steerewrite

The 35th of the Steere’s Years

2010-01-20T11:16:00.001-05:00

Greetings from the Steere’s! We are so thankful for this time of year, when we are reminded again of God’s goodness to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. What an amazing truth: Jesus was born to Mary so that He could live the life we can’t live and die the death our sins deserve. Through Jesus, God has opened a way for us to return to Him. THIS is the greatest gift of all – embodied in that tiny baby in the manger.
This has been an amazing year for each of us – a year of changes and challenges, a year of God’s grace at work in our circumstances. With the “kids” all busy with their own lives, it is a growing challenge to get us all together. And then there is the amazing blessing of our NEW “kids:” Kinsey and (soon) Victoria. Despite their busy schedules, each family member has contributed a paragraph about their year. So, here it is in our own words: the 35th of the Steere’s Years: 2009

DAN SR.—CHATTANOOGA,TN
2009 was my 5th year equipping leaders overseas. I’m still stunned when I consider the privilege and responsibility I have been given. I traveled three times to Africa this year, teaching in Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. In those trips, I finished the training for nearly 50 African leadership trainers, who are now teaching their own conferences. I was also privileged to assist in the opening of a new seminary in Nigeria. By God’s grace, the work done this year has the potential to impact thousands of people with God’s truth. On the home front, I was honored to be called in January as the Associate Pastor of our home church – Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. Susan and I continue to work with the College and Young Adult group at church, and we both still sing in the choir and greatly enjoy contributing to worship in that way. When I’m in the U.S., I stay busy with teaching, preaching, writing and working on my certification as a leadership coach. God is good.

SUSAN—CHATTANOOGA, TN
In the early part of 2009, I finished my 10th year teaching at Chattanooga Christian High School. I also took a Life Guard class in the spring and was recertified as a Life Guard; it was much different than the first course I took in H.S. about 43 years ago! Dan and I spent a week in Florida at the PCA General Assembly and spent time with several dear friends. When school started again in the fall, I became much more serious about dieting and exercising. With God’s help I met my weight goal just in time to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary on Dec. 7. The Lord has been good to us this year.

DANIEL—ATLANTA, GA

2009 was a very full year. In May I graduated from Emory with my MBA in Strategy & Analytics. For the past 3 years I've been pursuing this degree in the evenings while working full time during the day, so I'm very excited to have finally graduated. In November I took a new role within my company as the Director of Product Management for Consumer Insights. This is a perfect role to leverage my MBA education, and I'm very excited about the challenges and opportunities. But my most exciting news is ... I'M ENGAGED!!!I met Victoria Horne through my church last fall. We started dating shortly after we met and fell in love this spring. After completing a pre-marriage class at our church I proposed to Victoria on December 3rd.Our relationship has been a wonderful process of discovering a new best friend, enduring sanctifying challenges, laughing at the awkwardness and irony of life, and marveling as we watched God work in our hearts and answer our spoken and unspoken. Victoria and I can't wait to begin our new life together on Friday May 14th, 2010.

KRISTA—LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA
2009 turned out to be a year with many milestones for me. I began the year taking evening classes to get my real estate license. I completed that in mid-March passing all the state exams the first time! In May I took a trip with 2 friends to Ireland and Greece staying in each location for about a week. We rented a car in Ireland and I had my first experience with driving on the "wrong" side of the road. We stayed in B&B's all around the southern tip of Ireland. It was raining most of our trip but absolutely worth it. While in Greece I spent time on the island of Santorini and in Athens. It was so beautiful on the island and so mind boggling to be standing in places with such history while in Athens! I loved every minute of the trip and am anxiously awaiting my next trip out of the US!I started working out with a personal trainer in April just to have the accountability for getting in better shape. By August I had been convinced by one of my workout partners that I should train with her for a 1/2 marathon (13.2 miles).So most of my fall was spent running and preparing for that race. I ran the 1/2 marathon in November and met all my goals for the race! I am still working as a property manager for a shopping center in downtown Chattanooga, still attending North Shore Fellowship, and still live on Lookout Mountain - for now. I have decided to sell my house and move closer to town since that is where my life is now. The Lord has taught me a lot this year and I look forward to how He will stretch and grow me in 2010.

ANNA—DALTON, GA

In January I started my second semester of teaching at Christian Heritage School in Dalton, GA. The end of the year went well, but I was very ready for a break when May finally rolled around! During the summer I was a nanny for a family that goes to Covenant Presbyterian Church, where I attend with Mom and Dad. In addition to nannying, I led volleyball practices for my team and spent a lot of time with my friends and family. In the fall I began my second year of teaching and coaching, and this year I am teaching 6th, 8th, and 9th grade English. The volleyball season went well – we had a 15-3 record in regular season games, and we made it to the state tournament. The school year has been going fairly well, and although I’ve had various struggles with school issues, God is faithful. I am looking forward to what this next year may hold!

JASON/SCOTT & KINSEY—BREVARD, NC

I guess our year really started when Kinsey and I got married in December ‘08 and moved into an apartment in Chattanooga. I continued to finish my AAS in Graphic Design at Chattanooga State while working at Alstom. Kinsey got a job as the administrative assistant for a graduate program at UTC. We had a chance to go on a cruise for our honeymoon, and in March added another member to our little family: Penny. She’s a pug. She gets along well with my mutt, Stonewall. We had a busy fall, with the opportunity to go to Disney World. We then packed all of our things and left Chattanooga for North Carolina to work at Ridge Haven Conference and Retreat Center. That’s where we’re at right now, as the Marketing Manager and Administrative Assistant. However, we’re looking to return to school next fall. We plan to finish at Ridge Haven in early 2010, and, God willing, move to a university town on the east coast.

Well, that’s it for now. As you can see, the Lord continues His work in each of us. We are so thankful to Him for His faithfulness to us through the changing circumstances of life. We hope you have experienced God’s faithfulness as well.

Grace and peace,
Dan and Susan

Sunyani Field Report

2009-09-25T11:27:00.002-04:00

“The leadership seminar has helped me to understand Christian leadership…It has opened my eyes to [the] role and conduct of a Christian leader in the church of God. In effect, Christian leadership is service and accountability.”

“I am a Catholic and a Charismatic leader in the church….It is our hope to learn the true teaching to change some of the beliefs or doctrine the church has clung to that may not be the true teachings. This conference has uncovered a lot of things to me which will help me go about renewing my church.”

“The material on leadership is going to be adopted to run my [youth] leadership training seminar slated for October. I have really been blessed with this material which I think would go a long way to help the youth have a biblical view of what leadership is about.”

“I am thankful to ELI because 1st Timothy has become new to me now…. I have made up my mind to organize conferences for my pastors and church leaders and even other church leaders from different denominations. May the Lord give me this grace.”

These are samples of the very encouraging comments we received after the Sunyani conference on Biblical Leadership from 1 Timothy. This was the final training conference for a group of men who, after they have taught their first conference, will become ELI Certified Course Instructors.

Over the last five years, Sunyani has become something of a second home for me. But as the thunder growled and sheets of rain battered our hotel, I realized that somehow I’d always dodged the full rainy season. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. Aside from those occasional torrential downpours, the weather was actually very pleasant – mostly cloudy and low 80’s. People carried on despite the rain: street vendors simply covered their wares with plastic; farmers ignored the sprinkles as they burned fields and planted maize; ladies wore plastic shopping bags for hats and ELI teachers (along with everyone else) squished carefully around the larger mud puddles.

The conference itself was a delightful time of teaching and fellowship around the Word of God. This group of men (there were about 15 who attended) has been involved with ELI for years now. Each of them has become a friend and feels free to comment, question and participate in the conference. In fact, their participation was a big part of what took place. Since they were training to actually teach the ELI curriculum (more on that in a minute), we wanted to give them an opportunity to practice. So, the ELI team taught the first 6 lessons and then the trainees (in groups of 2 or 3) taught the remaining 7 lessons to the class. What a bunch of gifted guys! As they taught the material, each with their own styles and illustrations, we saw things in 1 Timothy that we’d never seen before. And as we took time for comments and questions after each presentation, their insight and maturity were evident. We came away very encouraged and excited about what these men will be able to accomplish for Christ’s Kingdom.

The value of having Ghanaians teach their fellow countrymen should be obvious. But, for those who might be questioning why ELI is taking this approach, let me give you a quick apologetic:
1) This is essentially the method used by both Jesus and Paul. (i.e. commit the truth to faithful men and then cut them loose to train others. See 2 Timothy 2:2)
2) Training trainers is the next logical step in developing a strong church with a self-sustaining indigenous leadership. We hope that some of these men will soon begin teaching the training seminars and we just become advisors. Having the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, they are much more effective communicators of God’s truth in their culture than we could ever be.

3) Equipping leaders is the most efficient and cost-effective way of doing missions. It also builds up the church because everything rides on the character and quality of the church’s leaders. Except in those areas where the Church is not yet established, equipping leaders should become the primary mission’s paradigm for the 21st century. Let them do evangelism and start the churches; we assist them by equipping leaders. (There’s a book in there someplace!)

Here’s the facts: these 15 men directly mentor 200 other leaders, who obviously teach a number of other people. Consequently, through the leaders they are training and through their own teaching/preaching, these 15 men impact the lives and beliefs of about 11,000 people! And that’s BEFORE they begin teaching these conferences on 1 Timothy. Interpret those quotes at the beginning of this update in the light of this kind of influence.

THAT’S why I’m so excited about what God did in the final week of this trip. ELI has 15 new partners in Ghana – along with the 25+ trainers in Nigeria – who are building up Christ’s Kingdom. Oh! And one other thing: Chris Fowler is planning to return with us in February. He absolutely loved the teaching and the people in Ghana – and God’s people there were blessed by his teaching. Pray for Chris as he takes this next step of faith.

Well, it was a long trip home. But it was safe and, aside from a close call on making one flight, largely uneventful. We landed in Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon, thankful for God’s protection and for His incredible grace in giving us the privilege of teaching in West Africa. Thank you too for your faithful support in prayer and in material ways. We could not do it without you.

Grace and peace,
Dan.

Susan and I will be in several churches in the next month, speaking about the ministry of ELI. If you would like us to come to your church, we still have some open weekends. Drop us a line and let’s work out a time.

[I'm cross-posting this at my ELI blog site: www.equippingleadersinternational.org/steere. Check out the ELI site for more information on what ELI is doing around the world.]

Kumasi Field Report

2009-09-14T03:22:00.001-04:00

“We don’t fly to Accra on Sundays,” the bored attendant said, “the next flight is on Wednesday.” Standing there in the bewildering chaos of the Lagos airport, I had no idea what to do. I had my ticket in hand, but there was no flight, no refund and no helpful suggestions. “Who might have a flight to Accra?” I asked. “I don’t know – can’t you see I’m busy here? – try Virgin Nigeria.” Praying the whole time, I approached the Virgin Nigeria counter and inquired. They had a flight in three hours, and yes, they would sell me a ticket. Praise God! Although the flight was an hour late in departing, I was on my way to the next venue.

So, my first week in Ghana got off to a late start. And even though I had had no way to tell him about the delay, Sam Oppong was there – unruffled after a four hour wait – when I arrived in Accra. Chuck Emerson and Chris Fowler flew in soon afterward and, aside from Chris’s missing luggage, the team was assembled and ready to go. We drove to Kumasi on Monday, bouncing along through long stretches of road construction interspersed with nicely paved highway. Arriving at the hotel, we settled in and prepared to begin our conference on Tuesday morning.

This week we taught Romans to the students at the Sholoh Bible Training Centre for Pastors. Under the leadership of Bishop Samuel, Shiloh matriculates nearly 100 students through the Bible training program each year – most of them pastors and church planters. I have taught here several times before and the growing relationship with the Bishop has produced an agreement: ELI will come to Shiloh twice a year to teach Romans and 1 Timothy to each class. They are thrilled to have the “top-up” (i.e. fuller instruction) that ELI provides, and we are excited to be able to provide solid Biblical teaching to so many pastors.

Chuck, Chris and I rotated through the lessons in Romans and I laughingly told them I was on holiday for the week, since I had their help. That all changed on Wednesday, however, when Chuck became sick and passed out after teaching his lesson. He fell hard on the concrete and everyone immediately went to prayer as we tried to bring him around. Although he regained consciousness rather quickly, the Bishop determined that Chuck needed to be seen by a doctor. So, he was rushed off to a local clinic run by Dr. Asafo Adjei – an internationally known medical doctor who is also a graduate of Shiloh and the pastor of a local church. While awaiting news of Chuck’s condition, we continued the conference. By God’s grace, he was fine, he just had some abrasions on his forehead from falling on the concrete.

However, Dr. Adjei was adamant (and the Bishop agreed) that Chuck should have a day off. So, I took his lessons for Thursday, which meant that I was privileged to teach through much of Romans 8,9 and 11. I was greatly encouraged as I was reminded of the “big picture” of God’s plan of redemption and restoration. Wherever we serve, and whatever we are called to do for Christ, we are ALL indispensible actors in His cosmic plan. He causes all things to work together for our good, and our labors are being woven together by His sovereign will to bring about the culmination of all things. “For from Him, and to Him, and through Him are all things. To Him be glory forever!” (Rom. 11:36) That truth is often obscured from my eyes when I’m in the U.S. But while here in Africa, witnessing the hunger for God’s Word that is so characteristic of God’s people here, my vision clears; the eternal span of God’s covenant faithfulness becomes tangible, and I can only praise Him for the privilege of teaching His people.

We finished the conference on Friday, but the shortness of our time forced us to skip over some sections of the book. Thankfully, it is ELI’s practice to provide those who attend our conferences with copies of the notes we teach. This enables the leaders we equip to return to their churches with some good material for preaching and teaching. It’s all about multiplication: teaching God’s people by equipping their leaders with the Biblical instruction they need.
Although we didn’t teach on Saturday, we did have some serious responsibilities – relational duties, so to speak. Sam Oppong’s son Daniel has become a good friend over the years, and he has developed a relationship with a young lady named Abigail. On Saturday morning, all of us drove to Abigail’s home for an official courtship ceremony called “Knocking.” This is a formal meeting between the families of the prospective bride and groom and it is considered the beginning of engagement process. You see, in Ghana a marriage is considered to be the joining of two families, not merely the joining of two people. The role of the extended family is vitally important in maintaining the web of relationships that regulate every part of life here. Chuck, Chris and I were privileged to help represent the Oppong family – giving advice to the prospective couple and praying for them and for their families. A symbolic gesture of unity was given and received (because both families are Christian, an empty envelope was used in the place of the traditional round of alcohol), and the deal was sealed. Daniel and Abigail hope to be married sometime in December. With the formalities past, we drove out to spend the afternoon at picturesque Lake Bosomtwi, just outside of Kumasi.

Sunday morning Chris and I each preached in a local church. While Chris went with Pastor Moses, I returned with Chuck to Dr. Adjei’s clinic and preached on Romans 8:31-32 to the church the doctor pastors there. The evident love for Christ in their enthusiastic worship warmed our hearts, and their embrace of God’s Word, “If God is for us, who can be against us,” reminded us again of why we are here. We look forward to our week in Sunyani. But more on that in the next field report.

Thank you for praying for us. The enemy is active, as always. But delays, sickness and interrupted schedules are overcome as God’s people pray together. You are partners with us in this work, and we thank God for each one of you.
Grace and peace,
Dan.

Akure Field Report - the Car Repair Edition

2009-09-05T16:02:00.002-04:00

“What does that light mean?” Gideon asked. We were 2 hours away from Akure and making good time when the warning light came on. “The steering is very hard!” And in short order, the ancient Mercedes began to overheat. Both Don Mountan and I quickly advised him to pull over since we’d obviously lost a belt of some sort. Checking under the bonnet (the hood to us Americans), our suspicion was confirmed. The tightening pulley had broken and the belt had fallen off. We appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. “Lord,” I prayed, “send us someone who knows how to fix this!” I had no sooner spoken than 2 men ran up to check on us. It turned out that they were mechanics and their roadside “repair shop” was less than 100 meters down the road from where we had pulled off! Using only a couple of hand tools and a dilapidated welder, they pulled the radiator and the broken pulley, welded the broken piece back together, reinstalled everything and put the belt back on. All of this in less than 90 minutes and for a total cost of 4,000 Niara (@$50). God is good.

It seems that ministry in Nigeria is full of “excitement” like this: nothing seems to work quite right. The electricity randomly shuts down throughout the day; old cars break down regularly; traffic is unpredictable. For Nigerians, such things are normal – they have learned to live with a high degree of chaos. We Americans, on the other hand, are used to being in control of our time, our possessions, our lives. This illusion of control (and it IS an illusion!) creates our zone of comfort. But much of that illusion is stripped away in a place like Nigeria, forcing us to face the question of what is truly important. Are we willing to give up a measure of comfort for the sake of ministry?

I flew into Lagos last Saturday evening, breezed through customs and then came to a screeching halt as I waited and hour and a half for my bags to appear. I had a few anxious moments during that time since I was carrying all the books and copies for the two Bible courses being taught at the opening of the Antioch Graduate College of Theology. Thank the Lord, all three suitcases made it through! Don Mountan flew in from Uganda while I was staring at the luggage carousel, and Gideon found us without any problem. So far, so good. But our usual (less-expensive) hotel was closed, so we paid $100/room at another hotel. Even that was cheap, for Lagos!

Arriving in Akure the following evening (after the adventure with the car repair), Don and I settled in and prepared to begin our classes on Monday. As you would expect with any new venture, there were a million details to handle and almost as many questions to answer. Feeling our way along, we were confronted with the significant differences between American and Nigerian educational expectations and requirements, as well as the amount of time required to earn a degree from AGCT. Along the way, we tried to set out a vision of AGCT as the preparatory school for the leaders of an African Reformation. The students caught that vision and, even with the rigor of the academic requirements, most signed up to enter the degree program. At the end of the day, we had over 30 students and some 15 additional people who wanted to audit the classes.

The teaching went very well. Don divided his class into study groups and each group taught a portion of the material on the Doctrine of Christ. And in my class on Biblical Interpretation and Preaching, they learned the rules for properly handling the Scripture. Although I lectured through the material, the examples I gave provoked huge amounts of discussion – and often laughter – as they realized they have been misinterpreting certain passages. I’m so excited about this class, because it has the potential to change the ministries of these preachers and teachers and, through their more accurate teaching of the Word, to significantly impact the lives of those who hear them.

We finished up our teaching on Friday afternoon, and Don and I held a very exciting meeting that evening at dinner. A dozen Nigerian businesspeople from Akure met with us to hear Don present the new ELI business-as-ministry program, ELI Infusion. They were thrilled with the program and wanted to know how soon it could begin. This program has a huge potential to support and equip leaders while leading to the transformation of their culture.

Saturday morning, we left Akure on the drive to Lagos. Once again, the car broke down – several times! By God’s grace, we were able to call a mechanic from Akure to fix it the first time. When it happened again, Gideon called him and he told Gideon how to repair the problem. From that point on, we rattled (literally – the tires were out of balance) our way into Lagos. Between the breakdowns and the heavy traffic backups, it made for a long day. But we arrived safely and I’m ready to move on to Ghana next week.

Thanks for your prayers!
Dan.

1 Samuel 25:21-22

2009-01-10T20:38:00.002-05:00

He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him.
1 Samuel 25: 21-22

A protracted series of trials can set us up for over-reaction.

We’ve all done it: whatever happened was just a small thing, but we snapped and said words that we wished we could take back. Maybe it had been a difficult week, or perhaps we were stressed out by our circumstances. Whatever the reason (or excuse), we over-reacted.
David has been on the run for quite a while by this point. We aren’t certain how long it’s been, but the stress has continued to build. Up to this point, he has responded well – even being willing to step away from his personal desires and submit to the Lord’s means and timing. But now Samuel has died. (25:1) David’s living link with the Lord, the man who mentored him and held him accountable, is gone. The severe and unexpected stress of this event has opened David to temptation.
So, when David asked Nabal for some material support (a reasonable request, in the light of the protection David had provided) Nabal’s refusal provoked a response completely out of proportion with David’s previous actions. After all, he hadn’t killed Saul when he had the opportunity, and Saul certainly had done far more to provoke David than had Nabal. David also hadn’t taken vengeance against those who had tried to betray him to Saul. But now, under the stress of his protracted trials and the loss of Samuel, David decided he would kill Nabal and all the males in his household.
What’s going on here? David had stepped away from the God-centered view of life that had dominated his thinking in chapter 24, and had begun to focus on himself. It was likely Samuel’s death that brought this change. We aren’t told whether David had begun to despair about the fulfillment of God’s promise, or whether, with Samuel gone, he felt it was up to him to bring about that fulfillment. Whatever he had concluded, David was focused on himself, on his reputation, on his needs, and not on the Lord. Consequently, Nabal’s insult was intolerable to David and pushed him in the direction of disaster.
This same kind of situation happens frequently. A man will bear patiently with his wife, but when one of the children or someone at work says a wrong word, he takes them off at the knees. It’s how believers end up committing adultery – feeling unloved for so long that a brief temptation brings an over-reaction. We see it illustrated elsewhere in Scripture as well: Elijah slaughters the prophets of Baal but then runs from the threats of Jezebel. Peter follows the Lord, professing his willingness to die with Him, but then panics and denies Him three times.
Satan understands this principle and will seek to use it against us whenever he can. He will throw his “change-up” pitch when we are under the greatest stress, seeking to lead us into sin. (See Matt. 4:1ff) He tempts us to sin and then, if we succumb, he accuses us of hypocrisy and faithlessness. Strangely, under the stress of the circumstances, we will often agree with him and begin to condemn ourselves. His goal is to gain leverage that will enable him to estrange us from God. But we often do his work for him by condemning ourselves, even though Scripture is clear that Christ has removed all condemnation. (Romans 8:1)
So, how do we stand against this kind of attack? How can we avoid over-reacting under stress? Our Lord’s advice to the disciples in the Garden is straight to the point: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matt. 26:41) We need to be watchful, learning the signs that indicate that we are under stress and anticipating that the enemy will try to tempt us when we are in those circumstances. When the temptation comes, we must pray that the Holy Spirit will enable us to overcome it. (Notice there’s no indication in the text that David inquired of the Lord before acting.) Then, we have to realize that although our hearts desire to obey, our physical condition can often blunt or negate that desire. Sometimes when we recognize the symptoms of stress, the best and wisest thing for us is to take time to rest and recharge – to unstress BEFORE we face temptation. When we do, we often gain the strength we need to face, and overcome, the enemy's attacks.
But we often don’t do what we know is best to do. David did none of these things, so he is headed into a disastrous situation. Thankfully, God often intervenes in such situations to keep His people from sinning. (See 1 Cor. 10:13) He has done it for us, and He is about to do it for David.

1 Samuel 24

2008-10-08T15:13:00.003-04:00

A view of Wadi David at En Gedi, Israel

The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed…”
1 Samuel 24:4-6

Times of crisis reveal one’s true character.

This was a moment of temptation for David. As his men said, it seemed to be a divinely-given opportunity to put an end to all this running and hiding – an opportunity to place himself on the throne without further effort and without further delay. Yet, he was unable to do the deed. He only cut off a piece of Saul’s robe instead of cutting off Saul’s life. Why?
To someone who was only concerned for their own self-advancement, it would have seemed that God had providentially put everything in place: Saul was helpless and unaware; David’s men were urging him to kill him and David had the upper hand. Even if something had gone wrong, En Gedi provided many options for escape. Had he been Saul, David would have struck without a second thought.
But that’s just the point: David wasn’t Saul. In fact, God was in the process of “beating the Saul” out of David in order to prepare him to rule in a godly fashion. As the focus of Saul’s murderous intent, David had plenty of opportunity to observe the disastrous results – on the king, on his staff and on Israel – of Saul’s manic selfishness. David’s experience as a fugitive reinforced his commitment to do things God’s way. And that’s indicative of true godly character.
When we don’t really have time to think, we react out of our true nature. This situation demonstrated David to be a man of integrity. Forced to make a split-second decision under tremendous pressure, David reacted in a godly fashion. Though he was a warrior, he did not kill. Given time to think, David manifested further proof of his integrity in that his conscience was troubled by the fact that he had even touched Saul’s robe.
David was unwilling to use any means in the accomplishment of God’s will that was dishonoring to God. God had obviously placed Saul in the position of king. David acknowledged that fact by his frequent references to Saul as “God’s anointed.” God had also promised that David would succeed Saul as king. To deny either of these truths would have been tantamount to denying his faith in God. Furthermore, David was determined to embrace not only God’s promise but also to the means by which God would fulfill His promise. Surely, God had already planned some resolution to this conflict which would bring Him glory. To hasten the fulfillment by taking Saul’s life seemed to be a tawdry – and faithless – way to gain the throne.
In his whole circumstance, David demonstrated a remarkable spiritual maturity for one so young. His willingness to deny himself in submission to God’s will clearly foreshadowed the response of our Savior. Jesus also followed the Father’s timetable, eschewing easier paths to His throne, out of submission to God’s will. (See Matt. 4:8 and John 6:15. Compare with Matt. 26:39.)
David subsequently rebuked the king, while demonstrating that he could have easily taken Saul’s life. Instead, David expressed his continuing faith in God: “May the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.” Ever the manipulator, Saul acknowledged David’s integrity. He even prophesied that David would succeed him as king. (The author here uses Saul’s own words to buttress the legitimacy of David’s reign.) But Saul immediately tried to tie David’s hands by asking him to swear he would not harm his family. Ironically, an ungodly man can recognize integrity, but will often seek to use it for his own ends.
Even in this, David’s integrity shone through. Although it was common practice among the nations for a new king to wipe out the family of the former king – thereby removing all potential claimants to the throne – David trusted that God would make his throne secure. Without hesitation, he swore to Saul that he would “not cut off his descendants or wipe out his name from his father’s house.” David kept that promise by his kindness to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth.
Trusting God and acting upon that trust is the essence of Biblical integrity. May God strengthen your faith and make you a David, not a Saul.

Sunyani, Ghana

2008-09-02T12:58:00.003-04:00

The azure sea is bordered by picturesque tropical beach. The waves gently roar their soothing mantra; coconut palms sway in the breeze; fishing boats nod through the swells on their way out to sea. Yet, clashing with this idyllic scene, a whitewashed monument to man’s sin and cruelty squats menacingly at the water’s edge. It’s difficult to imagine a more incongruous setting for a slave castle than the seashore at Elmina, Ghana. In the U.S., such prime beachfront would be lined with luxury hotels and condominiums. But here, the tourists come to view something much more sobering – a testimony to the African holocaust called “the slave trade.”

Starved, beaten and chained, they were marched to this location for over 300 years: seven million people fed to the dungeons of Elmina Castle; fewer than half survived to be loaded onto the boats bound for the Americas. Four million people died within these walls. The stench of death clings to the place.

Standing there as a descendant of Europeans, you feel deep shame. As a believer in Christ, you are stunned to see the chapels where the Portuguese and Dutch slavers callously worshiped above the dungeons. And yet, there is also a sense of wonder – that believers took the lead in ending this obscenity; that descendants of Europeans also brought the gospel to these shores; that multiplied millions of Africans were able to look past the messenger to embrace the Christ who gave Himself “to purchase men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Our week in Ghana began with this Sunday visit to Elmina Castle. If I could, I would require every American to visit there because it’s an important (and disturbing) part of OUR history as well. The next day, we left for Sunyani to begin the TOT (training of trainers) on Tuesday morning. The group of prospective trainers in Ghana numbers about 20 men, each highly influential in their respective denominations. They include senior pastors, district pastors (with responsibility for 10-15 churches) and one general overseer of an entire denomination. In fact, as we talked with Rev. Sam Oppong (EPI’s coordinator for Ghana), he stated that conservatively these men directly influence over 14,000 people! What an encouraging example of the effectiveness of Paul’s “commit to faithful men” strategy (2 Tim. 2:2).

