AUGUST 2002
Volume 31 Issue 8 No. 317
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AUGUST 2002 Volume 31 Issue 8 No. 317 |
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Obedience Made EasyA talk delivered in Halo 2002, a camp for young men, 12-15 January by R. Stanley
We may not be regular in talking to God. But the devil never misses a day to talk to us. Invariably his subject of conversation with us is lies about God and His Word. The foremost of his lies is that, "God is a hard taskmaster... His expectations are too demanding to be lived up to... His commandments are too difficult to be obeyed!" Victory in Christian life depends on which one we choose to believe: Devil’s lie or God’s truth.
Christian life begins with obedience to the Gospel. From beginning to end Christian life is a life of obedience. That’s why unbelievers are called the "children of disobedience" (Eph 5:6). No doubt obedience to God is difficult, but it is not a drudgery. This was made clear in one of the very early discourses of Jesus: "My yoke is easy... My burden is light" (Mt 11:28-30). To this the dear most disciple of Jesus, even John, said Amen when he testified at the end of his six decade of Christian life, "God’s commandments are not burdensome" (1 Jn 5:3b).
The first audience of Jesus was mostly of Jews. Religion was a burden for them. The laws of Moses were a heavy yoke. The leaders who taught those laws to the people wouldn’t even touch them with their fingers (Mt 23:4). It was against this background Jesus invited folks to Him with the promise, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... Take My yoke on you... My yoke is easy" (Mt 11:28-30). This does not mean that Jesus lowered the standard of holiness set by the Father God in the law of Moses. In fact Jesus has raised it. He said that even a lustful look was adultery, and hatred was murder (Mt 5:21,22,27,28). The difference is that God under the New Covenant has abundantly given to us His grace through Christ that we may be enabled to obey His Commandments as would be acceptable to Him (Jn 1:16,17). In other words, obedience is now made easy!
I have chosen the Book of Hebrews to study how obedience is made practical and easy. Interestingly this 13 chapter book begins with the words, "God spoke!" I could pick up from this Epistle atleast seven factors which make obedience easy. Understanding of each of these factors will catapult you to soaring heights to walk in the heavenlies.
If we trust someone, it becomes easy for us to do what that person bids us to do. The Book of Hebrews presents Abraham as a classic example of this truth. "By FAITH Abraham obeyed" (Heb 11:8). He trusted God as a "friend." "He was called the friend of God" (Js 2:23b). Jesus came to show us not only the fatherhood of God but also His friendliness. Obedience is such a pleasant and natural thing in homes where parents and children relate to each other as friends! Jesus during His life on earth was a friend both of sinners and saints. He was nicknamed, "friend of sinners," and He called His disciples His friends. Friendship is basic to trust and confidence.
God’s commandments come to us through His Word. We cannot obey them unless we believe them. Adam disobeyed God because he disbelieved what God had told him about the tree of knowledge. Unbelief was the root cause of the disobedience of the people of Israel (Heb 3:18,19). "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in those who heard it" (Heb 4:2).
God is not against common sense or logical reasoning. They are very necessary to make right decisions and sound judgement. But everything should be submitted to the Word of God. Peter was quite frustrated when after a whole night of toiling and moiling in the sea he caught nothing. Jesus was not a fisherman but a carpenter. When He asked Peter to throw the net into deep waters, the latter would not have found it easy to do so. But when he placed his fishing experience under the words of Jesus, obedience became easy for him. He said, "Nevertheless at Your Word..." (Lk 5:5).
This kind of faith comes by hearing the Word of God again and again. Not just by reading, but by hearing—which means that we must realise that it is actually God "speaking" to us whenever we read His Word. Hearing leads to believing, and believing helps obedience (Rom 10:16,17). Obedience becomes difficult once the heart is hardened by unbelief. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews warns us, "Beware, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God" (Heb 3:12). When we realise that the one who calls us to obey is a "living God," we feel like a child relaxing with confidence into the bosom of its mother. No anxiety. No worry.
Fear is the next powerful force that motivates us to obey. Noah feared God and obeyed Him to build an ark. We read, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly FEAR, prepared an ark for the saving of his family" (Heb 11:7). If he had not obeyed, he would have got destroyed with others in the flood.
