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Redeemer Bible Church Blog

Nearness to God

Nearness to God
 
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
 

The most meaningful part of life revolves around personal relationships. Every Christian reaches a new plateau in their Christianity when they discover the reality that their forgiveness of sins before God leads to a personal relationship with God. New spiritual life (regeneration), being declared not guilty before God (justification), and being welcomed into the Kingdom of God as a son or daughter (adoption by God) all point to the real open door of a personal relationship with God. The essential key to entering a deeper personal relationship with God, after initial repentance and faith, relates to daily devotions.
             
There is no substitute for daily devotions. Those who are dearest to us, those we care about the most, we try to have meaningful conversations with them as often as possible. We long to speak with them and hear also about their lives and struggles. We rearrange and reprioritize our lives to create intentional times of meaningful conversation, memories through shared joyful experiences, and encouragement through times of difficulty. Daily devotions are a prioritizing of the Christian’s personal relationship with God above all other relationships. Rearranging and prioritizing the hours of each day to create meaningful time alone with God is essential to building nearness to God over time. Let’s consider the fundamentals.
             
The essential elements of a personal relationship are meaningful speech and active listening. Meaningful speech has to do with saying something to another person that has substance and touches on who you really are. This type of communication goes beyond surface level niceties and plastic smiles. Active listening relates to truly wanting to understand what the other person is saying so that you can truly know them. God has spoken to us! God has been revealing Himself and His will to humanity since the dawn of time. We live in a privileged period, late in the history of the world, that the words and actions of God have been recorded and preserved in the Bible. The Word of God is not a static writing, but a living word by which the Holy Spirit of God speaks to our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). The first essential part of daily devotions is actively reading some portion of the Bible desiring to hear from God. This Bible reading must be prayerful. It’s not one-way communication. As we encounter God in the Bible, we are taught, convicted, encouraged, and reminded. We must respond to God in prayer. We take time to open our heart genuinely to God in worship, thanks, and pouring out our needs and struggles.
             
This daily interaction will become deeper and more meaningful over time. This is the case with every healthy habit in our lives. When we make time for daily meaningful conversations with our spouse, it may begin as something we know we should do, but soon becomes something we want to do. Daily exercise starts as things we know we should do, but when we enter the benefits of healthy living, it becomes something we want to do. It’s ok to begin daily devotions with the notion that it’s something you should do, but with an earnest heart it will soon become something you want to do. It will later become a discipline you cannot live without, “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3 / Matthew 4:4 / Luke 4:4).
             
If you have never had a consistent devotional life, or have fallen off in this area over a period of busyness and distraction, do not lose heart. As distracted and sinful people we all ebb and flow in personal discipline. Over the years the priorities of our life sift out to truly understand what is essential. Prioritization, combined with the spiritual growth of self-control, will allow you to eventually order your life in a healthy and life-giving way. Your devotional spiritual life must come first. You must move beyond knowing things about God to knowing God personally – and this will only come through enduring and meaningful personal devotions. You must grow comfortable being alone before God, with an open heart. All people are able to come before God in this way.
             
The long endurance of personal devotion over years and decades is the foundation of every earnest Christian’s life. This endurance leads us to read God’s word at length and pray for countless hours over time. When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). The longer you endure in seeking God, the more treasured these times will become. You will long for God’s voice before all others. You will find yourself in the pattern of all devout Christians through the ages – wanting God to have the first word and the last word of each day – morning and evening, nearer my Lord to thee! The word of the Lord flowing over your soul each day will become like the flow of water over rocks in a mighty river. Over the years, all the rough edges of your soul will be worn smooth until what is left is the patience, kindness, gentleness, and the joy of the Lord.

Nearness to God will affect all your other personal relationships for good. As you abide with Christ, your personal nearness to God will overflow to bless your spouse, children, personal friends, and co-workers. Daily devotions will refine your character and strengthen your obedience to God. You will go on to more directed study about God – some to much greater focused study – but no Christian will ever outgrow daily devotional interaction with God. In this busy and distracted world, may we turn away from the sins, which so easily entangle, and turn our hearts toward the Lord.
 
Let us strive together to know the Lord personally,
Pastor Vic

George Whitefield

Victorious Christians You Should Know!
George Whitefield
 
By Chris Lonzo
 
Dallimore, A. A. (1990). George Whitefield; God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway.
 

George Whitefield is one of the most influential evangelists of all time. His ability to preach the Gospel led many to Christ in England and Colonial America, but not without adversity and controversy. Arnold Dallimore describes Whitefield as “the greatest evangelist since the Apostle Paul.” From an early age, he was called to the service of the Lord, leading to an education at Oxford and ordination within the Church of England as a deacon by age 20. Whitefield was affiliated with John Wesley and Charles Wesley, who were credited with founding the Methodist Church. Whitefield preached to thousands in the open-air amidst much disdain and controversy. He completed thirteen trans-Atlantic crossings, maintaining his ministry in England while on missions to Colonial America. George Whitefield contributed to the “Great Awakening” in England and Colonial America. His influence spanned among the commoners and aristocracy of England, and he was revered throughout the American Colonies. Whitefield’s life ended as humbly as it began, but his influence and commitment to spreading the Gospel with “zeal” was nothing short of spectacular. 
           
George Whitefield was born in Gloucester, Great Britain in 1714. He was born and lived in the Bell Inn, a prominent establishment that his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth, ran. George lost his father at the age of two and helped his mother run the inn through his teenage years. Whitefield discovered his passion for preaching during adolescence but remained committed to helping run the inn through its degradation as he waited to attend college. George entered Pembroke College at Oxford University in 1732. He devoted his life to godliness and pursuing higher learning. To pay his tuition, her worked as an errand boy (servitor) for the students. While at Oxford, he was part of the Holy Club alongside Charles Wesley. George was a fiercely disciplined and devoted theology student to the extent that it affected his health. Upon graduation from Oxford, Whitefield pursued Christian ministry. 
           
