John 4

John 4:39 – 42

 

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.

 

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said: now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.”

 

These verses follow the account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Let me backtrack a bit. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Now in those days, such was the disdain that Jews had for Samaritans that they would literally go out of their way to avoid passing through Samaria. Jews living in the region of Galilee, in the north of the country, took a much longer route to Jerusalem to avoid going through Samaria which lay right between Galilee and Judah. But Jesus, the Bible says “HAD TO GO THROUGH” Samaria. Why was that? Was he in a hurry to get to Jerusalem and couldn’t afford the time to walk around Samaria, like every other Jew seemed to do. Evidently not, Jesus was never in a hurry as far as I could tell. He even had a stop over in Samaria, when he sat down by a well, and sent His disciples into the nearest town to look for food. Wait a minute! As we see the story develop we learn that the reason Jesus HAD TO GO THROUGH SAMARIA, was that he had an appointment – at that very well. The appointment was to meet with a certain woman. Now she didn’t realise that she had this appointment, she was merely doing what was part of her routine, going to the well to collect water. There is a long discussion that ensued between Jesus and the woman and I urge you to read it, but I won’t go into that now. Suffice it to say, that Jesus touched this woman’s heart and she was given “living water” that transformed her life.

 

She went into the village and told other people about Jesus and they come out and urged Jesus and his disciples to stay. He stayed two days. By the way, that’s quite a long stopover. Jesus clearly was not in a hurry. He taught the people of the village and many of them believed.

 

Here is what I learnt from this:

·        The woman in the story having had her own life changed introduced Jesus to the people of her village. We read of Andrew introducing Jesus to Peter, and we read of Philip introducing Jesus to Nathaniel. (Or is it the other way around??) It was not up to the woman to tell the people everything that Jesus had taught her, all she needed to do was introduce Jesus to them and He did the rest. Same is true of Andrew and of Philip.

·        Do you know what an MC is? The MC is the Master of Ceremonies. It is a person who at a party or a public meeting will welcome the people attending and introduce with hopefully a few well chosen words, the key-note speaker, and then he will sit down and the key-note speaker will come to what he was supposed to do –speak. Now people don’t go to a meeting to listen to the MC, and don’t you hate it when an MC hogs the podium and makes an unnecessarily long introduction of the speaker or is overly pedantic. No, people go to such meetings to listen to the words of the main speakers (as advertised.) Friends you may not be at a formal rally or meeting, but you can be an MC. You can introduce Jesus – the Keynote speaker – it just takes a few words like, “You know, Jesus has made such a difference in my life.”

·        The Samaritans came to know about Jesus because of the testimony of the woman, “Come and see the man who told me all about my life.” They may have had some doubts but curiosity made them listen to him. They believed when they heard Jesus speak to them. If I go to a meeting to listen to a particular person, I will not necessarily remember anything that the MC said, but during the Keynote address, I will take notes. I may not remember or even know who that MC was, but I will know who the main speaker is. When I see adverts in the newspaper, advertising Christian meetings, I am not interested in who the MC will be, but rather on who the main speakers will be.

·        If we want Jesus to stay, we don’t have to twist His arm, He is more than willing to stay and for that matter he stays forever. Jesus is not in a hurry. He is not merely passing by, but he has come for a divine appointment, and He’s waiting for you to come to the well. He’s waiting for you to come to Him, and say, “Come and stay with me.” Are you willing to open the door of your life to Him?”

·        Friends, while I have downplayed the role of an MC, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. It is a great honour to be asked to MC at any event. The MC cannot take his or her (Mistress of Ceremonies???) responsibilities lightly. They need to put in adequate preparation. They need to have a good understanding of the events proceedings, a background knowledge of the guests of honour, and the main speakers. They need to have contingencies for unexpected occurrences. The MC needs to present himself well, and be a confident speaker in his own right. He may need an amusing or interesting anecdote as an ice-breaker, but not a string of jokes or long-winded stories. While an MC isn’t the focus of the meeting, having a poor MC can really spoil a meeting. If you are asked to MC an occasion, consider it a great honour and do not let the person down who has placed that responsibility in your hands. Recently, on the reality television show, “The Apprentice” one of the two finalists had to host a charity sports event. She had approached a famous NBA Basketball player to MC the occasion. Just a day or two before the event, having agreed to do it, the player let the contestant down. This poor contestant was in a panic. She managed to find somebody else to step into the breach, but I think the no-show affected her more than she realised. That basketball player was very unfair, and did not deserve the respect that the contestant clearly had for him. So taking this on to a spiritual realm, if you have the opportunity to MC for Jesus, will you take you’re your responsibility seriously, and count it an honour to be so entrusted. Here’s the good news – you have been asked to MC for Jesus – when you go to work and talk to your colleagues, if you at school and talking to your friends. If you are playing sport, be an MC for Jesus amongst your team mates. Introduce Jesus, and then shut up and let him do the talking.

 

I am going to leave it there friends, but please feel free to let me know what you think. A good MC is not above getting some good advice from the audience.

