In 1st Peter Ch5v7 it warns “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” When an individual chooses to accept life by starting to obey the Lord, at some point they will inevitably meet resistance from the powers of darkness to try and turn them away from this new life. Scripture urges individuals not to be surprised at this resistance but to take courage that it is actually a sign that they really are following the right path. As it says in 1st Peter Ch4v12 “Beloved do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.”

Scripture further adds that if they faithfully stay on the path of life in spite of these specific troubles, then after
a time these particular troubles will lessen and finally vanish away.  In James Ch4v7 it says “Resist the devil and then he will flee from you.”  Followers of Christ still have to endure the normal day to day problems which arise from living in a Fallen World but if they have remained faithful to the Lord through particular troubles aimed at turning them from Him, then Satan will eventually give up and flee from them. The result is that these particular problems will ultimately disappear as quickly and mysteriously as they arose in the first place. This pattern of events is something all true Christians will have experienced to some degree and the following story is a perfect example.

This moving account concerns the call of Karl Johanson to the mission field and the problems he faced immediately after he accepted that call. Karl was born in Sweden in February 1868 and as a young lad found work on a farm.  One day, during a time of religious revival in Sweden, this devout Christian lad was out in the fields ploughing with oxen. The oxen were moving steadily before him when he suddenly felt himself surrounded by a heavenly Presence. He wrote “I thought of stopping the oxen but I couldn’t utter a word.” An unseen Hand seemed to touch him and he then heard a clear Voice ask “Will you go as My messenger to Africa?” “My whole being trembled and I longed to run home to my employer who was a Christian. I knew however, that a personal reply was required of me. I then answered with fear and trembling; ‘Yes, if You Yourself will go with me.’ At once the Voice replied; ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ With that the Heavenly Presence withdrew as suddenly as it had appeared.”

His account continues; “It is impossible to describe the situation I found myself in and the turmoil in my heart. My life’s plans crashed around me now that I had a call to go to Africa. Severe temptations from the evil one then beset me and I thought at times my mind would give way. Doubts about the existence of God and doubts about the truth of the Bible suddenly overwhelmed me like a flood. All that I had learned, heard and read was scattered like straw before the wind. Moreover, I knew of no organisation through which I could go.” Karl’s family didn’t really understand or support him either and because the call was so sacred he was unable to share it with more than a few chosen people.

Throughout all of these problems and temptations Karl remained faithful and steadfast to the Lord. After a period of time, all these difficulties mysteriously disappeared, he found an organisation to support him and eventually he went out as a missionary to South Africa with the Swedish Holiness Union in 1893.  Ultimately he became director of the entire Swedish Zulu Mission. In South Africa he met and married a Norwegian Christian and the two of them and their family served the Lord faithfully until his death in October 1945. He was loved and respected by all. The message of the Gospel he was sent to proclaim changed the lives and destinies of countless individuals and families, all because he remained faithful through those initial difficulties.

In Ephesians Ch6 v12 St Paul describes this sort of spiritual conflict in the following manner; “We do not wrestle against mere flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places.”  In verses 13-17 he then goes on to explain how to handle such conflict. “Take up the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day…and above all else take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  Karl maintained his obedience most especially by taking up what St Paul refers to as “the shield of faith”.  What this means in practise is very simple. When Karl was tempted to feel he wasn’t called, he accepted by faith that he was. When he was tempted to feel that God didn’t exist, he continued to accept by faith that He did and when he was tempted to feel that the Bible was untrue, he held fast by faith that it was true. Each time he overcame his feelings by relying upon “the shield of faith”, faith and feeling being two totally different things.

Depending on what form temptation comes in, sometimes it is described as being similar to experiencing a mirage in the desert. Over the centuries numerous travellers through desert regions have witnessed this phenomena and have written about what they felt. Depending on their physical state, the feelings the mirage generated could be overwhelming; they could almost taste the water, see the trees, and feel the coolness of the lake around their feet. Their feelings and senses cried out to them to go in that direction; but they knew by faith in their map and compass it was simply an illusion.

For the Christian, their map or compass is the Bible. No matter what they may be tempted to feel to the contrary, they have the sure Word of God to rely on and if they remain faithful as Karl did, then in time these false feelings will pass. Temptation may also come in the form of opposition from family, health problems, undue busyness, materialism, money worries or whatever, but provided they remain faithful to the Lord, the new life they have chosen in Him can never be stolen or taken from them by the powers of darkness. As we are promised in 1st Corinthians Ch10v13 “God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear…” and in Psalm 55v22 it adds “Cast your burden on the Lord and then He will sustain you because He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

These were some of the precious promises that kept missionary Fay Goddard going after she contracted polio. Fay was a missionary in the Philippines but at the age of only 29 she came down with polio. One week she was hiking through mountains preaching the Gospel, the next she was unable to hold a full glass of water. Back in Seattle she was fitted for a wheelchair and told she would be handicapped for the rest of her life. How did she cope spiritually?

Looking back, she wrote that the first thing which really helped was by reaffirming the Saviour’s Lordship over her life and that she was willing to be used by Him no matter what happened to her. She said that the next thing which significantly helped her, were all the promises of God in Holy Scripture. She consciously acknowledged that His promises hadn’t changed and His grace and strength was still there for the taking.