Whitefield was ordained within the Church of England shortly after he graduated from Oxford in 1736. He sought to pursue graduate studies at Oxford, determined “to be first a saint and then a scholar at Oxford.” While he had financial support, George decided to preach instead of continuing his graduate studies at Oxford. Whitefield preached throughout London and Bristol, beginning to draw large crowds by the thousands. His preaching was said to have “virtually startled the nation.” Whitefield preached up to nine times a week, reaching the aristocracy of London and the common people. He began to publish sermons and letters in addition to his exhaustive preaching schedule. In 1737, after a year of aggressive preaching and writing, Whitefield encountered harsh criticism and opposition. While the opposition against him developed, he departed for Georgia, a trip he intended to take the prior year. 
           
Whitefield departed for America as his friend John Wesley returned from Georgia on a tumultuous and challenging trip. While underway, across the Atlantic, Whitefield ministered to all aboard the Whitaker. He led Bible studies and worship services, and became the ship’s chaplain. His efforts profoundly and positively impacted all aboard throughout the four-month journey. Upon landing in Georgia, Whitefield captivated the people and gained great affection. He was the first exposure to evangelical Christianity for most of those he encountered. Whitefield concluded his ministry five months after landing in Georgia, enduring a long and frightening return to England during the winter of 1738. 
           
Upon returning to England after his first missionary trip, Whitefield reunited with the Wesley’s and attained ordination as a priest within the Church of England. However, opposition to Whitefield grew while he was absent. Nine of prominent sermons were published and circulated throughout England, maintaining high admiration among his devoted followers. Whitefield’s sermon on the “New Birth” became a critical text for the Methodist movement. He soon re-engaged in preaching throughout England, Bristol, and Gloucester, taking to the “open-air,” and preaching the Gospel to thousands of people. Whitefield continued his tireless preaching and writing while leading Charles Wesley into open-air ministry. 
           
Whitefield returned to Colonial America, where he preached throughout New England and back down to Georgia from 1739-1740. He played a significant part in the “Great Awakening,” preaching hundreds of times to thousands of people, reaching enslaved people, commoners, and highly influential leaders. Benjamin Franklin, a religious skeptic, became a friend of Whitefield’s and his publisher. Whitefield’s work included an orphanage ministry in Colonial America while also tending to his “Orphan House” back in England. Whitefield continued to influence thousands toward salivation, as he held the doctrine of Calvinism central to his preaching. He stated that he embraced the scheme of Calvinism, writing: “not because Calvin, but because Jesus Christ taught it to me.” As Whitefield stayed fiercely true to the word of God and his methods of preaching, opposition stirred between him and John Wesley. 
           
Whitefield returned to England after completing stops in Wales and Scotland. Upon returning home, he married Elizabeth James and started a family, losing his only son, four years old, to illness. His preaching continued throughout England, and he was appointed as a moderator “for life” of “The Calvinistic Methodist Association.” Fierce public opposition to the Methodist movement led to Whitefield being accused of fanaticism and his attempted murder in 1744. He left for Colonial America again to continue his work, stopping in Bermuda on his return trip to England. In 1748, he arrived home and engaged in conference with James Wesley, Charles Wesley, and Howell Harris over their cooperation with the now two branches of the Methodist movement. Seeing no compromise, Whitefield conceded his position as the head of Calvinistic Methodism. Whitefield then endeavored to be “the servant of all,” saying, “Let my name die everywhere, let even my friends forget me if by that means the cause of the blessed Jesus may be promoted.” 
           
Whitefield continued his exhaustive preaching throughout England, remaining loyal to the Church of England. Opposition, controversy, and false rumors followed Whitefield around England as he faithfully preached to all walks of life. He completed three more trips to Colonial America while maintaining his ministry at home. His wife Elizabeth died in 1768, after which he left on his final trip to the Colonies. Whitefield arrived in Charleston, then traveled to Philadelphia, New Hampshire, and finally Massachusetts. In September of 1770, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, he died peacefully after struggling through his final preaching schedule throughout the Colonies. 

George Whitefield was a devout servant of the Lord through adversity and controversy. He dedicated his life to Christ and was committed to the salvation of others. His life is a testament to fierce devotion to the Gospel through discipline, purity, commitment, sacrifice, and teaching of sound doctrine. Whitefield influenced the lives of tens of thousands across two continents, stirring a movement that endures today. When committing ourselves to the work of the Lord, He reminds us to be “weary in thy work, but not weary of it.” 

Forgiveness

Forgiveness

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Focusing on fundamentals always strengthens the foundation of any important relationship or activity. The fundamentals of Christian marriage are love, service, and forgiveness. Let’s examine forgiveness.

Every marriage consists of two sinners. No matter how wonderful your spouse is – they are a sinner and so are you. An enduring and happy marriage is not about the magical meeting of two people that are “perfect” for each other. There are people that share more in common and those that have less in common, but both are still sinners that will have to forgive each other to endure in happiness.

However, the primary reason that a husband and wife forgive one another is not to preserve the happiness of marriage. As Ephesians 4:32 states plainly, we are to forgive others because we have been forgiven all our sins by God. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and ask for the forgiveness of sins, by the grace of God extended to us, our sins are forgiven (1 John 1:9). This is unconditional grace. This is what it means that our salvation is by grace alone through faith. It is a strong New Testament theme that we must forgive others because we have been forgiven by God. We cannot have grace extended to us and not extend grace to others. Jesus taught this clearly by the parable of the unforgiving servant – Matthew 18:21-35.

In this Christian mandate to show grace and forgive because we have been forgiven, surely the first person that we should forgive should be that person that we have the nearest relationship to – our spouse. However, the old proverb is often true that familiarity breeds contempt. We spend the most time with our spouse and so have cause to find fault with them. We know more about them than any other person, so we have the most visibility to spotlight their sin.

It’s important to ask the question, “What is forgiveness?” Forgiveness has specific language and goes through a specific process. Forgiveness is much more than just telling another person, “I’m sorry.” True forgiveness results in relational reconciliation. True forgiveness brings two people that were separated by relational distance back together in happy fellowship. For this to happen, the offending person must go to the person they wronged and say, “I’m sorry for (what I said or did). Will you please forgive me?” It’s essential that no excuses or blame-shifting be attached to this. This statement is a statement of personal culpability. This is a statement that you were in the wrong, and through confession are seeking reconciliation on your part. This then gives the spouse the opportunity to show grace and extend forgiveness. This process allows for true reconciliation instead of stuffing hurtful grievances into an emotional closet that will eventually burst open and can shatter a relationship. 