 

Your friend,

 

John

Crossing the finish line

 

Dear friends,

 

Last week I related to you about how our lives are like an ultra-Marathon. It is with that thought in mind, that I share with you that yesterday my very dear Aunty Dorothy crossed the finish line. Dorothy is my mother's elder sister. She is now with her Lord, for whom she had a great devotion, the love of Jesus that she learnt at her mother's knee, blossomed into true Christianity and she remained his faithful servant all her life. She was 91 years old.

 

On Monday last week, Mum, Aunty Helen, Dad and I went down to the nursing home to visit her. Despite getting over a bout of pneumonia, she was still very chipper and cheerful. Mum and Helen talked about various members of the family, some of whom she remembered, others not, but nevertheless she took a great interest. She had such a lovely sense of humour that lightened the mood of the room immediately. As it happened that day, I had been doing a teaching practice at a primary school and Aunty Helen picked me up on her way through to meet my parents. I had joked with her, saying that I bet she hadn't expected to pick up her nephew from school again. She said to Aunty Dorothy that she had picked me up from school a bit earlier, to which Aunty Dorothy very quickly, but with a laugh in her voice said, "Now you are exaggerating!" - That little exchange will remain with me as a treasured memory. Even though her memory was failing her, she definitely had her wits about her.

 

Growing up in Basutoland (Lesotho), Aunty Do (pronounced Doe) was given a Sotho name which was Mamahatho. Last year, she had a fall which resulted in her breaking her hip. The following is a poem written at that time by my mother who pictured her lying in hospital, looking over her life.

 

The Song of Mamahatho

Memories, shared with Jesus

A tribute from a loving sister

-----------------------------------------

 

As I near the end of my journey and the dear gates of Home I can see

I reflect on the way that You took me, and the joy there is going to be.

I remember a mother so pretty, who loved me and cared for me so;

But I was so small when you called her, and I didn’t want her to go.

 

The year I was born, the world went to war and Dad had to go far away -

Back in Basutoland, Mother and I really missed him, so we found a way

To be nearer to him, at Mother’s old home, so we sailed away on a ship -

But we both fell ill and kept to our cabin, so it was a terrible trip.

 

When I got better, my mother was gone, and she didn’t come when I cried,

But You were so faithful, Aunt Brenda was there, to love me and stay by my side.

Then Daddy came home - The Great War was over and we all got so fond of each other

For we all loved my mother and missed her so much, that it helped us to love one another.

 

So Dad married my aunt and we all went back home to Basutoland, where I was born,

So You proved your love, and I had a new Mum, a new name, a new family, new Dawn.

But You loved me too, and You gave me a big happy family to love:

Three brothers, two sisters to love me, were the first gifts you sent from Above.

 

Happy hours in Basutoland’s mountains, happy holidays down by the sea,

We grew up mid love, fun and laughter, my sisters, my brothers and me

Of course there were times when my pathway led me down to a valley of tears

But your loving hand always guided me through all the worries and fears.

 

,In all the worst times You were faithful, bringing comfort, encouragement, hope,

And You showed me the way up the mountain, with advice, and a shove up the slope!

You took me to pinnacles of pleasure. You brought Terry into my life,

And You gave us our four lovely children and fulfilled me as a mother and wife.

 

One dark day it happened. My Terry was gone, so sudden, so brutal, I thought I would die…

But you held me close, and whispered your love, and I gave you my grief and the sorrow passed by.

It seemed no time at all before grandchildren came, and my family burst into bloom.

There were babies and toddlers all over the place and seldom a moment of gloom.

 

Time appeared to be running as years hurried by and babies all turned into teens,

And all of the time I was conscious of You as You lead me through wonderful scenes.

Then came the weddings, one after another and more lovely children to see!

With all these Great-grandchildren I am so blessed! Loving Lord, You are so good to me!

 

And so I thank You, as well as I can, for Your faithfulness, guidance and care;

For Your bountiful gifts that have lit up the road that we’ve traveled, and soon we’ll be There!

I give Thanks for my family, every last one, my grandparents, uncles and aunts;

My cousins far spread now, their husbands and wives and their children, all part of the Dance.

 

For my dear lovely Mother, whom I long to see when I get home in the morning.

Dear Dad will be with her, and my second Mum, and my Terry! The new day is dawning!

Brothers and sisters I mustn’t forget: Tom, John, Paul;   Helen and Ruth.

Each with a family for me to love, and I do love them so, that’s the truth!

 

I give thanks for my children, so precious to me, and their loved ones, (my dear children too)

Seventeen grandchildren, husbands and wives, and the babies so sweet and so new;

And when I get home, I hope they won’t cry by my grave or by some memory wall

For I’ll be so happy to be Home with You, and I’ll watch over them all.

 

They will see me in the wind and the rain and the sunlight that brightens the hill.

In the bright little birds at the window pane and the roses that nod at the sill.

And the wish of my heart is that they will know You, and that You will be close to each one,

So that you’ll bring them all home at the end of the day, when their journeys on Earth are all done.

