Sunday, May 27, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2007
Mike's Musings - 2
If There Is a God...
Having said that the universe is the way it is, the question arises: What is God doing? And especially, Why? We have all heard of people who said something like, If there is a God, why doesn’t He stop war? Or, why doesn’t He stop suffering? Or, why does He allow children to die?
I believe God created the universe and sustains its laws and processes by His providence. I believe that the mind of God instantly keeps track of every sub-atomic particle that has ever existed in the universe, as well as every nano-second in which they existed. I believe that God’s providence ultimately controls everything regarding people, things, time, space, angels and eternity.
Yet, in order that sentient beings - human and angelic - might have real free will, he made it so that these sentient beings can mess with the processes and produce real natural and spiritual consequences - if not always the ones intended, anticipated or desired. These consequences may have very concrete and far ranging effects on nature, people, the spiritual realm and God’s actions or reactions.
God basically lets the universe run according to the general laws, plans, purposes, goals of nature and of His will. Or, within limits, by the actions, choices and decisions of His creatures. From the human standpoint, it often appears that the universe runs by its own natural momentum. The Deists used to believe that God created the universe, then wound it up like a clock and let it run without further intervention. Satan believes he will ultimately get total control of the system and is constantly interfering. To some it appears that humans can have more influence on the overall effects and operations of the universe than is really the case. Some creatures convince themselves that they can get God to operate the universe like a coin operated candy machine for selfish or silly wishes.
As far as possible, God lets it be so. Nothing would happen if He didn’t supply and maintain the energy, oil the machinery, sustain the atoms, provide the spiritual realities - alone or through agents - keep the galaxies in their places, make the laws operate. But, to give maximum freedom to sentient beings, God frequently lets the universe run with His hands off of particular controls. And though God did not create certain entities that now lodge within the universe, or initiate certain actions, or cause certain effects that happen within the bounds of the universe, He usually gets the credit or the blame for whatever transpires because He created the platform and allows whatever happens, though in fact it may not be according to His will and it may grieve Him sorely.
God is not without resources or recourse in dealing with any effect or consequence, anywhere, of any kind. Based on His own purposes, or the outer limits of His tolerance of sin and suffering, or the faith and prayers of His creatures, He can and may put His hands back on the controls. He may overrule, He may reverse, He may fix, He may heal or restore or restrain or repair some individual process or group of processes gone awry. Or He may not. While generally letting the universe naturally run down (according to the second law of thermodynamics) toward its destiny, in the interim He may work a miracle, He may do a new thing, He may create additional matter, new laws, new nature, more space, more time. Or He may not. He may limit Himself in particular cases, but He is never at His wit’s end. His hands are not tied. He is never a day late or a dollar short.
But He does not guarantee the outcome we desire. He may not intervene the way we want. If He does nothing, is He to blame? If He does something not as good as desired, is He to blame? If He grants our wish but it is ultimately harmful to us, is He to blame? Since He created the universe and bad things happen in it, is He to blame? Perhaps in our perplexity, the real question is, why did God create such a lousy universe at all? For that matter, does God even care? Is He impartial? Is He fair? Is He just? Is there really a God?
It is perfectly normal and legitimate for human beings to try to understand as much about God and His ways as possible. It is not a sin to ask questions of God or about God. It is not wrong to note problems, inconsistencies, contradictions, ambiguities, paradoxes, lack of information and the massive tragedy of the human condition. Furthermore, those who believe in God should not try to apologize for God with easy explanations, platitudes, excuses, clichés, caveats, outs. We should not attribute evil behavior to God (as in predestinating individuals to suffering or hell) and say that because God does it, it is OK.
Though God is sovereign, He cannot be a bully dictator and be consistent with the character or attributes of Godness. God cannot lie. God cannot deny Himself. God cannot be unjust. God cannot act like the devil and still be God. The picture that some people portray of God is of a Saddam Hussein or a Stalin or Hitler doing things because He has the power to do them, because He can get away with it and it is our sin even to wonder. God is not the author of mindlessness, of chosen ignorance, of intellectual slavery. No. If there is a God, even He must always act true to His character. God is love. God is good. God is just. He gives universal grace. We might fault Him for creating the kind of universe where free will exists, where He is not the only sentient being, where He is not the only One capable of making God-like choices with consequences for ourselves and others. But then wouldn’t we be vegetables or rocks or empty space or mattered robots - without mind, will or emotions or self-conscious pain or eternality?
Even if we concede God allows pain or catastrophe for an ultimately good and higher and “logical” and finally explainable purpose, we still wonder, Why? We still don’t like it. There are moments when we only want relief, we don’t care about free will, we don’t care about building character, we don’t care about the will of God, we just want the agony and the hassle to stop. We just want to sleep or forget or die.
Frequently God does not explain (so people will make of that whatever they want to). There are things that the best human mind cannot understand and may never understand (we will never be Gods). Whatever we say to ourselves, nothing changes that fact. God may seem arbitrary, blind, silent, mocking. The universe can appear – and for many practical purposes is – random. So, we have the choice of drawing closer to the Lord or of hating or cursing Him for the way things are. We have the freedom to become naturalists or nihilists or atheists. Though God loves such people still, those are poor choices to make with the limited amount of information and capacity we currently have. And choices do have consequences.