Finally what helped was when she realised that God could still use her where she was. “During my nine months in rehabilitation I became aware that God had simply changed my mission field. Instead of barefoot Buhid, I was right in the middle of a group of people whose lives had been shattered by accidents or crippling disease…. I was with teenagers paralysed from the neck down in falls on ski slopes or car accidents.”

After being released from her extended stay in hospital she went to work for the missionary society at their head office. This work simply involved stuffing envelopes, licking stamps and trying to find enough to do to fill the day.  After a few weeks she felt Satan tempting her to feel useless and a burden to the organisation. As the temptation grew she began to feel really depressed and downcast in spirit, something that she hadn’t really experienced before. One day as she was praying about the situation she sensed the Lord say “If I need you to do this kind of work, what is that to you? Just follow Me.” Fay was determined to remain faithful so she consciously made up her mind to remain obedient even if the work seemed unchallenging and boring.

A few days later after having made this decision in the face of strong temptation her whole role dramatically changed. She was invited to become editor and producer of the mission’s magazine “East Asia Millions”.  Twenty years later she wrote “I am still putting the magazine together; editing material, doing the layout, and preparing it for printing. The joy is still there.” She had remained faithful through fierce temptation and by overcoming it, the Lord was then able to use her in a brand new way.

In Acts Ch14v22 it warns, “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.” Those who follow the Lord Jesus are at war with evil. The powers of darkness from time to time, will try to take away their new life in Christ; they will try to take away their reward in Him and all that that reward means. They will try to take away their pardon for sin, their peace and their joy and their sense of Companionship with Him. However, provided a Christian holds fast no matter what, God will help and sustain them through it. As Jesus reassures us in John Ch10v28 “I have given them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

What holds you together as the world falls apart?

Sometimes I will ask people I meet “What holds you together while the world is falling apart?” The answer I receive tells me instantly if they are followers of Christ or not, because only those who really follow the Lord have a “light and hope which never goes out.” This present world is in a terrifying state, but are Christ’s followers in despair? Are they unduly worried or concerned? By no means! They see world events unfolding just as predicted in Scripture and know that they have the promise of the Lord’s continual help and support no matter what lies ahead. They know that the uplifting promise of Psalm 46v1 applies directly to them; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid.”

Devout Christians sometimes describe this feeling of inner joy and hope as being like the sun shining in their hearts even when it may be “raining” outside. They have a sure and certain hope and peace which the troubles of this world cannot harm. And why are they so confident and reassured? Because they have come to know the Lord personally and have a real and living relationship with Him. They took repentance seriously, they took obedience seriously, they took Bible reading, praying and Church attendance seriously and now they reap the reward of His closeness and comfort. It doesn’t take “rocket science” to have the Lord close and near, on the contrary it is very simple, “Draw close to God and then He will draw close to you.” (James Ch4v8)

Those close to the Lord know for sure that He has not abandoned this world and that He never will. They also know for sure that God will never allow evil to triumph over good, so they never despair at world events. Scripture teaches that God is continually and actively at work behind the scenes intervening here and giving a nudge there, making sure that the Christian message to a lost world is never totally silenced.

Recently I came across three outstanding examples of this Divine Intervention which are an encouraging reminder that God is indeed continually at work opposing evil and upholding what is good and pure and lovely. With so much bad news around, these inspiring stories deserve a wide circulation.

The first story is about the work and ministry of the Rev David Wilkerson. In his best seller “The Cross and the Switchblade” the Rev David Wilkerson recounts the extraordinary manner in which the Lord called him to work among teenage street gangs in New York. He had begun church ministry as a country preacher in a farming community and had never actually been to New York. Sitting in his rural home one evening, he happened to be reading Life magazine. As he was flicking through the pages his attention was drawn to an artist’s picture of bewilderment, hatred and despair in the eyes of one of seven boys on trial for the brutal murder of a fifteen year old polio victim. Wilkerson was revolted and he found himself crying involuntarily.

Suddenly like a bolt of lightning, the following words came into his mind, “Go to New York and help those boys.” He immediately dismissed the idea as being ridiculous. But then it came again. “Go to New York and help those boys.” The thought became vivid and persistent and seemed to be completely independent of his own feelings and ideas. “I’d be a fool” he rationalised. “I know nothing about kids like that. I don’t even want to know.” It was no use. The idea would not go away and after much prayer and reflection he realised that this was indeed a genuine call from God. His book vividly describes the ministry he had among those street gangs. It is full of courageous acts, hardships and miracles and shows how God’s call to this work changed the course of numerous lives.

The Lord also famously used Wilkerson to ready and prepare his church in Times Square, for the terrorist attack which took place on 9/11. Six weeks before the attack on the Twin Towers, Wilkerson and every member of his pastoral team were struck by a deep conviction that a tragedy was shortly to occur and that God wanted them to prepare for it. The conviction was so overwhelming that he and his team cancelled all major church events in the weeks prior to 9/11 and replaced them with four prayer meetings every week. At these meetings they sensed that God wanted them to pray that the consequences of this coming event would be lessened from what otherwise might be the case. This forewarning explains why his church was ready and prepared to set up relief tents at ground zero, to comfort survivors and rescue workers.

