When One Member Suffers

Throughout the ages there unfortunately has been a history of religious persecution.  Today, in the Middle East Islamic extremism and complacent politicians in places like Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria lead to the persecution, suffering and death of literally tens of thousands of Christians every year.

While there has been progress in many places in the advancement of human rights including religious freedom, some of the historical centers of Christianity in the Middle East are facing the most significant surge of persecution of all time.  These persecutions likely well surpass even the Roman Empire's persecution of the Christians in the first centuries up until the time of Constantine the Great according to John O’Sullivan of the National Review (April 4, 2013)

The Islamic terrorist network Boko Haram in Nigeria has been targeting Christians since 2009.  Daily Nigerian Christians face Church bombings, drive-by shootings and armed raids on their villages.

An Islamic jihadi group connected to the infamous Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt offered bounties to anyone that would execute any Christian.   Most of these Christians are Coptic, a part of the Orthodox Church headquartered in Alexandria, Egypt, one of the ancient centers of Christianity.   Coptic men are easily identifiable for would be assassins due to their practice of having a small cross tattooed on their wrists

What I find just as troubling however is the lack of concern and even the outright ridicule and scorn that some Christians receive from other Christians.   Jesus prayed for unity in the Church “so that the world would believe” (John 17:23) and the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment," (1 Cor. 1:10).

When one group of Christians mistakenly center their faith on denominational creeds, traditions, or the teaching and practices of their local congregation rather than the essential and foundational beliefs of the Church its very easy to find identifiable targets within the broader Christian Church.   Earnest and passionate but misguided, these Christians launch out using modern technology and press conferences and even host conferences regarding their disdain for other members of the Body of Christ.

We have always had our differences but when we air our differences in public the rest of the unbelieving world gets to see how self-centered, divided and even hateful we can become.  These unbelievers are the very people that should be the intended object of our affection and our evangelism efforts but they have now tasted a very bitter Christianity.

The Apostle Paul does a great job of encouraging the church to be one and unified in the 12th chapter of his epistle to the Corinthians.     He compares the Body of Christ to a human body and demonstrates the unity as well as the diversity of an actual body.  He says that all the various parts are still members and all still significant.   He then goes on to mention that we should not be divided but have ‘equal concern’ for one another.   In verse 26 of the same chapter he states, “if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

Our brothers and sisters in places like Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria are suffering at the hands of Islamic extremists.  Pray for them.  Our brothers and sisters in our local towns and cities across America are suffering as well when we shout and write and attack based on denominational and sectarian doctrines.  

Let’s major on the majors, embrace the essentials of the faith and find a way to honor each other.

Godfidence

From time to time, new words are introduced into the English Language.  English is a ‘living language’ and it adapts and changes.  

If we study the Bible, we often have to go back to Biblical Hebrew or Classic Greek to see what the original words said because English is constantly changing.   I can understand that, sometimes, we need a word….something that is a little unique to be able to remind us that there is something different.

For example….. Here are some of the new words in the English Language

• man cave n (introduced around 1992).  Many guys know exactly what a man cave is.  Big oversize leather chairs, a huge entertainment center, refreshments, everything a man needs.  In can be in the basement, perhaps the entire basement, an extra bedroom or study.    We have downsized our home and as a result I don’t have a man cave, I have a man basket.  It’s conveniently located near our front door and a great place for me to store my wallet, keys, some spare change and sun glasses. 
  
• Another new word in the English language is bucket list n (introduced 2006) The movie Bucket List immediately created the word and it refers to the things that people want to do before they “kick the bucket”.

The word I hope to see entered into the English dictionary for everyone’s benefit  is the word Godfidence.

It is the best word I have found to express what we most need to achieve what God wants us to achieve.  You may have thought at first that the word I said is ‘confidence’, and of course Godfidence is closely related to confidence.  

Confidence is defined by Dictionary.com as belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.

The big problem however with confidence is that it fosters pride and promotes a reliance on our own strengths and abilities.  The reality is that we all have doubts; we all have times when fear even becomes the primary motivator for action or inaction.

The bible however encourages us to have faith, not fear.

The Bible says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13

Godfidence is the reliance and trust not in our own ability but in God’s ability.  It is the faith that enables us to achieve far beyond that which we can accomplish without God.   Surprisingly, it is most needed and actually only available when we realize that in our own power and strength we cannot possibly achieve the goal.  It is the trust that God is able when we know we are not.

This type of confidence is not blind faith or hope beyond hope but it is literally the ‘substance of things hoped for’.  The evidence is retold every day in our ministries, our businesses, our churches and in our families.   It does not require the absence of doubt or fear but actually overcomes our doubts and fears by not looking at those things that are seen but visioning those things that are not seen.

If you are still struggling with the difference between Confidence and Godfidence, here is a simple comparison:

Confidence                                       Godfidence

My ability                                           God’s ability          

Embraces learned behavior               Embraces God’s character

Assurance on the outcome                Assurance on God’s power

Results in self-promotion                    Results in humility and reliance

Elevates self                                       Elevates God

Here are some other scripture verses that help in understanding Godfidence:

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.:

Ephesians 2:10 ESV says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Philippians 1:6 ESV says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

If God has called you do anything.....don't have confidence but have Godfidence! 

Pope Francis and his call for unity

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church is sounding like a reformer in the purist sense of the word.