No illustration is perfect, but this one helps me. Like a parent deciding to allow doctors to perform a necessary surgery on the brain of their baby knowing it may leave the child permanently retarded; or permitting doctors to amputate the mangled legs of their unconscious teenager; or someone deciding to take a spouse off life support to die; so God allows shocking events to befall His loved ones, for what He knows is sufficient reason. I say, in the grand scheme of eternity, these tragedies are temporary, minor and ultimately forgettable. I don’t mean to be flippant. Though we may hate such circumstances with one part of our being as they occur, myriads can testify that these experiences do not per se prevent any individual from achieving their full essential potential. My friend, Jean Ruff, who has cancer on her aorta, told me recently that most of the cancer patients she knows that have sought God’s will for their lives, would not go back to their status quo ante. Without rationalization, many have found such experiences - their own and those of their circle - to be rich, replete with grandeur, full of spiritual fulfillment and contentment. And death itself represents no loss of essential human potential and fulfillment.
Having said that the universe is the way it is, the question arises: What is God doing? And especially, Why? We have all heard of people who said something like, If there is a God, why doesn’t He stop war? Or, why doesn’t He stop suffering? Or, why does He allow children to die?
I believe God created the universe and sustains its laws and processes by His providence. I believe that the mind of God instantly keeps track of every sub-atomic particle that has ever existed in the universe, as well as every nano-second in which they existed. I believe that God’s providence ultimately controls everything regarding people, things, time, space, angels and eternity.
Yet, in order that sentient beings - human and angelic - might have real free will, he made it so that these sentient beings can mess with the processes and produce real natural and spiritual consequences - if not always the ones intended, anticipated or desired. These consequences may have very concrete and far ranging effects on nature, people, the spiritual realm and God’s actions or reactions.
God basically lets the universe run according to the general laws, plans, purposes, goals of nature and of His will. Or, within limits, by the actions, choices and decisions of His creatures. From the human standpoint, it often appears that the universe runs by its own natural momentum. The Deists used to believe that God created the universe, then wound it up like a clock and let it run without further intervention. Satan believes he will ultimately get total control of the system and is constantly interfering. To some it appears that humans can have more influence on the overall effects and operations of the universe than is really the case. Some creatures convince themselves that they can get God to operate the universe like a coin operated candy machine for selfish or silly wishes.
As far as possible, God lets it be so. Nothing would happen if He didn’t supply and maintain the energy, oil the machinery, sustain the atoms, provide the spiritual realities - alone or through agents - keep the galaxies in their places, make the laws operate. But, to give maximum freedom to sentient beings, God frequently lets the universe run with His hands off of particular controls. And though God did not create certain entities that now lodge within the universe, or initiate certain actions, or cause certain effects that happen within the bounds of the universe, He usually gets the credit or the blame for whatever transpires because He created the platform and allows whatever happens, though in fact it may not be according to His will and it may grieve Him sorely.
God is not without resources or recourse in dealing with any effect or consequence, anywhere, of any kind. Based on His own purposes, or the outer limits of His tolerance of sin and suffering, or the faith and prayers of His creatures, He can and may put His hands back on the controls. He may overrule, He may reverse, He may fix, He may heal or restore or restrain or repair some individual process or group of processes gone awry. Or He may not. While generally letting the universe naturally run down (according to the second law of thermodynamics) toward its destiny, in the interim He may work a miracle, He may do a new thing, He may create additional matter, new laws, new nature, more space, more time. Or He may not. He may limit Himself in particular cases, but He is never at His wit’s end. His hands are not tied. He is never a day late or a dollar short.
But He does not guarantee the outcome we desire. He may not intervene the way we want. If He does nothing, is He to blame? If He does something not as good as desired, is He to blame? If He grants our wish but it is ultimately harmful to us, is He to blame? Since He created the universe and bad things happen in it, is He to blame? Perhaps in our perplexity, the real question is, why did God create such a lousy universe at all? For that matter, does God even care? Is He impartial? Is He fair? Is He just? Is there really a God?
It is perfectly normal and legitimate for human beings to try to understand as much about God and His ways as possible. It is not a sin to ask questions of God or about God. It is not wrong to note problems, inconsistencies, contradictions, ambiguities, paradoxes, lack of information and the massive tragedy of the human condition. Furthermore, those who believe in God should not try to apologize for God with easy explanations, platitudes, excuses, clichés, caveats, outs. We should not attribute evil behavior to God (as in predestinating individuals to suffering or hell) and say that because God does it, it is OK.
Though God is sovereign, He cannot be a bully dictator and be consistent with the character or attributes of Godness. God cannot lie. God cannot deny Himself. God cannot be unjust. God cannot act like the devil and still be God. The picture that some people portray of God is of a Saddam Hussein or a Stalin or Hitler doing things because He has the power to do them, because He can get away with it and it is our sin even to wonder. God is not the author of mindlessness, of chosen ignorance, of intellectual slavery. No. If there is a God, even He must always act true to His character. God is love. God is good. God is just. He gives universal grace. We might fault Him for creating the kind of universe where free will exists, where He is not the only sentient being, where He is not the only One capable of making God-like choices with consequences for ourselves and others. But then wouldn’t we be vegetables or rocks or empty space or mattered robots - without mind, will or emotions or self-conscious pain or eternality?
Even if we concede God allows pain or catastrophe for an ultimately good and higher and “logical” and finally explainable purpose, we still wonder, Why? We still don’t like it. There are moments when we only want relief, we don’t care about free will, we don’t care about building character, we don’t care about the will of God, we just want the agony and the hassle to stop. We just want to sleep or forget or die.