The second story is every bit as moving and concerns the call of Karl Johanson to the mission field. Karl was born in Sweden in February 1868 and as a young lad found work on a farm. One day, during a time of religious revival in Sweden, this devout Christian lad was out in the fields ploughing with oxen. The oxen were moving steadily before him when he suddenly felt himself surrounded by a heavenly Presence. He wrote “I thought of stopping the oxen but I couldn’t utter a word.” An unseen Hand seemed to touch him and he then heard a clear Voice ask “Will you go as My messenger to Africa?” “My whole being trembled and I longed to run home to my employer who was a Christian. I knew however, that a personal reply was required of me. I then answered with fear and trembling; ‘Yes, if You Yourself will go with me.’ At once the Voice replied; ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ With that the Heavenly Presence withdrew as suddenly as it had appeared.”

His account continues; “It is impossible to describe the situation I found myself in and the turmoil in my heart. My life’s plans crashed around me now that I had a call to go to Africa. Severe temptations from the evil one beset me and I thought at times my mind would give way. Moreover, I knew of no organisation through which I could go.” Karl’s family didn’t really understand and because the call was so sacred he was unable to share it with more than a few chosen people.

Karl however, remained faithful and steadfast throughout numerous difficulties and eventually he went out as a missionary to South Africa with the Swedish Holiness Union in 1893. In time he became director of the Swedish Zulu Mission. In South Africa he met and married a Norwegian Christian and the two of them and their family served the Lord faithfully until his death in October 1945. He was loved and respected by all. The message of the Gospel he was sent to proclaim changed the lives and destinies of countless individuals and families.

The third story concerns the well-known Dutchman, Brother Andrew who became famous for smuggling Bibles to those behind the Iron Curtain. His book “God’s Smuggler” provides numerous examples of how God intervened to prevent evil overcoming good. Here is one incident which is particularly fascinating, showing how he literally had to travel by faith, totally relying on the Almighty to guide him to the right people, at the right time behind the Iron Curtain.

After he was expelled from Yugoslavia he headed in his car for Bulgaria via Greece and Turkey. He had no idea where to go when he got there, except that on his final night in Yugoslavia, a Christian brother living there had begged him to contact his closest friend in Sofia called Petroff. Brother Andrew memorised his name and address not wanting to write it down lest it be discovered in the course of a police check.

Once across the border into Bulgaria, Brother Andrew sat down on a hillside to survey Sofia from a distance. He marvelled at how God had used the very last person he had spoken to in one country, to give him the first contact he needed in the next. At his hotel the clerk grudgingly allowed him a glance at a street map. He mentally noted the street he wanted-the only minor street included in the map.

The next morning, wondering how the day would unfold, he left the hotel and headed immediately for the address he had been given. He found the street with ease. It was now vital that he would find the right house without drawing attention to himself. If he appeared as a stranger to the area, it would immediately create suspicion that the person he was contacting was being visited by a foreigner. It would bring great danger to the man and his family. Brother Andrew prayed as he walked along. Suddenly ahead of him he saw a man coming down the street from the opposite direction. They drew abreast, just as Andrew reached the number he was seeking. It was a large house, occupied by several families.

Andrew turned up the path, as did the other man and they both reached the front door simultaneously. Andrew glanced at his face and in an instant experienced a common miracle among Christians. In his book he wrote “Our spirits recognised each other. Without a word we marched side by side up the stairs. The man reached his apartment, took out his key and threw the door open. Without invitation I walked in. Just as quickly, he closed the door behind him. We stood facing each other in the darkness of a single room which was his home. ‘I am Andrew from Holland’, I said in English. ‘I am Petroff’ said the man.

After giving thanks to God together, not a minute of time was wasted to reduce further any risks involved. ‘I’ve heard that both Bulgaria and Rumania are desperately short of Bibles. Is that true?’ In reply Petroff led me to his desk. On the desk was a typewriter and next to that a Bible opened at Exodus. He had been laboriously typing out pages from his Bible to complete another one.”

Andrew could hardly wait to show him the Bibles he had for him in the back of his car. That night, after
checking the street was empty, Andrew proceeded to carry inside the first of many cartons of Bibles he was to deliver to this man over the years. Petroff was an ideal person to meet because it turned out that he had Christian contacts all over Bulgaria and he was able to distribute these Bibles to them. Many of the churches he had contact with, had only one Bible to share between members of their congregation.

St Paul states that in this Fallen World Age there is a massive spiritual struggle going on between good and evil for the hearts and minds of men and women. In Ephesians Ch6v12 he warns “We do not wrestle against mere flesh and blood but against…spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places.” Let us never despair. God will not allow the powers of darkness to totally overwhelm this world. Divine intervention like these examples is going on privately behind the scenes all the time, day in and day out, across the entire world. Truly “The Eternal God is our refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy Ch33v27).

The meaning of life

Once upon a time there was a family of mice who lived in a large piano. To them, in their “piano world” beautiful music continually filled all the dark corners and dark places of their lives and this brought them great comfort. How lovely it was to know that there was a Great Player Who made this music for them to enjoy. He was invisible to them yet at the same time close to them. Generations of mice in the piano lived and died believing in the existence of this Great Player and took seriously the “Ten Mouse Commandments” regarding how they were to behave.

As generations passed, some younger mice began to take an interest in science and exploration. One day a daring explorer mouse ventured up part of the piano and returned very thoughtful. He had found out how the music was made. His scientific mind led him to acknowledge that wires were the secret. Further research confirmed that tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths which vibrated, were the cause of the music.