Fear has two components, one negative and the other positive. Fear of punishment is negative. Fear for the person is positive. The negative thing is the worry of consequence. The other one is reverence for the person. For God-pleasing obedience both the dimensions are important.
a) Negative fear The first lessons of obedience are usually learnt in the school of negative fear. When God gave Adam His commandment about the tree of knowledge, He warned him, "In the day when you eat of it you shall surely die!" (Gen 2:17). Parents show the cane or threaten their children, "I’ll kick you if you do it!" Teachers warn students they would fail if they don’t work hard. While counselling youngsters, King Solomon wrote, "Fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Prov 3:7b). As a preacher he concluded his sermons with the words, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man" (Eccl 12:13).
Why does a nation become corrupt? Why do communities collapse in morals? Why does the world embrace evil? Why is sin tolerated in the Church? Loss of fear of God is the underlying reason. When Abraham went to Gerar, he requested his wife Sarah to tell people that she was his sister. The King of that place was attracted by her beauty and took her to himself. But before he touched her God intervened and warned him that she was someone’s wife. The King was alarmed and asked Abraham why he told this lie. The answer of Abraham is revealing for our subject of study: "Because I thought, surely the FEAR of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife!" (Gen 20:10,11).
Fear of God comes from the knowledge that nothing can be hidden from Him. "There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb 4:13). It was this knowledge that made Joseph flee from temptation. When his boss’ wife enticed him, her argument perhaps was no one would know because "none of the men of the house was inside" (Gen 39:11,12). She looked around, but he looked above! He knew that God knew. Joseph had the knowledge that every transgression and disobedience would receive a just penalty (Heb 2:2).
b) Positive fear Understanding "who" commands us makes obedience easy. Reverential fear for God stops arguments and rebellion in our mind. See the introduction to the Ten Commandments: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Ex 20:2). Then follow the commandments. Therefore, You shall... You shall not... and so on!
Not only for the Ten Commandments, but also whenever God gave His people important laws and regulations, He prefaced them with the statement, "I am the Lord!" Here are some sample texts from Leviticus 19— "You shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD" (v10). "You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall FEAR your God : I AM THE LORD" (v14). "You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people... I AM THE LORD" (v16). "You shall not take vengeance... I AM THE LORD" (v18).
In a very practical situation Peter demonstrated how the knowledge of who commands makes obedience easy. When Jesus was walking on the sea towards His disciples whose boat had been seized by raging waves and contrary wind, they were afraid that it was a ghost! But Jesus cheered them up saying it was He. Immediately Peter responded, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water!" (Mt 14:24-29). Peter knew how risky it was to attempt to walk on water. But he ventured because he knew who called him. Even when we don’t know who calls us, we run to the telephone the moment it rings! Many times it will be a wrong number call!
Often we are told by preachers and people that we must obey God blindly, but God would have us understand WHY we must obey Him. No doubt our obedience must be implicit and immediate, but God is only pleased when it is intelligent too.
In Hebrews 3:7 we read, "THEREFORE, do not harden your hearts if you hear God’s voice today." The writer of the Epistle in the two previous verses states twin reasons for calling for obedience. One was that Moses was faithful in God’s house as a servant, and next, Christ is faithful over His house as a Son. In other words, Moses understood that he was a servant of God and that demanded faithful obedience; and Christ obeyed His Father as a son. Applying the same principle to us, when we know that God is our Creator, we will obey Him as His creatures. When Christ is our King, we obey Him as His citizens. He is the Captain, so we obey Him as His soldiers. He is the Lord and Master, so we obey Him as His disciples. That’s why He once rebuked His disciples, "Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" (Lk 6:46). If Christ is the Head, we ought to obey Him as the organs of His body. This is intelligent obedience.
David was a man after God’s own heart, but that does not mean he never disobeyed God. He did have difficulties in obeying God in everything. That’s why he frequently prayed, "O Lord, give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law... Give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments... that I may know your testimonies" (Psa 119:34, 73b, 125). Yes, God does not demand from us blind obedience, but He desires brilliant obedience. Intelligent obedience gives no room for half-heartedness.
Why do horses and donkeys and other animals find it difficult to obey their masters? Because, they have no understanding. That’s why God admonishes us, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go...Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have NO UNDERSTANDING, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, or else they will not come near you!" (Psa 32:8,9).