 

 

Biography

 

Brenda Dorothy Anne Kennan was born on 9^th October 1914, at Mohali’s Hoek, Basutholand. Her father, Tommy, an officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, went off to war in Europe. Dorothy, her mother, decided to return to England with little Dorothy to wait for her husband there. Aboard ship, on the way home, little Brenda contracted measles. Her mother decide to keep this a secret and nursed her privately in their cabin. As result, Dorothy caught measles too. When they reached England, little Brenda who was then three, recovered from the illness, but sadly her mother didn’t, and she died. Dorothy’s younger sister, Brenda, took responsibility for caring for little Brenda and little Brenda bonded with her. Tommy returned after the war and their common sadness at losing a wife and sister drew them together, and they got married. This upset many of the family, but eventually they accepted it and Tommy and Brenda lived a very long and happy life together, having five more children. To avoid confusion and to honour the child’s mother, they decided to call her by her second name, Dorothy.

 

Dorothy married Terry Dutton in 1940. They had four children Dorothy Margaret (Polly), Robin, Myles and Frank. In 1963, Terry suddenly passed away, leaving Dorothy with a family of teenagers. Looking at her family today, we can only say what a wonderful job she did.

 

I did not meet Aunty Dorothy until I was a teen, as I grew up in Zimbabwe, and she always stayed in South Africa. However I did know about her as every year, on or around my birthday, I would receive a birthday card with a postal order for a few Rand in it from Aunty Do. I did not realise until later in my life, what a sacrifice that was for her. I would see her from time to time, when we visited Howick, but sadly, did not get to know her as I would have liked. I remember her cards always contained a sweet letter written with much affection.

 

The poem above reflects her strong faith, and her many friends will remember her faithful service to her church and her neighbours. Mum says she is sorry that she made the poem so long, but summarising 9 event-filled decades is not an easy task.

 

See you next week.

 

John

 

 

FW: Running the Race or What lies within

Running the Race or What lies within

 

June 16^th in South Africa is a public holiday - Youth Day. It is the day on which the world famous Comrade’s Marathon is run, each year. For those who don’t know, the Comrade’s Marathon is run each year between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Each year they change direction, one year starting in Pietermaritzburg (The Down Run) and the next in Durban (The Up Run). This year was an Up Run. The distance is 87.5 km.

 

My friend, Blessing, competed for the 8^th time this year, and though he was disappointed not to have won a Silver Medal he did get a Bill Rowan Medal with a run of 8h 56min. Naturally, I was keen to watch his progress. As he is not one of the front runners, the chances of seeing him on TV amongst the thousands of runners were slim, but I could at least chart his progress, via the Comrades website, which I did.

 

On the home page of the website, there is a quote: “What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

 

I cannot be sure of what Mr. Emerson’s intended meaning was, but may I share what I understand by the statement and share with you some insight I gained from these words?

 

Firstly, I felt that the quote is indeed apt when connected to an ultra-marathon such as the Comrades. To compete in the Comrades takes a great deal of preparation, and athletes generally train for a year before the event so as to be at peak fitness on the big day. There is the physical training, each day going out for lengthy runs to build up the physical stamina needed for the run. There is the mental training too. The runner has to prepare himself to endure and to push on through the pain and the tiredness that they experience during the race. They have to focus on their goal, which differs from person to person, according to their own experience and their purpose in running.

 

I am not entirely sure what Bles’s purpose in running the race is, (though I’m sure he will let me know when he reads this,) but there was another person whose progress I was interested in, although we have never met. His name is Paul Dolman. Paul competed on Friday too, and I am pleased to say he completed the marathon in 11 hours and 53 minutes. Paul has made history as the first person with Cystic Fibrosis to compete in the Comrades, or as far as we are aware, any ultra-marathon. His determination is an inspiration to us all. If you are interested in reading about him, go to this link:

http://www.sundaytribune.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=160&fArticleId=3297403

May I suggest you do not miss this story!

 

Bles told me that the night before Comrades, he didn’t get a wink of sleep as the hotel where he was staying in Durban had a very loud disco that kept going until the early hours. He was also feeling a bit nauseous and the combined effect of exhaustion and nausea affected his running and slowed him down – but it did not stop him! He had a goal in sight and he kept pressing on towards it.

 

Paul said, "I almost baled out half-way. It's really hard, too hard to even describe. It's like a nightmare after 70km. The road's long and helluva winding. You start wondering why the hell you are doing this to yourself, but the spirit of the race keeps you going."  Well Paul, it’s not the spirit of the race, my friend, but the spirit within you – that amazing  faith and determination that made you press on, despite the difficulties. You certainly are an encouragement to us all. I was most inspired when Dr Graham told us about you at Bible Study.

 

While the Comrade’s Marathon is a race in the sense that we all want to know who the first man and the first woman across the finish line are, everyone who completes the distance before the cut-off is a winner of sorts. The first man and woman across the line get the biggest prizes for their efforts, (lots of money!) but with Comrades, as with many other ultra-marathons, there is a medal for everyone who finishes before the final cut-off. For many, it is not about speed, but about persevering, keeping going to the finish. The majority of athletes are proud to achieve a bronze medal, (by getting in before the 12 hour cut) but the next time, they try to break the 9 hour cut. This wins a Bill Rowan medal, in memory of the first man to win the race, in that time. If they make it before seven and a half hours, they win a silver, and the first ten men and first ten women in, win gold medals.

 

My point here is that you cannot win anything unless you keep going. For the runner, it is he or she against the road. All the facilities are there to help them on their way, like refreshment stations, and medical tents to help with those who are struggling, but at the end of the day, it is the athlete who has to run the race.