Frequently God does not explain (so people will make of that whatever they want to). There are things that the best human mind cannot understand and may never understand (we will never be Gods). Whatever we say to ourselves, nothing changes that fact. God may seem arbitrary, blind, silent, mocking. The universe can appear – and for many practical purposes is – random. So, we have the choice of drawing closer to the Lord or of hating or cursing Him for the way things are. We have the freedom to become naturalists or nihilists or atheists. Though God loves such people still, those are poor choices to make with the limited amount of information and capacity we currently have. And choices do have consequences.
No illustration is perfect, but this one helps me. Like a parent deciding to allow doctors to perform a necessary surgery on the brain of their baby knowing it may leave the child permanently retarded; or permitting doctors to amputate the mangled legs of their unconscious teenager; or someone deciding to take a spouse off life support to die; so God allows shocking events to befall His loved ones, for what He knows is sufficient reason. I say, in the grand scheme of eternity, these tragedies are temporary, minor and ultimately forgettable. I don’t mean to be flippant. Though we may hate such circumstances with one part of our being as they occur, myriads can testify that these experiences do not per se prevent any individual from achieving their full essential potential. My friend, Jean Ruff, who has cancer on her aorta, told me recently that most of the cancer patients she knows that have sought God’s will for their lives, would not go back to their status quo ante. Without rationalization, many have found such experiences - their own and those of their circle - to be rich, replete with grandeur, full of spiritual fulfillment and contentment. And death itself represents no loss of essential human potential and fulfillment.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Aquela Noite em Novembro
Por razões que não vale a pena citar aqui, as nossas experiências com co-operadores no campo missionário entre 1976 e 1985 foram traumáticas. Em duas ocasiões, famílias vieram especificamente com o propósito de ajudar-nos na obra, e nos dois casos eram conhecidos nossos de longa data. E nos dois casos (por razões muito diversas umas das outras), com um intervalo de 5 anos, as duas famílias abandonaram a Madeira depois de passar somente um ano aqui. Embora não haja nenhum rancor em nossos corações em relação a esses irmãos, seria deshonesto dizer que não fomos profundamente magoados pessoalmente por estas atitudes ou que o trabalho não foi prejudicado espiritualmente. Sempre haverá cicatrizes, mas cicatrizes não doem.
Falo nisso somente porque uma das consequências mais duradouras não foi uma amargura contra as outras pessoas envolvidas (pois a graça de Deus nos permitiu vencer), mas o que aconteceu foi que deixei de pedir que Deus enviasse alguém para trabalhar connosco. Eu disse ao Senhor que Ele podia enviar alguém se Ele quisesse, e nem precisavam trabalhar connosco, desde que viessem com um coração para alcançar esta ilha. Sim, era OK se Ele enviava alguém, mas não seria eu a pedir.
Foi em Novembro 2005 numa reunião de oração (provavelmente numa 4ª-feira...talvez uma noite depois de um culto dominical) quando o Senhor me quebrou. Estávamos na altura de festejar o 1º aniversário do novo prédio e o facto de ter pago as obras. Encorajei a igreja a olhar para lá das paredes e aceitar o desafio de Deus para alcançarmos a ilha toda. Não podíamos simplesmente cruzar os braços, ficar sentados e admirar os vitrais. Mas alcançar a ilha, como? Nossos recursos humanos estavam já esticados ao seu limite. Naquele período de oração, Deus me fez saber que eu havia pecado em não pedir-Lhe o envio de obreiros. Em que era o meu pecado? Basicamente, eu não confiava em Deus, que Ele podia enviar alguém que podia trabalhar connosco; alguém com um peso por esta ilha que faria com que ficassem aqui fosse o que fosse. Foi falta de fé da minha parte. Deus quebrou-me. Chorei. Clamei a Deus, primeiramente em confissão e arrependimento, depois num clamor para que Ele enviasse obreiros. Eu não disse a Deus que tinham que vir trabalhar connosco, somente que viessem para evangelizar a ilha.
Começando nos últimos meses do ano passado, as respostas começaram a chegar:
Roy e Dawn sentiram a chamada de Deus para vender a sua casa em Cornuália e construir uma casa a 45 min. ao oeste do Funchal. Não sabiam nada da nossa obra, mas disseram aos seus irmãos no Reino Unido que se não existisse uma igreja, "teriam que começar uma." (Roy é um pregador leigo.)
Mais ou menos na mesma altura, Kristjan e sua esposa Andrea, vieram dos EUA e decidiram compra uma casa na vila a uns 3 minutos do local onde Roy e Dawn estão a construir a sua casa. Este casal jovem veio com as suas duas crianças pequenas depois de considerar, e rejeitar, outros campos, como Fiji, Mongolia, e Paquistão. Não vieram para nos ajudar, e nem sequer sabiam de nós antes de comprar a sua casa, mas depois de voltar dos EUA onde passaram o Natal, eles crêem que Deus os trouxe a esta ilha e à nossa igreja. (Como o mundo é pequeno: nosso filho Jeff ficou com Andrea e seus pais em São Paulo, Brasil, quando passou o verão de 1995 lá. Os pais da Andrea eram missionários no Brasil. Depois, Andrea frequentou universidade nos EUA e sua colega de quarto é irmã de Mark, que casou com nossa filha, Joy.)