Traditional beliefs in the existence of a Great Player were now challenged. Only the older generation of mice continued to believe and to follow the Commandments. Further scientific exploration led to even deeper discoveries. Hammers were now the answer to the cause of the music; hammers hitting the wires! This was a more complicated theory but it all went to show that they lived in a purely mechanical and mathematical world. Gradually the idea of there being a Great Player came to be thought of as a myth, the Mouse Commandments were abandoned as being old fashioned and mouse society collapsed… Meanwhile the Great Player continued to play.

This story clearly illustrates the way in which science only tells us how God makes things work. It doesn’t disprove the existence of the Supreme Designer responsible for that science in the first place! Scripture teaches that God is the Ultimate Scientist, Designer, Planner and Architect behind everything that exists. The very fact that there is such a thing as science, be it in the form of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, logic or whatever, is entirely due to His Design and Planning.

Today this clear distinction between what scientific research does and does not show, is rarely explained. Like the new generation of mice, many people falsely think that science has disproven God. This in turn has resulted in their abandonment of God’s Ten Commandments and the ultimate collapse of our society and indeed nation. As “mouse society” collapsed so has ours.

With a Creator no longer in “the picture” another explanation for our existence is eagerly sought. Although one scientific discovery after another only goes to confirm how profoundly complex life really is, some spend their entire lives theorising about how we came into existence, without there being an Intelligent Designer behind it all. Recently science has discovered that if the information encoded in just a pin head size of DNA was written out in book form, these books would reach to the moon and back over 200 times. Such complexity is staggering and as such means atheists actually need to have faith the size of a mountain to believe that this has occurred without having been designed and planned by a Supreme Being.

When I read of so called “learned men” working on complicated theories regarding how we could have come into existence without a Creator, it always reminds me of a funny story I once heard.

Many years ago three friends were exploring the wilderness of Northern Canada when they came across an isolated cabin. Needing a place to rest they knocked on the door only to discover that the owner was out. The door was unlocked so they went inside to sit down. As one might expect, the cabin had very little furniture but there was one unusual feature; instead of being on the floor, there was a large cast iron stove suspended in mid-air by strong wires attached to roof beams. It was most strange.

As the three friends had something to eat they theorised as to why the stove was suspended in air rather than simply placed on the ground. One friend who was a psychologist thought that owing to sheer loneliness and isolation, the trapper had elevated the stove so that he could curl up under it in order to replicate the comfort of being in the womb. The second man, who was an engineer believed that the owner was practicing the law of thermodynamics. The elevation of the stove meant that heat was distributed more evenly throughout the cabin. The third friend who had studied world religions disagreed with them both. He felt there was a religious motive behind the stove being made to hang from the ceiling. He pointed out that fire being lifted up had been a religious symbol since ancient times.

After a while the owner of the cabin returned and in the course of conversation they asked him the reason why he had suspended the stove. “Oh the answer is quite simple” said the trapper, “I had hardly any stove pipe for the chimney, but plenty of thick wire.” All their complicated ideas and theories, although well debated and presented, were completely wrong! The simple answer was the correct one.

And so likewise is the answer regarding how we exist! The answer to our existence, or if you prefer, “the answer to the meaning of life” isn’t complicated at all. Although so called “learned men” may come up with this or that complex theory, in reality the correct answer is the simple and obvious one; namely that we have indeed been created and designed by a Supreme Being.

Scripture further adds that what God originally created as good, beautiful and perfect has been severely damaged and marred by human sin and wickedness. Sadly “people love darkness rather than light” (John Ch3v19) and so what God originally created as lovely and good is now in a profoundly “fallen state”. (See Roman Ch8 vs18-23). This fallen condition or damage is physical, spiritual and mental and extends to every individual in the human race. This is the Biblical reason given, as to why there is so much suffering in the world. It’s the reason why there is such a thing as disease, suffering, ill health and death. It’s the reason why life is often difficult and a real struggle for many. Creation at this present time is profoundly imperfect and very different to the way it would have been if humanity had chosen to love light instead of darkness.

Thankfully, Scripture promises that after the Second Coming of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the whole created order of this planet will be restored to its former glory and perfection. As it beautifully states in Revelation Ch 21vs4, 5, “Behold I make all things new… God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This generation more than any other is lost and confused. Although the pervading message of our time is that science has disproven God, many individuals, sense deep down that there really must be a Designer God responsible for such complexity. Moreover, many also sense that something has gone very wrong with the world, with nature and with human beings! Instead of things getting better and better in regard to human conduct, the state of our planet, and even nature itself, what they observe is quite the reverse; increasing cancer, degeneration, disintegration and decay, all of which perfectly fits the Biblical teaching of this being a “fallen creation”.

And how can individuals be sure that this is the truth? How can they find out for certain that God really exists? How do they discover that the nagging feeling they have, “that something is missing in their lives”, is actually a relationship with Him? The answer again is profoundly simple as the following incident beautifully illustrates.

Many years ago a young lad lost his deceased grandfather’s pocket watch while he was working in his dad’s ice plant. All he knew was that it must have dropped out of his pocket. Getting down on his hands and knees he started to frantically search through the ice and saw dust. The more he searched the more frantic he became. It was a treasured possession and he couldn’t bear the thought of no longer having it. Suddenly he had an idea. He stopped scurrying around and became very still and quiet. He listened carefully and in the silence he eventually heard the watch ticking!