Christian forgiveness is an interesting and theologically rooted concept. When you confess your sins and God forgives you, does God forget your sins? The answer is – no. God is all-knowing. For the sake of Jesus Christ and because of him bearing the penalty of your guilt on the cross, your sin is accounted to Jesus and not to you. You are forgiven for Jesus’ sake and that sin is not counted against you.

The process is similar in marriage. When we forgive our spouse we don’t forget the sins. We know who they are and we know what they have done, but because of the grace shown to us we choose not to count those things against them anymore. 1 Corinthians 13:5 declares that love in not “resentful.” In other translations this word is rendered more fully as “keeps no record of wrongs.” A resentful person is a grudge-bearing person that keeps a tight list of all the ways they have been wronged. This is the opposite of grace and forgiveness. This is a person that will never let you forget all the wrong things you have done and will weaponize those wrongs against you when they need to get the upper hand. 

Resentful unforgiveness will destroy a marriage every time. If you choose to not forgive your spouse from the heart and continue to count their sins against them, a wedge will grow between you that will become harder and harder to reconcile. However, if you keep short accounts and quickly ask for and grant forgiveness – grace, love, and peace will thrive in your marriage. 

Coming full circle, you must see that the forgiveness extended to you by Jesus comes from the root of God’s love for you (John 3:16). God’s forgiveness of your sins is not a thing of dry judicial duty. God’s forgiveness of your sins flows from His unconditional love for you. And so it will be with your spouse. You will truly forgive them because you love them. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8. Because of God’s love expressed to us in the grace of Jesus, we also express grace and forgiveness to our spouse because we earnestly love them.

May the Lord Jesus strengthen us to forgive with earnest hearts,

Pastor Vic

Book Review: Knowing God

Review of the book, Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

Knowing God, written by J.I. Packer was published in 1973. J.I. Packer was a professor of historical and systematic theology at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. This book challenges me to consider the depth of my knowledge of God and encourages me to focus on knowing God more, not just knowing more about God. It is divided into three sections as follows: Section 1 – Know the Lord; Section 2 – Behold Your God; Section 3 – If God Be For Us. In this review, I plan to focus on Section 1.

The conviction of the book is that the church’s weakness is a result of ignorance of God – ignorance of His ways and the practice of communion with Him. If this is true, and I believe it is, what caused this? First, Packer states that Christian minds have been conformed to the “modern spirit.” We have great thoughts of man which leaves little room for only small thoughts of God. Additionally, he states that Christian minds have been confused by the “modern skepticism.” The Bible is under attack. The foundations of faith in God are questioned resulting in confusion and uncertainty about God.

While reading Knowing God, one is awakened to good news. We do not need to remain ignorant of God. We can grow in our relationship with Him and know Him deeper. The book issues the invitation found in Jeremiah 6:16 – “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.’” This verse ends with the following sober sentence: “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” As a result of not walking in God’s ways, God brought disaster on this people (Jeremiah 6:19). The good news is that we can know God, know His heart, His ways, His commands, His laws and begin, or continue, to ‘walk in it.’ The book, Knowing God, provides encouragement and a pathway to move from knowing much about God, to a closer relationship of knowing Him.

J.I. Packer opens the book with reference to a sermon given in January 1855 by the then 21-year-old Charles Spurgeon. In his sermon, Spurgeon states that there is something “improving to the mind” in a study and contemplation of God. Packer states that “it is the most practical project anyone can engage in.” Without the study of God Packer states that, “you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”

How do we start? Packer suggests five basic truths of the knowledge about God to help establish our course. They are as follows: 1) God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation; 2) God is Lord and King over His world; 3) God is Savior, active in sovereign love through the Lord Jesus Christ to rescue believers from the guilt and power of sin, to adopt them as His sons, and to bless them accordingly; 4) God is Triune; within the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three work together: the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it. 5) Godliness means responding to God’s revelation. We are to live life in light of God’s Word.

With these five truths, Packer suggests we can turn knowledge about God into knowledge of God. How? By turning each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God – leading to prayer and praise to God. Meditation, according to Packer, “is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is the activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.” The purpose of meditation is to allow God’s truth to impact our mind and heart.

As I stated in the first paragraph, the book challenges me to understand that there is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Packer suggests that we recognize how much we lack knowledge of God and ask Him to show us how “impoverished” we are. It seems to me that this process of asking God to show me what I am lacking, how impoverished I am, is a worthy task. It may be frightening at times, yet I believe it will be rewarding. With this in mind, I am beginning to peel back layers in my life and am asking God to uncover what He wants uncovered and to lead me in the way He wants me to go.

Chapter 3, entitled “Knowing and Being Known,” is a wonderful testimony of how we can know God and have a close relationship with Him. A fascinating account is provided in this chapter about the building of a relationship. When building a relationship with another human being, often someone will not show everybody what is on their heart. The quality of our knowledge about another person depends on them more than us. Imagine being introduced to someone we consider above us in some way and the person takes us into his confidence, tells us what is on his mind, and invites us to join him in his undertakings, and asks us to be permanently available whenever he needs us. We will feel privileged. This is an illustration of what it means to know God.

What does knowing God involve? This section gives us four pointers. “First, listening to God’s word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself; second, noting God’s nature and character, as His word and works reveal it; third, accepting His invitations, and doing what He commands; fourth, recognizing and rejoicing in, the love that He has shown in thus approaching and drawing one into this divine fellowship.”

Knowing God highlights the fact that it is important to understand that we know God through knowing Jesus Christ, who is God manifest in the flesh. When the Bible tells us that Jesus is risen, this means that anyone can enjoy a relationship with Him, much like His disciples. The difference is that His presence with the Christian is spiritual not physical. Also, Jesus speaks to us today by, “applying to our consciences those words of His that are recorded in the gospels, together with the rest of the biblical testimony to Himself.”

Packer suggests that knowing God is a matter of “personal dealing.” “It is a matter of dealing with Him as He opens up to you, and being dealt with by Him as He takes knowledge of you.” It is also a matter of “personal involvement.” To get to know someone you must commit yourself to that person. It is this way in a relationship with God. Knowing God is also a matter of “grace.” God initiates and makes friends with us. In Galatians 4:9 Paul states, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God …” We can know Him by faith because of His grace.

