Bible reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”. It is Tuesday as I write this. Last Thursday I had an operation under general anaesthetic in hospital.[1] The surgeon discovered I had “malignant neoplasms” – at least two spreading cancers in the bladder. Brenda and I are waiting for the biopsy results. Then we will have to choose between three treatments all with disabling and debilitating side or after effects, or, we may choose ‘palliative care’, where pain and suffering are medically relieved while the cause is not cured but allowed to take its course. Under God’s careful hand this will almost certainly claim my life in time. It is not the first time we have faced cancer together. Brenda faced it first in 2003, when we were just returning from Khartoum pastoring the International Church. It was treated in England and she made a full recovery, thank God. Next, I had cancer of the voice-box in 2006, followed by neck cancer in 2009. Now 10 years on from that we face our fourth cancer together. When you know you may well die soon it focuses your life and your thinking quite sharply. I have no fear of death because my Saviour Jesus has promised I will be with Him in a place He has made ready in Heaven.[2] I have little fear of dying because modern palliative care removes most of the pain and suffering. I do not enjoy the prospect of being dependent on other people for my personal hygiene and cleanliness, but I do thank God that such caregiving people express His love and concern for an undeserving me. Over the weekend we asked some of our closest family and friends by email to pray with us in the decisions Brenda and I must make together. I quote: “Please pray with us as we trust in God and together seek to make the choice(s) which will honour Him the most. Thanks.” For us, honouring God is our top priority. Whether I live or I die we both want God to be 100% honoured, to be esteemed, to be highly respected by everything we say, do and are. That is what we believe is right, always. God may be honoured through miraculous healing or through medical healing. He works in both. God may alternatively be honoured by giving His children sustaining strength in suffering, resolute radiance in restlessness, or great grace in going to glory. We say in faith with our Lord Jesus, “Lord, not (our) will(s) but Yours be done”. “You, Lord, must be the One Who is honoured”.[3] Paul and Timothy – renewed by the Spirit while still deep in trouble Please read again 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart (we are not discouraged). Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”, (italics are my explanation). Notice that their physical conditions did not control how Paul and Timothy felt about life. They were travelling around the Roman Empire (primarily in Asia Minor – modern-day Turkey – and Greece), proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and founding communities of Christians. Paul also wrote a large number of letters back to these groups, 13 of which are preserved in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians is one of these. Timothy came from Lystra in Asia Minor. He was of mixed race with a Jewish mother and a Greek father. God used Paul to choose him as his travelling companion. If physical conditions did not dominate their thoughts, what did? Read the text once more and see their spiritual eyes were centred on “eternal (everlasting, not temporary) glory (impressive nature, with great beauty)”. Having such anchors “inwardly” (their inner selves, their spiritual lives, their hearts) were always being “renewed” (happening again after a pause, especially with more vigour, energy or enthusiasm than before), 2 Corinthians 4:17, (italics are my explanations). See verse 17 in different English translations: · “For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendour and an endless blessedness]!” The Amplified Bible. · “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing”. Contemporary English Version. · “These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever!”. The Living Bible. · “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever”. The Message.[4] Can you see how for Paul and Timothy deeper understandings of being a follower of Christ came through their very dark experiences? They were travelling in dangerously threatening areas. They suffered illnesses. They were opposed in their preaching and teaching by many powerfully influential people.[5] Although as nothing compared to Paul’s experiences or understandings, Brenda and I have faced several dark times. But while living through the menacing and murky mysteries we have known in the past, and are convinced of still now, our God is always with us! It is certain that the time Paul spent writing in prisons has, over the centuries, produced his most widespread and effective ministry. Multiplied thousands of people worldwide have been influenced positively for Jesus Christ reading his letters now preserved by God in the New Testament. “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength” Paul wrote, “so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it … ”, 2 Timothy 4:17. He believed in his heart the Lord Jesus’ promise, “And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age”, Matthew 28:20. He knew this by experience even in his darkest prison times. Humanly speaking Paul is alone. He is deserted by his friends and colleagues, 2 Timothy 4:16. He is an old man and a loyal servant of Jesus Christ since his astounding conversion, Acts 9:1-18. Born again to new life in Christ, he is continually being filled by the Holy Spirit, Acts 9:17. Now in a foreign city, far from home, surrounded by enemies, in a Roman prison or strict house arrest, threatened with almost certain death any day, I imagine Paul meditating as he writes. I wonder if he recalled God’s much earlier words to Ananias for him? God said almost as soon as Paul was born again, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name”, Acts 9:16. Paul did not shirk, dodge or avoid paying the price of God’s call on his life. He served God, paying the full price. A few months ago I read these comments on 2 Timothy 4:16-18, about the temptation Paul faced in this particularly dark experience. I made a note of it so I can share it with you now. If I didn’t write myself a note I admit I may well have forgotten! “Question: How was Paul’s attaining the heavenly kingdom threatened? Answer: Evil work, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and save me for His heavenly kingdom”. Question: How could an evil work threaten Paul’s attaining the heavenly kingdom? Answer: by tempting him to forsake his allegiance to Christ through disobedience. Question: Was this temptation the “lion’s mouth” from which he was rescued? Answer: Yes. “Your adversary the devil prowls like the roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him firm in your faith”.[6] Question: So who gets the glory that Paul did not yield to this temptation but endured to the end in faith and obedience? Answer: “To Him [the Lord] be glory for ever and ever”. Question: Why? Wasn’t it Paul who stood firm? Answer: “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength!””[7] Are you learning deeper Christian understanding through your darker experiences? I am always having to learn how to “Be still and know that I am God”, Psalm 46:10. God is God. All of Psalm 46 deals with learning about God, Who He is and what He is doing in this world around us. He is with us, present to help in troubling times, defending us better than the Mahdi’s defences against Kitchener by the Nile in Omdurman, outworking His great plan for all nations including for little old you and me! Remember what the shepherd King David wrote: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walkthrough the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”, Psalm 23:1-4, (italics and emphasis mine). Stephen – suffering even while full of the Holy Spirit In Acts 6:1-8:3 Stephen shows us that living in the fulness of the Holy Spirit helps us to be victorious while living through our darker experiences. Sri Lankan Ajith Fernando coined the phrase, “We must develop a theology of the fulness of the Spirit in the darkness”. He went on, “Such a teaching is not easy to grasp in this sensual, hedonistic world, which is afraid of suffering and does so much to avoid it. Yet the Bible tells us to anticipate suffering rather than avoid it. If we have a theology of the fulness of the Spirit in the darkness, we will eagerly seek the blessings we know God will give us through the darkness”.[8] In my experience often it was during my darkest times that I have known God keep filling me afresh with Himself by His Holy Spirit.[9] In the seventies He guided me from being a travelling evangelist to becoming pastor of a small church when an illness suddenly stopped me travelling and put me on my back for a while. Three small church pastorates and over thirteen years later He led me again into an itinerant Bible teaching and evangelism role, using challenging times in those intervening churches to make me better prepared and more useful to Him. During all this time God was turning me into the kind of pastor He wanted Khartoum International Church to have, following on from pastor Darrell Welling’s long, fruitful ministry there, and then retirement. Late 1999, in weakness and trembling but sure God had called us, Brenda and I moved from Cornwall, England to Sudan in obedience to Him and seeking His honour only. We offered God all we could. We held nothing back. In His grace He used our ministries to encourage, train and equip a number of dear believers, about one hundred of whom I contact still in regular ministry today – all for His honour and praise! Stephen was a man “known to be full of the (Holy) Spirit and wisdom” and able to carry specific responsibility, Acts 6:3-5. He was “full of God’s grace and power” and was regularly enabled to work miracles out among people in the wider community, miracles that pointed to his God, Acts 6:8. His success attracted enemies. They accused Stephen of false religious interpretation and teaching, before having him arrested and charged, Acts 6:9-7:1. Stephen was suffering for doing exactly what God wanted him to do in the Holy Spirit’s presence and the Holy Spirit’s power. Acts 7 records Stephen’s summary overview of God at work throughout Old Testament history. He used it as his defence before the Jewish Sanhedrin. In my Bible I have marked every time God is spoken of as doing something in this message. It was clearly something Stephen wanted to get across: Acts 7:2 God “appeared” 7:3 God “said” 7:4 God “sent” 7:5 God “promised” 7:6 God “spoke” 7:7 God “said” 7:9 God “was with him” 7:10 God “rescued” 7:10 God “gave” 7:10 God “enabled” 7:17 God “fulfilled His promise” 7:25 God “was using him” 7:32 God saying, “I am the God of your fathers” 7:35 God “sent” 7:37 God told them, “(I) will raise up a prophet like me” 7:44 God “directed” 7:45 “the nations God drove out” It was certainly a theocentric defence Stephen gave! God was the focal point of everyone’s attention as he spoke. The audience couldn’t help it. Stephen kept pointing away from himself and towards God, which is of course what men and women always do when they are genuinely filled with the Holy Spirit. Doubtless it also helped Stephen personally to focus on God while he probably guessed he was heading towards an inevitable execution. His Sovereign Lord meant more to him than his suffering or even his earthly life. Reading on at the end of Acts 7 we know that, in one way, the event did not end well for Stephen. Having honoured God by his ‘filled-with-the-Spirit Bible lesson’ Stephen was martyred by being stoned to death! But, of course, death brings the real Christian into an absolute and everlasting victory in heaven with the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Please do not be deceived by so-called Christian teachers who say suffering as a Christian is a sign that God has deserted you, or that you are hiding secret sins of some sort, or that you don’t have enough faith to believe for a miracle, or that you are a failure as a Christian. Read and grasp God’s word Our Lord Jesus speaking to His closest followers, warning them of dark times ahead, said: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”. Matthew 24:3, 9-14. Paul writing to his favourite son in the faith, Timothy, encouraging him to stand spiritually strong in the physical and mental pains, losses, restrictions, miseries, ordeals, hardships and distresses of the Christian life and ministry wrote: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, Who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know Whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day”. “Join with me in suffering like a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. 2 Timothy 1:6-12; 2 Timothy 2:3, (italics my emphasis). Carrying your cross for Jesus To carry something means that you have it with you wherever you go. Ideally it should not touch the ground, you must bear its whole weight. Interestingly there is another meaning for the word ‘carry’, in the case of an infectious disease, what you carry may be easily passed on to other people you come into contact with. Maybe we need to suffer for Jesus more to make our witness more effective to outsiders? I believe it is my solemn responsibility to write this and draw your attention to this theme of biblical teaching. I know it is not popular, but I believe it is in direct line with our Lord Jesus’ call to His original disciples: “And He said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ Then He said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” Luke 9:22-25. “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be my disciple”, Luke 14:27, (italics my emphasis). It is a Christian life-principle that the darkness of crucifixion often comes long before the glory of resurrection. Too many Christian believers want the joy and glory of resurrection without the dark pain of crucifixion. The Lord Jesus says to us all, “Follow Me”. What does He mean? To follow Jesus means to accompany Jesus, to attend Jesus, to shadow Jesus, to trail Jesus, to tag along with Jesus, to pursue Jesus, to go after Jesus, to obey Jesus, to copy Jesus, to model yourself on Jesus, to live up to Jesus’ name – His name which you take on yourself as a ‘Christian’. And it means to suffer with Jesus, to feel pain for Jesus in body or mind, to be badly affected or harmed for Jesus, to live in a minority going against the general drift of society around you, to be rejected by them and even killed, just as our Lord Jesus was Himself crucified. The Word, Jesus God the Son, became flesh “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”, John 1:1-5, (italics mine). Our Lord Jesus is the Light of our lives. His life in us gives light to our living. The world is dark everywhere. Our immediate circumstances may be dark too. Our dim vision looking ahead may be gloomy and hopeless. But in and through those dark experiences we can learn precious lessons from our Saviour. He is our Light living in and through us. Think of Paul’s stated ambition for his new Christians: 1. The young Christian church in Thessalonica When “We confront death it forces us to ask the meaning of life”.[10] Ultimately, why are we here living on planet earth? God explains the answer in the Bible and His answer is always the right answer. Creator God wants a living and loving relationship with every person He has ever made, including you and including me! He wants us to live as Christian disciples (that is, copying followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing honour and glory to our Lord Jesus in all we do, in what we think and in who we are. “ … because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia”, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7, (italics mine). Every experience we go through in life, both pleasant and unpleasant, will be fully used by the loving heart and gracious hands of God our Father. He will gradually make us become more and more like our Lord Jesus was in attitudes and actions when in flesh on earth. Always try to recognise God’s sovereignty in your life and then relax into His shaping of both your inner and outward Christian life. He makes no mistakes in the process. He does know best, every time. 2. The young Galatian group of churches Paul’s goal for the Christian churches in Galatia is recorded as: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you …”, Galatians 4:19, (italics mine). “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labour pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives”, New Living Translation. “Paul sought to bring the Galatians to Christlikeness”. [11] That was Paul’s consistent aim. “More specifically, Paul describes the moment of childbirth as being when Christ is formed in them … the picture is of Christ becoming so prominent in us that He begins to do His work in the world through us, along with all others in whom He is formed. It is not about us and our works (as the false teachers had said), it is about Him and His work in us. Even in our own hearts, Christ must increase and we must decrease”, John 3:30.[12] Our simple Christian service, suffering included, will shine the spotlight on our Saviour Jesus. In the Acts history outsiders noticed the disciples “had been with Jesus”, Acts 4:13. The disciples’ lifestyle and conversation was all about Jesus, so much so that it earned them the nickname “Christianoi” meaning ‘Christians, people like Jesus’, Acts 11:26. Today His light and His life radiating from our faces and our faith actions will be our conscious or subconscious witness for Jesus during our daily sphere of influence. Praise God He will use us as lights in the world’s darkness! 3. The holy and faithful believers in Colossae Paul paints a similar picture to another young group of churches: “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He (Jesus) is the One we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me”, Colossians 1:24-29, (italics mine). The acceptance of Christianity by the Thessalonians in spite of severe suffering was a model for others looking on to follow. Choosing to follow the Lord’s call day by day, though often a struggle, worked towards developing a mature, developed, Christian and Christ-filled life. There is no short cut to Christian maturity. As I look back over my 70 years, with 57 of them as a Christian believer, I wish I knew early on many of the things I know now! However, they only come by experience and experience usually takes time, and a lot of it. 4. The maturing Ephesian Christians Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 is a great one for us to pray for other Christians and for ourselves. Almost in the middle of it is the phrase: “ … so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith”. “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God. Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”, Ephesians 3:14-21 (italics mine). For our Lord Jesus Christ to ‘dwell’ in us means that He will stay with us, He will wait with us, He will rest with us, He will lodge with us, He will linger with us, He will ‘hang out’ with us (a phrase a lot of teenagers use where I live), He will abide with us. “Every believer is indwelt by Christ at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13) but He is ‘at home’, finding comfort and satisfaction, only where hearts are cleansed of sin and filled with His Spirit”.[13] We must exercise the Lordship of Jesus Christ over 100% of life. Is your Lord comfortable in your heart and life right now? Does He feel at home? Is He satisfied in your life? It matters more how He feels than how you feel. 5. The Roman church Paul had never met Romans was written to “all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be His holy people”, 1:7. In a brilliantly argued theological treatise Paul sets out the gospel from the total lostness of humankind through to God’s indescribable gift of a Saviour, Who was God Himself in the human form we know as Jesus.[14] In the centre of his argument he comes to a section on the difference between Christians who have the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit living within their hearts and lives, and other people who do not. Please read it carefully: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you”, Romans 8:9-11 (italics mine). Notice the four phrases in my italics above, each beginning with ‘if’ They are, in effect, tests of anyone’s standing before God. I believe it is essential we all understand this, so I will ask direct questions of you: · Do you know God the Holy Spirit living in your life? · Do you know you belong to Jesus Christ? · Is Jesus Christ living in you? In a later Romans chapter, switching from theology to the effect of Bible belief upon a person’s life behaviour, Paul urges believers to ‘sacrifice’ themselves to God. This means Christians give themselves up, abandon themselves, relinquish themselves, surrender themselves, forego, say goodbye to everything else in their lives except living and dying for the honour and glory of God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will”, Romans 12:1-2. Notice ‘true worship’ is not so much about singing rhythmic songs with clapping hands in church, as it is about living daily life on the cross the Lord Jesus gives you to carry with Him. When I was a teenager I offered my life to God for the very first time. Following my conversion, then my baptism as a believer a year or two later, I stood to my feet at the end of a ‘missionary meeting’ in our London church. Several others did too. We were standing in the view of God and before our Christian friends to say we were willing to go anywhere and do anything God called us to do. Little did I imagine then where that would take me! God’s Sovereignty uncovered in life ‘God sovereignly placed me where He did in London with my Dad, Mum and older brother. God sovereignly, and without mistake, made me who I am. He used my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents to forge values and standards in my life. Before I knew Him God used my school choices, the specialist subjects I enrolled in at school. God used the churches my parents and I attended. God used the treasury and banking jobs I had on leaving school. God used all the people who taught me in Sunday Schools, in Boys Brigade and in my early attempts at giving testimony and preaching. I had a lot of good experience before I joined Illawarra Bible College in Australia. While on the two year course I gained more experience in practical mission trips to six countries in South East Asia. Invited back to England on the team of Ambassadors for Christ Britain God opened doors for me to minister around the United Kingdom and Ireland, as I learned from more experienced evangelists. I also helped pastor consecutively three small churches which could not afford to pay a pastor’s full-time salary. I travelled away from each church for up to ten weeks per year, as well as my four weeks holiday. During the first of these pastorates I met Rev. Nagi Konagi from Khartoum. Our church and congregation hosted an area conference for Ambassadors for Christ men from Africa and the Middle East. Nagi was one. God used an evangelist from India, John Paul, to arrange all of this. Three years later John Paul contacted me and said he had been black-listed by the Sudanese government so could not get an entry visa to teach at the annual pastor’s conference hosted by the Bible School at Gereif West. Out of the blue he asked me, “Can you take my place”? So November 1979 began my association with AFC pastors conferences and the churches around Sudan of the pastors who attended them. God’s use of me, one of His available servants, can be traced back over all these years. Looking forward in 1963 or in 1971, or even in 1979, I would never have guessed Brenda and I would have ended up serving God and Sudan over 40 years! In 1999 we went to pastor Khartoum International Church, but God had yet more surprises in store for us both. My health became very poor and our ten year planned programme ended very suddenly and unexpectedly. I could not stay in Africa any longer. But God – two words so important I am going to write them again – but God was still working out His plan for our lives and His ministry for us. We continue to write to and encourage many friends we had made in Sudan over the years. God supplies enough health and strength. God uses our supporting friends to raise money to publish and print thousands of articles and books for use in Sudan, South Sudan and amongst the diaspora in several other countries. Brenda and I know we belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, and that He lives in us by His Holy Spirit. We are giving ourselves to Him day by day as best we know how. If there is any praise due anywhere it must all go to God. In the dark experiences of my life I have developed a deeper understanding of what it means to be a follower of my Lord Jesus. It is especially about keeping priorities. I am not God. Only God is God. Nothing of this world is God, not even my dear wife, children and grandchildren. Only God is God. My ministry must never be allowed to become my God. Only God is God. Only God can ever be God. Anything that threatens is an idol. “And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me’”, Exodus 20:1-2. Discussion guide 1. “… so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”, Philippians 1:20b-21. Explain your understanding of Paul’s writing here. 2. Share how you have been practically able to be renewed in your Christian discipleship even while living through very difficult times, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. 3. Consider Ajith Fernando’s phrase, “have a theology of the fulness of the Spirit in the darkness”. We have attempted to see it in Stephen’s life, Acts 6-8. Do you find it easier to be influenced by your daily circumstances, or by the Holy Spirit? Why is this? 4. What does Jesus’ phrase, “Take up your cross and follow Me”, Luke 9:23, mean to you in daily life? How does it work out in practice? 5. Define “true and proper worship”, Romans 12:1b. Look at the surrounding text, but make the words in your definition your own, do not merely use the Bible’s words – that is too easy! 6. Reflect on God’s sovereignty in preparing you for your life. Pray together to become what He has made you for. End notes: [1] 30th May 2019. One month later, after more test results, the specialist decided it was not malignant. I still experience the pains. A review is planned around Christmas time, with all the unpleasant tests repeated.. [2] John 14:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:6-8. [3] Luke 22:42; John 12:27-29. [4] The website https://www.biblegateway.com/ enables you to look up and compare more than 25 English Bible translations and several other languages too. [5] For Paul’s testimony about all this, see 2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10. [6] 1 Peter 5:8. [7] John Piper https://myhearthisword.blogspot.com/2019/03/when-everyone-deserts- you.html [8] Ajith Fernando Acts – the NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI) 1998, page 266. [9] See Ephesians 5:18-20; Galatians 5:22-25. [10] Borthwick & Ripper The Fellowship of the Suffering (IVP: Downers Grove, Il) 2018, page 168. [11] John MacArthur The MacArthur Study Bible (Crossway: Wheaton, Ill.) 2010, page 1749. [12] https://www.bibleref.com/Galatians/4/Galatians-4-19.html [13]John MacArthur The MacArthur Study Bible (Crossway: Wheaton, Ill.) 2010, page 1749. [14] See Romans 1:18-20, 3:25, 5:1-5, 5:12, 5:18-19, 6:23, 7:24-25, 8:1-4.