Where do we get facts from? How do we get understanding? It’s all from the Word of God. It imparts understanding of eternal facts in our inner man. This function of God’s Word is graphically explained in Hebrews 4:11,12, "Let us therefore be diligent... lest anyone fall after the same example of DISOBEDIENCE. Because, the WORD of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The message here is that God’s Word gives us clear-cut understanding of divine truth. Plain truth. Just facts. No compromise. Systematic meditation of the Scriptures keeps our spirits soft and submitted to the Rule of God in our lives. Not mere accumulation of knowledge in head but assimilation of divine truth in heart.
Help and support from fellow believers, friends and family folks make obedience to God easy. We are exhorted in Hebrews 3:13-15, "Encourage one another daily, while it is called ‘Today’... while it is said: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." This passage means that we never outgrow the need for the fellowship of saints as long as we are on earth. When we enter eternity, there will be no "today" because there will be no yesterday or tomorrow! A walk of obedience with God is ultimately the individual’s choice and responsibility, but he cannot do it all by himself. Not isolation but integration is the safest road to walk in consistent obedience.
We must not fail to note when exactly God gave Eve to Adam. It was immediately after He commanded Adam about the tree of knowledge (Gen 2:15-18). God said, "It’s not good for man to be alone!" Not that he would fall into adultery if he were alone. In fact there was no woman at all at that time! The companionship of Eve was mainly to help Adam to obey God and resist Satan. What an awesome responsibility God has placed on spouses to mutually encourage and exhort one another in their walk of obedience to God! When together they seek to obey God in all matters, relationship between them also becomes smoother. This was the secret of oneness between the old couple Elizabeth and Zacharias (Lk 1:6,59-63).
Sarah helped Abraham obey God. The Bible nowhere says that Abraham left home with Isaac to sacrifice him without telling Sarah! It’s a meaningless interpretation of the narrative. While commenting on the faith of Abraham, the writer of Hebrews says, "By faith Sarah ALSO...." (Heb 11:8-11).
Children need the help of parents to obey God. King Solomon stresses it in the very beginning of his book of Proverbs. "My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother" (Prov 1:8; 4:1-4). The influence of mummy and granny on Timothy is well known (2 Tim 1:5).
"Leave me alone," is the demand of youth both at home and outside. This puts the devil in an advantageous position to play havoc in their lives. Let them listen to the words of the wisest king ever lived: "Two are better than one... Because, if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.... Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him... Better is a poor and wise youth than an old foolish king who will be admonished no more" (Eccl 4:9,10,13). Was it not because of the strong support of fellowship that the three young men namely Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael could choose to obey God rather than the King of Babylon in the matter of faith? (Dan 3:28).
Obedience is taught as well as caught. Because the children of disobedience outnumber the children of obedience and we are invariably surrounded by the former, we get easily imbibed with a spirit of disobedience (Eph 2:2). The most effective means to unlearn the ways of disobedience is to learn from those who walk(ed) in obedience (Col 3:6-8; 1 Tim 6:11).
Of the clouds of forerunners whom we can emulate to walk in obedience, Jesus is the supreme example (Heb 12:1). We are called to closely study Him and watch Him (Heb 3:1,2). Apostle Paul points this out in Romans 5:19 in stark contrast to the disobedience of Adam and his race: "As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous." The obedience of Jesus was not intermittent but consistent. He was obedient "until death." His life from beginning to end was characterised by obedience. He obeyed His Father on the banks of River Jordon, in the wilderness of temptation, in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Golgotha, and everywhere. No spot on earth was desecrated by Him by steps of disobedience. Let this mind of Christ, the willing mind of obedience, be in us also! (Phil 2:5,8). Let us "obey always!" (v 12). It is easy to dismiss the example of Jesus saying that He was God and so He could live like that. But let us not forget that He did so by "coming in the likeness of men" (v 7c).
The 11th Chapter of Hebrews is called God’s Hall of Fame. It’s filled with portraits of those who excelled in obedience to God in their generations. Noah obeyed God amidst mockers (Heb 11:7). Abraham obeyed God leaving comforts (v 8). Joseph obeyed God against allurements (v 22). Moses obeyed God against affluence (v 24). Daniel obeyed God against threats. The disciples obeyed God amidst persecutions. Let’s be always inspired by these forerunners. Most of them lived in times when the benefits of Calvary or the blessings of Pentecost were unknown. If they could walk in God-pleasing obedience then, we certainly can—even more!
