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My life alongside God's word, volume 3. 21st century issues section. – by Anthony Poggo What is time management? Time management is not about doing more things but doing the right things. The reality in life is that we always have many things to do and all of them demand our time and attention. Time management is about prioritising things in your life. A priority is, “something that needs attention more than anything else; something important that must be done first”. For you to do this right, it is important to discover your purpose in life. Discovering your purpose in life It is important to know that God has a purpose for each one of us. His purposes can be clearer to us when we are walking in accordance to His will. God’s will for us can be clearer when we know what our vision is. “The Lord will fulfil His purpose for me”, wrote David in Psalm 138:8. Our vision is, “the big picture of our life”. The Bible says without vision people perish, Proverbs 29:18 (KJV).2 Do you know what God wants to do in and through your life? Stonecutters A story is told of two stonecutters. When they were asked what they were doing, one answered that they were “building a cathedral”, while the other one said they were “cutting stones”. The one who said they were building a cathedral knew the purpose for what he was doing. The other one was merely earning his living. Why are you doing what you are doing through your present role? Is it to make money? Or is it to make a contribution to eradicating poverty? Why were you born on this earth? Some see their time here on earth as waiting for their time to die. Others see their life on earth as an opportunity to contribute towards the growth of the kingdom of God. Which are you? Some people look at their current circumstances and become discouraged because they are not where they want to be. Looking at your present is a part of discovering your vision. For the Christian, it is important that your vision is based on God’s will. If a specific vision is from God He will make the provision, because He is a vision–pro God. Pray about your vision. Share it, to give yourself clarity, or even to help others think about their own visions. Our lives are short Time management is important because of the brevity of our lives. David points out, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Each man’s life is but a breath – Selah”, Psalm 39:4-5.3 Here is what the apostle James writes, “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”, James 4:14. This means that for us to live as God would have us live, it is essential we make the best possible use of all our available time. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul warns the saints to, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”, Ephesians 5:15-16. What does it mean to live wisely? Living wisely involves using our time carefully. If we are living in accordance to God’s will, we will use the time we have to fulfil His will. Every minute of our time is time God has given us. So knowing that the harvest is great and the workers are few and that time is rapidly dwindling, should help us make better use of our time to witness, John 4:34-36. The days are evil The second part of Ephesians 5:16 says that the “the days are evil”. We are under pressure with many demands on our time. Our time, resources and lives are all under pressure to be exploited by others. To avoid losing focus, we need to prioritise and set our own goals. If we do not do this, others will do it for us. If we do not stick to fulfilling our own life’s purpose, plenty of other people will try to draw us into theirs. We must be discerning. Saying “No” is sometimes God’s will. Importance of delegation For those of us in leadership positions, we need to learn how to delegate. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro wisely taught him to delegate some of his heavy workload, Exodus 18:13-23. Advantages of delegation Lightens the work of the person who delegates and by so doing makes the manager’s job easier and enables the person to be effective and efficient. Increases productivity as more people are involved in the task. Evangelist D.L. Moody said, “It is better to set a hundred men to work than to do the work of a hundred men”. Develops additional leadership. This is how people get experience. There is no school or university that teaches experience. People get it as and when they actually do the work. Stimulates employee creativity, motivation and commitment to the organisation/church. People feel valued when they are given additional responsibility. Gives the Christian leader more time for his own spiritual development. The twelve apostles delegated some of their vital responsibilities to the seven deacons, Acts 6:1-7. “Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word”, verses 3-4. Importance of daily Bible reading and prayer We need to begin the day by reading the word of God and prayer so that we can hear from God and also speak to Him. We conclude with a clearer mandate of what God wants of us. This is why it is important to read God’s word and also to pray every day. Some one wrote: “Ask the Lord each morning to help you identify the good works that He has planned for you on that particular day. Ask the Lord to show you how and when and to whom you might minister by using the good gifts and talents that He has given you”. The Bible says, “Listen, my son, and accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I will guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life”, Proverbs 4:10-13. Practical tips Below are a number of practical tips that I have collected from different sources and personally found useful. I believe that these tips can be helpful to us in managing our time. 1. Importance of rest We need to recall that God did all of His work in six days and positively rested on the seventh. Rest does not mean sleeping all the time. It means, “to spend a period of time relaxing or sleeping”. It also means, “to not use a part of your body that is tired or injured, so it can get better”. Our Lord Jesus often had time away to renew His physical and spiritual life, Luke 5:16, 9:10; John 6:15, 11:54; etc. 2. God hates laziness God hates laziness. In Proverbs 6:10-11 we read: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man”. There is a saying “laziness is the mother of poverty”. This common saying is not in the Bible, but these are: Proverbs 10:4, 12:24, 12:27, 19:15, 26:15. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that any person who does not work should not eat. He did this because some believers were not doing the work they ought to have been doing. 3. Importance of planning The church in Sudan, South Sudan and our continent of Africa needs people who plan or think ahead. One of the challenges in our continent is the lack of planning. I am reminded of the saying: “He who fails to plan, is planning to fail”. Plans are strategies we formulate in our hearts. They need to be written down. Do write down what you need to do, and then put your list into the order of priority. Plan your schedule and set your goals and dreams in the context of deadlines. Organise your time for maximum productivity and efficiency. If you do not, someone will soon use up your time for you. 4. Write things down Use pen and paper. This helps you remember things. I have a TO DO list. I cross out the things that I have done. We should not hide behind the fact that as Africans we are people who usually do not write things down. To see the things that are left to do on the list encourages more prioritising and more focused activity. Some of our phones have settings we can use to remind us of things we are to do. I also use my phone alarm to remind me of the time to do things. 5. Be organised Continually searching for missing documents or other items is a waste of time. Stay organised as you work. In the Bible, we find numerous references about doing things and maintaining things in an orderly fashion. See Exodus 40:1- 16; Nehemiah 3:1-32; Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-2. 6. Keep time It is important to keep to time. An attitude that we all need to get rid of is the wrong use of the term “Sudan local time” or equivalent. When there is an event, estimate how long it will take you to walk before you leave, or go there by boda boda. Start your programmes on the time that you have agreed, even if not everybody is there. One fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control, Galatians 5:22-23. (Conference meal TIME in the picture! from 1985). 7. Eliminate the unimportant and time wasters Here is a story I took from the Internet, from a document entitled, “Seven Keys to Good Time Management”: "Charles Schwab, the president of Bethlehem Steel Company, hired a consultant and said to him. “If you'll show me how I and other top managers in our company can use our time better, I will pay you a fee of whatever you ask within reason”. The man said, “All right”. He then gave Schwab a blank sheet of paper and said, “I want you to write on this sheet of paper all the important things you need to do tomorrow and list them in order of their priority. As number one, put the most important thing you should do tomorrow. As number two, put the second most important thing you should do, and so forth. Then when you go in to work tomorrow morning, start with the first thing on your list and stick with it until you finish it. Then move on to number two, and so forth. You more than likely will not be able to accomplish all the things on your list in a given day, but you will have accomplished the most important things on your list, or at least made a major effort regarding them. Then tomorrow night, make a new list for the upcoming day. Do this for several weeks and let me know what happens”. (http://www.cbn.com/family/FamilyAdvice/newlife_timemanagement.aspx This website acknowledges this is “Taken from the book Success Gods Way by Charles Stanley. Used by permission of New Life Ministries. New Life Ministries has a variety of resources on men, women and relationships, visit www.newlife.com.”). 8. Review your day At the end of each day you need to review the way in which you have spent your time. Evaluate your schedule. Ask yourself the following questions: a. Did I make good use of my time? b. Did I procrastinate? c. Was I able to maintain my concentration? d. Did I engage in activities that truly were priorities? e. Did I make progress (even a little) toward the accomplishment of my God-given goals? Conclusion Good time management is an important aspect of a limited resource that God has given us. We all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We do not know for how long! We need to be good stewards, not only of our money and other resources, but also especially of the time. Time is one of our most precious resources. We can never keep it until tomorrow or get it back once it has gone. Here is a prayer by Moses from the Psalms. I believe we all need to pray it regularly: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”, Psalm 90:12. Adapted from a talk originally given at CYIA on 12 January 2015.

