(written 14th May 2014). June 2014 will be seven and a half years on from my laryngectomy – the surgical removal of my voice box owing to the laryngeal cancer, carcinoma sarcoma. It will also be five years on from a second cancer in my neck with all the radiotherapy that entailed. I cringe at the thought of all that process even now, but I am still here in Redruth, Cornwall, and I am both physically and spiritually alive. Here I am with dear Brenda at Redruth Baptist Church on our 43rd wedding anniversary, November 2013. Notice the Atos Provox oval optiderm base for sensitive skin and their Micron cassette that I wear in crowded places like church, hospital, or on the bus. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out to the ends of the world”. Psalm 19:1-4. My voice is not the one God gave me at my birth, but it is the one He has given me for now. I hope I will “voice” every day for God’s glory and purpose. We are well used to the routine valve, stoma and skin cleaning at the start of every day. I also nebulise with a saline solution. I find that allowing for shower, shave and a small breakfast, plus all of the above, it will take me a whole 2 hours from getting out of bed to be ready to leave home when I need to be out somewhere. The cleaning cannot be rushed. It is also detrimental to skip it and I will pay for it later in the day with more coughing than necessary if I do. Patiently planning the time first thing pays dividends in the long run. I redeem some of that time by reading during the 20-30 minute nebulise. It is actually a good discipline for me. With careful thought I find this reading helps me with my devotion to God, writing preparation for Sudan and South Sudan, plus the church group Bible study we lead fortnightly in our home for 13-18 people. At home (and at my daughter’s home, God bless her) I use an angle poise light with a spotlight bulb, one or two mirrors – one a magnifier, two jars of cleansing liquid – one with boiled water, the other the same plus a little Milton sterilising solution. I don’t travel much but when I do we have devised our own “travel kit” to take with us. Tissues, the valve brush, the tweezers, the pipette, sachets of adhesive remover, all go without saying, along with a “green zip bag” full of spare parts – HME cassettes, adhesive base plates, wipes, saliva spray, nebuliser, saline capsules, shower guard etc. The “extras” we have for travelling and staying in a Travelodge (or equivalent), where we don’t know what the light situation is going to be, are an old camera tripod and a battery operated quartz halogen torch that can be turned into a pinpoint spotlight. Spare batteries are useful too, of course. Sometimes the tripod can stand on the dressing table, or else on the floor, wherever I can sit behind it facing as much light as possible to see the reflected image of my stoma. The torchlight enhances my view and enables me to clean well. It has taken me six to seven years to settle on which plates and cassettes are best for me. I have not experimented with every new item in the catalogue, opting to observe the maxim: “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?” I generally use Atos Provox Optiderm base plates, Extra-moist HME cassettes for being at home, Extra-flow HME cassettes if I am walking to and from the shops, and the Micron in crowded places as mentioned above. My Speech Language Therapists gave me good advice on these. Our Royal Cornwall Hospital’s policy is to change the voicing valve every six months whether it needs it or not. This suits me fine and I feel it gives me a medical check-up at the same time. The professionals have a wider experience than I do and may see things I don’t. The ongoing toughest thing for me has been balancing the demands of my life and the constraints of living as a laryngectomee (in my case along with epilepsy, narcolepsy, diabetes and prostatic hyperplasia – together with the passing of years!). Every day is a question of learning to balance, or to hold in tension, what I want to do, what I need to do and what I can physically do. Because I firmly believe in the sovereignty of God I try to accept the limits He has put into my life. The ancient character Job learned during his tragic lifetime to “accept good and trouble from the Lord”, Job 2:10. I want to do the same but it is not easy. “My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice”, Psalm 34:2. I take opiate painkillers all the time with some extras to top up with on bad breakthrough pain days. These all make me sleepy and result in hours, even days, in bed asleep. Afterwards I am frustrated as some things I need to do and want to do have not been done. “I have (not yet) learned the secret of being content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I (am learning) the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength”, (brackets mine), Philippians 4:11-13. I suffer constant dull pain the left side of my face, my ear, my throat (and “you are often a pain in the neck”, do I hear someone say?) It makes sleeping difficult. I also get severe neck cramps on eating, drinking hot or cold drinks, some pillow depths and various angles of my head. I cough a lot and as well as being messy my head spins and I occasionally collapse on to the floor. I have learned that a little tickle in my throat means it is time to change the cassette I am wearing. “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil”. Job 3:26. “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God”. Psalm 42:11. Thank you for letting me share something of my heart with you today. I pray God will encourage you to seek His answers to questions in your life.

Issues facing Christians in Sudan and South Sudan today. Tribalism, ethnicity and culture section. by George Tabaan The Root Causes of Conflict. In many parts of the world today, we have witnessed sustained social conflicts in which ethnic, racial and cultural differences have played a pernicious role. Some of these have become large socio-political conflicts, for example between Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East, and between fundamentalist Hindus and Muslims in India. In Europe, the events in Northern Ireland, though usually interpreted as hostilities between Catholics and Protestants, have their origins in the opposition between natives and later settlers in their land. Paul Nzachahaya has said that, “if there is one cancer that has raped Africa, it is ethnicity and race, or as others prefer to call it, tribalism. Instead of celebrating culture, culture has caused trauma and division in African societies”. Africa is characterised by ethnic strife which often bursts into civil war. People are recovering from apartheid in South Africa, but race-related killings have not completely stopped. In Burundi and Rwanda the conflicts were between Hutus and Tutsis. The victims are millions and the fighting was related to ethnicity. The recent incidents in Kenya surrounding the election of December 2007 were violently along ethnic lines, with people killing each other. In Sudan we are witnessing conflict in Darfur between the Janjaweed and the Fur in which thousands of people have already lost their lives. Also consider the Abyei conflict between the Dinka Ngok and Misseriya. In an attempt to find the causes of this kind of violence, most scholars agree that as long as people are enslaved by their own race, ethnicity, culture and social politics, violence will continue to increase. In struggles for political and economic power, where one group appears not to allow anybody or anything else to exist, there will be trouble. When members of one clan, tribe or race, feel that they are superior to others, and therefore feel they are entitled to a larger share of the national cake than others, perceived injustice and oppression breed violence. The struggle for political and economic power by individuals, tribes, institutions, nations or even across international borders has caused – and is causing – immense suffering to mankind. In a book called Until Justice and Peace Embrace, Nicholas Wolterstorff argues that when an ideology of ethnic purity takes over, others who happen to reside in that place are left with only two choices: either to migrate under varying degrees of duress, or to accept the status of second class citizens along with varying degrees of repressive deprivation of their rights. This kind of exclusion is not usually an end itself. It hides, and yet at the same time reveals, powerful desires to possess what others have. Root Reasons for Ethnic Violence – the Scars of History It is quite difficult to understand the root source of why there is so much blood shed when ethnic violence erupts. It becomes easier to trace when one puts events into their political and historical context. Context sheds light on the reasons for conflict. History informs us that at various times different ethnic groups occupied a land or governed a nation. Somehow over time one class emerged from the ethnic group and began to dominate and oppress the others. That emergence is the beginning of endless and often violent struggles for power, if power is not shared. The oppressed fight back. The rulers of the time often manage to put in place exploitative and oppressive structures to keep themselves in power. They control the access to key political positions, the armed forces and both child and adult education. The oppressed feel abused, frustrated and helpless. The coming of the colonial powers may have contributed a lot to worsening the situation through their policies of divide and rule plus indirect administration. They often taught some ethnic ruling class that they were born to rule. The people in that group succumbed to the temptation to believe it. When the colonialist tilted the scales in favour of a different ethnic majority elite (for their own interests) the former ruling class did not accept this shift in policy. It was against what they believed. The result was violence. Often people were killed. If leadership changed, the former power were often forced into exile. When the oppressed ethnic group attempt to regain power by force, some people succumbed to a genocide ideology. It was seen as the final solution: the extermination of one particular ethnic group. No opponents of the existing regime could be left, in order to resolve the problem once and for all. A deadly dangerous ideology! Learning from the events of the past, it can be seen that the root of these conflicts is a culture of self-centred greed that has developed over centuries. They were violent attempts to maintain one’s position and wealth to the exclusion of all others. They were struggles by one side to exclude the other, and struggles by the other side trying not to be excluded. One group was aiming at maintaining the status quo while the other was trying to overthrow it and bring about change. Paul Tournier in his 'The violence within', said that “Violence is a two edged sword”. First there is violence within which has to do with inner conflicts. Our ego holds us to do anything we want to do to others. It follows our narrow and immediate self-interest. It makes us slaves to our own prejudice. We serve our own security, our own passions and, far more importantly, our own fears. As a result, we find ourselves locked into the logic of protecting our own place, property, position and so forth. Second there is violence without. This is our reaction to external social conflicts in society. Outer violence takes three forms: “Hot” violence, by which Tournier means guns, bombs, etc. “Cold” violence is the economic power to dominate or destroy those who lack it. And “Cool” violence which gives apparent legitimacy to both the “Hot” and “Cold”, but may not take active roles. Connections are made across these distinctions and they impact on each other. So at the very source of ethnic violence we find all sorts of inequalities. These have to do with economic, social and political life. They include inequalities in food, in shelter, in land, in healthcare, in freedoms of thought and the spoken or written expression, in self-determination and in demands for equality between all people. We must learn from history that it is our ego which drives us to do anything we want to do for our own immediate self interests. We become slaves to our own ideas. Individuals end up locked into a logic of doing what we do in order to protect our own ethnic interests, our own property, our own positions in society, and so forth. As a Christian church, we can have a big role to play in bringing healing to our nation. We can help prevent such kinds of terrible violence. Healing occurs when the members of all communities recognise their own violence and repent, deliberately turning away from it. To the Christian this choice makes a lot of sense. Jesus our Saviour took our violence against Himself. He keeps it on Himself and does not try to pay us back for it. In the Christian gospel there is no place for human discrimination or exclusion. As Christians we are brought through repentance into an open and inclusive way of life where all others are both respected and welcome. The Bible teaches us the basis of our unity as followers of Christ. Our unity in Christ is irrespective of colour, ethnicity and culture. Our unity in Christ overcomes any other divisions between us, Galatians 3:28; Romans 15:7; Ephesians 1:3-6; Revelation 5:9-10. Our unity guides our responses to all of the racial, ethnic, or cultural hostility of our day. As a whole Christian church we want to promote love for our neighbours in all of our social politics, Mark 12:28-31. Some examples from the scriptures 1. Tribal conflict: In Judges 12:1-6 we witness ethnic conflict between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites. Instead of thanking the Gileadites for fighting their common enemy (the Ammonities, verses 2-3), the Ephraimites fought against the Gileadites. Both groups were Jews. You have to search from scripture why they fought. There was a history prestige for Ephraim, Joseph’s second son. When they were overlooked the people of Ephraim were resentful and grumbled, 8:1-3. The result of this conflict was 42,000 people killed. This passage teaches us that one of the consequences of long-term, unresolved ethnic misunderstanding is bloodshed. Tokunboh Adeyemo comments in the Africa Bible Commentary: “It is tragic that the Israelites, who should have been united against their common enemies, were at war with each other”. He correctly goes on to warn that, “In Africa today, we need to work to avoid seeing nations divided on tribal lines, or believers being divided on regional lines, or in any other way. As believers, we have a common enemy, the devil, and if we stand united, we are better able to resist his attacks”. We may add that in Sudan our common enemies like under development, poverty, disease, poor education, etc. will only be defeated by the united efforts of all of the Sudanese people. 