Forerunners of obedience run not only all over the Bible but also throughout Church history. Amy Carmichael obeyed God’s call and came to India. William Carey obeyed God’s call and came to India. David Livingstone’s obedience took him to Africa. Adoniram Judson’s obedience landed him in Burma. Hudson Taylor sailed to China in obedience to God’s call. Sadhu Sundersingh walked all over India with the gospel because his sole aim was to obey God. Mary Slessor would not have chosen to work among the cannibals if she had not wanted to obey God. Obedience to God cost Graham Staines his life and that of his sons. It’s again obedience that still keeps his wife Gladys Staines where he was burnt alive by ungrateful people.
There is no one without failures in this world. For those who love God no failure is final. Failures, crises, suffering, losses, disappointments and such things belong to the same category. In the providence of God, all these can be redemptively used to learn obedience.
Why does God take us through difficult and depressing situations? Hebrews 12:9 seems to give the most satisfying answer: "We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in SUBJECTION to the Father of spirits and live?" Jesus was not exempted from this experience except that in His case there was and could be no failure but only suffering. The Son of God as the Son of Man graduated with honours in the school of suffering, with obedience as the major. The unknown author of Hebrews writes, "Though Jesus was a Son, yet He learned OBEDIENCE by the things which He suffered" (Heb 5:8). This was to bless us as a pattern (v9). "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who OBEY Him."
Except in very rare circumstances, failures in life are due to disobedience to the Word of God and His revealed will. Failures are God’s attention-getters. Failures bring us to knees. Repeated failures make us prostrate before God. If we don’t learn from failures, we are only learning to fail. Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear in his first car. No one repeated that mistake. Hear the testimony of the Psalmist: "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your Word... It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes" (Psa 119:67,71).
Disadvantages in life also usually keep us humble and obedient. Abraham Lincoln was one of the most godly and successful American Presidents. He had a difficult childhood. His formal schooling was for less than a year. He failed in business in 1831 and was defeated for the legislature in 1832. The next year he again failed in business. His fiancee died in 1835. He was defeated for speaker in 1838. When he got married, his wife became a burden for him. Only one of his four sons lived past age 18. He was defeated for congress, Senate and vice-presidency. But he was elected as President in 1860 !
Some failures are beyond us, but we are responsible for most of the failures in our lives. An objective and honest analysis of these failures would teach us how we can avoid them by watchfulness and diligence. Failures break our arrogance and stubbornness, and make obedience easy.
Finally, obedience becomes easy when we think of the future rewards God has promised to those who obey Him. "There remains a rest for the people of God... Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience" (Heb 4:9,11). Obedience may be a struggle now, but this struggle will be over in eternity. When we enter the heavenly rest, we would cease from our works—struggles and efforts—as God did from His! (v 10). One day of rest in God’s literal presence will be worth all the efforts we took for thousands of days on earth to walk in obedience before Him!
Jesus spoke about two buildings in His Sermon on the Mount. One was built by a wise man and the other by someone foolish. The wise man was one who lived and worked in obedience to God’s will revealed in His Word. His building stood all storms and floods. But the building of the disobedient man was washed away (Mt 7:24,25). This illustration was the conclusion of Christ’s longest recorded sermon. It was a warning against disobedience, more so a motivation for obedience! If I believe in life after death I must choose to obey God in life before death.
Let me close this article with a promise from the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 28:13, "The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, and are careful to observe them!"