 

I am reminded that our lives are likened to a road race – or maybe more likely an undulating cross-country-cum-obstacle-race. Without question, life sometimes throws unexpected and debilitating circumstances our way. We may be confronted with sickness or disability in ourselves or our loved-ones. We may find ourselves out of our depths economically. Our marriages or businesses may be in tatters. We may have to deal with family or friends who have made unwise choices, or who have fallen foul of the law. We may be victims of crime, and have the added insult of seeing the perpetrators acquitted as a result of a “technicality in the law.”

 

How does one pick himself up in such circumstances, and continue with the race of life? Some don’t, and simply “bale” – we call it suicide. Either the person becomes so overwhelmed, they lose perspective and try to kill themselves, and sometimes; succeed; or they simply check out mentally. They close down mentally and spiritually. The common terms for such an experience are “burn-out” or “a nervous breakdown.”  Fortunately with much love and professional care, people who have had such breakdowns have been able to recover and return to their lives. Other people deal with the pain in their lives by succumbing to addiction to drugs, alcohol or other destructive behaviour patterns. These things are understandable, but they are not the answer!

 

The truth is that as we run this race that we call life, there will be things that slow our progress, and it may be necessary to walk or even crawl on occasions, but we must keep pressing on towards the goal that lies ahead of us. To use another race as an analogy, when athletes race over hurdles, if they knock one or two over accidentally, they don’t give up, and they are not disqualified, but the knocked hurdles will slow their progress. The athlete does not dwell on the felled hurdle, but keeps running towards the finish line. Bad things will happen, but we cannot allow what has happened in the past to impede our progress forward. Neither should we allow the obstacles ahead of us, real or imagined, to make us give up altogether. We need to keep going, believing that when circumstances demand it, we’ll have the necessary strength to keep going.

 

Everybody who sets off at half past five in morning at the start of  Comrades, believes that they can reach the finish line within the twelve hour time limit.  If you started that race with the thought that you might not make it, I believe you are already defeated. You won’t.

 

So in summary, like the tough ultra-marathon, life demands perseverance. Perseverance is born out of resolve. One can only have resolve if one has purpose.

 

Do you know what your purpose is?

 

There will be refreshment stations along the route, and even the odd medical tent. There will be coaches and seconds to give the necessary advice and encouragement. There’s nothing weak or wimpish about taking advantage of the facilities that are provided. In fact, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of them. They are there to help you keep going so you can reach your goal. .

 

Remember, only one person can run the race for you – that is you.

 

As a Christian, the inspiration behind my purpose and what gives me courage to persevere when the chips are down is the knowledge that Jesus has gone ahead of me, and is my guide and mentor. He has left me with a task of bringing the Good News to my fellow contestants in the race of life.

 

I wish you all fitness and stamina for the race that lies ahead of you.

 

John

Dear Friends,

 

I would like to start by saying “Gut Yom Tov” to my Jewish friends. The reason for this is that last Friday was the festival of Shavuot. For those who do not know, Shavuot is also known as Pentecost. Now, most of you will recognise that term. Christians celebrate Pentecost and I will explain what that is, but before I do, let me expand a little on the Jewish significance of the festival – What are the Jewish people celebrating at Shavuot. It is a harvest festival but its Spiritual significance is that it commemorates and celebrates the giving of the 10 “utterances” (commandments) by the Lord to Moses at Sinai. I listened this afternoon to a most interesting service on the radio – from a Synagogue in Cape Town celebrating Shavuot. It was a most enlightening experience. The speaker, the rabbi, spoke about the Aliya – which I understand means “lifting up”. He spoke of three Aliya but I recall only two – The lifting of the Torah, The “going up” of the people of Israel to Jerusalem during the Pilgrim feasts, I think the other one is the Going up of Moses to Sinai to receive the 10 commandments. The rabbi explained that before the reading of the Torah in the synagogue and afterwards, a blessing is said. The gratitude to God for his Words to us is acknowledged in that. In a nutshell, Shavuot celebrates God giving the 10 Commandments.

 

This morning, Ray preached at church, and he emphasised that we should really know the Word. Let God’s word dwell in us richly, and not to rely on stale bread, as it were, but constantly search the Scriptures and get a fresh understanding of what the Lord would say to us. That wasn’t part of his main sermon, but he kept on coming back to that, so God was clearly speaking to us about it.   

 

So what is the spiritual significance of Shavuot – Pentecost – to the Christian. Firstly the term Pentecost comes from the Septuagint – a Greek translation of the Old Testament. It means 50. Why fifty – Seven weeks and one Day after Pesach – Passover, Jews celebrate Shavuot – the Feast of Weeks. ( 7 times 7 = 49 + 1 = 50)

Jesus was crucified on or just before the Passover, according the Gospels, three days later, however you work it out, Jesus was resurrected. For a period of 40 days, Jesus continued to appear to various disciples to convince them of the Resurrection, then on the 40^th day, He ascended into the heavens. He left the disciples with instructions to return to Jerusalem and wait there. This they did, and during the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) – I want you to picture this scene. It was a pilgrim festival, the Bible says that there were Jewish believers from far-flung places. All in Jerusalem, to celebrate Shavuot. The disciple were together – (All the followers of Jesus who remained faithful) – there were 120 of them –  Then there was a sound of a mighty wind and what appeared to be tongues of fires appeared above the heads of all the believers and they all started to testify. They were testifying to the crowds around and the people were amazed, because these uneducated Galileans were speaking the languages of the far flung places that people had come from.  During this time, the Apostle Peter stood up and started to speak. His sermon is recorded in Acts 2:14-36

I won’t go into the detail of what he spoke that day, but I strongly urge you all to read it. What was happening? Jesus had told the disciples at the last super that he would send the Comforter – the Greek word –Parakletos – means one who goes alongside – and that Comforter is none less than the Holy Spirit, the Third person of the Trinity.