Leadership, Integrity and Nation building. – by Elisama Wani Daniel Leadership is a noble task that demands the highest honour and sacrifices in life. It has both privileges and costs. Not everybody who holds a leadership position today is a leader, be it in the public or private domain, either secular or religious. It is a myth to assume that anybody holding, or who strives to hold, a leadership position is a leader, and conversely that anybody who has not held, or is not holding, a leadership role is not a leader. In Africa, and South Sudan is not spared in this, we see many of those holding positions of leadership are found wanting when it comes to what would properly be considered leadership. Most of the time there is a mismatch in their calibre, character and qualities compared with that expected of leaders. We do have plenty of those who hold positions, and so many others scramble for this noble task of leadership, yet very little consideration is given to the demands of this calling. Another myth about leadership is how it is viewed and defined in our part of the world. When you ask people who they think is a leader, many will give you a list of those holding senior or other leadership positions in society, public life and even in the churches, without giving regard to whether they deliver or perform in that role. Leadership therefore, needs demystifying. It is different from ruling. It is not just the occupying of a post, position or carrying a title. It is a lifestyle, so leading by personal example. Leaders are distinguished because of the values they cherish and convictions they have for a cause, which is always for the common good of all the people within their jurisdiction, and distinguished for the character they demonstrate. Leadership in most cases is erroneously defined and associated with having power, creating wealth and exercising control over others. While this may be partly true it misses out other vital dimensions of true leading like serving, protecting, caring and shepherding; having the sense of obligation and responsibility (both to a higher authority and to the people under their care). These seem always relegated and less emphasised. The Christian view and understanding of leadership, which I am passionately biased to affirm, is what I consider the best model for our world today particularly here in South Sudan, although it is a model despised and considered by some as weakness. Servanthood and incarnational leadership were demonstrated and perfectly lived out by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself during His earthly ministry. He was truly a good shepherd; and a shepherd in the Jewish context was known for leading, going before his sheep, one who cleared and set the way. If there are threats, challenges or dangers, then the shepherd leader will be the first to confront them. Hence, those who follow – the sheep – are secure under such leadership. This kind of leadership is concerned with ensuring the common good and the welfare of all people. Such a leader knows his people and knows where he would like to take them – with a clear shared vision. The nation cries out Leadership and nation-building are inseparable. The building of a nation is a noble task that demands true and integral leadership. Equally it is herculean task, never to be taken lightly. In South Sudan the nation cries out for a leadership that will unite our diverse people, while guiding and steering our nation to a free, fair, just and harmonious society, where the rich diversities of all our people are effectively utilised and celebrated. Therefore, in this chapter I would like to outline some of the aspects associated with the kind of leadership needed, that could be applicable to help set our nation of South Sudan (and other nations that may be facing similar challenges) forward on the right footing. Leader know yourself First, the leader’s relationship with him or herself is so crucial and undoubtedly the one single factor that determines who and what the person is and how they would deliver their role. The mind-set, the value system and a personal relationship with God always form the bedrock of one’s life and outlook. Leaders whose formative preparation is not rooted in God will lack the integrity to lead others. Their self is always in conflict with God and sitting on the throne of their life in every aspect. They are not even in peace with themselves, something which can only be found through personal living relations with God. Any leader who does not have such peace within cannot lead others. Their stay in office simply and increasingly prolongs the sufferings of their people. Lead your own family, having their respect The second aspect is about the leader and his or her family, something that many ignore but I would like to state that its importance supersedes all. True leadership begins from the home and is demonstrated in the way you handle and lead your family. If you receive disapproval from your immediate family, whether you are the husband or the wife, then any claim that you can perform out there in the wider community is illusive. Successful leadership is first demonstrated in the home or family unit and this should serve as an acid-test for other leadership. Peace, joy, love, discipline and harmony are hallmarks that should be found in the immediate families of leaders, and those who aspire to lead, without any exceptions or excuses. Therefore, building and sustaining good relationships and resolving any issues at the family level will greatly boost the capabilities, performance and confidence for a person to do the same at any other level, be it community, regional or national leadership. The triple A (AAA) Styles of leadership are explored at more depth in the ensuing chapters. Nevertheless, I wish to allude to a few practical aspects in any style of leadership that make a lot of sense to people. I hereby apply ‘the triple A (AAA) acronym’, namely Acceptability, Availability and Accessibility: Acceptability suggests that people should always ask you to lead them, they need to accept you whether through an elected process, nomination or any form of choice, meaning that you are not imposed on them, nor do you cling on to leadership by any means you can. Acceptability creates legitimacy and credibility for any leadership. When you are accepted the populace will be happy, supportive and will never (perhaps I should say, seldom ?) groan. Availability of leadership means that they are responsive, proactive and outgoing in reaching and meeting the people at the point of their needs. In times of joy and sorrow, they are emphatically available to be with the people, not just for show but genuinely identifying and sharing in the people’s lives. In the Bible we see Jesus interacting with all classes of people. He is seen attending weddings, going to funerals and sharing meals with any stratum of society – something that good leaders can emulate. In Africa, again including South Sudan, we find leaders (especially national leaders like presidents, governors, commissioners, mayors and commanders) who are shielded, isolated from the very people they are supposed to shepherd. Huge sums of taxpayers’ money are spent running and maintaining large motorcades and often armed protection forces to accompany them in their movements. This becomes less necessary when a leader is widely acceptable, because hardly anybody will want to harm them. Accessibility means that there should never be any serious barriers between the leaders and their people. Somebody one time said that “it is much easier to see God than to see certain earthly leaders”. They become so out of touch with reality and their people. They have no time to listen to or understand what their people are going through. Good leaders are accessible and their leadership demands simplicity of life, where they are intentionally incarnate,[1] creating opportunities to interact with the common man. Thus they entrench accessibility in the apparatus and systems of their institutions. Dr John E. Johnson stated that “I do believe Jesus modelled an incarnational leadership; a leadership which is about influence, and leaders who influence are those who walk in proximity to their followers. Their leadership is tangible and impactful”.[2] Knowing and keeping the vision A good leader should also be strategic in direction, have foresight and be visionary, as these are attributes that propel, inspire and give impetus to any leadership role. I should, however, mention that leaders may not necessarily be the best qualified, most skilled or longest experienced people in any organisation, but they should uniquely be the vision’s custodians and carriers. Only then can they provide strategic direction. If any leader lacks this, then the organisation, or even a nation, is in a very serious situation. Hence the wise proverb, “where there is no vision, the people perish”[3]. Choosing to make a difference True leadership and nation building go together. They are inseparable. In history, we have seen successful leaders who have left legacies behind even when they have gone to their rest. Such people are still referred to as the ‘fathers of nations’, ‘fathers of organisations’, or ‘founders of the vision’, hence the saying, ‘leaders never die’. So, what made them uniquely exceptional, so much so that they are sometimes fabled as superhuman or extremely special people? I agree that such people are indeed special people who have exceeded expectation, but I also believe that this can be by their own choice rather than only being attributed to a superhuman disposition, (with one exception carefully made for God the Holy Spirit, who is given to all who follow God). Thus, with the right mind-set, being Holy Spirit-filled and firmly resolved, one can choose to make a difference in one’s life time for an ‘institution’, or a ‘nation’, and thus one becomes a nation-building leader if and when the opportunity comes along. God has His plan This book, therefore, wishes to introduce you, the reader, to the conviction that wherever God has positioned you now is not by accident. It is God-designed and God-sent. Hence, seize the opportunity to do the needful things and exceed expectations by resolving to make a difference, aiming to have your name go into the chronicles of the acclaimed. Mordecai, the uncle (guardian) of Queen Esther challenged her to seize the moment and make a difference at the palace. He suggested God had called her saying, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such at a time as this?”[4] She was there so that she could save the Jews. Mordecai did however warn her that if she failed to act and did not do what was needful, then God is more than able to bring somebody else to do His work. She should watch out for herself if she fails to use the God-given opportunity at her disposal. This is good news for us all. God wants to use us for the common good, to serve and deliver all people around us from terrible situations, so that all the people will rejoice, be happy and live in peace. For leaders of nations the building of a nation is a continuous process like a train journey, where people get on and off at different stations. When you occupy your leadership position, you must rightly play your part. Then you must leave and let God’s next appointed continue. It can happen that people may be tempted to stay too long at the founding of a nation or after bitter wars as is our case in South Sudan. However, it is always best to leave and, leave graciously, honourably and with dignity. These are signs of a good ending for any leader. This can and should happen at any stage of development in the nation building process. Nobody stays on a train forever, not even the driver! The essential attributes and the right perspectives must guide such continuations and transitions. Accountable to God and our people I also want to emphasise that we must consistently live in the fear of God. We are stewards of ourselves (for we all belong to God) and we are stewards of the people under our care (for they too are God’s people made in His image). Each of us is accountable to God. We are all God’s servants, called and responsible to serve God through serving one another at different roles and levels during various times. Leaders are, therefore, not rulers but people’s shepherds who guide, direct, feed, care, tend, protect and do everything to ensure the welfare of all. In governance, this is referred to as a ‘social contract’, where leaders and the citizenry are expected to meet and deliver on both responsibilities and obligations, for the common good of all. When seen and unseen, serving everyone Good national leaders are also those who strive to live above reproach. Their lifestyle, both public and private, their words and deeds, must not lean in favour of any ethnicity, clan, region, religion or any external affiliation or patronage. National leaders must be – and be seen to be – impartial, just, and ‘fathers’ or ‘mothers’ for all, especially to the seemingly weak, marginalised or minorities among the population. They must ensure that every citizen feels that they own and are part of the system or national apparatus, so they can identify and see themselves participating in all echelons and across all sectors of national institutions. Proportionality In the Bible, God instructed Moses to prepare the children of Israel after leaving captivity in Egypt on their way to the promised land to build their nation. He organised the people and set up institutions of governance. A vivid and useful example for us is when he formed the national army. God requested him to select men aged twenty years[5] and above from all the twelve tribes of Israel to contribute proportionally to the army, so that the big tribes, although more in number, were still proportionate and vice versa with the smaller tribes. Because of this, the children of Israel won victories and took over their promised land where they enjoyed peace, victory, development and prosperity for all (not just for a clique or a few). Surely this should be our model, not just for the army but for all government sectors and institutions. Notice, though, this does not happen automatically. It was a deliberate and intentional act that demanded strong and perceptive leadership – and one which I think national leaders in South Sudan and beyond should borrow. Seen to be fair and just Another fact that cannot be compromised is that the power, authority and resources entrusted to leadership ought to be distributed fairly and equitably, invested for all, with visible integrity. Many leaders in the world, and more so in Africa (South Sudan included), abuse and misuse power with apparent impunity. They selfishly enrich themselves and their cronies at the expense of the populace. This is not only wrong but sinful and immoral, and it does not depict true leadership. Earlier on, I stated that good leadership begins at home. Remember that good parents will not selfishly enrich and lavish themselves at home at the expense of their own spouses and children. Instead, they will sacrifice themselves to care more for their families, all those for whom they are rightly responsible. A sad experience happened in South Sudan in 2012, when the government, due to an economic crisis, introduced austerity measures throughout the country, cutting down its expenses including salaries and allowances. This affected all civil servants, but the leaders exempted themselves from the cuts! Civil servants who had the lowest pay carried the greatest burdens. They sacrificed in contrast to the leaders who, though few, kept their pay which constituted a huge chunk of the budget. Leaders’ living standards were hardly affected. This was not good shepherding. It did not show a good example. Showing by example is always the best and leading by example is always right, beginning from home and proceeding to the society at large. As I have mentioned before, to lead does not necessarily mean you are the best and most qualified person for the job. But your attitude, passion and, most importantly, your beliefs should be fundamentally correct and good. Then you can inspire others in the direction you wish everyone to take. You simply pass on to others the vision you have grasped, others who will also grasp it and in turn pass it on to more. Your main role is a life enhancer – creating the space and conducive environment, guiding the people and giving them the opportunity to excel together to greater heights than you as a leader would otherwise ever reach. Max DePree stated that “a good leader is not one who will do the work of ten people well, but is he or she who will allow and facilitate ten people to do their work well”.[6] Similarly, late U.S. President Ronald Raegan said, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things”.[7] Good leadership is, therefore, not about position, power, wealth, titles and so on. Rather it is about servanthood and sacrifice and hard work, always seeking after the common good and the welfare of all who are under your care. It is about creating a legacy by exceeding expectations – going beyond what is expected of you. It is a lifestyle based on godly values, character and humility. Where from here? Our nation of South Sudan is in need of such leaders: God-fearing leaders of integrity, who manage and care for their families well before they show off in the public sphere. Those who become faithful stewards of the national resources and wealth entrusted to them by God and the people. Those who are sober and not given to intoxication or reckless pleasure and excesses. Those who are not corrupt or tribal. Instead, and positively, they should be visionary, faithful, hard-working and committed to the nation and its people. They should always be progressive, laying strong foundations for good governance, the rule of law, economic development and growth, the provision and delivery of services. Their lives must be exemplary of the things they expect from the people, such as upholding and submitting 100% to the rule of law. South Sudan needs leaders who will invest their lives through sacrifices for the future generations ahead – building not only institutions, places and physical infrastructures, but also the national reserves for the studied needs of tomorrow. Their personal needs must come last (including those of their tribes and relatives) while the needs of all the people must come first. And after doing these good works, any leader must be willing and quick to step aside, and not cling on to power for the sake of being in power. Honourable and graceful exit is rare, but it is a very important trait of true leadership. Many good leaders even in Africa have stumbled or fallen over this. Let us keep praying South Sudan will not fall into the trap. Discussion Guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted 1. What are some of the “privileges and costs” of leadership? Hebrews 13:7-8; 2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10; Psalm 140:1-13. 2. “True leadership begins from home”, true or false? Why? 1 Timothy 3:1-13. Does leading the nation change these requirements? Why? 3. What aspects of being “good parents” can all leaders beneficially learn from? 4. “One can choose to make a difference … for an institution or a nation”. Being guided by Joseph, Genesis 39:20-23, and Daniel, Daniel 1:8-21, explain how one may “choose” today. Be as practical as you can. 5. “Then you must leave and let God’s next appointed continue”. Why do people find it so hard to “leave”? Think about Paul, Philippians 1:19-26; and Saul, 1 Samuel chapters 15-18. 6. Produce your own definition of a “God-fearing leader of integrity”. Consider Acts 4:36-37; Acts 6:8; Acts 8:26-29; Acts 10:2; Acts 11:22-24. 7. “leaders who will invest their lives through sacrifices”. Describe the price – some of the costs that must be paid – to be a godly leader. Luke 9:23-26. [1] Present and representative https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english . [2] Dr John E. Johnson Under an Open Heaven: A New Way of Life Revealed in John’s Gospel (Kregel Publications: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA) February 2017. [3] Proverbs 29: 18 King James Version. [4] Esther 4: 14. [5] Numbers 1:1-46 [6] Max DePree Leadership is an Art (Crown Business.com, part of Random House Publishers: New York) 1987. [7] https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/the-100-best-leadership-quotes-of-all-time.html

Acts 6vs1-7. Church Growing Pains. In our terraced house in Redruth the only bathroom and toilet we have is downstairs. When the houses were originally built, more than one hundred years ago, there would only have been a privy in the garden. When Brenda and I moved there in 1987 we were able to redevelop the back of the house creating a modern kitchen and small sitting area which provided a proper link between the bathroom and the rest of the house. We considered trying to extend the first floor as well as the ground floor so as to include at least toilet facilities near the bedroom, but we were unable to. The reason was the foundations under the old kitchen and lean-to walls. The Local Authority building regulations pronounced these foundations were inadequate for a second storey and everything would need to be demolished and rebuilt on stronger foundations if we were to extend up above the ground floor. The growth of a church is similarly enhanced or stifled by the background church-government structures. If one man can adequately pastor fifty people his congregation may increase as people see others being helped. That one man is then stretched to breaking point trying to pastor one hundred people in the same way as he pastored fifty. Since fifty people were his full-time occupation where can he find the extra time to care for double the number? Perhaps Christian ministers should have lessons from Joshua and Hezekiah on making the sun stand still or go backwards? There have to be easier ways! The church in Jerusalem grew rapidly. In Acts 1vs15 the believers could be counted at about 120; Acts 2vs41 adds about 3000; Acts 4vs4 reckons the number of men in the church to be 5000; by Acts 5vs14 "nevertheless more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number". Acts 6vs7 records the number of disciples living in Jerusalem increasing rapidly and including a large number of Jewish priests. With all these people in the fellowships it is no surprise there was room for complaints. In Acts 6 we are introduced to some of the growing pains of the church. "Murmurings" (KJV), "disagreements" (NEB) or "complaints" (NIV) all translate the lovely Greek word 'Gongusmos'. The implications of the word are that a lot of muttering was going on in private because the converts from a Greek background felt they were being discriminated against in favour of converts from a Hebrew background. The problem was not a sign of a lack of church growth, it was highlighted because the church was growing so fast. It had outgrown its structure. In Acts 1-5 the apostles carried almost all the burden of the church themselves. In Acts 6 they realised it could not go on that way. Perhaps one of them had read the story of Jethro visiting Moses in Exodus 18 as a quiet time reading. They certainly seemed to heed the priest of Midian's wise counsel. Jethro said to his son-in-law Moses: "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone ... select capable men from all the people - men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens", Exodus 18vs17, 18, 21. This problem surfaces in different ways. One church I pastored grew from a congregation of fifty to more than one hundred and fifty as God blessed the witness of the Christians in their everyday lives. Some folk who had been in the church for years were disappointed. "This fellowship used to be so friendly. We used to know everybody who came. Where did the friendliness go?" The answer was that the friendliness had not gone. It was practically more difficult for one person to get to know one hundred and forty-nine others. Some had enough problem remembering ten names correctly. In this fellowship the issue was complicated by holidaymakers who would swell the ranks. Our members did well at saying over coffee: "Welcome to Redruth Baptist today. May I ask where you come from?" Sometimes I was embarrassed, as others were, when the reply was: "Oh, I live in Redruth and have been coming regularly for the last three months!" Growth pains are real. They are not easy to cope with. They are not, however, a sign that God has stopped working or that desperate measures need to be taken. A church that is planning to grow should prepare structures that will adequately cater for that growth, much like excited parents-to-be decorate the small bedroom and buy clothes, toys and a special bed in readiness for 'junior's' arrival. From Acts we can learn some of the needs for change. There was an administrative need. An efficient organisation had to be set up to supervise fair distribution of the God-inspired community food programme, Acts 6vs1. Also there was a ministry need. The Twelve had to ensure they remained available for their God-given preaching and praying ministry, Acts 6vs2, 4. No-one in the church disputed it. They all knew what the apostles were called to do and they were all going to make sure the apostles were enabled to keep doing it. I think we can also see here a need for consolidation of the work. The Twelve did not want to lose their effective ministry amongst the recent Greek and Hebrew converts. Neither did they wish to hinder the expansion of their evangelistic preaching and teaching. They had to strike a balance between advancing and maintaining. Every bit of the ministry was God-initiated and so they needed to discover and implement His solution to the immediate crisis. Church leadership always needs to be governed by the needs of today, not the trust deeds or traditions of yesterday. Good foundations are to be built on. Weak foundations need to be superceded. Legitimate, but changing demands will require Holy Spirit led alterations to plans and patterns that have evolved through the centuries. Some people argue "Just leave it to the Holy Spirit and He will sort things out. We need do nothing." What spiritual blindness! In Acts 6 it was the Holy Spirit who resolved the situation as He led the apostles to call a church meeting and as He impressed on the congregation the men He was selecting to serve in particular ways. God the Holy Spirit worked as the people addressed themselves to the problem. Paul and Barnabas brought consolidation to their later missionary work in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch when they "appointed/ordained/had elders elected for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust", Acts 14vs23. They knew they could not personally remain in those towns so they initiated a basic structure under God that would enable His work to continue unhindered. Acts 8vs1 describes an event that demanded a change in church structure. Suddenly the congregation was dispersed far and wide as a result of intense persecution. The Greek word for "scattered" comes from two other words meaning "to sow seed" and "throughout". God was helping the Christians to fulfil the Great Commission, but it stretched the mechanics of their church government. Only the small leadership group remained in Jerusalem. An army of Christians was planting Gospel seeds all over the other towns and villages. In Acts 11vs22-26 the church had to respond to new openings God had brought about. The leadership did not specifically tell anyone to go to Antioch and witness to every ethnic group, but some of the believers had seen a work of God drawing people to Himself as they did it. Barnabas was immediately dispatched to discover what was happening 300 miles away from the headquarters. True to his name Barnabas encouraged the things he could see had God's stamp of approval, even though they were not a pre-scheduled part of a five-year plan, nor had they ever been done anywhere before! Growth prompted change. The young eldership of the Galatian churches appointed in Acts 14vs21-28 was entrusted with the care of new converts although they did not have much experience themselves. Paul did not leave them entirely on their own. He made several visits himself, and through his representatives, and he also wrote at least one teaching letter to them to help them combat traditional errors. The apostles in Jerusalem did not attempt to lead the developing churches dictatorially. When Paul and Barnabas brought a delegation to their Council in Acts 15 the believers were seeking guidance over the place of Jewish rules in Christian fellowships. The clear recommendations given are an example of spiritual wisdom, tact and grace. The simple message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ never changes, but its practical application to a constantly changing world demands careful attention. The key to success has more to do with the kind of people working within the structures than the structures themselves. Reading Acts 6 we benefit from the Twelve's stipulations over the prospective administrators of the church's feeding programme. The people who were selected and the principles of their selection make for interesting thinking and application to the church today: whether the church is looking for elders, housegroup leaders, children's work teachers, social workers or whoever. Why they chose seven we don't know, except it was obviously enough to share the responsibility without overburdening them. There were upwards of 5000 to choose from, Acts 4vs4. They did not just appoint any old person who was willing to stand for the job. The positions were not given to special friends or family members. Nor was a wealthy man given the job to keep him on side. Every man had to show these five qualities:- 1. They were local men. Acts 6vs3 begins, "Brothers, choose seven men from among you..." They had to be believers from the same environment as the congregation. They needed to be aware of the problem that had been happening and they should be in touch with the latest developments. 2. They were known men. These men must be "known to be" possessors of certain attributes we will discuss in a moment. They had to be men whose lives were open, men who were discerned to be true by the congregation. They were allowed no cupboards for skeletons to hide in. The way western news reporters and television journalists investigate public figures today verges on the criminal. In pursuit of 'the public's right to know' the individual is permitted very little privacy. People who serve in the church should have proven, attested, genuine and good characters. What they were prior to their conversion should not be held against them. The new creation in Christ is the one who is being of value in Christ's church. 3. They were spiritual men. If they were "full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom", they probably did not mention those facts themselves. A person who has to state his own attributes possesses them inadequately. One who is spiritually mature, or quickly maturing, is quite obvious to those around him. To be full of the Holy Spirit entails being emptied of selfish ambition, pride in position, lordliness and authoritarianism. Peter wrote later on, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen". 1 Peter 4vs10 and 11. To be absolutely full of something means to be liable to overflow when moved! These men were to be overflowing with spiritual wisdom, discernment, counsel and grace. 4. They were responsible men. Acts 6vs3 continues "...we will turn this responsibility over to them". The apostles were appointing these men to an important position of authority. J.B. Philips paraphrases their task as "to look after the accounts". The men were trustworthy in every respect. The apostles and the people had confidence in them. Because the Twelve were hoping to give them the job and leave it completely to them to manage, they had to choose men who would grasp any arising nettles. If they had to keep checking what their 'deacons' were doing the Twelve would still have had little time for prayer and Bible study. 5. They were men suited to this particular task. "this responsibility". Their appointment had a clear job description. Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas are all names indicating the men came from Gentile backgrounds. They were ideal for dealing with the Grecian Jews and their complaints. There was no cover up. They were humanly qualified, as well as spiritually qualified, for the job. We all need to be where God wants us to be, doing what God wants us to do in the way He wants us to do. When we know we are doing what we are called to do, we know we can accomplish all that the task demands because He who calls also equips. When God initiates change He will bring it about through men and women who are totally about His business. The apostles gave themselves sacrificially to prayer and the ministry of the word, Acts 6vs4. They would allow no other priorities. The church of Jesus Christ would always have first call on their time. In united prayer they went to God on behalf of the people and then to the people on behalf of God. They engaged in spiritual warfare on their knees. The word of God was given quality time as they learned in their studies and taught their Bible classes. Paul and Barnabas did similarly at Antioch in Acts 11vs26. And to enable them to keep to these goals, the Twelve commissioned others to different vital ministries within the church, Acts 6vs6. They had quickly taken the initiative in vs2 and they were not slow in seeing it through to completion. Had they procrastinated the problem would have spread and they would have lost much more of their own precious time. The results of such leadership are thrilling. Acts 6vs7 "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith". Stephen, whom God was to use in such a special way among synagogue members and even the Sanhedrin, came into the ministry through this change in structure, Acts 6vs8 and 9. Philip the evangelist who went to Samaria and was instrumental in starting the African church was given his first recognition, and opportunities. God works out His purpose as we are willing to change ourselves and our ways to conform to what He requires of us for today. Just one more thought on this - what situations should motivate thinking about changing structures? In many conversations with non-Christians as I have missioned in England from house to house or in busy public places, I have discovered that a significant majority of people have rejected the church but they have not rejected God. If some of our church traditions and structures are barriers to the lost hearing the Gospel it is time we ventured out of our safety zones, sacrificed our own preferences, and shared Jesus Christ in His reality and relevance. Is there anything else in your community, other than church, that starts at 6pm? How many children are with the other half of their family only on Sundays? Is it therefore better to invite them for Christian instruction on a different day? How much time does our church diary of events allow our members to simply befriend the lost folk round and about them? If people reject church it is not too serious. If people reject God because of church, something desperately needs changing. Discussion questions Share together some statistics: How many people are there in your fellowship? How many people are you acquainted with? How many people do you really know well? Would small caring groups within the whole be beneficial? How many leaders are there in your fellowship? How many jobs are you expecting each of them to do? Is there a difference of status or only of role between administrative and ministry jobs? Is 'survival' a sufficient motive for change or does Jesus give us another motive?