2. Racial Conflict: Exodus 1:1-22 gives us a picture of racial conflict between the Egyptians and the Jews. Notice how the Egyptian leadership treated the Jews, verses 12-14 and verse 22. The underlying reasons for this oppression included ignorance of the God of history, verse 8, and fear for their own safety, verses 9-10. These attitudes resulted in oppression, verse 11, cruel and unfair treatment; ruthlessness, verses 13-14, a willingness to hurt other people in order to get what is wanted; bitterness, verse 14, anger and disappointment because of perceived unfairness; and murder, verse 16, the crime of deliberately killing someone. This passage reflects to us some of the racial discrimination that can be manifested between Christian believers, among our churches, within our nation or throughout wider communities. But the challenge for followers of Jesus Christ is to use the Christian gospel to contribute towards racial harmony in every one of Sudan’s communities. Jesus Himself said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”, Matthew 5:9. The first Christians learned: “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness”, James 3:18. They believed: ”Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation”, 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. 3. Political Conflict: 1 Samuel 18:1-16 describes the political conflict between a king and his potential successor. A strong relationship between David and Saul had developed because David was successful doing whatever Saul sent him to do, see 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 17:17-18:2. He gave David high rank in the army which pleased everybody, including Saul’s own supporters, 18:5. Later Saul became angry and developed an attitude of hatred, enough to try and kill David, 19:1. This change came about because he thought that David’s next step was going to be to seize the kingdom for himself, 18:8. Saul’s jealousy of David’s success and popularity led to fear of losing everything he had. That was the reason Saul kept a jealous eye on his one-time appreciated servant, 16:22; 18:9. Political rivalry is a major issue in Africa. In Sudan it is contributing to the destruction of our nation. God placed David in Saul’s royal palace so “he would learn what it was like to serve a king who was not kind. He would learn how to handle success as a subordinate. He would learn how not to be corrupted by the court. He would learn to preserve his own anointing while working with someone whose heart had turned away from the Lord”. God is giving some Christians in Sudan similar opportunities today. Pray for Christian salt and light to be an influence for good. Be ready to do what God calls you to do. Let other people learn about Jesus simply by watching your life. Sadly, the Christian church is not exempt from these evil realities herself, but she is still expected, in response to the Christian gospel, to be an instrument of peace. Christians are to be people of peace, Ephesians 2:13-14. Consider Jesus' words in Matthew 5:13-16; also consider 1 Peter 2:11-17. The Church and ethnic conflicts The Christian church as an institution should not support any ethnic activities or participate in promoting ethnicity. Neither should the church be involved in any politics that is contradictory to truth of the Scripture. The church must not identify herself alongside any violent and brutal regime. If it ever does, it is not in a position to be a voice speaking for the voiceless. The church should probably not identify herself closely with any government regime because governments can change their tune in attempts to keep power. The Christian church should always address the issues of social inequality and must speak out against any oppression in society – not just defending the interests of her own tribe or ethnic group. Well informed Christians who are genuine disciples of Jesus Christ may be the social and spiritual conscience of any nation, including Sudan. On an individual level, each Christian has to face the challenge of how they manage their dual identity in a time of crisis. We are Christians and we are human beings. Two forces will be in play. On one hand there will be ethnic ideology, promoted by politicians. On the other hand there is love, respect and unity among all people of whatever background, promoted by the Christian gospel. When political violence begins to erupt, (or preferably during the build up, in order to help prevent violence if possible), Christians will have to respond according to the categories of outer violence described earlier. Around them some fellow people will react with “Hot” violence, taking up machetes, spears, guns, grenades and bombs, as has happened in Kenya, Rwanda, and Sudan’s Abyei, Darfur and elsewhere. Other people will react with “Cold” violence, exercising their power in tacit but less public support of those practically involved in “Hot” violence. A third section of people will react with “Cool” violence. By saying and doing little or nothing, they apparently legitimise both the “Hot” and “Cold” violence. We need to be committed Christians who do not support any of the Hot or Cold violence, but are prepared to say and do what is necessary to ensure Christian love, respect and unity are distinctly heard and seen. If some of us are misunderstood, rejected or even killed because we belong to what I am going to call the “Active but Cool” category, then that is a price which has to be paid, 1 Peter 2:12-17. Conclusion Paul Nzachahaya has said that experiencing violence can be a failure to share power and resources and a failure to recognise that we are naturally violent in ourselves. Not only have we to fear violence from others but we should also be afraid of violence from within ourselves. It is underneath the skin of us all and might break out at any moment. If it does it will ravage all that one holds dear. The failure of Christians to appreciate that our faith is not about personal salvation abstracted from social realities also contributes to violence. Liberation from outer violence cannot be achieved without addressing the inner violence we all have. An example of inner violence coming out is when we are on the defensive, a victim of circumstances, but we fall into the temptation of pointing to others as the source of this violence, and then we demand drastic measures – often violent themselves – to punish the offenders. Jesus said, “turn the other cheek”, Matthew 5:38-39. At present in Sudan we remain struggling with our internal divisions, and consequent physical and spiritual wounds. Healing can occur only when members of the Christian community recognise our own violence and repent from it. It is when we surrender to and comply with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that we as Christians are brought to repentance. We enter an open and inclusive way of life. Other kinds of people are both respected and welcome. If we want to stride ahead with life we have to forgive others and love those who have shot at us, or who put land mines to hurt us. You have to love and forgive the men you know killed your father, your mother, your friend, etc. Pray for their salvation, don’t pay for their elimination! The Bible says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is Mine to avenge; I will repay”, says the Lord”, Romans 12:19. In a topical guide from FOCUS Kenya, 'Peace and Reconciliation', Antoine Rutayisire shared in his testimony that he lost his father when he was only five. Then, in 1983, he was fired from his job as a university lecturer on the grounds of ethnic equilibrium. But it was only when he gave up all the anger and violence inside him that he became completely healed. He testified that he was released and healed from the inside out and he no longer felt the gripping pang of bitterness whenever one of the old enemies was mentioned in his presence. In Sudan we have a lot we can learn from the experiences and the testimonies from other nations, and from people within our own country, those who have lived through horrific ethnic violence. What happened in other nations could happen to us at any time. What happened in one state of Sudan could also happen in other states. We have an ethnic, racial and tribal time bomb planted and ticking in our nation. It needs to be controlled and defused to prevent destructive explosions. The Christian church, our national leaders and local community workers all have big roles to play in preventing such violence from erupting. Jesus has set Christians (His people) free from slavery to our ethnicity, culture and race. We must use all means by the grace and the power of God. We can pray intercessory prayers. We can present appropriate study workshops and conferences. We can teach and we can learn. May God increase our love for our nation and for all of the Sudanese people, every one created in the image of God. GOD LOVES SUDAN AND ALL THE PEOPLE IN SUDAN. We Christians must love God deeply enough to do the same. Discussion guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted: 1. “Perceived injustice and oppression breed violence”. Share examples from within your area of Sudan. Include how the dispute began – what the roots were – if you can. 2. How can a Christian deal with “violence within and violence without” him or herself? Consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:33-37; Matthew 15:16-20; Matthew 5:8-10. And the words of Paul in Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 3:1-3. Since our heart drives our life-choices, how must we cultivate a Christian thinking heart? 3. “Our unity (in Christ) guides our responses to all of the racial, ethnic, or cultural hostility of our day”. Explain from Scripture how this can be true, and should be true in our lives. Why does it not always work in practice? What can be done about this? 4. Share how a Christian understanding of the devil’s role in ethnic, racial and cultural divides can help Christians unite as one people. Consider 1 Peter 5:8-11. Does this view of a common enemy also help one nation (Sudan) made up of many people groups (tribes) to unite? 5. Describe how tribalism or racism could have been behind the disagreements in Acts 6:1-7. What did the early Christians do to tackle the problem? What does it mean to be “known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”, verse 3. How important are these qualities today? 6. “God is giving some Christians in Sudan similar opportunities today”. Think of places people could live and work in today’s Sudan that would make them like the young David working in King Saul’s service. How should Christians help one another live in this type of work? Hebrews 10:23-25. 7. How do you think the church in Sudan can “be the social and spiritual conscience” of Sudan? Consider 1 Peter 3:11-21, (containing at least eight verbs telling us how to live). 8. What role does genuine Christian forgiveness have to play in promoting harmony among all peoples of Sudan? Which passages from Scripture would you use in developing an appropriate seminar on “forgiveness as the basis for reconciliation”? 9. Why do Christians sometimes fail to appreciate that “our faith is not about personal salvation abstracted from social realities”? List the dangers of this under-developed Christianity. Consider the command, and the life, of Jesus, John 20:21.