Seven authors from Sudan/South Sudan and Colin Salter where not attributed. Section 1: The Lord Jesus Christ 1. Living in partnership with our Lord Jesus 2. Our suffering Saviour 3. Why did our Lord Jesus die? Section 2: The Christian disciple 4. Grace and truth in the Christian life 5. My balanced world – always in it, but of it no more 6. Living worthy of the name of Jesus 7. Obedience and disobedience 8. The Great Commission: a call for Christians to “Go!” Section 3: Suffering and response 9. Life is full of disappointment 10. A Christian’s response to persecution 11. Physical, psychological and emotional suffering 12. Learning from failure 13. The power of weakness 14. Accepting trouble from the hand of God? Section 4: Islam 15. The Challenge of Islam – a Christian Perspective 16. The Challenge of Islam in Sudan and South Sudan – a Christian perspective Section 5: National development issues 17. Blueprint for the Republic of South Sudan – a proposed solution for governing the country, a basis for nation building 18. The “Lee” principle of development & its relevance to South Sudan 19. The importance of peace in a nation: a biblical viewpoint 20. Corruption: Its causes, costs, and combatting it, plus the Christian stand against it 21. Reconstruction needs team players like Nehemiah Section 6: Protecting peace 22. Biblical approach in the settlement of conflicts and reconciliation 23. In society’s problems closed wounds may become infected, like injuries to our human bodies 24. Beware the Roots of Bitterness 25. See people, love and forgive 26. Overcome evil with good 27. God said, “Peace on earth”, so why do we have so much war? And, should we fight wars anyway? Section 7: Important issues for Christians to understand 28. Cults and occult – the devil’s kingdom in the church 29. Picking true prophets from false 30. How to tell between true and false Christian prophets and teachers 31. Proper use of Old Testament Scriptures – use and application today Section 8: Letting the future affect today 32. God sent His angels with the message of Christmas 33. Every Christian has hope for the future 34. Christian hope is greater than you think 35. Heaven is every Christian’s true home

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section: the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything around us needs power to live by. The plough needs the oxen. The leather-sewing machine needs the operator’s foot on the pedal. The mechanical donkey needs the diesel and pump to suck up the river water for the farm. The plane needs aero fuel before it can soar into the sky. The computer needs electricity from battery, generator, mains, clockwork or solar. Our risen Lord Jesus Christ said to His first disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”, Acts 1:8. Immediately following this Jesus was received up into the glory of heaven. The earthbound angels told His disciples that He would one day return. When we think about Ascension Day and Pentecost we must remember God Himself is the lifeblood of His true disciples. As Christians, power comes into our lives and our ministries the closer we live to the person of God. Every day try to: 1. Live in the conscious presence of your Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Live in the holy purity of God the Holy Spirit, in every thought, motive and action. 3. Live in partnership with God through every part of your life. 4. Live following the pattern of God’s will, witnessing to His salvation freely given to you at such a great cost to Himself. Keep in step with Jesus. We do not know when our Lord Jesus will return. We do know how He has told us to live until He does. And He has given us the power to do just so.

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section on the Lord Jesus Christ. Mark lists ten things that were to happen to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus. He will “suffer, be rejected, be killed, rise again, be betrayed, be condemned, be handed over to the Gentiles, be mocked, be spat upon, and be flogged”, see Mark 8:31-33, 9:30-32, 10:32-34. All ten were in our Lord’s teaching to His disciples about what it would mean for them to be genuine followers of Jesus. It was tough, straight talking from the Master. The rejection of Jesus began immediately, when Peter said to Him, “Never, Lord”, Matthew 16:22. (If you think about it, those two words contradict each other). God knows best Sadly, we disciples often think we know better than our Lord Jesus. It is a Satanic idea that there will be no suffering by or for the Messiah, Mark 8:33. “After His first prediction of His impending suffering, Jesus laid down the requirements for those who wanted to be members of the Kingdom, as true followers of the Messiah. He may have needed to do this because many were beginning to follow Him hoping for material gain. He told a crowd and His disciples that it is necessary to … surrender one’s will and life to God’s purposes and to do what God wants. One must also take up one’s own cross, that is, be prepared to suffer for the cause of the Messiah”. (Victor Babajide Africa Bible Commentary). Called to deny ourselves, that is, to suffer Mark 8:34 speaks with clarity. To truly call Jesus our Lord, we “must deny self, … take up our cross … and follow Him”. Self is always a dangerous stumbling block to genuine Christian discipleship. We are always in danger of getting in our own way. This is why our Lord Jesus himself prayed, what C.H.Spurgeon called, “the real Lord’s Prayer”, Matthew 26:39. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”. His positive relationship brought wholehearted commitment. A north African was the first man to carry the cross for (possibly with) Jesus, Mark 15:21. He only carried the wood, not the load. The load was to be the sin of the world, which only the Lord Jesus could carry. In His own fully human body, completely drinking the cup of the wrath of God the Father, God the Son became “an atoning sacrifice for our sins”, 1 John 4:10, when “they crucified him” on Golgotha, Mark 15:24. Jesus was alienated from (“forsaken” by, Mark 15:34) the Father when He accepted the world’s sin onto Himself. God was divided from God, while miraculously remaining one God, through a pre-agreed act of substitution. This isolation allowed His mediation. “God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witness of the fact”, Acts 2:32. Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection were steps into “His glory”, Luke 24:27. Jesus is accepted by the one and triune God as the (one and only) sacrifice for all sin. Anyone and everyone who trusts Jesus now as their personal Saviour will be forgiven their sin, and given an entry into heaven which is guaranteed, because of what our Lord Jesus has accomplished. Praise be to our God!