It was during the festival of Shavuot – the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers – it was the birth of the Church. In a sense, Shavuot represents the birth of Judaism, with the giving of the 10 commandments - It was the birth of the Church with the giving of the Holy Spirit.

 

Shavuot is the harvest festival – a time to give thanks to God for the harvest. It also is a time for us to give thanks to God for his commandments – and by extension for His the Word, the Bible, and for Christians, it is a time to give thanks to God for pouring out His Holy Spirit, who continues to live in his followers to guide us firstly to himself, and secondly, in the works prepared in advance for us to do, and to empower us to be His witnesses throughout the world. Without His indwelling Holy Spirit, Christians could not function – such is our need for Him.

 

I find it ironic that Christmas and Easter are celebrated widely and well known, even among non-Christians. These two are important celebrations and I would not want to mimimise their importance, but I think that Pentecost – or Shavuot – is also a significant Christian celebration that goes almost un-noticed. In a way it is a good thing as this wonderful day does not attract to itself many of the irrelevant “trappings” of the commercial world as has Christmas – with Father Christmas/Santa Clause – and Easter – with Easter bunny and Easter eggs. But I believe that Christians should celebrate the Feast of Pentecost – keeping in mind both the Jewish significance of harvest and the giving of the 10 commandments – and the Christian celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.

 

 

This week has been a busy week for me, finishing off the first part of my Teaching Practice. The second part starts tomorrow. I had a number of Crit lessons to present last week. I have learnt a great deal about Shaka, the first Zulu king as I was teaching the children about him in a history lesson. I had intended to give a power point presentation about him, but as things go with technology – they did not fire up as I had expected and so after trying for 10 minutes to get it working – I had to give it up, and instead taught the lesson from memory. I had sat up until 2 in the morning preparing the presentation – all to no avail Fortunately the teacher assessing me credited me for my recovery as I was able to recount the stories of Shaka from memory and was able to keep the children’s attention through my verbal presentation. I have to say that the people at the school at which I am doing my prac, they are very helpful and encouraging. Thank you Lord for opening that door to me.

 

KwaZulu-Natal has been hit by a flu epidemic. Schools have been hard hit. One school actually closed because so many of the staff and learners were affected. Another school, a Government school, was not allowed to close, but they had 125 learners and 7 teachers away due to the sickness. Other schools have not been as badly affected, but their attendances have been significantly reduced. Mum and Dad have also been affected and Dad especially so. I fortunately had had an anti-flu jab and I think it has helped me keep illness at bay. Mum was at the Royal Show this week looking after a stand selling a pool ioniser that helps reduce the amount of chemicals needed to keep the swimming pool clean. It was something Mum and Dad were going to do together, but because of Dad’s illness, Mum only went. She was not alone though as there were other people involved too.

 

On Tuesday, Mum and I watched the show of the Lippezahne Horses and the Drakensburg Boys Choir, in the main arena. It was quite an experience I must say. Those horses were really beautiful and quite impressive when they jumped on their back legs in what the announcer called a “Cabriolet”. The Drakies as they are affectionately known here gave their usual star performance with songs from different eras as far back as Mozart to the modern times with songs from the movie “The Lion King”.

 

May was actually a comparatively cultural month as two weeks ago we went to see my nephew play the role of “Bill Sykes” in Oliver, the musical. He performed wonderfully, and well deserved the Drama Honours he received for his performance. It was an enjoyable evening, and all of the young actors performed very well.

 

Your friend, John

Speaking against evil!

Hello friends,

 

It seems that in our increasingly secular world, the Christian gospel is being mocked, and scorned more and more. As a Christian, I am not surprised by this. We were warned in many ways by Jesus himself, that we would be persecuted as He was. When Christians do speak out against things which go against there own moral code, they are often labelled as being “extreme” or “fanatical” or “right-wing” along with a variety of other labels depending on the context. It seems as though provided Christians keep to their own “holy huddle” they can shake their heads and tut-tut as much as they like, but if they dare speak out against immoral behaviour or undermining of Christian values, they get told to keep quiet. However, when Christians don’t speak out, they are labelled as being irrelevant and having head in the sand.

 

SO what are we to do? Should we shut up and be “tolerant” or should we speak out and say when something runs contrary to our ‘religious’ sensibilities.