The Master's Instructions about the Christian life. (1 Timothy 4:1-16). Prayer has sometimes been likened to the air we breathe. If prayer is the Christian’s breath, then the Bible is certainly the Christian’s food. Life is dependent upon certain things and the Christian life needs both prayer and the word to keep it healthy. The parallel may be taken even further. New-born Christians should be careful not to eat too much, nor to tackle Bible passages that are too hard to begin with. Equally they must take sufficient of God’s word to remain in good spiritual health and to show signs of growth. 1 Peter 1:24-2:3 tells us how we can grow up into the salvation we now have, and 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 speaks of a church where this maturing process had not taken place. Consequently the believers in Corinth were in all kinds of trouble. The preaching and Bible teaching in a local church is one way in which God speaks to individual Christians. Basic discipleship courses such as this one are designed to help in the growth of healthy Christian lives by feeding a careful diet of balanced nutritional value to the new Christian. However, because of the differing levels of spiritual maturity and experience within any congregation, there will be times when we do not understand what is being taught. Even in our own Bible reading we come across some things that are easier to understand than others. Paul’s advice to Timothy is good for us too. Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 and then keep in mind the parallel between the Bible and our everyday food. 1. Eat little and often. 2. Eat regularly. 3. Eat a varied diet, not the same thing over and over again. 4. Eat some things that are good for you even if you don’t like them 5. Exercise regularly or else eating will make you fat! (In other words put into practice what is learned.) There are a variety of aids available to help your learning. Do not rely on someone else providing nourishment once or twice a week. 1. Regularly attend church services and teaching classes. 2. Try to memorise a verse of Scripture each week. Perhaps you could write it on a small card and carry it with you to read during odd moments of the day. 3. Read a little passage from the Bible every day. 4. Keep a note of what God says to you. It may helps to write it down in a diary. Note the promises that apply to you, the warnings that point out the pitfalls ahead. If there are things you don’t understand, write them down and ask a Christian friend to help you when you can. 5. Progress into studying the Bible rather than just reading it. A concordance might be used to list verses on a similar theme. Verses about a particular person or people can be compared. You can study the chronological story. Prophecy and its fulfilment may be checked. You can learn how to correctly divide God’s word of truth. Always remember that babies need milk to begin their lives, but if they are still on milk after ten years there has to be something wrong. Other scriptures to read: Psalm 1:1-3; 119:11; Acts 2:42; 17:11; Romans 10:17; 1 Timothy 4:13, 15-16; 2 Timothy 2:15. The Bible helps you to get up and grow. Discussion guide for ‘Learning How to Learn’ Reading 1 Timothy 4:1-16. 1. Verses 1-3, and 7, point out a real danger. What is it? 2. 2Timothy 3:10-11 and verse 14 give an important way of knowing a true teacher from a false teacher. What is it? 3. Explain from 1 Peter 1:24-2:3 how the Bible, and its true teaching, is like “milk” for the growing Christian. How do you know that the new Christian is spiritually healthy? 4. Explain from Psalm 1:1-3 how the Bible, and its true teaching, is like “a fruitful tree” for the growing Christian. How can other people see the Christian is spiritually healthy? 5. What do you think is the difference between “Bible reading” and “Bible study”? Why is it important to progress on from one to the other? 6. Share with the group examples of good practice in Bible study that you know about and have found helpful. Let other people ask questions of you. 7. Why is the teaching and preaching at a local church sometimes difficult or seemingly irrelevant to you? What can you profitably do when it is? 8. Why not start a small group from your church, or in your workplace or school, studying your Bibles together and using this course as a guide to help you (and them) understand and apply it to daily life?

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. God the Holy Spirit and our Christian experience. Every Christian believer has the responsibility to ‘test’ the claims of people preaching the Christian gospel. Not all of them come from God (1 John 4:1). I have been very worried when I have seen Sudanese Christians accepting any Westerner who arrives in the country with a Bible under his arm. Pastors invite them to preach from their pulpits without asking many – if any – questions. I would never put my congregation in such a danger! Any financial support that a false prophet can contribute towards my church, would be completely outweighed by the poison of false teaching. The word ‘test’ (Greek – dokimazo) means to prove, to try out, to put on trial, with a view to approving (or otherwise). You may need to carry some water from the river to your plot of land a walk away. You look around for a suitable bucket or plastic jerry can. When you plunge the bucket into the water and lift it out, it is full up to the top. But there is something you should sensibly do before you start carrying the water to your plot of ground. Look around the bottom of the bucket carefully, to see if any of the water is leaking out through cracks or holes. If there is a leak you may not have any water left in it by the time you arrive back at your land! If testing is sensible for a water-carrying bucket, how much more so for any person who claims to be carrying the ‘living water’ of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Here are some good questions to ask: 1. Does the person clearly believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? (Exodus 20:2,3). Is the Holy Spirit for him a person, or just a power? (Acts 8:9-24). 2. What do they believe about Jesus Christ? Does it include His virgin birth, incarnation, death on the cross, resurrection and return to earth one day? Is Jesus the only and all sufficient Saviour? (Hebrews 1:1-3). 3. Does the person follow the Bible and obey all its commands? Do they add anything to it? Do they distort it by concentrating only on some parts of it? (2 Timothy3:16,17). Emotion does not guarantee truth. 4. Does the person live to a high moral standard, showing genuine love for God and for his or her neighbour? (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew22:37-40). Actions prove a person’s real beliefs. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). 5. Does the person show a genuine desire to follow the Holy Spirit, or is there any legalism or shallow ritual being substituted for real Christian discipleship? (Romans 8:13,14). 6. Are ‘followers’ allowed freedom to have their own views, or is the leader beyond challenge? (2 Corinthians 3:17).Never give any human leaders uncritical allegiance. 7. Where does this ‘teaching’ fit into the church and Christian history?(Acts 2:42). Avoid the temptation to say ‘It’s all of God’, or ‘It’s all of the devil’. It is often some of one and some of the other. Discernment can pick which is which. 8. Are all the claims being made, easily seen to be true? Beyond dispute? Is there any exaggeration – which amounts to lying? (1 Corinthians 14:29-33; 14:37-38). Be careful in the use of words and meanings. Popularity does not make anything right, or wrong necessarily. Being new, or being old, does not make something necessarily false, or true. Be careful of the latest Christian fashion. Fashions may make us fit in with other people, but not necessarily fit in with God. Tradition is not always right, but it can be right. We must learn to choose between what is of God and what is not. Discerning takes time. Our knowledge of both the Bible and the Holy Spirit will help us discern. To discern is ‘to clearly recognise something’. Discernment separates what has come from God and what has not. There is a special spiritual gift given to some as necessary, to be able to distinguish between spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). But every Christian is able to use objective questions similar to those above, in order to build up evidence and make a subjective decision over the ‘Christian-ness’ of any individual, a group, or a movement. Christians in fellowship with each other can help each other over this, using biblical discussion and honest testimony (see, from Acts 15:13-19: Simon Peter’s testimony, the agreement of the Old Testament prophets, and a concluding judgement from James). Discernment is not always easy. But it is always necessary. We are in a spiritual battle and our enemy is clever. When the devil knows that he can pass undetected into our churches and congregations, he will do so. We must be on guard in love (Acts 20:31; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; 1 Timothy 6:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:14). We must be discerning. Thinking it through. (a). How do you “test which spirits are from God”? (1 John 4:1) What does the text mean? (b). Why should we “be careful of the latestChristian fashion”, or Christian visitor? (c). What practical steps are you able to take to discover a person’s answers to my suggested questions 1-8 above?

I have just reread the first of these biography articles I wrote in January 2008. Some things change but many do not. The God who comes alongside does not change, but sometimes I change in my nearness to Him. Life is still an emotional roller coaster. Normal communication does not happen between Colin and me. Things do not get easier as the time goes by. We have lost ease of communication and exchanged it for economy of conversation. I feel lonely and Colin feels frustrated. The good times are wonderful but too rare. October was an interesting month for us in 2014. Early in the month Colin was given the all clear and “we don’t need to see you any more” at the Oncology clinic. Good. This means fewer trips to ENT at hospital. Some patients and carers find this cut off point very traumatic. But we know the surgeons are only a phone call away - and Colin sees a speech language therapist about every six months to have the valve between trachea and oesophagus changed, so we were not devastated by the loss of this security. We are delighted for the reason. We had been planning a cruise we had been given for Colin’s retirement (January 2014) for best part of a year. We did a trial run packing early in October with Colin’s medicines and equipment. These took more than a complete case by themselves, so we went out and bought 2 slightly larger suitcases! Add to this mix the fact that the pain in the trigeminal nerve was back with a vengeance in Colin’s left-side face, ear, throat and neck. The pain clinic doctor said she would be happy to try a nerve block injection again, which was administered at West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance on October 8th. It did very well. Once it was done and settled, Colin needed to gradually run down the pain killing drugs. So, currently he is in no pain, and off morphine drugs, not losing days or hours to sleep. He is still on 31 tablets and one injection a day for nerve pain, diabetes, night-time epilepsy, prostate problems, including a recently added four which control his blood pressure to try and stop falls. Months ago Colin was referred to the Geriatric ‘Medicine man’ after a hospital overnight stay caused by a fall. We have nothing but praise for the three doctors we have seen in the course of several visits to see a ‘chanting man in feathers’. (No not really! Two of them are ladies!). Sometimes humour is necessary!! Probably a mental device on my part to evade ‘geriatric’ as I am older than Colin anyway!! These folk have tinkered with the drugs, changed one for a similar one but with different side effects, sent him to Falls Physio, had him on daily long term blood pressure monitoring, together producing no recent falls, and apart from feeling dizzy sometimes when he coughs, not even coming close to falling either. Great. Back to the cruise from November 2-16th. The staff, the scenery were wonderful but Colin was ill for 3 of the 14 days, in bed with a urinary tract infection. He was disappointed but made a quick recovery. I find it very stressful to care for him in a strange situation. The responsibility without the usual support lines is harder to cope with, even though everyone was helpful and encouraging. In those situations I find it hard to see the wood for the trees, to see the beauty and wonderful provision for my sick husband. My driven husband, officially retired, still meticulously plans his diary for writing and everything else he does. He is still trying to work out what retirement means. Perhaps it is a little early to know about retirement. The laryngectomy procedure back in 2006 resulted in Colin thinking through who he was and what his life was all about when his career (Christian public speaking, teaching and ministering) was taken away and his conversation and discussion – which he loves – was made more difficult. His life had been threatened by cancer, but as a result of the laryngectomy operation the essence of life as he knew it was gone. God was and is still a loving God - He had not changed. Colin had to build life, block by block - who he was, what he did. I struggle to keep on an even keel when Colin says things gruffly with a sore throat and stoma, when I misunderstand signals because of lack of words - even writing this has made me tearful. This is still the man I love - for better or for worse, but not quite the man I married. I need God’s help every day to be the Carer I want to be.