The spiritual lesson from this touching story is that if we really want to hear God and know He is there, we can do so; but only if we totally silence and still our hearts from the background noise of self-will, intellectual pride, arrogance and self-seeking. In Deuteronomy Ch4v29 it promises “You will find the Lord if you seek for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” If a person seeks the Lord with a genuinely open mind and open heart, they will hear Him “speaking” and they will know for sure He exists. If they continue further, by developing a relationship with Him based on repentance and obedience, it will change their lives for ever.

In 2nd Timothy Ch3 v7 it warns of a certain kind of person “who is always learning but who never comes to a realisation of the truth.” This kind of individual is well-educated and intellectually gifted, but until they are willing to silence the pride and selfishness in their hearts and yield to a Creator, they will never be able to hear Him speaking and they will remain doubtful of His existence. The promise and condition is simple; “you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah Ch 29v13).

Finding God

One of the most moving aspects about being involved in ministry is hearing about how other people find God. In Psalm 33v15 it states that God “fashions our hearts individually”. This means that He deals with each one of us individually and differently so that every person who turns to Christ will have their own particular and unique “faith journey”.

Recently I came across two fascinating journeys of faith which led both individuals involved into full time ministry. Both examples are quite inspirational and an encouraging reminder that God is continually active in the hearts of individuals calling them away from evil and disbelief. Whether or not an individual listens to God’s prompting is of course up to them because the Lord has given us freewill to choose for ourselves how we respond.

The first story is about Dr Paul Gentuso who eventually became a medical missionary in Cote d’Ivoire. As a young man Paul decided to go to medical school in order to become a doctor. He didn’t really believe in God and assumed that his existence was but a random accident of nature. Studying science however, was to totally change his thinking.

The following are his words “In anatomy class we dissected a human hand. In investigating the hand, I first removed the skin, then isolated the individual tendons and muscles as I worked my way to the bones. The tendons of the hand are aligned in tendon sheaths, like self-lubricating pulleys, allowing the hand to work in a tireless, noiseless, almost effortless fashion. It was perfectly designed to carry out all the work it was called to do, everything from lifting a small object to lugging a tree trunk. In seeing how each tendon was perfectly aligned along the axis of each finger and how each finger moved in a coordinated fashion when tugged by individual tendons it became obvious to me that there was a Creator Who had intelligently designed and created the human hand. This was the first time in my adult life that I could say with assurance that a Creator existed. It was a spiritual experience for me. I went from disbelief to certainty based on studying God’s creation.”

Paul’s eyes were opened as it dawned on him that the Ultimate Scientist and Designer of life was Almighty God. It is often said by Christians in the scientific community that science merely explains how God makes things work; the Bible on the other hand goes further by explaining why God created us. As Paul contemplated these truths he gave his life to the Lord and after completing medical school, God called him to the mission field.

It is quite wrong for individuals to think that science and religious belief are incompatible. The reality is that numerous people like Paul have found faith as a result of their study of science. Professor John Lennox at Green Templeton College Oxford puts it like this, “For me as a Christian believer, the beauty of the scientific laws only reinforces my faith in an intelligent, Divine creative force at work. The more I understand science, the more I believe in God because of my wonder at the breadth, sophistication and integrity of His creation.”

Scientists have recently discovered that if the information encoded in just a “pin head” size of DNA was written out in book form, those books would stretch to the moon and back over 200 times. As it stands now, atheists actually need to have faith the size of a mountain to believe that all this complexity has happened as the result of blind chance.

The second journey of faith is about The Rev Dr Jay Modha who was raised as a devout Hindu in Leicester. Jay’s brother Jimmy shocked the family by converting to Christianity and as a result his father threw him out of the family home. Feelings of hatred ran so high that Jay actually prayed for the Hindu gods to kill Jimmy for the “shame” he had brought by turning to Christ. Jay, who was studying for his Ph.D. stated at the time, “While we would have mourned his death, at least our family would not be dishonoured.”

Jay completely disowned his brother Jimmy and refused to talk to him. Jimmy however, responded to all this anger with forgiveness and love. On parting, Jimmy gently said to his brother, “Jay, if you are ever desperate and no one is there to help you, remember Jesus loves you, and His hand is on your life. Call to Him and He will save you.” Jay was furious at this response. Jimmy however started to pray earnestly for his brother, pleading that the Lord would open his eyes to the truth of Christ.

Shortly afterwards Jay had a disturbing dream. The following are his own words; “It was as if I was awake in my bed at three in the morning when suddenly a blinding light broke through the ceiling of my bedroom. In that light I could see a cloud descending from heaven bearing three awesome, fiery men-like creatures. The first blew a trumpet so loud I knew whatever was coming was universal in consequence. The second creature cried out ‘Make ready, for the Lord is coming to reap the harvest.’ Then the third swung a scythe over the earth and cried ‘now the earth is ready for judgment.’ “

“I tried to wake up from the dream because I was so frightened but I couldn’t. Then in the middle of the cloud I noticed a Person Who looked completely different. The brilliant light was coming from Him. He was dreadful in His beauty and terrible in His splendour. As He descended, He looked at me. I was so terrified I couldn’t bear to look at Him any longer, so I turned my head. To my amazement, there beside me was Jimmy, who was not scared at all. His face was joyous and he was reaching out as if to embrace the figure. When I gained the courage to look at Him again, He addressed me saying ‘Jay what are you going to do when this happens?’ Then everything vanished and I woke up.”