Anabela ligou o outro dia para pedir direcções à igreja. Naquela manhã na igreja, descobrimos que já nos conhecemos há quase 25 anos, quando ela era namorada do filho de uma irmã da igreja nessa altura. Anabela depois emigrou para Alemanha, onde aceitou o evangelho e foi baptizada, casando com o soldado americano que a levou a Cristo. Depois deste tempo todo nos EUA, ela diz que o Senhor a trouxe de novo à Madeira. Ela se apresentou à igreja para ser aceite como membro, e quer ser usada em qualquer forma que possa ajudar a igreja realizar a sua missão e visão.
Também, no último mês, um Sábado à noite, um desconhecido entrou enquanto o coro ensaiava a cantata de Páscoa. Fábio, um jovem, tem vindo fielmente aos cultos desde então. Ele também se apresentou à igreja para pedir ser aceite como membro. Ele deu o seu testimunho como tinha experimentado com drogas duras, mas através de um ministério de recuperação de drogados no Brasil, ele venceu o vício. Há quatro meses atrás, ele aceitou o Senhor Jesus como Salvador na 1ª Igreja Baptista de Fortaleza, e decidiu voltar à sua família aqui na Madeira. Ele pediu baptismo.
Há 15 dias, Albert trouxe uma nova visitante ao culto de Inglês.Tânia e Albert tinham se encontrado dois dias antes na rua perto da casa dele e um deles falou "Graças a Deus" e o outro reparou nesse frase. Tânia perguntou a Albert se ele cria em Deus, e ele respondeu que sim e que assiste a uma igreja pequena...ela perguntou qual...ele disse que era Baptista...e ela disse que já tinha orado a Deus para saber onde estava a igreja baptista, pois tinha ouvido falar e não sabia onde era. Ela foi convertida e baptizada na Assembleia de Deus há 4 anos, mas o pai dela morreu logo depois, e ela deixou de assistir à igreja. Ela me perguntou esta manhã acerca de ser membro na nossa igreja, e queria saber as diferenças entre baptistas e a Assembleia de Deus. Ela confessou que o costume deles de orar todos ao mesmo tempo, e as línguas estranhas, nunca foi algo que ela aceitava bem.
Também soubemos que dois casais de turistas do Reino Unido, que têm vindo à Madeira regularmente nos últimos anos e que assistem aos nossos cultos, compraram apartamentos no Funchal nos últimos mêses para que possam passar mais tempo aqui na ilha.
Todas estas pessoas a vir do "nada"! E sei que foi por causa de uma noite em Novembro 2005...e não parámos de orar desde então.
Falo nisso somente porque uma das consequências mais duradouras não foi uma amargura contra as outras pessoas envolvidas (pois a graça de Deus nos permitiu vencer), mas o que aconteceu foi que deixei de pedir que Deus enviasse alguém para trabalhar connosco. Eu disse ao Senhor que Ele podia enviar alguém se Ele quisesse, e nem precisavam trabalhar connosco, desde que viessem com um coração para alcançar esta ilha. Sim, era OK se Ele enviava alguém, mas não seria eu a pedir.
Foi em Novembro 2005 numa reunião de oração (provavelmente numa 4ª-feira...talvez uma noite depois de um culto dominical) quando o Senhor me quebrou. Estávamos na altura de festejar o 1º aniversário do novo prédio e o facto de ter pago as obras. Encorajei a igreja a olhar para lá das paredes e aceitar o desafio de Deus para alcançarmos a ilha toda. Não podíamos simplesmente cruzar os braços, ficar sentados e admirar os vitrais. Mas alcançar a ilha, como? Nossos recursos humanos estavam já esticados ao seu limite. Naquele período de oração, Deus me fez saber que eu havia pecado em não pedir-Lhe o envio de obreiros. Em que era o meu pecado? Basicamente, eu não confiava em Deus, que Ele podia enviar alguém que podia trabalhar connosco; alguém com um peso por esta ilha que faria com que ficassem aqui fosse o que fosse. Foi falta de fé da minha parte. Deus quebrou-me. Chorei. Clamei a Deus, primeiramente em confissão e arrependimento, depois num clamor para que Ele enviasse obreiros. Eu não disse a Deus que tinham que vir trabalhar connosco, somente que viessem para evangelizar a ilha.
Começando nos últimos meses do ano passado, as respostas começaram a chegar:
Roy e Dawn sentiram a chamada de Deus para vender a sua casa em Cornuália e construir uma casa a 45 min. ao oeste do Funchal. Não sabiam nada da nossa obra, mas disseram aos seus irmãos no Reino Unido que se não existisse uma igreja, "teriam que começar uma." (Roy é um pregador leigo.)
Mais ou menos na mesma altura, Kristjan e sua esposa Andrea, vieram dos EUA e decidiram compra uma casa na vila a uns 3 minutos do local onde Roy e Dawn estão a construir a sua casa. Este casal jovem veio com as suas duas crianças pequenas depois de considerar, e rejeitar, outros campos, como Fiji, Mongolia, e Paquistão. Não vieram para nos ajudar, e nem sequer sabiam de nós antes de comprar a sua casa, mas depois de voltar dos EUA onde passaram o Natal, eles crêem que Deus os trouxe a esta ilha e à nossa igreja. (Como o mundo é pequeno: nosso filho Jeff ficou com Andrea e seus pais em São Paulo, Brasil, quando passou o verão de 1995 lá. Os pais da Andrea eram missionários no Brasil. Depois, Andrea frequentou universidade nos EUA e sua colega de quarto é irmã de Mark, que casou com nossa filha, Joy.)