Issues facing Christians in Sudan and South Sudan today. Tribalism, ethnicity and culture section. by Thomas Maluit Hoth Nepotism and Tribalism are two poisonous diseases at large in our society and nation: Nepotism is “favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence”. Tribalism is positively, “loyalty to a tribe or tribal values”. Negatively, tribalism is “a way of thinking or behaving in which people are more loyal to their tribe than to their friends, their country, or any other social group”. Their dangers and negative effects towards Sudan’s social and political transformation are so conspicuous in all aspects of life I am sure my reader has examples from his or her life. Before the independence of our country, those who ruled us for 55 years did not care from which tribe or section of the community we came. They were only interested in our qualifications and our allegiance to the British rule and government. As soon as Sudan gained its political independence, the whole system which I have hinted at above started to change. Jobs were misused by a minority clique and given especially to people who came from one particular region or province. As a result of this unjust distribution of jobs and resources, there was general discontent in many other parts of the country. Especially in Southern Sudan a rebellion started in protest against this unjust rule and the post-independence marginalisation of its people. That rebellion was a direct result of tribalism, sectionalism4 and nepotism. These evils are the root cause of many other nationwide problems. Cultural divide People who come from outside our Sudanese culture need to know that in our society there exist already internal cultures and their associated cultural norms. Some of these can be considered divisive. They reflect big differences between one tribe and another. For instance, in Southern Sudan where you find many different ethnic groups, every visitor can easily identify some sort of difference among the people simply by the way the people appear in public. There are people who have distinct marks on their faces, marks representing their particular tribe. Marks vary from tribe to tribe and, sometimes, you find differences between sections of the same tribe. The Nuer for example have six marks all over the Nuer lands. The Shilluk also have one marking system which is different from any other ethnic group in Southern Sudan. The Dinka have different ways of marking the foreheads of their male boys even within themselves. Dinka from Bahr El Gazal have at least three ways of marking, while Dinka from the Upper Nile Region have three other ways of marking. These markings on the foreheads of Dinka men and women are signs of identification with their own ethnic group. The Nuer only mark men, and for them it shows the separation from boyhood to manhood. Many of us who come from these ethnic groups see these markings, or signs of tribal identification, as one of the social divides among Sudanese people. We feel they should be discouraged and even abolished, because of the adverse effects they can have. In recruiting people for certain jobs the boss, whether he is marked or not, may identify an applicant just by looking during the recruitment. He sees who is from his own ethnic group and who is not. He may only recruit those he sees as from his own tribe. This may happen even if no words in an ethnic language are spoken! A second problem face markings bring occurs during rioting between ethnic groups. People who join the fight just have to look at the faces of the rioters. Faces show ethnic divisions. People can then join those with similar marks to themselves without asking why are these people fighting! It can be seen at a glance which tribes are involved in the fight and on which side they are. These are just two of the problems which encourage tribalism and nepotism. Tribalism and nepotism also encourage these things! As they feed on themselves they become destructive social or political divisions in our single Sudanese society. There is some nepotism in Sudan, but it is not as serious or dangerous as widespread tribalism. Those who only favour their blood relatives are few in urban areas and in Christian society. I have not yet witnessed any serious problem as far as nepotism is concerned. However, it is going to appear soon as long as educated people are asked to help their poorer relatives find work in our towns and cities. While poverty grows some people may choose to put their close relatives in key positions (rather than better qualified people). When this happens trouble may be anticipated. My Personal Experience of Nepotism and Tribalism I became aware of my own personal surroundings when I started to work in the church for the first time in 1976. When I finished my initial seminary training at St. Paul's Theological College I was first assigned to be Youth Pastor. I started my first contacts with different young people, people who came from a variety of ethnic groups. Before that moment I did not have any sense of tribal division. I was so innocent about all differences that other people had in mind. My objectives were to organise the youth, both boys and girls, and to have more effective Christian activities in our church and in wider society. As I went deeper into my responsibility as a Youth Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Sudan, I came across one important question from the youth themselves. The question was: “what language could the youth use for communication in their business meetings and correspondence, since there were a number of different ethnic groups who spoke different tribal languages?” This question was my first encounter with the differences between the people I was asked to lead. It took me time to give an answer. In the next meeting the Arabic language was chosen for internal correspondence. Although I am a Nuer, during my leadership of youth I never had a feeling of being different from anyone else. But one problem arose as we continued to organise ourselves. The problem was that the pastors of each ethnic group in our town wanted to have a separate youth group where people should use their tribal language in the general youth activities. As a result, the entire united youth progress was halted. The youth were divided into tribal congregations. It was not until some years later that the youth themselves realised the mistake. They regrouped themselves once more and called themselves the "Presbyterian Youth Association in Sudan". As you can see, that good work was interrupted by tribal division. In our Christian society we must be very careful when language differences, tribal differences, and different cultural markings, are allowed to become impediments to our Christian unity and our Christian values. Language Problems in our Church Services In Sudan’s Protestant churches one of the problems promoting disunity is still the barrier of language in our church services. Language makes it difficult to unite all the ethnic groups of any one church under one pastor. This is true in most Protestant churches including the Presbyterian church from where I come. When you attend worship you want to feel comfortable. So you choose to go where you can understand everything. If the service is in the Dinka language, and you are Dinka, you are most likely to go there. If the service is in the Shilluk language you may well disappear and go elsewhere. So a Dinka pastor is most likely to have all Dinka people in his congregation, and a Shilluk pastor most likely to have all Shilluk. Tribal languages makes it almost impossible for one single pastor to be followed by all ethnic groups. This applies equally to Nuer, Murlei, Anuak, and every other tribe. Thus the language barrier is another impediment in the one African Christian society. A gesture of change has recently started to appear. Those who have had their education in the Arabic language are prepared to accept Arabic as the language of public communication. Such groups meet together in our Christian churches and societies. As they sit and converse they use Arabic as their common language, despite coming originally from different ethnic and tribal groupings. In Southern Sudan it seems that the English language is the fast growing language. It is being used on the streets and in offices especially by older aged people and those who have come from East Africa. They probably had English as the language in which they learned at school. Nepotism and Discrimination In Southern Sudan, as I said earlier, nepotism has not yet reached a dangerous or worry-some stage. In Northern Sudan however, nepotism is rather widespread in the states, the provinces and even in the capital city, Khartoum. In the north people ask themselves whether they have stepbrothers, relatives etc. in the departments should they need something done or be trying to get a job. Some of our neighbours in Khartoum used to tell us stories about nepotism in government and non-government institutions. If you have no relatives in any of these institutions you cannot get a job. Only relatives are appointed. Therefore, this practice of nepotism is responsible to some extent for the high unemployment of graduates in the Sudan. Because of discriminatory nepotism many young men and women who have better certificates and degrees than others are turned away from jobs, while people who have relatives responsible for employment are taken on and employed. Nepotism destroys fair competition for jobs. This practice in our society, whether amongst Christians or non- Christians, destroys the hope and confidence of Sudanese young people in their own country. Tribalism and Nepotism in Public Institutions In our public institutions these destructive practices are obviously becoming more widespread. It is a step backwards in our country’s development, not a step forward. In South Sudan you find many offices are occupied by one ethnic group to the exclusion of others. This is because the boss is from one particular ethnic group or tribe. Bosses would prefer to have their supporting staff come from their own tribe. When other people do come in, people from other ethnic groups, they find themselves alien. They discover themselves unwelcome and soon leave disappointed, due to the simple fact that everybody around them speaks in the tribal language of the office boss – which they do not know. This is a big and growing social and political problem. It divides people rather than unites people, who are all from the same nation. If such practice is not abandoned by our society, it will create more of the unfortunate spirit of negative tribalism and hatred. This crushes the national spirit whether inside the Christian church or in the wider social community. We are all Sudanese. One reason why our people do not value peace, although peace agreements have been signed and implementation is in the process of being completed, is because they do not see any initiative from their churches or from their political leaders to unite the people of the South across their various communities and societies. Tribalism and the emerging nepotism are becoming the generally accepted way of life. This is divisive and not constructive for our longer term future. Strongly held divisions are always a threat to peace. Christian love and respect for all people will build peace. I fear that unless the churches and the southern political parties initiate programmes that unite the people of the south, north, east and west Sudan, bringing them altogether in activities across all sectors of life, the Bible’s statement will prove true once again: “ Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand”, Matthew 12:25. Look at the practical example of Somalia. Falling into the trap set by the evil dangers of tribalism, the Somali people have divided themselves into different ethnicity, continually disputing the interests of different clans. All this despite the fact they are one race who profess to follow the one religion, Islam. Tribalism and nepotism bring dangers to any national community. Where countries, societies and churches want to be peaceful, united and strong, these progressing evils should be eliminated once and for good. Tribalism and nepotism bring real problems for peace and stability, whether the country is Christian or non-Christian. When they become the way of life in society, and especially in the public works, state and non-state institutions, they usually deprive the institutions of finding the right persons for the right positions when they are employing or recruiting. This breeds resentment, mistrust and hopelessness. Tribalism and Nepotism in Educational Institutions In the 1970’s and 1980’s there was rampant fighting in most of our southern schools. At that time I was in Malakal town and in those years it happened that there was a riot inside the campus of the secondary school. Some students used pistols, alleged to have been provided by their relatives who were responsible people in society and state, and were also members of Christian churches and denominations in the town. Because of tribalism a lot of people were injured and many more lost their chance to finish their education in the school. Another example which points out injustice in our society was a cartoon in the Khartoum Monitor newspaper on 17th June 2008, where an employer was interviewing people who applied for the job advertised. The boss's first question to the candidates was: "What is your tribe"? Such a question in any public or private company, any non-governmental organisation, or any government office, is unfair. It can cause discontent leading to tensions in the society and our