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section on the Lord Jesus Christ. Good Friday and Easter come around every year. Perhaps you will preach or speak about our Saviour’s death and resurrection? These are familiar subjects. I hope we do not miss the deep truths by our familiarity with them. The cross, crucifixion and the atonement In the Bible the cross is “pieces of wood that Christ was crucified on”. It can mean “his death, crucifixion, the work Jesus did on the cross, or the whole Christian message”. Crucifixion is “putting persons to death by nailing or tying them to a cross and leaving them there until they die. It was the worst way a person was killed in the Roman Empire. This was the way Christ died”. “If a person holds right views about the Atonement, he will sooner or later get right views about every other question. But if he holds wrong views about the Atonement he is sure to go wrong about everything else”. There are over 175 direct references to the death of Christ in the New Testament, plus many prophecies and types in the Old Testament. The atoning blood of Jesus Christ is the heart and core of our Bibles. We will look briefly at seven passages, any one of which could be an atonement sermon next Passiontide or at any Communion service. 1. Hebrews 2:14 “Since the children have flesh and blood, (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil”. The major goal of Jesus’ incarnation was His death. Jesus became human so that He could die in humanity’s place. Notice it was chosen for Him to be a Jew. He was noSudanese, South Sudanese or English! He was human, therefore He was like every one of us. All people are similar and in His image. Every individual is to be highly valued. 2. Matthew 20:28 “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. The purpose of Jesus’ death was to pay a ransom. I believe in the penal substitution theory, that Christ died, under God’s judgement, for our sin. This sin was not His own – He never sinned. Jesus substituted Himself instead of you and me, dying vicariously for us on the cross. Jesus satisfied God’s holy and righteous anger at humankind’s sinful rebellion. Notice every one ever born has sinned against God, except Jesus. We all too easily remember the sins of others against us, whilst we forget ours against God. Remembering our own sins will put those of others into perspective. 3. Luke 9:30-31 “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem”. On the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus dazzled His watching disciples. The Old Testament Law and the Prophets were represented by the two men from the past. Significantly, their conversation centred on the upcoming death and resurrection of Christ. His atoning death, the only “way of bringing God and believers back into a good relationship”, was what all three talked about. May our speaking focus on this too! Notice, when Jesus Christ, His Person and work, gain our central attention, all other activities in life become less important. This is correct. It is the devil who wants us to put, and to keep, the secondary things first. 4. 1 Peter 1:12 “It was revealed to (the prophets) that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things”. Past prophets and present angels wanted so very much to see and to understand these Jesus-events we are thinking about. The surrounding verses urge us towards self-controlled and holy living, both marks of genuine Christianity. Notice how easy it is to claim to be a Christian while ignoring the necessary godly, God-like, lifestyle. Christ’s ways are often challengingly different from the world’s ways. Be honest, who are you most like? Jesus or worldly people? 5. Revelation 5:9 “And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation”. Heaven’s song also has the death of Christ as its central theme. Hundreds of thousands musically voice with majestic volume the greatness and wonder of Jesus – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Notice there are men and women “from every tribe and language”, meaning that even those who hate you will have some representatives there. We must accept all of those Christ has accepted. On the cross He paid in His own blood for them. Our duty is to welcome all people with similarly open arms. 6. Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed”. Verse 11. “After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge myRighteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities”. The success of Christ on the cross was and is guaranteed. Jesus is satisfied. He is “pleased with what has been achieved”. Since God is happy with the results of the cross, we can be too. Notice the wounds of Christ offer us healing. Where pain festers, we may apply the ointment of the blood of Christ for a spiritual antiseptic cream. Healing is a process back to wholeness. Broken relationships can be restored. Verse 10 speaks of our Lord’s death as “a guilt offering” or “a sin offering”. Only on the grounds of Jesus’ death is forgiveness of sin possible. Only through Jesus’ sacrifice can forgiveness be offered to us by God. And it should be offered by us to all who have wronged us, showing we are true Christians. 7. 1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins”. According to Debbie Dodd propitiation is “the turning away of anger by an offering”. God’s love for us is so very big that He absorbed His own anger against sin by suffering Himself on the cross. Notice that we can show God’s love to others, by not retaliating when they hurt us. Instead we respond to their hostility by expressing the love of God. There is no human answer to such genuinely Christian action.