 

A Scripture was brought to my attention today that I believe has relevance in this discussion. ”Jesus said…”The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” (John 7:7)

 

So Christians are left with the following dilemma: and I do not pretend that this is an easily resolved matter. Different Christians will respond differently to this issue and I would not dare criticise either side of the debate as frankly, I am not sure. The dilemma is this:

 

On the one hand, taking a stand on any issue that has a religious or moral undertone in it, means that a person risks being labelled “politically incorrect” a supposedly heinous crime in modern society. After all, in today’s modern society, there are supposedly no absolutes.  A person cannot take a stance against abortion, because, so society says, it is the woman’s body and she has a right to make decisions concerning it. The whole question of where life begins is left up in the air. I could go on down this road with this debate, but I won’t – suffice it to say that I am Pro-Life – i.e. anti abortion, except where clearly the continued pregnancy represents a real threat to the mother’s life (not lifestyle). On the other side of the coin, I would be careful about coming over as judgmental towards people who perform abortions, or women who have undergone abortions (not that I know any personally) or anyone involved in the process of enabling abortions. I would not judge a nurse or a doctor who are involved in performing abortions and would never say that a Christian should not work for or aid in the carrying out of abortions. In this whole debate, the strongest argument for legalised abortions is that many back-street abortions are performed, where mothers’ lives are endangered. There was a case a while back where a young woman who had found herself pregnant went to one of the back street abortion places but the abortion went wrong and the patient was rushed to a government hospital where they had to complete the abortion in order to save the woman’s life. One of the nurses on duty in the emergency ward refused, because of her religious convictions, to be involved. She was sacked for refusal to follow orders and took the matter to court. I cannot recall the outcome of that case, but it was a difficult case with merits on both sides of the argument. I do believe it is wrong to become judgmental of others, as if we, somehow are superior to them. We are not any better than anyone else, and everyone, whether Christian or non-Christian blows it in one way or another. So who are we to stand up and say that this or that is wrong? The expressions like “Live and let live” and “c’est la vie” are bandied about. Tolerance it seems is the watchword of the moment. My question is can we tolerate absolutely everything and make excuses for every criminal act. Babies, not old enough to stand have been raped, and society is rightly horrified, but society does not seem to realise that this didn’t happen all of a sudden, but is a direct result of morals being gradually eroded and so what was not accepted in society became accepted, and then a bit more, and so on, and so on. It is my contention that society can and has become too tolerant.

 

On the other hand, Jesus saw injustice in society and he did not worry about the politically correct thing to do. He did not button his lip. He got angry and chased the money changers from the temple courts. Jesus spoke out against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and called them such endearing terms as “a brood of vipers” and “white washed tombs”  Jesus did not allow the Pharisees to stone the woman court in adultery, but exposed their hypocrisy. He however did not excuse the sin of the woman but said, “Go your way, but don’t continue to sin” – in this regard, don’t continue being an adulteress. I believe that there are times when as Christian, I need to take a stand and say something is immoral and wrong.   The problem with many Christians is that they develop selective blind spots. That is they are ready and willing to stand and wag their fingers at this or that perceived wrong, but when an injustice is being perpetrated by “their group” whether it is racial, political (left-wing/right-wing) or religious (Protestant/Catholic) they are not willing to admit to it. SO we have in the United States, a group people who are labelled the Religious Right or the Neo-Conservatists who scream blue murder against abortion and homosexuality and cry “Death to Islamist Terrorists” – meaning every Moslem, and yet refuse to acknowledge that George Bush, whom they support, was not entirely truthful about the reasons for going to war against Iraq. (Last time I checked – the ninth commandment says “Do not bear false witness.” ) . People known as Liberation Theologians are quick to condemn the injustices perpetrated by Capitalistic Governments against the poverty stricken Third World while at the same time, aiding and abetting terrorists fighting against governments. There is an English proverb that goes, “People living in glass houses should not throw stones.”  If we are willing to point an accusing finger at this or that injustice, we must accept it, when others point accusing fingers towards us. It is difficult to maintain objectivity when it comes to some issues, but it is important that we at least try, and that if we want to be heard when we raise a concern, we too must be willing to hear the other perspective on the matter  or when someone criticises us. But I don’t think that means we need to retreat into our ivory towers or bury our heads in the sand.

 

Christians are not the only ones who rant and rave over perceived injustices, or by any means the worst, as the recent outrage against the “Mohammed Cartoons” show. But it isn’t only religious ‘nutbars’ who get their knickers in a knot. Think about the “Green Peace” movement and the animal rights groups. Yesterday a group of fathers called Fathers for Justice disrupted a lottery draw  to protest against the law that favours mothers in custody cases in the United Kingdom.

 

Having said all that I am now going to comment on something that really annoyed me as a Christian. Yesterday I sat up late and watched the Eurovision Contest. The first country represented was Switzerland, and I really liked the song. But few songs later, came Finland. They sang a song called Hard Rock Hallelujah. The singers were dressed up and made up to look like demons. It was terrible. A mocking of Christianity. It really irked me that that song was the one that won it. But how, as Christians, do we respond?

 

I look forward to hearing from you. Let me know what you think.

 

Have a great week

 

John

 

13 May

STOP PRESS: I started writing this yesterday, 13^th May, but never got it finished. I have added a bit today and now I send it out. I have already done the Children’s ministry – it went well. Craig did most of the sharing. As you might have guessed, the children are very familiar with the story of Zacchaeus. I hope you had a lovely Mothers Day, Mothers.