Tuesday dawned cloudy and a bit cool. The second half of the rainy season is approaching in West Africa, and we had surprisingly cool weather along with several torrential downpours during the week. As the men arrived, we introduced ourselves and began about 9:45 am by reviewing what had been taught them in February. Dr. Caines and I usually alternated teaching, working through the material about an hour at a time. Since we didn’t have a tea break like we did in Nigeria, we gave them “5 minutes” in the late morning to stretch. Even with regular breaks, the work was challenging – both for the teachers and the students. However, we found throughout the conference that the Holy Spirit provided both energy and insight as we taught. It was a very encouraging experience.

As Tuesday progressed, we became rather discouraged by the lack of response from the men, thinking perhaps they were disinterested. Sam assured us this was not the case at all. In fact, he said, the men remembered what they had been taught before and had no questions because they already understood it and agreed with it. They were simply being polite while waiting for us to move on to the new material. Once we began the new material on Wednesday, the students became excited and much more animated. As we applied the Biblical teaching regarding God’s covenant with His people to marriage, church and culture, the questions began to come thick and fast. The men remained deeply engaged with the material throughout the remainder of the week.

They asked MANY questions – most of them about the application of these truths to the transformation of their own culture. We were able to answer most of these questions, but at times we had to say, “We don’t know.” While the truths of Scripture do not change, sometimes the way they apply differs from one culture to another. Obviously, there are many situations that are unique to Ghanaian culture and, without a full understanding of the cultural context, we could not make the application for them. However, we encouraged them to discuss these questions among themselves and to begin applying these truths in their own ministries. It was exciting to see them wrestling with the Scriptures and seeking to be consistently Biblical within their own cultural setting. By God’s grace, this training session will bear much fruit for Christ’s Kingdom in the years to come.

The conference wrapped up on Friday and, on Saturday morning, we began the long trek back to Accra. With traffic congestion, blocked roads and construction, it took us over eight hours to reach the capital again. Then, a long restless night before flying out on Sunday morning. We arrived home about 11:30 Sunday night – about 43 hours after leaving Sunyani. It was a challeging, but profitable, trip. We thank the Lord for His grace and for His constant presence. Thank you too for your prayers and support.
Grace and peace,
Dan.

Akure, Nigeria

2008-08-24T12:58:00.001-04:00

It was the first day of the conference in Akure, Nigeria, and we were all set to begin at 9:00 am. Our hosts were bringing breakfast and coffee early so we could get to the Servant Leadership Institute in time. Up bright and early, we cleaned up and were ready to go by 7:30. And then we waited: 8:00 am - no breakfast…9:00 am - no breakfast and no word from our hosts…10:00 am and we are now officially concerned. Knowing Gideon Umukoro, this delay was unusual. We prayed for him and for the Lord’s provision and protection in the situation. I finally asked the hotel to call him and find out if everything was alright. Gideon responded that he had sent his car and it had broken down. So, he sent a second vehicle and it broke down too! As a result, our breakfast was coming via taxi while he worked to find a third vehicle that could bring us to the SLI facility. We finally arrived and began our teaching at 11:00 am.

Welcome to ministry in Nigeria! Although it is the largest and one of the wealthiest of the black African countries, Nigeria suffers from a whole range of ills: extreme poverty, choking pollution, crumbling infrastructure, political corruption and (in some areas) Islamic violence. Sadly, many of its people seem to be addicted to get-rich-quick scams and a false gospel of prosperity. It’s a place that desperately needs the whole gospel applied to the whole man.

We are here to continue the Training of Trainers (TOT) program by teaching the second half of the Our Covenant God curriculum – the part that deals with the application of Biblical theology to culture. I taught the first part in February and received an enthusiastic response from the men we are training to be EPI national instructors. Dr. Render Caines, senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, TN, is on this trip to share the teaching load and to see first-hand the work of EPI in West Africa. The two of us share a passion for extending the Kingdom of Christ through the biblical transformation of culture. And we used this week to share that passion with the men gathered in Akure.

Although the group was small (about 35 pastors and leaders), the potential of this training is immense. Hailing from most of the major regions of Nigeria, these men will directly impact over 4,000 people – many of whom are cultural leaders themselves. We saw an example of this influence in a prayer request given at the very end of the conference: Pastor Isaac had just received a call from the ceremonial chief of his tribal region. The chief had decided to close all the churches for 7 days so that everyone could focus on the festival he was promoting – a festival dedicated to the traditional African gods. He had already ordered the distribution of machetes and guns to be used against anyone refusing to close their church. The call was to notify Isaac about the closing. But when the chief found that this well-regarded Christian pastor was out of the district, he postponed his final decision until he was able to consult with him. As we prayed for Isaac, we asked that God would give him the words to say that would convince the chief to allow Christian worship to continue or, if not, the courage to obey God rather than man.

Once they are trained, these men will be teaching the basic EPI curriculum to their fellow Nigerians, greatly multiplying the impact of this Biblical curriculum in that country. Each man hopes to become certified in one or more of the courses: Marriage, Church Leadership, Biblical Stewardship, Christian Education and Biblical Counseling. They are so eager to get started that some are already passing on what they have learned through the Our Covenant God curriculum. Two OCG conferences have been scheduled for the next month: 40 pastors and leaders are being trained in Ogun state this week and then 80 will be trained in Kogi state. Who knows how many people THEY will influence? The combination of Biblical truth and Biblical methodology (2 Tim. 2:2) is powerful!

It was a challenging week for us: The food was different; the cultural atmosphere seemed oppressive and the work was strenuous. However, the joy and gravity with which these men received the things we taught made it a joyful experience for us. We thank God for His grace that sustained us through the five days of teaching, that provided us with answers to questions we did not anticipate and that gave us a spontaneity that enlivened the presentation. We also thank Him that we were constantly upheld in prayer by many, many people. Thank you, too, for praying. Don’t stop yet! We will repeat the same instruction in Sunyani, Ghana this week.

Abesim Update

2008-06-22T14:26:00.000-04:00

As soon as we turned off the paved main road in Abesim, we were in the Third World: potholed, rutted red dirt track, old buildings with scabrous, faded paint or (if made of mud brick) crumbling walls, women bending over wood-heated cooking pots, and children everywhere. Here is a rough-hewn table with a few hot red peppers for sale; there is an open-air woodshop where a man makes small stools, smoothing and fitting the wood pieces by hand. The center of activity seems to be a local “restaurant,” a lean-to with a cooking pot balanced on three large stones. Apparently, the corn meal mush is quite popular with the locals, because there’s a line every time we pass by. Everyone is curious about the car slowly staggering through the mud puddles, and they stare when they see the passenger is a white man. It’s as if we are a one-vehicle parade, so I smile and wave to the children who look back wide-eyed. Some of the younger children wave back, but a few hide in fear because they have never seen such a funny-colored man before.

The Agape Evangelical Church of Abesim is located at the end of the track – a nice cement block building with a tin roof. The school they have started is down the hill behind the church – I can see some of the 250 students in their red and blue uniforms as they play at recess. While there are many denominations in Ghana and some are quite wealthy, the AEC has its largest constituency among the poor and the illiterate. Both the church and the school are educational centers, meeting the spiritual and educational needs of the people around them. They are a living example of the kind of holistic ministry that the CEDI conference was designed to encourage, and several of their key leaders were in attendance last week in Accra. At their request, I’m here to teach the leadership of the Agape Evangelical Church about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and their use in the church.

The AEC has been going through something of a Reformation in the past five years as some of the younger leaders have begun to push for a Bible-centered approach to doctrine. Some of the leaders have been attending the EPI conferences in Sunyani and, earlier this year they asked us to help train the denominational leadership. Chuck Emerson and Allen Monroe taught them on Romans in February, and the response was enthusiastic. But the leaders felt, because of the rampant abuses of prophecy and tongues that exist in Ghana, they needed some clarification in this area of spiritual gifts.

The conference ran Tuesday through Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm each day and we had about 75 men and women in attendance. It was hot and humid in the building, even with the ceiling fans, and I guzzled bottled water regularly. But the presence of the Holy Spirit among us, guiding our discussion, was so exciting and energizing that I hardly noticed the heat. They were excellent students: listening, taking notes and asking penetrating questions. As we worked through the Scriptures on these issues, I identified abuses on both sides – those who misuse the gifts as well as those who ignore them as if they don’t exist. The Bible’s clear teaching helped them to sort through issues like the baptism of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, the nature and use of Spiritual gifts and the unity in Christ’s body that they are designed to produce. I encouraged them to interpret their experiences on the basis of what the Bible says and tried to give practical, Biblical answers to their many questions. God graciously provided wisdom and insight into the Scriptures, teaching me even while I was teaching them! It was an amazing time.

I left the notes with them, and they finished the conference determined to implement the Biblical teaching on spiritual gifts in their own churches. I have no doubt that this was a divine appointment for all of us, and that these truths will shape the beliefs and practices of this rapidly growing denomination. Thank you for your prayers. I am not able to do this work without them.

And so I come to the end of another teaching trip. I begin my trip home this afternoon. God has blessed my time in Israel and Ghana far more than I ever anticipated, and I trust that Christ’s Kingdom has benefitted as well. I’m already planning to return to West Africa in late August, to do some more training of EPI national trainers. Please pray for safety as I travel and for wisdom as I prepare the curriculum for August. Thank you again for partnering with us in this ministry.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

Accra, Ghana Update

2008-06-21T04:55:00.001-04:00

The room was stifling – the air conditioning wasn’t working and it was about to rain. Perspiration seemed to be dripping from my elbows, my shirt was soaked, and it was difficult to pay attention. And it was only 10:00 am! Looking around at the other 30 participants in this session, I could see that I was not the only one struggling. So, we opened the windows, and as the wind whipped the curtains and the raindrops spattered, we pressed on in our discussion of small business principles. With the rain came a measure of cooling, and the break time brought coffee and a meat pie (heavy pie dough with “mystery meat” inside), and we were able to refocus.

It’s the beginning of the rainy season in Ghana – a time when you’re thankful for AC as much for the humidity as for the heat. I arrived here last Sunday night after a long trip from Israel. It was good to see Sam Oppong waiting for me outside the airport and, 23 hours after I left Jerusalem, it was good to see a bed too! The conference was held in Accra, so we drove 15 minutes to the hotel and I was able to crash. Thank the Lord for a safe trip and thank you for your prayers.

This week I was a student instead of the teacher - attending the very first Christian Economic Development Institute (CEDI) to be held in West Africa. The conference ran from Monday morning through Saturday morning and we were busy all day, every day. CEDI is the brainchild of the Chalmers Institute for Economic Development, based in the Chattanooga area, and provides training for Christians who want to minister to the needs of the poor. Those who attended this CEDI learned about Microfinancing and Microenterprise Development as ways to assist churches to extend the Kingdom of Christ by ministering to the poor in their communities. Of the 120 participants, there were representatives from 14 nations – most from West Africa, but also from Uganda, Malawi and Rwanda in East Africa. Add the teachers (“facilitators” as they are called here) from the U.S. and Kenya and the representatives of the five cooperating/sponsoring agencies and it was quite an international gathering. All the meetings were in English (difficult for our brethren from Ivory Coast and Senegal), but the accents varied as widely as our countries of origin. What a fascinating experience!

By God’s grace, and at the request of our national leaders here, EPI helped make the initial contacts that lead to this conference. And seeing the results that came from it, I’m very thankful we did. This CEDI not only provided practical training in how to minister to the poor, but also grounded that training on a Biblical understanding of the root causes of poverty. So, rather than just throwing money at the problem, believers will know how to create self-sustaining economic development while sharing the gospel and bringing about reconciliation. We western Christians often have a tendency to think our responsibility to our brethren in the developing world extends only to teaching them to understand the Bible. That view bypasses significant portions of Scripture that require us to minister to the whole person, just as Christ did. Churches in Africa and other poor areas of the world are often hindered by their overwhelming poverty from becoming self-sustaining and from carrying out the Great Commission. This conference provided the kind of training that our African leaders have been asking for. They see very clearly that the African church must minister holistically (i.e. to the whole person) if it is to have any deep and sustained impact on African culture. Theology without practical application does not change lives or transform cultures.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for this conference. The feedback on the CEDI was very positive. I believe that its effects will be profound and long-lasting. The leaders here are already planning for another one in Ghana next year, along with one for French speakers as soon as the curriculum can be translated. Because of your generosity, we also were able to provide scholarships so that three of our key Nigerian leaders could attend. They returned home intending to teach their own CEDI in Nigeria in the fall. God is working in Africa and this is all part of the process. Praise God for the privilege of being involved in this event!

This coming week, I will head to Sunyani to teach a conference to the leaders of the Agape Evangelical Church. They have asked me to give them some Biblical instruction on the gifts of the Spirit and how they are to be used in the church. I hope to do this in the context of finishing the instruction on Romans that the EPI team began in February. Please continue to pray for safety and for God’s wisdom as I teach.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

Israel Update #2

2008-06-11T17:31:00.006-04:00

This picture was taken in Wadi David at En Gedi, Israel.

As I drove past the modern hotels and shopping district of West Jerusalem, I wondered what I would find on the other side of town. I was following the route mapped out by the GPS system, on my way to the Dead Sea and the oasis of En Gedi. I entered the double tunnel that carries traffic under Mt. Scopius and emerged in another world: This was the Arab section of town and it’s noticeably shabbier. The hotels and glittering stores were gone and the building boom that has hoisted construction cranes all over West Jerusalem seems to have bypassed this part of the city. Just a few more kilometers down the road to Jericho, and I was in a third world country – treeless desert with Bedouin shanty/tents, camel rides for tourists and obvious poverty. And ironically piercing this almost lunar landscape, plummeting down through the barren hills, ran a busy, new 4-lane expressway. The contrasts in Israel can be startling at times:

· T*Two Muslim men performing their afternoon prayers on the front lawn of the YMCA on King David St.

An * An all-vegetarian Sbarro Pizza next to a Burger King without cheeseburgers: kosher cooking forbids mixing meat with milk products like cheese.

· * *A young lady enjoying a day at the beach carrying a well-worn military issue rifle.

It’s a fascinating country, not easily reduced to a few pat clichés. In addition to the contrasts, there is a social complexity in Israel that seldom makes it through the sound bites we hear in the U.S. Israelis come in different shapes, colors, cultures, outlooks and religions – rather like Americans. On any street in Jerusalem you are likely to see Hassidic ultra-orthodox with their side curls and black hats, tattooed secular Jews in t-shirts or halter tops, visiting American kids with the New York accents – each boy with a little skullcap carefully pinned to his hair, Muslim women in their long dresses and headscarves, young soldiers (male and female) armed and in uniform, and backpacked, camera-snapping tourists from all over the world. There seems to be tolerance toward virtually everyone - even the Jews can’t tell you what constitutes a Jew! That makes the hostility toward Jewish believers in Jesus Christ saddening.

I continued this past week teaching the class on Hebrews through Revelation. It was a wonderful treat to see the response to the Word of God. Wednesday night, as the week before, I taught the entire congregation along with the students. At that point we were in James and, since Pastor Sam requested it, I make some rather pointed applications – including some comments about “the demons also believe and tremble.” The response was good, all except one couple: the young lady kept interrupting: laughing and making loud comments. She eventually got up and left. The next night, the students told me that her name was Vika and she was very troubled. She had told someone that night that she couldn’t stay in the room because I was talking about her, and what I was saying was true. But by God’s grace, Friday night both she and her boyfriend, Sergei, professed faith in Christ! The Word of God is powerful.

We wrapped up on Saturday – Shabbat. I preached again in Tel Aviv in preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It was a blessed time of fellowship with these dear believers. I then drove about ½ hour to Petach Tikva to finish the course. After 5 hours of teaching, we were all exhausted. But we were able to cover most of the material and they grasped it very well. After a short night in Jerusalem, I was back up at 3 am to drive to the airport to catch my flight to London and then to Accra.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to spend this time in Israel. Both the teaching and the touring were encouraging to me – En Gedi was particularly awesome. Thank you also for your prayers. I am in Accra for this week, attending a Christian Economic Development Institute. More on that later.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

Israel Update #1

2008-06-03T12:07:00.002-04:00

The picture is the ascent leading to Wadi David, David's hiding place in En Gedi on the Dead Sea.

It felt like coming home. After all the hurry and concern over the trip and making sure all the details were covered, I found myself driving over the Galilean hills and down into the bowl that holds the Sea of Galilee. And it was the strangest sensation of having been there before. The brown boulder-strewn hills looked for all the world like the region in Eastern Washington where I grew up. It was the same desert heat, the same startling blue of water in an arid region, echoing the cloudless blue sky. It could have been a slice of America: the boats and jet skis on the lake, the crowds of people on the rocky beaches, the restaurants and the tourist shops were all familiar. There were differences, of course. The pungent odor of sage brush was missing and there were palm trees in the place of scrub willows. Instead of wheat fields, there were acres of bananas and citrus fruit – each field laboriously cleared of the rocks that walled its perimeter. The signs were all in Hebrew (with English subtitles) and the prices in sheqels (about 3.5 to the dollar). But the similarities were astounding.

It also felt like home because I’ve spent my entire life hearing these names and many years studying about events that occurred in these locations. The opportunity to see the land first hand will be an invaluable aid to my Bible teaching.

Some other impressions from these first days in Israel:

1. It’s SMALL. From the surrounding hills, you can easily see from one side to the other of the Sea of Galilee. Tiberias, Magdala, Chorazin, Capernaum and Bethsaida are all within an 8 mile radius. Galilee to Jerusalem is a 2 ½ hour drive. And virtually everything Biblical in Jerusalem is in walking distance. But that leads me to my second point…

2. It’s HILLY. Although the Mediterranean coastline is flat and there are some valleys scattered about, a lot of the country is mountainous. I simply wasn’t prepared for the amount of walking up and down and then up again that you encounter in Jerusalem. It makes for stunning views but can be quite tiring. This is also the reason why, no matter where you are traveling from, you “go up” to Jerusalem.

3. It’s OLD. Of course, every place of religious significance has some kind of structure built on it. And the structure you see is probably the third or fourth such structure on that site. The archeological sites are fascinating and in a place like Meggido or Hazor, you can literally see thousands of years of layered construction.

4. It’s REAL. This is where it all happened – the Bible stories, that is. Although it can be difficult to see past the 2,000 years of religious overlay, these are the actual sites where Abraham, David and Christ lived and died (and, in the case of Jesus Christ, rose again). And with a little imagination, you can visualize the events that are so familiar from your Bible reading.

5. It’s NOISY. My first hotel in Jerusalem was on Jaffa St. near the Old City. The traffic and noise from the street continued virtually all night long. So many people in such a small area. And the parking costs were high. The Lord provided much quieter (and less expensive) accommodations last Tuesday – a hostel run by the Seventh Day Adventists that is just across the street from the famous King David Hotel. It’s still within walking distance of the Old City, and I can park for free!

But, although I’m thankful for the time I’ve had to see some of the sights, I’m actually here to teach a seminary class: a survey of Hebrews through Revelation. I began that task on 28 May, after I met my translator, Yulia. We drove down from Jerusalem to Petah Tikvah, near Tel Aviv (a little over an hour from Jerusalem). There we met with a group of Russian Jews who are believers in Christ. I was there to teach the seminary students, but the congregation used the class as a substitute for their mid-week meeting. So, I taught through the first 4 chapters of Hebrews to a group of about 40 people. (By the way, the translation is not into Hebrew but into Russian!) The class met again on Thursday evening as we continued our study in Hebrews.

Today is Shabbat (the Sabbath, or Saturday) and I drove into Tel Aviv to preach to another Messianic congregation – again, mostly Russian. It was a good time of fellowship and a blessing to be able to preach the gospel in Israel, the place where the gospel was first preached. It is also a blessing to be involved in equipping men to pastor Jewish churches in Israel. I believe that Romans 11 teaches that a day is coming when God will send revival among the Jewish people. Some of these young men may be the instruments of that movement of the Spirit. After a wonderful lunch of swarma (like a gyro but much better), the class resumed this afternoon and ran for over 5 hours. In the next update, I’ll tell you a bit about the situation in Israel.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

1 Samuel 23:14

2008-03-13T14:49:00.004-04:00

“David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.”

1 Samuel 23: 14

The wilderness teaches us to find our satisfaction in God alone.

David’s location in the Desert of Ziph cross-references to the introduction of Psalm 63. This particular psalm was written by David early in his time of fleeing from Saul, when he was in the “Desert of Judah.” While many of David’s psalms do not refer to a particular time or place, the Lord clearly wanted us to know that Psalm 63 was the result of David’s wilderness (desert) experience. This psalm gives us an insight into David’s heart attitude – into what God was teaching him – while in the wilderness.

This wilderness experience is a common one for God’s people. He often leads us there when He wants to teach us without distraction. We see this take literal form in the lives of Moses and Israel and also in David’s life. Later in Scripture, we see Elijah, John the Baptist and Saul of Tarsus each led into God’s wilderness school. Even our Lord Jesus often withdrew into the wilderness for times of fellowship with His Father.

So, what is the wilderness? Where is it found? For David and many others in the Bible, it was a physical place of dry land and dangers. For others of God’s people, it is a place where God can get their undivided attention. Sometimes, it’s a hospital room or a graveside. It can be a time when relationships are broken or come to an end. For some, it’s a time when even God seems (at first) to turn His back on them and not to hear their cries. And again, it can be a place of “exile,” where we feel ourselves to be far from home and family. Regardless of the outward circumstances, the wilderness enables God to teach us painful lessons we would/could not learn in any other way. (See Michael Card’s song, The Wilderness)

As in so many other areas, David again becomes our tutor as we watch him walk through this wilderness experience. Reading this psalm, we find David using the desert topography – this vision before his physical eyes – to lead his heart to devotion and prayer. This is a technique often used in days gone by, but one that is neglected by many believers today. God’s hand is evident in His creation and the world is full of parables that can lead us to Him in worship and praise. When you find yourself worshipping God as you view a sunset or while you enjoy a mountain vista, or when you draw spiritual lessons from the things you see around you, you are duplicating David’s experience in this psalm. You are also following the example of our Lord’s own teaching. (see Matt. 6) Often our circumstances enable us to more accurately describe the “emotional topography” of our hearts to God.

So, David speaks of this soul’s yearning for the Lord, comparing it to the dry land he sees around him. (v.1) He then remembers his experience with the Lord in the sanctuary (v.2), , and uses the analogy of his physical thirst to speak of his intense desire to see God’s power and glory as he had seen it before. This is the desire of all of God’s people – to experience God’s power and to see His glory manifested in the world. All of this leads David into a worshipful frame of mind. (vv. 3-5) He is reminded of the blessing of God’s covenant love – that it is “better than life.” In this way, David acknowledges that he desires nothing above God, not even life itself. But, having life as a gift from God, he commits himself to praising God for as long as he lives. (v.4)

The combination of danger, desertion, desperation and desert leads David to the conclusion that having God is enough. This is the lesson of the wilderness: God is the only One who can fill our hearts, and who is the Satisfier of our deepest desires. Ultimately, our external circumstances matter very little and can never be a source of true satisfaction. This is why God brings wilderness experiences into our lives: to remove the distractions of the daily bustle, and to put all of our other relationships into proper perspective. He uses the wilderness to dry up our fleshly ambitions (They seem so futile and small in the wilderness!) so we will focus our desires upon what is really important: God’s grace, His presence, His provision, His covenant commitment to be our Helper and our Refuge.

David hasn’t forgotten Saul’s threats or the betrayal of the Ziphites (see 1 Sam. 23:19ff). In fact, he mentions “those who seek my life” in verses 9-11. However, the wilderness has restored his perspective by renewing his relationship with God. He is confident that God’s promises will be fulfilled in his life and that, in God’s good time, he will become king. And so, the trial of the wilderness has become a blessing to David because it stripped away everything except God.

So it should be with us. Because there WILL be wilderness experiences in the life of every one of God’s children. Because of the many spiritual benefits, God will ensure that we travel the wilderness road on a regular basis. But only when everything but God is stripped away, do we truly learn to trust his faithful covenant love, His providential timing, His wisdom and His protection. May each of us learn to thank God for the difficult circumstances that bring about such heavenly blessings.

Kumasi, Ghana EPI Update

2008-03-03T20:11:00.001-05:00

We experienced a moment of situation comedy last Monday. We had arrived in Kumasi and realized that the food prices at our hotel were astronomical! So, we decided to eat dinner at a less expensive local Chinese restaurant. (Prices for almost everything were increased because Ghana hosted the African Cup of Nations – a soccer event – in January.) As we waited for our food, we were suddenly struck with the hilarity of sitting in a Chinese restaurant, waited on by African waiters, sitting next to an Indian couple, while the stereo blasted American country-western music! The world is getting smaller all the time.

We were privileged in this final week to teach Romans to the leaders of the Asante Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. The PCG is a large and well-established denomination with a strong evangelical bent. They continue to have a strong adherence to Scripture although many of their leaders have been educated in liberal seminaries overseas. So, a study on Romans was something they were strongly interested in. This opportunity was the result of Sam Oppong's friendship with the current Moderator of the denomination. Because of this connection, the denominational leadership opened the door for an EPI conference. They were the ones who suggested working in Kumasi (a city of over 2 million people) with the Asante Presbytery. Asante is the second-largest presbytery in the country, ministering to over 86,000 people in 410 congregations. If the conference was well-received in Asante, then the remaining 13 presbyteries would also be opened to EPI's ministry.

All of their senior pastors and key leaders – including the Presbytery chairman and a former Stated Clerk of the denomination - were in attendance and were very interested in what EPI would bring them. Perhaps because we were there on something of a trial basis, they were friendly but noticeably reserved for the first day and a half. As we began the instruction on Tuesday morning, there were only about 75 people there. But as the morning went on more people arrived so that, by afternoon, we had nearly 150 and the historic Ramseyer Memorial Church was filling up.

Since three of us were teaching this week, I had a bit more free time. (Both Allen and Chuck were very well prepared and, frankly, they didn't really need me to teach since the two of them had taught the same curriculum in Sunyani the week before.) I took advantage of that freedom to meet with another church leader in the Kumasi area on Tuesday. The Right Reverend Daniel Sarfo is the Anglican bishop of Kumasi and another good friend of Sam Oppong. He is also a warm and open evangelical, who greatly desires to see his church leaders be better trained in the Scriptures. Bishop Daniel agreed to meet with me briefly before he left on an international trip. We hit it off well, and as a result, we will be teaching a conference for the Kumasi diocese in the near future. (You may have noticed that virtually everything of substance that happens in West Africa, takes place on the basis of personal relationships. This is a cultural reality in Africa. Consequently, key church leaders don't just want to know about EPI, they want to MEET the guy in charge. If they like you, then the door opens for ministry. But this all requires time for the development of a good reputation, time for the contacts to develop and time for them to learn to trust you. After three years of regular work in Ghana, the doors are beginning to open. Praise God!) Meanwhile, Chuck and Allen taught through Romans 4.

Wednesday and Thursday followed the same general pattern, as we worked sequentially through Romans. By Wednesday afternoon, the folks were beginning to warm up to us and to the teaching. And it was then that the questions began to come. So, we fielded questions on predestination, eternal security, salvation in the Old Testament and many other topics. By Thursday, they didn't want the conference to end, and neither did we! As it was, we were only able to teach through the beginning of Romans 12. So, we may return later this year or early in '09 to do "Romans Part II."

Friday was a travel day, and we returned to Accra in preparation for our flight back to the U.S. There were some significant traffic delays due to road construction, but we arrived in time for an early dinner, enjoying the buffet at the hotel. Along with such delicacies as fried plantain and goat soup, the buffet included "seafood Provincale," a spicy sauce with shrimp and a mystery meat that we afterward learned was octopus! It was actually quite good. I met that evening with Ben Ahadzie, a pastor from near-by Tema, for some good fellowship. We talked about what the Lord is doing through his ministry, and I hope to see him involved with an EPI conference in the future. Saturday Sam, Chuck and I met with Pastor Wisdom Ameku, who trains Baptist pastors in the Volta Region (eastern Ghana). We made plans for a conference in the next year that will include pastors from Ghana as well as from neighboring Togo. Another open door! The rest of the day was LONG, as we waited to fly out at 10 pm.