My life (put) alongside God's word. The Christian disciple section. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us ... full of grace and truth”. John 1:17 tells us that “the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Since Jesus is, according to W.E.Vine, “the sole representative of the being and the character of the One Who sent Him,” then it must follow that our mysterious God – individually three Persons while concurrently one almighty Creator – must Himself also be full of grace and truth. Jesus Christ is God making Himself known to the world, as John tells us: “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only (Son), Who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known”, John 1:18. Later, Jesus prayed that the people of the world would see Him and His glory in us, His disciples from every tribe – from Nairobi to New York and Durban to Djakarta and more – living out God’s truth day by day in our own part of God’s world, John 17:1-26. It is this presentation of grace and truth that we will examine now, mainly in Luke’s Acts and Paul’s letters. Grace in the earliest churches There are at least ten references to “grace” in Acts, depending on the Bible version used. The first shows us that Christian witness must be characterised by “much grace”, Acts 4:33, and not by words alone. Acts 4:34-35 tell of the grace of practical Christianity that went alongside gospel preaching, “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” What a picture of grace! Acts 6:8 describes Stephen, that daring deacon of the early church, “NowStephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” In witness his power was softened by grace, as rising opposition was dealt with using spiritual wisdom, Acts 6:9-10. This led to an opportunity for Stephen to witness before the highest religious body in the land. It culminated in triumphant martyrdom, the highest form of witness there can be, Acts 7:59-60. Martyrdom is still common in many countries today. Christians are still strong enough in their graceful faith to take that ultimate route to glory. They do not earn anything by it. They do display clear, strong faith. When Barnabas was asked to assess the Christian activity in Antioch, “he saw the evidence of the grace of God, was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts”, Acts 11:23. The actions and words of those scattered by persecution were all seen to be genuinely Christian, Acts 11:19-21 and 26. On their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas saw people being converted in Pisidian Antioch. Their messages “urged (the converted people) to continue in the grace of God”, Acts 13:43. The way of grace was tested by strong reaction from the opposition. But hostility lost out to bold yet graceful witness, Acts 13:44-52. In Iconium God “confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders”, Acts 14:3. The preaching of Paul and Barnabas divided the city’s inhabitants – some in favour, others against. It was public preaching and also private talking given in a friendly disposition from which kindly acts proceeded. They spoke about God whose grace not only freely forgave repentant sinners through the generous ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, but also included the divine power that equips men to live a moral life. The lives and language of the believers were signs that pointed to the truth of their message. According to Vine, “Wonders are something strange causing the beholder to marvel ... divine operations ... (with) supernatural sources.” The word “wonders” appears ten times in Acts, always with God as the source working His wonders through available Christian human beings, Acts 2:11, 2:19, 2:22, 2:43, 4:30, 5:12, 6:8, 7:36, 14:3, 15:12. Their first trip ends back in Antioch where Paul and Barnabas “had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed”, Acts 14:26. The word “grace” is also used in Acts 15:40-41 when Paul and Silas were “commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord” and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Paul and his mission team reflected the Lord’s grace in their own attitudes and ministry toward others. John Stott writes in his 'BST Message of Acts' that in all ministry where “the grace has come from the Lord, the glory must go to Him.” This is the godly accountability needed by all travelling preachers – the need to show this toward God and to all their own associates. Acts 15:11 and 18:27 both use the word “grace in relation to believing in the Lord Jesus for personal salvation. The first is when Peter speaks of the missionaries’ own salvation “through the grace of our Lord” as well as that of the non-Jews converted in their ministry. The second is for believers in Achaia whom Apollos greatly helped in their Christian discipleship and witness. Both occasions show that salvation is a gift of God’s limitless grace, and nothing that we earn by our works. Finally in this section there are two more references in Paul’s final meeting with the elders of the Ephesus church, Acts 20:24 and 32. Paul describes his life’s ministry as “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” and “the word of His grace” (similar to the two references immediately above). People were experiencing what Paul was preaching. In his subsequent prayer for the elders he says: “I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” It is entirely due to the grace of God that any of us is saved and given effective discipleship that includes opportunities to serve. Truth in the earliest churches As well as being full of grace, the Church, the body of Christ on earth, is also called to reflect our Lord in His truth. According to Vine, the Greek word aletheia means “truthfulness, truth not merely verbal, but sincerity and integrity of character.” This is what helps us recognise those people we meet around the world who are Christians, whatever their ethnic background. Truth has this meaning in Acts 10:34-35 and Acts 26:25. Peter testifies of a big change of understanding in considering God’s chosen people. There is truly no “favouritism.” God “accepts men (and women) from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.” And later in Caesarea, Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa suggests that he must be “insane.” His measured reply shows how truth is to be used in a well controlled way: “What I am saying is true and reasonable.” In Acts 20:30 there is a warning for church leaders. “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them”, Acts 20:30. Here “truth” means “a system of concepts purporting to represent some aspect of the world, e.g. the truths of ancient religions.” I would be more specific than this dictionary definition and add that truth is what God says, and we have exactly what God says in the Bible. Wayne Grudem writes in his Systematic Theology, “God’s truthfulness means that He is the true God, and that all His knowledge and words are both true and the final standard of truth.” As Christians we believe God has given us the Book of Truth. We must be ready to graciously defend it. After all, Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them (His disciples left in the world) by the truth; Your word is truth”, John 17:17. We Christians are a set apart people that the holy God can readily use. We are indwelt by Jesus Christ Who is Himself the truth, John 17:23; John 14:6. We must let Him out Who is inside us. Let our Saviour use our hands, homes, hearts, time, talents and treasure. Whether we are red, brown, olive, yellow, black or white, when we are full of the Lord Jesus, Who is full of grace and truth, we will be full of a friendly disposition from which kindly acts proceed, overflowing with honesty, reliability and veracity. When we are full of Him, these things will easily spill over to affect people around us. In his letters Paul presents the core of Christian truth and defends that core from arguments against it, some prevalent then and some now. In Romans 2:20 Paul writes to all Jews that they “have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth.” Some people “suppress the truth by their wickedness”, and have “exchanged the truth of God for a lie”, Romans 1:18 and 25. Those who continually “reject the truth”, Romans 2:8, will have to face “God’s judgement based on truth”, 2:2. There is no escaping God’s righteous anger against our sin, 2:3-11. There are only two ways to live – God’s way or the wrong way! The wrong way leaves you alone in your sins before the holy God when the end comes. In 2 Corinthians 4:2 Paul describes his ministry as “setting forth the truth plainly.” In 2 Corinthians 13:8 he writes, “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” In Ephesians 5:8-10 Christians are urged to “live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” We can live sinful lives or sanctified lives. The choice is ours. Our graceful Saviour wants us to be set apart for His use – full of grace and graciously sharing His truth with others by our lifestyle and words. One of the best ways we witnessed to our Muslim neighbours in Khartoum was by simply showing Christ in our lives and answering their inevitable questions. Finally consider Paul’s description of the Colossians becoming believers: “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth”, Colossians 1:6. Conclusion God has spoken to us about His own grace and truth. He has told us He wants to fill us from head to toe with Himself, so that His grace and truth flow out from us and into the people and places around us. I pray for God’s help to soften our witness with His grace while keeping it strong with His truth. Our glorious Saviour is calling us to be like Him, exuding His grace and truth.