It took Jay an hour to calm down and several days later when he heard about the dream, Jimmy phoned his brother to explain that what he had witnessed was the Second Coming of Christ. This event is prophetically referred to over 1800 times in the Old Testament and over 300 times in the New Testament. The Bible teaches that God is Infinitely Holy and the purpose of the Second Coming is to call individuals to account for how they have used their freewill. Those following Him like Jimmy, yearn for this event, because it means an end to persecution and suffering, but those who refuse to follow the Lord are terrified at the thought.

God is not morally indifferent. He cares profoundly about the difference between right and wrong and makes a clear distinction between those who truly follow Him and those who refuse to do so. The promise of the Second Coming is proof that God is indeed closely watching all the suffering and wickedness in the world. In due time He promises to intervene in a most spectacular way, both to judge the wicked, and for the sake of the righteous, to stop the human race from destroying itself.

Jay didn’t like what his brother Jimmy was saying so he eventually hung up the phone. But while he could silence his brother, he couldn’t silence his own mind and so more dreams came to disturb his sleep. The turning point came after he had received his doctorate and went out to Japan where he had been awarded a prestigious research fellowship. He was in such a state that he considered suicide, but after nearly jumping from his balcony he vowed to find out if Jesus Christ was in fact the Living and True God after all.

For many months he studied the Bible and when he got to the Lord’s words from the cross “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke Ch23v34) he suddenly knew in his spirit that Jesus really was Who He said He was. Jay prayed for forgiveness and he felt the burden of his guilt lifted. He grew quickly in his new found faith and after joining a church in Glasgow sensed the Lord call him into ordained ministry.

All those who come to Christ will have their own unique “faith journey” because the Lord deals with us personally and individually. The important thing is not how spectacular or dramatic this journey to faith may or may not be but rather that we do indeed listen to His promptings and respond to His call. The journey itself is not the important thing. All that matters is actually getting to the right “place”; namely the “place” of repentance and salvation whereby we enter into a personal relationship with the Saviour Jesus Christ.

Do not be overcome by evil

In Matthew Ch24 v12 it warns; “Because wickedness will increase on earth, the love of many will grow cold!”

Nutritionists say that regarding the physical body “you become what you eat” but at the spiritual level there is a similar truth. A person’s character is often shaped for good or evil by the things that they read or see going on around them. A Native American convert could not have put it better. He once told a missionary that every time he was faced with a choice between doing good or evil it was as though two dogs were fighting in his chest, one a white dog and the other an evil black one. When asked which dog won, he replied “which ever dog I have been feeding the most.” If a person regularly feeds their mind with horror stories, pornography and violence they needn’t be surprised if they begin to sink to that level in their thoughts and behaviour. On the other hand if an individual fills their mind with good and wholesome material they will generally find that they aspire to be good, kind and loving.

Jesus predicted that an age would come when there would be so much wickedness and immorality in the world that it would cause many people to “grow cold” in character. They would be unduly influenced by the evil things going on around them and as a result they would become bitter and selfish in their outlook on life. Their philosophy of life would be “me first,” “look after number one” or “I’m alright Jack”.

If an individual is to prevent themselves from being unduly influenced by accounts of violence and immorality it is vitally important that they regularly “feed their minds” with good and inspiring things. They need to constantly remind themselves that “good things” still do happen and that God is still very much at work in the world, (even when few seem to be listening to Him). Over the years I have collected numerous stories of Divine Intervention which make uplifting and inspiring reading. As a reminder that far from being remote and distant, God is present in the midst of our troubles, here are two stories to encourage the spirit.

The first example I have chosen happened several years ago to The Rev Dr Victor Pearce when he was a minister in the Church of England. He explained that one day he was walking along a road in Peckham, London when he sensed the Lord guide him to leave the road and go down a particular side street. “I continued down the road for about 100 yards when I then sensed the Lord telling me to stop and look across at the other side. Across from me, I saw one of the terraced houses had an old heavy panelled wooden door with a cast-iron knocker in the middle.” Feeling that he was to visit this house Dr Pearce knocked on the door. “The door was opened by a slightly built woman of average height. She looked at me, saw my dog collar and immediately burst into tears. ‘Thank God you’ve come’ she cried, ‘my husband’s in hospital dying of cancer and he said “send for a minister, I’m not ready to die”. ‘He kept on urging me and pleading but we don’t know any minister. I didn’t know what to do so I came home and prayed “Oh God please help”, and He has sent you.’”

“I quickly went to the hospital…his face lit up when he saw me. ‘I’m not ready to die’ he pleaded. I told him about the thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus and how he turned to Jesus for help and forgiveness at the last minute. I explained that Jesus had said to the man ‘today you will be with Me in paradise.’ I continued ‘So you see, that man was forgiven and promised eternal life even though he turned to Jesus only at the last moment.’ I encouraged his faith further when I revealed the miraculous way in which God had sent me to him and it proved Jesus was seeking him. You should have seen the peace which came over the man’s face as he responded. At his funeral later, this story was told to those present, and many were moved to tears as they were urged not to leave things to the last minute but to enjoy salvation now.”