The weather began to change during this final week of the trip. The dry season is ending; the winds are shifting from the northerly Harmattan winds from the Sahara to the more southerly monsoon winds off the Atlantic. So, we had several heavy afternoon showers with some impressive lightning and thunder. The dust was washed out of the air and the visibility began to improve. By mid-March the monsoons will be in full swing and the rainy season will have begun.

There was also a distinct shift in the nature of EPI's ministry during this trip. Previously, we have focused on conferences for local pastors that focused on practical Biblical instruction. That will continue to be a part of what we do. But on this trip we began the process of training national instructors, who we hope will significantly expand the reach of EPI's curriculum. The "Our Covenant God" curriculum excited the 48 leaders we trained in Nigeria and Ghana and they are on board with the vision of an African Reformation. God has confirmed our new direction by opening four new groups to the ministry of EPI: Agape Evangelical Church, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Anglican diocese of Kumasi and a fellowship of Baptist pastors in the Volta region.

I'm glad to be home and thankful for the safe trip. But I'm also thinking of West Africa and the doors for ministry that God has opened for us. With these new opportunities and the training of EPI national instructors, I need to at least double the time I spend overseas. That will require a significant increase in financial support and several new part-time teachers. But our God is able to provide ALL of our needs – we simply need to ask. As partners in this work, please join me in asking God for the people and the resources to meet these exciting challenges.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

Sunyani, Ghana EPI Update

2008-02-24T16:23:00.000-05:00

African children in the more rural areas are intrigued by the sight of white people. Given the opportunity, they want to touch us - in part to see whether the white will rub off! These neighborhood boys wanted their picture taken and were posing for the camera. The construction behind them is the foundation for the African Leadership conference facility in Sunyani.

Sam and I sweltered in the heat at Katoka airport until all the passengers from the KLM flight had come out of the terminal, and still the press of the waiting crowd was gone. Still, we hadn’t seen either Allen or Chuck. Finally, almost 1 ½ hours after the plane landed, Allen came out of the terminal to announce that both he and Chuck were searching for their luggage. Everything except their carry-ons had been lost in transit. In addition, I had forgotten to tell Allen that he needed a visa to enter Ghana! So, back he went to begin the lengthy process of applying for a visa, and we went to get a cool drink and wait. It took another hour, but Allen finally emerged as a legal visitor to Ghana – and in the meantime they had found his luggage. So he was set. But Chuck only had the clothes on his back and his teaching notes. In addition, he was the one carrying the study Bibles and the copies of the Westminster Confession of Faith that we intended to distribute. Fortunately, I had some clean clothes he could use, so we returned to the hotel, praying that his bags would arrive before we had to leave for upcountry. Thank the Lord; they came in on the next flight from Amsterdam. In Africa, you learn to expect delays and to be thankful for small mercies.

We set out on Monday morning for Sunyani - a regional capital some 7 hours northwest of Accra, and the site of our first conferences. It took us over an hour to get out of Accra because of the heavy traffic and road construction. But the rest of the drive was largely uneventful, and we passed through Kumasi in time for a late lunch. We stopped to visit Bishop Samuel and reminisced a bit about last August’s conference for which he was the sponsor. He is hopeful we will be able to return and teach the nearly 100 students at the Bible college he heads in Kumasi. Another couple of hours brought us to Sunyani and we settled into our quarters for the night.

We began teaching on Tuesday morning. Allen and Chuck were taken some 45 minutes out of town to a small Agape Evangelical church. About 100 leaders from this new denomination had gathered there to be instructed from the book of Romans. This was the first Romans conference taught by EPI, and by all accounts it went very well. Both men connected well with the people and the deep truths of Romans were enthusiastically embraced by those who attended. (I never get over how eager African Christians are to hear God’s Word. We Americans could learn something from our brethren here.) Sam and I drove to a venue about 10 minutes from the hotel and I began teaching on Our Covenant God. This conference was by invitation only and was designed to begin the process of training national EPI trainers. So, there were about 19 men attending, each of them a key church leader that is well-known to Sam. I began slowly, but quickly picked up the pace since I only had four days instead of the five I’d had in Nigeria.

The men in my conference each had the equivalent of 1 year of Bible college. So they had more Biblical background than did the group in Nigeria. They listened rather quietly for 2 ½ days, as I laid out the basic themes of a unified Biblical theology. There were a few questions, but mostly just quiet attention. Since so much of what I was teaching them was new to them and some of it contradicted what they had been taught before, they wanted to be sure they understood what I was saying before they asked too many questions. They weren’t rejecting the teaching, but they were carefully evaluating what I said and comparing it with what they knew of Scripture. Still, I could sense that they had not yet accepted what I was teaching. However, they all evidenced a seriousness of approach, except for one man whose lackadaisical attendance caused the organizer to ask him not to return.

Late on Thursday morning as I finished the discussion of Biblical covenants, the entire atmosphere of the conference changed. Although they had been friendly before, they became openly enthusiastic about the content and began asking application questions. They now grasped the idea of the covenants; they embraced the sovereign grace of God in salvation; they saw these things were Biblical and they were willing to follow where the Scriptures led them. What a blessing! Through the remainder of Thursday and into Friday, they were almost bubbly with excitement, eagerly anticipating each new application of these truths. What made the difference? The Holy Spirit came and gave them a new understanding of the Scriptures. The change was dramatic. Their enthusiasm was such an encouragement to me because I know many of you had been praying for these conferences. Christ’s Kingdom advances on the prayers of His people. In America, we sometimes only give lip service to that truth, but here in Africa that truth is a daily necessity. God heard your prayers and “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

Our week in Sunyani has resulted in a growing denomination that is eager for its next EPI conference and a group of 18 key leaders who are committed to the vision of an African Reformation. God is doing something exciting, something transformative, through the teaching of His truth. Each of us is privileged to be a part of it as you pray and we teach. I hope to return to Ghana in June to continue the process of training and equipping these men. This will be in addition to a return trip to Nigeria in August and/or September for the same purpose. Meanwhile, I plan to continue mentoring these men via email, sending them information and answering questions for them.

Saturday was a rest day as we toured around Sunyani a bit and then took the afternoon to prepare for Sunday and for next week’s conference. Each of us had the blessing of sharing God’s Word in a local church on Sunday. Allen preached in an Agape Evangelical church to about 65 people, Chuck spoke at a Youth Rally for the same denomination and there were about 300 in attendance. I preached in the church of one of my “students” from the week – Jubilee Chapel International – to about 70 people. In each case the Word of God was received with joy. We thank God for these opportunities.

We are now on the home stretch of this trip. It has gone so well and so quickly that it almost seems like a dream. However, please continue to pray for us as we conduct next week’s conference in Kumasi. This will be the first EPI conference with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and we pray it will open the door to all of the presbyteries in the country. More opportunities mean more trips. So keep praying that the Lord will provide the energy, wisdom, love and money that we will need to meet this ever-expanding schedule.

Thanks for being our partners in ministry!

Grace and peace,

Dan.

Akure, Nigeria EPI Update

2008-02-17T16:10:00.002-05:00

I'm posting the updates from the latest trip to West Africa. I wasn't able to post them while overseas, since the internet service is generally poor. However, I'm post-dating them to the time they were written. Hope you find these interesting.

Imagine, if you can, a world in which none of the rules of the road apply. Where drivers pass on the right, use excessive speed, drive into on-coming traffic even on divided highways, pass without visibility and will brake and park on the shoulder without warning – and without brake lights. A world in which the driver is not only forced to contend with the maniacs in the other vehicles but also with logs on the roadway, immense overloaded trucks that will not give way, capricious police roadblocks, begging lepers waving makeshift flags in the median and vast fields of HUGE potholes that force him to weave from one side of the “road” to the other, just to find a route that will not swallow the car. Then punctuate this nerve-wracking experience with the constant blaring of horns, overlay it with a greasy fog of diesel smoke from the trucks and top it off with blowing dust from the Sahara that reduces visibility to ½ mile. That’s driving in Nigeria. Stress is too small a word to comprehend the experience. But this is where God has brought EPI to equip leaders. And it is a WONDERFUL blessing to be here!

I flew in the evening of Saturday, February 9 and Dr. Gideon Umukoro met me at the airport in Lagos. We shared a hotel room in the city (obviously, you don’t want to drive in the dark) and drove on Sunday to Akure – about 3-4 hours northeast. Once I was safely ensconced in a hotel with a working air conditioner, I began reviewing the first sections of Our Covenant God, the curriculum I came to teach. This was to be an experiment – a small group of men, who would be taking the first step toward becoming certified EPI national trainers. The violence in Kenya has encouraged us to move more quickly toward establishing a national training corps that will be able to continue teaching the EPI curriculum, even if teachers from the US can’t get into the country. So, I am training trainers both in Nigeria and Ghana as the first step in that process. Our Covenant God is intended to provide an introduction to Reformed covenantal theology as the foundation for all the subsequent curricula these trainers will teach.

The instruction began on Monday morning and continued until Friday afternoon. Each day, we would begin around 9:30 and I would teach and answer questions steadily until lunch at 1:30. We would resume at 2:15 and continue until 5:00. It was not an easy schedule for any of us. These 30 men were being confronted with ideas they had never considered before and I came close to losing my voice several times. The book has six chapters: The Sufficiency of Scripture, The Nature of God, The Nature of Man, Our Covenant God (the covenants through the Bible), God’s Plan of Redemption (as an outgrowth of His covenant purposes) and The Covenant Community. We were meeting in the new Servant Leadership Institute facility in Akure and, although the afternoon temperatures hovered in the low 90’s, God gave us all strength to persevere.

Words fail to describe the response of these godly leaders to the truth of God’s Word. For the first time in their lives, they were presented with a view of the Bible from beginning to end that, at many places, challenged the beliefs they have taught for years. Yet, they never faltered. They peppered me with literally hundreds of questions and searched the Scriptures to see if these things were indeed true. They were “Bereans” in the best sense and, at my encouragement, evaluated every point on the basis of God’s Word. By the time we had finished the chapter on covenants on Wednesday morning, they were convinced and they readily accepted the doctrines of grace on Wednesday and Thursday. My driver, Pastor Praise, as he was taking me back to the hotel on Wednesday, said this curriculum was “mind blowing” and he was so excited. I finished by Friday morning with some brief discussion on the church, even taking it to the point of explaining why some believers baptize their children. Again, they gulped but rode it out. I told them this should not be a point of division, but that I wanted them to understand how this is a consistent application of the covenants. Most were not convinced, but they all have a greater appreciation for the concept of covenant baptism.

As I concluded, I shared with them my vision for an African Reformation. They were SO excited! The thought of rejoining the Word and the Spirit to restore truth and power to Christ’s church filled them with hope and determination. They are ready to move forward to reform the church in Nigeria and are eagerly anticipating the next step in the training process.

We said our farewells on Friday afternoon, and I intend to follow up with them in the months to come via email. Gideon, Praise and I left early Saturday morning for Lagos – another adventure in driving. Although it had been repaired, Gideon’s car continued to overheat. Although we added water and drove with the heat on full blast, by the time we reached Lagos, it began to stall when we were delayed in traffic. Twice, through prayer, it restarted; but the third time it wouldn’t budge. My flight was scheduled to leave in less than an hour. So, Gideon flagged down a car and paid the man to take us to the airport. By God’s grace, I was able to check in and made it to the flight in time! Such events challenge my faith, for the American in me wants matters to move according to MY schedule and becomes very fretful and stressed when they don’t. Thankfully, God is patient even when I am not and He answered our prayers in His own way.

Thank you all for your prayers also. They were answered above and beyond what I could have thought or asked. The Holy Spirit was with us in each session, giving me thoughts and verses that I did not prepare and giving them teachable hearts. He gave us safe travel in both directions and has brought me to Ghana, where I will do it all again this coming week. All the glory goes to God.I have been joined here by Dr. Allen Monroe and Mr. Chuck Emerson, who will be teaching Romans this next week to a larger group.

The opportunities in West Africa are immense and your support is a vital part of this work. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to embrace these opportunities for the glory of God in the extension of Christ’s Kingdom.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

The Resurrection of the Blog

2008-02-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how many people still check this blog, since I haven't posted for quite some time. However, the blog is about to be resurrected. I'm headed for Nigeria and Ghana at the end of the week and I hope to post some email updates during the three weeks I'm there.
The explanation for my silence is really rather pedestrian: I have been very busy. At the request of Dr. Gideon Umukoro, our EPI contact in Nigeria, I have been writing an introduction to Reformed Theology for use in training national EPI trainers in Africa. During this upcoming trip, I will be training some 40-50 pastors using this introduction, which is titled Our Covenant God. The goal is to give them a theological foundation for teaching the other EPI curricula.
The potential is immense. I have often hoped and prayed for an African Reformation. We have begun to see some evidence that it is beginning to happen. I pray the Lord will use this curricula to carry that process forward.
I'll post more soon.

1 Samuel 23:1-14

2007-11-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

“So David inquired of the Lord…”

1 Samuel 23:2

God’s guidance is essential for making righteous decisions.

This may seem so obvious as to require no comment. Yet, having been involved in church leadership for a number of years, I have regularly watched Christian leaders assume they know God’s will, and so fail to ask for God’s guidance. Frankly, far too often I have been that leader! It’s easy to move in a particular direction based upon our own expectations or our interpretation of the circumstances. But in this passage we find David, in the face of a “no brainer,” pausing to seek the Lord’s will no less than three times! When David was at his best, he followed this pattern of asking for the Lord’s direction. And it was this, as much as anything in his life, which made him a man after God’s own heart. Conversely, his failure to do so resulted in some of his most glaring mistakes. But in this passage, David shines in his careful attention to God’s will.

The passage also teaches us something about the general leading of God in our lives. The three instances given us here illuminate and can help us navigate the murky circumstances that often surround us. As God’s children, we want to follow His will, but the Holy Spirit’s leading can sometimes seem unclear. The principles given here can provide some guidance, whether we are in a position of leadership or simply seeking to follow Christ in our daily lives. So, what are these principles?

1. The Lord consistently guides us toward ministry. V.2
The Philistines were attacking God’s people at Keilah and David had the means to help them. His band of followers had grown to about 600 men, so he had a respectable fighting force that could be used to help his brethren. David’s instinctive response was to rush to their aid, but he stopped to first seek the Lord’s direction. Once he received the Lord’s blessing, he began to move to break the Philistine siege.
While it may be difficult to determine WHICH ministry in which to be engaged – there are, after all so many opportunities – the Spirit will generally lead us in the direction of using our gifts and abilities for the sake of others. This was our Lord’s pattern of life and ought to be ours as well.

2. The Lord usually leads away from selfish considerations. V.4
David’s decision was questioned by his men who clearly anticipated the dangers of adding another enemy to their list. They were already running from Saul, why take on the Philistines? Militarily, attacking the Philistines would put David and his men at greater risk. David wisely considered their objection and laid it before the Lord. God promised victory and on that promise David moved forward.
Ministry, whether at home or overseas, is inherently risky. If we only consider ourselves, we will never get involved. But the followers of Christ are called to deny themselves and to take up their cross. So if our thoughts are consumed with our needs, our comfort and our security, we are probably NOT listening to the Spirit’s guidance. It is interesting to note, however, that in the context of David’s obedience, God provided for the physical needs of his entourage: their defeat of the Philistines allowed David to “lead away their livestock.”

3. The Lord leads us to act for the good of His people. Vv. 11,12
David rescued Keilah and then heard that Saul had located him, and was intending to come destroy the city. David was understandably concerned for himself and for the safety of his men, as well as for the safety of the city. So he again inquired of the Lord and was told that Saul would indeed come down to Keilah, and that the men of the city would give David up to save themselves. So, for the good of all concerned, David chose to leave the city and find refuge elsewhere. As a result, Saul gave up the pursuit for a time.
The fact that you have ministered to the needs of the brethren doesn’t always ensure that they will acknowledge that ministry or be thankful for it. But whether you are affirmed in ministry or not, the general principle of loving the brethren requires us to act for their good – even if it means sacrifice or loss on our part.

In his sensitivity to God’s will, David once again provides us with an illustration of his greater Son, our Lord Jesus. But where David failed repeatedly in his obedience to God’s will, Christ excelled on our behalf. And as we watch Him walk through His earthly ministry, we find Him following the will of His Father from beginning to end. These three principles were repeatedly exemplified in Christ’s earthly ministry, and can be seen most clearly in His willingness to sacrifice His very life for our redemption. May God give us the grace to walk in Christ’s footsteps and make our decisions according to these same principles.

1 Samuel 22: 6-23

2007-10-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

1 Samuel 22: 6-23

“For all of you have conspired against me…”

Characteristics of ungodly leadership.

When Richard Hofstadter identified “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” he was simply recognizing a pattern that has always existed, not only in American politics, but in political contexts everywhere. This paranoia results from man’s sinful self-obsession that insists on interpreting circumstances in self-centered terms. We see a clear example of this paranoid style in this passage as Saul sought to destroy David and all those who supported him. He had no logical support for this unreasoning fear and loathing of David, but nevertheless he interprets David’s actions as a threat to him and to his reign. Reading through this passage, we are provided with a surprisingly “modern” view of the paranoid leader – one who is characterized by ungodliness. Here are some of the characteristics:

1. Ungodly leadership encourages the cult of personality. V. 6

In this verse, we see Saul in his home town of Gibeah (a safe place for him), sitting on a hill, holding his spear in his hand, surrounded by his servants. The vignette fairly shouts, “Look at me!” While David is hiding for his life in the forest of Hereth, Saul is posing so that all the attention will be focused on him. And as he speaks, it quickly becomes clear that his interpretation of these events has everything to do with Saul’s paranoia and very little to do with the facts.

This is simply the logical conclusion of the rebellion of man – a rebellion that replaced God with self. Whether it’s the supposed “divine kings” of Egypt and Rome or the self-important bloviators in our own government, the cult of personality tends to dominate the political process.

2. Ungodly leadership motivates through sinful desires. V. 7

This is not always easy to see, unless one is inside the organization. Here, Saul sought to use wealth and power as a motivation for his followers to support him. This speaks volumes about Saul’s own priorities! When God is forsaken, the sense of righteousness departs and the only motive left is a crass selfishness. Men have done amazing things in the pursuit of wealth and power, but even they eventually must admit that these things do not satisfy.

How can it be that even in the Church we see these same motivations? Christ NEVER told us to pursue wealth and power. If God gives them to us, we are to handle them carefully as wise stewards, not seek our own glory through them. Beware of so-called Christian organizations that focus on their size, income, influence or wealth. There is something wrong with the leadership in these situations.

3. Ungodly leadership interprets reality to its own advantage. Vv. 8,13

Saul’s paranoia caused him to believe that everyone was against him: his own servants “have conspired against me,” Jonathan “has stirred up my servant against me,” David was “lying in ambush,” and even the priests were in on the conspiracy. How blind could he be? Ungodly leadership eventually loses the ability to tell truth from lies and begins to call evil good – even to the point of attacking and destroying God’s servants.

We can see this so clearly in our own political system where spin control has taken the place of truth-telling. On both sides of the aisle – Democrat and Republican – statesmanship and honesty have been sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics.

Sadly, this same pattern is often witnessed within the Church as well. People fight for power and influence by interpreting reality to their own advantage, and (especially in church splits) it becomes a game of “he said/she said.” How desperately we need Biblical leaders who “by the manifestation of truth [will] commend themselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God!” (2 Cor. 4:2)

4. Ungodly leadership is open to the manipulation of the unscrupulous. Vv. 9,10

We have met Doeg the Edomite before. He was the man who was “detained before the Lord” when David came to ask Ahimelech for advice. But instead of telling Saul immediately, Doeg held on to that information until he could use it for his own advantage. By his revelation he was then able to appear as a loyal follower of Saul just when the king thought all others were against him.

We know from Psalm 52 that this man was evil and was speaking from a heart of deceit and falsehood. As David wrote the psalm, he deliberately contrasted Doeg’s evil with God’s covenant love and faithfulness. He also prophesied Doeg’s destruction. But history is full of these kind of men and women: devoted to their own advancement at any cost and willing to manipulate others to get it. And in their paranoia, ungodly leaders are easy prey for the unscrupulous.

The Church has also had it share of Doeg’s and Elmer Gantry’s. There is no sense of God’s presence or blessing on their work, they are simply using God’s people to gain wealth and power. Such people will have a show of piety, but (like Doeg) will gladly destroy God’s priests for the sake of personal advantage. More often than we’d care to admit, these are the kind of people who end up in positions of leadership in the church. This danger should cause us to pray for our leaders, who are constantly tempted to use their position for their own gain. It should also cause us to speak up, take action and keep our leaders accountable.

A negative example is often very powerful. Saul shows us in this passage what godly leadership is NOT. May Jesus Christ continue to provide godly leaders for His Church and give His people the ability to discern the difference between and Saul and a David.

Update from Kumasi, Ghana

2007-09-04T19:29:00.000-04:00

We left Sunyani on Monday morning and retraced our route southeast to Kumasi. Kumasi is the second largest city in Ghana, with a population of 2 ½ million. It is also a center for Christian activity within the country, with churches everywhere. It is difficult for us Americans to grasp the kind of religious freedom that exists in Ghana. Almost 2/3 of the population consists of practicing Christians, and the country has not experienced the secular backlash America has. Consequently, such things as prayer and chapel in the public schools, public displays of faith and Christian involvement in society and culture are quite commonplace. The taxis have slogans on them like, “By Grace” or “Tell Jesus” and you often see the Jehovah Jireh Hair Salon or the Almighty God Building Supplies. Christian music blares from huge loudspeakers on many street corners and there are at least 2 or 3 religious programming channels on the TV. Ghanaian Christians are quite open about their faith, but by their own admission, they don’t know much about the Bible. That is where EPI comes in: training pastors to build up their people in the faith.

Once in Kumasi, our team divided forces: Ken and John continued on with Sam Oppong to teach a conference in Sefwi Bekwai, while I remained in Kumasi as the main speaker for a pastors’ conference that is held each year for graduates of the Bible Training Centre for Pastors (BTCP). Bishop Samuel organizes this conference every year, and it attracts pastors from many different denominations – many of them Pentecostal in their leaning – for three days of seminars and workshops. I had committed to this venue when I was in country in February, but I had no idea at the time what it would involve. I was given only about 1 ½ hours each day on Tuesday through Thursday, so I had to edit the curriculum rather severely. However, the editing was well worth it, because I was privileged to teach on Biblical Holiness to about 400 pastors!

Each morning, Rev. John would come to pick me up at the hotel, and we would begin our adventure with Kumasi traffic. The morning rush hour was incredible, with traffic jammed into every “roundabout” and for ½ a mile on each side. Rather than waste the gas, he would often just turn the car off until he could creep forward a bit. All around us were street vendors, knocking on the windows and hawking their wares: plastic bags of drinking water, gum, loaves of bread, sunglasses, popcorn, newspapers, bagged apples, dish towels, cookies, etc. Why go to a store when they will bring whatever you need right to your car? Wednesday morning, we were sitting at one of the intersections – pedestrians threading their way between the bumper-to-bumper traffic – when two policemen stepped up to the car. After looking at the expired insurance sticker on the windshield, they both climbed into our back seat! They insisted that Rev. John drive to the police station to pay a fine. (I found out later that this is common practice in Ghana, since otherwise people will simply drive off and never show up at the station. I was also told that he could have simply paid a bribe right on the spot and they would have left him alone, but because I was in the car, they were reluctant to shake him down.) He finally convinced them to allow him to drop me off at the conference first and then he went to pay his “fine.”

I spoke in the mornings for the first two days, coming to the podium after they had prayed and worshiped for two hours. This preparation made them very ready to hear the Word. On Tuesday, I demonstrated from Ephesians 2:8-10 about how holiness is a natural outworking of the gospel of grace. I defined Biblical holiness and warned them against the two extremes, perfectionism and legalism. We then considered the main obstacle to personal holiness – our sinful hearts. Wednesday, we looked at Biblical descriptions of the battle for holiness, specifically Paul’s recurring theme of “put off/put on.” I reminded them that we must pursue holiness together; each of us using the spiritual gifts God has given us. The text was Ephesians 4. On Thursday, the Ghanaian Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture was the keynote speaker for the “opening ceremony.” This is a cabinet-level position that has responsibility over all religious activity in the country – and the man is an outspoken evangelical Christian! He encouraged these pastors to actively use their influence to change the culture of Ghana, so that the country will move in a more Biblical direction. His presence gave an excuse for all of the attendees to dress in their finest church attire. Everyone wore their clerical collars while the bishops and senior pastors were in full regalia: robes, stoles and caps. In the midst of such sartorial splendor, I – with my dress shirt and tie – looked like a mud hen at a peacock convention!

I was given the final word of the conference on Thursday evening. As we approached the venue, lightning was flashing; and a heavy rain began just as I took the microphone. But it passed quickly and God gave me grace to take them through Romans 6, explaining how our union with Christ gives us a new identity that has died to sin. Then I spoke from Romans 8, describing the new power that is ours through the Holy Spirit – a power that enables us “to put to death the deeds of the body.” We closed with the truth that God is for us (Rom. 8:31) and that nothing – not even our own sin – can separate us from the love of God in Christ. (8:39) As the sermon drew to a close, I could sense a huge wave of response building: people were shouting “hallelujah,” jumping in their seats, raising hands and clapping. At the close, they spontaneously broke into song; singing (as I learned later) about how nothing can separate them from God’s love. (The bishop said afterward, “We have sung this song many times, but now we truly understand it!”) And as they sang, they literally danced for joy, twirling their handkerchiefs in the air and shouting. I have never witnessed such an outpouring of joy in love for God. It was overwhelming! And all I could do was stand (I wanted to dance, but I’m just too white!) in awe of the amazing grace and goodness of God. O that God would give His church in the U.S. such a deep joy and love for Him! While we might express that joy differently, it would certainly transform our worship.

What an incredible ending to a most satisfying month in Africa! God has truly blessed my time here and has blessed me as well. I am so thankful for the privilege of teaching His truth. And to see the impact of Biblical truth on God’s people here only adds to my determination to continue in and to expand this ministry. Thank you for the indispensable part you have played in this work – your prayers and generosity have made it possible. May the Lord bless you for your faithfulness to Him.

I wrote most this from Accra as I prepared to return home. God graciously provided a new passport to replace the one that was stolen two weeks ago, so I was able to fly home. And, on Saturday, the manager of the hotel where the theft occurred simply gave me the laptop I have been using while in country! It’s not equivalent to what I lost, but it has enabled me to continue working since I’ve returned home. The flights on Saturday and Sunday were unremarkable (that’s good!) and it was wonderful to see Susan and the family again. We are jumping right back into the work here with presentations on Friday and Sunday.

There is so much that remains to be done. As God provides, I hope to return to Ghana in February or March and again in July of 2008. We are also looking to Him to guide me as I consider other opportunities for ministry that He has opened both in West Africa and elsewhere. I will explain more about some these opportunities and will give a summary of what God has done through this month of ministry in the September newsletter.

Grace and peace,

Dan.