Bible readings: Matthew 12vs33-37; Luke 6vs43-49. My life (put) alongside God's word, volume 1. Pastors are people of words! Tradesmen all have their own “tools of their trade”. A farmer will have his plough and silo. A mechanic will have a variety of spanners, cutters and measures. A printer will begin with a camera and end with a paper trimmer. Even a nurse has her medicines and bandages. For us Christian leaders “words” are the most important tools that we possess. “Words” are units of language that express particular meaning by themselves or with others.[1] When a preacher says, “In other words …” he is going to try to say the same thing in a simpler, explanatory way. To “have a word with someone” is to engage in vocal intercourse – to chat, to converse, often with a firm trace of anger, to try and put a wrong right. The “number of words” is important for a thesis submitted at university. Not too many and not too few. Either error will mean being awarded a lower mark. The list of words about words goes on. Sometimes you are made to “eat your own words”. This doesn’t mean you eat your written paper, perhaps with some sweet strawberry jam spread all over it! It means you retract the statement you made, because you realise what you said earlier is not true – something I hope you never have to do as a preacher of God’s truth. Jesus clearly stated that people show what they are really and truly like by the things that they say. Spoken words indicate plainly the inner attitude and character of any person. Just as a banana palm produces bananas while a coconut palm grows coconuts, so a genuine Christian – a man or a woman spiritually born again to live under the rule of the Kingdom of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ – a genuine Christian, wisely uses good words well. Matthew 12:36 tells us we must account to God on judgement day for every “careless” word. Consulting commentaries and dictionaries this Greek word argos means idle, unfruitful, ineffective, inactive, barren or worthless. My brothers and sisters, please, do not waste words! You and I ought to be wordsmiths, people skilled in using words. Just as a locksmith constructs a suitable lock for every individual job, ensuring that it fits, it makes secure, it is user-friendly but keeps out unwanted intruders, it is strong enough for the job without overkill (little point in a five bar lock on a box that could be carried away in a pocket anyway!). We are to be especially Christian wordsmiths. I mean by this that there are certain key Christian words we must be able to define, keeping the depth of mystery as well as miracle and majesty that our subject deserves. When someone asks us to “give a few words” we are required to give a brief talk. This is something very few preachers can do, and even fewer are able to do it well! You may even be thinking right now that this article is too long, so I’ll bring it to a relevant, but challenging, conclusion. A friend I used to room with in Bible College in Australia around 1968-70 is now back living in Australia after years of missionary service in Thailand. His knowledge of the Thai language brings him job opportunities to earn money, something that is always useful. But he is called into critical situations and asked to translate. One person may be accused of a serious crime from drug smuggling to murder. Another may be suspected of entering Australia illegally. At other times my friend is called to a hospital to translate where a patient is trying to describe his life-threatening symptoms to a surgeon. How my friend needs Holy Spirit inspired translation and sympathetic but specific expression in the words he puts to the authorities on behalf of his “customers”. I firmly believe that every one of us have similar deep and precious responsibilities as we speak God’s word from the pulpit and in everyday conversation. During 40 years of Christian ministry, with small groups often being at the heart of my meetings even though it was the large meetings which “made the headlines”, I have noticed that people who are “men or women of few words” are well worth listening to. By and large it is true that empty vessels make the most noise, read and see the implication of 1 Corinthians 13. A lot of preaching I have heard would have sounded better if the preacher had honestly said: “words fail me”, and then sat down to let the actual words of God (the Bible itself) be heard expressing the wonders of God’s grace extended towards sinners like me. Sadly some “expository preaching” makes things less clear and not clearer. For examples of principles and of good practice see Ezra 7:10; Nehemiah 8:7-8; 2 Chronicles 17:7-10; Deuteronomy 8:1-5; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 20:25-31. Our words show our hearts’ state of health. A diseased tree will always bear unusable fruit until the disease is properly treated. Let’s ask ourselves the question posed by JB Phillips paraphrase from Matthew 12:33, “You must choose between having a good tree with good fruit and a rotten tree with rotten fruit”. And trees are only an example to us, an example of a person’s life. What do you want your life to become? Discussion questions: 1. Have you ever said something you wish you had not? Why? 2. “Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks”, Luke 6:45. What does this mean in daily life and ministry? 3. Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4 speak of the words of God being the bread of life for people. What does this mean for your daily speaking – from pulpit or across the living room? How can you improve it? [1] Macmillan School Dictionary (Oxford) 2004.

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. The essential nature and character of God. The Holy Trinity God is mysterious as well as majestic. We do not understand all about Him, which is not surprising since He is King of all other kings and Lord of all other lords. Paul uses three important words in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, describing how God works in a variety of ways through the church: “Spirit” (Greek - pneuma) verse 4; “Lord” (Greek - kyrios) verse 5; and “God” (Greek - theos) verse 6. Verse 3 links the first two together, as Paul writes: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit”. The word ‘Trinity’ is not written anywhere in the Bible. However, the thought or the idea is assumed throughout. The English word ‘trinity’ means“a group of three, or the state of being threefold”. In Christianity ‘Trinity’ means ‘the union of three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one Godhead’. The Bible’s central message of salvation through Jesus Christ only makes sense if God is Trinity. No person less than God could ever be good enough to atone for the world’s sin. Think slowly and carefully about this. God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is three distinct persons. Each One of the Three is fully God Himself. Yet always and forever there has been, is and will be, only one God. This is the mystery of God in His greatness, in His ‘other-ness’. He is not like anyone else we know. Although not a biblical word, ‘Trinity’ is a theological term that expresses what we believe the Bible teaches. The Latin term ‘trinitas’ was probably first used around 200 A.D. by Tertullian. Christians by the 4th and 5th centuries had clearly stated in the Athanasian Creed: “the Catholic Faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity”. (‘Catholic’ here means universal, believed by the whole Christian church). Trinity means that God is one in His essential being, while being at the same time three distinct persons. Each Person is the fullness of the Divine Being and yet each Person is also, at the same time, seen to be a different form of the Divine Being. The Holy Spirit is a Person Who is fully God. Jesus Christ is a Person Who is fully God. The Father is a Person Who is fully God. Even so, there is only one God. This one God is not made up of Father, added to Son, added to Holy Spirit. In all schools small children learn logically that ‘one plus one, plus one, equals three’. Christians must think theologically beyond even logic! Stop to think again about this mystery of God: there is one God, of indivisible unity, in three distinct Persons. Let your God become greater than you can even imagine Him to be. Faith, not logic, is needed to help us come to the right answers about just Who this God really is. (Hebrews 11:1,6). Three illustrations serve to teach us a little of what this God is like, although they are best used to highlight the differences between God and the example. You are one human being.You are a child of your parents.You may be (or hope to be one day!) the marriage partner of your husband/wife. Perhaps you are also (or will be) a parent to your own children. As one person you are a child, a husband /wife, and a father /mother. Three persons in one human being. But, the differences with God can be seen in this: once, you were just a child. At that time you were not a marriage partner, nor a parent. God has always been, and will always be, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We all use water. We wash in water. Perhaps we like to drink cold water, so we put ice into the glass. Ice is just frozen water. In making tea, we boil water on the charcoal fire. We know when the water is boiling because steam comes from the kettle. Steam is just water changed into a gas by boiling. Water can be water, or ice, or steam. Three states of water. But, the difference between this example and God, is that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit all at one and the same time. Water can only be either water, or ice, or steam, at any one moment in time. It can change from being one to being another as time passes. But, of course, God does not change. Imagine you are sitting in your living room. You are breathing air, though you cannot see it. There is sunlight in the room. You feel warm as the sun heats up the air temperature. The atmosphere of that room is made up of life-giving air, light and warmth. Three things in one. But, the difference to notice about God is that air, light and heat are all caused by something outside of the atmosphere itself. It is the sun that affects all three. God is self-existing and needs nothing outside of Himself in order to be Himself. We cannot understand God partly because God is Spirit and we think in largely physical terms. We also cannot understand God because He is infinite, while we are only finite beings capable of only finite thoughts. Christians do see a plurality within the Godhead, but this is not the polytheism Muhammad was concerned to avoid. Christians, along with Jews and Muslims, believe in one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; and Qur’an 112:14). The Old Testament word used here for ”one” (Hebrew – echad), means one in unity rather than one on its own. It is used of a husband and wife being ‘one’ flesh in marriage (Genesis 2:23-24). If God is only one person, how could He love, and who could He love before anything else was created? God has always had a loving relationship within Himself between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Islamic Tawhid, the confession of the unity of Allah or the Oneness of God, instructs Muslims “there is only one God, one truth, one straight line between two points: God and his servants, one family, one couple of parents - Adam and Eve, one human race, one heaven and one hell”. Muhammad did not accept that Jesus was the Son of God (Qur’an 9:30), nor did he accept the Trinity (Qur’an 4:171). Usually Islamic traditions take references to ‘the Spirit’ to mean the angel Gabriel, although the word can also refer to Jesus as a Spirit from Allah, as well as to God’s own creative power giving life to Adam and to Jesus. As the word ‘Trinity’ is not in the Bible, neither is the word ‘Tawhid’ in the Qur’an. The different concepts of ‘One God’ which Christianity and Islam each hold, are both understood from their entire sacred texts, not just 'proof' verses. Muslim scholars teach that “the essence of the divine being cannot be grasped by man by way of comparison and analogy”. They also recognise that “men cannot imprison God in a description”. Yet they appear able to definitely rule out the Christian concept of God the Holy Trinity. The Bible says:“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, and through Whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” Hebrews 1:1-3. Jesus said: “I and the Father are One” John 10:30; “… the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you” John 14:26. Each one of us needs to decide in Whom we are putting our faith. Thinking it through. (a). How can you define the Trinity yourself? (b). How do you answer a member of another faith who understands that ‘Christians believe in three gods’? (c). Is it right or wrong for there to be some mystery about God? Why?

Issues facing Christians in Sudan today. Bible readings - Ephesians 5:15-6:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7 I want to share something very important with every Christian man who reads this study. But, please be warned first! Only read on if you are prepared to be challenged by God about your relationship with your wife and children. As you look around your home, I expect you can see that most items within it have a specific purpose. The chair is for sitting on. The table is for eating at. The window lets in light to see with, as well as opening to give some fresh air to breathe. Just as it is true that ‘things’ in your home are put there for a reason, so God has placed you in your home and in your family because He has a role in His mind for you to perform there. A chair with a broken leg becomes almost useless in the home. It takes up valuable space, but it cannot be sat upon. Everyone has to take care of it rather than it offering itself to serve others. People living in the home, and their visitors, all have to be protected from sitting on the broken chair or they will likely hurt themselves by crashing down on to the floor! And here’s the challenge: if you and I do not live the way God intends for us to live in our own homes, then – without meaning to – we probably do more harm than we realise. God has given to many men the privilege and responsibility of being both husbands and fathers. Every one began life as a son to his own parents. Some remain in that position alone for their whole lives. That is a special gift given by God to be received with deliberate faith, see 1 Corinthians 7:1, 7, 8, 32, 37. But most men will choose a bride for a wife, entering into a life-long relationship of partnership in family life. I met my wife in Australia, on the other side of the world from England where we both grew up. Our homes were just 38 miles apart in England, although we never knowingly met. Thousands of miles away in Australia we were the only two English students at a College. God brought us together and gave us to each other. Your story will be different to mine. May be your parents chose your bride for you, after ‘negotiating’ with her family? Perhaps you married a childhood sweetheart? In the end, however you ended up together, you must realise that God makes no mistakes! His call to you is that you live out your responsibilities towards your wife and your children, using all the help and advice that He offers you in the Bible. Let’s go through what God expects from us and see what He will help us do. 1. A Christian man is to bring Leadership into his home and in family life, Ephesians 5:23. As Jesus Christ leads the church, so men are to lead their families. Jesus’ leadership was not self-centred. It involved great strength on His part, to sacrifice Himself in the service of others whom He deeply loved. Christianity must come before culture, tradition and parental expectations. Where any of these conflict with God’s plan as seen in the Bible, we men must chose to put the Bible’s way into practice. We may have to be man enough to stand alone against community expectations. God held Adam accountable for sin in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:9, even though it was Eve who first took the forbidden fruit. Leadership involves accepting responsibility for the whole family unit. 2. A Christian man is to nurture deep Love for his wife and children, Ephesians 5:25, 28, 33. As Jesus Christ continually loves His church, so men are to always love their families. It does not matter what any family member does – bad or worse – love is able to hold on to the person while working on the problem. The principle is in Ephesians 5:1-2. We men must chose to copy God in His patiently persistent dealings with wayward people. God has given us some examples of loving attitudes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We cannot control how others behave, but we can, and we must, control ourselves. Christian love is much more than sex, although sex is a deep expression of love. Sharing in marriage is more than sharing bed and body. Making time to listen to your wife, taking an interest in her practical needs, and being available to do things and go places with your children, are all expressions of your love for them. In fact, your doing these things expresses your love for God as well as love for your family. 3.A Christian man is to give Loyalty to his wife, Ephesians 5:31. As Jesus Christ stands by His church through every experience of life, so each man is to keep at one with his wife. Loyalty means having and showing lifelong commitment to your partner. By marrying your bride, and by opening yourself up to her, your choice closed yourself off from every other woman! In Africa, the common cup left by a water barrel for anyone to use, can spread disease as person after person puts it to their lips in order to drink. Basic hygiene says it is much safer for every person to drink using their own cup where possible. A Christian husband and Christian wife are exclusive to each other. Adam received Eve as a gift from God, Genesis 2:22,23. Christian men must never give to anyone else what God has given us to share with only one other. Christianity replaces polygamy and adultery and pre-marital sex. Standards of society and of tribe must be measured against God’s standards through the whole of the Bible, and the choice must be made to live God’s way. 4. A Christian husband is to Look after all the needs of his family, Ephesians 5:29. As Jesus Christ seeks to supply the material, emotional and spiritual needs of the church, so a man should do all he can to provide for his family. God told Adam he should work hard, Genesis 3:19. It is not right to be lazy. We should protect our families from hardships we can avoid by earning what we can. We should try to provide with our own hands for family food, clothing, healthcare, education, etc. Working is part of our worship of God. If any sacrifice has to be made, we should make it ourselves before asking any other family member to join us. We may have to sacrifice the job we really want to do in order to actually do the job God offers us as His provision for our family. God took something away from the man, in order to bring him his wife. The sacrificed rib, Genesis 2:21,22, was used in the Creator’s hand to make the best ‘thing’ ever to come into Adam’s life! In God’s intended way of life for us, giving is regularly our best way to receive. 5. A Christian father should be a Living example to his children, Ephesians 6:1,4. As Jesus Christ showed us His Father in heaven, so men should make it easy for their children to know and understand God, John 14:9, Matthew 6:9. All children learn by copying. We dads have to present our kids with a life worth copying! As a young boy plays with a stick, holding it as if it was a gun and pretending to shoot, so I must remember that how I live in front of my children is more influential than what I say to them. Children are confused if they see one thing yet hear another, Proverbs 22:6. God trusts you with being ‘father’ to your children. It is an awesome responsibility. God the ‘Father’ in heaven will be judged by what your children see in you as their ‘father’ on earth! Pray, and live, so that you will show many of your heavenly Father’s qualities to your earthly children. 6. A Christian husband will be always Learning about his wife, 1 Peter 3:7. As Jesus Christ knows all about us, so a man should try to understand his wife, Song of Songs 4:1-15. The more years that go by in my marriage the more I appreciate my wife. The better I get to know her by the things we live through together, the more I realise how thankful I should be to God for His gift of her to me. Men and women are not only physically different, they are emotionally different too. This does not make a man or a woman of any more value than the other. But it does mean that men and women need different treatment. What pleases me may not please my wife, so I must learn to bring her pleasure. A word of praise or encouragement can mean as much as a gift bunch of flowers. A ‘Thank you – well done!’ from you to her may mean this day is her best day of the week! She knows you have noticed her and appreciated what she has done. Christianity always puts ‘self’ last. You probably love most what you think about the most. Little actions you do, and words you say, that please your partner, come from you thinking less about yourself and thinking more about her. They are two good habits to cultivate. 7. A Christian husband and father spends time Living with his wife and family, 1 Peter 3:7. As Jesus Christ promised to be with us always, so a man should invest good quality time with his family. The family is the proving ground for church leaders, 1 Timothy 3:5. Even local church activities should strengthen family life, not stretch it to breaking point. God made a family before He made any other institution of society. We must learn from God’s priority and we must make our priorities the same as His. Time passes whatever we are doing. Partners get older. Children grow up. It is not possible to turn the clock of life backwards. We will only have one ‘today’. Let’s make sure we use it wisely and well. Favourite chairs that have been broken deserve to be mended, or – if they can’t be fixed – they should be thrown out! If God has challenged you about your relationship with your wife or children, decide now to act on what He has shown you. If you really want to be what God wants you to be as a Christian husband and father take heart! Your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask: and He will give you all the abilities that you need, Matthew 7:11. Together with God, you can become the family God plans for you to be. Discussion guide Using this chapter and the Scriptures quoted: 1. Share one thing you really enjoy about being a Christian in your home. Then share one thing you find difficult. 2. List all the things 1 Corinthians 7 says to the unmarried Christian man. Consider obeying God’s calling against your own (or your family’s) expectations. 3. In which ways do family or tribal traditions challenge living as a Christian father and husband? Whose standards take priority? Why? 4. What do you learn about family life today from Genesis 3:9, where God held Adam to account for both himself and his wife? 5. Why does doing things for and with your wife and your children, prove your love for God? 6. What attitudes, sayings and mannerisms of yours do you see and hear in your children? What would you like to change about them if you could? 7. Define in one short sentence the ‘leadership’ God is looking for from a Christian husband or father. (Do not simply quote a Bible verse!). 8. From Colossians 3:18-4:2 explain in your own words how a Christian husband and father should relate to everybody around him.