My life (put) alongside God's word. The Christian disciple section. All believers struggle with the tension of being the Lord’s disciple and influencing those living around without compromising our Christian testimony by conforming to their worldly culture. This tension faces us with choices every single day. In His prayer to the Father, Jesus described His followers in two interesting ways: “they are still in the world”, John17:11, and “they are not of the world any more”, John17:14. This seeming contradiction is the puzzling but simple secret of Christian living – living “in” but not “of” the world. “In the world” means that every person shares the same challenges and choices over how to live, based on the commonly known facts and available resources. To be “not of the world” implies that one was born outside the norm, that there are essential differences between him and others, and that the individual has given accountability in the first place to God, over their lives. So, believing men or women, boys or girls, who are living apart from the world should have a different lifestyle than the unbelievers living around them. In practice this Christ-honouring way of living influences us in every aspect of our lives. Regarding marriage a Christian must ask oneself: What does the Lord Jesus Christ teach about choosing a spouse? Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:4-12. How will we set up our home? Matthew 7:24-27; Matthew 10:34-39; Matthew 12:25; Mark 10:29-31; John 12:1-3; John 14:23-24. What are the Christian ways to treat one another and to be good examples to our children? Matthew 7:11-12; Matthew18:2-6; Matthew19:13-15; Matthew 21:15-16; Mark 13:12-13. God’s instruction must take precedence over the wishes of parents, tribal elders and the community. We are “in” the world because we have no choice, but we must not be “of” it. We can and we should choose to be Christianly different! A Christian whose calling is to be working in the business world must ask himself or herself: What does our Lord Jesus Christ teach about working hard? Matthew 9:37-38; Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 5:1-11; Luke 10:7, 38-42; John 7:17-18; 9:4. What is God’s instruction about honesty? Luke 16:1-15. Am I following after money alone? Matthew 6:19-21, 24, 25-34. What are my responsibilities as to providing for my family? Mark 5:18-20, 40-43; Mark 7:10-13; Mark 10:19; Luke 7:12-15; John 19:25-27. There is a real danger of conforming to the world’s way of thinking and working when we spend 40 to 50 hours each week in the business world. We must not do what others do just “because everybody does it.” Believers are called to be, and should be, different! Our testimony Although we share with those around us the same choices as to how to live, we are to show one essential difference: We are accountable to God first and foremost. We must get the tension correct between influence and compromise. Some things do not affect our testimony, but others do. If we do the latter we may have no Christian testimony left! And be warned, I have often found that non-Christians have higher standards for believers than we do for ourselves. As Christian disciples our relationships with everybody we meet must commend our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We may be the only windows through which others catch a passing glimpse of Him. Ask yourself this question: Would everyone I am in contact with want to meet the God-Man I claim to serve? Am I reflecting Jesus as clearly and precisely as I should be? I can never be totally synchronised with this world as long as I “keep in step with the (Holy) Spirit”, Galatians 5:25. The holiness of God in me provides a solid way of testing what I can and cannot do. Balance or tension? I have often heard people talk of the “balance” between living “in” or “out of” the world. I used these terms myself at one time but now I prefer the word “tension.” Why? “Balance” means things are equal. But “tension” suggests that things are being stretched – there is stress and uneasiness. In the same way that strong guy wires hold tall towers and flagpoles upright, like the masts on sailing ships, we all need guy wires of truth for life – each one pulling in tension and giving the proper force in every way to keep our witness boldly and uprightly flying in the windy conditions of this world day after day. Rather than being dulled by our daily contact with the world, living close to the heart of the Lord Jesus will make our testimony always a beacon of light, shining brightly and untarnished whatever happens to our circumstances. In Jesus’ prayer of John 17 we notice in verse 11 that His followers are to be “protected by the name” (of God the Son, the Lord Jesus) and in verse 17 that they are to be “sanctified by the truth” (God’s Word, the Bible). Perhaps these are two guy wires. Verses 18-19 give another tense paradox: “As you sent Me into the world I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” Sent but sanctified! Put another way this means Christians are to be separated from unbelievers while being sent right into the middle of them to be signposts pointing to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. To apply this to yourself look in the mirror of these two scenarios. First, in every area of life only do what you can do in the name of Jesus. Stop everything that would damage His name if it were to become public knowledge. Second, test all you are doing in family, work and social relationships by the Word of God. The airplanes we see flying high up in our skies are held on course by their agreed flight plans and timetables, together with the pilots, the air traffic controllers and navigational aids. The trains which noisily rumble past our cities on journeys from here to there are also kept in place by a variety of things including timetables, signalling, the engineers and, most importantly, two heavy duty steel rails. Just imagine what would happen if airplanes or trains were free of these restraints! There would soon be multiple crashes and utter chaos. Their restraints, held in tension with one another, actually give them the freedom to do what they do! As Christians we are born outside the norm, being born again into a spiritual life in the kingdom of God. We travel through this world’s life on a different pathway than those still unsaved. Our eternal life means we live by the truth – living life in the light of God’s Word, John 3:16-21. We live on our planet among our fellow people yet apart from them. Given the same choices as everybody else we choose differently. We simply want to be like our Lord Jesus Christ Whose life and death were, still are and forever will be outstanding from all others. There is no better way to be a witness for Him, John 20:21-23, 31; Acts 1:8.