Sunyani Update

2007-08-25T17:43:00.000-04:00

The burglary occurred within hours of when I landed in Accra. Sam Oppong, the EPI National Advisor for Ghana, met me at Kotoka Airport about noon and we drove to the Deon Hotel. Ken Aull, one of the team, was due in from Delaware around 6 pm, so we were at the airport when they broke into my room. It was a professional job – they moved quickly and focused on easily disposable electronic equipment: laptop, digital camera, cell phone and chargers. They searched for money, but missed the envelope behind some Folgers Singles coffee packs. And in their haste, they dropped my Palm, where I keep my schedule and contact information. But the most valuable item taken was my U.S. passport. Everyone was stunned. They must have followed us from the airport. Checking into the hotel an hour after we did, they waited in their room until we left to get Ken. Five minutes later, they were out the door and gone.
The consequences of their “visit” were much more prolonged. That evening, Sam and I spent several hours filing a police report in a crowded, run-down police station with bored policemen - one of whom was trying to sleep at the duty desk. The application for a replacement passport required three trips to the American Consulate: the first to be told I needed a copy of the police report, the second to file all the needed paperwork (including the police report and a new passport photo we had taken) and a third because the lady and I were so engrossed in our conversation that neither of us thought to have me sign the application! But by Monday evening, it was all done and we are hoping that a new passport will be waiting when we return to Accra next Friday.
[I have been amazed at the size of the network that responded to this emergency with prayer and helpful advice. Literally hundreds of people all over the world have been following this story and have been praying for us and for our work here. I’ve lost track of the number of churches that brought this prayer request before their people. I have been humbled by your concern and am very thankful for all of you. Only the Lord knows what will come from this outpouring of support and sympathy. However, I do know that He has been honored as you have upheld us in prayer.]
Refocusing on why the Lord has brought us here, the team left Accra for Sunyani on Tuesday morning. (John Herberich had flown in from Atlanta on Sunday.) With several stops along the way and road construction delays, the drive ended up taking most of the day. Sunyani is located in west central Ghana and is a booming town of over 100,000 people. It is near the gold fields (Ghana used to be called the Gold Coast) and there are lots of European and Asian mining employees in the area.
The rain forest that used to cover this entire country is all gone now except for the occasional huge Onyona tree towering over the fields and scrub along the road. As we traveled, we often saw young men displaying some animal they had recently killed: “bush meat” they call it. Passing motorists will take the pangolin (like a large armadillo) or “grass cutter” (a LARGE rodent) home for supper. These, along with softball-sized snails and other “mystery meats” are offered in little stands all along the road. Sam assures me that grass cutter is really quite good, but he declined to stop and purchase one for our enjoyment. I’m really not all that disappointed.
The conference kicked off on Thursday morning, after a day to polish up our notes and prepare. Nearly 80 church leaders from many different denominations attended the conference and they were eager to hear the Word of God. Most of those attending were senior pastors or district pastors, having responsibility for more than one church. These are the church leaders we want to equip – those whose influence will have a strong impact on the Church at large. This was our first time teaching this curriculum on Biblical Holiness, and it was exciting to see the positive response to the teaching. There is a large amount of legalism among the churches in Ghana and it shows itself through the various lists of “do’s and don’ts” that each church seems to develop. As we explained that true holiness is a heart attitude and not produced by a list of rules, we were thrilled to see them wrestling with the Word and growing in their understanding. As always, the Q & A times provided us with the best feedback: their questions were applicatory, thoughtful and challenging. They ranged from questions about whether it is possible to become totally sinless in this life, to whether sinning after you are saved can cause you to lose your salvation, to how to confess your own sin to your congregation without losing spiritual authority. Amazingly, when we show them the answer in the Word, they accept it without hesitation. African Christians are absolutely convinced that the Bible is God’s Word and whatever the Word teaches, they believe. This is what makes teaching them such a joy.
We settled into a pattern, rotating our teaching between each of us three teachers. I stepped out of the rotation on Friday afternoon since I wasn’t feeling well, but returned on Saturday and we finished with dividing the conferees into discussion groups. They summarized what they had learned, applied it to their own situations, and then discussed potential problems with teaching and exemplifying Biblical holiness in Ghanaian culture. Their group reports made it clear that they not only understood what we taught, but they were already seeking to apply these truths to their life and ministry. It’s exciting to consider that these leaders will teach these same truths to thousands of God’s people. As we finished the conference, the three of us were each given a shirt celebrating Ghana’s 50th birthday as an independent nation.
It has been a great privilege to return to Sunyani. I have been here four times now and it is gratifying to see the spiritual growth in those who regularly attend the EPI conferences. The Lord is doing a work among our brothers here, and EPI is a part of that work. While they have many challenges before them, this conference has planted a seed that, we pray, will bear much fruit for God’s glory.
Tomorrow is Sunday and each of us is scheduled to preach in a local church. Monday will find us on the road to our next conference destination. More on that later. Thanks again for your indispensable part in this ministry!
Grace and peace,
Dan.

EPI Report: Kaberamaido, Uganda

2007-08-20T16:31:00.000-04:00

Pastor Samuel’s son was bitten by a snake on Sunday night. We were scheduled to be on the road to Kaberamaido by 11 am Monday but this was only one of several complications. Our ride was late due to mechanical issues, and I needed to discuss several things with the Green Pasture leadership – one of whom had been struggling with malaria all during the conference. Also, we needed to check on Rich, Pastor Samuel’s boy. His foot was quite swollen, but they think he will be fine, and were as stunned as we were that it had happened. So, it was nearing 2:00 pm by the time we left Mbale.
The road to Kaberamaido took us northwest into cattle country. We often saw young boys whacking their cattle with a stick or controlling a huge bull by a rope tied to its hind leg. The African cattle are quite distinctive with a shoulder hump like a Brahma, but also with HUGE horns that seem all out of proportion to their lean, tough bodies. And when a herd of them decides to cross the road (as they often do) they quite literally stop traffic. When passing them, our vehicle would slow down just in case one decided to jump on to the road. None of them did, though, because they were well guarded. Cattle are VERY important to the Teso and Kumam peoples since they are seen as a form of wealth. Every young man must accumulate some cows if he ever hopes to get married: even with their cell phones and email addresses, the bride price in this region must be paid in cattle. The usual minimum, we were told, is 5 cows – a huge investment.
The topography changed as we traveled, moving from the lush tea and coffee plantations of Mbale to the acacia scrub and grazing lands of the Teso region. We drove through Kumi to Soroti (where the pavement ends) and then endured another 20 miles of rutted, slippery, pot-holed one-lane “road.” Kaberamaido isn’t on the way to anywhere, so there is relatively little vehicle traffic on this road and no incentive on the part of the government to improve it. It’s no wonder that few people from the outside have been there. But its very isolation makes it an important EPI venue. The pastors there have had no training except what EPI has provided over the years, and they greatly appreciate our willingness to come. These pastors in the Pentecostal Assembly of God are hungry for God’s Word and recognize that they need it desperately. John, one of the leaders, told me at supper on Tuesday that our topic (Biblical Stewardship) and even our illustrations were divinely appropriate. “If we don’t teach our people doctrine,” John said, “We will be held accountable.” They see EPI’s ministry among them as a great help in this area. And, of course, we are thrilled to see God’s hand moving to stir up an African Reformation.
We taught on Biblical Stewardship on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning. As we worked through the material, the Lord clearly indicated that the section on Biblical interpretation was the most needed. So, we expanded that section to provide them with examples and illustrations. Dick Hannula and Doug Bond were both very effective in their presentations as we worked through the various principles of hermeneutics and illustrated them directly from Scripture. God greatly helped us and, I believe, guided our thoughts and words to point us in the proper direction. It was a wonderful experience – as encouraging to us as it was to them. And THEY were WONDERFUL students! Serious, thoughtful and insightful, they listened carefully and asked excellent questions. Even on some of the more controversial issues, they were willing to listen to the Word and to follow where it led them. On Wednesday we broke them into 10 discussion groups (there were about 250 church leaders attending) and appointed them to bring back a summary of the teaching on Biblical interpretation and to ask for clarification on any areas they didn’t understand. What a joy to hear them speak of becoming humble before the Word, interpreting in context, comparing various versions and using the “W questions” (Who? What? When? Where? Why?) to dissect a passage! They ‘’get it.” We concluded on Thursday with some thoughts on Stewardship of possessions. I also analyzed some of the errors of the so-called Prosperity Gospel to offset the strong appeal it has for them in their extreme poverty.
Under EPI’s influence, the PAG leadership in the Kaberamaido area is now planning to begin a pastor’s training institute in October. They asked us to help them by providing books – especially books on Biblical interpretation. All three of us promised to do what we can to get some books in their hands asap. Also, they want Martin Odi, EPI’s Ugandan director, to do some teaching in that training institute. What a providential opening! God is moving in remarkable ways.
As soon as lunch was over on Thursday, we climbed in the van and began the trip back to Mbale. Aside from some damage to Doug’s expensive camera, the trip was largely uneventful. We spent the night in Mbale and left early the next morning for Kampala, which seemed to be one immense traffic jam. But we persevered and were able to do some shopping and arrive in Entebbe on Friday evening. Since we had to be up at 2 am to make our flight, we hit the sack early. All of us flew together to Nairobi and then went our separate ways – Doug and Dick to Seattle via Amsterdam, and I to Ghana for another two weeks of ministry.
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The enemy has been particularly busy during this trip. Seeing the remarkable responses to the Word that have occurred in the first two weeks, it’s not surprising that Satan would seek to discourage or sidetrack us. Many of you have already heard that within a few hours of landing in Ghana, my hotel room was burglarized and I lost my new laptop, my camera (hence, no picture to head this post) and my Global cell phone, along with a number of other items. In addition, the thieves also took my passport. We have filed a police report and I have completed the paperwork for a new passport, hoping to receive it before I return home on September 1st. Although I will miss these items, they are only things and can be replaced. They were a gift from God to begin with, and He is free to use them – and us – for His glory in whatever way He chooses. We are not discouraged and the new team (John Herberich, Ken Aull and me) is looking forward to what God will do in these next two weeks. As we seek His Kingdom first, we know that He will supply what we need. In fact, the hotel has already made arrangements to loan me a laptop while I’m in Ghana. Thank you for your prayers and for your expressions of support. I am humbled to think that so many of God’s people are praying for us, and I am amazed at the size of the “network” that has emerged in these last several days. Please continue to pray that we will remain focused upon the work God has for us. We want Him to receive all the glory.
Grace and peace,
Dan.

EPI Report: Mbale, Uganda

2007-08-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

We landed in Entebbe, Uganda last Sunday night to the smells, sounds and realities of Africa. Although we had reserved our rooms at the Entebbe Flight Motel some time in advance, we discovered that the rooms had been rented out to others. So, after our entourage made the short trip to the motel, we found ourselves in two “dorm” rooms, each sleeping 6. It was quite a group – 9 EPI teachers with three or four bags apiece, tired and bedraggled from nearly 24 hours of coping with planes and airports. It took two trips with the motel van to ferry all the people and luggage. The next morning, after a quick shower and a good breakfast of fruit and toast, six of us left for Mbale in two vehicles. (The other three were headed to Mbarara – in the opposite direction.)

Any drive in Africa is an adventure, and this was no exception. After some errands in Kampala, we were to stop on the eastern side of the city to fill up with gas, but our driver got lost and we took an unintended hour-long tour of several residential sections. Numerous dead ends, potholed streets and cell phone conferences later, we were able to retrace our steps and meet up with our companions. We ate a late lunch in Jinja, near the Nile R., after being accosted by two armed soldiers for taking pictures of the Nile bridge. (It appears that taking such pictures is forbidden unless, of course, you pay the 10,000 shilling fine – about $6 – that the soldiers immediately pocketed.) After lunch, we bounced along a seemingly endless portion of this main road that has remained unpaved for years, dodging on-coming traffic and alternately rolling our windows up when the dust became too bad and down for ventilation. Eventually, just as the sun was going down, we reached Mbale and settled into our home for the next week, the Dreamland Guest House.

Mbale has one of the most beautiful settings that I have seen in Africa. A several thousand foot escarpment rises sharply to the east of the town, its bulk hiding the much higher Mt. Elgon that sits behind it on the Uganda/Kenya border. With its verdant slopes and numerous waterfalls, the escarpment looks like a setting for “Land of the Lost.” Susan, Ray Warwick and I were at this same location last summer, for the inauguration of the Christian Education curriculum. This trip, I returned with Doug Bond and Dick Hannula to teach the same curriculum to a new group of teachers. Doug and Dick are both ruling elders at one of our supporting churches, Faith Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, WA.

Our conference work began on Tuesday morning. Actually, there were three EPI conferences running simultaneously. We were doing Christian Education, Don Mountain and his team were teaching Biblical Counseling and Les Miller was teaching a small conference on technology, using the 10 refurbished laptops he had brought with him. (That explains much of the luggage we toted!) This conference schedule evidences the growth of EPI in the last several years, both in number of teams and also in focus of our equipping. We have come to realize that God is bringing Reformation to Africa and, as with the Protestant Reformation of the 16^th century, it moves beyond pastors to educators and to the intelligent use of available technology. May the Lord use our small efforts for His glory!

Each day we drove the muddy, severely rutted “road” to the Green Pastures compound. (It has been raining here almost daily.) Our passage always provoked the curiosity of the neighborhood and we often accompanied by a small parade of children who easily kept up with our slow crawl down the path. The teaching began about 9:30 am, after a time of prayer and singing, and continued until lunch around 2:00 pm. The participants – over 200 in the three conferences – then lined up for their lunch, which was cooked on site over an open fire. As the special guests, we walked to the conference coordinator’s house to each our lunch there. Since we ate the same food as did the conferees, it was always an African meal: beans, rice, chicken or beef, greens and the Ugandan staple of matooke (steamed green bananas). Stuffed to the gills after lunch, we taught for another couple hours and usually finished about 5:00 pm. After returning to the guest house and cleaning up, we often went out for a late supper: eating about 8:30 pm and falling in bed sometime around 10 pm.

About 50 teachers and administrators attended our educators’ conference, and we had a wonderful time teaching them about Biblical Worldview and its application to a truly Christian Education. Their quick grasp of the concepts and the feedback we received in the Q & A sessions were both very encouraging. In our discussions with these educators, they suggested that although the truths they were learning were transforming their thinking, they needed regular reinforcement of these truths if they hoped to continue in them. On their own, they met on Wednesday evening to lay out the structure for an organization, the Christian Spiritual Concern Mission Uganda (CSCM). Their goal is to take these truths and to use them to transform their schools and, through them, Ugandan society. Their proposal stated that one of the specific objectives of CSCM is “to extend the new approach of Christian Education to a minimum of 65% of the Christian founded schools and churches.” This, along with their other objectives, sets an ambitious goal. But we are taught in Scripture not to despise the day of small things. It shows how serious they are about implementing what they have learned. Pray for these dear brothers and sisters as they seek to “bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I have agreed, at their request, to remain involved and to provide counsel and mentoring throughout the coming year via email. We praise God for such results!

Our fellowship here in Mbale has been sweet. I have been able to renew friendship with Barasa Philemon, the conference coordinator, and his wife Harriet. Also, we have spent a lot of time with Pastor Nelson and his wife Agnes. These dear folks are being used by God to establish a model school in Green Pasture Outreach, and their vision is to see this kind of Biblical equipping of pastors and educators extended throughout Uganda. To this end, they are thrilled with their partnership with EPI. In fact, at dinner on Thursday night, I spoke for some time with Barasa about training 10-15 Ugandan couples to teach the EPI Marriage Conference. Marriages in Africa are in terrible shape and having these trainers would greatly broaden the reach of God’s truth.

On Friday, we scheduled a visit to a local coffee processing plant. Dick and Doug enjoyed the tour, but I was ambushed by some kind of virus and spent the day in bed instead. Saturday we traveled into the mountains to visit Sipi Falls. The region called Kapchurwa boasts beautiful mountain scenery and abundant waterfalls. The beauty reminded us of the greatness of the God we serve. Tomorrow, we will each be preaching in a separate church here in Mbale. Monday we leave for Kaberamaido and our second conference. Thank you for your prayers. This ministry depends upon your faithful support.

How I Became a Paedobaptist

2007-08-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

Since I’m leaving for Africa on Saturday, I don’t have a lot of time to post this blog. However, I wanted to put up something that might be helpful for those who read it regularly. What follows is my response to a question from my friend, “C,” a Baptist attending a Presbyterian church, who asked me how I made the transition from Reformed Baptist to Presbyterian – especially in regard to the issue of infant baptism. My answer might be seen as somewhat controversial, but that is not my intention. Nor is it my desire to offend my Baptist brethren, some of whom I know read this blog. As I say in the response, I don’t consider one’s views on baptism to be something central to Christian fellowship. (I couldn’t minister in Africa if I did!) Also, I understand that Baptists view baptism as one’s public profession of faith, not as a covenantal sign. Neither the email nor this post is intended to be a comprehensive theological discussion of the issue of baptism. Theologians from both perspectives have done that and done it well. Rather, I am writing to convey my own history – the Biblical passages and personal questions that caused me to change my views on the issue. I’m posting it because this kind of personal approach may be helpful for someone. And it is my hope that God will use it to bring about a greater appreciation for the paedobaptist position.

Dear C,
Responding to your question has been on my list for some time, but I've been thinking about how best to reply. I'm honored that you would ask me this question, and I certainly don't want to give the wrong impression because, to my mind, baptism is not an issue that is central to fellowship. I also don't want to offend you - and some of what I write may sound offensive. Please forgive me, if it is, and know that my only intention is to answer your question as honestly as I can. I don't expect to be able to convince you one way or the other - that's the Lord's business. That said, I'll relate my own experience.

It took a series of very serious spiritual shocks, but the Lord brought me to the point in the early 90's where I began to question some of what I had been taught in Baptist circles. Like you, I looked at my bookshelves and realized that most of the men whose theology and Biblical exposition I respected held a paedobaptist position. Since I was serving as the Principle of a Christian School at the time, I took my first step toward the paedobaptist view when I began to consider what the Bible teaches about the children of believers - both in the OT and the NT. I began to develop a theology of children, drawing on OT passages (like Ps.127,128 and Is.44:1-5; 54:13), Christ's teaching (...Don't hinder...of such is the Kingdom...), His actions (laying on of hands and blessing), and Paul's direct addresses to children (obey...in the Lord). In the process, I began to perceive a unity of perspective moving from the OT into the NT. In the OT, children are specifically included in the covenantal community, and in the NT, children are treated and exhorted as members of the covenantal community.

I began to see that the Baptist view of the church tends to be atomistic (i.e. radically individualistic) - the church is essentially a collection of individuals who voluntarily associate (and disassociate) as they please. This view is antithetical to what I believe Scripture teaches about the unity in Christ of God's covenant people - a unity that is spiritual, and is to be expressed outwardly in church life. And as time went on, I came to believe that this unbiblical atomism is most visibly expressed in the Baptist view of the sacrament of baptism. This view reinforces atomism by making entrance into the covenantal community dependent upon the choice/action of the individual. Even if you grant that salvation is all of God (as I know you do, along with many Baptists), one who is saved by God's grace is still does not become a member of the covenantal community (the church) until they present themselves for baptism. Granted, they are members of the invisible church and are saved, but they are denied access to the Lord's Supper and have no essential role in the church until they publicly declare their faith by presenting themselves for baptism. In contrast, infant baptism displays a clear picture of the sovereignty of God in salvation: the infant is brought into the covenantal community through no effort or choice of its own, just as we are saved by God's action from outside ourselves. (No, baptism is not salvation, and a public profession is still required before partaking in the Lord's Supper - but I'm assuming you know that line of reasoning.)

I was still not a paedobaptist, but by this point I was considering the possibility that it could be a legitimate view. Its legitimacy was further reinforced by the fact that I already believed in the essential unity between the OT and the NT. Later on, I realized that this hermeneutical question lies at the heart of the issue. Reformed writers – regardless of their view on baptism - assert the continuing between the testaments. But the Baptist view MUST make a strong distinction between OT and NT in regard to the relationship of circumcision to baptism, in order to explain its radical restriction (vis-à-vis the OT) in the membership of the covenantal community. Yet, all agree that the OTHER sacrament, the Lord's Supper, is a direct-line development from the OT sacrament of Passover. What Biblical line of reasoning (I asked myself) allows us to disassociate baptism from its OT roots? And by what right, absent any clear Biblical statement, do we have to bar children from the covenantal community (and, by implication, from the sign of the covenant) when their INCLUSION is so central to the identity of the people of God in the OT?

It was at this point that I asked a simple question: What would have been the expectation of a new Jewish believer in the early days of the church in Acts? Clearly, they would have expected that their children would also be part of this community of faith, which they saw (correctly) as the fulfillment of OT promises. They would also have expected that the sign of inclusion - whatever that was - would be given at least to their male offspring. Suddenly, I found the shoe was on the other foot. I had been used to "shutting up" paedobaptists by asking them where the NT taught us to baptize our children. But now I realized that the silence of the NT may actually be a clear indication that these Jewish believers ALREADY UNDERSTOOD the rules of covenantal inclusion. They were essentially the same rules as had applied since the time of Abraham. IF THE RULES HAD CHANGED, then the NT would have had to state the new guidelines in unequivocal terms. And there was only silence. Could it be that the only essential change had been in the nature of the covenantal sign - a change that had been heralded by John and by Jesus from the very beginning of their ministries? Could it be that this was part of the reason why Paul, in his ministry to the Gentiles, insisted so strongly that circumcision not be required of them - because it had become a purely ethnic thing, having been superseded by the covenant sign of baptism? Was baptism the NT form of circumcision, retaining its meaning as a rite of cleansing, but removing the shedding of blood because Christ's blood had now been shed? Apparently, the Council of Jerusalem agreed with Paul since it allowed that there was no imperative for the Gentiles to be circumcised, even though they were clearly seen as "the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles." For although the Gentiles had once been "excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise," they were now "brought near by the blood of Christ." "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household." Eph. 2:12,13,19. For "in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham [came] to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ....And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." Gal. 3:27,29

With that, I crossed the line. This all happened while driving home from a Ligonier Conference in Florida. I started the drive as a Reformed Baptist and arrived home a Presbyterian. As I began to think back through the relevant texts, things began to realign into a new pattern. Now, BOTH sacraments were expansions upon OT roots - they carried the same meanings but had taken on different expressions. Just as in the OT, inclusion in the covenantal community did not constitute salvation - a work of God's grace in the heart was still required. But also, as promised, the New Covenant was better, including in the covenantal community (and in its sign of baptism) not only men but also women, not only boys but also girls, not only Jews but also Gentiles. And the passages bore this out: "The promise is for you AND FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF, as many as the Lord shall call to Himself." So also the household baptism passages in Acts 16; Paul's exhortations to children to obey their covenant Lord (Eph. 6:1); and his clear equation of circumcision and baptism in Col. 2:11,12.

I had a place for children and an answer to the atomism: covenant. It is not just believer's baptism (although adult believers do receive covenant baptism in Acts, usually accompanied by the baptism of the entire household); it is covenant baptism - a sign of God's promise to bless His people and their children. It brings the entire family into a relationship with God: for the believer, the full relationship of saving faith; for the infant, a relationship of blessing and instruction that looks forward to the day when, by God's grace, the child will embrace his birthright and trust in Christ alone. This perspective of being "God's household," carried from the family into the church, becomes the paradigm for both biblical submission and the exercise of divinely delegated authority. One does not simply choose to associate, one is called by God, marked out as belonging to Him and sovereignly placed within His household, under His rule. The Kingdom is far more, and far more important, than its constituent individual members.

Now, there are many other issues that impinge upon this one - mode of baptism, eschatology (at least in its dispensational form), ecclesiology, etc. Maybe we can talk about some of these when we get together later. May the Lord give you wisdom as you consider these things. They are not written as clearly as I would like, but perhaps this will do for a start.
Grace and peace,
Dan.

A Man of Faith

2007-07-26T11:53:00.000-04:00

I had the privilege of speaking to a men’s breakfast at our church last Saturday and the Lord led me to the passage in Genesis 22 where Abraham is commanded to sacrifice Isaac. This has been a troublesome passage for many – believers and unbelievers alike. If I remember correctly, both Kierkegaard and Freud expended a tremendous amount of time trying (unsuccessfully) to come to terms with what God was doing here. At the risk of seeming simplistic, I have some thoughts about what God may have been doing in Abraham’s life, and why this seemingly incongruous command was issued.

A Man of Faith

1. God calls men of faith to develop a relationship with Him – something God delights in. vv. 1,2

Notice that in Abraham’s life, it was God who initiated the relationship and who continued to nurture it with communication, covenant and provision. This is still the case today. Any relationship with God is initiated by God Himself through the sovereign working of His Spirit. But with Abraham, this relationship has deepened over the past 30 years or so – and through Abraham’s many failures – to the point that it has become a real friendship (James 2:23). God had been there long before Isaac, and Abraham continues to walk in this friendship.

Over the course of time, Abraham had learned to recognize God’s voice and to respond to it. This is a strong characteristic of a man of faith, one that we see in both the OT and NT prophets. While others may only hear “thunder,” the man of faith knows the voice of his Shepherd (Jn 10). This begs the question: Have you learned to hear the voice of God? I hear it most frequently when I’m reading the Word, but I also hear it often when listening to Biblical preaching. Others have heard Him speak directly – as He did here with Abraham. The man of faith is always listening for God to speak for His voice is indispensable to the development of a relationship with Him.

2. To deepen this relationship, God tests men of faith. V.1

The author of Hebrews warns us that “those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines.” So, we aren’t surprised to see this happen in Abraham’s experience. Nor should we be startled when such testing comes our way.

God doesn’t test because He wants to find out what we will do. Obviously, in His omniscience, He has known from all eternity what we will do. His testing brings about at least two results, both of which are designed to deepen our friendship with God. First, testing enables us to see what is in our own hearts. (See Deut. 8:1 ff) This revelation then brings us to the point where we are willing to tear down the idols that we have built – idols that are hindering our relationship with Him.

The wording God used in v. 1 clearly indicates that Isaac had become an idol in Abraham’s life: “your son, your only son, whom you love.” Isaac was NOT Abraham’s only son! (Remember Ishmael?) But he had become the only son who mattered. And in his thankfulness for the gift, Abraham had lost sight of the Giver. He had taken a legitimate, God-given blessing – one given through God’s promise, received by faith and accomplished through God’s power – and he had made it “the main thing.” Now, before we get too critical of Abraham, we need to realize we also create idols. We do it when we focus our Christianity on salvation (as though it was the end of all God’s work) and neglect the Savior who has died to provide it for us. We engage in idolatry when we make American culture and prosperity our evidence that we are right with God. And – perhaps most insidiously – we do it when we substitute orthodoxy and correct practice for a living, growing relationship with God.

So, God came to Abraham with the command to sacrifice his idol. And his faith was such that he was willing to obey God and put Him first, no matter what the consequences might be.

How do we know that Abraham got the point? Is there some evidence in the text that he realized what God was doing and why? I think so. Let me just list a couple of indicators:

a. Abraham obeyed God immediately. In Genesis 18, when it was only his nephew Lot who was threatened, Abraham boldly argued with God. But here, with Isaac’s life on the line, Abraham immediately obeyed without a word. Instead, he rose early and made his preparations.

b. Abraham said nothing about this situation to anyone else. V. 3 This was between him and God. He said nothing to Sarah because (Heb. 11:19) he believed both he and Isaac would be returning. He didn’t explain his actions to Isaac either. Isaac obviously had a huge stake in this situation, but Abraham kept him in the dark.

c. He did, however, verbalize his faith to others. “…we will worship and return to you.” V. 5 This was pure faith on Abraham’s part. He was going to kill his own son, yet believed that God would raise him from the dead, if necessary. (See Heb. 11)

d. And he didn’t neglect his other duties, even while under stress. Vv. 6-8 It’s interesting to see him instruct Isaac about God’s provision, even when he didn’t know HOW God would or even could provide. And he required Isaac to carry the wood! It wasn’t proper for Abraham to carry it, when his able-bodied son was available.

e. Finally, he carried through to the end, intending to kill Isaac, but believing that God would somehow keep his promise. V. 9

3. As a result of this relationship, the man of faith expects and receives (even in the midst of testing) remarkable provisions from God. Vv. 11-14

Abraham expected God do something remarkable and received something totally unexpected through the provision of the ram. So it is with all men (and women) of faith: they pray with the firm expectation that God will answer. Even when they don’t know HOW God will provide, they still expect Him to be faithful to His promises. And when He does provide, they understand that provision as an affirmation of His covenant promise to be our God. And, like Abraham, they are drawn into a deeper, stronger and more trusting relationship with the One who, against all expectation, provided His own Son as the Lamb of God to take away our sin.