country. We all live together in Sudan! If the official criteria of employment include questions like: "what is your tribe?" or “what is your religion?” then Sudan is unwittingly promoting division along tribal or religious lines. This can be true in positive as well as negative discrimination. I think that the country could be in danger of falling apart if such unpopular policies and practices continue. There should be new ways of approaching these matters, using questions about skills, qualifications, job-vision, and personal experience of the applicant, rather than simply tribe. Tribalism and nepotism within our Christian church leadership In past years, even after the Christian church became indigenous to Sudan, requirements to assess the suitability of a person for service in the church were both clear and biblically oriented. The existing church leadership would try to ensure that any new person added to their team had experienced a "call" from the Lord Jesus to the work. Likewise, the people in the general congregation of the church would recognise the call of the person to Christian service. Subsequently they would send him to be trained in seminary or Bible School. Nowadays many new things are beginning to emerge. To send someone to the seminary he or she must be recommended by his tribal congregation or her tribal sectional church. This way of using tribal allegiance is disuniting the larger Christian community and church. Tribal distinctions should be discouraged or minimised by the church authorities wherever possible. Nepotism and tribalism in Christian Society There are two types of Christian groups in Sudan. Pastors and clergy from our Protestant churches know the secret of the two Christian sects or factions. The first group are ordinary Christians who come to church every Sunday. They are seen as devoted Christians. With their families they pay and contribute to the Church when asked to do so. The second group is composed of youth from different walks of life. This group calls itself “born again”, and everybody who joins them is considered to be a “born again” Christian. They call members “brothers and sisters”. Within them you rarely see signs of ethnic differences or tribal feelings despite the fact they are a diverse group from many different backgrounds. We can see from this how Christian society is beginning to change as the word of the Lord Jesus goes deeper into the Christian communities. Tribalism and nepotism may eventually go away as new life begins to enter our churches. Traditional Christianity seems too archaic for the newly born again Christians. They have realised that divisive traditions between tribes, sections, races, youth and the elderly are not being renewed but are fading away as spiritual life flows in. Nepotism also has no room in the born again communities because they have already discovered its evils in their previous society. Christianity as such has helped in spiritual salvation all over the world. But in many parts of the world – not just here in Sudan – it has not continued to eradicate the evils of nepotism and tribalism even within it’s own Christian Society. Why not? Because it is not enough just to take the name Christian and add it to your list of loyalties. Christian discipleship challenges all other loyalties to accept their limitations. It is through the renewal of our faith in the Lord Jesus we see and discover the stifling evil of these two subjects in our midst. Once we acknowledge them, we can choose to reject them and live all of life honouring the living Lord Jesus Christ. Nepotism and Tribalism among the Intellectual and Elite Communities of South Sudan Natives in the countryside do not believe that townspeople can become conscious of village cultural beliefs surrounding tribal separation. They think that someone who goes to school and receives education becomes a different person. To them all townspeople are one tribe and it speaks one language which is different from their native languages. Arabic and English are seen as the languages of the educated elite of Sudan. But to the contrary, these natives now discover that some ethnic groups in the towns have become even more tribalistic than those who are in the countryside! This is dangerous and presents a challenge to the stability, reconciliation and peace of Sudan. An elite person is generally believed to be a peacemaker. When this belief turns out to be false then hopes for reconciliation and peace become remote. In almost all of our towns and cities our various tribes live together – but separately! One tribe is in this area of town and another in that area of the same town. Some ethnic groups have even written books and other literature in their tribal languages encouraging their communities to remember bad things. They write that during the war, it was “so and so” tribe who took our cows, our food, and destroyed our land, etc. The purpose is to alert their own children and youth never to forget whatever wrongs were done to them. If such attitudes are not discouraged, they will breed and foster a living hatred with jealousy between the many people of our one nation. This will last a long time and it will bring much sadness. . Conclusion If my young daughter had a poisoned bite on her foot I would do everything in my power to have her treated. I may buy and use traditional remedies. I may pay the higher price and visit the doctor for medicine. I may even end up taking her to the hospital for an amputation as a drastic, last, life-saving resort. The spread of poison can be deadly serious. My love for my daughter and my love for our family will make me do whatever is necessary . I take this present opportunity to urge the church leadership of every Christian denomination in Sudan, and all the leaders of various types of community, plus the political forces of the Sudan and of Southern Sudan in particular, to help us develop genuine future peace in our country. Act now to remove these highlighted social and political poisons – negative tribalism and nepotism – wherever they are found throughout Sudanese society. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”, Proverbs 15:34. “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure”, Proverbs 11:14. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance”, Psalm 33:12. Discussion Guide Using this chapter and the Scriptures quoted: 1. Share experiences of nepotism or tribalism you have encountered personally. Would you describe these as positive or negative experiences? Why? 2. “We must be very careful when language differences, tribal differences, and different cultural markings, are allowed to become impediments to our Christian unity and our Christian values”. Why must we be careful? What damage can be caused by wrongful division? Consider Ephesians 4:1-6; Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Titus 3:10-11. 3. Apply Paul’s stated desire from 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 to Christians who want church services only in their own tribal language. How would you explain to these Christians the need to consider other people as well as themselves? 4. List the positives and the negatives of single language church meetings. Do the positives outweigh the negatives, or the other way around? Explain why! 5. How does James’ teaching about “favouritism” challenge both nepotism and tribalism? James 2:1-13. While this teaching is given to Christians and the church, how can Christians apply it to wider society? Give practical examples if you can. 6. Discuss how these two statements impact on each other: “We are all Sudanese”, and “you are all one in Christ Jesus”, Galatians 3:28. What divisions should a Christian see and recognise in Sudanese society? Why? What divisions that Christians see should they do their best to ignore? Why? 7. Explain how you think the Christian church can set an example to wider society in dealing with tribalism and nepotism. First think locally. Then think on a wider scale. What difficulties are there in implementing such an example? How can these be overcome? 8. “Christian discipleship challenges all other loyalties to accept their limitations”. Using Bible advice or example, confirm this truth as it applies to your own life. What past or present poor attitudes demand repentance? How can you plan to live more Christianly in relation to other people? 1 Corinthians 2:2.

The Master's instructions about everyday life. (Colossians 3:1-17) In this section on Everyday Life we will see that Christianity affects the whole life of the Christian. Being a true Christian will affect you as a child, a husband, a wife, an employer, an employee, a neighbour, a friend and a citizen. The Bible shows us God’s ideal for these roles we are called to play and it also shows us how we can be what God wants us to be. The Christian family teaching is given in Ephesians 5:22-6:4. It is set in the context of everyday life. Paul urges us to ‘live a life worthy of the calling you have received’ from God (4:1). The subsequent passage points out the need for a leaving of the old - traditional? - way of life and a learning of the new Christian way (vv.22-24). The outstanding quality evident to everyone around us should be genuine, Christlike love (5:1-2). We should live in the light, allowing God to expose our sin so that we can deal with it through our Saviour (vv.8-13). We should become strong in the Lord and His power (6:10). Be careful not to divide your life into compartments. Do not say: ‘Christianity affects me here, but not there.’ Try and live a spiritually-minded life, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. In Colossians 3:1-17 Paul writes that the Christian is to ‘clothe himself’ with various things. In the mornings when you get dressed, the clothes from your wardrobe cupboard do not jump out and on to your back! You have to deliberately choose what you are going to wear and then you have to dress yourself in those clothes. Having listed a variety of unholy things that every Christian should avoid, Paul goes on to stress positive Christian qualities (vs12-14). 1. Compassion is that which moved our Lord Jesus into action on behalf of other people. It is love expressed without using words. 2. Kindness always acts generously and helpfully in love. It is a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit and never expects anything in return for what it does. 3. Humility is best described as being the opposite of pride. Where pride would seek its own way, humility seeks to listen and to adapt to other people. Where pride gets angry, humility becomes anxious for the well-being of all other parties. 4. Gentleness should not be confused with weakness. It takes enormous strength and self-control to be constantly thinking of the other person before yourself. 5. Patience is a lesson with no end. It involves a quiet and considerate waiting with absolute confidence in God. 6. Forbearance encourages us to keep in mind that the other person is also seeking to please God. They are not any more or less perfect than we are! God is transforming us into the likeness of Jesus Christ, but it is taking time. Give time to others too. It is sad that we often make allowances for weaknesses in our own lives that we will not tolerate in other people. 7. Forgiveness towards one another means exactly what it says. The maturing Christian will learn to forgive even when he is let down, when he is misunderstood, when he is hurt, or when he is wrongly treated. In Colossians 3:15-17 we are reminded to seek the peace of Christ within and around us. We should always bring God’s word to bear on every situation. Three times we are urged to ‘be thankful’. Christianity is a life to be lived before God day by day. Thank God that He helps us by His Holy Spirit. He makes every day count in our Christian education. Let Christ be at home in your heart and He will be at the heart of your home. Other scriptures to read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Ephesians 4:21-32. Discussion guide on ‘Living as a Christian at home’ Reading Colossians 3:1-17. 1. What do you understand by the phrase, “Try and live a spiritually-minded life twenty-four hours a day seven days a week”? Include Ephesians 4:1 in your discussion. 2. Explain the two sides of the Christian life, from Ephesians 4:22-24. Since the key to this is “a new attitude of mind”, suggest ways of filling your mind with God’s way for you to live. 3. Any change in your life may bring conflict with others close to you. How can you best avoid these awkward moments? You cannot control what other people do, so what can you do to honour the Lord Jesus? Consider Ephesians 5:24,25,32; 5:1,9,10. 4. Now you have become a Christian, how much of your life does God want to change for the better? How will God do it? 5. Why do you think Paul writes three times about “thankfulness” in Colossians 3:15-17? The Greek words he uses both include the meaning of “grace that is acceptable”, “free grace”, and the words are from the same root as the title used for the communion or Eucharist services in Christian churches, remembering what Jesus has done for us all. 6. Our homes are our biggest place, in terms of time, for our Christian ministry. Look up the following verses to see the Bible’s meaning for the positive qualities listed in Colossians 3:12-14. Give your own short definition for each one: • Compassion – Matthew 9:36; 15:32 • Kindness – 2 Timothy 2:24; Galatians 5:22 • Humility – 1 Peter 3:8-9; 5:5-6 • Gentleness – Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 • Patience – James 5:10; Galatians 5:22 • Forbearance – Romans 3:25; Ephesians 4:1-3 • Forgiveness – Matthew 6:12; 18:21-22.