This Jehu jolly well could be you!A Bible Character Study by Duke Jeyaraj
Jehu. Heard about him? A name springing out of Kerala? A beautiful beach you would bump into in Mumbai City? No. Not exactly. It is the name of the longest ruling King over the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The Old Testament packs his story in just two chapters—2 Kings 9 and 10. Recently I read his story. I re-read it. I thought over his story. One thing became clear. One thing was evident. He looked a lot like me. May I add one more thing? He will look a lot like you—young person—if only you looked deeply at his life. Jehu—a replica of many youngsters walking the Jesus narrow way! "In what way?" "Can you explain?" Here we go:
1. He had a CALL just like you and me. Prophet Elisha commissions a young prophet (that’s why I think Jehu is young!) to anoint Jehu as the next King of Israel (9:1-10). He is given a task to do: to wipe out the evil dynasty of Ahab. Ahab who? The King of Israel who grabbed the land from innocent Naboth. Ahab who? Ahab, whose missus—Jezebel—started a Baal Seminary (if we can see it that way) to train Baal Prophets to eradicate Yahweh worship in Israel. Jehu had a call—to be God’s sword of judgement on the family of Ahab (9:7). God had given chances galore to Ahab’s family. Now it is time for judgement, He decides. Comes the hour. Comes God’s man. Jehu. A commander in Israel’s army (9:4). And he is given a task. You and I have it— the call of God on our lives. Certainly not to murder Osama Bin Laden and his clan. But to plunder hell and populate Heaven. To snatch those who are in the grip of the Devil and bring them to the family of God (Jude 23). To be a beacon light that will guide passersby into the family of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 2:9). Ever thought seriously about your call? Ever converted your call into concrete acts? Jehu did. He did it in unimitable style. What about you?
2. He was COURAGEOUS just like you and me (sometimes!) If Jehu had a middle name—it was this: Courage. Guts were part of his psyche. Sure, he probably read Moses who often said, "Be strong and courageous!" (Dt 31:6). He marches to the palace at Ramoth Gilead—an administrative hub since the time of Solomon (I Ki 4:13). Ramoth Gilead—a town which was the New Delhi of Israel. King Joram—one of the clan of Ahab—came out to meet him after the palace watchman reports that he can hear the gallop of horses—Jehu’s horses. Joram quizzes Jehu’s intentions: "I hope you aren’t galloping to this palace to make war?" Jehu’s courage shines like a diamond as he shoots this question to him: "How can there be peace, as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?" (2 Ki 9:22). When he just finished that little speech, I imagine a small voice telling Jehu: "Wow! What a zing-thing it is to to turn up for Yahweh’s cause!" Jehu was bold. And blunt. He drew his bow. And he shot at King Joram. An arrow pierces his heart. Let me remind you: Jehu was God’s arrow to decimate the family of Ahab whom God had given umpteen chances! Young friend, you too are God’s arrow (Psa 127:4). Live for Him—in this ignoble generation—if you have any bone marrow! "The godly are gutsy as lions," the Bible tells us (Prov 28:1).
Jehu next races to Jezreel, where the ferociously spoiled female sovereign Jezebel lived. Jehu announced, "Who is on my side?" Two or three officers up in Queen’s palace join hands with him. They throw the Queen who once murdered the Lord’s prophets. Dogs devour her dead body. Jehu discovered one thing that day: Courage is contagious. His courage rubbed onto a few officials in Jezreel palace (2 Ki 9:32). Young pal, when you dare to do great things for the Master, while many will just stare at you, a few will join you! After all courage is like a contagious disease! And isn’t that a good reason to be courageous? 3. He was CUNNING just like you and me (sometimes!) Called. Courageous. Words that fit Jehu quite well. What about Cunning? What about Foxy? He gives instructions to his men to kill the 70 sons of Ahab and collect their heads. They are killed—all the 70 of them. Their heads are packed off to him in a basket. He piles up their heads in a public place in heaps. The people of Israel come in great numbers to watch this carnage—this blood bath. Jehu, the clever crook now speaks: "You aren’t to blame. I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?" (2 Ki 10:9). Read the last sentence once again: "Who killed all these?" Oh surely he knew who killed all these! He was lying. He thought he was being clever. No he wasn’t. He even tried to give a religious colour to this black lie: "You can be sure that the message of the Lord that was spoken concerning Ahab’s family will not fail. The Lord declared through His servant that this would happen!" (2 Ki 10:10). Oh yes, the Lord did declare this (Check out 1 Kings 19:16,17). But, But, But. He certainly did not say he should cleverly lie this way to make the destruction of Ahab’s family happen.
Did Jehu deceive just one time? No! Scroll down a bit. Jehu assembles all the priests of Baal in his kingdom. How did he convince all of them to come? By a well-framed lie! "Ahab hardly worshipped Baal at all compared to the way I will worship him!" he bluffed (2 Ki 10:18). Those who came there believing his lie were butchered to death. You lie once and it begs to become a habit. Ask Jehu!