My life (put) alongside God's word. The Christian discipleship section. After distributing the June 2013 “Encouragement” article to eighty Christians in Sudan and South Sudan, one replied to me saying how precious it is that God counts some Sudanese and South Sudanese believers, worthy of suffering for the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. That set me thinking. “Worthy” means “deserving of something”. “Worthy people have qualities that make people respect them”. The New Testament word “worthy” carries the meaning of “weighty”, meaning the importance or influence attached to someone or something. A quick New Testament survey shows how we can all be people who make an impact for Christ by the way we live every day. The effect, both before God and in front of those who may oppose our faith, will be evangelistic. People will notice a difference in how we live. They will ask us “why?” 1 Peter 3:15. In Acts 5:41 the first apostles left their place of persecution by the Jewish leaders, “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name”, (italics mine in all references). Nothing would stop them witnessing well for the Lord Jesus, verse 42. The Roman church was asked to welcome a sister from a church some way away, “in a way worthy of the saints”, Romans 16:1-2. See also the letter to Gaius, a friend of John, the last surviving early church elder, 3 John vs5-6. Paul urged believers everywhere to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received”, Ephesians 4:1-3. See also Philippians 1:27, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12. This applied especially, but not exclusively, to church leaders, 1 Timothy 3:8, 3:11, 5:17, Titus 2:2. In the church at Sardis only some of the believers were found to be “worthy”. While others had neglected their obedient walk with God in this world, “some” had dared to be different, Revelation 3:1-6, especially verse 4. In addition to this, there are three passages I have not yet mentioned, which my friend may have had in mind when he wrote back to me. They specifically link together suffering for Christ and worthiness seen by God. Suffering for Christ linked to worthiness seen by God Paul describes how the believers’ faith, love and perseverance were growing in spite of – perhaps even because of – the persecutions, the trials, the sufferings and the troubles they were living through. May be we can see life’s hardships as times of pruning for us? Established orange or lemon trees need to be cut into shape every year, taking off fruitful branches or those that are too long. God will use our difficulties to produce crops of good and right living if we will allow Him to, see 2 Thessalonians 1, especially verses 5, 11-12. I am aware that slavery is still a big issue in both Sudan and South Sudan. In 1 Timothy 6:1 we are introduced to the idea of giving respect, seeing the worthiness of someone else. Surprisingly perhaps, this includes Christian slaves who are to “consider their masters worthy of full respect”. The reason given is so that God’s name and Christian witness will be enhanced and not given a bad reputation. Here again the Bible presents a tough challenge for us. As I write it is summer time in England. Many birds are breeding. There are lots of baby birds around, with their fluffy down feathers, their fast-flapping wings, and their odd colours. I can see from my study some of the bigger birds raiding other nests. They eat eggs or small chicks from other birds. Then something amazing happens. The birds who have “lost” their young do not sit around crying and feeling sorry for themselves! They start to mate and breed all over again. Why? Because that is the way God made them to be! Is that a lesson for us when we are knocked about or beaten down by our troubles? Decide to do what comes naturally to the Christian believer. Carry on! Hebrews 11:36-38 is about Old Testament believers who faced persecutions very similar to today’s in Sudan and elsewhere, perhaps even in parts of South Sudan. The writer’s description when he evaluates their suffering is simply, “the world was not worthy of them”, verse 38, a way of saying, “they belonged in heaven and not down here on earth”. Unbelievers did not deserve to have such good influences living among them. We must also test our own lives on this, making it personal not general. Am I a husband (or a wife) God sees as worthy? Am I a father (or mother) worthy of my Christian calling? In my role for the church do I live Christianly in such a way as to deserve respect from others? Am I living differently from others because I try to follow God’s shown will for Christians in Scripture, rather than traditions of society, or cultures of tribe and family? Need I go on? I must live worthily of my Lord Jesus Christ. It was a Sudanese man now living in the U.S.A. who wrote me this thought. It shows that diaspora Christians can play a worthy role in building up and strengthening the Church back in Sudan and South Sudan. We don’t have to be there, to help the believers who are. Here or there, let’s press on together.

My life (put) alongside God's word. The Christian disciple section. by Israel Angelo Adeldong Obedience is the willingness and readiness to do what one is told to do. It is listening to the advice of others and immediately acting accordingly. Obeying God is an emblem or badge of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest authority, God Himself. Obedience to God is crucial and must be taken seriously. There are dangers. Without a genuine love for our God the Father, obedience can become legalism. Moreover, obedience for its own sake can become nothing more than perfectionism, which quickly leads to pride and arrogance. Genuine love for God leads to wholehearted obedience to Him. The first sin of man was pride which led to the fall of mankind (Adam) and to failure to do what God had told him to do: “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die”, Genesis 2:17. Instead of Adam obeying God’s command, he chose to disobey and listen to his wife, Eve, and the serpent, Genesis 3:1-24. Obedience becomes disobedience every time we fail to do what we are commanded to do. Timing obedience Often as Christians we struggle to act immediately God invites us to do His will. Our struggle may not be in deciding whether we obey Christ or not, but in obeying Him immediately He invites us for His work, Matthew 8:21. As soon as God reveals His will for us, that is the time to obey! Be aware that God’s revelation of His invitation requires immediate response and obedience from you. The timing of our obedience is crucial. Often the invitation from God comes with a limited opportunity. Some opportunities to serve Him, if not accepted immediately, will be lost. Occasions to minister to others may pass us by. When God invites us to intercede for someone, it may be crucial that we stop what we are doing and immediately adjust our lives to what God is doing. Missing any opportunity to serve the Lord can be tragic. When an invitation comes from God, the time to respond is now! If we do not seize the opportunity to act, we may lose it forever! At the time of the fall Satan persuaded Adam and Eve that forfeiting their obedience to God would gain them everything. Instead, their disobedience robbed them of all they had. For the rest of their lives they experienced only a fraction of the blessings God had intended for them. The Bible is replete with accounts of those who forfeited their inheritance as children of God in order to gain that which was transitory and empty, Genesis 25:29-34; 27:38-40. People around you may seek to convince you that you will find fulfilment if you disobey God and adopt a worldly standard of morality for your marriage, for raising your children, for advancing your career, or for pursuing pleasure. If you believe them and disobey God, you will never experience the blessings God intended for you. The sin of disobedience brings death, Romans 6:23. It is tragic to listen to the voices of the devil and worldly people instead of God’s voice. God created life to its fullest. Jesus wants us to obey and live our lives with security, knowing that we are children of God. If anyone is not experiencing love, joy, and peace, then he/she has settled for less than God intends for him/her. If you have been making excuses over why you are not experiencing an abundant and joyful life, check your obedience in relationship to God. Determine today to settle for nothing less than obedience in order to experience God’s best for your life. Stop following the world’s way of finding satisfaction. Instead, listen to the Saviour’s voice, and you will find the true meaning of life and fulfilment. Obedience to God’s commands that comes from a believing and loving heart has great reward and many blessings, and always brings fulfilment. This means blessings come as a result of our obedience, as we walk closely with God, regardless of whether we seek and ask for them. When our Lord Jesus Christ gives us a command or instruction, it is mandatory to obediently respond without delay. Do not wait to figure it all out or to make sure everything is perfectly in place and makes full sense to you. While waiting and thinking the time