(written 12th April 2016). Yesterday, 11th April 2016, I had a new voicing valve fitted in my throat fistula. Emma, my speech therapist, did it. When we first started doing this, nearly 10 years ago, it was quite a battle. Emma, or one of the other team members, would kneel in between my legs and look up into my throat stoma. The in-place valve would be removed and a dilator inserted to keep the hole from closing over. It would be inserted a little more than the valve to make the hole large enough for the valve flanges to go in through the skin. When the hole seemed large enough the dilator was removed and the pristine new valve inserted for the instantly contracting hole to firmly grab. The grip has to be good enough to stop food and drink from passing through into the trachea and the lungs, with considerable coughing on the way. “A battle” was the correct description, “a situation in which someone is trying very hard to deal with something difficult”.[1] Perhaps the speech therapists were dealing with at least three “difficult” things? 1. The closing fistula 2. The poor visibility and awkward working area inside me 3. Me, the patient, liable to cough when anything touched a ‘wrong’ place Those battles lasted up to an hour, although some were quicker. Yesterday, the whole procedure took 3 minutes! The placed valve was whipped out and the new one slotted in before anyone could say anything. (Of course, I could not say anything anyway with no voicing valve, but Emma and my wife Brenda could have!). A powered-raising couch, an adjustable spotlight on a stand, plus no need for any dilator, appear to make the difference. My experience as the patient possibly helps a bit too. In the early months valves were changed quite frequently, varying between 1 and 3 months. But now I have settled into Royal Cornwall Hospital’s offered programme of a valve change every 6 months. My next change is already in my diary for 11th October. I usually email in the week before and am given a slot at the Monday drop-in clinic for this purpose. I feel God blesses me with the thoroughly professional team who have looked after me since my laryngectomy (17th November 2006) and a second neck cancer (6th April 2009). Nebulising Nine years and five months on I cough a lot less than I did, but when I do cough it seems to be more violently. I am really shaken up by coughing and immediately have to sit quietly for half an hour. I believe that nebulising helps me to keep healthy as the salty mist finds its way around the reconfigured passages. Perhaps I must define ‘to nebulise’ before going further. On my computer ‘dictionary.com’ gives two meanings and I want to make sure you get the correct one: 1. “to reduce to a fine spray, atomize” 2. “to become vague, indistinct, or nebulous” I sit in my lounge with my feet up. I read my Bible or a good commentary on the verses. And for 20-30 minutes I breathe in a light saline mist through my stoma and into my trachea. For me, it helps facilitate part of the Christian ‘Quiet time’ discipline. It simply is a Godsend to me. I try to cleanse my spirit as well as my lungs. It is not often I can manage two things at once, but this is such a time. It all takes time Brenda and I know now that it takes me two hours from getting up to be ready for going out. If I have a 9 ‘o’clock appointment with my diabetic nurses, as I do tomorrow at the local surgery, then I need to be up at 6.30am. My time is then invested showering, breakfasting, feeding the wild birds, nebulising, stoma and valve cleaning, before repeating the massage and exercise regime I have been assigned by physiotherapists: · for moving oedema from under my chin to drain properly down the side of the neck, across the collar area and into the armpit, for deliberate occluding of the hands free speaking device and hopefully avoiding the oedema and baggy skin blocking it unintentionally · for keeping the neck and throat supple and pain free , tilting and rotating the head slowly and carefully To perform everything properly is time consuming! BUT I have found the days go better when I start them off properly with all of these things. When I am tempted to skip some or all I end up paying for it as the day progresses, especially when I near the end of the day. Accepting my limits What I have just written leads well into this section. I have found that the effort of speaking takes a lot out of me physically. With Brenda I lead a fortnightly Home Group from our church. We host it, with Brenda doing most of the practical side. She leads a prayer time too. Then I lead about an hour of Bible discussion as we seek to apply God’s word to our lives today. Usually I have to sleep for a couple of hours Thursday afternoons! The same is true just talking one on one with people. I love it and do not want it to stop, but I have to recognise that I will be weak afterwards – weak physically, not wanting to speak much (poor Brenda), and even weak mentally preferring to zonk out to watching sport or a detective programme on TV rather than doing anything intelligent. This all means I must prioritise very carefully what I do. Still writing part-time for Sudan and South Sudan Living as a laryngectomee has its challenges to be sure. In His grace, God has nevertheless enabled me in the last 15 months to edit, write, fund-raise and publish another book to help Christian believers in Sudan and South Sudan. “My Life Alongside God’s Word” volume three was printed in Juba, South Sudan in September 2015. The 5,000 copies are being used and distributed from there by the Fellowship of Christian University Students (FOCUS). A whole variety of churches and colleges have copies including the Episcopal Church, Sudanese Church of Christ, Bishop Gwynne College, Gideon Theological College and Evangelical Church College SS. Ten writers have chapters published in the book as well as Brenda and me. It is an honour for me to work with these colleagues in offering biblical teaching and application to our brothers and sisters in those two troubled countries. If you want to read a copy it is published elsewhere on this website, accessible from one of the two Homepages. A new opportunity may be opening to me as my home church, St. Illogan Church of England, have asked me to join the preaching team for occasional ministry. I gave a ten-minute sermon on “the cross” at Redruth Baptist on Good Friday just past and my voice stood up well, with people being blessed through it. God does have strange ways of working! We can never out guess God. Whatever He does is always the best way forward in the end. We will see it clearly one day, even if it is a puzzle for now. Thanks again for letting me share my life with you. May God also bless you in your daily walk. Keep open communication channels all the time. [1] Macmillan School Dictionary (Macmillan Education: Oxford) 2004.

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. God the Holy Spirit and our Christian experience. Two dangers should be noted at the beginning of this subject. They are opposite extremes of each other. We should not over emphasise the devil and his spiritual forces, giving them too much attention. They do not deserve it! But neither should we ignore them completely, acting as if they do not exist. The devil is real and his forces are opposing all Christians who are seeking to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. “Satan is behind (and will help along) every belief or religion that is not honouring to Jesus Christ”. In Ephesians Paul links the visible world of church, community and family, with the invisible spirit-world. He makes reference to the spirit-world, “the heavenly realms”, in Ephesians 1:3; 1:10; 1:20-21; 2:2; 2:6; 4:14 and 4:27. Many of the challenges we face in the visible world can be influenced positively and negatively by activity in the invisible world. If our aim is “to live a life worthy of the calling”, Ephesians 4:1, then we will face many battles in both the physical and the spiritual realms. Holy living and prayer are our keys to spiritual victory. Four general factors are involved in spiritual warfare: Firstly, there are the forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). They are wicked. They are spiritual. Although invisible, they are real. These forces have systematic plans and they exert their strength and energy against Christians, verse 11. (See also 2 Corinthians 2:11). Ephesians 2:2-3 names the ‘world’, the ‘devil’ and our own ‘sinful nature’, as the alliance of evil forces set against us. Words used in the gospels include ‘demon’ (Greek – daimonion), a spiritual agent at work in heavenly realms; ‘evil spirit’ (Greek – paneros), a wicked and bad effect, influencing to pain or sorrow; and ‘unclean spirit’(Greek – akarthartos), something that defiles or makes impure. The ‘devil’ (Greek – diabolos) is an accuser and a slanderer. He tries to influence Christians in bad ways (Ephesians 4:27; 6:11). God created the devil (Colossians 1:16-17). He was known as the “morning star, son of the dawn”. He proudly rebelled against God and influenced other angels to do so with him. For this, he was judged by God along with his followers (Isaiah 14:12-15; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude :6). God has allowed the devil certain powers for a time, which are designed to prove the genuine faith that God’s people have in God (Job 1:6-2:10; 2 Corinthians 9:7-12). The devil knows and quotes Scripture (Matthew 4:5-7). He is Satan, the hostile enemy (Matthew 16:23). He is Beelzebub, the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24-28). He is Abaddon and Apollyon, Hebrew and Greek words both meaning ‘the destroyer’ (Revelation 9:11). He tried to destroy Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). He tried to destroy Peter (Luke 22:31-34). He opposed Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Satan is able to perform imitation miracles and astonishing signs designed to deceive people and take them away from the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). He is Belial, a Greek word meaning ‘worthless’ (2 Corinthians 6:15). Jesus used the names Satan and Beelzebub for the devil, and described him as a murderer, a liar, and the prince of this world, (Matthew 4:10; Matthew 12:26-27; John 8:44; John 12:31). Secondly, there is the armour of God. (Ephesians 6:11). The Lord Jesus is the One who gives Christians the ‘mighty power’ of this armour, verse 10. In Jesus Christ we have every spiritual blessing that we ever need, (Ephesians 1:3). Christians do not fight for victory in spiritual warfare, we fight from victory. In Ephesians 1, notice “how incredibly great is His power to help those who believe in Him” 1:19 (J. B. Philips paraphrase). (Ephesians 1:3; 1:4; 1:7; 1:11; 1:13; 1:19). The same God Who puts us into Christ, provides us with armour. Our responsibility is to put the armour on (Ephesians 6:11; 6:13). The helmet assures the head of protection. Our salvation is in Christ alone. This indispensable doctrine is our indestructible defence.The sword can be used in attack and in defence. This word of God used under the influence of the Spirit of God is potent. The shield displays our colours – Who we belong to – and it gives us cover whenever we are attacked. It is a protection as we advance, rather than something to passively hide behind. The breastplate protects the heart. Jesus is our righteousness. He cleanses us from all sins we