Bible reading Galatians 5:1. All around the world one can always hear cries for ‘freedom’. Let’s try to define what freedom means. “Freedom is the state of being allowed to do what you want to do”.[1] Various goals may be included in these expressed desires. They may include independence, bringing in democracy, having sovereignty, autonomy with self-determination, self-government and home rule. Freedom is frequently spoken of in connection with various ‘human rights’. Heartfelt pleas may emanate from children and teenagers to their parents, from young adults towards their community leaders, from people who want what they see as ‘progress’ rather than the existing ‘tradition’, or from anyone in rebellion against the status quo for families, communities, churches or even national governments. The New Testament group of words for ‘free’ are eleutheros, eleuthero and eleutheria, nouns generally meaning ‘freedom to go wherever one likes’, ‘freedom from restraint or obligation’, verbs meaning ‘to make free’, or ‘to justify’. There is one very clear picture painted of this word in the New Testament, using the noun with the verb, before warning about the dangers of an opposite misunderstanding and application: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”, Galatians 5:1, (italics mine). “Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again”, Contemporary English Version. “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you”, The Message. “Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again”, Good News Translation. In over 49 years of Christian ministry I have heard not a few Christians completely misunderstand what this Christian freedom really is. Some think it is license to live exactly as they want to live with no constraints. Their Christian witness is always lost. Others understand it to mean they have no responsibility for considering anyone else other than themselves. They hurt many people. More use it to overthrow any form of God-given leadership. They usually sink to the lowest common denominator of their group. Many try to trap others into legalistically following a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ to be part of that Christian group and be accepted. All these four groups of Christians are sadly wrong, in my opinion. Free as a bird? I have come to realise over the years that some Christians are even in bondage to freedom! They are slaves to their ideas of freedom. Let me explain what I mean. In the early years of the charismatic movement, around 1975, a friend of mine was speaking at a camp weekend for Christian young people in England. During worship singing most hands were freely raised, stretching up to express the greatness of God and their own desire to receive everything He was offering them. My friend was in the back row of seats, sitting with his head and body bowed and his eyes closed, presumably praying. Later on a lot of the young people present were very critical of my friend. ‘Why wasn’t he feeling free like the rest of us in our praise and worship?’ I smile as I think of this even now. What does that criticism really mean? The bottom line is these folk wanted every person to be free just like they are free. Think on that for a minute. They do not really want the other person to be free to choose for themselves. They only want them to do what they themselves are doing! They want everyone else to be like them. They only see the meeting as freedom in the Holy Spirit if everybody’s hands are high. No one is permitted to be free in any other bodily pose. Without saying it, in their strict opinion, there is only one way to be free! I say that is wrong. That is not true. I have been in churches where differences have arisen between people on a variety of issues. As examples, some want only the older traditional songs used in worship, while others like only the new or latest ones. Some have their Christian understandings confirmed by the older familiar language of Bible translations which use their own mother tongues, while others are stimulated into thinking and Christian growth by more recent or new scholarship in up to date translations. It is so sad when Christian believers argue and fall out with one another over such minor things! The lostness of the lost, who are outside of Christ and who are our Jesus-given mission field to save from eternal hell, must surely outweigh any other considerations. Give your energy to witness for your Lord Jesus, not to struggle about forms of worship or translation details. Of course, the accuracy of Bible translation is central to the heart of Christianity and must not be compromised. But most of us Christians, myself included, have only a smattering of Hebrew and Greek language working knowledge. When a gifted Christian preacher or teacher ministers, God uses them to explain and apply ‘the Word He originally breathed’. Similarly, I find it good to let God use my reading or hearing of different Bible translations to inform me, opening up and challenging my Christian understanding. In my own devotions and study I usually keep to one translation to help me in memorising the Bible text itself. I think learning Scripture by heart is essential for the true disciple of Jesus. Planting and practising Scripture in order to live freely “ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers”, Psalm 1:1-3, (italics mine). “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You”, Psalm 119:11 (italics mine). “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts”, Psalm 119:45, (italics mine). “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do”, James 1:25, (italics mine). “Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”, 1 Peter 2:2 (italics mine). Free to think about what others believe about it too How can we avoid misusing freedom and causing sinful division? Paul had seen many Gentiles become Christian believers on his missionary travels. Back in Jerusalem quite a number of the Jewish background Christians were concerned that Jewish traditions were being lost among all new believers. A big disagreement became possible in the early church: “When we (Paul, Luke and their team) arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality”[2], Acts 21:17-25, (italics mine). The Jerusalem church leaders including James acted very wisely in pre-empting acrimonious division. Paul and his team practised what they preached elsewhere. They submitted to something that was unnecessary, in order to maintain unity among believers of different backgrounds. “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law”, 1 Corinthians 9:20, (italics mine). This action needs true Christian love. It also demonstrates – shows to other people – true Christian love. It acts as Jesus would act. It actually is the risen Jesus in action living through believers. “It (Christian love) does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs”, 1 Corinthians 13:5. I love this translation which brings out the meaning to me: “It (Christian love) does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful”, New Revised Standard Version. Yes, Christians are free to be led by the Holy Spirit of God: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”, 2 Corinthians 3:17. We are not in bondage, as slaves, to any laws or traditions except, of course, the laws of the country where we live, and the constitutional rules of any company, mission or church to which we belong, Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-15; 4:15-16. We must always discern between what is extremely important or absolutely necessary, that is essential, what may be good but not extremely important or absolutely necessary, and therefore non-essential. We must not negotiate on basic fundamental, foundational essentials, but on non-essentials there can be freedom and variety. At Khartoum International Church there were about 250-300 people attending services over any month. Brenda and I knew of over 30 nationalities and over 35 different Christian church denominations represented. The possibilities for disagreement and misunderstandings were many! Therefore our beliefs and practices centred on two focal points: our Lord Jesus Christ and the English language. On virtually anything else there could be a loving acceptance of variety. People could be free to quietly prefer what they did and the way they did it ‘back home’ (because most were not Sudanese), but while they did so we asked them to accept what we did, and the way we did it, ‘here’ in our events. Oddly enough one of the most difficult times was Christmas when the English, the Australians, the New Zealanders and the Americans all sang the same carols, but used different tunes! Services involved a lot of tense negotiation. With my students at Christian Training in Cornwall I used a simple form to ask them to consider what were the basic essentials they would look for when deciding to join a local church in a new area. It gave rise to good discussion. I include it in the Discussion questions at the end of this chapter for you to enjoy. Truly free people are not in bondage to freedom “Some people cannot readily distinguish between the essential and the non-essential: if they abandon an old order for a new one, they feel it necessary to give up everything associated with the old order – neutral or even helpful features as well as others. But this is to exchange a positive form of legal obligation for a negative form. Thus, at the opposite extreme from those Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who followed the ancient customs as a matter of course there may have been others elsewhere who discontinued them on principle. Paul’s policy was different from both. Truly emancipated souls are not in bondage to their emancipation. Paul conformed to the customs or departed from them according to the company, Jewish or Gentile, in which he found himself from time to time, making the interests of the gospel the supreme consideration”.[3] May God give us the wise freedom to always do the same today. The key is knowing what are divine requirements that God says must be done and what are voluntary actions which might be undertaken or omitted as expediency directs. How Paul used of his freedom – “made myself a slave” “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings”, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, (italics mine). Notice Paul writes “I have made myself a slave to everyone”, vs19. “As shocking as it is profound, God’s Word teaches us that true freedom can only be found through slavery to Christ. … Every person is a slave – either to sin or to God … Slavery to Christ not only means freedom from sin, guilt and condemnation. It also means freedom to obey, to please God, to live the way our Creator intended us to live – in intimate fellowship with Him. Thus having been freed from sin we have been enslaved to God”, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life”, Romans 6:22; “ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves”. 1 Peter 2:16.[4] Do you realise it is possible to be a slave sinfully, to the wrong kind of freedom? In spite of 2 Corinthians 3:17 there is no such thing as absolute freedom in the Holy Spirit. If I am absolutely free I can punch you hard on your nose! But where is your nose’s freedom in being hurt, possibly broken, by my ‘freedom exercising’ punch? Paradoxically, for everybody to have freedom there have to be some limits on everybody. Many things people campaign for, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of religious worship, freedom to travel, freedom to feel free, being a free spirit, living a freehand life, all carry a counter balancing side. If you can speak freely so can I, possibly saying a different message than yours. You may wish everybody to worship as a Moslem while I may wish everybody to worship as a Christian. Supposing you in drawing your freehand life scribble all over my freehand life? There have to be limits in order for the best freedom to be maintained for most people. “ ‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’– but not everything is constructive”, 1 Corinthians 10:23. Christian brother or sister, aim to live a beneficial and constructive Christian life always honouring our Lord Jesus. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love”, Galatians 5:13. It is so easy to give in to our human and fleshly desires that tell us what we want is right, always, even concerning Christian freedoms. “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom”, James 2:12. This presents an interesting conundrum, a law that gives freedom. We are all sinners who break God’s law. Only God’s mercy will prevent us from going to hell. None of us dare point our fingers at others and say, ‘We are better than you’. ‘We’ve been freed while you haven’t’. We are not free to do that or anything like it. Seeing ourselves as we truly are, mercifully forgiven sinners, will help us relate harmoniously to others. Are you a servant of Jesus or a slave of Jesus? “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves”, 1 Peter 2:16. We will only experience genuine freedom when we live as God’s slaves. Being a born again Christian involves a completely new way of thinking and then living accountably to God. Notice how many times the earliest believers called themselves ‘the Lord’s slaves’. See Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 7:22; Galatians 1:10; Ephesians 6:6; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 4:12; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1 and Revelation 1:1. “For them, the two ideas were synonymous. To be a Christian was to be a slave of Christ … Yet a casual read through the New Testament and you won’t see it (that is the word ‘slave’, in many places). Why? “It has been covered up by being (deliberately) mistranslated in almost every English version … Though the word ‘slave’ (doulos in Greek) appears 124 times in the original texts, it is correctly translated only once in the King James. Most modern translations do only slightly better”.[5] It is probably the bad images of colonial slavery, people in chains or at least in captivity, that caused this substitution. Read British preacher Charles Spurgeon about 150 years ago: “Where our Authorized (King James) Version softly puts it “servant” it is really “bond-slave”. The early saints delighted to count themselves Christ’s absolute property, bought by Him, owned by Him, and wholly at His disposal. Paul even went so far as to rejoice that he had the marks of his Master’s brand on him, and he cries, “Let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks (stigmata) of the Lord Jesus”, Galatians 6:17. There was the end of all debate: Paul was the Lord’s; and the marks of the scourges, the rods, and the stones were the broad-arrow of the King which marked Paul’s body as the property of Jesus the Lord. Now if the saints of old time gloried in obeying Christ, I pray that you and I … may feel that our first object in life is to obey our Lord”.[6] May we always see ourselves as slaves of our trinitarian God, God the Father, and God the Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. Usually today the word ‘servant’ is inserted for ‘slave’. You may want to check your Bible. I checked the list opposite in my NIV and found fewer than half translated doulos as ‘slave’, the majority used ‘servant’. It is important to understand the key difference between these two words: · ‘Servants’ are hired, and may choose who they work for, having some autonomy as well as personal rights. · ‘Slaves’, certainly in the time of the New Testament and much later, were owned, thought of as things, completely the owner’s property, totally at the owner’s disposal, having no human rights of their own. If we want everyone to be as we are, do what we do and like what we like etc., we are probably in bondage slavery to ourselves rather than being bond-slaves of the One we say is our Lord Jesus Christ. I try to see myself as one sinful person, having been born again by the Holy Spirit and set free in the Holy Spirit, now voluntarily choosing to be a slave of Jesus Christ in my daily life all the 24 hours a day and seven days a week that God will allow me to live. I pray that you will join me in this. Will you? Discussion guide 1. Explain what you understand by the word “freedom”. 2. Having done No.1 explain your understanding of “Christian freedom”. (You may want to refer to my section “Free as a bird” in this chapter). 3. Have you (or someone you know) ever, “submitted to something that was unnecessary, in order to maintain unity among believers of different backgrounds?” Share how easy or hard it was to do. 4. Say why you did it, giving biblical reasons where possible. 5. When there are rules set to govern our behaviour, for example in our country, in our place of work or in our church denomination, is it true to say ‘we are free’? Why? / Why not? 6. Reflect on the phrase, ‘Freedom within certain limits’. Explain a). how that ‘freedom’ and those ‘limits’ can truly exist together, and b). why any ‘limits’ are needed. 7. In what ways does the following text challenge some contemporary views of Christian freedom? “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’– but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others”, 1 Corinthians 10:23-24. Be specific with examples if you can. End notes: [1] www.collinsdictionary.com [2] See Acts 15:1-35. [3] F. F. Bruce Paul: Apostle of the Free Spirit (Paternoster Press: Exeter) 1977, pages 346- 347. [4] John MacArthur Slave: The Hidden Truth about Your Identity in Christ (Thomas Nelson: Nashville) 2007, pages 200-201. [5] John MacArthur Slave: The Hidden Truth about Your Identity in Christ (Thomas Nelson: Nashville) 2007, pages 12-13. [6] Charles Spurgeon Eyes Right sermon 2058 Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (Pilgrim Publications: Pasadena, TX.) 1974, 34:689.