So, what about you? If you are one of God’s beloved friends, there has been and will certainly continue to be regular testing in your life. May Abraham’s example encourage you to forsake anything that stands as an idol between you and your Savior. And may God’s difficult providences only serve to draw you closer to Him.

1 Samuel 22: 1-5

2007-07-19T21:51:00.000-04:00

So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them.

1 Samuel 22: 1,2

Some thoughts on ministry.

Having escaped from the hands of the Philistines, David fled to the cave of Adullam. He blessed the Lord for “delivering him from all his fears,” but now he was in a barren place with little hope and encouragement. Why was he there? What was he supposed to do? What was the Lord teaching him?

Experiences like this are common in the lives of God’s people. It seems that God has set you aside and that your usefulness is ended. To all outward appearances, your day is over, and opportunities for ministry have been removed. And yet these are the times when God is able to get our attention and to show us Himself. Each time I have been to Adullam, I have developed a greater appreciation for God’s grace toward me as a sinner. And ironically, Adullam is a good place to learn to minister to the needs of others.

Ministry opportunities often come at undesirable times.

David had just escaped from Gath after a less-than-sterling spiritual performance. He probably was looking for a place to just disappear for a while, a place where he could “crawl in a hole” and rest. But that’s not what God had in mind at all. His experience in Gath had taught David some things about God’s faithfulness and goodness and God wanted that truth to be shared with others. (See Psalms 34,56)

God’s pattern is always to teach us so that we can teach others. When we focus exclusively on “my relationship with God,” we neglect the covenantal bonds that unite God’s people. Frankly, ministry opportunities often come when we least desire them. But rather than focus on ourselves, God leads us to focus on the needs of others.

Ministry opportunities are often found in unusual places.

This cave was definitely NOT on the main highway. But once David was there, God began to lead others there also. God is not limited by location. In fact, some of the greatest works He has done have been in out of the way places: Abraham’s tent, Jacob’s ladder, Moses’ bush, Elijah’s mountain, a stable in Bethlehem, Paul in Arabia, John on Patmos… How often He takes His people away from the familiar, from the crowds, in order to show them something about Himself.

So, if you want to find where God is at work, don’t look where the crowd is looking. Look instead for where He has placed His anointed ones because that’s where the action is – that’s where God is looking. (2Chron. 16:9)

Ministry opportunities often involve unexpected people.

Remember that God is the God of the unlikely, the undesirable, the outcast, the wounded, the poor and the foolish. And these were exactly the kind of people God brought to David at Adullam. His brothers – not exactly his strongest support group heretofore – now show up with the rest of the family. More than likely, they fear for their lives since David is now an outlaw. Then there were the distressed, the indebted, the discontented – malcontents every one of them – who show up at his cave door. It reminds you of the church doesn’t it?

God was going to do something special with this ragamuffin crew. And David became their captain, their leader. It was not exactly like being a king, more like being a bandit chief, but David would learn to lead and to minister to the needs of these men.

Ministry opportunities can form unbreakable bonds.

This group at Adullam became the core of David’s army – his “mighty men.” These 400 men followed David all the way to the throne, becoming along the way men who David could trust with his life. There was a mutual loyalty here: they would do virtually anything for David (see 1 Chron. 11: 15-19) and, as a result, David trusted them completely and gave them positions of authority when he became king.

The common experience of ministry forms an esprit de corps and can create unbreakable bonds of friendship. These are the bonds of true spiritual fellowship, and they can be seen among God’s people in many places. When we hold our loyalty to the Lord of first importance, then our love for Him overbears any differences or disagreements.

Ministry opportunities often result in unanticipated responsibilities.

David became their captain, which meant he was responsible not only to lead them in way but also to provide for them and for their families. I’m sure David didn’t come to Adullam with this in mind. Yet it was part of what resulted from this context. David became their leader in every sense of the word and they looked to him to meet their needs.

As I write this, I have recently received a call from a “former” parishioner seeking prayer and spiritual counsel. It has been years since I have been their pastor in any formal sense, but the responsibility of ministry goes on.

May the Lord fill you with His grace to minister to the needs of those around you. And may you find His grace sufficient for your needs as well. It is the road our Savior walked, and we are privileged to follow Him.

Thoughts on Sabbath-Keeping

2007-07-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

In the light of my lateness with this post, I thought I would make use of something I wrote earlier this year on Sabbatarianism. For many Christians, this may be a moot issue since keeping the Sabbath has fallen on hard times lately. However, it remains a continuing question for confessional churches like the PCA, whose pastors strive to remain true to the Westminster Confession. I do not hold to a strict view of the Sabbath, however, I take a more historical view on the issue than some. I thought it might be of some interest to those who may struggle with the issue. And, no, I do not have any interest in dialogging about which day of the week is the true Sabbath. If we understand the Sabbath commandment as being fulfilled in Christ, then every day ought to be "a festive day of rest:" resting in Christ's work on our behalf.

As to the keeping of the Sabbath, The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) 21.8 specifically prohibits “works, words and thoughts about our worldly employments and recreations.” Leaving aside the question of whether it is even possible to obey this prohibition, on this issue I believe the Confession and Catechisms are more reflective of 17^th century English politico-ecclesiastical struggles than of the NT teaching on the Sabbath rest. During the early 17^th century, the issue of Sabbath-keeping became one of the major battlegrounds within the English Church. The Puritans supported strict Sabbatarianism, while the moderate Calvinists took a more lax view of the Sabbath. This laxity was encouraged – even recommended - by the English monarchy through the re-publishing of King James’ Book of Sports, which encouraged so-called healthy recreation on the Sabbath. Eventually, under Archbishop Laud, pastors were required to read from the Book of Sports on the Lord’s Day. The Puritans were outraged by this requirement. They saw it as a violation of the crown rights of King Jesus and they dug in their heels on this issue. Consequently, the Puritan position regarding recreation on the Sabbath moved from being a question of Biblical interpretation to being a rigid defense of their position in reaction against the king’s assertion of royal authority in the Church. As the two wings of the Church became increasingly polarized and as the English Civil War loomed, strict Sabbatarianism became one of the identifying marks of a “true” Puritan – i.e. it became a Puritan shibboleth. With the temporary ascendancy of the Puritans during the Commonwealth period, the victorious Puritans in the Westminster Assembly enshrined strict Sabbatarianism in their masterful Westminster Standards. And we have inherited the position with the Confession. Several other sections of the WCF, such as certain statements in Chapter 23, “Of the Civil Magistrate” and Chapter 25, “Of the Church,” similarly reflected the political and ecclesiastical conflicts of the 17^th century church. They were later recognized for what they were, and were edited to reflect a more Biblical position. I believe strict Sabbatarianism falls into that same category, although we in the PCA have yet to officially recognize it as such. In my experience, however, it seems that our practice already concedes that strict Sabbatarianism is an anachronistic holdover from 17^th century Puritanism.
I believe that Reformed believers on the continent maintained a much more balanced and biblical view of the Sabbath Day. To a great degree, this is because Sabbath-keeping never became a political football on the Continent. Consequently, the brethren there were free to consider the Sabbath in the full light of Scriptural teaching. Compare the wording of the Heidelberg Catechism, Question 103: “What is God’s will for you in the fourth commandment? First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God’s people to learn what God’s Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. Second, that in every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath.”
This answer effectively describes my view of the Sabbath as well as my practice. I believe that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, that it is to be celebrated as a “festive day of rest,” and that it is most valuable for God’s people when it is understood and kept in this life as a resting in Christ’s works on our behalf and as a foretaste of our eternal Sabbath rest.

1 Samuel 21:10-15

2007-07-06T14:28:00.000-04:00

Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:10

Fear is one of the greatest enemies of God’s people.

David is on the run, and he’s afraid. I found it hard to relate to David in this situation until, one night, I awoke with my heart in the strangling grip of fear. It wasn’t the African hut I was sleeping in or the imagined dangers of my circumstances – the fear was irrational. There was nothing wrong, but I still wanted to run.

Fear is paralyzing: the mind freezes, the heart beats frantically, the muscles tense, and we look for a place to run. It’s even worse when our circumstances produce the fear, because we can then find justification for our anxiety. This was David’s situation. He WAS in danger; Saul had determined to kill him. So, when he left Nob and the comforting presence of Ahimelech, the fear took hold and David ran.

Fear accounts for the strange direction of David’s flight. Maybe it was Goliath’s sword that gave him the idea – after all, Gath had been the giant’s home town. Somehow, in his fear, he thought they wouldn’t recognize him. Fear does funny things to the mind – and to the spiritual memory. It caused David to entirely forget the protection and promise of God. Against all sensibility, he ran to Israel’s enemies for protection from Israel’s king!

Fear also caused David to violate the Lord’s commands and to engage in deception. Once he was identified and brought before the king of Gath, David began to dissimulate: he feigned madness, in essence lying about his condition, with the hope that “pleading insanity” would enable him to escape. He was more concerned about himself than about God and His glory.

Since fear has such power to blunt our reason and cause us to pull into ourselves, it is no wonder that Satan seeks to use fear as a weapon against God’s people. If he can make us afraid, he can paralyze us and destroy our usefulness. All of this is why the Scripture goes to such great lengths to teach us about fear and how to handle it. For, you see, fear is not a godly response. It is essentially a selfish emotion that comes upon us and causes us to forget God and His promises. And unless there are medical causes for it, fear indicates a spiritual problem.

So it is not surprising that the Bible contrasts fear with faith. David learned this for himself through this difficult circumstance. We know he learned his lesson because this experience provides the background for two of David’s psalms – Psalms 34 and 56. After describing the hostility of his foes, here is David’s account of what sustained him through the dangers he encountered among the Philistines: Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; this I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Thy vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to Thee. For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living. (Ps. 56:8-13) Note the contrast: “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.” Faith vs. fear.

In Psalm 34, while David gives thanks to the Lord for his deliverance, he also expands on this lesson. In verse 7 he says, The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. This is a different kind of fear, a reverential fear. This kind of fear is only found among those who trust in God.

The lesson is clear. Despite all the sin and deception that characterized David’s actions during this time, he came to see that circumstantial fear can be overcome through a reverential fear for God. When we take our eyes off our situation - off of whatever is creating our fear - and we look to God in faith, we quickly realize that God is greater than our circumstances. The truth of God’s promises, the truth that He is “for us” in Christ (Rom. 8:31), the truth that neither man nor circumstances can do anything to us that God does not allow, enable us to act boldly.

David overcame his fear with truth:

· God was for him. Ps. 56:9

· God can overrule the desires of men. Ps. 56:11

· God is a deliverer, a refuge. Ps. 56:13; 34:4

· God hears His people and answers their prayers. Ps. 34:4,6,15,17

· God is good and meets the needs of those who revere Him. Ps. 34:8,10

· God allows difficulty in our life but He is there protecting us. Ps. 34:19,20

· God uses fear and difficulty to teach us to praise and to trust Him. Ps. 34:1-3

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (1 Jn. 4:18)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Tim. 1:7 ESV)

A Pertinent Quotation

2007-06-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

At the risk of seeming lazy, this week I'm again posting another's thoughts and not my own. Often, I find that others have said what I'd like to say, only they have been far more succinct. Scripture teaches us that knowing the love of Christ is a corporate activity (see Eph. 3:18). I believe that this includes the writings of the saints who have gone before us. With this in mind, I reprint some thoughts from a much more accomplished "seeker after God."

"How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of `accepting' Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him. This is set before us as the last word in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted that no Bible-taught Christian ever believed otherwise. Thus the whole testimony of the worshipping, seeking, singing Church on that subject is crisply set aside. The experiential heart- theology of a grand army of fragrant saints is rejected in favor of a smug interpretation of Scripture which would certainly have sounded strange to an Augustine, a Rutherford or a Brainerd...."
"Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and the servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all."

-A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

1 Samuel 21:7

2007-06-22T11:24:00.000-04:00

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord.

1 Samuel 21:7

Not everyone in God’s house is there for the right reasons.

In the preceding verses, we saw the great blessing that came to David from the Lord’s house. As a man after God’s own heart, his troubles brought him unerringly to the place where he could meet with God and receive counsel, nourishment and armament from God’s Word. But this verse reveals that David was not the only one at the house of the Lord: one of the villains of this story was there also, Doeg the Edomite.

I had just taken my first pastorate when a fine-looking couple visited the church for Sunday morning worship. As we talked, I found out that the man and his wife owned a prominent business in our small community and that they were “looking for a church.” Initially, I took encouragement from their interest and found them to be very congenial and generous. They professed faith in Christ, and the elders gladly brought them into membership. But whenever I tried to engage them in spiritual conversation, they seemed to have no interest in the things of God at all. I also noticed that they paid little attention to the preaching and seemed more interested in who else was (or was not) attending on Sunday. After a short while, their attendance became sporadic. Eventually, despite my efforts to encourage them, they stopped coming. It was my first pastoral experience with a Doeg.

Doeg was “detained before the Lord.” Clearly, the Lord had placed him there in the house of God for His own purposes. As we will see, Doeg will bring about the death of Ahimelech, 85 other priests and their families. Only Abiathar escaped the massacre to join David. Both the wording of this verse and his later actions make it clear that Doeg was a true Edomite – an enemy of God and of His people. Yet, he was at the house of God. But he was not there with a heart of delight; he was there reluctantly and considered his time there to be “detention.” Although in the presence of God and His people, Doeg had other things he wanted to be doing and this worship stuff was hindering him. He was watching the clock, waiting for the priests to finish his perfunctory sacrifice, so that he could get on his way.

It may seem self-evident, but it’s important to be aware that not everyone who shows up at the Lord’s house comes with the sincere desire to worship the Lord. There are a whole host of reasons why people attend church. They are there on some kind of errand – often a religious one – but their heart is far from the Lord. These are the professors, the formalists, the works-oriented religionists who are more interested in fulfilling the forms and obligations than in developing a heart for God. They consider their time in the Lord’s house to be essentially lost and they can’t wait to be freed from their forced attendance. They will watch the clock and be frustrated when the service “goes too long.” They will pay more attention to others’ actions than to their own heart (as Doeg was watching David), and will file away these events for later, when the stories can be used to their own advantage (1 Sam. 22:9,10). Normally, they will bolt for the door as soon as possible.

In so doing, the Doeg’s among God’s people evidence the fact that they consider their life to be “outside” rather than inside the church. They look upon their attendance as an interruption to their preferred course of life and not – as with God’s true people – a privilege and joy that grows out of the daily worship of a Godward life.

Such people are a danger to themselves and to others. Jude describes them as, “blemishes on your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” (Jude 12,13) Doeg’s will use the knowledge they have gained at the Lord’s house for worldly advantage. They will turn against and destroy God’s people in a heartbeat. (1 Sam. 22:18,19)

As I think of this couple who fulfilled these prophetic words from Jude, I am reminded of some advice given to pastors centuries ago by Bishop Joseph Hall: “When we see our auditors before us, little do we know with what hearts they are there, nor what use they will make of their pretended devotion.” (Hall 1:359)

May the Lord give us the grace to examine our own hearts and to make certain that we come before Him for worship and not “detention.” God’s people should never enter His house like an Edomite. And may He give us the discernment to identify the Doeg’s among us so we can pray for them and, if possible, limit the damage they often cause.

A Word from Samuel Rutherford

2007-06-07T10:43:00.000-04:00

For some time now, I have been reading the Letters of Samuel Rutherford (1984, Banner of Truth) in my devotions. Rutherford was a Scottish Presbyterian and one of the leading opponents of the English liturgy and polity forced upon the Scottish Kirk by Charles I. As a consequence of his vocal opposition, Rutherford was ejected from his pulpit in rural Anwoth and banished to Aberdeen, a "stronghold of Episcopacy and Arminianism." There, he was forbidden to preach or teach. His only outlet came in the form of the letters he wrote to friends and former parishoners and it is these letters that form the core of the book.
Don't let the title fool you. These letters are rich in spiritual instruction and many generations of God's people have found them helpful. C.H. Spurgeon, the great 19th century preacher, wrote, "When we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford's Letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men."

Rutherford loved Christ more deeply than anyone I have ever known. Outside of the Bible, I have found no parallel to his soaring devotion to Jesus. This is my main reason for wading through these letters. I need to know Christ as he knew Him; I need him to teach me how to love Christ with the same wholehearted passion.
Frankly, it is not easy reading. Rutherford used the long, convoluted sentences that were common in 16th century writing. He also wrote in a Scottish dialect that employed words totally unfamiliar to the modern reader. (Thankfully, the Banner edition includes a glossary of Scottish terms.) But the labor is well worth the effort. Rutherford speaks to the heart and, although writing about the Scottish Kirk, his comments on the state of Christianity in his country could have been written today about our own church.
The passage below combines both of these elements: a confession of personal unworthiness, and an analysis of the heartless Christianity that prevails among professing believers both then and now. To make it more understandable, I have changed the wording in a number of places, but I have kept as much of Rutherford's wording as possible, so you will be able to catch the flavor of his writing.

"[F]or myself, I am broken-hearted that I cannot find myself inclined to forsake myself and enter completely into Christ. How sad that there should be one bit of me outside of Him. How sad that we carve out so much liberty and latitude for ourselves – for our own ease, benefit and pleasures – and leave so little room [in our lives] for Christ, who is worthy of all of our love. Oh, what sorrows and sacrifices it costs Christ before He gets us; and when all is done, we are not worth having! It is amazing that He should seek people like us. But love overlooks ugliness and uselessness; for if it had not been the case, Christ would never have made so fair and blessed a bargain with us as we have in the covenant of grace. I find that in all our sufferings Christ is only marking boundaries [lit. redding marches], so that every one of us may say, “This is mine, and this is Yours.” Our crosses are intended to teach us how truly weak a foundation [human] nature is to stand upon in trials. And the goal intended by our Lord in all our sufferings, is to cause us to recognize our need of grace and encourage us to request it. I should succumb and come short of heaven, if I had no more than my own strength to support me; and if Christ should say to me, “Either do or die,” it would be easy to determine what should become of me. The choice would be easy, for I would have no choice but to die if Christ should pass [me] by with a hardened heart; and who then would help us in our great difficulties? I know we may say that Christ is kindest in His love, when we are at our weakest. For if Christ had not been shielding us in our sad days, the water would have gone over our soul. His mercy has set a time and appointed a place, how far and no farther the sea of affliction shall flow, and where its waves shall be stopped. He prescribes how much pain and sorrow, both in weight and amount, we must have. Consequently, you have good cause to recall your love from all [other] lovers, and give it to Christ. He who is afflicted in all your afflictions does not look on you in your sad hours with an insensible heart or dry eyes.

All the Lord’s saints my see that it is worthless to bestow love upon this perishing world. Death and judgment will make men lament that their miscarrying hearts ever led them to spread out and lavish their love upon [such] false appearances and night-dreams. How sad that Christ should lose out because of His own goodness in making peace a companion of the Gospel! How sad that we have yet to measure the value of Christ in His ordinances. What a tragedy that we are likely to lose the well, before we have tasted the sweetness of the water! It may be that with watery eyes, and a wet face, and wearied feet, we shall seek Christ and shall not find Him. Oh, that this land would be humbled while there is still time, and by prayers, cries and humiliation would bring Christ back in the church door again – now when His back is turned towards us, and He has gone to the threshold and, as it were, He has one foot out of the door! I am sure that His departure is what we deserve; we have bought it with our iniquities. For even the Lord’s own children have fallen asleep and, alas! professing Christians are concerned only about appearances and the latest fads, and make no serious effort to come to their senses again. Everyone has his own set standard for faith and holiness, and is content with only the bare minimum of godliness, as if that was enough to bring him to heaven. We forget that as our gifts and spiritual understanding grow, God should also receive an increasing return on the investment of His talents. We cannot pay God with the old use of gifts and patterns of behavior which we gave Him seven years ago; for this would be to mock the Lord by setting the “price” of our repayment at the level we choose. Oh, what difficulty there is in our Christian journey, and how often we come short of the thousands of things that are Christ’s due! And we never consider how far in debt we are to our dear Lord."

- taken from Letter 158, pp. 291-92

1 Samuel 22:1-6

2007-06-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest.

1 Samuel 21:1

No matter how difficult your circumstances, you can find what you need at the Lord’s house.

“I was praying this morning about a big question in my life, and the Lord answered through you as you preached.” This faithful sister, weighed down with family troubles and illness, came to church expecting to hear from God – and He met her there. People come to church for many different reasons, many of them wrong. But she came for direction, encouragement and spiritual sustenance. She knew that God had the answer, and she came with her ears and eyes and heart wide open to receive it. No wonder God met her there! She knew where to go for help.
David also looked for help from God. Like many who come to church these days, David wasn’t in the best of shape. He was being hunted by the king and was frantically running for his life. He was without weapons or food and, as Ahimelech noticed right away, he was alone. It was clear that something was wrong, and Ahimelech was worried. But when he was questioned David about why he was there, David lied and tried to make it appear as if everything was okay. Like so many of us, David was a mess.
So it’s no wonder that the first place he stopped after leaving Jonathan was the house of God. David was cut off from all of his friends and from all other sources of help. He needed help, he needed direction and he needed to know that God was still with him. So, he came to Ahimelech, to a man of God. But he was really looking for the Lord.
He had come to the right place.
God delights to provide for His people and His house is intended to be a place of safety and provision. People get the wrong idea many times, thinking that they need to get their act together before they come to God’s house. It may be that we Christians give them that impression, with our fancy clothes and correct behavior and calm appearance. Maybe if others could see us without our masks, they wouldn’t be so reluctant to come. Because we are no better than they are. In ourselves, we are just like David: dirty, confused, helpless, hungry and alone. That’s why a passage like this is so vital for all of us. David came to God’s house for help and so should we. What did David find?
First, David found acceptance. No doubt it seemed to him that the whole world (except Jonathan) was out to get him. But here in God’s house, he was accepted. Ahimelech knew David well and had often inquired of the Lord for him. And so, despite his condition he was welcomed and received help.
Second, he was fed. David asked for the only food that was present in the place – the bread of the Presence. This bread was set out on a regular basis as an offering to the Lord, and it was holy. It wasn’t lawful for David to eat this bread, it was only for the priests. And yet, Ahimelech gave it to David. [While it may seem insignificant to us now, this event was later cited by Jesus Christ as a justification for his disciples, who ate grain on the Sabbath Day. You see, the legalities of the Old Testament (i.e. the ceremonial law) were never intended to prohibit the meeting of legitimate needs among God’s people. In fact, the Sabbath was intended to actually meet man’s need for rest, and to provide a foreshadowing of the eternal rest we have in Christ. This is why Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” However, Jesus’ critics placed Sabbath-keeping – or at least their interpretation of it – above people’s needs. Such an approach was abhorrent to Christ, and He repeatedly told these legalists that they needed to learn what the Lord meant when He said, “I desire compassion and not sacrifice.” Jesus approved of David’s action and He felt free to set aside the legalities of the OT ceremonial system when it was for the purpose of meeting needs. He is “the Lord of the Sabbath” and He interprets its meaning.]
The Lord’s house is source of food for us as well – spiritual food. Here is where we find food for our souls: in celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and in the preaching of the Word. One of the primary reasons for gathering at church is to receive this spiritual nourishment from those who are called by God to dispense it. “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.” Jer. 3:15
David also received direction while in the Lord’s house. We find in 1 Sam. 22:10 & 15 that Ahimelech “inquired of the Lord” for David while he was there. During OT times, the priests used the mysterious Urim and Thummim to discern God’s will and direction. Apparently, David was accustomed to seeking God’s direction through Ahimelech. This was certainly a time in which David needed guidance from God. And while we don’t know what God told him, we do know that he asked for a weapon as he was leaving. Clearly, David knew that danger lay ahead of him.
It is common these days to restrict the Lord’s guidance to the Bible alone. The Bible does give us general guidance, and God certainly never guides His people in a way that contradicts those Biblical principles. But the Bible itself is full of examples of “extra-Biblical” guidance – guidance from the Holy Spirit that is direct, detailed and clear. So, it is not unbiblical to ask God to give specific guidance. That He has done it so infrequently in our experience may have more to do with our lack of faith and expectation than with His willingness to speak.
Finally, David found a weapon he could use against his enemies. Some time before, he had given Golaith’s sword to Ahimelech, dedicating it to the Lord as a memorial of God’s victory through him. But at this point, when he was unarmed and helpless, he gladly received it back from Ahimelech. The New Testament often characterizes the Christian life in terms of warfare. This is one of Paul’s favorite analogies. And he wrote about weapons also, most clearly about “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Eph. 6:17 This weapon, so vital to us in our spiritual warfare, is often found and sharpened in the Lord’s house.
What do you need today? How difficult are the circumstances you’re struggling against? Do you feel like David - dirty, confused, helpless, hungry and alone? Now you know where to go for help.

Abject Apology

2007-05-23T10:33:00.000-04:00

May has turned out to be even more busy than April. We closed on our new house, graduated a daughter from college (with all the family in town), entertained a visitor from Nigeria, and helped the kids move home from college - all while trying to move ourselves! However, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the move. I hope to be able to return to my regular schedule of weekly posts by next week. However, I have a lot of writing to do in the next couple of days and I need to get back on track with preparations for the August trip to Africa. Please pray for God's gracious assistance.
Thank you for your patience.
Dan.

1 Samuel 20:41,42

2007-05-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

And Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord….” Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went in to the city.

1 Samuel 20:42

Separation from those we love is a part of the Christian’s reality.

Jonathan and David have now come to their final parting. They would see each other no more. Jonathan returned to the city, to King Saul and to his duty as a prince of the realm. His duty will keep him there to the very end – loyal to his God-forsaken father. David departed to begin seven years of exile, being constantly hunted by Saul. But his trial will eventually bring him to the throne, as a wise and battle-tested king. Although neither man knew what God had in store for them, they seemed to know that this was their final goodbye. And though their sadness was deep, neither man shirked his duty. Both stepped forward into what God had planned for them, confident that He was with them.

Sometimes even best friends and family are separated in the Lord’s service. I’m not talking about separation of the heart, although (sadly) that also happens because we are sinners. Based upon this passage, I’m referring to a separation in location. I can look back and see this reality played out in my own family. My grandparents left friends and family for mission work in Bolivia, where later my father was born. It was a move that shaped their lives, and the lives of the generations that followed them. My parents also felt the call to missions and I was born in Brazil. Others in the family were also called to leave home and, as a consequence, I have cousins who were born in Germany and Ecuador. No doubt the separation was difficult, but it was part of God’s plan for good.

Each of us has a place of service, and God moves us according to His requirements, not according to our hearts’ desires. From God’s perspective, separation is good and it brings increased blessing. Those who are trained in the faith in one location often serve Christ’s Kingdom in another location. In fact, there is a sense in which all of a Christian’s life can be understood as a preparation for the next step – the next move.

This doesn’t mean that separation is easy. The disciples were deeply troubled when Jesus told them He was leaving them and that they could not follow Him. And even though He told them it was good for them that He went away, they couldn’t quite believe it. Not until they were endued with the power of the Holy Spirit did they begin to grasp what Jesus meant. And even then, you can detect the longing for reunion with Jesus that permeates the New Testament. It’s a longing that all true Christians share because, as Hebrews reminds us, we are “strangers and exiles on the earth…seeking a country of our own.” (Heb. 11:13,14) We live as reluctant expatriates, hungry to return to a home we have never seen. Amazingly, this life of separation is what makes God “not ashamed to be called our God.” (11:16) Jesus Christ, after all, experienced this separation more profoundly than any man who ever lived. By the will of the Father (and with His own total concurrence), Jesus left heaven for exile on earth. He lived as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” and His life culminated in ultimate separation as He took our sins upon Himself and the Father forsook Him. We live eternally because of Christ’s experience of separation. It is our family heritage.