Much more can and is said about this idea of knowing God in section 1 of the book. I encourage you to embark on a journey, a journey to “know God” by recommending this book to you. I believe it will guide you along a path that will bring blessings and joy, with a focus on the most important part of life, often overlooked in a busy society. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17: 3).

–Jim Martino

Adoniram Judson

Adoniram Judson

“By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.” —Psalm 65:5

This month I would like to introduce you to the life and ministry of Adoniram Judson, the first foreign missionary sent from the American colonies to a foreign land. Adoniram was born in Massachusetts, August 1789. He was the son of a strict, old-line congregationalist minister. Judson Sr. was more than once dismissed from his ministerial role for disagreement with the congregation. He was a stern man, but an earnest Christian. Growing up Adoniram feared his father but was also spurred on by him. Adoniram was a brilliant student from early in his career, always meticulous and well spoken. He particularly excelled at language and math. He eventually went on to be valedictorian of his class at Rhode Island College.
             
However, at college Judson was deeply influenced by Deism (a perspective that God is not personal but removed from the workings of daily life – ultimately a non-Christian perspective on God) through a fellow student named Jacob Eames. Through the influence of Eames, Judson decided to forsake his father’s desire that he enter ministry, and eventually left the Christian faith all together. Leaving his hometown to pursue the life of a rebellious son in the city broke the heart of his parents. Judson joined a vagabond acting troop and ran the opposite direction of everything he had ever been taught. He and his friends would run up hotel and bar tabs, then skip town leaving debts behind as they went.
             
On one occasion he was sleeping at an inn with thin walls and could hear the occupant of the next room wheezing and gasping all night. Strangely his thoughts wandered to the soul of the man, as to whether this man was prepared to die. From there he began to consider whether he himself was prepared to die? In his thinking, Judson could not escape the knowledge that his father was certainly prepared to die. He knew his father would welcome death someday as an entrance into the eternal kingdom of God.
             
Upon waking the next morning all these thoughts began shifting to the back of his mind as he went downstairs and prepared to skip out of the inn. However, before he left, he inquired of the inn keeper about the health of the man in the room next door. The inn keeper informed Judson that the young man had died late in the night. Judson asked if he knew the man’s name. His name was Jacob Eames! The very same college friend of Judson’s, who Judson knew openly rejected the salvation of Jesus and most certainly was not prepared to die. This news rocked Judson. He knew that if there was a hell this friend was now there. This event changed the course of his entire life, brought him back to earnest Christian faith, and ultimately to give his whole life in an effort to reach lost souls in Burma (modern Myanmar).
             
In quick succession Judson was called by God to reach the people of the Empire of Burma. At the time it was known as The Golden Empire because the king of that kingdom referred to himself as the Golden One. To support his efforts and calling a missionary board of support was formed, he was commissioned by the churches, and sent as a congregational missionary. Before his sending he proposed marriage to a young woman named Nancy. What a courageous and godly woman she was! Below is a short portion of the letter written to her father where Judson asks for her hand in marriage, “I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India and to every kind of disease …” Nancy did accept this grim proposal and became a fellow missionary to the Burmese, never again returning to the US.
             
Their ministry is absolutely fascinating, and I encourage you to read about it in full. On the way to Burma, Adoniram became convinced from scripture that infant baptism was not biblical. Once in India, Nancy became convinced of the same and they were both baptized by immersion as believers. This theological change caused the Congregational mission board to revoke their support for Adoniram and Nancy, marooning them in India. They were eventually supported by Baptist mission efforts and continued to Burma.

Upon reaching Burma, their base of operations was mostly out of the port city of Rangoon. But similar to Hudson Taylor, after years of operating out of the port they felt the necessity to enter the interior of the country. During their many years of ministry they were intensely persecuted, jailed (once being hung by his feet for an extended period of time), endured all manner of sickness, but also accomplished so much. They were eventually admitted to the “golden feet” of the king and enjoyed widespread influence in the interior capital city. They eventually saw countless people come to salvation and be baptized. Adoniram translated the large portions of Scripture into the very foreign language of Burmese (picture above) and completed much work on a comprehensive English / Burmese language dictionary.
             
Adoniram died in 1850 still at his missionary work. He believed in the “Devoted Life.” Though he did return once to America after Nancy’s death, he returned to Burma and continued in his calling until his own death. As with all missionaries and ministers, Adoniram was not a perfect person, but he was courageous, authentically devout, brilliant, and faithful to the end. Reading about he and Nancy will inspire and humble you. I encourage you to get a biography and learn more about their devoted Christian lives!
 
Recommended Reading: “To The Golden Shore” by Courtney Anderson
 
Let us be faithful to do our part to take the gospel to all nations,
Pastor Vic

Fundamentals of a Healthy Marriage: SERVICE

Fundamentals of Healthy Christian Marriage: Service
 

In humility consider the interests of your spouse first.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” —Philippians 2:3-4

Last month, I wrote to you about love as the first fundamental of a healthy Christian marriage. The second fundamental is service. Paul commands that we follow in the example of Christ by serving. This attitude of service should characterize our lives toward all people, but especially toward our spouse. Sadly familiarity does often breed contempt, but the first person we should serve should be that person we love the most – our spouse. 

“Do nothing from selfishness…” The “nothing” part of this verse should be sobering and jump out to us. There is no room for selfishness in Christian marriage. There is no “me” time. There is no, “I deserve this and am going to do this / buy this / go here no matter what my spouse thinks or needs.” The Christian life in general, and Christian marriage in particular, is about dying to your selfishness. There is no more me, there is only us. Two have become one in marriage. Because of the redeeming work of Jesus, each spouse is laboring to out-serve the other. Nothing is done from selfishness that would harm, offend, or take from the other spouse. Does selfishness characterize your marriage? Do you act in ways that are all about you, and leave your spouse to pick up the pieces?

“Do nothing from … conceit …” In the union of Christian marriage neither spouse should act in a way that is proud or conceited. Vanity exalts the individual. Pride is self-focused. Nothing in Christian marriage should be related to individual vanity because the pride of one spouse is always at the expense of the other. One is raised up and the other left behind. It appears to the watching world that the one spouse accomplished what they did all by themselves, when any married couple knows that the accomplishments come as a team. The married couple is ‘yoked’ together. They pull together to accomplish the work of the day and meet the needs of life. For one spouse to take the credit of work done by both is an act of pride and leads to resentment and division. Has pride entered into your marriage where you no longer openly praise and appreciate your spouses’ contributions to the family? If so, then pride has corrupted your heart.