Leadership, Integrity and Nation building. - by Alex Bolek Abuk ‘Groaning’ is defined by the English Dictionary as ‘an utterance expressing pain, discomfort or displeasure.’ It is a deep inarticulate sound produced in response to physical pain or severe emotional and psychological stress as a sign of coping with the problem. Groaning is a sign of ‘helplessness’. People who can fight back and feel ‘in control' of their problems or situations don’t normally groan. Groaning can both be individual and community. ‘Mass groaning’ happens when a group of people (community or nation) is affected with a common problem that they cannot cope or deal with. So if groaning is from a community or nation, it means there is something wrong in that nation or community that is affecting all or the majority of the people and it is beyond their reach to deal with it. For instance, the tragic death of Dr. John Garang in plane crash in 2005 made the people and the whole nation of South Sudan to grieve, moan and groan as it was beyond many individual citizen’s comprehension. Community and society’s groaning is a sign of a sick and affected nation. Socio-economic and governance problems are the most common factors that make people grumble and groan in a nation. This is what this article is about. The Bible Scriptures that directly or indirectly mention ‘groan’ relate it to dysfunctional political leadership, poor governance, and lack of basic package of services. King Solomon, as a political leader who one time walked with God, learned valuable lessons and had a wealth of experience and observations that he devoted time and space to write on. This is what King Solomon said in relation to this subject: “When the wicked rule the people groan”, Proverbs 29:2 “When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding”, Proverbs 28:28 “Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people”, Proverbs 28:15 “A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops”, Proverbs 28:3 “Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant (alternate: is a child) and whose princes feast in the morning”, Ecclesiastes 10:16 “King Asa brutally oppressed some of the people”, 2 Chronicles 16:10 What can we deduce from the above six scriptures? According to King Solomon and the writer of the Book of Second Chronicles (Prophet Ezra), when citizens are brutalised, oppressed and denied services, they groan. Immaturity in political leaders and civil servants is as well a background factor that King Solomon did not want to miss out. Why? Because everything in a nation, from governance to service delivery, is dependent on the type of leadership in place. Mature and experienced political and godly leadership will always be a blessing to a nation while immature and ungodly leadership will be a curse (woe) according to King Solomon. According to Prophet Isaiah, when God wants to punish a nation, one of the means is making children and the base to rule over them! “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them. People will oppress each other — man against man, neighbour against neighbour. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honoured. Youths oppress my people”… Isaiah 3:4,5,12. The ‘children’ meant here are not in age but people without any work experience and ‘the base’ are lowly people who in normal circumstances and without nepotism would not be expected to suddenly rise to occupy certain positions. There is not any mess like a mess in a country ruled by children and the lowest! When children without any experience rule, everyone can imagine the mess that results from that, leave alone things like service delivery! This does not need a prophet’s eye to see and know. It does not need analysis, interpretation or explanation. It is evident! Sometimes one wonders how certain children got certain offices! Clear nepotism! When children are in power, it is a chaotic situation! The apostle Paul has a piece of advice that he gave to churches in his time not to ordain an immature young Christian (a child spiritually speaking) into a leadership position in the church. Apostle Paul gave a long list of conditions that a Pastor about to be ordained needs to fulfill first and one of these is that he be a mature Christian and not a new believer in Christ. “Now the overseer (Pastor, Bishop) is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap”, 1 Timothy 3:2-7 (emphasis mine). According to Apostle Paul, an immature leader can easily get conceited (puffed up with pride), and can get easily tempted to fall into a Satanic trap and judgement. Are these principles only for the Church? Shouldn’t they be universal including political positions and government offices in general? Or do politics and government have different standards when it comes to appointment of leaders into offices? People have argued that God called David as a shepherd boy and made him king over Israel and that the Lord Jesus called fishermen like Peter and Andrew to be His Apostles in leadership positions. I am in agreement with the first part of ‘calling’ but not with ‘immaturity’ in David and the Apostles. Why? King David did not become king the same day Prophet Samuel anointed him, 1 Samuel 16. God had to take him through difficult and various trainings to develop his leadership muscles before he sat on the throne of Israel as king to rule. This included fighting Goliath, 1 Samuel 17, and going through rough and difficult times when King Saul his predecessor wanted to kill him, 1 Samuel 19-24. Likewise, the Lord Jesus called the fishermen and He trained them for three years (they were WITH Him - Mark 3:13,14) before commissioning them to go into the whole world and before He ascended to heaven. The example of King David and the apostles of Jesus should not therefore be used as an excuse for appointing children into offices they do not deserve, be it in the Church or in the government. King Solomon gave us the list of things that make people groan but his father King David before him gave us the opposite side of the coin. King David talks about what happens when the righteous and God-fearing and mature people are in power! This is what he said: “When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth”, 2 Samuel 23:3,4. If we compare this one sentence from King David with the list given by King Solomon above, this is a reason for citizens to rejoice and celebrate and not groan since the ruler brings them a morning light, a clear and cloudless day of rightness and justice and rain of economic development and prosperity! A good, honourable, dignified life and a bright future! With the above background in mind, let’s look at specific things that make citizens in a nation to groan. The list is long but let us talk about the basics. 1: People groan when living is expensive and basic services are lacking The basic needs in life are feeding, clothing, and shelter, see Matthew 6:25, 1 Timothy 6:8 and 2 Chronicles 8:1-2. Add to these health and educational services. When these become expensive or lacking and salaries don’t match renting, feeding, children’s school fees and medical treatment, people groan. Do leaders know the market? The Lord Jesus knew prices in the market place. This is what He said: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” Matthew 10:29. A good leader like the Lord Jesus Christ would know the market place and prices and allocate salaries accordingly. If the Lord Jesus were to give salaries to His people, He would compare that to the cost of living. Are the salaries reasonable and matching living expenses or not? Political leaders in our part of the world rule without knowing the condition of their flock. For leaders to know the condition of their flock (people they rule), they should be close to them. King Solomon gives this piece of little but valuable counsel to leaders (political, religious, family heads etc.): “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks; give careful attention to your herds”, Proverbs 27:23. The only way to know the condition of your flock is to come closer to them. If you go and take tea or coffee in one of the busy market places like Konyo-konyo market in Juba, sit among the people and listen to their conversations. You will always hear something related to their struggles in life especially to the expensive market and cost of living. As mentioned, when salaries do not match renting, feeding, schooling of children, medical care etc. the easiest thing for helpless people is to groan. And when it is beyond their capacity to bear; the Bible says they resort to curse their king (whoever that is) and their God! Groaning can turn to riot with time! Prophet Isaiah reports: “Distressed and hungry, they (the people) will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upwards, will curse their king and their God”, Isaiah 8:21. This scripture tells us that people go through stages of suffering before they go to the streets and before they start cursing their king and God! Sorry that the Righteous God is cursed along with a bad leadership. Bad leadership makes people curse God. Sorry! A wise leader, like any family head, should know in which stage of suffering his flock are in, then act immediately and accordingly to reverse the condition with the needed basic services before it worsens and gets out of control. Any parent understands this very well. Any family head knows if his/her family members are generally doing well or are moderately or severely suffering. When people go onto streets, the easiest thing is usually to send the police force with tear gas to ‘disperse, arrest and contain’ the riot. This sometimes works for governments but the best way to prevent riots in the streets is to meet the basic needs of the people. What are the stages in the above scripture that precede groaning and riots in the streets? Stage 1: people become distressed and hungry A little breach or crack in a dam most often does not start with a full-blown break and collapse with consequent flooding and devastation in a single moment. It may start with a small leaky crack that might be there for many years but ignored as ‘nothing serious’ or ‘insignificant’ until it matures to break the whole dam and cause disastrous flooding! This similarly happens to a government system. King Solomon comes in: “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out”, Proverbs 17:14. As I was writing these lines, there were bold news headlines on the international media about a Brazilian dam that broke and caused flooding and devastation in the surrounding area. Look at these few headlines from my Google website: ‘Catastrophe’: At least 17 killed, 45 missing, town levelled by flood in Brazil dam collapse Six confirmed dead, 21 unaccounted for and as many as 300,000 people are still without water Prosecutor Cites Negligence in Brazil Dam Failure Have you seen that last bullet point? There was some defect in that dam that was either noticed by the engineers but ignored, or not noticed. The Brazilian prosecutor as mentioned associated the dam collapse with negligence. Whatever the case, the dam broke! The lesson is that whether a defect is noticed and ignored or not noticed disaster still happens. The only way to prevent disaster is to be vigilant and service the dam. Dam and government managers alike need to be alert all the time, not with the short-sighted ability to contain a breach or riots respectively, but with the visionary ability to fix the problem early enough and bring basic services to the people before it is too late. While watching the protests in Egypt of January 2011, one of the protesters shouted in front of the media camera (to the ousted president Mubarak): “Go away! We hate you! We have been under your oppression for thirty years!” Do you see that? Thirty years and people did not go to the streets. For over thirty years there were cracks in the government’s dam that were not noticed or noticed but ignored until the public finally could not bear to groan indoors. This is the initial stage. In our country today people are distressed (synonyms: upset, distraught, troubled, concerned, worried, anxious, unhappy) and hungry. This is a stage where people according to the above scripture ‘roam through the land’ looking for a solution to their problem. If we take South Sudan for example, they might travel to Yei, Aweil, Kapoeita, Renk, Tambura, Pochalla, Terekeka, Bentiu, Nimule, Rumbek, Raja, Akobo, Torit… etc. looking to make a living and find a solution to their problems. That is what is meant by ‘roam through the land’. Hunger is known as the need for food. But when people are distressed, it means there are things or policies in the government they are not happy with. A sensitive government should know people’s opinion on its policies or level of service delivery. This is why many academic institutions in the western world do random opinion sampling on major government policies and levels of service delivery from time to time so that the political leaders know what the people ‘down there’ are saying. It is a well-known fact that people naturally are over demanding on governments. But it is prudent for governments to know their opinions; not to meet every demand they have, but to see to it that needs are prioritised and met. This is a stage where any distress and hunger could be addressed to avoid crowds going to streets. Stage 2: people become famished If the government fails to attend to the situation in the first stage, people move to the second stage as things worsen. A stage where they become ‘famished’ (synonyms: starving, ravenous, wanting, lacking, in need). This is a stage where people are deeply and severely affected by the problem. In our nations, a stage where prices are no longer affordable to people, the basic needs become too expensive. This is a time when weak elements in the society become predatory. In such a time if one checks the police stations for common crimes, it will be cases of theft, breaking into houses by thieves, money embezzlement in government offices and in the private sector and all sorts of financial fraud, as ‘coping mechanisms’. These problems are common even in times of plenty because a human heart is deceitful, Jeremiah 17:9, and always like Oliver Twist ‘asks for more’. But what I am saying here is that at such times, these problems become accelerated by starvation. It is important to note that until this point, there are no riots in the streets but silent groaning. But it is a fragile situation and any little spark will take people to the streets! This is a stage where in democratic societies the leaders of opposition parties accentuate their opposition on the government because they know that people are ready to side with them or go to the streets. It is a mature time of distress to change governments! ‘Unbearable and rocketing prices’ in the markets that the average citizen cannot afford becomes a common talk in families and in any gatherings. ‘Expensive prices’ occupy front pages and main headings in the daily newspapers. For instance a few months ago, there was a bold heading about high prices in South Sudan on The Citizens Newspaper Editorial (The Citizen: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 – Vol. 9, Issue No. 46): “Who Can save the citizens from the epidemic of skyrocketing prices?” Another bold heading on rocketing food prices in The New Nation Newspaper (The New Nation April 25 - May 8, 2015 page 3) says: “Food Prices up by 300 percent – Oxfam”. The most recent headline was an article about the current fuel shortage in Juba on This Day Newspaper (This Day Nov. 5, 2015 Vol. 1, Issue 36): “Is recurrent fuel shortages the new normal for Nilepet?” Where Dr. James Okuk discusses the shortage of fuel as an essential commodity that ‘cripples the core of the engine of urban life: Its mobility, its connectivity, its power-lighting, its bread, its water and the good mood of the people’. I remember in September 2011, there was a call to ‘boycott buying meat’ by Consumers Trade Union in Khartoum because meat had become too expensive in the market for an average citizen to afford. Are we in a similar situation? As I was writing these lines (November 2015), fuel was nowhere to be found in Juba (see Dr. Okuk’s detailed article) and hundreds and thousands of citizens walked each morning to their workplaces, on foot as public transport was not even available. As a result, The President of the Republic H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit who realized that people were suffering decided to change the management of the oil company responsible for importing oil into the country and replaced it with new leadership to make sure that the oil flow into the country became regular and unhampered. As citizens, we hope this step by H.E the President will bring a permanent solution to this problem and to other problems related to shortages of basic commodities. Stage 3: People become enraged This is a stage of despair where people become infuriated, furious, angry, hopping mad...name it! A terminal stage! Nothing more to be said in this stage. It is self-explanatory. A time when religious and secular laws as well as moral values are no more respected but broken in the open sight. ‘Al ju’u kafir’ (Hunger is pagan!) goes an Egyptian proverb. Eric Hoffer has his popular saying on this: “When hopes and dreams are loose in the streets it is well for the timid to lock their doors and lie low until the wrath has passed”.[1] According to the Bible, this is a stage when people go to the streets in riots cursing their king (whoever that is) and sadly cursing God along with him: “Looking upwards they, (the people), will curse their king and their God”, Isaiah 8:21. Why should the righteous God be cursed along with a wrong human leadership? It is a leadership problem, it is not God’s problem. The following is an excerpt from an article I took from CNN website in 2011 regarding the riots in Greece during the time of its economic disparity: “Thousands of Greek "Indignants" have been protesting outside parliament in Athens for more than 30 days. With fiery slogans on their lips and sturdy shoes on their feet, some 30 Spartans last week began marching to Athens to join the thousands of demonstrators occupying the large square opposite Greece's parliament. Despite the burns and blisters on their feet, the Spartans added their loud voice to the chorus of public discontent that has been reverberating across Greece's capital as the country falls deeper into financial crisis. "At the end of the day we, the simple people, have the power and not the banks or the governments", said George Pentafronimos. Rising unemployment, new taxes, salary cuts -- have brought together a diverse group of demonstrators and laid bare a deeper feeling of despondence that some say has been simmering in the country. "It has been accumulating a long time now," said Eftychia Salta, a 33-year-old sound engineer who has been without a job for more than a year. "In the last five or six years people have started to feel disgusted with the political system, especially when there is unemployment, when you have no money," she added. "All this accumulated and led to something more collective." Syntagma Square has been serving as a meeting place for people of all ages and ideologies -- from moderates who typically refrain from street protests to the hardcore activists who have made the square their new home”.[2] How long does it take to reach stage 3 where people go to the streets? It varies from nation to nation. In Egypt, it was thirty years; in Libya it took 42 years while in Greece it was only six years. How patient the Arabs are! People are patient but no government should fool itself that they will not go to the streets. A hungry person will not care if he/she is shot dead or tortured by security forces for rioting. Remember the Egyptian saying? Hunger is pagan! No matter how patient people are, and no matter how long it takes, people will surely go into riots when their needs are not met. Aristophanes in ‘The Wasps’ said: “Hunger knows no friend but its feeder”.[3] Somebody reading this will say ‘Mr. Abuk is advocating for riots’. This is not true. I am against going to streets by all means! Why? Going to streets, as all of us know, will mean injury and loss to human life as well as destruction to property. No sensible and decent citizen will ever advocate for such a thing! It is never the ideal thing to choose and go for. I am a peace advocate. Read my articles: ‘Importance of Peace in a Nation’ and ‘The Lee Principle of Development’ that were first printed on The Citizen Newspaper and now part of Rev. Colin Salter’s book – “My Life Alongside God’s Word (Vol. 2)”.[4] I will never incite people to riot. What I am presenting here are the facts as seen and observed from current events and from Biblical perspective. I expect political leadership reading this anywhere to take it as ‘awareness and sensitisation’ and not as a provocation for riots. Riots do not need an advocate. As we have seen in the stages above, they come spontaneously triggered by despair in people after a negative situation becomes fully mature (stage 3). Riots are provoked by governments that refuse to listen to the groans and suffering of the people they rule. It is important to note here that this article is not targeted to specific leadership or government. It is an open article to all leaders both in my country and in the world at large. I hope it serves its intended purpose and is not misunderstood. Do governments know these stages? Is it important to know? Aristotle in ‘Politics’ says: “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime”.[5] The French revolution of 1792 was known as ‘The bread revolution’ because hunger was the dominant factor in the background. Politicians do not always think that helpless people who can only groan will one day go to the streets as King Solomon said, “The poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are no longer heeded”, Ecclesiastes 9:16. They deceive themselves. The American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King said: “A riot is at bottom the language of the unheard”.[6] Politicians most often are taken by surprise when citizens go to the streets and ask: Why are they rioting? Marie Antoinette's answer to hungry protesting Parisians during the French revolution indicates that she was completely out of touch with what the suffering people were going through. "Well, then, let them eat cakes" she is reputed to have said. Cakes? How do we expect people to eat cakes that are more expensive when there are no cheaper loaves of breads in the market? Since there are no food shortages in their homes, politicians think cakes are available everywhere! The true test of a government is as to how much it cares for the poor classes of people. To quote Samuel Johnson: “A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization”.[7] Political leaders most often fail to see the suffering of the people they rule. Riots in the end become the only language between the masses and the government. Here is a quotation from REC FOCUS: “On the callousness of our leaders and their nonchalance toward the plight of the masses they govern, a prominent Nigerian in the person of His Eminence, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, has warned of an imminent bloody revolution unless the federal governments listen to the cries of the masses: “I foresee a bloody revolution which will be difficult to contain, because it will involve the military, the police and the general public” (Daily Sun, Tuesday, June 29, 2004). Speaking further he accused the government of having “failed to realise the suffering that the masses are going through”.[8] One example from the Bible of good leadership is King Solomon. He had a housing and settlement plan as well as food security for his people, 2 Chronicles 8. The basic necessities of life as already said are food, shelter and clothing, 1Timothy 6:8. In our twenty-first century setting, we are called to add education and health care to the list of life’s essentials. Any government that is able to provide these, is a government that is truly at the service of its people. People will not groan when they have average shelter, feeding, clothing, education and healthcare. Whatever needs beside these five – like for instance a car – is a ‘complementary’ need. 2: People groan when oppressed Oppression has the synonyms of tyrannise, dominate, repress, subjugate, persecute, harass, hound, and keep down. When all these are exercised against civilians by any government, citizens groan. This brings to mind King Asa of Israel. The Bible says: “At that time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people”, 2 Chronicles 16:10. When brutal and tyrannical leaders are in power, people go into hiding. “When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding”, Proverbs 28: 28. Why do people go into hiding? It is because of the terror these rulers put on the people whom they rule. When people are in hiding from fear, they groan. One anonymous person said, “Democracy is removal of fear of expression from citizen’s heart”. When citizens can express themselves freely, both verbally and in writing with no fear of being arrested and tortured, then there is true democracy. In many African and Arab nations opinion writers, especially on political issues, are harassed and threatened day and night. Freedom of worship is another important element in human life. One of the things I am grateful for, to God and our government in South Sudan, is freedom of worship. We are free to worship God without fear of being arrested or persecuted for religious reasons. Napoleon Hill, the American author and businessman in his book Master Key to Riches tells of reasons why people left their nations and migrated to the New World (America) to find freedom of worship and speech: “…the migration of subdued people…to the New World. They came in search of a land not only of material plenty, but which also afforded plenty of opportunity for the expression of personal initiative and freedom of worship and of speech. In America, men and women have been free to follow the dictates of their own consciences. They have the freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of political convictions, freedom for the fullest exercise of their own personal initiative in any calling of their choice, and they have been protected by a form of government which assured them the fruits of their labours”.[9] Napoleon Hill continues: “Power may be very dangerous or it may serve to glorify certain people, according to the way it is used”. If leaders use power to build up their people and nations, they receive honour and respect from their people but if they use their power and authority to brutalise and tear down the people they rule, they bring bad account on themselves and history will not respect them. Their pages in history will be remembered as dark pages. Hissen Habré,the former emperor of Chad, was recently prosecuted by ICC for atrocities and terror exercised on his people when he was in power. Apostle Paul has a simple but powerful description of the right use of power and authority. If there are leaders out there who want to imitate him let them listen: “For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it”, 2 Corinthians 10:8. Authority when rightly used is for ‘building up’ and not for ‘pulling down.’ Wrong use of power has always resulted in disaster like torture, imprisonment, massacre and genocide. When a country is ruled by a dictator, there is no joy in the market place, no joy in the streets; the playgrounds are empty of young people because the young people are in hiding, no laughter in families, no social gatherings. There is a dark cloud of silence over the nation. Not only do people go into hiding, words also go into hiding. No careless and free talk or chatting. No political talks in any social gathering. No opinion writers’ columns in newspapers etc. Prophet Amos describes such times as ‘evil’ times that the prudent should keep quiet: “Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil”, Amos 5:13. These regimes put secret security agents everywhere. Even at home, family members are suspicious of one another for it is possible that one of them is ‘a wolf in sheepskin’. Once the Lord Jesus was dragged to court and questioned about his teaching and disciples and during the court proceedings, the Bible says one of the officials struck him in the face in front of the court even though He did not say anything wrong! “Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. ‘I have spoken openly to the world,’ Jesus replied. ‘I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.’ When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ he demanded. ‘If I said something wrong’, Jesus replied, ‘testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’” John 18:19-23. People in many nations around the globe have been silenced from speaking even if they, like the Lord Jesus, are not saying anything wrong. Innocent civilians like Jesus of Nazareth have been struck down and brutalised by those in power, not because they said anything wrong but because they just expressed themselves and said the truth. Was there anything wrong with the Lord Jesus’ teaching or with His disciples? Never! Then why should He be dragged to court and slapped in front of everybody? The problem was with the system not with Jesus. Listen to the Lord’s reaction and answer to that blow from the court official: “If I said something wrong, testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” This is the same Jesus who said, “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other to them also”, Luke 6:29. He did not turn His other cheek to that wrong exercise of power and injustice. What type of court was that? If people have just said the simple truth like Jesus, why arrest, torture and kill them? That is the question Jesus asked in the court of law. In our part of the world, we have witnessed terrible atrocities committed by wicked regimes. We have seen arrests, torture and murder of innocent civilians all in cold blood! The Bible well describes such leadership people as sweeping rain that leaves no crops and roaring lions or charging bears over a helpless people. “A ruler who oppresses the poor is like driving rain that leaves no crops”. “Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people”, Proverbs 28:3,15. One example of such a leader in the Bible as already mentioned is King Asa. The Bible says: “At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people”, 2 Chronicles 16:10. King Asa brutally oppressed ‘some’ of his people. The question is who are those ‘some’ he brutally oppressed? In Africa it is easy to tell who those ‘some’ were. These are the people who the dictators (the ‘Asas’) ‘think’ are against them. These are the people who are classified as ‘ANTI-government’ or ‘nation’s enemies’. Countless atrocities have been committed upon innocent civilians on these grounds. People who know nothing about politics have been rounded up and murdered in cold blood just because their close relatives or people from their tribes are leading opposition against the government. These people most often are under the scrutiny of the security agents and are at risk of being arrested any time. Nelson Mandela, in his autobiography, mentioned how the government brutalised the families and relatives of ANC (African National Congress) party leaders who were leading the struggle against the apartheid system in South Africa: “I learned that our house had been raided and the police detained a young relative of Winnie’s (his wife). Winnie was not the only wife being harassed. Alberta Sisulu and Caroline Motsoaledi were detained under the Ninety-Day Detention Act, and Walter’s young son Max was also arrested. This was one of the state’s most barbarous techniques of applying pressure: imprisoning the wives and children of freedom fighters”.