So, we should not be surprised when God calls us, as His children, to undergo earthly separation. It is good for us; it is the school of Christ; it prepares us to fully appreciate our final homecoming.

In this passage, Jonathan and David show us how to handle separation in a God-honoring fashion. First, they recognized and expressed their sadness by weeping together. But they also expressed their love for one another as they kissed each other. Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety,” implying clearly that he would pray for David. But equally importantly, they reaffirmed the covenant bonds of their friendship: “The Lord will be between me and you…” They reminded each other that what bound them together was eternal, and so this separation was only temporary. Then they sent each other away without hesitation.

Earthly separation is a true test of faith. Do we really trust in the wise providence of our Father? Are we prepared to follow our Lord? What is the real source of our comfort and security? May your life affirm the sufficiency of Christ in this realm as well.

1 Samuel 20: 35-40

2007-05-02T12:10:00.001-04:00

But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.

1 Samuel 20:39

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor are His ways our ways.

When we read this chapter, we often focus on the two men and their friendship. We consider, as I did in the last devotion, the willing sacrifice made by Jonathan. Or we look at David and contemplate the beginning of seven years of exile. These are the big issues going on in this account, and we are correct to consider them. However, there is someone else in this account whose involvement is often overlooked – the young man Jonathan brought with him.

This “little lad” didn’t have a clue about the REAL purpose of what happened on that day. In his mind, he was out there to fetch arrows for Jonathan. As far as we know, nothing else ever occurred to him. He was being obedient to what he understood. And even though great events were going on about him, he didn’t know about them. He was only a small player in a much larger plan. The lad followed Jonathan’s directions to run get the arrow that was “beyond him” and then took his master’s weapons back to the city. With that, he disappears from the Biblical account.

I think we are often like this little lad. We are involved in great things without even being aware of it. God is using us for His purposes, accomplishing His will through us, and we have no idea until much later (if ever!) of what God was doing. A chance meeting, a word spoken in passing, a small act of kindness, the faithful following of our daily routine – all such things are used by God accomplish far more than we can imagine.

God doesn’t have to reveal to us the purpose for every event in our life. Sometimes, He simply allows us to carry on, oblivious to the great spiritual events that are taking place around us. Often, our ignorance is for our own protection. If this young lad had known about the meeting between David and Jonathan, he would have been in big trouble. But, in his ignorance he played an essential role in making the meeting possible and in allowing Jonathan to communicate to David safely. There is safety in obedience and we only need to know enough to obey.

Job wasn’t told until afterward about the dialogue between God and Satan. He knew nothing except that things were really difficult for him. Yet, he remained obedient and faithful in the midst of the difficulty. It was his insistent questioning of God that resulted in a rebuke – God told him, in essence, that He was free to do whatever He pleased.

Don’t spend your time asking why. (Deut. 29:29) Sometimes we are like the disciples during Christ’s Triumphal Entry – right in the thick of the action – and at other times we are like the owners of the donkey Christ rode and only given the terse explanation, “The Lord needs it.”

Samuel Rutherford often wrote, “Duties are ours; events are the Lord’s.” God’s actions and plans are not subject to your review. May the Lord give you a heart like that described in the old hymn, “…content to fill a little space, if Thou be glorified.”

1 Samuel 20:30-42

2007-04-26T15:53:00.000-04:00

Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame….For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established.”

1 Samuel 20:30,31

Faith chooses the will of God over earthly advantages.

Jonathan had volunteered, out of his love for David, to find out whether Saul truly intended to kill David or not. David’s absence at the feast of the new moon was noted by the king and when Saul asked Jonathan about it, Jonathan gave the excuse David had concocted. The result was Saul’s tirade, quoted in the verses above. It became abundantly clear to Jonathan that his father was determined to kill David and he warned his friend, just as he had promised he would.

But, from a dynastic standpoint, Saul’s point was well-taken. It was true that, as long as David was alive, Jonathan’s place as king would never be established. And whether Saul’s hatred was strictly personal or, as he indicated here, it had a dynastic component to it - from a human standpoint his argument was unassailable. But Jonathan, like his dear friend David, was a man of deep faith. Consequently, we watch the heir to Israel’s throne as he abdicates his position in favor of the king God had chosen.

This was not merely blind friendship. Jonathans’ choice was clear and it was deliberate. We don’t know when he came to realize that David was God’s anointed, but based on that knowledge, Jonathan defended David and kept him out of Saul’s hand. He knew that David would surpass him and he chose to hitch his wagon to David’s star rather than to promote himself. In making this choice, Jonathan turned his back on the prominence and prosperity of the monarchy. He gave up his position so that he could join in promoting God’s design. Jonathan chose David over himself and, in doing so, provides us with a dramatic illustration of the truth that faith chooses the will of God over earthly advantages.

From a worldly perspective, Jonathan’s choice made no sense. Yet, God’s people make this choice every day’ and the Bible is replete with examples of those who turned their backs on personal advantage in order to follow God’s will.

It is the way of the Pilgrim: Abraham. God called him to leave his familiar home and the prosperity he enjoyed. “Exalted father” (Abram) had married “princess” (Sarai) and we can imagine the wealth and position they had just from the meaning of their names. Yet, he left it all behind to follow the will of God. He could have gone back at any time. (see Heb. 11:15) But he did not. “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.” Heb. 11:16

It is the way of the Leader: Moses. As the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he was in line for the throne of Egypt – the world power of the day. Think of what good he could have done for Israel from that lofty position! But he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. Heb. 11:24-26

It is the calling of the Prophet: Jeremiah. Well-known at court and by the king, Jeremiah could have had it made. All he would have had to do was prophesy “smooth things” like all the other prophets. (see Jer. 6:14, 16-17; 23:16ff) But he chose to be faithful to the Lord and suffered the consequences: shame, rejection, imprisonment.

It is the life of our Savior. Jesus left the courts of heaven, emptying Himself of His divine prerogatives for the sake of His love for us. Throughout a life of suffering and sorrow, He consistently and perfectly chose the will of His Father of His own. He had no interest in earthly prominence – although the people at one time wanted to make Him their king. But He wouldn’t allow it. (see John 6:15) Even as He faced death, He said, “No My will, but Thine be done.”

This is God’s call on our life as well – to be Jonathans. You see, you can’t love both the world and God. You can’t simultaneously promote yourself and faithfully serve God. The Bible clearly teaches that you can’t serve God and mammon. The true child of God is distinguished by the fact that he chooses the will of God – often to his own hurt. And those who choose otherwise are in danger of a spiritual disaster of eternal proportions. “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” 2 Tim. 4:10. Here’s how Paul exhorts Timothy earlier in this letter: “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Tim. 2:3,4 As Jim Elliot wrote, “He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

1 Samuel 20:12-17

2007-04-19T09:13:00.000-04:00

I regret my delay in posting this entry. This has been a very busy time. I trust God will encourage you as you read - regardless of my tardiness.
- Dan.

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord require it at the hands of David’s enemies.”

1 Samuel 20:16

Bind yourself to God’s Word and will.

David fled from Saul and sought out his friend, Jonathan, to find out why Saul was so intent upon killing him. The two of them talked and concocted an elaborate plan that would allow Jonathan to warn David of danger without exposing his whereabouts. It is remarkable to see Jonathan’s loyalty to David in the midst of this crisis. Any man found helping David at this time would have to face the king’s wrath. But, as the king’s son and heir, Jonathan was not only braving Saul’s wrath, but was also abdicating his own claim to the throne of Israel. By supporting David, Jonathan knew that he was destroying his own opportunity to succeed his father.
Yet, Jonathan went beyond mere support for David. In this passage, he insists that David reaffirm the covenant that the two of them had made after David’s defeat of Goliath. Jonathan was not only helping David, he was committing himself irretrievably to David’s kingship. Somehow, Jonathan knew that David was ordained by God to be Israel’s next king. With that knowledge, he chose to bind himself to the will of God, rather than seek his own benefit.
Jonathan didn’t have to move in this direction. He could have simply stepped back and waited to see the outcome of the conflict between David and Saul. If David emerged victorious, then Jonathan would have been able to take refuge in the first covenant between them. But if Saul won, then Jonathan would have been secure as his successor. Instead, Jonathan took an active part in protecting his father’s “enemy.” He knew he was throwing away his only chance to be king, but his love for David and his love for the Lord were so strong that he didn’t care.
In this action, Jonathan stands once again as a type of Christ. His sacrifice for us arose out of His covenanted love for us. Alone of all men, He had the ability and authority to simply stand above the fray and allow our enemy, sin, to hunt us down. But He chose to take an active part in our escape, placing Himself in harm’s way so that we could be freed. But, as with all types, the picture is dim. For Christ brought good news from His Father, news of salvation rather than destruction. And He rendered that news certain not only by reaffirming His covenant with us at the Last Supper, but also by standing in our place and allowing our enemy to take His life. Our freedom was not obtained by clever plans but by the blood of the Son of God. He willingly committed Himself to the Word and will of His Father for our sake.
And so it should be with us. When we see God at work, when we are given some insight into what God is doing, we need to bind ourselves to His Word and will. Blackaby says to find where God is working and join Him there. So often, we try to tell God what to do and where to work, hoping He will bless our plans and our desires. But it is not for the servant to dictate to his Lord. Even Jesus Christ submitted His will that that of the Father – “Not My will, but Thine be done.” We are called to follow Him and, in order to do so, we must also willingly submit to the will of our Father. Our part in God’s grand scheme of redemption will necessarily be a small one. Jonathan largely disappears from the narrative of David’s life from this point on. However, God’s Word, His work, and His will are our greatest joy, and we are honored to play a part in His plan, no matter how small. May the Holy Spirit show where God is at work and give us the grace and courage to join Him there.

1 Samuel 20:1-23

2007-04-10T16:46:00.000-04:00

Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah…

1 Samuel 20:1

We are mistaken if we think God is primarily concerned with delivering us from difficulty.

Having been providentially delivered from Saul, David could have assumed that this was an indication that his troubles would soon be over. God had openly taken a hand in David’s circumstances by providing a remarkable means of escape. But rather than become complacent, David continued to flee – seeking out Jonathan for an explanation of Saul’s continuing hatred. David seemed to sense that this wasn’t over yet. He had been burned enough times already that he suspected there was more to come, so he went looking for some explanation for his difficulty.
This is far different from the way most of us handle hard times. We seldom look beyond the removal of the immediate trial, and our prayers clearly indicate that our concern for deliverance is often greater than our concern for God’s glory. In an age of immediate gratification, we tend to see deliverance (i.e. our removal from a hard situation) as the greatest gift we can receive. It is the peculiarly evangelical form of the prosperity gospel: while we may not believe that God wants us all wealthy, we DO believe that He wants His children to be comfortable. This is the reason why we so often pray for deliverance from trials rather than pray for growth in faith and holiness. This is the reason why we do not have a well-developed theology of suffering (even though it is a major Biblical theme). Consequently, there is a vital lesson for us here in David’s experience. God allowed this particular trial to continue on in David’s life. It dragged on for YEARS! He may do the same with us.
In fact, we may go even further and assert that every one of God’s true children will have a “Saul” in their life – some person or circumstance that produces tremendous stress and tests us spiritually. James assumes this point when he tells us to be joyful WHEN (not if) we encounter various trials. (James 1:2) You see, God loves to strengthen our faith in Him and He chooses to do so through difficulty. James goes on in this section to assure us that “faith tests” produce spiritual endurance. Our Father is training marathoners, not sprinters.
God could easily have delivered David at any point in this years-long trial. Yet, it was during these difficult years that the seeds of David’s greatness were sown. He learned battle wisdom; his band of “mighty men” was formed; his family began to take shape. But most of all, David came to know God in a way that few others have even known Him. Show me a man who walks in close fellowship with God, and I will show you a man who has developed that fellowship through trial and difficulty.
So, God leaves trials, and sometimes even sins, in our life in order to teach us what we would or could not learn any other way. These long-term difficulties teach us to depend upon divine strength and not our own. (2 Cor. 12:9,10) They teach us that it is enough to walk with Christ, and that this can be done regardless of our outward circumstances. We also learn that God is able to give us joy IN the trials – even when He doesn’t deliver us. In other words, we gradually come to learn that the spiritual gains we make as a result of such trials are FAR more valuable than the temporal comfort we might have received through premature deliverance from them.
God had something beyond immediate deliverance in mind for David. And He often has the same in mind for us. This is the explanation for prolonged illnesses, interpersonal conflicts, financial struggles and family crises. As we struggle with our trials, may God enable us to look beyond the immediate circumstance, and give us grace to see our situation from an eternal point of view. May He teach us to trust His wisdom, to rest in his sustaining grace and to be assured that His power will deliver us from our trials at just the right time.

1 Samuel 19:23,24

2007-04-03T14:19:00.000-04:00

…And the Spirit of God came upon [Saul] also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah….and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Samuel 19:23,24

Gifts and performance are not certain indicators of godly character.

The henchmen Saul had sent to do the deed had been overcome by the Holy Spirit and, instead of killing David, had begun to prophesy. Consumed by his rage, Saul had decided to come and kill David himself. But as he drew closer to Samuel’s home, to the school of the prophets and to the frantic fugitive, Saul also began to prophesy. In fact, the power of the Spirit was so strongly upon him, that Saul apparently pulled off his outer garments, fell on the ground and prophesied uncontrollably for 24 hours straight.
This account produces some confusion on the part of certain commentators, who find it inexplicable that Saul would be used by God as a mouthpiece. Some even suggest that this may show that Saul’s heart was still, in some way, turned toward the Lord. But we can reply to this confusion in the same way Christ did to the Pharisees: “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God.” (Matt. 22:29) Many times in Scripture we find evidences of spiritual power and giftedness among God’s enemies. This is especially true of the spiritual gift of prophecy. We only need to think of Balaam, Caiaphas (Jn. 11:51) or (as in this account) Saul, to realize that possessing a spiritual gift does not necessarily indicate godliness. God is free to use whatever vessel He chooses. Not only that, but Satan is also able to counterfeit many of the gifts of the Spirit. This is why John tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 Jn. 4:1)
So, what was going on here? The passage is clear that this prophetic gift, evidenced by Saul and his merry men, was a gift of the Holy Spirit. But, knowing the Word, we realize that a gift is not a certain indication of spiritual character. But several things ARE demonstrated in this event: First, we see God’s power to deliver using means we would never anticipate. We considered this in the previous devotion. God was also graphically demonstrating His favor upon David and His determination to protect him. Imagine how encouraging this scene must have been to David as he watched his enemy not only rendered powerless, but also in the process, giving glory to God! Saul should have taken the hint and kept away from David at all costs. But men consumed by their sin are irrational. Finally, this event shows God’s ability to intervene in ANYONE’S life – regardless of their spiritual state.
Notice that this was NOT a saving experience for either Saul or for his men. They had a powerful encounter with God and “tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.” (Heb. 6:4,5) But it was not an experience that benefitted them in any way. In fact, the Hebrews passage indicates that such experiences only serve to increase the condemnation of those who remain unrepentant. You see, this was not the first time Saul had experienced something like this. In 1 Samuel 10:10, we find “the Spirit of God came upon [Saul]mightily, so that he prophesied.” This first instance was a sign to Saul that God had indeed chosen him to be king of Israel. I would suggest that this second experience with prophecy was God’s reminder to Saul of what he used to be and of how far he had strayed from the Lord. It was a merciful warning that Saul should have heeded but did not.
Despite this obvious evidence of the Lord’s favor upon David, Saul continued to pursue his perceived enemy to destroy him. It will only end with Saul’s own destruction.
Those who are looking for outward signs and wonders may indeed find them. But, in themselves, signs and wonders are no certain indication of God’s favor on a man, a ministry or a theology. We are warned in Scripture to carefully evaluate the spirit that motivates such outward manifestations of power. It is by their fruit that you will know their true character, and that fruit can only be evaluated by Scriptural guidelines. In other words, men and their ministries must exhibit both an adherence to the truth taught in the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit before we endorse them as being sent by God. God is often not in the wind, the fire or the earthquake, but rather in the “sound of a gentle blowing.” (1 Kings 19:11ff)
This means that we also must be careful within the church that we don’t anoint gifts and performance without seeking to discern the spiritual character of the individual. In 1 Timothy 3, the qualifications of an elder are (except for the gift of teaching) all about character, not giftedness. In fact, Paul warns Timothy later in the letter, “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others…” (1 Tim 5:22) It also means that, as we evaluate our own spiritual health, we cannot rely upon the functioning of our gifts as a reliable indication of how well we are doing. The Scripture encourages us to focus, not on the gifts or their manifestation, but upon the God who gives those gifts. This is the key to David’s greatness, and it will be the key to our individual usefulness within Christ’s Kingdom. May the Lord grant you such a great heart for Himself that, whatever gifts He gives or withholds, you will strive daily to know Him better and to walk in His ways. This is the heart of true spiritual health and godly character.

! Samuel 19:20-24

2007-03-28T15:15:00.000-04:00

Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and residing over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.

1 Samuel 19:20

God’s ability to deliver us is not limited by our expectations or previous experience.

As David fled from Saul, he came to Ramah and took refuge with Samuel, the prophet. Samuel took David to Naioth (“the dwellings”), where the rest of the prophets resided. Now, it is quite likely that both Samuel and David were expecting that Saul would show some respect for his old mentor and accord David a measure of safety, as long as David was with Samuel. However, Saul is relentless, and once he knew where David was, he sent men to take him. It’s a very dangerous situation – full of stress and uncertainty. For if the king was willing to violate the sanctity of the school of the prophets and disrespect Samuel on his home ground, there would be no sanctuary for David there. It appears that Saul had reached the point where he no longer felt a need to maintain even the façade of righteousness. A man who shows no respect for God’s servants is a very dangerous man indeed.
So David faced another crisis: he had no resources of his own and the one place in Israel he expected to find safety was no longer safe. The situation appeared bleak and, evaluated from a purely human standpoint, it was exceedingly bleak. How often this is a part of our own experience! We exhaust our own resources and creativity trying to resolve a difficult circumstance but it remains unresolved. Then, we evaluate our situation, find it untenable and begin to wonder whether God is able to help us. In such circumstances it is easy to forget that God is not limited by our expectations. He is fully able to act on His own, and He delights to reveal His power and glory and creativity by delivering His people in unexpected ways. Whether He opens a path through the sea, causes food to rain down from heaven, blinds an entire army to protect His prophet or redeems His people through the death of His own Son, God loves to deliver by unexpected means. And when He does so, we ought to give Him all the glory.
In this situation, God unexpectedly caused His Spirit to fall upon the men sent after David and these men – warriors all – began to prophesy. There is a certain irony in this means of deliverance, since Saul was bent on following a path of vengeance that did not consider God at all, let along give Him glory. Yet, God delivered David by causing Saul’s minions to become so enraptured with the glory of God that they could do nothing but prophesy and speak His praise. It reminds me of an account I heard in Uganda: a demon-possessed man, loaded with magic fetishes, was sent into a church prayer meeting with the command to disrupt and, if possible, stop the meeting. But before he could destroy the work of God, this man was discovered, confronted and wonderfully delivered from his bondage.
Three times Saul sent men to capture David, and three times the Holy Spirit came upon them and kept them so busy prophesying that they were unable to accomplish their mission. Finally, in frustration, Saul went himself, and the same thing happened to him. In his ecstasy the king stripped off his robe, lay down before Samuel and prophesied for 24 hours straight. The rebellious king lay prostrate before God’s prophet – thereby demonstrating for all to see where the real power in Israel was. Only God could have done this. And it raises two issues, one theological and one practical.
Theologically, it is important for us to recognize that, while the Holy Spirit normally works in and through God’s people, He isn’t limited to that venue. Here we find a situation in which He “came upon” many people, some (perhaps most) of whom were not believers. The Spirit is able to work when and where He chooses – He is God, after all. And if He can choose to use a donkey to warn a rebellious prophet, He is certainly free to use a rebellious king to speak God’s praises. This account also ought to caution us about using miraculous experiences in a person’s life as a means of judging their spiritual condition. Saul was certainly no believer, yet he prophesied. Even the people of his time wondered at this and questioned Saul’s role as a prophet.
The practical issue requires us to recognize that God orchestrated this entire situation. It was not a matter of making do just to rescue David. God knew that David would need an unshakeable confidence in God’s ability to deliver him. He was teaching the future king of Israel to trust Him implicitly and to know that no situation is beyond God’s ability to deliver. He was teaching David to wait on God’s timing and to expect the unexpected where God was concerned. These themes abound in David’s Psalms, and they are truths that we need to hear regularly.
He is the same God still. And these lessons are ones that we also must learn if we hope to become men and women after God’s own heart. The God who spoke this wonderfully diverse creation into existence and who has given us many examples of His ability to deliver by the most unexpected means is not limited in His creativity toward us and our circumstances. The One who gave His own Son to redeem us will surely deliver His people as He sees best. Trust Him and wait in faith for Him to come. Troubles, sin – even death – cannot limit Him in the accomplishing of His will for us. God is a refuge for us.

1 Samuel 19:18,19

2007-03-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

1 Samuel 19:18

God does not intend for his people to stand alone against adversity.

David was on the run from the wrath of Saul. He could have fled to any number of places, but he chose to seek out Samuel. Perhaps unconsciously, David’s heart led him to the one place in all Israel where he would be safe. Saul had been a student of Samuel and surely the king would respect the prophet. Why didn’t David go home? Well, it was the most obvious place for Saul to look and, most likely, David had no desire to bring trouble upon his family. Besides, his family wasn’t known for its spiritual maturity. Perhaps they still had a hard time with David’s rapid rise to prominence.

Some sources indicate that David had been instructed for a time by Samuel in Ramah. If so, it would have been natural for David to seek refuge there. We know that Samuel kept a school for the “prophets” in that town. This may have been a kind of educational institution, but more likely it was a group of men dedicated to the service of the Lord – something like a monastery. The “Naioth” were dwellings, perhaps dormitories for the students. So, after David had recounted all of Saul’s actions, Samuel and David went up to the “campus.” Samuel knew that David needed the company of God’s people, and so he brought him to the prophets.

The point here is that help and safety are found in the company of God’s people. God didn’t intend for us to stand alone against the world, the flesh and the devil. Rather, He “adds” His people to churches (Acts 2:47) because He knows we need the mutual support and accountability. We live in an excessively individualistic culture that sees little need for community. We try to hide our troubles and handle them on our own. And the superficial relationships that many people have with fellow Christians discourage transparency and hinder mutual ministry. David provides us with a valuable lesson because he was not afraid to admit he needed a refuge. With his heart for God, David instinctively knew that he needed godly support at this time. When in trouble, he ran to God’s people.

Where do you run when you’re in trouble – especially spiritual trouble? The common reaction is to run away from the church. Many believers don’t want God’s people to know that they’re having a difficult time with temptation or that they are struggling with sin. They fear that they will appear “unspiritual” and that other Christians will look down on them. Many struggling believers think they need to “get their act together” before they return to church. So often churches are viewed as places where people display their righteousness instead of being places where sinners (like you and me) can find help and safety. After all, who else should be your counselors and comforters? Even the Apostle Paul, with all his spiritual maturity, regularly asked for prayer from and sought out the ministry of God’s people. And wasn’t it one of the most difficult parts of Christ’s passion that He was left alone?

There was a time when a church building was considered a “refuge” – inviolate even for the civil authorities. There, the laws of Christ’s Kingdom prevailed, not the laws of the land. Often in those days, those unjustly accused would find refuge there. But it’s not the building; it’s the people of God who are to be the true refuge. They are your family, your support group. They are the ones to whom you can unburden yourself and from whom you ought to receive comfort and encouragement. (2 Cor. 1, Gal. 6:2) Whether in sin or adversity, the church ought to be our first resort, not our last.

May God give us hearts that are merciful and churches where we, as the people of God, provide a place of safety and encouragement for those in adversity. And in good times and bad, may Christ’s church be our refuge.

1 Samuel 19:11-17 & Psalm 59

2007-03-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God. Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.”
Psalm 59:1
“So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. And Michal took the household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes.”
1 Samuel 19:12,13

Times of severe stress and personal danger reveal where our trust lies.

Psalm 59 is one of those rare psalms that identifies the specific circumstances under which it was written. Despite his recent promise not to harm David (1 Sam. 19:6), when “the evil spirit from the Lord” came upon Saul again, he returned to his old ways and again attempted to pin David to the wall with a spear. When that didn’t work, Saul sent men to watch David’s house with instructions to kill him in the morning. In this circumstance, David chose to flee rather than fight and, with the help of his wife, he escaped. The account in 1 Samuel gives us no idea of David’s state of mind at this point. But the Holy Spirit wanted us to know how David felt as he ran for his life, and so He inspired David to write this psalm. When the two texts are compared, they provide us with a fascinating contrast between the faith of David and that of his wife, Michal.
Let’s consider the text in 1 Samuel first, since that is where we are told about Michal’s reaction in this stressful situation. Remember, she was Saul’s daughter and had been “given” to David as a reward for his killing of 200 Philistines. Whatever her feelings for David might have been, this account makes it quite clear that “the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” Like her father, Michal reacted to stress not by turning to the Lord, but by resorting to subterfuge, deception and outright lies. It is quite likely that Michal wasn’t merely concerned about the safety of her husband, but also about her own. She had every right to be afraid of her father’s anger because Saul’s rage threatened even his own children. (See 20:32,33)
So Michal helped David out the window and then set her plan in motion. She took the large household idol, covered its head with goats’ hair, dressed it in David’s clothes and laid it in his place on the bed. There was no faith in Michal’s heart – her trust was in her own schemes. There was no loyalty in her either, for when she faced her father, she quickly accused David, the very one she was supposed to protect. She turned to her god in her time of need, but used it merely as a tool in working out her own plan. And, as the situation became more threatening, her fear only increased. In this, Michal was like many “fair weather” Christians – those who are fine with religion as long as things are going well. But once the stress mounts or danger closes in, they demonstrate by their behavior that their trust is in themselves and not in God. The result is that worry and fear are their only refuge.
In the 1 Samuel account, David appears to be almost passive, depending upon Michal for a plan of action. More than that, he seems to be complicit in her plan for deceiving Saul’s messengers. If we had only this history, we could easily imagine David stunned at the course of events and hoping that Michal’s plan would somehow delay his pursuers long enough for him to escape. But David’s psalm paints another picture entirely. Here we see the complaint of a godly man who has been falsely accused and betrayed. But we also see that same man consciously taking refuge in God alone. He tells the Lord about his circumstances and describes the insolent behavior of those who were sent to kill him. And then, in graphic detail, David prays for their destruction – calling upon God to exercise vengeance upon his enemies. Yet, underneath it all is the assurance that God is on His side, that God is his refuge and strength.
This psalm clearly shows us where David’s trust lay. He had not forgotten the Lord at all. In fact, he called upon the Lord to take note of his circumstances. The ESV has David crying out to God in Ps. 59:4 saying, “Awake, come to meet me, and see!” David’s reaction to this threat on his life is to turn to God – even as he fled from Saul’s men – and to take refuge in God as his “Strength” and his “Stronghold.” The psalm concludes with David’s fear removed and his vengeful spirit transformed into a song of praise. He had been reminded through prayer of God’s love for him and he promised that he would “sing aloud of God’s steadfast love in the morning.” (Ps. 59:16 ESV)
If David could find such strong consolation in God’s love with the relatively small amount of God’s Word that he possessed, surely we can do the same. When times of stress and danger confront us, we have the assurance of God’s eternal love for us manifested in the gift of His own Son. May God give us the grace to demonstrate by our words and actions that He is our refuge, especially in the most difficult situations of life.