confess to Him. A person can survive a wounded limb, but a stab in the heart would be fatal. The belt gives support to the body and to the armour. God’s word is always the truth; we should live true to it. An honest walk with God leads to our witness being enforced by our own way of living. People around us see what we are, as well as hear what we say. Thirdly, we must take a firm stand (Ephesians 6:13-14). If we give up the resources we have in Christ, and try to live on our own abilities, we give advantage to the devil. The words ‘stand’ or ‘withstand’ come five times in Ephesians 6:10-20. The omnipotent God waits for us to take the initiative in battle, and then He fights with us. We take our stand by counting on Jesus’ sovereign authority (Matthew 28:18). We use the name of Jesus in our prayers (John 14:13-14; John 15:16; John 16:23-24). We plead the blood of Jesus as our righteousness (Romans 3:21-26). We use the Scriptures as Jesus did (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). We claim Jesus’ victory on the cross as the grounds for our victory whatever is facing us (Colossians 2: 13-15). To ‘take a stand’ means to maintain your position in the face of the enemy. Fourthly, prayer is warfare. It is campaigning against the evil one (Ephesians 6:18-20). Prayer is the communication between the soldier in action and his headquarters back home. How should we pray? “In the Spirit”. For whom should we pray? “For all the saints”. When should we pray? “On all occasions”. What should we pray? “All kinds of prayers and requests”. How long should we pray? “Always keep on”. Paul has already shown how he prayed for the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15-19; 3:14-19). He prayed that they would know God better, which is always how to ‘be strong in the Lord’. As we pray we realise“God’s incomparably great power for us who believe”, (Ephesians 1:19). The New Testament shows Christians praying on their own (Matthew 6:6); praying with one partner (Matthew 18:19); praying in a small group (Matthew 18:20); and praying in a larger congregation (Acts 1:14). Every advantage should be taken of every opportunity to pray. Christians need to be able to discern the origin and source of spiritual things. The spiritually alive New Testament church was told to be on the lookout for ‘christians’ in the churches who were not really of God. Some men had a desire to divide (Acts 20:30). Others were motivated by money (2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 11:13). More men said they had new and different understandings of old truths (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; 2 Peter 2:1-3). Christians must carefully test all people (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). The word ‘occult’ means ‘hidden’. Some of the Sudanese traditional religions and their associated practices with ancestral spirits, spells and curses, use witchcraft and sorcery to invoke the evil powers of Satan against Christians. The Bible does recognise the power of these things, but reminds us that their power is nothing at all in comparison to the omnipotent God (Deuteronomy 18:9-10; Isaiah 44:24-26; Mark 5:1-13). All magic and occult activity is a perversion of true religion. Wanting an ability to affect others positively or negatively showed a wickedly evil hold over Simon the sorcerer’s heart (Acts 8:9-24). Using sorcery and persuasion to try and stop the work of the gospel, Elymas was described by Paul as “a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right” (Acts 13:6-12). Spirit-diviners, those who told the future, and those who made money from shrines, charms, curses and spells, brought great opposition to the young Christian church (Acts 16:16-24; Acts 19:23-34). A choice must always be made between following Jesus and following these other gods and their practices. Their can be no mixing of the two (Acts 19:13-20). Like people everywhere, Africans have invented gods to follow for themselves. Satan loves to destroy. Sometimes he uses a sincere commitment to a false traditional worship. The witch doctor says: ‘You’ll die if you leave the way of your ancestors’. Honouring Jesus means we have to make hard choices (Luke 9:23-24). Many traditions mix some good things among the bad. But would you eat a meal knowing that part of it was poison? The Christian gospel does not destroy the good values of any culture. The good is in that culture because God has graciously put it there by His general revelation of Himself (Romans 1:18-23). The gospel of Jesus Christ can be translated into African and into Arab cultures. The secret is to position the culture with Jesus Christ, His person, His work, and His teaching, at the centre. Everything can then be accepted, or rejected, by discovering how it compares with the purity, morality, and God-honouring life of Jesus. Four good questions to ask are: 1. What does the Bible teach about this theme or topic? 2. What does our culture teach, and practice, about this? 3. How can we be true to JesusChrist in a culturally appropriate way? 4. What price are we being asked to pay for following Jesus Christ? Facing all of these issues from the past or in the present, to trust in God is a deliberate choice the Christian makes. We trust and we carry on honouring Jesus. We can pray prayers like Psalm 35:1-10, “O Lord, fight against those who fight against me”. The opposition may become more and more intense, but God has promised the overall spiritual battle will be won. Jesus’ death on the cross may have looked like an apparent victory for Satan, but God used it to bring salvation within reach of every person. Satan can tempt us, but he cannot force us to give in to temptation. That is a choice which we make (James 4:7). We can set ourselves against the influences of the world, the flesh and the devil by the choices we make. Satan has ultimately been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:8). Jesus actually prays now for us to make good use of His victory (Luke 22:31-32; Hebrews 7:23-25). Christians eliminate the influence of the sinful flesh-nature from our lives by putting that nature to death (Colossians 3:5-9). This means starving it, not feeding it. It means choosing to please God rather than to please ourselves. It means doing what comes supernaturally, not what comes naturally. The cross of the Lord Jesus is our symbol of Christ’s victory. It is easy to understand why the cross has been used as the mark of the Christian in the long and troubled history of the church. The cross is the Christian’s victory sign (Colossians 2:13-15). Thinking it through. (a). Why should we avoid both extreme views of ‘spiritual warfare’? (b). Since Satan can quote Scripture and perform miracles, what should our response be to those who quote the Bible and demonstrate signs? How? (c). What can we learn about ‘prayer’, from Ephesians 1:15-19; 3:14-19; and 6:18-20? (d). How is the devil defeated in the believer’s life? (1 John 3:8; Colossians 2:13-15).

The Master's instructions about everyday life. (1 Peter 2:11-21). Peter told the early Christians that they should expect to be different from the majority of people in the world around them. In 1 Peter 2:11-21 we can see how this difference is brought about. The Christian is to ‘abstain’ from ‘sinful desires’ which ‘war against your soul’. To abstain means to deliberately choose not to do something. It means to say ‘no thank you’ when something is offered. It means to keep going steadfastly forward when invited to turn aside. The ‘sinful desires’ could be almost anything from pride and passion to greed and godlessness. The ‘war’ indicates very strongly that this is a fight for your Christian survival. Peter says that the world around us may react in two ways. Some people may say that we are wrong to take Christianity too far. They may say that we will prejudice the position of others at work if, for example, we fill in an honest car mileage allowance on a journey taken by others as well as ourselves. Other people, or perhaps even the same people at different times, may say that they can see the difference God has made in our lives. Often what is said in public and what is spoken privately are two very different things. These key words sum up our responsibility as a Christian at work: 1. Submit to all who are in authority (vv.13, 18). Remember what the Bible says about trying to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and also about being unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Beware of putting yourself into any position that will stop you taking a Christian stand. 2. Show your Christianity by good works rather than by boastfully speaking about it (v.15). It is remarkably easy to provoke anger by being ‘holier than thou’ in what you say but not what you do! 3. Serve God by doing your job well (v.16). He wants you to bring Him honour in your job. He knows your witness will count for nothing if you are lazy, careless or unconscientious. 4. Show respect for other people (v.17). You may not like what they do, what they say or what they stand for, but you are nevertheless responsible for loving them just as our Lord Jesus loves them. 5. Suffer and be wronged if needs be rather than argue, defend or guard your own rights in a way that would harm your Christian witness (vv.18-21). Keep in mind that ultimate reward comes from God and not from man. Don’t attempt to impose Christian standards on non-Christian people. These are standards for you to live by and for them when they are born again. You live by them and they will speak for you without a word passing your lips. If you receive abuse, then learn to react as Jesus did (v.23). Never compromise your testimony by telling a lie, for example, ‘He’s not in at the moment,’ or by stealing time, paper, allowances, etc, or by exaggerating in order to sell, or by promising work that cannot be done, or by deliberately hurting another person. God wants to use you as His representative right where you are. Make 1 Peter 2:12 your aim. Christian service can be in the local office or factory as well as on an overseas mission-field. Other scriptures to read: Ephesians 6:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13. Discussion guide on ‘Living as a Christian at work’ Reading 1 Peter 2:11-21. 1. Why is it not enough for the Christian to “abstain from sinful desires”? 2. What is the positive side of this process of Christian growth? Verse 12. 3. “Doing wrong”, verse 12, and “doing good”, verse 15. How should a Christian respond to the comments and criticisms of those around him or her? 4. How can a Christian live “conscious of God”, verse 19? How will this help him or her live a Christ-honouring life at work? 5. Verses 17-18 urge Christians to submit even to harsh rulers. How can Christians do this? Is it easy or difficult? Share some examples you personally have faced. Does verse 20 help you at all? It says: “this is commendable before God”. 6. How does the response of Jesus to His own sufferings influence your reaction today? Verses 23-24. What changes should you make in your life in the light of Jesus’ example? 7. “Christian service can be in the local office or factory as well as on the overseas mission field”. Discuss what is meant by this sentence. 8. Read Ephesians 5:8-10 and discuss how they help our understanding of ‘Living as a Christian at work’. In one sentence, describe what it is to live in a way which “pleases the Lord”.