The second story of Divine Intervention which I have chosen occurred during the Second World War. A young Dutch woman was captured by the Japanese when they invaded Java and was imprisoned in Bandung. After a number of days she was then put into a cattle truck with other prisoners and at the end of a journey lasting 36 hours she arrived at a concentration camp. The place was horrific and she fell into a state of deep despair.

One night she had to go to the toilet. The camp latrines were no more than a plank over a deep cesspit. In the pitch dark she felt her way to the latrines but she misjudged where she was, lost her balance and fell into the cesspit. In her utter despair she decided to give up and drown. She felt her miserable life was no longer worth living.

Suddenly she clearly heard a voice in her ear, which asked her “Do you believe in God?” She sensed straight away that this was no human voice but something coming from the supernatural. She answered quietly to herself “Yes”. The voice then admonished her and warned her that she did not have the right, not to do her best, to get out of the pit. The voice added “You cannot simply drown. You should not think that death will be a solution in this way, for those things you cannot face in this world, where it is your duty to deal with them, will confront you again, and then in a situation which is much more difficult.”

She was shocked by this statement and called out “Do you call this a life? This is terrible!” In stead of a verbal response to this cry she suddenly experienced an overwhelming feeling of God’s Holiness and power. The feeling was so powerful that she lost her sense of despair. She grabbed the side of the cesspit to see if she could climb out, but it was so covered in slime she couldn’t get a grip. Then she tried to find the bottom with her feet, but there was no bottom, only more and more slime. The stench was overwhelming.

She realised that she couldn’t get out and once again she was filled with despair. In her heart she prayed “Oh Lord help me. I do want to get out but I cannot.” At the same time she was gradually sinking deeper and deeper.

Suddenly she felt what seemed to be the finger of a hand under each elbow and in her mind’s eye she saw two large angels standing behind her. She felt herself being lifted from the cesspit and then laid on the ground. When she had gathered her thoughts she started weeping and went back to the barracks where other prisoners cleaned her up.

This incident dramatically changed her life and ultimately resulted in her becoming a devout Christian. As her spiritual life developed over the years she eventually became a leader in the underground Church behind the Iron Curtain and helped numerous Christians who were being persecuted for their faith by the KGB.

God is still very much at work in this troubled world; indeed He is right in the midst of our problems. Let us constantly remind ourselves of this truth because by so doing it will help protect us from becoming cold and bitter in spirit. In Psalm 37 vs7-10 it says; “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of those who bring evil schemes to pass…for evil-doers will be cut off. Yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more.” The wicked and immoral may laugh now and seem to have their way, but let us not be unduly influenced by their behaviour, because ultimately, the Lord has promised the world to the righteous and nothing will stand in His way.

An urgent call to a serious faith

There is a Native American legend that has been passed down through the centuries which carries a valuable lesson for today's world. The story goes that the chief of a certain tribe lay dying and so he called his three sons in order to appoint a worthy successor. He set them an unusual test. He said "One of you must replace me as chief. I want you to climb to the very top of our holy mountain and bring me back something beautiful. The one whose gift is most outstanding will become my successor.

After several days the three sons returned. The first brought a flower which was extremely rare and beautiful. He had found it half way up the mountain and being content with his find he felt it would be too much trouble to climb further. The second brought a stone which was colourful and smooth having been polished by the wind and rain. He too had found it half way up but didn't believe that there was any point going higher. The third son however said "Father, I haven't brought anything back. I fully obeyed you by going to the very top of the mountain and when I got there I could see the other side. I saw that over on the other side there is a beautiful land with green pastures and I thought ‘That's where the tribe should go for a better life'. I was so overcome with delight that I forgot to bring anything back." The old chief replied, "Ah, but you have brought something back- something which is priceless. By fully obeying me, you have been able to bring back a vision of a better life which you have seen with your own eyes. Your two brothers only went half way up and were content to bring back things of no real value. Due to their disobedience they failed to experience what you did. You will be my successor."

Before Jesus completed His earthly ministry He made a very precious promise to those who would truly follow Him. In John Ch 14v21, He promised, "If anyone follows Me, I will then manifest and reveal Myself to them." What Jesus meant was that when a person truly follows and obeys Him, then in return, He will actually reveal Himself to that individual at a personal level. The individual will then move from the position of saying "I believe that there is a God" to the position of being able to say "I KNOW that there is a God because I have personally experienced Him for myself."

These faithful ones are like the third son who was fully obedient to his father by going all the way to the top. The successful son wasn't content in going just half way, and so he was  rewarded with a personal vision of a better land. So likewise, those who fully obey the Lord in their personal life are granted  special personal experiences of Him as a reward for their faithfulness. On the other hand, just as his two brothers failed to experience this better land through disobedience so likewise those who are half hearted in following the Lord will fail to experience Him personally. The promise of these personal experiences, are only for those who are fully and truly obedient. It is a very special and precious reward reserved only for the faithful.

Notice that the two sons who failed to experience the vision, disobeyed for different reasons. The first one disobeyed through laziness. He had found a beautiful flower and thought it too much trouble to climb further. He represents those who know what they should do but don't bother doing it. They know they should regularly pray and read the Bible, they know God is important and spiritual things matter, but its all too much trouble. It's just too bothersome to be obedient to the Lord.