[10] These regimes most often are military regimes that come into power through coups. And because they are in fear of being deposed any time, they are suspicious and their slogan is “Either you are with us or you are dead!” Those who say anything against them are maimed or killed. When a human being is insecure, brutally treated, and his right to speak out is taken from him/her, he groans and when s/he groans, God hears. “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out …and I am concerned about their suffering”, Exodus 3:7. When people groan under the heavy load of oppression, God sees it. God wants His people free to speak and worship without risk of being arrested and tortured. Wise political leaders should give space for freedom of speech and expression. Such leaders can adjust their policies accordingly for they learn a lot from those who say both negative and positive things about the government. In life we can learn from both positive and negative viewpoints. When Rehoboam, son of Solomon, became king after his father’s (King Solomon’s) death, the people’s only request was to make the heavy yoke his grandfather David put upon them lighter. “So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labour and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you”, 1 Kings 12:3-4. Unfortunately, Rehoboam did not grant the people’s request. Instead he threatened to make their yoke heavier and their suffering grave. He said to them: “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions”, 1 Kings 12:14. What was the people’s reaction to this? Because Rehoboam used threatening language and refused to give the people the freedom they wanted, the people left him. “When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home”, 1 Kings 12:16. There have been a lot of uprisings against brutal regimes. In my own country (the then united Sudan), the latest was the 1985 uprising against president Nimery’s regime. In the last few years, political events moved in lightning speed in North Africa and the Middle East after a long oppression of citizens by their leaders. Towards the end of December 2010, president Bin Ali of Tunisia was ousted by people’s uprising. This aroused the appetite of other peoples in the region for freedom and sparked more uprisings in a number of countries in the Arab world in January 2011. There were protests in Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria…etc. around the same time against the brutal regimes in those countries, as if the wave of change was moving across the Arab world in what is popularly known as “The Arab Spring”. The world in general and Africa in particular witnessed brutal regimes, some are gone, others remain in power today. Dictators like Idi Amin of Uganda committed a lot of atrocities against his people. The following is a short paragraph from an article printed in REC FOCUS about evil regimes in Africa: “Since colonial days to the present, many of our leaders in Africa have proven to be callously evil in the manner they have governed their subjects. The reign of late Idi Amin in Uganda was such an evil one that the number of people he killed and the havoc he wreaked on the country is unprecedented. Milton Obote of the same Uganda was also a murderer of a sort. Other leaders such as Jean Bendel Bokassa of Central Africa, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Jerry Rawling of Ghana, Hissene Habre of Chad, and Sani Abacha of Nigeria all governed their nations and left certain footprints of violence that are difficult to forget by the people they ruled. For instance, Sani Abacha’s reign was one of terror such that the freedom of expression, suppression, callous spending and personal amassing of wealth were all characteristic of his time. He was so much of a terror that news of his sudden death was received with joy in virtually all parts of the country”.[11] A Bible character comparable to President Sani Abacha whose people did not regret his death is King Jehoram of Israel. The Bible says because of his wickedness, when he died no one in the nation was sorry for him! To be fair to the dead as all of us have countless flaws in life, people in funerals always talk and focus on the positive aspects of the deceased’s life. But King Jehoram is a king that the Bible chose not to be diplomatic about his brutal life and rule even after his death. “After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honour, as they had for his predecessors. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. He passed away, to no-one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings”, 2 Chronicles 21:18-20. This is something that we should not imitate. Only God the Creator has the right to say or write such a report about somebody after his death. God included this report in His word for political leaders to learn from. What legacy do political leaders and anyone in leadership position want to leave behind? 3: People groan when justice and equality are denied them “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to the evildoers”. “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern”, Proverbs 21:15 and 29:7. This is a world where the strong rule. The poor in society like widows, orphans and the economically disadvantaged most often are not granted their rights in the society and in courts of law. The Bible is clear about this. “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favouritism to the great, but judge your neighbour fairly”, Leviticus 19:15 (also see Proverbs 24:23). Leaders who rule the poor with justice are blessed by the Lord. The secret in a long lasting and stable government is in giving the poor justice. “If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will be established forever”, Proverbs 29:14. One good Bible example of a king who defended the cause of the poor and gave them their rights is King Josiah of Judah. Because of that all went well with him. “He did what was right and just, and so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, so all went well with him. Is that not what it means to know me declares the Lord?” Jeremiah 22:15,16. The righteous ruler should care about justice for the poor and speak up for them. “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern”, Proverbs 29:7. When poor and helpless citizens go to court with the strong and the powerful and their rights are not given, the only thing they can do is to groan. But when citizens groan, God hears and comes up to defend them. “Do not exploit (rob – New Living Translation) the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will exact life for life”, Proverbs 22:22-23. Justice is not only about giving the poor their rights in court. It involves equality and equity in services like schools, healthcare, housing, fair living conditions etc. The poor in the land should be able to enjoy these services and not be marginalised. It also means paying their dues (salaries, post-service benefits, pensions etc.) on time. “Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it.Otherwise they may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin”, Deuteronomy 24:14-15. It is not a good thing when a poor worker is not paid his wages before sunset. His children back home are expecting their father or mother to come home at the end of the day with a piece of bread. If the employer delays their payment at the end of the day, their groaning and the hungry cry of their children ascend to heaven against him/her. “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty”, James 5:1,4. 4: People groan when there is corruption in a nation Corruption is defined by Transparency International as ‘the abuse of trusted power for personal gain.’ According to King Solomon, corruption thrives when the wicked are in power. “When the wicked thrive, so does sin (corruption)”, Proverb 29:16. Wicked and corrupt regimes produce corrupt societies. There are people who love the chaotic situation especially in countries where there is no strong rule of law so that they can exercise corruption unnoticed. One recent article in SKY NEWS on dealing with corruption titled: PM Urges Fight Against ‘Evil’ Of Corruption (SKY NEWS Nov. 28, 2015), where then Prime Minister of UK David Cameron is quoted to be saying: “Corruption is one of the greatest enemies of our time” (The Prime Minister claims) “corruption in government in some countries is holding back progress in economic growth and developing peaceful, inclusive societies” (According to Mr. Cameron) “corruption adds 10% to business costs globally and cutting it by 10% could benefit the global economy by $380bn every year”. One anonymous writer wrote: “Corruption happens with frightening frequency on nearly every level of human experience. Children deceive parents. Parents mislead children. Professionals slant news to get ahead in their jobs. Government officials play cheap politics in place of practicing noble statesmanship. Physicians care more about money than about healing the sick. Sadly, duplicity exists in many churches”. When those in power are after their personal gain, they do not fight corruption even if they know about it. Corruption is one of the symptoms of moral decay in any society when it is practised. The Bible describes corruption as little foxes that ruin vineyards or economies that are blooming! “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom”, Song of Songs 2:15. According to the above scripture, the little foxes ruin the blooming vineyards (economies) in silence, out of sight. Little financial corruptions like embezzlement and bribery always bring strong ‘booming’ economies tumbling down. And this brings economic disparity and public groaning. Whenever there is corruption, a simple paper work in any office becomes so complicated because those involved need ‘something’ before they sign and pass that paper ahead. This is what is known as extortion. For instance, when Paul was imprisoned, there was no fault to be found in him but King Felix expected Paul to pay him something to be able to release him! So the Bible says ‘he sent for him frequently and talked with him’. “At the same time he (King Felix) was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favour to the Jews, he left Paul in prison”, Acts 24:26-27. This went on for two years and Apostle Paul refused to pay a bribe to be released from prison so King Felix left him in prison! How many of us today can bear being in prison for two years when there is a short cut of ‘paying something’ to ‘King Felix’ and you are immediately released? The difference between bribery and extortion is that bribery most often involves crime while extortion involves paper work. To put it simply, a man or woman practising extortion would say ‘if you give me amount x or y I will sign your papers immediately’ but one practising bribery would say ‘now that you are involved in this crime and you are found guilty, if you give me amount x or y I will make sure you are released and not penalised for that’. How does it happen in our day-to-day life? Those practising bribery or extortion will not tell us directly that they need money but indirectly. Here are few of the terminologies in Africa related to bribery and extortion I happened to gather together: Understand my language or what I am saying: meaning I am not signing your paper or letting you go if you do not release or promise to release something (cash). ‘The language’ means indirect denial to give the service unless some cash is paid. How does it appear in office and paper work? Come later in the afternoon, come tomorrow, come next week... I do not know where I placed your file, give me time to find it and see me in two weeks! That is the ‘language’ that needs to be understood! Deliberate and tactical delaying of the process (paper work) until ‘something/cash’ is released for the work to be done! But when cash is released, things get done in a lightning speed. This does not mean that all who ask us to ‘come later’ are involved in corruption. Even in corrupt societies there are still good and faithful citizens who discharge their duties with clean hands. But when a society is infested with worms of corruption people groan as simple administrative processes become complicated and a nightmare. Can you imagine how it pains a helpless citizen with little transport money coming from 30 km away to follow-up a paper work in a certain office, and is told to come again tomorrow, not once but several times? What will he do except to groan! You know the right thing to do but you do not want to do it! Meaning you know that if you release some cash, things will quickly get done for you. The question is: Is bribery the right thing to do? Absolutely no! What is the right thing to do? Two things: firstly, the officials involved should do their job as stated by the law, and secondly, I should not pay bribes to speed up the process. Those are the right things to do! But corrupt people turn things upside down as the book of Isaiah says: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter”, “who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent”, Isaiah 5:20, 23. Go with me an extra mile: Meaning you need to sacrifice for your work to be done. That is not the extra-mile the Lord Jesus talked about (see Matthew 5:41). Money paid for ‘extra-mile’ goes directly to the pocket of the official asking for it and not to government account. Here I repeat again, there are good and ideal citizens everywhere. Validate your documents: At a migration office in one of the countries, a foreigner produces his passport with a valid visa and other related documents explaining why he has come into the country and is surprised when the official at the migration office desk asked him to ‘validate’ his documents. ‘How do I validate my documents?’ asked the foreigner who was not acquainted with the corruption jargons and codes used in that country. ‘Validation’ here means produce some cash for us to stamp your passport and let you into the country even if there is nothing wrong with your documents!’ Where is the world going? Such ‘validation’ can easily give criminals and terrorists access into a country for what would prevent them being given entry visas if they place a ‘validation fee’ of $1000 into their passports? They can easily enter such a country even without valid visas. One of your passport pages is missing: Related to the above ‘validate your documents’ is this corruption code, by another migration officer at the port of entry to his nation. There is nothing in this word that one page of a passport is missing! What they mean is that if you place $100 note between the pages of the passport and give it to them, there would not be any missing page and your passport would be quickly stamped for you to enter the country! Again, such a practice can allow any criminal to enter a nation without true visa. If a criminal who does not have a visa from the country’s consulate in a respective country comes to a port of entry (border, sea port or airport) and places $500 in his passport as the missing page(s) needed by those officials, he would easily get into the country to do any harm and damage imaginable, just because of corruption. In our time, right things are no longer called by their true names and this makes people blinded to sin and not know how to distinguish between what is wrong and what is right. For instance sexual immorality becomes ‘love affair’, bribery becomes ‘facilitation’, lies become ‘white lies’, drinking becomes ‘mental relaxation’, financial infidelity becomes ‘problem solving strategy’, etc. How cunning Satan is! Whatever name given to sin, the fact remains that it is still sin. The bottom line is that whatever form of corruption is practiced in a society, especially by those in leadership, it brings groaning to the common people. A time came when the people of Israel decided to have a king over them like the rest of the nations on earth. But Prophet Samuel warned them that the king they desired would be a corrupt king who will rob them of everything: “So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him,… now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have. But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do’. Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, ‘This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plough his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.’ But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king over us. Then we shall be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.’ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, ‘Listen to them and give them a king.’ Then Samuel said to the Israelites, ‘Everyone go back to your town’”, 1 Samuel 8:4-22. God gave them (the people of Israel) Saul son of Kish who took from them all they had! If you see the Bible text above, the phrase ‘he will take’ is repeated six times. King Saul is well known as a ‘taking or grabbing king.’ Today in many societies, there are leaders like Saul but they have modernised the way they ‘take’ from people. This includes all forms of corruption and unnecessary over-taxations imposed on helpless citizens. Financial embezzlements and money laundering are other forms of corruption that need more space to talk about. But as Africans, Sudanese and South Sudanese, these are well known to all of us. But it is also important to underline here that paying taxes to the government is a noble duty that each and every good citizen should not try to escape from. The taxes that governments take return back to the public in terms of services like health, education, infrastructure and other services. Most often citizens try to avoid paying taxes because they think that leaders like King Saul of Israel will take what they pay and pocket it for themselves. Although this argument is to some extent true, it is not genuine, firstly because not every government system is corrupt. There are still governments and leaders who use citizens’ taxes to deliver services to the people. Secondly, God wants us to submit to authorities and one of the ways we submit to government authority is paying taxes. The Bible acknowledges authorities as ordained by God and they should therefore be respected and obeyed when they ask for taxes. Not to pay due tax is a sin for the Christian. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour”. Romans 13:1-7 (emphasis mine). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself endorses payment of taxes to governments. When He was asked if people should pay taxes or not, His well-known answer and opinion on this subject was and is still known to all: “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”, Matthew 22:21. One Biblical example of obedience to authorities is the family of Joseph and Mary. When the authorities of their time decreed that each and every citizen should go to his/her hometown to register for census, they obeyed and did exactly that. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria). And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, (to be taxed with Mary – King James Version, Authorised Version) who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child”, Luke 2:1-5. Our duty as citizens therefore is to submit to what the state and authorities demand of us regardless of what type of government and leadership is in place, if good or bad. When we carefully study scriptures that talk about giving in the Bible, like Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38, Acts 20:35, Proverbs 3:9-10 etc., we see that God never attached to them conditions like “If the church/government is good, give – if corrupt don’t”. Instead God speaks about our faithfulness and blessings that result from our giving. Our duty and obligation is to pay the taxes and what happens to the money at the other end of the tunnel is now between God and those concerned. Paying taxes to the government is comparable to paying tithes to the church, Malachi 3:10. God wants to see our faithfulness and obedience first, as we obey His commands. Let me conclude this point by saying that it is important to educate and sensitise our families and communities not to be involved in any form of corruption. Corruption brings public groaning which we should not be part of and to escape paying taxes to the government and to avoid paying taxes to the state is in itself another form of corruption. 5: People groan when there is no vision for a nation “Where there is no vision the people perish” (King James Version), “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint” (New International Version), Proverbs 29:18. When leaders come to power do they have the vision of taking the people into a new level of development or standard of living? When leaders amass for themselves wealth from national resources that could have gone for development and service delivery nationwide, they drain the economy and stunt development. The ultimate result is that people groan as they see people in other nations in different levels of development while they are shut up in darkness and under development. People groan and perish when a country is led by a leader who has no vision for taking the people to another level of development. For instance, in a time when the world has become a global village, many regimes have cut off their peoples from any communication with the external world. I was in a country where Internet was illegal! Any sort of touch with the outside world is not allowed. To check my mails, I had to go through narrow alleys and into a basement room that is dimly lit to find a computer with Internet connection and to pay expensively for the service. This is in a time when Internet has become a daily and cheap commodity and open service for all in many parts of the world. I asked the man with the underground Internet Cafe: Why is it that you are not allowed to use Internet? I still remember his answer very clearly: ‘This regime does not want people’s eyes to open because it thinks that when people know the truth; people will turn against it’. As I write these lines, that nation is in turmoil. The citizens of that nation are turning against that brutal regime that has kept them backward and locked up for decades. How important it is to have a visionary servant leader. A visionary servant leader, as Psalm 23 says, leads the people to green pastures and to quiet waters (= better and peaceful future). “The wise (the visionary leaders) have eyes in their heads, while the fool (visionless leaders) walks in the darkness”, Ecclesiastes 2:14, says the wise King Solomon. Conclusion: We have seen the two sides of the coin, the godly leaders and the wicked. What makes citizens celebrate and what makes them groan. Godly leaders bring blessings into a nation but the wicked ones bring suffering and misery. King David as a political leader who had walked with God for many years dedicated his last words for leaders in general and politicians in particular: I wish to give His Excellency King David the conclusion of this chapter that we learn from him: “These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God ofJacob, the hero of Israel’s songs:“TheSpirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.TheGod of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me:`When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth’”, 2 Samuel 23:1-4. My prayer is that our nations be nations where citizens rejoice and celebrate God’s goodness and not dens of groaning citizens. God bless the leaders of our nations with wisdom to lead the people to the desired haven of a better future. “He guided them to their desired haven”, Psalm 107:30. Discussion guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted 1. “Society’s groaning is a sign of a sick and affected nation”. Share ways you see and hear people “groaning”. Explain Proverbs 28:3,15,28 and 29:2 in your context. 2. 2 Chronicles 7:14-8:18 show some of Solomon’s “good leadership”. What lessons can you draw for today from it? 3. “God hears and sees” the oppressed, Exodus 2:25; 3:7-10; Acts 6:1-4. How many qualities do you think are needed in the oppressed people to wait for God’s deliverance? Which are the most important? Why? 4. “Leaders who rule the poor with justice are blessed by the Lord”. Jeremiah 22:11-17 describe King Josiah and his son Shallum/Jehoahaz. The history is in 2 Kings 22:1-23:28. What does it mean to “rule the poor” and to “be blessed by the Lord”? 5. Since “corruption is the abuse of trusted power for personal gain”, consider ways you have seen it happen, and ways you have avoided getting involved in it. Perhaps Dr Alex’s five example phrases may help? Acts 24:24-27; Isaiah 5:16, 5:20-23,5:25. How does remembering God’s holiness help you control your own actions? 6. Why did God warn the Israelites about the dangers of having a human king? In 1 Samuel 8:4-22 “He will take” occurs six times concerning “taxes”. What is the citizen’s correct attitude to paying taxes? Romans 13:6-7. 7. Spend some time praying: “God bless the leaders of our nations with wisdom to lead the people to the desired haven of a better future”. Share things you can do towards this objective, as well as praying. [1] The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7532891 . [2] Despair turns to protest for Greece's 'Indignants' by Teo Kermeliotis, for CNN: June 28, 2011. [3] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/aristophan379599.html . [4] My Life Alongside God’s word (Vol. 2), (WeeFour publications: Redruth, Cornwall, UK) 2014, p.159, p.151. [5] www.goodreads.com/quotes/63444 . [6] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth115061.html . [7] www.goodreads.com/quotes/1315996 . [8] REC FOCUS Vol. 4, p.71-72, September 2004. [9] Napoleon Hill Master Key to Riches (Ballantine, Random House: New York) 1965 pp. x, xii, p.103. [10] Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom (Back Bay books, Little Brown and Co.: New York) 1996, p.353. [11] REC FOCUS Vol. 4, No. 3 p.71-72, September 2004.

Bible readings:Exodus 2 and 3; 2 Samuel 11 and 12; Matthew 26vs30-35; John 21vs15-19; Acts 9vs1-9, 13vs1-4. My life (put) alongside God's word, volume 1. The Bible has many examples of leaders who were given more than one chance at leading in the way God wanted them to live. I am glad that my Heavenly Father has given me several. I am not one who always gets it right the first time. Without second and third chances I would have been dropped by life’s roadside long ago. At this special time, when God is using history to present many Sudanese and South Sudanese Christian leaders with unique opportunities: In the early stages of new countries, two years old at the time of writing this With families and churches relocating With circumstances revolutionised, even as you stay where you are When the old is finishing and while there are new beginnings Let’s see what we can learn from these four characters, in the Bible God has preserved for us. 1. Moses – a leader who had to stop doing it all his own way After he killed an Egyptian who fought against an Israelite, Moses had to run away from the consequences, into the role of a shepherd, Exodus 2. Then, God spoke to Moses through a miraculously burning bush, Exodus 3. With a refreshed understanding and appreciation of his God, Moses led his people through an incredibly tough journey of life. What must we do to capture a renewed close-up experience of our God? God gave Moses a second chance. Surely we can offer the same to ourselves, and to other people, in similar circumstances? 40 years shows that restoration can take a long time. 2. David – a leader who committed adultery and murder 2 Samuel 11 and 12 show us that even “good” King David was far from perfect. He should have been away at war when he spotted a woman he wanted to have sex with. Being king, his position allowed him to get what he wanted. God was displeased and sent His prophet Nathan to challenge David and to put him back on the way of life. He had chosen the way of death himself. What must we confess, make restitution for, and leave behind, before God can put His hand of full blessing on us once more? Do it now. God gave David another chance. Surely we must work our ways to genuinely forgive and to promote pure Christian discipleship in similar circumstances? 3. Peter – a leader who denied our Lord Jesus in front of others Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him three times before bed, in one short but eventful evening, Matthew 26:30-35. The NIV translates it “falling away” or “disowning” Jesus. When the rooster crowed, Peter was convicted of his sin, Matthew 26:74-75. Are there times when you have taken the easy way out and not stood your ground for the Lord Jesus? It is so easy to live as a Christian in church or in a Christian environment, but what about elsewhere – outside your safety zone? Do you even bother to go there? Jesus shows us how to deal with a repentant sinner. Read and think about John 21:15-19. Peter was re-commissioned. Now he had become a deeper, more sensitive Christian worker. He was widely used in the years ahead, Acts 2:1-14; Acts 3:1-10; Acts 5:15; Acts 10:1-48. What must we do to turn our defeat into victory for the Lord Jesus? 4. Paul – a leader who once strongly persecuted Christians Acts 9:1-19 records his conversion to Christianity. Paul was gradually transformed by God into a successful pioneer missionary for central Asia and eastern Europe. Beginning from Antioch, in Acts 13:1-4, the first of several missionary teams were commissioned to share the gospel where it was needed. The energy Paul put into destroying the church he now invested in discipling the church, in person or by correspondence. Are there newly converted people that we can help into soul-winning and church building through careful discipleship? Who has God sent our way? What should we be doing as an example to others? God forgave Paul and gave him a new chance to use his skills for good instead of godless destruction and murder. We must be able to work with God in things like this. Be a Barnabas: see Acts 9:27, and chapter 2 above. Imagine what might have happened if Barnabas had said to God, “No, I won’t do it. It is too dangerous”. Let’s have a final word from each character we have looked at - Moses: Psalm 90:1-2, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations, From everlasting to everlasting You are God”. David: Psalm 18:2-3, “the Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer… I call to the Lord, Who is worthy of praise”. Paul: 2 Timothy 3:12, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. Peter: 2 Peter 1:16, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty”. It is time for us all to start again in our Christian calling. Discussion questions: 1. Do you know of any children who have never made any mistakes while growing up? Why not? 2. In what ways does God treat us like a good father will treat his children? 3. From Exodus 3:4-6, what must we do when we realise we have made mistakes in following God? 4. Can you think of any other Bible characters to whom God gave a second chance? Share with the group.