Issues facing Christianity in Sudan and South Sudan today. Tribalism, ethnicity and culture section. by Elisama Daniel One day I met a friend at the gate of a certain organisation based in Khartoum. After greeting him, I congratulated him saying “mabruk” or congratulations! “You now work in this office?” His reply was: “How can I work here since I am not from a certain tribe?” He named the tribe of the executive director and the majority of staff of the organisation. My friend was stating what everybody knew. What really took place when workers were hired was that the head of that institution recruited most of the staff from his own tribe, with only a few added friends from elsewhere. Somebody said this about many institutions in the Sudan: that she can walk into an institution and greet the staff in the mother tongue of the head of that institution, knowing everybody will respond with replies in that language! She may say: “Cibaak?” Ashingrach is the response; “Maale?” Maale magwa; “Gini pae?” Pae te; “Madang ta?” A lo’but, etc. It has been rumoured that the even in certain government offices which serve our country, jobs are only available to men and women from the leading minister’s own tribe. The moment a new minister from a different ethnic group comes to lead the department tribal dominance will definitely change. The above illustrations may well be exaggerations, but they demonstrate the common abuse of tribal or family relations for private gain. In the beginning of the Bible people were all of one tribe speaking only a single language. Having one language is good; people understand each other and can communicate and work together efficiently. However, when these people wanted to build a tower reaching up to God, to proudly make a great name for themselves, God opposed them. He immediately scattered them into different tribes and speaking different languages, Genesis 11:1-9. We learn from this that when the motives behind being one single tribe are selfishness and pride, and the resultant actions are for tribal benefit and not for the glory of Creator God, then they become an abuse of a God-given distinctiveness. Today the words tribalism (abuse of tribe) or nepotism (abuse of relations), are usually associated with misuse, bad use or abuse of some things which are clearly given by God to be correctly used for everyone’s benefit (tribal culture and family responsibility). Since “use” means “the act of doing something with something to achieve a proper result”, and “abuse” means “to use something in a bad, dishonest or harmful way”, it will be seen that both the motives and the end results must be considered in order to determine if it is use or abuse. Unfortunately this happens in our everyday situation in the Sudan, in both the Christian church as well as secular institutions. There have always been accusations that if you do not have a “back”, or “dahr” in Arabic, you may not be employed, or promoted if employed, or offered a scholarship, or you may be discriminated against in relief distributions. In 2 Kings 12: 1-18 Joash, king of Judah, sought honest people to fundraise in his efforts to repair the temple of the Lord. Choosing the right people in the right places with appropriate skills to do the work proved effective. Work was done and there was no need to give a report because the people were honest, verse 15. Therefore I suggest tribalism and nepotism can be eliminated today by practising honesty, setting in place all the right procedures and guidelines, then openly following them. This was the case when the seven deacons were to be appointed in Jerusalem. “Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the (Holy) Spirit and wisdom”, Acts 6:3. The daily responsibility for food distribution, which needed to be seen to be fair, was entrusted to such people who would serve without racial discrimination. Christians from Jewish backgrounds worked together with Christians from Greek backgrounds to transparently deal with the complaints, Acts 6:1-7. If “all the disciples”, verse 2, had not taken action to deal with the problem as soon as it arose, we can only imagine what may have developed. In 2Timothy 2:2 Paul advised Timothy to pass on what he had learnt from him in the presence of many witnesses. Timothy was to give the developing work to faithful others, who would in turn do likewise. “Entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others”. Someone who is faithful will continue loyally in spite of difficulties. Someone who is reliable is able to be trusted completely. The most faithful and reliable person may not be from your tribe, but he or she is the right person for your job! So selecting the right person for the right place doing the right service should never be linked with any tribal or kin lineage. Rather it must be decided on what is the best for all of God’s people. Remember, all tribes, languages, nations and races are beautiful and have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb into a kingdom of priests to serve our God, Revelation 5:9-10. We must not reject people our Lord Jesus has died for! Jesus challenged His followers on nepotism when His own mother and brothers requested Him to attend to them. Jesus questioned His disciples’ understanding of “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” He pointed out that the Christian family is much bigger than any merely human family. “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother”, Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21. We must never put family loyalty where our Christian commitment should be. Jesus’ own words also included “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me”, Matthew 10:32-39, Luke 12:49-53. Sometimes we will face difficult choices in following Christ. It is at these moments that the quality of our discipleship is tested. David Turner wrote, “Only when one is willing to sacrifice one’s life and relationship to one’s family for the sake of Jesus does one begin to live”. Nepotism, tribalism and any other kind of favouritism, give Christians in Sudan tough discipleship choices. Discussion guide Using this chapter and Scriptures quoted: 1. What did God dislike about the people speaking one common language in Genesis 11:1-9? What did the Lord do that the people did not want? (compare verses 4 and 9). Why do you think people prefer to be in one place with their own kind? 2. Is it true or false to say that something God-given can be misused? What happens to God’s gift as a result? How do people today “abuse a God-given distinctiveness” within Sudan? Share personal experiences and examples of this. 3. “They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty”, 2 Kings 12:15. Suggest ways that honesty in all dealings can be seen and known to be done. Consider 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:18-24; Ephesians 6:5-9; Acts 6:1-7. 4. “The most faithful and reliable person may not be from your tribe, but he or she is the right person for your job!” What challenges would you face in putting this kind of appointment into practice? How could you face up to them? 5. In what practical ways can you apply 1 Peter 2:15-17 to your circumstances? What is the correct balance between “show proper respect to everyone” and “love the brotherhood of believers”? If you had to favour one group which one would it be? Why? 6. Explain how Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:46-50 and Matthew 10:37-39, about His own family, challenge every Christian … … about our own family relationships … and about our relationships within the wider Christian family.

Christian theology in a Sudanese context. How God saves His people from their sins. Every person who is alive is on a spiritual journey. They are doing one of these three things: 1. They are walking away from God. 2. They are walking towards God. 3. They are walking with God. In our evangelism and Christian discipleship, we need to meet these people where they are and encourage them all to walk with God. ‘Soteriology’ is the theological name for the doctrine of salvation. The word comes from the Greek words ‘soteria’ meaning ‘deliverance’, and ‘soter’ a ‘saviour’. It is often used to study different theories of the atonement – explaining exactly what Jesus did on the cross, and how it brings our salvation into real experience. It includes defining ‘salvation’. “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). As we shall see in chapter 46, salvation was accomplished in the single event of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, but it is applied to our lives by a continuing series of steps and processes. ‘Christology’ is the study of the person, attributes and work of JesusChrist. Who Jesus really was (and is) is very important to what He has done. We have seen in chapters 31, 32, and 34 our belief that Jesus is both ‘the God Who is Man and the Man Who is God’. Jesus is unique. When we talk about Jesus, we talk about God and we talk about Man, because Jesus is one hundred per cent both. Alister McGrath lectures in Theology at one of England’s major universities, Oxford. He understands that there are four main areas of modern discussion in Soteriology. There is often some degree of overlap between them when they are discussed. 1. The element of sacrifice – the New Testament book of Hebrews clearly presents Christ’s sacrificial offering as an effective and perfect sacrifice for sin. It was able to accomplish what the Old Testament sacrifices were only able to imitate. They could not achieve what Jesus Christ did (Hebrews 9:11-15). The word ‘sacrifice’ has changed its meaning today, at least in my country. It now means more ‘an heroic action’ rather than ‘an event of religious significance’. There is discussion over whether the sacrifice of Christ was a ‘once and for all event’, or whether it is continually offered in, for example, the Roman Catholic Mass. I believe that Jesus sacrifice on the cross was full, final and complete on that one day (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 9:26; 9:28; 10:10). 2. The element of victory – the New Testament places great emphasis on the victory gained by Christ over sin, death and Satan, through His cross and resurrection. The celebration of Easter and of resurrection day on the first day of every week – a change from the Jewish Sabbath – were very important to the early Christians (Colossians 2:15; Acts 20:7; Acts 17:18; Acts 17:31-32). Some people today do not believe Jesus died on the cross. Without death there can be no resurrection! Some people today do not believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Without resurrection there is no victory over sin and death! Some people today do not believe in the devil. Without the devil, we must ask: ‘who was defeated’ in the spiritual warfare? I believeGod has given Christians a great victory in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). 3.The element of legal satisfaction – the idea of the death of Christ providing the basis by which God is justly enabled to forgive sin. God’s wrath has been satisfied. Sin’s price has been paid. Christ represents humanity. He was our substitute when He died on the cross. Believers participate now in the risen Christ (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:1). Some people today do not believe in original sin (see chapter 30) and so they see no need for this substitutionary death. Some people today say that it is not morally acceptable, in their view, for one to pay for the sins of another. Some people today believe that a truly sovereign God would find another way of reconciliation between Himself and humankind, rather than through the suffering of Christ on the cross. I believe God is the ultimate Judge. I believe the death of ‘God as Jesus’ for humankind on the cross, shows us that there is no other way people can be right with God on their own (Acts 4:12; Romans 8:1-4). 4. The element of example – Some people today believe that the most important aspect of the cross is that it demonstrates the love of God toward us. Jesus is presented by them, but as more of a martyr than a Saviour. He is shown only as an example of self-giving love for others. I believe that this is certainly not the most important aspect of Jesus’ death, although Peter does remind us of our responsibility to follow Christ’s example in submitting to unjust suffering while continuing to do good (1 Peter 2:20-24). I believe the cross of Christ did something for us and did not merely show something to us. The ‘cross events’ actually make salvation possible. They do not only illustrate the saving will of God. People who believe the cross was only an example, believe a different gospel to me. Salvation is a word with a big and comprehensive meaning. It embraces the whole of God’s saving work in an individual from beginning to end. Salvation has three tenses in the Bible, past, present and future. John Stott records his frequent answer to the question: ‘Are you saved?’ He admits it is a kind of ‘yes and no’ answer: “I have been saved (in the past) from the penalty of sin by a crucified Saviour. I am being saved (in the present) from the power of sin by a living Saviour. And I shall be saved (in the future) from the very presence of sin by a coming Saviour”. Ephesians 2:8, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”. This verse teaches that I have been saved, in the past tense. 1 Corinthians 1:18,“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. This verse teaches that I am being saved, in the present tense. Hebrews 9:28, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him”. This verse teaches that I will be saved, in the future tense. Salvation belongs to God (Revelation 19:1). He has given it, is giving it, and He will give it, to those who choose to live under the authority of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:10; 1 Peter 1:3-9). Christians know that they are forgiven, justified and reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ. But they also know that their own fallen nature within them, and the fallen world around about them, make them long for their salvation to be brought to its completion – which will be at the return of their Saviour (Philippians 3:20-21). Thinking it through. (a). What are the main differences between the Old Testament system of sacrifices, offered for God’s people, and the gospel sacrifice Jesus offered on the cross? (b). Which attributes of God mean that He must be legally satisfied at the way sin is dealt with? (c). Discuss your answer to the question: ‘Are you saved?' Give Bible references to support your answer.