and opportunity may be lost never to come back again. Trusting obedience Please know that sometimes God may lead you to perform His will and work at a certain time, even though you may not fully understand until after you have accomplished it. He will tell you, giving you enough instruction and explanation for you to trust Him. Then He will guide you and enable you to accomplish your task with the ability He gives you. God does not always manifest all the details of His will when He first speaks to you. He withholds enough information so that you must continually depend upon Him for help and guidance. Your earnest and prompt response to God’s calling will affect what He will next perform in your life and in the lives of those around you. He wants all to experience the love of God and to confess Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Therefore watch out and respond immediately when God commands. If, at the time of reading this work, you sense that there is any directive the Lord has given to you to accomplish for Him and until now you have disobeyed, please obey immediately so that you may personally receive abundant blessing and watch God’s perfect plan unfold in your life. This way you will become a blessing for many. Testing obedience The father of believers, Abraham, obeyed God without hesitation when He told him “Go to the land I will show you”, Genesis 12:1. He acted in faith and trust. He learned patience in obedience to follow God’s directives through a number of tests over several years, including waiting for his promised son who came after twenty-five years, the battles with kings, God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and through the significant pinnacle test of sacrificing his only beloved son of promise, Isaac, who meant more to him than anything else. His previous willingness and readiness to follow and to obey God indicated that he would have quickly and decisively sacrificed anything else other than his son. From the human perspective it would be extremely difficult to fulfil this request from God, yet Abraham obeyed totally affirming his absolute faith and trust in God’s promises to him. So he was called a friend of God. Like Abraham, our pilgrimage as we travel the Christian life on earth is full of tests and difficulties, but our Father will always help us out, deepening the level of our relationship with a stronger trust in Him. As we develop more deeply to love, trust, obey and serve God, He will develop our character to match bigger tests and temptations in our lives. With the greater tests, like sacrificing a loved one, greater and deeper knowledge of His ways, stronger trust and love for Him will take root in our hearts and help us to remain faithfully confident in our following, obeying and serving Him. The obedience of a father will bring God’s blessings upon him and it will also extend to his children generation after generation. We know this is true as God promised Abraham that his obedience would bring blessings to all nations of the earth, Genesis 12:2-3. As proof of God’s trustworthiness, God blessed Solomon because of his father David, whose heart was according to God’s heart as he walked and obeyed the Lord. In Deuteronomy 28:1-68 we read about the blessings that the Israelites will enjoy when they obey, do and follow God’s commands. “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God”, vs1-2. But notice, they will suffer many curses and much suffering if they fail to do what they are told. Obedience becomes disobedience and a curse when we do not do or act in accordance with God’s Word. “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you”, vs15. As the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, God set before them a choice: heed His voice, obey His commandments, and experience continued victory. Or turn from God, disobey His word, and experience repeated resounding defeats. It was a simple choice yet the decision they made would be evident by its results on the battlefield. The assurance of victory did not mean that the Israelites would never have to strap on their armour and go into battle. It did not guarantee them effortless victory. At times their enemies fought fiercely and the battles raged back and forth. Nevertheless, as the Israelites walked closely with God, they always knew that their efforts would ultimately result in victory. Clear choice God gives us the same choice He gave to the Israelites. If we will walk with Him, in obedience to His Word, He will stand with us and ensure victory for us over our challenges. We face the battle, but God promises us victory if we remain and abide in His will. However, if we choose to disassociate ourselves from God, we surely will be overtaken by difficulties and defeats. As with the Israelites, our decisions will be evident by the outcome we experience and face. If you are continually being defeated by everything you face, it is undoubted and unequivocal evidence that your heart has departed from God. If you have been experiencing defeat in the challenges you face, examine your heart, confess and repent from any sin that caused you to yield and succumb to temptation. When you are buffeted by the crises of life, your heart may have shifted away from God. Choose to listen to God, then obey what He tells you, bearing in mind that no matter what you face, you will experience victory. Be sure that your obedience is based on your own free choice. As God’s agent you can obey and please your God or disobey, turn your back on His commands to you, and merely please people around you. Repeatedly for forty years in the desert Moses encouraged and admonished the unbelieving, stubborn, strong-necked Israelites to keep God’s commands and to act according to God’s statutes and judgements, Deuteronomy 4:1, 2, 5, 6, 9. If they did so they would live and go in to possess the Promised Land. But they constantly disobeyed, provoking God and Moses into the anger that caused Moses to miss his privilege of inheriting the Land of Promise. We should always be alert and take heed to the Word of God, applying it to our lives daily. Rather than just speaking God’s Words, live them, remembering to match our own words with the strength of our actions. That is we should not just be hearers of the Word, but be doers as well, James 1:22-25, being honest with ourselves over who we really are, always endeavouring to diligently walk in God’s ways, will, and plan for us, in order to save ourselves and guide others to know and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour. Dear friend let me encourage you to choose to obey God more than men. The apostle Peter and his colleagues were brave enough to declare to the Jewish Sanhedrin, “We must obey God rather than men!”, Acts 4:1; 5:29. Costly choice As important as it is to keep and foster good relations with others, it is even more important to maintain a steadfast, genuine, and obedient relationship with Christ. Disobeying God to maintain peace with other people is never a wise choice. Peace with God is always paramount and beneficial. Choosing to obey God may cause you to forfeit relationships with your best friends and even with your family members. Jesus Himself tells us that obeying Him might cause division in our relationships with family or friends. It may set us at odds, being misunderstood by others, when we choose to obey God and follow His Lordship, Matthew 10:34-38. Your family and friends may disown and oppose you, yet your obedience to God reflects your loyalty and identity as a child of the Living God. This is important. Jesus declared that those who obey and do the will of His Father are His mother and brothers, Luke 8:21. Please be informed that God does not intend to divide your family or break the relationships, but He is pleased to place obedience before domestic harmony if it comes to a choice. It is important for you to determine to please God by obeying Him regardless of the opinions of other people around you. Joshua made a wise and correct choice when all others chose to disobey God, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”, Joshua 24:15. Choice has consequences Disobedience to God’s clear commands results in severe and critical punishment with disappointment. As an example of disobedience, God directed the prophet Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh, which was a hostile nation to the Jews and a centre of evil idol worship. The prophet’s assignment was to warn the people of God’s impending judgement on them, and urge them to repent. But because the Hebrews hated the people of Nineveh, the rebellious prophet disobeyed God’s command and fled in the opposite direction. He possibly feared for his own life or he wanted God’s judgement to fall on his enemies. However, God was determined that His word of command to the prophet must be obeyed, Isaiah 55:9-11. During his attempt to escape from God, Jonah was faced with adversity and hardship. Buffeted by storms he even travelled in the stomach of a fish for three days. Eventually from the belly of the fish under the deep waters, Jonah confessed his sin of disobedience and became ready to follow God’s instruction and do His bidding. At his arrival in Nineveh, Jonah began his