Anabela ligou o outro dia para pedir direcções à igreja. Naquela manhã na igreja, descobrimos que já nos conhecemos há quase 25 anos, quando ela era namorada do filho de uma irmã da igreja nessa altura. Anabela depois emigrou para Alemanha, onde aceitou o evangelho e foi baptizada, casando com o soldado americano que a levou a Cristo. Depois deste tempo todo nos EUA, ela diz que o Senhor a trouxe de novo à Madeira. Ela se apresentou à igreja para ser aceite como membro, e quer ser usada em qualquer forma que possa ajudar a igreja realizar a sua missão e visão.
Também, no último mês, um Sábado à noite, um desconhecido entrou enquanto o coro ensaiava a cantata de Páscoa. Fábio, um jovem, tem vindo fielmente aos cultos desde então. Ele também se apresentou à igreja para pedir ser aceite como membro. Ele deu o seu testimunho como tinha experimentado com drogas duras, mas através de um ministério de recuperação de drogados no Brasil, ele venceu o vício. Há quatro meses atrás, ele aceitou o Senhor Jesus como Salvador na 1ª Igreja Baptista de Fortaleza, e decidiu voltar à sua família aqui na Madeira. Ele pediu baptismo.
Há 15 dias, Albert trouxe uma nova visitante ao culto de Inglês.Tânia e Albert tinham se encontrado dois dias antes na rua perto da casa dele e um deles falou "Graças a Deus" e o outro reparou nesse frase. Tânia perguntou a Albert se ele cria em Deus, e ele respondeu que sim e que assiste a uma igreja pequena...ela perguntou qual...ele disse que era Baptista...e ela disse que já tinha orado a Deus para saber onde estava a igreja baptista, pois tinha ouvido falar e não sabia onde era. Ela foi convertida e baptizada na Assembleia de Deus há 4 anos, mas o pai dela morreu logo depois, e ela deixou de assistir à igreja. Ela me perguntou esta manhã acerca de ser membro na nossa igreja, e queria saber as diferenças entre baptistas e a Assembleia de Deus. Ela confessou que o costume deles de orar todos ao mesmo tempo, e as línguas estranhas, nunca foi algo que ela aceitava bem.
Também soubemos que dois casais de turistas do Reino Unido, que têm vindo à Madeira regularmente nos últimos anos e que assistem aos nossos cultos, compraram apartamentos no Funchal nos últimos mêses para que possam passar mais tempo aqui na ilha.
Todas estas pessoas a vir do "nada"! E sei que foi por causa de uma noite em Novembro 2005...e não parámos de orar desde então.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
That Night in November
For reasons too complex to go into here, our experiences with co-workers on the mission field between 1976 and 1985 were traumatic. On two occasions, families came specifically to help us in the work, in both cases brethren we had known for years. In both cases (for very diverse reasons) the families abandoned Madeira after spending only one year here. While we harbor no grudges or ill-will towards either family, it would be dishonest to say we were not deeply hurt personally, and that the work was not adversely affected spiritually. There will always be scars, but scars don't hurt.
The point of even mentioning this is that one of the longer lasting consequences was not a continued bitterness towards the persons involved (which God's grace allowed us to overcome in time), but that I stopped asking God to send anyone to work with us. I told the Lord that He could send someone if He wanted, and they didn't even have to work with us, as long as they came with a heart to reach this island. Yes, it was OK for Him to send someone, but I was not going to ask Him.
It was November 2005 at a Wednesday night prayer meeting (or perhaps a special meeting we had after a Sunday night service) when the Lord broke me. We were celebrating the 1-year anniversary of our new building and the fact that it was paid off. I urged the church to look beyond our walls and accept God's challenge for the entire island. We could not fold our arms, sit back, and enjoy the stained glass windows. But reach out, how? Our human resources were seemingly stretched to the limit. God made me know in that time of prayer that I had sinned by not asking Him to send laborers. How had I sinned? I basically was not trusting Him to be able to send someone who could work with us; someone who had a burden for the island that would cause them to stay on no matter what happened. It was lack of faith on my part. God broke me. I wept. I cried out to God, first of all in repentance, then in a plea for Him to send laborers. I did not tell God that they had to come to work with us, as long they came to evangelize this island.
Starting last fall, the answers came pouring in:
Roy and Dawn felt led by the Lord to leave Cornwall and build a house about 45 west of Funchal. They knew nothing of our work, but they told their brethren back in the UK that if there wasn't a church, they would have to start one. (Roy is a lay preacher.)
About the same time, Kristjan and his wife Andrea, decided to buy a house in a village just 3 minutes from where Roy and Dawn are building their house. This young couple came with their two small children after looking into, and rejecting possible mission fields such as Fiji, Mongolia, and Pakistan. They didn't come to help us, and didn't even know about us before buying their house, but after coming back from the US at Christmas, they believe God led them to our church and this island. (Small world department: our son Jeff stayed with Andrea and her parents in São Paulo, Brazil, when he spent the summer of 1995 there. Her parents were missionaries in Brazil. Later, Andrea went to the US to university, and Marcia, her roommate at John Brown University, is the sister of our son-in-law, Mark.)