The other son disobeyed his father's will, not through laziness, but through a lack of faith. He found a beautiful stone and so didn't believe there was any reason to go further. He doubted that there could possibly be anything better at the top. This son represents those who don't believe God's promise that those who follow Him will experience and enjoy "real life in its fullest abundance". (John Ch 10v10).  These are people who doubt the prophecies of Scripture and who think that God's promises are false. If they had been faithful like the third son, then they would have experienced the reality of God for themselves and found His promises absolutely true. They would have discovered that God doesn't lie and is absolutely Faithful.

Those who are fully obedient in following the Lord get to know Him at a personal level. They have a personal and living relationship with Him and He comes to be their Best Friend and Closest Companion. This private relationship is referred to as being "The secret of the Lord" in Psalm 25v14. It is an intimate relationship reserved only for the faithful. Through this relationship they know there really is a life beyond, they know their sins are forgiven, and they have no fear of death or the Judgement which we all must face. They know that there really is hope and that there is a Being Who deeply loves them and shares all their troubles. They know they do not walk through this life alone and aren't fearful about the future of the world as others are, being confident that ultimately "all will be well" for those who love God and put Him first.

The spiritually lazy and faithless experience none of these assurances  because they aren't obedient and are failing "to go to the top of mountain." It is quite obvious that today, the term "Christian" is used by all sorts of people in all sorts of ways. Many seem to imagine that the Cross amounts to a way of escape from serious living and from a serious faith. They seem to think that there is no need for personal discipline or any effort in ones personal life in order to be a Christian. These individuals are deluding themselves and in so doing will never experience the Lord at this intimate personal level. They are like the two sons who failed to climb to the top. Provide such individuals with some material possessions as represented by the flower and the stone and they are soon put off doing anything more or climbing any higher. Only if they climb the mountain of faith  can the Lord reward them with a personal experience of Himself.

Let us be fully obedient like the faithful son and get to experience the view from the top. It is a Divine encounter that will transform us from within and change our lives forever.

Misunderstanding causes rejection of God

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes some people resistant to the Bible and the Christian faith?  Why is it that for some the last thing they would ever want to do would be to seriously accept the reality of God’s existence?  Why?  Is it because they don’t like the idea that there is a God who loves them deeply and cares for them personally?  Is it because they would prefer life to have no meaning?  Is it because they would prefer to think that they are simply here as the result of an accident of nature and in a short while will cease to exist forever?  Perhaps they don’t like the idea that good is stronger than evil, or love is stronger than hate?!  Surely not.  Whatever the reasons are for a person being resistant to God,  very often they are simply reasons based on misunderstanding and  lack of knowledge!  Frequently I  encounter people who easily turn to God after such misunderstandings are removed and they get a true explanation of what the Bible really does teach – as opposed to what they thought it taught!

The truth is that there is nothing negative about the Christian faith at all – not one thing, everything is positive and lovely.  Some decades ago a Hindu priest came to visit a missionary who had just started preaching in a remote part of India.  He pleaded with the missionary to leave the area.  When the missionary asked “Why?” the Hindu priest admitted – “because our religion has no Saviour who loves us, our religion has no promise of forgiveness or a life of happiness beyond the grave.  If you tell people about the teachings of Christianity, the people will leave our temples and embrace your faith.”

And in my ministry this is exactly what I find!  When people have the teachings of Christianity properly explained and have misunderstandings removed, they embrace it because of the beauty and attractiveness of these teachings.  When you examine the teachings of the main religions of the world, Christianity stands unique in having a God who cares for us personally, so much so that He sent His own Son to die for us on the Cross. When properly understood and embraced the teaching of Christianity is the most powerful force for change and renewal this world knows.

Sometime ago I came across a profound example of this from the Second World War.  The war correspondent Clarence Hall wrote, “I never think of the positive benefits of the Christian faith without thinking of a tiny village I came across as a war correspondent in Okinawa.  Thirty years before, an American missionary on route to Japan had stopped there just long enough to make two converts; a man called Shosei and his brother Mojon.  He left them a Bible and headed on to Japan.  For thirty years they had no contact with any other Christian missionary, but they followed the teachings of the Bible completely.  They taught the other villagers until most of the people in their village were converted.  Shosei became the headman of the village and Mojon the chief teacher. In their little school, the Bible was read daily and the precepts of the Bible were law in the village.  In those three decades a Christian democracy gradually formed. 

When the American army swept across the island to the village they were astounded by what they found.  The villagers accepted the Americans as fellow Christians.  Officers of the Intelligence service toured the village and found it different from any other they had encountered. The Okinawan villages they had come upon had been filthy and the people ignorant and poverty stricken.  Here the homes and lanes were tidy.  The people were clean and kind and gentle.  Later as I strolled through the village with a tough army sergeant, he turned to me and said, ‘I am flabbergasted.  I can’t figure it out – this kind of community coming from one Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to be like Jesus Christ.  Maybe we are using the wrong kind of weapons’”.

So the question needs to be asked again – why are some people so resistant to the Bible and the Christian faith?  Very often the answer is simply that they really don’t know what benefits and blessings they are missing.  They are full of misconceptions and misunderstandings about what it is like to be a Christian and for that reason dismiss it out of hand.  No wonder it says in Hosea Chapter 6, “People destroy themselves for lack of knowledge”.