“In humility count others more significant than yourselves…” As an everyday fundamental of Christian marriage we count our spouse as more significant than ourselves. Wow! Really? Yes. The servant heart comes from actively putting yourself in the second place. Your spouse gets the first place – everyday. Humble servant-hearted love looks for ways to meet the needs of their spouse through service. The mind of the loving spouse keeps drifting back to, “What can I do for you?” not “What can you do for me?” These are unconditional acts of loving service, not transactional. Christian love is NOT, “I’ll do this for you, if you do this for me.” Christian service walks in the way of Jesus, “I’ll do this for you, even if you do nothing for me in return.” Then it goes even further, “I’ll serve you in this way because I love you, even if you return this act of humble service with anger and ungratefulness.” This is the Christ-like service of Christian marriage.

To accomplish this you must observe your spouse. It’s still selfishness to do something for your spouse you wanted to do for them. You enter into service when you do for them something they want you to do for them. This shows you are listening and observant. Be a student of your spouse. See their needs and hear their desires, then work with a heart of love to count them more significant than yourself with the limited resources of each day. 

You may be thinking that this is an impossibly high standard, and you would be right! The world fails at each of the fundamentals of marriage because they do not have the abiding work of the Holy Spirit to work out the sanctification necessary to make progress in marriage. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, we will be selfish people, and selfishness kills marriage. The number one phrase I hear in marriage counseling of troubled marriages headed toward divorce is, “This person doesn’t meet my needs.” This is fundamentally a selfish statement. Couples that are devoted to serving each other and counting the needs of the other as more important than their own, don’t make statements like this. 

Christian marriage can thrive because each spouse goes to Jesus – the fount of living water that will never run dry – to meet the needs of their soul. From being with Jesus, the soul is full and able then to pour into others by acts of service. When we run dry, we go back and abide near Jesus to be strengthened for another day. When you go to your spouse for what only Jesus can provide the equation will not work out. 

For more on the mandate of service from Jesus read and consider the account of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet in John 13. Ask yourself, “Does the heart of Jesus in this passage describe how I treat my spouse?” If not, realize that you are not above Jesus. Return to the fundamentals of service and demonstrate to your spouse a Christ-like heart.

Holy Spirit give us a servant’s heart toward those most dear to us,
Pastor Vic

Response to Alistair Begg

Response to Alistair Begg

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
Matthew 19:5-6

I have been monitoring a situation developing with Pastor Alistair Begg for some time. I have waited to write to you, hoping that the situation would change, but it has not. I must begin by stating that I have admired the preaching and writing of Pastor Begg my whole adult life. I listen to his sermons weekly, recommend his books, and have always hoped to visit Parkside Church to hear him in person – but when those we love depart from the truth we must correct them. I say this with sadness.

The situation that has developed has shocked the biblical Christian church. In a publicly recorded setting Pastor Begg was asked by a grandmother whether she should attend the transgender wedding of her grandchild. In a situation like this it is important to get the wording exactly right. The link below lists the transcript of the occasion at length and includes excellent commentary by Owen Strachan – transcript. Pastor Begg is known to clearly uphold a biblical sexual ethic that only allows for sexual expression inside a biological male and female marriage. He asks the grandmother if she has expressed this to the grandchild. The grandmother says that she has. With that said, Pastor Begg recommends that she attend the wedding and bring a gift, to fully participate in the occasion. The grandmother, and biblical Christians everywhere, are right to be shocked and saddened by this response.

In our lifetime, Christians will continually be buffeted by questions and pressure to compromise and eventually give up on a biblical sexual ethic. Sexual ethics is perhaps the most important theological struggle of our lifetime. God cares about how we conduct ourselves sexually. God’s moral boundaries, purpose, and design for human sexuality begins with the formation of marriage before sin entered the world. The sacred nature of God’s design in marriage is essential to human cultural flourishing and the blessing of God upon His church. The degree to which human beings’ rebel against God’s moral purposes in sexuality and marriage, directly correlates to decline, decadence, and cultural failing. The decadence and moral decline of western culture today is more related to sexual moral rebellion than any other single factor. If we love God, we will obey His will – this includes in the arena of sexuality. The ways of God are right, and they are also good.

To counter the counsel of Pastor Begg we must first look squarely at what homosexual and transgender marriage really are. A homosexual wedding is the celebration and joining of two people of the same sex in an enduring sexual relationship that God forbids and declares is an abomination (Romans 1:26-27, 1 Timothy 1:10, 2 Peter 2:9-10, Jude 7). A transgender wedding is a more perverse version of a homosexual wedding. A transgender wedding is the celebration and joining of two people of the same sex, but where one person through hormones and/or cosmetic surgery have altered their person and genitals to appear as much as possible to be of the opposite sex. The two of them marry as husband and wife, but are not such in any real sense. The grandmother referenced above feels the pressure of the non-Christian world and, presumably of her family, to attend such a wedding, but her conscience tells her this is a perversion.  She is right in her heart that she should not attend such an occasion.

What is a wedding? A wedding is to be a sacred and joyful occasion, but also a solemn time marked by vows and promises. These vows (being formally joined to another person by ceremony) are a symbolic picture of how Jesus relates to the church (Ephesians 5:22-33), and are also recognized by the state. Without the binding of the state, the endless joining and breaking of relationships and families would create societal chaos. Marriage affects the raising of children, holding real estate, bank accounts, insurance payouts, etc. As marriage declines and the Christian definition is further obscured, this chaos is more palpable every year. Our age believes that we are making progress in evolution by “expanding” the definition of marriage, but this is not the case. Marriage is not a product of societal agreement (able to shift and expand based on cultural shift and popular demand) but designed by God. Christians believe that God created the world with design and that human flourishing is in large part defined by how we relate to one-another within that design. One biological man / one biological woman marriage cannot be rooted out of humanity by the rejection of Christianity – whatever form that may come in.