4. He was HALF-COMMITTED just like you and me (most of the time?!) Jehu rubbed off every structure of Baal worship in Northern Israel. "Every trace"—that’s how one translation goes (10: 30). But you know what? He did not touch the golden calves, which Jerobaom built once upon a time saying, "These are your gods, North Israel! You don’t have to go south of Israel— where Jerusalem is—to worship. You can stay right here—in the northern cities of Dan and Bethel—and worship!" (1 Ki 12:28-33). Jeroboam who? The commander of the Forced Labour Team of 30,000 in Solomon’s time. Jeroboam who goes on to become the first king of the divided kingdom of Israel—northern Israel that is. Jehu did not want to destroy them—those idols Jeroboam had set up centuries ago. He pounded Baal Temples but winked at the golden calves! He flattened the Baal worship structures but let the golden calves temples bloom. Shocking? Is it not like Sachin Tendulkar bringing India within one run of a big win and failing to get that single run even though he had 10 balls to do it? Is it not like David Beckham dribbling the ball past ten defenders—including the goalie—and then shooting the ball wide off the goalmouth?
I cracked my head to come up with a reason for the Jehu seemingly inexplicable behavior. Here it is: If he wiped out those golden calf-idols he would become extremely unpopular with his countrymen—the northern Israelites. The first gold calf the Israelites set up in Aaron’s time was a huge hit because of the enticement of sexual play. So if Jehu destroyed the golden calves altars, the people who loved going there would turn against him. In the people’s minds their hero would become a zero! So Jehu decided to keep the golden calf worship on. He sacrificed total commitment to the LORD on the altar of popularity! Is that a familiar story, young buddy? Has that happened in your life? "If my resolve to follow Christ is this intense I would be called a Jesus freak, a nerd, a puritan!"—has that gone over your mind? Your commitment to Christ goes cartwheeling because you are afraid the crowd around you won’t cheer you any longer!
The writer of Kings scripts God’s certificate to Jehu: "But Jehu did not obey the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart!" (2 Ki 10:31). A sad ending to a gripping story. A sorry epitaph for a great champion. We must ask ourselves: Have we opened every room of our heart to Christ? Sure, He came in one day into our hearts and lives. But the question posed by the life of Jehu is simple yet sublime: Having let Jesus in, have you yielded yourself fully to Him? Have you opened every room of your heart for Him to take total control? Here is a Billy Graham word-bullet: "When you say, ‘Yes’ to Christ, it is as if every bridge burns behind you as you walk forward with Him and there is no thought of ever turning back!" Jehu walked three steps forward. And four steps back. The reason? He was not one hundred percent committed to Yahweh! Billy Graham goes on to say, "There is a 100% reward that awaits a person who is 100% committed to Christ. But there are no 50% rewards for 50% commitments!" Was he Biblical? Oh yes! Haven’t you read, "He who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Mt 10:22)?
Jehu, are you reading this article? This Jehu, could jolly well be you!
How You can bless Missionary KidsR. Stanley Average Christians think that missionaries are angels. This misconception vanishes after one visits mission fields and gets to know missionaries closely. Same is the case with missionary kids (MKs). Until we understand their specific needs and peculiar problems, we don’t intercede with burden before the Throne of Grace on their behalf.
By choosing a missionary career, missionaries invariably come under an economic stress which is definitely greater than their secular counterparts. Children are the first to be affected by this. Peer pressure adds to the misery. Sacrifice on the part of their parents is voluntary but for the kids it becomes compulsory. No child normally relishes it. In course of time the kids develop an aversion to Christian work. A secret opinion poll has revealed that over 90% of the missionary kids hate to become missionaries. Startling?
In India an average child would like to spend his student days as much as possible with his parents. This becomes impossible if the parents go forth for pioneer missionary work. To get good education most of the MKs have to join boarding schools. This unavoidable separation affects kids psychologically, especially if they are too young.
I cannot quote chapter and verse to support this, but it is commonly observed that the children of frontline missionaries become the primary target of the devil. The serpent, which gets wounded in the field, lifts its heel against the children of the soldiers. They get sick. They become dull in studies. They join bad company. And so on. Such news depresses their parents. It is a vicious circle.
Here are a few practical ways HOW YOU CAN BLESS MISSIONARY KIDS—
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