John

13^th May

 

Last night I was listening to a Christian Radio Station and I heard Adrian Rogers relate an anecdote that sent shivers up and down my spine:

I will try and recount it as he shared it:

 

In Chicago, there is a night club. It is called “The Gates of Hell” (or Hades). In that same street is a church with the name of Calvary. A visitor to the town was looking for directions and asked a local person, “Where do I find the Gates of Hell” to which the local replied, “You carry on right past Calvary.”

 

Many people say they don’t believe in Hell. Interestingly, many people who believe in a heaven, don’t believe in a hell. Many people who acknowledge the existence of God, are not convinced there is the devil, Satan. I wonder where you stand on this matter? Do you think that he is the collective figment of our imaginations?

 

Ironically, if you don’t believe in the devil, he is more than delighted. It makes his job easier if we don’t believe he exists. He can more easily manipulate your mind if you don’t know he is there. If you believe in Jesus, and you believe that He is God, and that He told the truth, you had better believe that there is a devil. The bible tells us about how Christ was lead into the wilderness for a 40 day period and during that time, the devil attempted to tempt Him, but failed. Jesus, himself, spoke often about the devil.

 

Be self- controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

 

Does this mean we quiver in our boots for fear of this enemy of our souls. No, for as John wrote, concerning Christians: “He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4) Paul writes: “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom 8:37)

 

The thought has just occurred to me: People now are aware of, and acknowledge the existence of the HIV. We know what it is, and we know what it is capable of if it gets into our systems. Regretfully, there are some people who refuse to accept the fact of its existence, and who try and explain the illness by some other means. Most people simply shake their heads when they hear of someone who says “There is no HIV.” We all know how wrong they are, and we all know how important it is that they do acknowledge its existence. Most of us know there is HIV and that HIV causes AIDS. We also know how the virus can get into our bodies, and consequently what precautions need to be introduced in order to prevent that happening. But if you asked me, am I scared of HIV, I would answer – NO – HIV can’t hurt me, if I take the necessary precautions. If I take care not to engage in risky behaviour, and to take necessary precautions such at wearing latex gloves if dealing with another persons bleeding wound. (I know this goes out to many medically trained people and if I have said something wrong here, you have every right and the invitation to set the record straight – but I don’t suspect that anyone will.) Some of you may be saying – well what is the point? My point is this, just as you don’t need to fear the HIV as long as you acknowledge that it does exist and are aware of what dangerous or risky behaviour might precipitate an infection, so, we as Christians need not fear the devil, Satan, because he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ through the cross, but we do need to acknowledge that he does exist and that he can lead us astray if we are not aware of his ways. The only way the devil can defeat you is through deception, and the only way deception can get to you, is if you believe the deception. But people need to be aware that they are being deceived in order to withstand that deception.

 

 

I am not going to launch into a major Bible study on the subject of the devil. However I just thought I would mention that the devil is real, and that it is desire as expressed in the verse above to “devour” you – that is destroy you. Jesus refers to him as the Thief who comes to steal, kill and to destroy (John 10:10) in contrast to Jesus himself, how He claims, has come to give abundant life.

 

Tomorrow, I teach a Sunday school class for the first time, and we are going to be talking about that “wee little man, Zacchaeus”. SO have a good week.

 

Last week, I received an email with a thought about Mothers that I thought would be appropriate for Mothers’ Day: So here it is –

 

Being a Mum

... the special bond between a mother and her child

Before I was a Mum I made and ate hot meals. I had unstained clothing and I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mum I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mum I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot the words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mum I didn’t worry whether or not plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunisations.

Before I was a Mum I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mum I had complete control over my mind, my thoughts, my body and I slept all night.

Before I was a Mum I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

Before I was a Mum I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love being a Mum.

Before I was a Mum I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn’t know the special bond between a mother and her child. I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mum I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every ten minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderful fulfillment, or the satisfaction of being a Mum.

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much ... before I was a Mum.

Author Unknown

 

 

 

This week's blog - or is that - last week's blog?

Hi there,

 

Well I’ve mulled it over and scratched my head, but this week’s blog does not seem to come to me quite like they normally do. So let me start by sharing a bit of personal news. No nothing earth shattering or exciting I’m afraid, but news all the same:

 

I am working on this huge assignment – one of the biggest I have ever had to do – all about Children who, (to use the currently politically correct phraseology) experience barriers to learning. For people who might not understand, this refers to children who were previously regarded as having disabilities, or experiencing learning difficulties. One of the things that make this such a complicated task is that I have to use the politically correct terminology, and it is so easy to slip into the old way of saying things.