Anabela called the other day to get directions to the church. That morning at church, we recognized each other: we met almost 25 years ago when she was dating the son of a member. Anabela emigrated to Germany where she was baptized, after being led to the Lord by an American soldier, whom she married. They went to the US and in December of last year, she says the Lord brought her back to Madeira. She came forward to ask to be a member and wants to be used in any way to further the ministry and vision of the church.
Also within the last month, one Saturday night, a stranger walked in while the choir was rehearsing the Easter cantata. Fábio, a young man of about 20, has come faithfully ever since and he, too, came forward last Sunday to ask to be a member. He gave his testimony of experimenting with drugs, but through a rehabilitation ministry in Brazil overcame the habit. Four months ago, he accepted the Lord as Savior in the First Baptist Church of Fortaleza, and decided to return to his family here in Funchal. He has asked for baptism.
Two weeks ago, Albert brought a new visitor to the morning services in English. Tânia and Albert had met two days earlier in the street in front of his house and one of them said, "Praise the Lord" or "Thank the Lord." The other one picked up on it, and Tania asked Albert if he believed in God. He said he attends a small church...she asked which one...he said the Baptist Church...and she said she had been asking God to show her where the Baptist Church is. She had heard of it, but didn't know where it was. She was converted and baptized four years ago in the Assembly of God, but didn't attend there long before her father died, and she stopped attending. She asked me this morning about membership...asked what the differences are between Baptists and Assembly of God...admitted that the strange languages and everyone praying at the same time was not for her.
We also know that two couples of tourists from the UK, who have come to Madeira off and on for a number of years, and who have attended our services, have each bought apartments in Funchal in the past couple of months so they can spend longer amounts of time on the island.
All these people coming from "nowhere"! I know it was because of one night in November 2005, and we haven't stopped praying since.
The point of even mentioning this is that one of the longer lasting consequences was not a continued bitterness towards the persons involved (which God's grace allowed us to overcome in time), but that I stopped asking God to send anyone to work with us. I told the Lord that He could send someone if He wanted, and they didn't even have to work with us, as long as they came with a heart to reach this island. Yes, it was OK for Him to send someone, but I was not going to ask Him.
It was November 2005 at a Wednesday night prayer meeting (or perhaps a special meeting we had after a Sunday night service) when the Lord broke me. We were celebrating the 1-year anniversary of our new building and the fact that it was paid off. I urged the church to look beyond our walls and accept God's challenge for the entire island. We could not fold our arms, sit back, and enjoy the stained glass windows. But reach out, how? Our human resources were seemingly stretched to the limit. God made me know in that time of prayer that I had sinned by not asking Him to send laborers. How had I sinned? I basically was not trusting Him to be able to send someone who could work with us; someone who had a burden for the island that would cause them to stay on no matter what happened. It was lack of faith on my part. God broke me. I wept. I cried out to God, first of all in repentance, then in a plea for Him to send laborers. I did not tell God that they had to come to work with us, as long they came to evangelize this island.
Starting last fall, the answers came pouring in:
Roy and Dawn felt led by the Lord to leave Cornwall and build a house about 45 west of Funchal. They knew nothing of our work, but they told their brethren back in the UK that if there wasn't a church, they would have to start one. (Roy is a lay preacher.)
About the same time, Kristjan and his wife Andrea, decided to buy a house in a village just 3 minutes from where Roy and Dawn are building their house. This young couple came with their two small children after looking into, and rejecting possible mission fields such as Fiji, Mongolia, and Pakistan. They didn't come to help us, and didn't even know about us before buying their house, but after coming back from the US at Christmas, they believe God led them to our church and this island. (Small world department: our son Jeff stayed with Andrea and her parents in São Paulo, Brazil, when he spent the summer of 1995 there. Her parents were missionaries in Brazil. Later, Andrea went to the US to university, and Marcia, her roommate at John Brown University, is the sister of our son-in-law, Mark.)
Anabela called the other day to get directions to the church. That morning at church, we recognized each other: we met almost 25 years ago when she was dating the son of a member. Anabela emigrated to Germany where she was baptized, after being led to the Lord by an American soldier, whom she married. They went to the US and in December of last year, she says the Lord brought her back to Madeira. She came forward to ask to be a member and wants to be used in any way to further the ministry and vision of the church.
Also within the last month, one Saturday night, a stranger walked in while the choir was rehearsing the Easter cantata. Fábio, a young man of about 20, has come faithfully ever since and he, too, came forward last Sunday to ask to be a member. He gave his testimony of experimenting with drugs, but through a rehabilitation ministry in Brazil overcame the habit. Four months ago, he accepted the Lord as Savior in the First Baptist Church of Fortaleza, and decided to return to his family here in Funchal. He has asked for baptism.
Two weeks ago, Albert brought a new visitor to the morning services in English. Tânia and Albert had met two days earlier in the street in front of his house and one of them said, "Praise the Lord" or "Thank the Lord." The other one picked up on it, and Tania asked Albert if he believed in God. He said he attends a small church...she asked which one...he said the Baptist Church...and she said she had been asking God to show her where the Baptist Church is. She had heard of it, but didn't know where it was. She was converted and baptized four years ago in the Assembly of God, but didn't attend there long before her father died, and she stopped attending. She asked me this morning about membership...asked what the differences are between Baptists and Assembly of God...admitted that the strange languages and everyone praying at the same time was not for her.