March Newsletter

2007-03-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

Since I'm still racing to catch up after returning from West Africa a week ago, I'm posting our monthly newsletter in lieu of the regular devotional on 1 Samuel. God willing, the devotionals will return next week.

Here's a picture of the Three Musketeers (Chuck, John and Dan) from Ghana.

- Dan

March 6, 2007

Dear Partners in Ministry,

How do you summarize a month as ministry-intensive and productive as February has been? Many of you have been receiving our email updates, so you know what happened while I was in West Africa. But even a weekly update can’t convey the sense of openness and opportunity that I experienced as I taught in Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia. The Lord is opening doors so that EPI can help meet the crying need for Biblically-trained church leaders in the developing world. And it is the leaders themselves who are crying out for more training! Repeatedly, in location after location, the comments and the conference evaluations centered on one consistent theme: “This is the kind of training we need; EPI must return.” Here are a few sample comments:

*“I would like to ask that such a conference be held twice, not even once, every year here in Bekwai. The notes you prepared [are] also a good material I can use to teach all types of people. Thank you!”

*“The Lord used this conference in my personal life to transform me. It has fortified me to preach to my congregation upon what I’ve learnt from this conference.”

*“It has been wonderful. You have opened our eyes. Please come back every year.”

*“The teachings are very good and effective, so we need extra next time.”

*“The time is too small. You have to extend it next time. We need you again.”

*“We have laid the foundation of the truth with little emphasis on the walls and roof. If we could have another time to build the house and furnish our building.”

During the four weeks of this trip, we ministered to nearly 500 church leaders, teaching them in public sessions and speaking with many of them individually. These leaders will, in turn, teach what they learned at the conferences to thousands more of God’s people. Thank God for providing these opportunities! And yet, we have only scratched the surface. Here is some of what God has set before us:

In Ghana, I have taught in 5 venues, including the 2 new ones opened on this trip. There are 36 separate venues used by the Bible Training Centre for Pastors and all of them are open to EPI.
The Shiloh Bible Training Centre in Kumasi, Ghana has asked us to bring an EPI team to this city of 1 ½ million to work with the 90+ pastoral students that pass through their doors every year. They have also offered EPI the use of their facility in this centrally-located city to provide seminary-level training for students from all over West Africa who want further training.
We have also begun talking with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana – one of the larger denominations in the country – about providing training for their pastors and elders.
The Servant Leadership Institute of Nigeria has asked EPI to return on a yearly basis (more frequently, if possible) to help teach and to mentor church leaders in Nigeria. In addition, they have contacts in Benin, Togo and Ivory Coast and would like to open doors for EPI into those French-speaking countries.
I am corresponding with the head of the Bible Training Centre for Pastors in Liberia. They have some 150 pastors and church leaders in their program and are very interested in having EPI work with them.
The newly-formed Presbyterian Church of Liberia has asked for EPI’s help as they seek to establish themselves as a Reformed, evangelical denomination that is committed to the authority of God’s Word. They will need regular training, mentoring, books, Sunday School curricula and financial help as they recover from the effects of a devastating civil war.
There are two Christian schools in Liberia, one in Monrovia at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the other a Presbyterian boarding school in Todee, that need significant infusions of help and finances. They were given copies of our Christian Education curriculum and need help training their faculty.

This is truly “a large and effectual door that has been opened for us.” We could easily send 5 or 6 EPI teams to West Africa each year and still not fully meet the need. Thank the Lord, both John Herberich and Chuck Emerson are already planning to return to Ghana. They are both excellent teachers and were well-received by God’s people there.

Will you pray with us?

Thank the Lord for safety and effective ministry during this past month.
Praise for a brother who has been led to supply our need for a new laptop.
Pray that, having opened these doors of opportunity, the Lord will supply the teachers to meet these needs.
Thank the Lord for two new monthly supporting churches: Covenant Presbyterian in Chattanooga and Faith Presbyterian in Tacoma, WA.
Ask the Lord to continue to provide our financial needs. He has done wonderful things and we are now close to 60% of full support.
Pray for our Father’s blessing on a Missions Conference in Charleston, WV on March 24,25.

Thank you again for your prayers and for your enthusiastic support of this ministry. God is enabling us to bring Him glory as we labor together for Christ’s Kingdom.

Grace and peace,

Dan and Susan.

West Africa Update #4 - Liberia

2007-02-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

Everywhere you look, Liberia shows the sad affects of fourteen years of civil war. The buildings that have been destroyed by fire and the others with bullet holes in them are only the most obvious evidences that this beautiful country has been through a very difficult time. You see it also in the lack of infrastructure: the electrical grid is largely gone, roads and structures are deteriorating, vehicles (except those of the very rich) are old and unsafe, fuel is sold by the gallon using pickle jars and a funnel, and access to the internet (a key element for me!) is difficult to find. Agriculture is sporadic and, despite very fertile soil and an excellent climate, Liberia still must import food to feed its people. Thankfully, the country is peaceful (although United Nations peacekeepers are everywhere), and the people themselves are welcoming and optimistic. The rebuilding has begun under the leadership of the new President, Mrs. Helen Johnson (who is a strong Christian), and the projections for the future are good.

We arrived in Monrovia on Sunday afternoon and waited for nearly an hour for someone to pick us up. It turned out that the President was scheduled to arrive soon after we landed so, for security reasons, U.N. troops had blocked traffic coming from the city. As we stood waiting for our ride, the view from the airport was not encouraging: the few crumbling buildings, the mostly dirt roads, the occasional dilapidated taxi wheezing by and the ubiquitous security guards yelling incomprehensible commands through megaphones. But eventually Rev. Richard Ballinger was able to thread his way through the tight security and pick us up. We drove through the outskirts of Monrovia, dodging potholes and the U.N. armored personnel vehicles, and headed out of town, eventually arriving at The Farmer’s Paradise in Careysburg. This was where we were to stay; and it was a surprisingly modern and functional situation. The guest house had air conditioning and electricity from 7 pm – 7 am, courtesy of a large generator on the premises. We also had running water in the bathroom most of the time. We ate our evening meals at the little restaurant on the premises – a restaurant that caters largely to the U.N. and aid agency personnel in the area. So, we were set!

Then we sat. Don had been informed while we were in Nigeria that the conference would not begin until Wednesday due to transportation problems – infrastructure again. So, we had two days to wait. Understand that waiting is an everyday reality in Africa, and for many Africans it has been elevated to the level of an art form. But for us Americans, waiting is difficult. We worked on our updates and polished the curriculum – we taught on Biblical Leadership from 1 Timothy. We sat in front of the guest house and watched the horses gambol about.
We watched the termites swarming around every light after dark; and we talked about future plans for EPI and West Africa. Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, we met with the Executive Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Liberia (PCL). These were the brethren we had come to teach and they wanted to know something about us and about our theological position. Their curiosity was understandable once you learn something of their history as a church.

There has been a Presbyterian church in Liberia since 1833. In more recent years, they had been in association with the PCUSA, but severed that connection when the liberalism of the American church became too obvious to bear. They then affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, but over the last 20 years or so the same issue of liberalism has cropped up again. So, several months ago, the PCL declared its independence and is now trying to find its way alone. Providentially, God brought several of the key denominational leaders into contact with EPI, and Don Mountan has been working with them, even teaching an EPI conference in Liberia last year. This trip, he and I arrived at a critical juncture since, with its recent declaration of indepence, the PCL is seeking to clearly define itself and its direction. The key leaders are evangelicals and committed to the absolute authority of the Scriptures, but there are a number of influential (i.e. wealthy) ruling elders who, along with several pastors, are inclined toward the more liberal views of their former American mentors. The leaders wanted to know where Don and I stood on several critical issues before we began the conference. Once they realized that we were strong evangelicals and totally committed to the authority of the Word of God, they welcomed us with open arms and throughout the week supported us and our teaching at every opportunity.

The conference began on Wednesday and we strongly emphasized the authority of Apostolic doctrine (i.e. the Bible), the necessity of a heart changed by the gospel, and the importance of leaders leading by example. We had a good group of about 50 leaders, but many of the key ruling elders were not on hand. On Thursday, our teaching touched a nerve when we came to chapters 2 and 3, which speak of the role of women and the qualifications of elders. As you would expect from their background, the PCL has had a history of ordaining women to the eldership and, in the past, has had women as pastors. With great gentleness and firmness, Don outlined the Biblical position on the role of women in the church: that they ought to be used to the fullest extent of their giftedness, but not ordained to positions of authority over men. This truth was reinforced when I taught on the qualifications of elders from chapter 3 (the Biblical language clearly stipulates that an overseer be a “one-woman man”). Of course, this teaching provoked a huge number of questions and it served to clearly separate those who were committed to the Bible as the sole authority from those who interpreted the Bible through the lens of church tradition and cultural teachings. We stated openly that this was not an issue over which to divide the church, but it was an issue on which the Bible was quite clear. We also said that whatever they decided on this issue, we would continue to love them and work with them for the building of Christ’s Kingdom. We wrapped up the conference on Friday with Paul’s teaching on personal godliness among church leaders and his guidelines for enforcing accountability among church leaders. The conference was well-received and challenged the PCL leaders particularly on the pivotal issue of the authority of the Scripture.

On Saturday, we traveled to see some of the PCL churches in the Monrovia area and then attended a meeting of the Elder’s Circle, a gathering of the teaching and ruling elders from the area. These elders have a great concern for the advancement of the PCL and are working to rebuild buildings and provide support for the denomination – often from their own pockets. Obviously, they aren’t all in agreement about priorities and funding and, in an African culture, this made for some interesting “discussion” (To my ears, it sometimes sounded more like a shouting match!). But they ended the meeting smiling and ate a big meal together: still friends and co-workers for Christ’s Kingdom. Sunday found Don and me preaching in separate churches in Monrovia. I spoke at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church near the U.N. headquarters. Many of the elders from that church had attended the conference and they stood up to give testimony of how God had blessed them through His Word. They had a very liturgical service with hymns and confession of sin, the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles Creed – it seemed very Western. But right in the middle of the service African culture prevailed as the choir led in a time of praise and worship, during which everyone clapped, sang and danced to the glory of God. Afterwards, some of the congregation gathered outside for a picture.

EPI has been given a unique opportunity to assist this fledgling denomination at a critical juncture in its history. Many, perhaps most, of the leaders are seeking to push it in the direction of becoming a Bible-believing Reformed denomination. However, their history and some of their key leaders are pressing for a continuation of a more liberal faith and practice. Don and I have committed to assisting the PCL by providing good books (most of their libraries were confiscated during the war), by providing Biblical instruction (there is no Reformed Bible college or seminary in Liberia) and by linking the PCL with churches in the U.S. who will be able to help rebuild this denomination. We will be returning to Liberia frequently as the Lord provides the means and the time. It is an historic opportunity to come to the aid of fellow believers as they seek a Biblical Reformation of their denomination. It is also an incredible chance to help rebuild an entire country, beginning with its spiritual foundation. The PCL is strategically placed to have tremendous influence in Liberia. The President of Liberia is a member of the PCL, as are many of those who are influential in politics, in education, and in the economic sector. Pray for our brethren there and, as the Lord leads you, do what you can to make this opportunity known to your church. I will be happy to provide more information to anyone who would like to have it.

This month in West Africa has been incredibly fruitful. It’s good to be home, but I am already making plans for the next trip. There are so many opportunities! I thank God for the blessing of being used to teach His people. I also thank you for your on-going prayers and financial support.

West Africa Update #3 - Nigeria

2007-02-19T06:56:00.000-05:00

Nigeria is very different from the other parts of Africa I have experienced. Nigerians are an aggressive, driven people. You see their aggression in their driving as they cram vehicles into every available space on the roadway and then proceed to honk their horns at everyone who is, or who might even think about being, in their way. It also shows up in their corporate manners when they literally push and shove their way to the front of the line to get their picture taken with the white missionaries, or to get their boarding pass first. Some were still jockeying for position when this photo was taken. Their driven nature explains why every spare yard of roadside seems to be taken up with small shops and why everyone is willing to help you. For, it seems, many Nigerians are driven by the desire for money. I hadn’t even left the airport before I saw several “payoffs” and was actually asked by a group or parking lot security officers for a “contribution” for simply being there. We were often stopped on the road by police who were hoping for some contribution to their retirement fund. One particularly bold policeman stuck his head through the window and asked me, “What did you bring for us policemen?” When I responded, “I bring you the grace of God!” he shook his head woefully at my thick-headedness and waved us on. Obviously, I had not yet caught on to the system.

And yet, there is another side to Nigeria as well. God’s people there are hungry for truth, and they sat for hours absorbing the teaching on Christian Counseling and Biblical Worldview. One lady took off work for an entire week so she could cook our meals for us, and we were never allowed to carry our luggage anywhere – someone always ran up to carry it for us, as a sign of respect. We could always count on being greeted by bows and “You are welcome!” whenever we met a brother or sister in the Lord, and they were genuinely delighted that someone would travel so far at such great sacrifice (so they termed it) to minister to them. What a wonderful open door we have been given to teach God’s people in this country!

I arrived in Lagos on Monday evening, after bidding farewell to Chuck and John on Sunday evening. Sam Oppong and I spent some time on Monday making preliminary plans for my next trip to Ghana in August. Also, that morning, I was privileged to meet Rev. Godfried Bamfo, the Director of Evangelism for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. I introduced him to EPI and we talked of how we may be able to help teach the ministers in the PCG. This is an excellent contact and has the potential to greatly broaden EPI’s ministry in the country. I landed in Lagos about 8:30 pm and waited at the airport – not knowing who was to pick me up – for almost 45 minutes. Finally, as I wandered about, a security guard came up and said, “Doctor Dan?” He had been tasked by my contact with watching for a white guy who looked lost. So, I met Danny and we left immediately for Sagamu. It was a harrowing drive in the dark with traffic weaving everywhere and huge lorries (trucks) emerging from the darkness, surrounded by clouds of diesel smoke and without any tail lights. Each time one appeared, we would swerve around it and press on at breakneck speed. It seemed much longer than the hour and ½ it actually took. I was thankful to make it to the hotel in Sagamu where we stayed the night, Danny and I sleeping in the same bed.

The next day, after some car repairs, shopping for “official” Nigerian shirts, and a further 3 hour drive, we arrived in Akure where the conference was taking place. The conference had started on Monday and I had missed that day and most of Tuesday. So, I arrived in time to introduce myself and then we returned to the hotel. On Wednesday, we completed the material on Biblical Counseling and Don Mountan presented some material on Biblical Marriage as well. The responses were interesting: many of the leaders (there were 139 officially registered) found the Biblical teaching eye-opening. However, a few reacted negatively to the marriage presentation, claiming that such ideas as “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church” would not work in Nigeria. One even went so far as to state that this view was simply an American perspective, not applicable to a Nigerian context. So, we had to go back and reinforce the authority of the Bible for ALL areas of life and for ALL times and cultures. In the end, the negative reactions were quite profitable because they highlighted for the leaders the serious cultural syncretism that characterizes Christianity in Nigeria. As a result, on Thursday, I spent a number of hours presenting material on a Biblical Worldview – much the same material as we had been teaching in Ghana. I put special stress on the idea of syncretism and spoke of its dangers – something that was very clear from the day before. God blessed the instruction and all of it was used to mature and comfort God’s people there in Akure. We have been invited to return as soon as possible for more leadership training.

Our contact, Dr. Gideon Umukoro, has started an organization called Servant Leadership Institute and our instruction was included under the banner of SLI. Gideon has a passion for training leaders, both for the church and for the nation. He clearly sees that a nation stands or falls on the basis of godly leadership. So, we not only spoke of spiritual issues, we also talked of making contacts for him with those who (like the Chalmers Institute at Covenant) are committed to economic development in the emerging world. Such things as economic initiatives and micro-finance are an integral part of helping our brethren in Africa become financially self-sufficient. These kinds of networking with U.S. organizations will help to make Christians the economic leaders in these developing nations.

We finished up on Thursday and rested on Friday, seeking out an internet café at the Catholic cathedral. However, we were only able to connect (slowly) for 35 minutes before the power went out. On Saturday, we traveled back to Lagos, arriving about 5:00 pm – just in time for a local traffic jam! We settled into the Stopover Hotel for the evening and ate supper there. The prices in Lagos are astounding! Our dinner was nearly $20/person and the room (all three of us in the same one) was $140/night. Yet, this was one of the more reasonable hotels near the airport. Sunday morning, we all went to the airport and John waited for his flight while Don and I flew on to Liberia for our final week in West Africa. More on that in my next update.

West Africa Update #2 - Ghana

2007-02-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

This past week began with a drive south from Sunyani to our next venue in Takoradi. Along the way, we stopped at Shiloh Bible Training College in Kumasi. (Kumasi is a centrally-located city with a population of 1.5 million. The Shiloh College provides a year-long intensive course in Bible that takes students through the Bible Training Centre for Pastors (BTCP) curriculum. At any one time, there are nearly 100 students from many different denominations studying at Shiloh.) We greeted the faculty and students there, each of us speaking for a few minutes about EPI’s work here in Ghana. Bishop Samuel Addai, the headmaster, is very excited about the possibility of EPI offering intensive seminary-level courses at his facility and he has thrown the door wide open for us to come at any time. We are making plans now to spend a week at Shiloh when we return in August. The potential is enormous since these students scatter throughout Ghana and beyond – to Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo and Nigeria – planting churches for their various denominations. Kumasi has the potential to be the Ephesus from which much of West Africa can be reached. As we were leaving, the students insisted upon a group photo (attached) and then lined up for a seemingly endless round of individual photos with the EPI team. We would just finish with the “last photo” and try to rest our smile muscles when another student would rush up proclaiming “Last photo, last photo!” This went on for 20 minutes or more. Chuck joked about feeling like a rock star! But this illustrates the eagerness of God’s people in Ghana to receive God’s Word. We have no sooner finished a conference than they are making plans for the next time we will come. So much opportunity!!

And so we drove on toward Takoradi, another city of 1+ million on the coast. We found our hotel, arriving after dark, and discovered that they were ill-prepared for our arrival – no A/C, no food in the restaurant, broken plumbing, etc. We stayed the night anyway, but moved the next morning to a very nice, newer hotel that was happy for our business. The conference began that morning (Tuesday) and met in a large Church of Pentecost in the downtown area. Although a beautiful facility, it was HOT outside and even hotter inside. The only relief came from the regular sea breeze that ruffled the window curtains and the occasional puff of air from the ceiling fans. We soon found that the breeze funneled through the front porch, creating a zone of relative comfort. So, when not teaching, we sat on the front porch being alternately stared at or waved to by passers-by. All around were the sights and smells of the city: a school next door with uniformed boys playing ping-pong at recess, several stalls selling food, traffic rumbling past and entire blocks of seedy, closely set four-story apartment buildings, laundry flapping from the balconies.

This was the first EPI conference in Takoradi for a number of years. Most of the 74 people registered had no experience with EPI and also had not really thought about developing a Biblical worldview. So, the conference was a new experience for them. We taught in sequence, each of us taking a section of the material, and while we were actually teaching, all thought of the heat and distraction from the outside was graciously removed. I am constantly amazed at how, in addition to our careful preparation, the Holy Spirit will bring new thoughts or specific illustrations to mind while we are teaching. The Lord obviously wanted these brethren to hear what we had to say, so He sustained us, gave us spiritual insight and often “side-tracked” us by His Spirit so that we taught just exactly what was needed. Consequently, the conference was greatly appreciated and we were enthusiastically invited to return.

Thursday found us on the road again traveling east to Cape Coast. We normally plan for a couple of “rest days” at the end of our teaching to give our part-time teachers an opportunity to do a little sightseeing. Our hotel in Cape Coast was within sight of the ocean so that evening we walked to the beach to enjoy the beauty of the surf. On Friday morning we drove to the Kakum Rain Forest to experience the “canopy walk” that gives you access to the rain forest canopy. In the process, you bounce and sway across seven rope walkways linking six platforms, all of which are 120 feet above ground. It’s the closest most of us will ever get to Tarzan’s jungle – stunning! And the green coconut milk that we drank on the walk back provided some welcome refreshment from the stifling heat and humidity.

That afternoon, we visited the Elmina slave castle, a structure built in the 1500’s for the purpose of processing slaves for the European slave trade. Over the 525 years it was used for slaving, 7 million captives crossed the drawbridge of the castle, but fully 2/3 of them died before ever making it to the slave ships. And Elmina was only one of a host of such castles that lined what used to be called “The Slave Coast.” Our tour provided a sobering reminder of the depravity of man, as well as of the fact that it was dedicated Christians like William Wilberforce who led the fight to end this appalling trade in human flesh.

Saturday morning we drove back to Accra, completing the circuit we began when we arrived in Ghana. We used the time in Accra to rest, trade pictures, purchase souvenirs and repack in preparation for our upcoming flights. Chuck and John began their odyssey back to Atlanta on Sunday evening, and I will be flying on to Nigeria on Monday.

It has been a wonderfully productive trip thus far: we taught 314 pastors and church leaders in three locations, providing them with the materials that will enable them to return home to teach the same truths their own congregations. We made a conservative estimate of the number of believers these leaders have in their congregations, and the total came to 45,000! We praise God for the privilege of teaching His people, and we thank you for your prayers and contributions that have made this ministry possible.

My next update will come from Nigeria this coming weekend. Please continue to pray as the work goes forward.

West Africa Update #1 - Ghana

2007-02-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

After waiting in long security lines, repacking all liquids into a single ziplock bag (several times), enduring fifteen hours on the plane, waiting eight hours in Amsterdam airport, and eating four meals of pre-packaged airline food, we arrived last Sunday evening in Accra. Once we made it through customs and the incredible press of humanity surrounding the airport exit, we loaded into Sam Oppong’s car and drove to our hotel for the night. It’s good to be back in Africa! Granted, the trip itself is sometimes tedious, but the trade-off is that we are given the incredible privilege of teaching God’s truth to those who hunger for it.
We have planned something different for these two weeks of ministry: usually, EPI conferences run for three days, and we only teach one a week. This trip, however, we will be doing three two-day conferences and we will be teaching in some new venues. We hope that we will soon have two EPI teams traveling regularly to Ghana and these new locations will provide the core of their work. God willing, it won’t be long before we will be able to offer seminary-level classes in some of our more established locations.
We departed Accra on Monday morning and drove most of the day to get to our first meeting venue in the town of Sefwi Bekwai. As we drove, the urban congestion gave way to farms – bananas, cassava and rice on individual plots and plantations of cocoa trees and plantain. Ghana is a fertile country with agriculture as the primary activity. But because it’s the dry season, everything has a coating of the red dust that blows down from the Sahara during this time of year. We began our first conference on Tuesday morning, teaching in one of the local Pentecostal churches to 114 local church pastors, lay leaders and women’s ministry leaders. Since this was EPI’s first conference in Sefwi, this was a very encouraging turnout. This far out from Accra, church leaders seldom have the opportunity to attend training conferences, so there was a great deal of excitement about this meeting.
We launched immediately into the Christian Education curriculum. Chuck and John are each gifted teachers and both “hit their stride” rapidly. The first day passed quickly as teachers and students adjusted to strange accents and translation struggles. (While many Ghanaians understand English, in the villages we find still a minority who need translation into the local language.) It was encouraging to see how quickly the participants grasped the material, even some of the more difficult points on Christian worldview. The instruction continued into Wednesday and concluded – all too soon – with an emotional farewell to our brethren in Sefwi. They are already making plans for our return later this year and we are anticipating a good ministry there.
Thursday morning, we were in the car again, driving to Sunyani. This is Sam’s home town, so EPI is well-known here. We began the conference on Friday morning with 164 leaders registered. Although the curriculum was the same, we were able to teach without translation. The result was a greater amount of freedom in the teaching. Once again, the truths of Christian Education had a strong impact on the participants. We described the Biblical worldview – speaking of God as the Creator and Sustainer of all reality, as the Source of all truth, and as the Standard against which all our actions must be compared. We also provided examples of non-Biblical thought, and as we did to, many of these leaders were stunned to realize how syncretistic their worldview has been. But in the two days, each of them made a beginning toward being “transformed by the renewing of their minds.” (Rom. 12:2) What a blessing it is to share these truths that have been so formative in our own thinking!
As in Sefwi, the response in Sunyani was very enthusiastic and we have been invited to return to do a longer conference. In typical African fashion, we were each given a gift at the end of the conference – a Ghanaian shirt.
On Sunday, both Chuck and John preached in local churches (I was scheduled to preach also, but was unable to do so because of illness.). Chuck preached in Sunyani while John preached in a village about ½ hour from town. It was a good experience for both of them – especially since worship here is much more enthusiastic than is common in the States. There is much that we could learn from our African brethren!
Thank you for your prayers; we have felt the Lord’s sustaining hand and have experienced the clear guidance of the Holy Spirit as a result. This may actually be the most important part of stepping out of our comfort zone to minister in Africa: we sense the Lord’s presence much more clearly, while the spiritual realities to which we give lip service suddenly take on a greater substance and weight. We thank the Lord for this privilege, and we thank you for making it possible.

1 Samuel 19: 8-17

2007-01-23T13:43:00.000-05:00

“Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch, in order to put him to death in the morning….So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped.”

1 Samuel 19:11,12

The line between faith and presumption is often a matter of choosing our battles.

The line between faith and presumption is very thin, and often it is exceedingly difficult to discern. We read of mighty acts of faith in the Scriptures and we truly believe that nothing is too difficult for God. Yet, we also hear highly presumptuous claims made in the name of faith that seem to far exceed Biblical warrant and perhaps even common decency. How can we know the difference? How can we prudently discern what God would have us do? In this passage, David provides us with an example of believing prudence and demonstrates that faith sometimes chooses NOT to fight.

In his irrational determination to kill David, Saul had become increasing desperate. God had thwarted Saul’s every scheme to this point, turning them to David’s advantage. Despite his destructive intent, David was now his son-in-law and continued to win great victories for Israel. Saul then returned to direct action, seeking first to kill David himself and, when that failed, sending his henchmen to watch David’s house with instructions to kill him in the morning. For David, the situation was desperate, and the threat to his life was real. So David fled for his life in the middle of the night, sneaking out a back window with the help of his wife. No doubt he expected to return after Saul’s mood changed. But Saul’s mood did not change this time and this flight was the beginning of a seven-year ordeal for David: living on the run, obsessively hunted by Saul, under constant threat of death.

Why didn’t David just stand up and fight? After all, God had miraculously given Goliath into his hand. Certainly God could have delivered David from this situation also, had David chosen to fight. Perhaps if he had stood his ground and seen the Lord’s deliverance, Saul would have cancelled the death sentence and the long exile could have been avoided. But instead, David ran. Was this a result of unbelief? No. This situation was entirely different from the one with Goliath and David understood that. And despite the fact that his decision resulted in great hardship and struggle, David made the correct choice. It would have been presumption to stand and fight; it was an exercise of faith to flee.

In this case, the line between faith and presumption was as simple as the difference between fighting God’s enemies and fighting God’s people. In an earlier devotional (on 1 Samuel 17:45-47), we discovered that David was clearly aware that faith focused on the glory of God, God’s testimony in the world and the strengthening of God’s people. Fighting Goliath met each of these criteria and so a step of faith was warranted. However, had David chosen to fight in this present situation, he would have dishonored God, destroyed His testimony in the world and discouraged God’s people. Knowing this, David trusted God to provide for him in some other way. Although he had been hurt and betrayed, in all his years of fleeing from Saul, David never fought against God’s people. Twice, Saul fell into his hand, and David refused to harm the man he still called “the Lord’s anointed.” And the one time he seemed poised to fight against Israel (1 Samuel 29:1ff), God intervened and prevented him from doing so. The last thing David wanted to do was to harm Israel in any way.