Marriage is a common grace meaning that any one man or woman can enter this union and be blessed by doing so. The marriage of non-Christians will never be all that it could be in Christ, but it can make progress. Everyday married people come to salvation and their marriage relationship will improve through spiritual growth. However, a homosexual / transgender marriage cannot be redeemed. If either partner comes to salvation – as I pray they do – they will soon come to the realization that their marriage situation is unreconcilable with God’s will in sexual ethics. The individuals can be redeemed, but the union cannot. As Christians we are participating in a lie to celebrate and affirm a wedding that is counter to God’s definition of marriage. We cannot declare as good what God has declared sinful. There is no way to attend a homosexual / transgender wedding without it being construed as an act of affirmation. Once affirmed, there is no meaningful ways to reverse one’s position toward the couple or within the family / friend circle. We cannot follow the advice of Pastor Begg.

My response to this dear grandmother would be as follows: You cannot attend the wedding. However, turning down the invitation will be a defining moment in your relationship with the person who invited you. You should clearly associate your inability to attend with your Christianity. If you are daily living as a faithful Christian, this should not come as a surprise to the couple that invited you. It is never a surprise when people act according to their dearly held convictions. We would never think of inviting a practicing kosher Jew over for a pork bar-b-que. We would never invite a vegan over for steak and eggs. We would never ask a Sikh man to remove his head covering for the national anthem. Why, because each of these things would be deeply offensive. Out of respect for that person’s sincerely held beliefs, we do not intentionally ask them to violate their beliefs. We certainly don’t heckle them or overtly shame them. However, this is not the case with biblical Christians in America today. Christians are entitled to the free practice of their religion. We should not be ashamed to state that we have a sexual ethic that is at odds with others around us.

Because we morally disagree with someone, and as such, will not attend their wedding, does not mean that we hate them or are afraid of them (phobia). It means that we morally disagree with them. For our part, we should continue to reach out with gospel love and seek to maintain meaningful relationship where possible. Just because we cannot in good conscience attend a homosexual / transgender wedding does not mean that we cannot speak to that person respectfully, share the gospel with them, and invite them into the sphere of the local church. Attending the wedding is an act of affirmation. Engaging them with kindness is related to seeing them turn from their morally sinful ways and find salvation in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Begg believes that going to the wedding would be an unmistakable act of love that would help move the person (couple) toward salvation. I disagree. There are two clear steps to salvation in Jesus: repentance and faith. Affirmation and faith are not the same thing, and do not have the same result. Stating that you disagree with something but then going along with it anyway, sends a mixed and confusing message. We must be clear in holding the line of sexual ethics and marriage. It’s not a grey line. It’s a line that is under assault. Love alone will not work to achieve repentance and change. There must also be clear truth.

By disagreeing with Pastor Begg are conservative Christians “cancelling” him? I hope not. Pastor Begg is otherwise a devout and faithful Christian, I just disagree with him on whether we should attend homosexual / transgender weddings. However, this one point of disagreement is a significant point. To me it’s a significant crack in the foundation of Pastor Begg’s work. Like any foundation crack, you should regularly monitor it. If the crack grows larger, the foundation damage will begin to appear inside the house. At that point, the crack must be repaired, or the integrity of the entire house will come into question. I pray earnestly this is not the direction of Pastor Begg.

May the Lord give us wisdom, courage, and His love to live as Christians in our time,
Pastor Vic

Uprooting Anger

Uprooting Anger
A Book Suggestion by Marcie Cramsey

“Anger is ‘hot’; it often ‘burns,’” evaluates Robert D. Jones, author of Uprooting Anger.[1] Anger is a strong emotion, whether divine or human. Of late, humanity burns it brightly. If I were a professor, I would give our world an A+ in anger gone wrong.

The news headlines scream sinful wrath. You don’t even have to watch or read the news to witness the fury of sinful man unleashing itself on others. You see it in traffic, the grocery store, schools, workplaces, and, sadly, the church and home. We also witness its horrific aftereffects on relationships and the dignity of human beings.

David warns, “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (Psalm. 37:8 ESV). Paul, likewise, commands, “Be angry but don’t sin” (Ephesians 4:26 CJB). We learn from both men that anger has consequences and can be felt and acted upon sinfully. Most people who want to avoid both outcomes of unrighteous anger ask, “How do I refrain from anger, and how do I stop being angry with sinful feelings and behaviors?”

One of the best books to answer these questions is Uprooting Anger by Robert D. Jones. (You can check out a copy in our church library). Jerry Bridges (another great author) describes Jones’s book as biblical, practical, and masterful. I agree! It’s one of the most comprehensive books on how to discern the difference between righteous and unrighteous anger that I have read. It does not end with definitions, though. It gives practical biblical ways to deal with the heart behind our sinful anger and how, from minor irritations to explosive wrath, we can submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s way of dealing with it.

Jones defines anger as “Our whole-person active response of negative moral judgment against perceived evil.” [2] Anger itself is not sinful. But why we are angry, who or what we blame or want to protect, and what we expect as a remedy is where sin is seen. Jones suggests that most human anger is unrighteous, for it “always starts in the heart, with evil desires and wrong beliefs-lusts and lies.”[3] Before you object, let me explain.

The most revealing truth in this book is the difference between righteous and unrighteous anger. Many people believe they have righteous anger until they take a hard look at the following criteria for it:

  1. Righteous anger focuses on God and His kingdom, rights, and concerns, not on me and my kingdom, rights, and concerns.
  2. Righteous anger is accompanied by other Godly qualities and expresses itself in Godly ways.[4]

In this book, you will walk through scriptural exhibits that illustrate divine anger, as seen in the Father and Jesus, compared with anecdotes of people’s unrighteous anger. You will learn how to assess your anger by asking yourself the following questions:

  • Does your anger react against an actual sin, as the Bible defines sin? Or are you just inconvenienced and not getting your way?
  • Does your anger focus on God and His concerns, or does it meditate on your own concerns, wants, and desires?
  • Does your anger coexist with other godly qualities and express itself in godly ways?

As believers, no matter how angry, we are called to express the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Unwillingness to submit to the Spirit’s fruit indicates we have indulged ourselves in unrighteousness.