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. The essential nature and character of God. The Eternity of God Every 1st January since 1956 the country of Sudan has celebrated the anniversary of independence. Another year is added to the age of the country. I have seen the crowds on the streets, the fireworks in the sky near the presidential palace by Nile Avenue, and heard the special events being broadcast from the garden television studio beside the river in Omdurman. Like the country of Sudan, every human being gets older every year. Only God does not age. He is no older now than when He created the world! God lives outside of the passing of time. Men and women change as their years go by. A young boy becomes a keen student then a strong man. The strong man becomes grey haired with limited eyesight, perhaps with a bent back when he walks due to pain in his limbs. God does not develop or wear out as year follows after year. ‘Eternity’ is defined as ‘endless or infinite time’. In Psalm 90:2 Moses wrote: “Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God”. Think back to the beginning of history. God created the world. But God Himself was already there existing. There has never been a moment in time when God did not live. God did not begin to be. He always has been. God does not need anything or anyone to support or keep Him. Therefore He could exist before and after everything else. God lives in forever. To God, the past, the present, the future, are all now! Think forward towards the future of this world. God will be there bringing about His purpose.This encourages us to trust Him with our own futures. If we want what He wants for our lives, He can be trusted to bring it about. God has no beginning, nor will He ever end. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13). God lives in eternity. In relation to time, He is “…the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come”, Revelation 4:8. He is set apart from humankind. He was living at the time of our grandparents, He is living now, and He will be living at the time of our grandchildren. He is exactly the same as He always was. Time will never change Him. Yet God does act within human time. English people have different ideas to Sudanese about time. My calendar, diary and watch control my appointments with people. The eternal God is never late, never in a hurry, never has too much to do in too little time, and is always punctual to His own timetable. Both English and Sudanese Christians ought to learn to see time from God’s perspective. Peter wrote to persecuted believers “Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” 2 Peter 3:8. Thinking it through. (a). Try to explain ‘eternity’ without reference to time. (b). What is the relationship between ‘time’ and ‘eternity’? (c). ‘God is always working for things to be right in eternity’ (Romans 8:28). How does this help us view things that happen around us in our lifetimes?

Acts 8vs9-25; 16vs6-10. Church Growing Pains. One of Paul's prayers for the church is stated in Philippians 1vs9-11. "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God." To be able to discern what is best is a vital key to successful Christian living. How did these early Christians know what God was telling them to do? How could they discriminate between a move of God and the enemy's action? The Greek word used by Paul to the Philippians is the same one John uses in 1 John 4vs1 when he urges Christians to "test the spirits" rather than accepting that everything spiritual comes from God. It was a word used in the metal business for being able to detect real gold from fool's gold, the genuine article from the counterfeit. In John's letter, and in Paul's to the Philippians, the contexts point to the Holy Spirit's witness within the believer's heart being the acid test. A heart soaked in Scripture, moved with compassion, sensitive to the present situation and yet firmly fixed on the ultimate goal, will have a firm assurance from God concerning decisions made and actions taken. As we survey the book of Acts there are dozens of occasions when the church was confronted with possibilities and needed to make choices. We are not told in the narrative precisely how they came to their conclusions although there are a number of clues we can follow which point us in the right direction. God does not usually hide His will from His children. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a triple promise that still remains absolutely reliable. "Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you", Matthew 7vs7. Our Father in heaven guides His children through the Holy Spirit He has placed within our hearts. Immediately the Holy Spirit came to rest on the disciples at Pentecost He enabled them to interpret and explain events. When the crowd assembled trying to discover what was happening as the Galilean disciples declared God's wonders in languages intelligible to a whole variety of nationalities, Peter was in a position to be clear and precise. He explained that drunkenness was not the cause of this event. Rather, "this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" and he quotes Joel 2vs28-32. Peter knew what God was doing as the Holy Spirit brought to his mind the prophecy of Joel and helped him to apply it to the day. Being with Jesus Christ regularly in the synagogues and listening to His teaching would have planted the seeds of truth into Peter's mind. Now God makes them grow. The seeds bear fruit. It is obvious that Scripture was uppermost in Peter's mind because he quotes from Joel 2, Psalm 16 and Psalm 110 in his sermon. He applies Joel to Pentecost and the Psalms to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. This application of Scripture was to become a hallmark of his preaching. In Acts 3vs24 he appeals to the message of Scripture from Samuel onwards through all of the prophets. He says they foretold current events. In Acts 4vs11 he quotes another Psalm concerning the rejection of Jesus Christ by the Jews. By vs25 the Christians are using Scriptures in prayer to give themselves confidence against their persecutors. Verse 31 clearly links together the fulness of the Holy Spirit and bold use of God's word. The writer of Acts, Dr Luke, drew attention at the close of his gospel to one of Jesus' priorities towards the end of his ministry. On the road to Emmaus he talked with two disciples who were discussing the events of the last few traumatic days. "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself," Luke 24vs27. Back in Jerusalem's upper room Jesus joined the perplexed disciples and "He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms'. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures," Luke 24vs44, 45. Obviously, one very important way to know what is of God is to develop a good working knowledge of the Bible. The Word of God makes us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, 2 Timothy 3vs15. It is the sword of the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 6vs17. A good soldier would use his sword in both attack and defence. A growing Christian will learn to do the same with his Bible. The Bible is like an electric fence. It can keep what it wants to keep inside the field and it can keep out what ought to be kept outside. And like an electric fence, the Bible is most effective when used in connection with the power supply. The Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are a powerful combination. As we look through a number of other examples of ways we can know what is of God and what is not, please remember this. None of these other occasions ever led the early church to do things, to accept things or to pursue things that were in any way contrary to the Scriptures. Since God speaks to us using the Bible, His word, it is certain that He will never contradict His word using any other way of speaking. Every time He speaks He concurs with Scripture. We will see in a moment that He may lead by a vision, He may lead through consensus of people, He may lead through a kind of spiritual hunch, He may lead through an investigative process, He may lead in other ways, but He will never go back on His word or go against His own revealed will. In Acts 3vs2-7 Peter knew God's will when the beggar asked him for money. He did not give the man what he asked for, but he gave him what he needed, in Jesus Christ's name. During sick visiting the saints of Lydda Peter again received a word from God in his spirit to pronounce healing on Aeneas. People turned to the Lord Jesus Christ (not to Peter) when the bedridden man could walk again, Acts 9vs32-35. Luke records a specific time of prayer in Joppa before Dorcas/Tabitha was raised from the dead through the very quiet and gentle words: "Tabitha, get up". Not even a mention of Jesus' name! Peter was learning that God gives discernment in every situation as to what He wants to be done. Only the man or woman who is living in obedience and openness to God's will can know and use this inside knowledge that God gives 13vs9, 10. Paul knew it in Acts 14vs9 and 28vs8. Proverbs 1vs5 says "Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance." King Solomon himself had prayed at the beginning of his reign "Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 1 Kings 3vs9. In Acts 5vs3 Peter knew that Ananias was not speaking the truth, and similarly with Sapphira in vs9. Notice that Peter had to act in faith, trusting God that the discernment given was true. Whether it was for healing the sick or confronting the hypocritical, discernment had to be given the visual monitor of faith in order to be seen to be true. In Acts 8vs18-23 Peter discerned from the actions of Simon the sorcerer, that his heart was still inclined more for the power over people than the pure work of God. He wanted to buy the power of influence. In Acts 15vs9 we read that even Peter had problems knowing what God was doing. In Herod's prison and awaiting a similar execution to James, he was astonished by an angel leading him out of prison. (It had happened to him before, 5vs19, 20, but he was still amazed and incredulous!) He was not sure whether it was a vision or a real event. Discernment is essential because it is not enough simply to read from the circumstances. James had been arrested like Peter. To follow just the same sequence of events, Peter would be executed too. But no! This time God intervened to release his servant. He had more work for him to do before Peter would be granted rest in heaven. Another way the church knew God's will was by a consensus decision of the whole church body. In Acts 6 all the disciples were gathered by the Twelve and told to choose seven administrators for the food relief programme. We don't know if it was a vote or what precise method was used, but we do know it was a unanimous approval, vs 5 "this proposal pleased the whole group". Paul and Barnabas "appointed elders" or "had elders elected" in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch similarly. There is no such decision recorded in the Bible about the plan to relocate everybody except the apostles outside of Jerusalem. It was simply an immediate response to the intense persecution stirred up by Saul, 8vs1, 2. There was little time to call a meeting, pray and fast - a response had to be made individually and immediately. And God used that decision to spread the preaching of the Gospel. His will was being carried out. In Acts 8vs14-17 and also 11vs22 the church leadership hear of blessing on missions that they had not authorised. They exercise their responsibility by sending trustworthy men to investigate, to work alongside what is happening, and to eventually bring a report back. In the first instance, Peter and John confirm the work of evangelist Philip in Samaria. Peter and John used their gifts of Holy Spirit empowered teaching to encourage the converted Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, 8vs17, and to learn the word of God, 8vs25. In the second example, at Antioch, the investigator sent is Barnabas. His fourfold ministry is an example for us:- 1. He sees evidence of God at work, 11vs23. 2. He encourages the people in their relationship with Jesus Christ, 11vs23. 3. He keeps evangelising, 11vs24. 4. He educates the converts in Christian belief and Christian lifestyle 11vs26. The church as a whole, in Jerusalem and in Antioch, knew God's will through the spiritually sensitive men it sent to investigate what it had heard. Instead of making the church expand only in line with its own plan, the early church was spiritually alive enough to adapt its own plans and incorporate what God was doing through other people too. In my ministry I have been in churches that are praying for God to work a mighty renewing revival. When things happen in a housegroup, in a nearby fellowship, in the youth work, they are not seen as the answer to prayer because they are not the precise way God has worked before. They were not the expected answer. Sadly, criticism and condemnation take the place of inspired investigation and often damaging splits occur where God was deliberately stretching his people. Other ways God led His people in Acts included speaking through angels, Acts 8vs26, where an angel told Philip to leave the mission in Samaria in order to meet a man on the Gaza strip. Philip's obedience took the gospel into Africa. In Acts 9vs10 God called Ananias in a vision to meet with Saul of Tarsus. One by one God answered Ananias' objections and his obedience led to the church's mission into Asia minor and Europe. In Acts 10vs3-6 and 10vs9-17 Cornelius and Peter are drawn together by God through a combination of visions, an angel, a trance and the voice of the Lord. Notice how the non-Christian Cornelius was led to invite into his home someone who could share Christ with him. Notice too, how Peter was led to do something he had never done before, going to a Gentile home, but it was a leading into the fulfilment of Scripture and not against Scripture, Acts 1vs8, Matthew 28vs18, 19. The confirmation for Peter was in vs47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." The collective church was not entirely happy with Peter going to the Gentiles. They show us another way of knowing God's guidance in Acts chapter 11 and it is similarly repeated with Paul and Barnabas in Acts15. In Acts 11vs4 Peter gives an accurate testimony in the presence of those who are being critical of his actions. As he does so, God melts their objections away vs18. It is a more formal Council set up in Acts 15 to hear Paul and Barnabas show that Mosaic law is unnecessary for Gentile converts to Christianity. In vs6, 7 there is much discussion, with both sides having put their views, vs4, 5. James draws the assembly to its conclusion vs13 having listened to all sides and to the Holy Spirit too. The council carefully communicates its decision both in writing and with respected people who can explain and answer questions as to the meaning of the words. Vs31 says the people were encouraged at what was shared, obviously witnessing God was at work. There is a great danger in talking about different points of view only with people who agree with you. That fosters division, not unity. When everyone wants to know what God is doing and saying there need be no fear of open and honest sharing of testimony and debate on the application of Scripture. Mutual respect is often a prelude to mutual agreement. Even if the agreement is the lowest possible - "You go your way and I'll go mine" - agreement on that is infinitely preferable to ongoing acrimonious accusation and counter-accusation. In Acts 11vs27, 28 the church knew God's will through the prophet Agabus accurately predicting a future famine. (He also predicted Paul's Roman imprisonment Acts 21vs10, 11). The church took action in faith in sending a collection from their own resources to help alleviate suffering. In Acts 13vs2 the Holy Spirit spoke to the Antioch church leadership about mission as they fasted and prayed. Whether it was through the Bible, the word of a leader, a letter from someone in the congregation, or what, we don't know. But everyone there knew it was God who was speaking. Paul and Barnabas were released from mission. However they did not always move on in such 'spiritually nice' circumstances. In 13vs50 they moved on when "expelled" from Antioch in Pisidia. In 14vs6 they "fled" from Iconium hearing of a plot to stone them. In 14vs19-20 they were actually physically stoned before they left for Derbe. In 16vs39-40 they were requested to leave Philippi by the town's officials. They kept one step ahead of Jewish agitators in Thessalonica, 17vs10, and in Berea, 17vs14. They changed direction because of another Jewish plot in Greece, 20vs3. God's leading can come in a variety of ways, from the heavenly vision to the natural instinct for self-preservation. The important thing is to know and to do God's will. In Acts 16vs6, 7 Paul, Silas and Timothy were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia or Bithynia. It was obviously not God's time or they were not God's chosen instruments for that place. Their commission was clearly to go to every person in every place, but here God Himself said "Not now, not you". Galatians 5vs25 says "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit". Enthusiasm, while a great asset in Christian service, must be submitted to the Lordship of Christ day by day. Otherwise it can easily lead into the second-best and not God's best. In Acts 17vs2 there is a Biblical basis for doing something because you have always done it. "As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures." Some years ago a young man came up and asked me how to go about testing a call he believed he had to the pastoral ministry. I encouraged him to share his testimony with me and then I advised him to explore Bible College possibilities through correspondence and phone calls, but also to keep working in his own fellowship. By volunteering to the leaders to do some pastoral visiting, some outreach with young people and some selected discipling under their direction the leaders could test his call with him. "Keep doing what you are doing and gradually expand it" I said. The man is excitedly pursuing God's will for his life now. In Acts 18vs1-3 Paul met with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth and worked with them because he had similar skills. He was overcoming a long period of hard ministry before arriving there. After some witness to the Jews in the synagogue abuse drove him outside to go to those who would listen and receive his message, vs6. God graciously confirmed this move, after he had made it, with a vision, vs9-10. "Do not be afraid, keep on speaking; do not be silent. For I am with you, and no-one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." Paul was given courage to continue by the assurance of the presence of Christ. In Acts 18vs20 Paul encountered one of the hardest tests in knowing and doing God's will. He was asked by God-fearing people to stay on and keep ministering to them in the Ephesian synagogue. It is so hard to say 'No'. I have known times when because it was a big organisation asking me to help, it would be easy to say 'Yes'. I have known other times when because it would mean travelling to a wealthy country like America, it would be easy to say 'Yes'. I have also known times when I was asked to stay on in places even though God was calling me on. To say 'No' is hard, because it is great to be wanted. But to say 'No' is necessary because to be obedient is the only option for a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Paul submitted to friends and officials and did not appear before the Ephesian mob even though he wanted to, Acts 19vs30, 31. Yet, on another occasion, he insisted in going on to Jerusalem even though his team and the believers around all tried to persuade him otherwise, 21vs12-14. I remember not becoming a Boys Brigade officer when everyone in my church, including my spiritual father, the B.B. captain, was sure it was what I should do. God led me into a ministry with a music group where I would give my testimony and help hump the gear in and out of their van. Through that I met Ambassadors For Christ evangelists and became aware of their training school. When I went to Katoomba, NSW, Australia I met my future wife, Brenda, and after completing the Bible College course we were invited back to Britain to become involved with the work of AFC in Britain, where we have served God since 1971. It all began by saying 'No' to everyone except to God. Paul also used his spiritual common sense to warn the Ephesian elders about attacks on the fledgling church when he moved on, Acts 20vs29,30. He did not need a special revelation, simply a review of what had happened elsewhere. His experience led him to give a solemn warning of what could be expected, to the men who had the ongoing responsibility. In Acts 21vs20-26 Paul ceremonially purified himself and his team in Jerusalem because godly men had shared with him that doing this would demolish one stumbling block to people hearing his message. In Acts 23vs6 Paul stirred up differences between Sanhedrin members by deliberate references to the resurrection. He knew one party would agree while another would not. He used this to his advantage. His guidance came through his knowledge of the parties arrayed against him. Finally, when Paul was given a confirmation that he would testify in Rome, Acts23vs11, he took every step he could to get there - to help God's purpose along. He protected himself when he had news of a plot on his life, 23vs17. He trusted himself to the Roman authorities believing God was using them to speed him to Rome, and he took every opportunity of sharing his testimony with people from governors to guards along the way. Even when the ship's captain ignored his advice in putting to sea from a Crete harbour, 27vs10, Paul still retained absolute confidence in God taking him on to Rome unscathed, 27vs25. Our Lord Jesus Christ said "All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you", John 16vs15. The Spirit speaks to us in many ways, as we have seen, but never in a way that contradicts His own word. Keep your ears listening to God. Discussion questions If 'spiritual' can be of God or of Satan, how can we distinguish between God's leading, God's restraining and Satan's temptation? Does “circumstances” + a Word + a prophecy + spiritual logic _________________ = guidance" If not, is there another equation? Why is 'No' sometimes very hard to say but necessary to be obedient?