In the press of painful events, it is difficult to discern between faith and presumption. It’s especially difficult because we often confuse God’s plan with our desires, His promises with our goals and His glory with our victory. But faith shifts our focus from self to God. David demonstrates that faith chooses its battles, and will willingly choose personal loss to avoid bringing harm to Christ’s Church. This is the path our Savior walked – choosing betrayal and death for the sake of His Church. Sometimes, even when we are in the right, it is better for us and for the Church to avoid the fight. How much damage to God’s people could be avoided - how much destruction of the testimony of God before a watching world – if God’s people would entrust themselves to a God of justice and allow themselves to be wronged and defrauded for the sake of Christ! (see 1 Corinthians 6:7) David realized that not every opponent is a Goliath and that faith fights at times and flees at others. May God grant us the grace to choose our battles wisely, acting in faith and not in presumption.

1 Samuel 19: 1-7

2007-01-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

The next several chapters in 1Samuel discuss the period of time in David’s life when he lived under constant threat of by the hand of King Saul. David spent much of this time in the wilderness, hiding from Saul’s soldiers. This section provides an extended illustration of the dangers of the Christian life - the life of faith in which we often seem to be under threat or in danger or experiencing tribulation. But as we consider these chapters, we need to remember that in David’s case, as well as in our own, these trials are not the result of God’s inability to bring about change or deliverance. God is able to rescue us from any and all circumstances. So, why does God allow such circumstances to exist and (occasionally) even predominate in our lives? Frankly, God more clearly evidences His grace and power through a life sustained in the midst of dangers and trials than through a tranquil and effortless existence. Not only that, but God also uses trials to sanctify, train and prepare us for His later use. Our Savior experienced much tribulation and we are encouraged to “consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that we may not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb. 12:3) David’s trials were a foreshadowing of the tribulations endured by Christ in much the same way as our trials are a sharing in Christ’s sufferings. They enable us to identify with Christ more closely and encourage us through His example of faithfulness. God willing, as we study David’s trials we will learn many lessons about remaining faithful in difficult times and about God’s gracious provision for those He loves.

We begin this section with a lesson from Jonathan, who provides us with an example of how the godly respond to sin.

Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you.”

1 Samuel 19:4

A godly rebuke can often forestall the commission of sin.

In his jealousy and fear, Saul had commanded his servants (and Jonathan) to kill David. Jonathan was in a quandary, for not only was he loyal to his father, the king, but he had also pledged himself to be David’s friend. Furthermore, Jonathan was a godly man whose heart was grieved to witness this kind of tension and hatred. How was he to handle this situation? Obviously, since Saul had already issued the command, Jonathan couldn’t just wait to see what would happen. That would almost certainly result in David’s . On the other hand, Jonathan couldn’t openly oppose Saul, since that would be rightly construed as a violation of his loyalty to the king. Still, Jonathan recognized that, if this command was carried out, Saul would be guilty of a great sin. So he chose to jeopardize his own relationship with Saul by confronting and rebuking him.

Not knowing how the situation would turn out, Jonathan urged David to take precautions and to hide while he spoke to Saul. Then, while walking with his father in the field, Jonathan spoke openly about David, praising his loyalty, his bravery and his innocence. He then rebuked Saul for commanding the of David, calling it a sin against . Jonathan also spoke to Saul about the positive effect of David’s actions and how they had reflected well upon Saul and upon Israel. The rebuke was wisely phrased, it was truthful and it was spoken in a loving fashion. Saul listened to his son and retracted his decree, opening the way for David’s restoration to the court. Because of his love for both Saul and David, Jonathan willingly placed himself in the middle, hazarding his own favor with Saul to keep him from sin and to save David’s life.

Notice that this rebuke was effective, even though it was addressed to an unbeliever. Saul had already been forsaken by God and had little, if any, fear of God left in his life. Yet, he retained his conscience – the voice of God’s law in his soul. He still knew right from wrong. Jonathan’s appeal to Saul’s conscience deflected (for a time) his intention to kill David. This godly rebuke broke through Saul’s hardness, bringing about a change of mind (if not of heart). Wisely, Jonathan strengthened his argument by an appeal to Saul’s self-interest. He reminded Saul of how valuable David was to him – of the good press than David was generating for Saul’s administration. Consequently, Saul’s sin was restrained and a measure of peace was restored.

How thankful we should be for those true friends who are willing to face our displeasure by rebuking us! When they do this, they are keeping our feet on the path of life. It is God’s mercy to us that He has also given us the sharp sword of His word, along with faithful ministers who preach it, for the purpose of rebuking us in our sin. Since we receive this mercy, we also ought to extend this mercy to others – even at the risk of losing their favor. Godly rebuke has fallen out of favor in this culture of universal tolerance and political correctness. It is much more common to pass over or ignore sin for the sake of maintaining peace. However, this account teaches us that peace does not come through accommodating sin but through wise, truthful, loving confrontation of sin. (This, by the way, is a lesson that every faithful minister must learn!) Proverbs 16:30 states, “He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.” God’s people are too often silent, bringing evil to pass, when we ought to follow the example of Jonathan, speaking up for the right. Who knows what God would do through us if we were faithful to speak up against sin?

He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor

Than he who flatters with the tongue.

Prov. 28:23

A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding

Than a hundred blows into a fool.

Prov. 17:10

1 Samuel 18:20,21

2007-01-10T18:26:00.000-05:00

Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable to him. And Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.”

1 Samuel 18:20,21

Often, the Lord protects His people from threats they do not see.

“No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.” Is. 54:17 The Lord is the Protector of His people – a task that He often accomplishes without our realizing it. Only heaven will reveal how often our Heavenly Father has shielded us from secret attacks and kept us safe in situations which were far more dangerous than we knew. The fact that God sovereignly and providentially controls all of our circumstances brings us tremendous comfort, especially when we see examples in Scripture of His protecting hand.

We find such a case in the life of David. In 1Samuel 18:20-30, we read of another attempt by Saul to rid himself of David. Direct action had failed, so Saul turned to treachery. The revelation that David and Michal were in love presented Saul with an opportunity to remove David by the hand of Israel’s mortal enemies, the Philistines. Since David was poor, he would never be able to afford the dowry for a king’s daughter. So, with the appearance of great generosity, Saul offered to accept a different kind of dowry: conclusive proof that David had killed 100 Philistines. From Saul’s vantage point, this plot had several great advantages. First, it would result in a number of Philistine deaths – something that would please Israel. Second, it would almost certainly result in David’s death at the hands of the enemies of Israel, making David a great hero/martyr. And finally, the plot would keep Saul’s hands completely clean. Perfect. (The parallels between this plot and David’s similar execution of Uriah are too strong to ignore.)

Saul played his hand skillfully – using intermediaries to encourage David in his desire to become the king’s son-in-law, and to present him with the alternative dowry proposal. Saul never even talked to David directly, so he had complete deniability. And to encourage sufficient recklessness on David’s part, Saul set a time limit. (v. 26) Once the trap was sprung, all the king had to do was sit back and wait for the Philistines to do his dirty work.

The best part of this scheme was that David didn’t even suspect what Saul planned. He was so smitten with Michal that he was willing to do anything to have her for his wife. Not only that, but his incentive was vastly increased since, by marrying her, David would become a member of the Israelite nobility and join the king’s household all at one stroke. And all he had to do was kill 100 Philistines – a requirement that played to his strengths as a warrior. [We need to understand that this task was far more difficult than it might appear to us. The Philistines were a warrior culture, a branch of the Sea People and related to the Minoans and the Greeks. They often trained their sons for war from childhood (see 17:33) and had gained their lands in Palestine through conquest. They were also more technologically advanced than Israel, having learned to work iron much earlier than the bronze-age Israelite farmers. This difference between bronze and iron may explain some of David’s affection for Goliath’s sword. (See 1 Sam. 21:9)]

But David was God’s anointed. God had committed Himself to place David on the throne. And so, God protected David in this situation. How He did it is instructive: He didn’t reveal the plot to David, nor did He disrupt David’s rather ambitious plans for gaining the dowry. Rather, the Lord left the plot in place, allowing Saul to think he had succeeded. God then enabled David to kill, not just 100, but 200 of the Lord’s enemies. Imagine Saul’s fury when David walked in with twice the amount required and placed the dowry at Saul’s feet! Once again the Lord had demonstrated He was with David. Saul saw this clearly (v. 28) and it made him fear David even more.

Rather than destroy David, this plot actually advanced David’s reputation and position. He was now an acknowledged military champion, he was the king’s son-in-law, he had the love of the king’s daughter, he was the wisest of Saul’s commanders, and “his name was highly esteemed.” God caused “all things to work together for good” in David’s case – all without his knowledge.

This principle is the same for all of God’s people. We are God’s chosen ones, anointed with His Holy Spirit, called to be members of His royal family and destined to be Christ’s bride. And although we have a deadly enemy who plots against us constantly, we also have a Heavenly Father who watches over and protects us. Often, the very things our enemy intends for our downfall are turned by God into great blessings. This frequently happens without our knowledge. Frankly, we don’t need to know. It is enough for us to know that our Father is committed to our good. (Phil. 1:6) This way, He gets all the glory. Imagine the stories of narrow escapes and almost-disasters we will learn in heaven – long after our journey is over. God’s gracious protection will only add to our songs of praise and worship for all eternity. By faith, we should begin that song now.

Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;

‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

1 Samuel 18:10,11

2007-01-01T20:13:00.000-05:00

Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand. And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.

1 Samuel 18: 10,11

The Lord’s presence and blessing don’t guarantee an easy life.

David had now become a regular part of Saul’s retinue and was permanently at court. This raised the level of danger for him, while at the same time, he shone even more brightly as the Lord prospered him. Clearly, God was with David and had been since he was anointed to succeed Saul. This blessing – especially as it was recognized by the public - only served to anger Saul more. The verses above indicate how far Saul was prepared to go to rid himself of David. And these were just the first of Saul’s attempts in a seven-year vendetta against David.

The text says “an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul.” We have already been told that God had forsaken Saul. This spirit is no doubt a demon that was allowed by God (as He allowed Satan to attack Job) to influence Saul’s thinking. But note that the result of this allowance was the accomplishment of God’s will in both David and Saul. No doubt a large part of Saul’s on-going frustration was that every plot he hatched for David’s destruction was turned by God for good. (Rom. 8:28) The result of this was that Saul spiraled downward from suspicion to anger and ous intentions to fear and, eventually, to dread. (vv. 9-15) It was clear that God was with David and that Saul’s destructive designs were being hindered.

What had David done to deserve this kind of treatment? Had he sinned in some fashion and so was subjected to this kind of abuse? Had he suddenly lost God’s favor? No, these circumstances were also part of God’s loving providence in David’s life. His next seven years as a fugitive, hiding in caves and running for his life, were ordained by God for David’s sanctification and for God’s glory. Now, many modern Christians would say that if David had simply had enough faith, he would have been able to avoid or nullify these difficult situations. They believe and teach that faith is the guaranteed route to a disease-free, wealthy, well-adjusted, abundant life. Yet the Bible reveals a much more robust and realistic life of faith in which God protects His people – not by removing them from their difficulties – but in the midst of those very difficulties. We have only to think of the three Hebrew children in Daniel to see a vivid example of this principle. For, you see, God often receives greater glory when His people go through the fire in faith than He would if they never faced adversity.

So, it is Biblically incorrect to gauge the Lord’s blessing by the external circumstances of a believer’s life. This was the mistake made by Job’s comforters – a mistake for which they were rebuked by God. And it is a mistake we often make ourselves as we interpret our own circumstances. When confronted by difficulty, we are tempted to ask, “What did I do wrong?” But such a question misrepresents the working of God in our sanctification. God easily could have removed David from these dangers, but these trials were working out God’s plan for his life. These difficult circumstances were trying David’s faith and building his endurance. (James 1:2-4) They were making him into the warrior God needed to unite Israel - a warrior both skilled and wise. They were teaching him about God’s faithfulness in trials (which is a lesson we can learn from David’s experiences as we read through the Psalms). And they were actually increasing his prominence within Israel, laying the groundwork for the day when David would be king. But David knew little of this at the time. All he knew was that he was dodging spears and that his life was in jeopardy.

In all of these trials, David was enabled to escape and to “prosper in all his ways” because “the Lord was with him.” (v.14) God was with him IN the trials, not DESPITE the trials. The trials and difficulties were God’s goodness in David’s life. He was preparing David for the role he would later play as king. This is how God trains leaders – through trials and pain and loneliness and waiting. Once again, we see reflections of our Lord Jesus here. He also “learned obedience through the things that He suffered.” (Heb. 5:8) He also lived a life full of trials and difficulty. And just as David’s trials resulted in the sweetness of the Psalms, so Christ’s trials issued in the far greater sweetness of our redemption. And if the King of kings did not bypass this kind of life, we who are His covenant people should not expect to be “carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease; while others fought to win the prize and sailed through y seas.”

The plain truth is that if you live a godly life, if you walk by faith, you will have enemies. You will also experience your share of trials as you “fill up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” (Col. 1:24) This is part of the cross His people are called to take up daily. But our comfort is that this is the path that leads toward Christlikeness. And, as we walk this path, we are following in the footsteps of “the Author and Perfecter of faith.” (Heb. 12:2) Press on with hope – you will experience God’s protection in the storm even while you are being prepared by your trials for greater usefulness in Christ’s Kingdom.

1 Samuel 18:1

2006-12-26T13:59:00.000-05:00

Now it came about when [David] had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

! Samuel 18:1

People of faith are drawn to one another.

The friendship of David and Jonathan was truly remarkable. From a human standpoint, this friendship should have never happened, or it should have fallen apart under the severe stresses of the following years. Yet each pledged his life to the other. They completely identified with one another (the giving of the clothes and weapons was an indication of this strong bond). And both men remained true to this covenant regardless of circumstances – in David’s case, even beyond Jonathan’s death. Jonathan’s love for David was not based upon David’s success against Goliath, it had much deeper roots. And, because of that, their friendship stood the test of time.

What was it that drew these men together? How did this friendship transcend the differences of economic status and social position? Where did the firm foundation of this friendship come from? After all, David had been anointed to take Jonathan’s “rightful place” as king of Israel. But Jonathan seemed to feel no jealousy or rivalry, and from this point on, David was completely comfortable in Jonathan’s presence. Obviously, this friendship was God’s gift to these men – both for their benefit and for our instruction. Jonathan’s commitment t was especially vital for David, since it would prove instrumental in his survival on several occasions. But there was something else that drew them together – something that formed an indissoluble bond between them.

David and Jonathan were very much alike in their trust of God and in their walk of faith. They were both young men of faith, men who loved the Lord. And this love seems to be what drew them together. Even within the covenant community of God’s people, there are those who are more deeply committed to trusting God in every circumstance of life, and these “men of faith” are drawn to one another. David and Jonathan must have each recognized this characteristic in the other, for a man of faith instinctively recognizes a kindred spirit. David had just given a graphic example of his faith in God on the battlefield, and God had honored his faith with a great victory. Jonathan was also a warrior of faith. (see 1 Sam. 14:6-15, where, immediately before going into battle against overwhelming odds, Jonathan says, “Perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.”) Jonathan had just watched David topple Goliath, and recognized in him the same commitment to the Lord. Also, they were both men of action, who each saw action as the best way of serving God. And they were men who had committed their lives to following the Lord, whatever the cost. This kinship was based, then, on their love for and faith in God. This is what enabled them to be utterly selfless in their friendship.

In this friendship we can see again our Lord Jesus foreshadowed. He is the Son of the King who set His love upon unworthy, unknown commoners. He is the one who has clothed us with His own robe of perfect righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26) and who has also given us His armor and weapons (Eph. 6:14-18). He has made a covenant with us, ratifying it with the shedding of his own blood on the cross. And He has done all of this because He loves us – in a sense – as He loves Himself (Jn 15:9). It is by this great work of eternal friendship (Jn. 15:15,16), that Christ has ensured that we will indeed reign as kings, by God’s appointment (Rev. 1:6).

David and Jonathan also exemplify the kind of relationship we ought to seek and sustain with our fellow believers. Their friendship is an OT pattern for the love of the brethren (Rom. 12:10ff) – a covenantal commitment to one another founded upon a mutual love for and faith in God. This relationship is stronger than all other human relationships. It is the pattern for a Christian marriage, both in its inception and in its outworking. It is stronger than family ties (Note that Jonathan actually opposed his father for David’s sake). And it is stronger than our friendships with non-Christians. May the Lord bless us with such friendships and may our friends spur us on to greater faith as we serve the Lord together.

1 Samuel 18:5

2006-12-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

1 Samuel 18:5

Everybody loves a winner – but faithfulness is usually not popular.

David’s star was ascendant at this point: his defeat of the giant had turned around the entire situation, and Israel had won a resounding victory over the Philistines. As a result, everyone loved him, and it seemed that he could do no wrong. Saul promoted him; Jonathan paraded him; the people praised him and the army was pleased with his leadership. David’s career had suddenly taken off, and it appeared that nothing could hold him back. Heady stuff for the young shepherd boy from Bethlehem! His trust in God had resulted in both victory over Goliath and personal notoriety in the eyes of the world.

This is the vision that many have of a “successful ministry.” They are successful when their walk of faith gains not only God’s approval, but also that of the watching world. And even Christians may judge success on the basis of this kind of widespread acclaim. But David is not the poster boy for some kind of prosperity gospel. This moment of popularity is not the whole story for David. It would require some severe twisting of the Scriptures to make this into a simple “home town boy makes good” story. It would be nice to think that one act of faith – one instance of stepping out and trusting God – would have been enough to set David on the throne. Yet, this is not God’s way. True, a few of His choice servants have been successful, as the world defines it, but most were apparently total failures! The vast majority of God’s faithful ones have lived as unknown and unsung heroes of faith, daily following the Lord’s leading, scorned and ignored by the uncaring world. David acted in faith and it brought him a brief flurry of fame and popularity. But such things are notoriously fickle, so it is best not to set our heart on them. On rare occasions, godly faithfulness will gain the applause of the world, but far more often it will be misunderstood or even openly opposed. It was Christ Himself who warned us that since the world hated Him, it would also hate those who followed Him. (John 15:18-20)

How quickly David’s fortunes changed! Most of those who applauded him quickly turned against him and became his enemies. In this, as in so many other areas of his life, David foreshadows his greater Son, Jesus. Christ also enjoyed a brief moment of notoriety, until His teaching shone the light of God’s truth on the comfortable errors of His day. Not only that, but Jesus’ growing popularity with the crowds also caused the country’s leadership to turn against Him. So it was with David: the very source of his acclaim - his defeat of Goliath - became the source of bitter rancor, hatred and life-threatening situations for many years to come. And his popularity with the people turned Saul into a relentless enemy1.

Yet this descent into disrepute was also was God’s plan for David’s life. The pain and hardship had a tempering, sanctifying influence upon him. We know from the Biblical account that he had many painful lessons ahead of him – lessons that many of us are also called to learn. And while the story of the young man winning an impossible fight thrills us, it is the David who could write about anger and abandonment and yearning for God who we most identify with. The David of the Psalms is the one who is able to touch our hearts and lead us back to worship God in the midst of pain and loneliness and hardship. This David was not born on the battlefield or the king’s court; he was forged on the anvil of severe trial, as he learned to trust the promises of an incomprehensible God. (Is. 55:8) David was not immortalized by his worldly successes – his dogged faith in the midst of struggles and failures were what made him the man after God’s own heart.

God’s people often don’t understand this principle and still view worldly acclaim as the measure of success. Sadly, there are some within the church who are willing to do whatever it takes to “glorify God” by being personally successful. After all, everybody loves a winner – and just think about how much could be done for God through worldly success. Our problem is we don’t define success Biblically. In fact, if we are to think Biblically about this issue, we may need to change our vocabulary and replace the world “success” with “faithfulness.” God’s work in the world is accomplished through the faithfulness of millions of foolish, weak and base nobodies. (1 Cor. 1:26-29) ”That no man should boast before God.”

Don’t seek worldly acclaim – it’s a decidedly temporary phenomenon. And don’t expect the world to applaud you for your faithfulness. It may never even know your name. Many times, our acts of faith will only have an audience of One. But that audience is the only one that is important. Only God knows who your faithfulness will impact, but a life of faithfulness reflects His glory. May God’s grace enable us to remain faithful to His call on our life.

1 Samuel 17:58

2006-12-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
1 Samuel 17:58

Rather than give glory to God, unbelief seeks to explain away faith’s victories.

I have long been confused by Saul’s reaction to David’s victory. David had just defeated Goliath using his shepherd’s sling and had cut off the giant’s head. And in a foreshadowing of the conflict still to come, David (who had earlier refused Saul’s sword) takes the giant’s sword to his own tent. The forces of Israel, galvanized by this unexpected turn of events, have routed the Philistine army. And in that context, Saul questioned his field commander, Abner, about David’s identity. So David, still carrying the gory head of Goliath, is brought before the king to introduce himself.
The fact that Saul questioned Abner about David’s parentage is baffling when one considers that David was already something of a fixture at Saul’s court. Now it’s possible that Saul, not being in his right mind when David sang for him, simply didn’t remember the identity of this young man. It’s also possible that Saul was feigning ignorance in order to avoid the embarrassment of having sent a boy to do a man’s job. But we have already seen that unbelief ruled Saul’s thought life and dictated his actions. He had attempted to discourage David’s faith, and when unable to succeed, Saul had tried to dilute David’s faith by suggesting David use ‘reasonable precautions.’ His disobedient, unbelieving heart is well-documented. On this basis, it’s entirely valid to expect Saul to continue in his pattern of unbelief after David’s victory as well.
Therefore, these verses provide a helpful insight into the unbelieving mind. The common response of unbelief, when face-to-face with a triumph of faith, is to seek some natural explanation. Unbelief (especially in our culture) most often finds its roots in a materialistic, naturalistic worldview. It assumes that the supernatural does not exist, and so rejects out of hand the very concept of divine intervention or provision. This response is not new; we find it clearly illustrated here. Saul simply couldn’t accept that it was faith in God that had enabled David to triumph over Goliath. Believing action and faithful confidence in a covenant-keeping God were not part of Saul’s worldview and so they were not an acceptable explanation for David’s victory. So Saul went looking for a natural explanation: he inquired about David’s family tree. The implication is that David must be the scion of a hitherto unknown but great family – a family of warriors. Somehow, David’s genetic heritage (and perhaps early training) had produced a prodigy of warfare. As far-fetched as this may seem, such an explanation was far easier for Saul’s unbelieving mind to accept than was the truth.
Saul’s response provides a Biblical example of what it means to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Rom. 1:18) Sinful man’s inherent hostility toward God and His glory causes him to suppress the truth about God and, by extension, about God’s actions within creation. This suppression is so total that an unbeliever will readily accept an untenable explanation (e.g. the theory of evolution) as long as it effectively denies any action by God. So, answers to prayer will be passed off as coincidence. Spirit-enabled actions and initiative will be explained (as here) through purely human means. And, when all else fails, unbelief will accuse believing conquerors of error or deceit. If we understand Paul’s teaching in Romans 1, we will not be surprised by this kind of response. Fallen, sinful men simply think and act in accord with their sinful nature.
The surprise comes when we witness this kind of response from within the church. Among believers, we should expect to find a broad consensus that affirms the action of God within His creation. Christians, of all people, should expect God to answer prayer, to “show Himself strong on behalf of those who fear Him,” and to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” But unbelief is also alive and well within the Christian community:
A sister is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the church prays for her healing, and God responds with a miraculous removal of the tumors. Rather than give glory to God, unbelief responds by “explaining” that the doctor had misdiagnosed her condition.
A brother responds to God’s leading by praying for an offer on the house he needs to sell, and God provides an offer that very day. But unbelief characterizes God’s provision as a coincidence.
A Christian family has a large financial need that is met “out of the blue” by unsolicited gifts. Yet, unbelief focuses on the human means God used, making the miraculous appear mundane.

We have all experienced victories of this kind and, sadly, many of us have responded in a similar fashion. In the light of the excesses that exist in the church, it is understandable that many believers are reluctant to expect and accept God’s miraculous working. However, such caution runs the risk of denying the legitimate work of the Holy Spirit and tends to dull (rather than sharpen) our faith. Frankly, if we do not expect God to give us great victories, He often gives us what we expect - nothing. Listen to the great hymn-writer, William Cowper:

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare, Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself hath bid thee pray, therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much.

May the Lord give us discernment as we evaluate the victories of faith. But may He also enable us to discern the biases of our own thoughts and keep us from explaining away His answers to prayer. If faith is the victory that overcomes the world, the place it must begin is with the worldly assumptions we harbor in our own thoughts. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph.3:20,21)

1 Samuel 17: 46,47

2006-12-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

…”[T[hat all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

1Samuel 17:46,47

God's glory necessitates an open declaration of faith.

It may seem rather obvious to say, but David’s challenge of Goliath was stated publicly. He made no attempt to hide or temper his open declaration of confidence in God: it was made before the king and court and, soon thereafter, reaffirmed on the battlefield as he cast his challenge into the giant’s teeth. While it is possible for one to exercise faith in a private fashion, it is striking to consider how often the Bible records public declarations of faith – either in word or in action. See Noah’s public declaration of faith in God’s word as the ark took shape over 120 long years. Watch Moses hold out his rod over the Red Sea. Listen to Elijah defiantly call down fire from heaven. Hear Daniel praying out his open window, knowing the lions await him. The examples roll on through the centuries as prophets and apostles, martyrs and missionaries give public testimony to the truth of God’s promises and His power to provide. David’s actions here are completely in accord with this pattern.

Faith is indispensable because it is the essence of what God requires from us as His people. From the very beginning, Adam was given the test of simply taking God at His word. Sadly, his failure to do so plunged all of mankind into unbelief – a condition that lies at the root of all sin. So, when God comes in grace to unbelieving sinners, the first thing He requires of them (of us) is faith: faith that believes His word; faith that repents of all sin; faith that embraces the cross of His Son; faith that is impossible until given as a gift of God’s sovereign grace. (Eph. 2:8-10) True faith is God’s work in us, and He will have His workmanship declared for all the world to see. This is why we profess with our mouth as well as believe in our hearts (Rom. 10:9,10), and why we are to continue to walk by faith and not by sight.

David saw Goliath’s challenge as an opportunity to bring glory to God. He believed without hesitation that God stood for Israel in this conflict, and he openly stated that God’s covenant faithfulness was the source of his courage. Even though he was acting alone as he went out against the giant, David knew he wasn’t alone. God was there, the unbelieving Philistines were there and God’s covenant people were there too. All of them would witness David’s public demonstration of faith – they comprised his audience. His goals were clear: to bring glory to God, to convict the unbelievers and to encourage God’s people. But David understood that, in order for these goals to be accomplished, he had to express his faith openly.

David’s expression of confidence in God brought glory to God and so met his first goal. The mere fact that faith in God moved a stripling to stand against the mightiest warrior on the field proclaimed the glory of the God of Israel – whether or not the giant was defeated. This is the lesson of martyrdom: God is glorified when His people stand for the truth, even if they forfeit their lives in the process. Perhaps Martin Luther said it best: “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever.” In this case, God chose not only to show His glory through David’s profession, but also by granting him a great victory.

David’s stunning defeat of Goliath electrified both armies. The Philistines were at first dumbfounded and then panic-stricken as they fled the field with the army of Israel on their heels. The Israelites, on the other hand, seemed reborn. Shaking off their earlier cowardice, they stormed after the Philistines with a shout of victory and slaughtered the enemy up to the very gates of his strongholds. What a transformation! The entire course of the battle shifted in those few moments as God’s people were inspired and God’s enemies were demoralized by one public act of faith.

Don’t be surprised when you find yourself facing a requirement to “go public” with your faith. God’s commitment to His own glory and His love for you will not allow your faith to remain hidden for long. If your faith is a gift from God, it MUST express itself openly. This is how faith grows stronger. Remember also that stepping out in faith impacts those around you. This is where the reformations and revivals in the history of the church have started – with men and women who were willing to trust God and take a step of faithful obedience. Who knows what God may do through you?