James 4:1 gives us a great place to look at why we are unwilling to submit to the Spirit’s fruit, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Jones will guide you to look at the passions that are warring within you. He mentions that even our good desires can become sinful if we desire them too much, making them a demand. Suddenly, the good desire no longer wants what God wants; it wants what “I” want. There is no limit to what one will do to get it in this state. From manipulation, condemnation, withdrawal, and explosion, a person who serves their wants is doomed to corrupt their good desires.

Uprooting Anger gives clear steps to overcome our sinful desires and lusts to “be angry, but not sin.” You will uncover your underlying false beliefs and selfish motives. You will learn to repent and embrace God’s forgiveness and enabling grace. As you mature in understanding righteous anger, you will also learn to take responsibility for your behaviors and identify the evil your anger exacts on God and others. What freedom you will gain when you confess your unrighteous anger and find forgiveness from God and others! God will teach you how the gospel can reorient your perception of hard situations and hurts. Using scripture, Jones will instruct you on making a workable plan that avoids unjust anger.

Uprooting Anger is a Bible study on the topic of anger. It could be used personally, but it would benefit you more to work through the material with another believer, counselor, or in your small group. Exercises at the end of each chapter will help you work out the lessons taught.

I’m attending The Master’s Seminary online and finishing my degree in Biblical Counseling. I had to read this book for one of my classes. As I worked through the material, the two chapters that really stuck with me were “Anger Against God” (Ch. 7) and “Anger Against Myself” (Ch. 8). These are two areas I often encounter with people I counsel.

The solution to anger against God is to repent of our remaining unbelief and rebellion. Jones encourages us to reject the ideas that deny God’s goodness, power, and wisdom. We must praise God’s righteousness, love, justice, and sovereignty. To be angry at God is to assume that God, at times, does and is evil and makes unjust decisions, all of which are lies of the devil. On the other hand, Jones teaches us how to lament our hurt and hardships to the Lord while maintaining a posture of praise and reverence.  

Jones offers insights on the why behind one who is angry with themselves. It may indicate they don’t fully grasp God’s forgiveness in their life or minimize their sinful nature. People who cannot forgive themselves can be oppressed by regrets and failures, making themselves contentious people. They may evaluate their life through their own “righteousness” rather than God’s. Finally, they assume the role of judge that rightly belongs to God, not to them.

You will unpack each of these and so much more in the book. You will get to the root of your anger and uproot it through the gospel and God’s biblical solutions.

In closing, I will share my experience with the book. I spent time doing the exercises in the appendixes. “Pictures of God’s Forgiveness of His People” lists seven passages in scripture about God’s forgiveness of His people. In one sitting, I read each one, reflecting on my sinfulness. I was incredibly humbled by God’s immense forgiveness of me! I couldn’t help but ask Him to overwhelm me with His enabling grace to forgive others as He has forgiven me.

Besides learning to forgive others, we must be warned that unforgiveness lays a snare for us. It gives Satan a foothold in our hearts and keeps us from being and living the way God desires. Jones says it well, “Unresolved anger affords Satan a port of entry into the church’s life. It is a way in which believers, sadly, side with God’s archenemy. We further the evil one’s destructive agenda to destroy God’s people.”[5]

Do you lack peace in your life? Does anger quickly erupt in you? This is likely not due to someone else, a situation in your life, or a pattern you learned from your parents. It stems from you not dealing with the anger these outside influences have only revealed in your heart. Peace is not found in controlling or changing the other person or the problem but in aligning your heart and responses with God’s truth and His Spirit. 

–Marcie

__________________________________
[1] Jones, Robert D., Uprooting Anger, 19.
[2] Ibid, 15.
[3] Ibid, 22.
[4] Ibid, 29-30.
[5] Ibid, 162.

Gospel

Gospel

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
 

Every Christian should have a clear understanding of the Gospel message – the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ – and how to share that truth with another person. Sharing good news should never be scary or intimidating, but joyful and filled with hope! Below is the best way I know of simply and truthfully sharing Gospel of Jesus Christ: God – Humanity – Christ – Response.
 
God: The conversation of our relationship to God begins with understanding correctly the character and being of God. This begins with the reality that God objectively exists. God is not an idea or a debate topic, but our Creator and the final authority of every person who has ever lived. Every person alive lives under the authority of God whether they choose to accept this or not. God has character attributes that describe the nature of His person. Of those many attributes it must at least be understood that God is holy, eternal, and perfect. God is holy in that He is set apart from all humanity by through having no corruption or sin in His person. He has forever existed in perfection, which means nothing can be added to His character to make Him better, and nothing needs to be taken away for improvement. In God’s holiness, He is passionate about pursuing righteous ways that He might be glorified by His creation.
 
Humanity: This definition of God presents a serious problem for every man and woman on earth because we are sinners. Every person has intentionally lived in countless ways that are in rebellion to God’s righteous law and failed to do the righteous actions we ought to do (sin by omission). We are all separated in relationship from a perfectly holy God due to our sin. This does not mean there are no generally good people in the world. The world is full of people that will help the homeless in time of need. Parents who will love their children. Children who grow up to be responsible law abiding adults – but that is not the point. The point is that none of those generally good people can meet the standard of God’s perfection. We all have done countless things that are corrupt in motive, motive, and thought. We have all left undone actions that should have been done. No person can stand before an almighty and holy God with confidence in judgment. This leaves us all in a condemned state before God
 
Christ: Because God is love and full of mercy, He made a way for His holiness to be satisfied and His mercy to be given to lost sinners. God the Father, sent God the Son to be the Savior of the world. Christians believe that God exists as a trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit – one God. Jesus (God the Son) lived a full human life, yet He was also fully divine. Jesus Christ was God incarnate (God in the flesh). Jesus Christ was Emmanuel (God with us). He lived a perfectly holy and righteous life. Jesus committed no sin and left no righteous thing undone that He ought to have done. His glorious life is recorded in four different accounts in the Bible – the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. If you have never read these accounts for yourself, I encourage you to not take someone else’s word. Read about Jesus for yourself! Even during the trial at the end of Jesus’ ministry the corrupt judge (Pilate) declared three times that he found no guilt in Jesus. Jesus was crucified not for His own sin, but for your sins and for mine. It was the will of God that Jesus go to the cross so that the justice of God might be satisfied. One perfect man bearing the sins of the guilty.
 