We also know that two couples of tourists from the UK, who have come to Madeira off and on for a number of years, and who have attended our services, have each bought apartments in Funchal in the past couple of months so they can spend longer amounts of time on the island.
All these people coming from "nowhere"! I know it was because of one night in November 2005, and we haven't stopped praying since.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Mike's Musings - 1
Posted on FACeTS of Madeira blog (http://madeirabaptist.blogspot.com) on March 17, 2007.
Musings #1 - However We Assume the World Is, It Actually Is the Way It Is
The first time I remember realizing the world is fundamentally not the way I assumed it to be, was in my late teens (1967). I was still living with my parents in Asuncion, Paraguay. I had gone by bus with my friend and fellow church member, Laureano Arriola, some 90 miles out into the country to a town, Primero de Marzo, where Dad was starting a new church. My family was supposed to come on Sunday to hold services and take us back to Asuncion with them. But all that day they didn’t show up.
Laureano and I were stranded without money to buy food or lodging, if we saved what funds we had for a return bus fare. Laureano scrounged a sooty cooking pot, we picked some kind of peas or beans (maybe from his grandmother’s property?), put them on to boil over a stick fire. He found an egg which he broke into the boiling pot. After a while we ate the concoction - strings of egg white around very, very al dente (as in raw) peas. Then we waited and dozed somewhere without going to bed. The bus for Asuncion left at some unearthly hour, like 2 or 3 in the morning.
When we arrived home, we found out the family had indeed set out for Primero de Marzo the day before, but some 20 - 30 kilometers down the highway, a small boy ran out in front of them. Unavoidably, Dad hit the boy nearly killing him. They put him and his parents into the damaged car and returned to the Hospital Bautista in Asuncion.
That was the news that greeted Laureano and I when we arrived back at our house. The whole family - mostly Mom and my siblings - was telling us the news loudly and excitedly. I could scarcely make heads or tails of the story with everyone talking at once, and I saw a look in my Dad’s eye I had never seen before; a look of sheer, cobalt-blue dread. Dread that he might have been instrumental in killing a child (after being in a coma for 3 weeks, the boy survived but was never normal). To this instant I can still see that indescribable look in my Dad’s eyes. In a few seconds, with that look and those facts, I felt the underpinnings of my belief system begin to shift – forever.
I was immediately angry and started shouting at my siblings to shut up. I was angry, ostensibly because of the confusion caused by everyone talking, but mostly because I had a jumble of thoughts that went something like this: this is not fair. Something is wrong. Who of us is to blame? God didn’t do His job, etc.
I had had some vague notion – we often build entire life-philosophies on unexamined, vague notions – that God’s people who were trying to obey Him (doing foreign mission work, for crying out loud) would be protected from such things, would be blessed, would be rewarded – not punished, not given over to tragedy and heartache and humiliation and loss and crisis.
Similar emotions and reactions may occur for every kind of catastrophe and tragedy, I’m sure. I would say that for a family witnessing the crisis of a loved one, the pain is even more acute. Debbie has a much more difficult and emotionally draining role than I do. I would much rather have lymphoma than witness a loved one having it.
Still, perhaps we should not forget how ordinary, how "common to man", these happenings are. The fact is, most people live and work in some sort of pain and sickness and depression. Somewhere years ago I came across the statement that most of the productive work in the world is done by people in pain. My surgeon told me recently that one third of all people have tumors of some kind. All people are touched by a family member or friend having cancer, not to mention a thousand other illnesses. All people are touched by death near at hand or nearer at hand. Billions experience famine, war, terrorism, crime, accidents, major material loss, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, blizzards, pestilence, physical handicaps, disappointment.
When life and circumstances “are going OK” for us, we tend to live on mental and spiritual cruise control. We assume the universe is a certain way, and that life is a certain way. We may have any number of “ideas”, brain washings, clichés, “personal philosophies”, “doctrines that we live by” while getting on with our lives and “reality”. We “believe” a whole variety of popular, cultural and personal conditionings that we may never have actually thought seriously about, much less sought the will of God for. Being brought up short by some undesirable event may provide us a golden opportunity to think long and hard and honestly and seriously about what we really do believe in and rely on as the guiding information and credo of our existence.
As with almost all important issues, the project outlined above is extremely complex and baffling. There may be many good, valid, true, bedrock answers that don’t seem to agree or even make sense. Furthermore, it is normal, it is acceptable to have all kinds of emotions, including doubt, anger at God, ambivalence about the will of God. We should not try to tell ourselves lies at a time like this, simply because we have been told, or we think, this is what we have to do. We should not profess to believe what we don’t believe. But we should make thoughtful choices and decisions.
So, when my doctor called and said the lab analysis indicated I have lymphoma, I was not really surprised. I have come to realize that this is the way things are. This is the way the world is. To a great extent, it doesn’t matter what one does. The world is fallen. The universe is broken. And God does not stay in the boxes we put Him in. Very often He does not share our natural or conditioned goals and purposes - because He has higher ones, better ones. He is not limited by good health, accomplishments, having enough money, exceptional piety or even physical life, in fulfilling His purposes.