Bible reading Matthew 5:1-16. In the Living Bible version of Psalm 85:8-9 we read: “I am listening carefully to all the Lord is saying—for He speaks peace to His people, His saints, if they will only stop their sinning. Surely His salvation is near to those who reverence Him; our land will be filled with His glory”. One very important thing God is often speaking about in the Bible is ‘peace’. Are we listening? The Hebrew ‘shalom’ translated ‘peace’ has a deep and all-inclusive meaning, something like ‘perfect wholeness’, ‘total wellbeing’. It carries over into the frequently used Arabic greeting, ‘salaam’. ‘As-Salaam-Alaikum’, the Arabic greeting meaning ‘Peace be unto you’, was the standard salutation among members of the Nation of Islam.[1] It is still widely used today in and beyond the Moslem communities of Sudan and South Sudan. I wonder what most nations of the world would give for true peace, wholeness and wellbeing between all of their different people-groups? I believe a good understanding of how God wants us to see all the other people He has put around us, can help us be the kind of peacemakers our Lord Jesus spoke about in His sermon on the mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”, Matthew 5:9. The Greek eirenopoios simply means the two small words that make it up, ‘peace – to make’. This includes working to reconcile, with ongoing living peaceably.[2] At one of the churches I attend our weekly service begins with this prayer: “Almighty God, grant to your people love for all the things which You command and desire for all that You promise, in order that, in the middle of the many changes in our world, our hearts may be securely fixed where true joys are to be found”.[3] This is a good goal to adopt. We must always want what God wants – nothing more, nothing less. Of course it is a challenge to want nothing else except what God wants. Before we do anything else, elections, referendums (my Brenda prefers ‘referenda’), resettlements, career choosing, community projects, marriage, etc., let us start with God central in our minds. God, Who is our Saviour The Bible begins with God. “In the beginning God”, Genesis 1:1. It may sound strange to say this, but I believe we must learn to think of God as He really is! Too often our routine and unchallenged thoughts limit our vision and appreciation of Who God actually is. Even as Christian leaders, we must spend longer meditating on this wonderful God, Who is our Saviour, 2 Timothy 2:8, Isaiah 46:8-10. A few years ago I heard from friends of the burning of half a village in Atar, Jonglei State, on New Year’s eve, during what was described as “ethnic unrest”. Sadly this is one of many such reports. It gives rise to the question: How should we as Christians respond to ethnic unrest? Here are a few ideas: 1. Remember that God is still the Creator and the Ruler of this world and of local events Consider these words of God from Isaiah. “Who is my equal? Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created these?” “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God”. “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I bring prosperity and create disaster; I the Lord do all these things”. (from Isaiah 40:25-26; 41:10; 45:5-7). God wants us to think of Him every night when we see the millions of stars. Think that He is in charge of all events – even the ones where we are treated badly. He brings all the people He wants to within our orbit of life.[4] As the roadside ladies carefully weave their mats and baskets for sale at the market, so God is able to weave all the events of life into His lovingly successful plan for our lives, and the lives of those other people we can touch, Romans 8:28, 37-39. Strong Christians believe and live by this. 2. Remember how our Lord Jesus said we must view and treat all other human beings Every person born has the image of God, Genesis 1:26-27. Therefore our traditional enemies, as well as our friends, have the likeness of God put into them by our mutual Creator. The world may want us to see another tribe or people group as our enemy. But our Lord Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy”. But I tell you, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you””. “You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth”. But I tell you, “Do not resist an evil person”. (from Matthew 5:38-48). Jesus wants us to show our Christianity by responding in a positively Christian way to the hatred and disrespect we sometimes receive. Our Lord demonstrated His own response as He chose to allow Himself to be nailed to a cross and judicially murdered, by the very human beings whom He had come to rescue for heaven! Jesus’ submission to God’s will bought salvation for us! Matthew 26:39. From apparent disaster came eternal triumph! We must let God be God. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, see Luke 10:25-37, Jesus taught we must do good, even to those who are our traditional enemies. I am not saying it is easy to do this, but I am saying this is the right way to live. If our tribal or national leaders tell us to do something which is against what the Bible tells Christians to do, then we must choose to follow Christ and stand against the flow of public opinion. By doing so we must also accept any consequences which may follow, Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 6:31-33. 3. Remember the Kingdom of God transcends tribalism, nationalism, and even Christian denominationalism. At Rome in Paul’s time, the Roman Christians were judging one another concerning their outward ritual observances for their faith. They would split off from one another saying something like, “If you do that in your service I cannot be with you”. The teacher’s response was to see the bigger picture: “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”, Romans 14:13-23 (italics mine). When we think we are wronged, if we respond the Christian way God will bless us with such peace and joy in our hearts. It will be a good witness to those who mistreat us. (See for example, Peter and John in Acts 4:1-31; Paul and Silas in Acts 16:22-32). In Corinth the Christians were divided over which leader to follow, 1 Corinthians 1:10-12. Paul’s teaching emphasised the cross of Jesus Christ. Fellowship around the cross of Christ, and everything seen and unseen that happened at Calvary, is the uniting factor of all true Christianity, 1:18, 1:23-25. It is much more important than tribe, language or social standing. James was concerned that rich people were given privileged places in Christian worship while the poor were deprived. He rebuked the leaders saying that, “God has chosen those who are poor … to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him”, James 2:1-8. How rich in faith are you? (am I?). Peter encouraged Christians to live outstandingly different Christ-like lives in the middle of a community who lived otherwise. He urged resistance to communal pressures, the cultivation of good deeds to all regardless of colour, tribe, religion, plus submission to God and human authority where possible, 1 Peter 2:11-17. It is helpful to remember that He said our actions will always speak more loudly than our words. I finish this section with a reminder that even if you think you (or your people) cannot live this way – God says that, with His help, you (and your people) can! Fellow disciples – live on![5] Being a Christian with tribal and family loyalties. About three years ago I read a book called “Looking for a Leader”.[6] In my own devotions I like to work through every Bible book in turn, reading the Scripture passage, noting my own ideas from it, before comparing them with a chapter of the commentary. I mark the date in the Bible index when I do this. I am now in my fourth time of having my personal walk with God this way. In 1 Samuel 13:2-3 and 14:1-46 Jonathan is seen fighting and defeating the Philistines. The people could see God was with Jonathan, giving him victories. Jonathan was a man of faith, 14:6. He was also the son of King Saul. Humanly speaking, Jonathan would inherit the kingdom when his father died. This was the tradition and custom. It was right and proper. Everyone would reasonably expect that to happen. But God had other plans in mind! To follow God Jonathan must go against national and family traditions. In 1 Samuel 15 we read how the Lord rejects Saul as king, “because he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My instructions”, verses 10, 23, and 16:1. So Jonathan would not take his throne. In 1 Samuel 16 God helps Samuel the prophet to anoint His chosen king. We are reminded in this story that “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”, verse7. We already know that “the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart”, 13:14. Now we discover this man is David, the youngest son of Jesse, 16:11-13. And because it is David – by definition, it is not Jonathan! God breaks family and national traditions to ensure His man is in the right place at the right time. The right man for any position is always God’s man, and not necessarily the expected man. Nepotism or favouritism have no place in the Christian’s life or values.[7] It may be expected that Jonathan would be angry that his right to be king had been taken away. A natural human reaction would have been for him to resent David and make him a despised personal enemy. Yet the Bible tells us that Jonathan “became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself”, 18:1.[8] Jonathan and David make a brotherly pact, 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Giving away his robes and weapons was symbolic of “all that could have been his on the throne”.[9] The two men wait for God’s time to bring into reality the promised kingdom of David. For Jonathan that meant going more and more into disobedience to his human father, and to the expectations of his royal household, 19:1-8; 20:1-42. His own life was put at risk by his actions. He was always prepared to die, 14:43. He risked his own life again and again for the sake of his friend David, 20:30-34. Notice (for our own encouragement) that God preserves him for as long as He plans to use him. We are all indestructible until God’s time for us to leave this earth. Jonathan eventually dies in battle, 31:2. David’s moving lament for his friend can be read in 2 Samuel 1:19-27. It may well have been first sung at an event like Sudanese tribal gatherings to mourn the death of family members and friends over several days.[10] Nothing bad is said even of his enemy, Saul. Jonathan is “a model of loyalty to truth and friendship, as well as … peace-making which is the role of the sons of God”.[11] Perhaps he can inspire us to stand up for Jesus Christ and His expectations of us, where it is necessary against sectarian tribal divisions or inflexibly restrictive family traditions and even ‘foreign’ cultural differences? As Christians we are all given the priority of standing up for the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul was never “ashamed of the gospel”, Romans 1:16. To him the cross was the power of God – even if it was foolishness and a stumbling block to other people, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24. His handwritten prayer was this: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”, Galatians 6:11,14. Verses 12-13 show that Paul was not interested in outward appearances. He followed the advice of God in his heart – his heart which was crucified to worldly temptations and alive only to Christian discipleship. Since being born again he was a Christian first, Acts 9:1-22. He was a Christian before his nationality, before his family, before his tribe, before his earlier education and even his life’s experience. Before his previous religion, before anyone or anything else Paul was determined to live as a Christian. Jonathan chose to give over his rights and help make David king. Jesus Christ chose to live and to die by the way of the cross. They both knew the seed (of their old lives) must die in order to bear much fruit for God and His kingdom, John 12:23-26. Who is seen to be the King and Ruler of your life? What is God calling us to do in these times of decision for our countries of Sudan and South Sudan? I pray God will raise up men and women of gracious faith. Christian people who will stand firmly but gently on the side of Jesus Christ. People who will attract others to our faith by our love for all others, our respect for those different from us and our Christlikeness in any and every circumstance, Christian people who will be selfless, because to us all, Jesus Christ is everything.[12] See all people, love them and forgive them “Walwal-tung”. I learned this Nuer greeting so I could use it at the start of one sermon I preached to a packed out Khartoum Evangelical Church back in 2002. I wrote it into the front of the Bible I still use today. People loved it when I tried to speak (although badly!) in their language. I also remember the tasty asseeda porridge they shared with me for breakfast. The great pastor Gabriel I knew from there is now in glory! I am sure we will meet again one day. All people are created in the image of God. This is clearly taught in Scripture, Genesis 1:26-27. We are all in the shape, form or pattern of God. “…(humankind) is the image and glory of God”, 1 Corinthians 11:7. 1. Every person matters to God Since every individual is an “image” of God, each person matters. If you looked into the clean shiny porridge spoon you would see an upside-down reflection of yourself. However, it would not be crystal clear, like it would be in a good mirror. The spoon image would be blurred, scratched, deformed in small or big ways. Similarly, the people around us have become poor reflections of the God whose model they were made from. We are no different. Sin stains us all. Humanity’s fall into sin has meant that none of us is perfectly what God made us to be. We must remember this when we are tempted to hate other tribal groups or despise different ethnicities of people who have varied culture to ours. 2. See people the way God does As Christians we must “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator”, Colossians 3:10. Even when our human brothers, sisters, cousins, or even our children are screaming for vengeance following the awful events of war, (and justice may seem to demand some action), as Christians we must choose God’s view of “our enemies”. If God took an attitude of revenge out on us, we would all be on the road to an everlasting hell. We have all wronged Him so much. 3. Love your enemies “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven”, our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45. When we die and arrive in eternity, our heaven or hell destination will not depend on our earthly tribe. Dinka, Moro, Nubian, Arab, English, will not matter at all. The only thing that will matter is have we become more and more like our Father who is in heaven? Are we like Jesus who was God in human form and Who became our Saviour? 4. Forgive whoever sins against you “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”, Matthew 6:14-15. The above four choices are yours to make. Will you choose to be Christian in how you deal with all other people from today onwards?[13] To make one’s own peace and be reconciled In the English dictionary ‘peace’ has at least twelve meanings. Six of them are: “the state existing during the absence of war”, “a treaty marking the end of a war”, “a state of harmony between people or groups, freedom from strife”, “law and order within a state; the absence of violence or other disturbance”, “a state of stillness or serenity”, “a state of harmony and friendship”. Three English phrases also merit thought: “peace of mind – meaning the absence of worry or anxiety”; “to make one’s peace with – meaning, to be reconciled with”; and “to hold or keep one’s peace – meaning to keep silent”.[14] As mentioned at the start of this chapter, in Arabic (and for Ethiopians, Israelis, etc.) salaam/salom/shalom is a frequently heard greeting meaning peace, completeness, well-being, welfare and health. It is a kind of blessing. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, in what I thought was a useful speech opening the extraordinary convention for the SPLM, listed things that must be dealt with before any lasting peace could grow: 1. there must be an accounting for past crimes 2. people must take their responsibility for violations past and future 3. there must be reconciliation between individual people and groups 4. forgiveness must be genuinely offered and accepted. [15] He makes four good points, but only after December 2013 had seen the start of a violent civil war! Let’s pause and pray for a peace with no breakdowns, in effect for a long, long time, in all of South Sudan, Sudan and all the surrounding countries. As governments and opposition groups, in South Sudan, Sudan and elsewhere, seek to talk to each other about peace in their countries Christians do well to understand: Something of the Bible’s teaching about ‘peace’ Of 249 times the word “peace” is used in the Bible (in the NIV Anglicised translations of 1979/2011) I have selected twelve as special to our thinking for this chapter. Please read the Bible passages as they are referred to: May God bless you with peace 1. This is at the end of one of the earliest priestly blessings commanded by God, Numbers 6:22-27. “The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace”, Numbers 6:26. As we have seen the Hebrew word “shalom” means completeness and wholeness. This blessing was commanded by God. We do well to remember we can always pray for peace, for ourselves and for our country. The influence of prayer reaches far beyond any vote, democracy or autocracy. May God give us peace right now. Fear God by seeking peace 2. The writer is teaching about living by the fear of the Lord, Psalm 34:9. He says we must control our own tongues, vs13, live the right way not the wrong way, vs14a, and “seek peace and pursue it”, Psalm 34:14b. The whole Psalm is about living to praise God and taking “refuge” in Him. A refuge is a place of safety from danger and threats. We are all to work hard to try and achieve peace. Each individual’s efforts count in the collective push for peace. Many bricks, each in its proper shape and place, can make one outstanding building. Learn to trust God-given peace of mind and heart 3. All of Psalm 119 is about the value of the Bible for life. Before his recent retirement a friend of mine was working on literacy and biblical literacy for the Otuho and Lopit while his wife worked in Arabi Junuub. There is still a lot of effort being put into translating the Bible into the local languages of Sudan and South Sudan. Why? Because Christians need to know how to live Christianly. One of the many benefits from knowing God’s word well is “peace”, a deep inner peace whatever is going on around you. “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble”, Psalm 119:165. Peace of mind and heart is given to those who love God’s law and live it out. This is both worship and witness Live with the Prince of Peace 4. This is a prophecy of a coming King, much greater than any seen before. It looks ahead to our Lord Jesus – but without naming Him. The world-governing Child has four names here, the last one being “Prince of Peace”, Isaiah 9:6. Unusually, almost every on-line Bible version I checked out have these words exactly the same (46 out of 49). One essential characteristic of Jesus the coming King is that He will be, “Prince of Peace”. Prince, Hebrew sar, means “head, official, captain”.[16] We must allow ourselves to be led by Jesus in our work for peace. If we do not, we cannot say He is our Lord. When we do not follow Him we will not have His peace in heart or mind. As one of God’s chosen, keep receiving God’s peace 5. When the angels worshipfully announced the Incarnate God the Son’s arrival on earth, they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests”, Luke 2:14. The Greek word eirene means peace, unity, concord, an agreement to join together as one. For God there was no bombing of, or shooting at, or trying to starve and relocate His enemies! Rather, He organised face to face talks with humanity in Jesus the Christ. Even though this led to His (human) death, through that very death He was working out His purpose of salvation for many people. We know God’s peace because we are saved by His free and undeserved grace and Holy Spirit rebirth. Nobody can save themselves by ever being good enough. The bottom line of our salvation is God’s choice of us. And notice that those given peace with God have the only basis for reconciliation with all other people (who are, please remember, also created in God’s image). Make peace among all your people 6. These words from our Lord Jesus are very familiar to Christians involved in various peace processes. “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God”, Matthew 5:9. In Scripture the only other use of this word, ‘peace-makers’ eirenopoieo, is Colossians 1:20, where it describes the reconciliation of all heavenly and earthly things to God through the blood Jesus shed as He died on the cross. Surely we learn from this that living as a peacemaker is a costly style of life. In the news we hear a lot about ‘peacekeepers’ but little about ‘peacemakers’. The word is not even in the MacMillan School Dictionary I often use! It is in my big dictionary and is defined as, “A person who establishes peace, especially between others”.[17] Our Lord taught His true followers to be eleven things at the beginning of His sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:1-16. Number seven is to be a person who causes quiet calm in everyone’s lives by avoiding all verbal strife and actual fighting, that is a peacemaker. Accept the ‘non- worldly’ peace your Saviour offers 7. This again is a word from Jesus. He was with His close disciples just before His arrest and crucifixion. John chapters 13-17 are called ‘the upper room discourse’ because of the verbal and visual teaching Jesus gives. In John 14:27 He is seeking to encourage His followers to receive peace of mind and heart as a gift from Himself, see vs1, 27. God the Holy Spirit will live in all disciples, giving a totally different inner peace from anything else offered by this world. Notice carefully our Lord Jesus says, “My peace I give you”, John 14:27. (italics mine). The peace our Lord Jesus had Himself all through His earthly life, even when confronting the big challenges He faced in three and a half years of public ministry, that peace can be our peace. Ask your Father in heaven and you will receive it here on earth. Remember, God loves and so He gives. God-given graceful peace is not a tense peace 8. We could put 19 references here as it is the traditional greeting the early Christians have used in their Bible writings.[18] “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ”, Romans 1:7. The greeting is a kind of prayer or blessing: ‘have wholeness, freedom from disturbance, tranquillity, peace with God, peace with people, peace within your own heart and mind’. This is a gracious gift from our great God. Walk around today thinking that everybody you see, hear or read about, is someone with whom you can be at peace. See them through your prayer even if this is not the usual way for you. The local imams, political leaders, military people, neighbours at home and work, colleagues, family and tribal relations, tradespeople, shopkeepers, everyone at your local church, etc. Why not speak a Christian blessing on them, face to face or secretly? Live as God’s representative where He has placed you – witness where you are. God does not do accidents! J. We are where we are deliberately. Like a soccer player places the ball on the penalty spot to shoot at goal, let God ‘kick’ you into Christian action. Place yourself on the spot for Him to use! Give peace your best chance 9. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”, Romans 12:18. In this chapter Paul begins with a call to live sacrificial lives, being Christians in a non-Christian world, vs1-2. We are all to use the gifts God has given us, vs3-8. We are to live with visible integrity, vs9-17, including reacting Christianly and not hastily to direct persecution, vs14,17. Verses 19-21 outline how all these can be done in order to “overcome evil with good”, vs21b. “Paul recognises that it is not always possible to live at peace with everyone (12:18) because this does not always depend on us. But believers should not be the ones responsible for any lack of peace in their communities or in any of their relationships with unbelievers”.[19] All Christians are to love peace and work for peace, individually and collectively. It is always our responsibility. Give God a chance to peacefully work what He wants 10. Please read this carefully. “Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. He had been quarrelling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply”. “On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died”. “But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark”, Acts 12:19b-25 (italics mine). At first this may seem an odd Bible passage to include in our list of twelve out of 249. But think for a minute. We know that “a severe famine” spread over the entire Roman world, see Acts 11:28. It was probably this that made the people of Tyre and Sidon sue for peace with their enemy Herod, vs20. They would rather be at peace with full stomachs than starving while at war, or at least in unrest. This gives us an example of God using severe economic times to further His purpose of spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus far and wide. God used the occasion to eliminate Herod, an opponent of the gospel, Acts 12:1-4, 12:21-23. No man is greater than God. God also encouraged the mission of the Christian gospel, vs24, into all the world, Acts 1:8, 8:1, 11:19-21, 13:1-3. Thank God, use and enjoy peacetime 11. I notice here that when the earliest churches “enjoyed a time of peace” they were “strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord”, Acts 9:31. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that the arrival of peace where you are will, by itself, lead to a vibrant and growing Christian church in Sudan and South Sudan. It will not happen automatically. All believers in our churches will need to continuously ‘be being filled’ with the Holy Spirit because this is what fuels our Christlike living. All believers in our churches will need to be aware every moment of every day of the Holy God Almighty whom we serve. That is what it means to fear Him, to respect Him and live to honour Him. A prayer for our ‘peace-rule’ calling 12. I will quote these verses as a concluding prayer for this chapter. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”, Colossians 3:15-17.[20] Discussion guide 1. Make a list of the main hindrances to peace in your world. Think nationally, or in your community, or local church, etc. 2. In this chapter I suggest how ‘we as Christians (should) respond to ethnic unrest’. Which of the three do you think is the most important, and why? 3. Which of the three do you think is the most neglected in our Christian communities? Suggest ways this can be rectified. 4. Considering Matthew 5:38-48 and Matthew 5:10-12, discuss how a Christian may have to pay the price to live the Christian way – perhaps against the majority. Give examples where you can. 5. In this chapter section ‘See all people, love them and forgive them’, I list four ways we can live ‘in God’s image’. Read the four Bible passages quoted and put each heading into your own words, capturing both the meaning of the text and its application to life in your context. Don’t make the sentences too long! 6. Our Lord Jesus came with the gift of peace. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests”, Luke 2:14. Suggest ways we can live to help others know the blessing of God’s peace. End notes: [1] ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/mxp/notes/5140.html Columbia University [2] W.E.Vine Complete Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament words (Thomas Nelson: Nashville, TN) 1996. [3] Common Worship Holy Communion The Archbishop’s Council, 2000. Partly quoted. [4] The orbit of a particular person, group, or institution is the area over which they have influence. Our reach, our range, our scope. www.collinsdictionary.com [5] Adapted from my Encouragement No.4 Ethnic Unrest January 2010. [6] John Woodhouse 1 Samuel Looking for a Leader (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway books) 2008. [7] Nepotism is the unfair use of power in order to get jobs or other benefits for your family or friends. www.collinsdictionary.com [8] Please be aware that some try to twist this verse into supporting homosexual relationships. This is not possible, especially as verse 16 uses the same words saying, “all Israel loved David”! Beware false teachers, 2 Peter 2:1-3. [9] Gbile Akanni African Bible Commentary (Nairobi: Word Alive Publishers) 2006, 1 Samuel. [10] Gbile Akanni African Bible Commentary (Nairobi: Word Alive Publishers) 2006, 1 Samuel . [11] The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press), 1998 edition, p.808. [12] Adapted from my Encouragement No.10 Being a Christian with tribal and family loyalties, July 2010. [13] Expanded from My Life Alongside God’s Word (WeeFour publications: Redruth, Cornwall, England) September 2014, chapter 25, See People, Love and Forgive. [14] English Dictionary (HarperCollins: Glasgow) 1994. [15] 7th January 2016 in Juba, www.sudantribune.com. [16] Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible (KJV edition) (Lutterworth: London) 1879. [17] English Dictionary (HarperCollins: Glasgow) 1994. [18] 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 3; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 John 1:3; 3 John 1:4; Jude 1:2; Revelation 1:4. [19] David M. Kasali (DRC), Africa Bible Commentary (Word Alive: Nairobi) 2006, page 1370. [20] Adapted from my Encouragement No.40 To make one’s own peace and be reconciled February 2016.