Response: What does this mean for us? It means that we have, through Jesus, the opportunity to be forgiven our sins and have peace with God. Many people attempt to work off their guilt before God, hoping to outweigh sin with good. This will never do because it does not relate to justice. No person has ever been charged with a crime, come before the judge for their initial appearance, and been released because they otherwise lived a good life on the whole. The offense at hand, the crime for which the person was brought in, must be adjudicated. If found guilty, the price of the crime must be paid by fine, prison time, or death. For human beings before a holy God, all will be found guilty, and the penalty will be an eternity of hell – punishment and separation from God for rebellion.
             
However, through Jesus our Savior, we can repent (turn away from our sins), ask to be forgiven, believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and be forgiven of your guilt before God. You are adopted into the Kingdom of god and may enter into the presence of God in heaven. All that stood between us is forgiven, there is peace with God! Those who repent and believe have been given new life – eternal life! The bondage of anger, addiction, sexual sin, lies, and pride are broken in the life of he who believes. By grace and mercy alone, new life begins that will never end!
 
Will you respond to the life and message of Jesus Christ? Will you turn away from this world and the dead-end of your sinful life? Will you acknowledge God for who He is and confess your sins, and receive eternal life in Jesus? This is good news, good news that you can get down on your knees today and receive!

Hudson Taylor

Hudson Taylor

“Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God.’”
Mark 11:22 

             
This will be the first in a series this year entitled Victorious Christians You Should Know. I will follow the outline of Warren Wiersbe’s book by this title and introduce you to one amazing Christian from the past each month. Church history is so important! It’s both encouraging and inspiring to hear how Christians have sought the Lord, lived for Him, been sustained by Him to accomplish great things in the Kingdom of God, and then die and pass into eternal life. We are the church in our time! We must take up the cause of Christ in our day and live for Jesus with dedication and passion – laying down our lives that the life of Christ might be lived through us. I hope these short sketches will inspire you to read more about each Christian life and go out to live a more earnest and uncompromising Christian life.
             
Hudson Taylor
               
James Hudson Taylor was born in England in 1832. He was born into a devout Christian home with a father who was a lay evangelist and a mother known for her passionate prayer. Hudson’s father was greatly burdened for lost souls in China even before Hudson was born, praying that the Lord may send someone to reach them with the gospel. In this home Hudson was raised to love and trust the Bible as God’s word, and to believe that an earnest personal relationship with God was possible through faith.
             
In his teens Hudson was serious about seeking God’s will for his life. By focused and continued prayer Hudson asked God to lead and direct his life. He eventually felt a distinct call to the people of China. He was able to read a book about the Chinese people provided to him by a local congregational minister. After reading the book, he told the minister that he believed it was God’s will that he go to these people and preach Jesus to them. The minister asked Hudson how he ever intended to get there. Hudson replied that like the apostles of old he would trust God to supply what was needed to fulfill the call. The older minister replied, “Ah, my boy, as you grow older you’ll get wiser than that!” But to the contrary, this passion to live by faith, and glory in the provision of the Lord became the foundation of the China Inland Mission. Hudson never promoted for funds, but prayed and trusted God to raise up what was needed – that God may get all the glory! As he prepared for the mission field, Hudson became well known for extreme economy, personal self-denial, and simplicity. He had to largely support himself from age 16 onward. He understood well what it meant to trust God for daily provision well before he went to China!
             
The China Inland Mission became known for many ground-breaking and effective aspects of mission work. First, it was inland. This meant that Hudson and his staff did not stay in the western expatriate communities congregated at the ports. They ventured into the heart of the country that was totally unreached. Second, Hudson was known for intentionally accommodating himself in every cultural way that he might better present Bible truth to the people (1 Corinthians 9:22.) He wore traditional Chinese dress and drew his hair long into a Chinese ponytail. He did not attempt to school Chinese people in western ways, but in the ways of Christ. Third, he demonstrated the tremendous strength that can come from ministry together with a devout wife. Hudson and Maria Taylor were often referred to as a match made in heaven. Together they strengthened each other’s weaknesses, and lifted each other up to become greater together than they ever could have been alone. Fourth, together they were fearless in facing struggle, disease, and seemingly insurmountable struggle. Fifth, he was cooperative. Hudson wanted to see the lost come to Jesus, not to his ministry. He sought western Christians to enter Christian missions, not just his mission.
             
His life was marked by three key verses. Mark 11:22 ‘Have faith in God.’ Hudson had a real and powerful faith in a real and all-powerful God. He would carefully seek God’s will by Scripture and prayer. When he was confident that he knew what God would have him do, he would proceed where he was led by faith. He was thoroughly convinced that God’s work will never fail! Hudson lived what he called “the exchanged life.” This meant the life of Christ exchanged for ours in real daily living. He believed that every Christian has the opportunity to daily walk with Jesus in a real way that bears the joy and strength of Jesus in our lives. Our struggles, fear, and weakness – exchanged for the peace, joy, and provision of God.
             
1 Samuel 7:12 ‘Ebenezer, hitherto has the Lord helped us.’ Hudson’s ministry was everywhere marked by full dependence on God. If the Lord did not open the doors, provide for the needs, and bring the increase in souls – the ministry would have failed. The China Inland Mission was not built on the charisma of the founder, nor on the wealth of London, but on the power of God displayed in weak servants of Jesus.
             
Genesis 22:14 ‘Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide.’ Hudson and Maria had the two words inscribed – Ebenezer and Jehovah-Jireh – on plaques which they always kept on the mantle wherever they resided. Every time supplies would become desperately low at a mission facility Hudson was famous for saying, “Then the Lord’s time for helping us must be close at hand.”
             
Hudson Taylor died at age 73, in inland China still pursuing the missionary evangelistic call on his life. He was buried in Chinkiang, China. By his death he had stirred an entire generation of Christians to view foreign missions in a different way. Countless Chinese came to salvation through his ministry, and the China Inland Mission became the foundation of the modern house church movement of unknown millions of Christians in China today.
 
Further reading on the life of Hudson Taylor:

  • Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, by Dr & Mrs Howard Taylor, Moody Press
  • Hudson and Maria Taylor; A Match Made in Heaven, by John Pollock, Christian Focus Publications