 

The other bit of news that I have this week is that I managed to finish another assignment that I have been finding very interesting to write. It has taken me three weeks to get it done, (a lot longer than I usually take for an assignment (thought that is usually because I start writing it too late and I am sitting up through the night desperately trying to finish the assignment by the due date and then praying that the Internet will work properly so that I can submit it online.  This year I have resolved to take a different approach. I really have no excuse to run behind at the moment, because unlike previous years, I have not had to work full time as well. The assignment I have just finished was about HIV/AIDS. I thought I was quite knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS until I started doing the research for the assignment and found that I did not know as much as I thought I knew. I had a superficial knowledge. I knew enough, I suppose, to avoid becoming infected. (If you don’t know, or are not sure about the risks of HIV/AIDS – please write to me – I will treat your email as confidential and I will happily discuss this subject with anyone – I will treat your questions with confidentiality.) I didn’t really understand though, how the virus attacked the immune system and how the immune system is ‘used’ by the virus to replicate itself and invade the whole body. It was an eye opening experience. I also dealt with the sensitive topic of helping children who are grieving due to the death of a loved one. Again, there were things that I thought I knew about certain cultures but discussion showed me that I did not know. In particular, I had written something about what Jews believe about the afterlife. I thought that they, like Christians, believe in heaven and hell. Apparently I was wrong. According to my Jewish cousins, Jews believe in “the next world” where everyone’s soul goes after a period of cleansing. Thank you to those who put me right on that. I wouldn’t like to ride roughshod over a child’s beliefs especially at a time of grief.

 

I went last week to a combined home group meeting of our Church – we had a stir-fry supper, and a time of sharing. They introduced the time of sharing with words to this effect – “Everyone has to share something romantic – I hope you are prepared.” Well – I thought to myself, that is going to be difficult because I have no personal experience of that yet.” However, I soon realised that I did not have to talk about something romantic – I could also share a “God – moment”  or some testimony – now that’s a different story as I abound with personal experiences of God’s intervening hand. I decided to share on two things (these may be news to a few of you readers too)

 

I told them that when I decided that the move south was necessary, the hardest part of leaving Harare was saying goodbye to the fellowship I belonged to – Harvest Christian Fellowship. While I knew that I would be able to stay in touch, I would not be seeing them from one week to the next. (Now while distance does make the heart grow fonder), I realised that I would be needing to find a new spiritual home. I shared with the home groups how special the people of Harvest were to me and shared specific examples of how Harvesters helped me along the way – in very real and practical matters which I won’t go into here. It was a wrench, and I left a little piece of me in Harare, I am sure. Well for those of you who are not harvesters, Harvest meets in Gateway High School hall, and the official name is Harvest Christian Fellowship. I came down to South Africa, and I wanted to find a fellowship that I could become a part of it. I spoke to Malcolm and Karen and asked them if I could go to their fellowship and of course they were more than happy to take me along. The fellowship they belong to is called Hilton Christian Fellowship. The meet at Laddsworth School hall. But the similarities don’t stop there. This fellowship is also populated with wonderful, caring people who take an interest in you and are ready to share and help wherever they can. I have joined a home group as referred to before in my blog and next Sunday I am going to be helping Craig with children’s ministry.

 

The second part of my testimony is what may be news to quite a number of you. I have delayed talking about this until I had a better grasp of the situation myself. Not long after I got down here, I was sitting working at the computer and my watch alarm went off. Now, although it was on my wrist, and everyone else heard it, I did not. My brother, who happens to be a doctor, said that I should get my hearing tested, and it was confirmed that I had significant hearing loss in my right ear. I have been consulting with an ENT and he tested and conformed that there is a hearing problem, but at this stage, we are adopting a wait and see approach. I discussed with the doctor whether a hearing aid would be required and he said that it was up to me, and that if I did not feel particularly disabled without one, I shouldn’t worry. I reflected on it, and have come to the conclusion that since I am now aware that I have a hearing problem, I am actually better off than before when the problem existed, but I was not aware of it. I have decided that I do not need a hearing aid as I can cope without one. If that situation changes, I will think about the hearing aid again. The doctor wants me to have an MRI. We are doing a wait and see on that too. In about 4 months I will have another audiologist test me, and if the situation has deteriorated, then I will have an MRI just to eliminate the possibility of a cyst or a tumour pressing on my cochlea. In the mean time, I am not going to worry. The likelihood is that this hearing problem is linked to my hypothyroidism. I didn’t know before, but I have since learnt that there is a high correlation between children with hypothyroidism and deafness. Which brings me to the point I shared at the home group meeting – I praise God that as a child growing up I had the ability to hear, and to develop language. Yes I had physical struggles as a result of my thyroid hormone deficiency, such as fine and gross motor co-ordination, but I could hear and though I was slightly delayed in learning to talk (so I am told) I did learn. Now, even if my hearing deteriorates completely, I have heard and I can continue and can cope. I obviously hope that it does not deteriorate, and am praying and asking the Lord to heal me in this regard, I am at peace about the whole situation and will accept this as from the Lord and will ask him to give me the grace to bear it with courage. Which brings me back to my comments above about politically correct terminology. Apparently you are not supposed to refer to people as deaf as this will result in stigmatization (ridiculous I know!), but instead people are “hearing impaired.” While I quite accept that the old “deaf and dumb” label can be regarded as offensive, and the preferred term was “deaf mute” and that some silly people regarded people who were deaf as being of lesser intelligence than hearing people (Now is that stupid or what?) when I was at St Giles, a school for the physically handicapped, I was taught that “disability does not mean inability.” Something I have held onto all my life. Because of my life experiences, and the fact that I am now studying education, I believe God is preparing me to work with disabled children, probably on the mission field.   

 

1529 words already and so I will finish with that bit of news. May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon and give you His Shalom (peace).

 

John