 He recently reached out to a group of Charismatic Christians by sending a video message to a large conference in Ken Copeland’s Texas mega church urging reconciliation.   He used the illustration of Joseph being united with his brothers and the tears of joy that result when a family is reunited.  He apparently was motivated to reach out for a number of reasons - -  Christian unity being one of the primary motivators but also his affection and relationship with Tony Palmer.

Fr. Tony Palmer is an Anglican Bishop and is the CEEC (Celtic Anglican Tradition) international Ecumenical Officer.   Rev. Palmer has a heart for Christian unity and is an official member of a Roman Catholic Ecumenical Delegation for Christian Unity and Reconciliation. 

Pope Francis video address to this group only lasted seven minutes but was refreshing for a number of reasons (The entire transcript is posted below).   First this address was full of the humility that we have become accustomed from this man.  Secondly, he addressed the reason for the separation between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians as being sin.   His address mentioned that we were ‘brothers” in Christ and while rich in tradition and culture we have unity as we worship the same Lord.

Jesus prayed that we would be one church so that the world would believe that He was sent by God, His father (John 17).  The church however is led by less-than-perfect men who because of their sin nature often find ways to divide rather than unite, argue rather than discuss and blame rather than forgive.  

I mentioned that Pope Francis is a reformer because in any reform process, we go back to the basics.  Christian theologians all agree on the essential truths of the faith (i.e. that is by grace we are saved).  As believers in Jesus Christ, we embrace the essentials of the Christian Faith and a few doctrinal truths that are clearly evident in the Bible as well as the historic Creeds of the church (i.e Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed).  

Christian unity is the basis of our credibility and it is in embracing Christ and these essentials that speak to his deity, his virgin birth, his death on the cross that are the basis of what it means to be a Christian.  If you add to these essentials you may become a part of a small group, a denomination, but you become no more Christian.

Pope Francis comments from 2/19/2014

“Two rules: Love God above all, and love the other (neighbor), because he is your brother and sister. With these two rules we can go ahead. I am here with my brother, my bishop brother, Tony Palmer. We’ve been friends for years. 

He told me about your conference, about your meeting. And it’s my pleasure to greet you. A greeting both joyful and nostalgic (yearning). Joyful because it gives me joy that you have come together to worship Jesus Christ the only Lord. And to pray to the Father and to receive the Holy Spirit. This brings me joy because we can see that God is working all over the world. Nostalgic (yearning) because but…it happens, as within our suburbs. In the suburbs there are families that love each other and families that don’t love each other. Families that come together and families who separate themselves. 

We are kind of…permit me to say, separated. 

Separated because, it’s sin that has separated us, all our sins. The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that we all shared in. Who is to blame? We all share the blame. We have all sinned. There is only one blameless, the Lord. I am nostalgic (yearning), that this separation comes to an end and gives us communion. I am nostalgic (yearning), of that embrace that the Holy Scripture speaks of when Joseph’s brothers began to starve from hunger, they went to Egypt, to buy, so that they could eat.
They went to buy. They had money. But they couldn’t eat the money. But there they found something more than food, they found their brother. All of us have currency. The currency of our culture. The currency of our history. We have lot of cultural riches, and religious riches. And we have diverse traditions. But we have to encounter one another as brothers. We must cry together like Joseph did. 

These tears will unite us. The tears of love.

I am speaking to you as a brother. I speak to you in a simple way. With joy and nostalgia (yearning). Let us allow our nostalgia (yearning) to grow, because this will propel us to find each other, to embrace one another. And together to worship Jesus Christ as the only Lord of History. 

I thank you profoundly for listening to me. I thank you profoundly for allowing me to speak the language of the heart. And I also ask you a favor. Please pray for me, because I need your prayers. And I will pray for you, I will do it, but I need your prayers. And let us pray to the Lord that He unites us all. Come on, we are brothers. Let’s give each other a spiritual hug and let God complete the work that he has begun. And this is a miracle; the miracle of unity has begun. 

A famous Italian author named Manzoni, once wrote in his novel, of a simple man among the people, who once said this, “I’ve never seen God begin a miracle without Him finishing it well.” He will complete this miracle of unity. I ask you to bless me, and I bless you. From brother to brother, I embrace you. Thank you.”
       
 

Diversity not Conformity

Despite the prayer of Jesus that we would be one that is recorded in the 17th Chapter of the Gospel of John, the history of the Church is full of fractures, antagonism and division.  Yet, Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. 

Jesus also told us the reason for this unity, "so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:23) 

All too often leaders in the Church have taken unity to mean "conformity".  If you want an example of true conformity we can look to the silly cults around us. They dress alike they talk alike and their leaders are feared. Unfortunately there have been moments when we have accomplished the same.  

The early church was anything but uniform.  After Pentecost the church went South, then North, East and West.   These were different nations with diverse cultures and languages.  The gospel brought healing and reconciliation to all...Greek, Jew and barbarian; slave and free.   Christian unity included the diversity of our gifts and callings.  Paul was called to the Gentiles, Peter to the Jews.  The diversity of the church and these divergent gifts were for the building up of the Body.   

Jesus said that He would build His Church and He continues to build, lead and direct His Church.   One of the ways that He is building His Church is through the vast diversity of individuals, gifts, local churches, worship styles, teachings, traditions and even doctrines.

It is after all, His Church.