When our dreams and plans are shattered (if they are; some of them may still be realized in modified or less than preferred circumstances), that is a good time to really try to think objectively, to understand our theology, to know our expectations, to find out what principles we have built, or now will build our lives on. If we have been mistaken in what we believed, God does us a favor to bring about circumstances that disabuse us of our faulty belief system. However hard it is to give up beliefs that we are often sentimental about, it can be very liberating in the long run. Christ said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Musings #1 - However We Assume the World Is, It Actually Is the Way It Is
The first time I remember realizing the world is fundamentally not the way I assumed it to be, was in my late teens (1967). I was still living with my parents in Asuncion, Paraguay. I had gone by bus with my friend and fellow church member, Laureano Arriola, some 90 miles out into the country to a town, Primero de Marzo, where Dad was starting a new church. My family was supposed to come on Sunday to hold services and take us back to Asuncion with them. But all that day they didn’t show up.
Laureano and I were stranded without money to buy food or lodging, if we saved what funds we had for a return bus fare. Laureano scrounged a sooty cooking pot, we picked some kind of peas or beans (maybe from his grandmother’s property?), put them on to boil over a stick fire. He found an egg which he broke into the boiling pot. After a while we ate the concoction - strings of egg white around very, very al dente (as in raw) peas. Then we waited and dozed somewhere without going to bed. The bus for Asuncion left at some unearthly hour, like 2 or 3 in the morning.
When we arrived home, we found out the family had indeed set out for Primero de Marzo the day before, but some 20 - 30 kilometers down the highway, a small boy ran out in front of them. Unavoidably, Dad hit the boy nearly killing him. They put him and his parents into the damaged car and returned to the Hospital Bautista in Asuncion.
That was the news that greeted Laureano and I when we arrived back at our house. The whole family - mostly Mom and my siblings - was telling us the news loudly and excitedly. I could scarcely make heads or tails of the story with everyone talking at once, and I saw a look in my Dad’s eye I had never seen before; a look of sheer, cobalt-blue dread. Dread that he might have been instrumental in killing a child (after being in a coma for 3 weeks, the boy survived but was never normal). To this instant I can still see that indescribable look in my Dad’s eyes. In a few seconds, with that look and those facts, I felt the underpinnings of my belief system begin to shift – forever.
I was immediately angry and started shouting at my siblings to shut up. I was angry, ostensibly because of the confusion caused by everyone talking, but mostly because I had a jumble of thoughts that went something like this: this is not fair. Something is wrong. Who of us is to blame? God didn’t do His job, etc.
I had had some vague notion – we often build entire life-philosophies on unexamined, vague notions – that God’s people who were trying to obey Him (doing foreign mission work, for crying out loud) would be protected from such things, would be blessed, would be rewarded – not punished, not given over to tragedy and heartache and humiliation and loss and crisis.
Similar emotions and reactions may occur for every kind of catastrophe and tragedy, I’m sure. I would say that for a family witnessing the crisis of a loved one, the pain is even more acute. Debbie has a much more difficult and emotionally draining role than I do. I would much rather have lymphoma than witness a loved one having it.
Still, perhaps we should not forget how ordinary, how "common to man", these happenings are. The fact is, most people live and work in some sort of pain and sickness and depression. Somewhere years ago I came across the statement that most of the productive work in the world is done by people in pain. My surgeon told me recently that one third of all people have tumors of some kind. All people are touched by a family member or friend having cancer, not to mention a thousand other illnesses. All people are touched by death near at hand or nearer at hand. Billions experience famine, war, terrorism, crime, accidents, major material loss, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, blizzards, pestilence, physical handicaps, disappointment.
When life and circumstances “are going OK” for us, we tend to live on mental and spiritual cruise control. We assume the universe is a certain way, and that life is a certain way. We may have any number of “ideas”, brain washings, clichés, “personal philosophies”, “doctrines that we live by” while getting on with our lives and “reality”. We “believe” a whole variety of popular, cultural and personal conditionings that we may never have actually thought seriously about, much less sought the will of God for. Being brought up short by some undesirable event may provide us a golden opportunity to think long and hard and honestly and seriously about what we really do believe in and rely on as the guiding information and credo of our existence.
As with almost all important issues, the project outlined above is extremely complex and baffling. There may be many good, valid, true, bedrock answers that don’t seem to agree or even make sense. Furthermore, it is normal, it is acceptable to have all kinds of emotions, including doubt, anger at God, ambivalence about the will of God. We should not try to tell ourselves lies at a time like this, simply because we have been told, or we think, this is what we have to do. We should not profess to believe what we don’t believe. But we should make thoughtful choices and decisions.
So, when my doctor called and said the lab analysis indicated I have lymphoma, I was not really surprised. I have come to realize that this is the way things are. This is the way the world is. To a great extent, it doesn’t matter what one does. The world is fallen. The universe is broken. And God does not stay in the boxes we put Him in. Very often He does not share our natural or conditioned goals and purposes - because He has higher ones, better ones. He is not limited by good health, accomplishments, having enough money, exceptional piety or even physical life, in fulfilling His purposes.
When our dreams and plans are shattered (if they are; some of them may still be realized in modified or less than preferred circumstances), that is a good time to really try to think objectively, to understand our theology, to know our expectations, to find out what principles we have built, or now will build our lives on. If we have been mistaken in what we believed, God does us a favor to bring about circumstances that disabuse us of our faulty belief system. However hard it is to give up beliefs that we are often sentimental about, it can be very liberating in the long run. Christ said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
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