mission. In three days all the people of Nineveh, from the king to the least person and all the animals fasted, and the people repented from their sins. God forgave them and did not inflict on them what He intended to do if they failed to confess their sins and repent. When we disobey God’s word for us we may end up in a situation that will compel us to confess and return to God. If you choose to disobey God then be prepared to face the consequences of your disregard for God’s Word and His commands. Disobedience reveals that we grossly underestimate and are dissatisfied with the God we say we serve. To ignore God’s Word or to disobey a clear and direct command from Him is to dismiss and ignore the magnificent nature and Lordship of Jesus Christ. When we fear people and deny Jesus Christ the Lord of all creation before mankind, we prove that we do not understand the awesome Lord we serve. He walks with us daily side by side, behind and in front to guide, strengthen, protect and bless others through our witness and service as we share His Gospel. When you find yourself struggling with obedience to Jesus Christ, or succumbing to temptations, remember to take a close and deep spiritual look to see how the apostle John portrayed Him, Revelation 1:14-15. Be certain that your Lord is the powerful One, the Great and Mighty I AM! Who dwells in you. Then you will decisively and dramatically experience His power that works wonders in your life. Excuses for disobedience Disobedience shows itself in the excuses we make when we fail to do and follow God’s commands, excuses such as: “I am not prepared to follow Jesus now”, “I will follow Him when I get married or after I become old”. Such excuses are proof of our lack of faith and our rejection of God’s grace, even His gift of salvation. It is clear that when we procrastinate or rationalise our excuses, our procrastination and our rationalisation are nothing but disobedience. In 1 Samuel 15:1ff. we read about King Saul who disobeyed God and took the matter into his own hands, offering a sacrifice instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel to arrive and make it. To his deep dismay and disappointment, King Saul realised that other acts of piety do not replace the priority of obeying God when He clearly gives a command. Like King Saul and others in the Bible and in our contemporary time, we should take heed. Be careful never to be side-tracked by any spectacular or dramatically appealing incidents that come across our way, when we have already clearly received a command from the Lord to do His will and work. Sidetracking can cause us to disobey God’s commandments. We must be more careful and watchful with our successes and accomplishments, because we may become distracted, misled and enticed by our own selfishness and pride in such a way that we become reluctant to complete what God originally assigned us to do. Therefore let us all be alert and watchful. God expects us all to obey His commands and do exactly as He tells us. Only our obedience satisfies God’s desire for our obedience! Price of obedience Our obedience to Jesus Christ is costly, because it requires us to take up our cross even if it brings suffering, agony, fear and death. Those you love may even have to pay the greatest cost. Jesus was prepared to obey God, even though He knew that the excruciating pain and suffering of the cross would cause agony and distress to His mother, His aunt and His close friends. As well as bringing dismay and pain to them it caused His beloved disciples to be scattered in terror and confusion. Yet He deemed it best to obey His Father’s command and will for the salvation of all mankind. In like manner we should be prepared to obey the Lord’s commands even if this will result in pain, suffering, agony, distress, dismay, doubts, the loss of our worldly properties, and even death to our families and friends, Luke 14:26-27. We must be mindful that our obedience to Jesus Christ demands that each one of us should be ready to carry his/her cross. We follow the Christ who understood that His Father’s will for Him led Him to the cross, meaning a shameful, humiliating, heinous, brutal, excruciating and devastating death. We should beware lest we are tempted to try preventing our loved ones from taking up their crosses, fearing that the cost will be too great and costly for them. We should never try to protect those we love by disobeying God. Rather, look to Jesus as your model and see what it cost those around Him for Him to be obedient to His Father. Let us all accept and realise that the cost of disobedience is always far greater than the apparent cost of obedience, because it will cause us to miss and to forfeit the blessed eternal life of glory with our heavenly Father. We should also be continually mindful that, as Henry Blackaby writes in 'Experiencing God Day by Day', “Satan will exert all his powers to convince us that obedience carries much too high a price, but he will never tell us the cost of not obeying God. We should also not be deceived into thinking there is no cost involved in obedience”. If we are sure of our calling to follow Jesus Christ and to be used in God’s service, then we should always expect temptations to come which will deceive us into disobeying our God in order to escape misunderstandings, ridiculing, mockery, malicious hatred, persecutions, pain, suffering, distress, agonies and disappointments. The prophet Jeremiah, who was wholeheartedly satisfied knowing that he was a faithful and beloved servant of God, experienced many hardships and ordeals without giving in to the temptation of disobedience. He faithfully served his God and accomplished God’s purpose for his calling, to the extent of enduring imprisonment and mockery even from those whom God had sent him to, warning them of impending judgement because of their wickedness and disobedience to God’s commandments. As we continue to serve God in this world we will certainly face hardships and opposition. They will surely come while we remain faithfully aligned with our God. We should take heart and firmly stand, enduring to the end, believing that our victory is accomplished through Christ’s obedience and victory over the devil and death, when He rose again to live forevermore in the eternal glory, Hallelujah!!! Praise, glory, honour, majesty and power all belong to Him. We can assuredly know that “Our reward will be the same when we choose to fully obey Christ regardless of the cost.” Who is really in charge? Obedience requires us to always bear in mind Who is in charge and Who is giving us our commands and instructions. Like a team of horses trained to work together for their master and follow his instructions, it is important that we learn how to listen, to obey and to do without question what our Master wants us to do for Him. The Word of God must control and direct us like the harness and the mouth-bit, both of which are keys to directing a horse, compelling it to follow its master’s directives. If a horse decided to disobey the rider it would suffer pain from the bit and even a beating from the angry master. Their teamwork would remain unaccomplished. In like manner, if a believer ever thinks that he/she does not need to obey the will of our Master, Jesus Christ’s, commands and instructions then our mission work will soon totally crumble. We will all suffer the consequences of the disobedience of one member in our team. Jesus Christ is the Leader and Master of our evangelism, our witnessing, our teaching and our discipleship. He expects each one of us, individually and collectively, to follow, obey and do what He tells us to do, and avoid what He tells us not to do. He knows better than all of us. The only way for any one of us to know that we are always doing the right thing is for us to be obedient and to follow the Master’s lead. Spiritually the horse’s harness and bit can be likened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He always whispers into our innermost heart with a gentle voice that helps us to discern between wrong and right, thus enabling us to follow His guidance and directives. The tug can be likened to the still, small voice with which our Lord speaks to us, urging and spurring us to take heed and fulfil our assigned work. Christian men and women, young and old, who follow their own way and choose to ignore the gentle voice promptings of the Holy Spirit, will eventually learn to obediently follow God through the compelling consequences of their disobedience. Like the prodigal son who came through riotous living, when natural calamity exhausted his own resources, humbly came to his real self. He heard the whisper of the Spirit urging and encouraging him to return to his father’s house, Luke 15:11-32. Let me urge, encourage and spur all of us to be always ready and willing to receive the gentle tug of the Spirit whenever we veer off our course”. It is very important that we should always watch out so that we will never be guilty of more serious wrongdoings. We must allow God the Holy Spirit to guide us in all of our decisions and choices. We must always be sensitive to the “spiritual bits” in God’s hands which must be allowed to control all of our bodies, James 3:3. We must be willing to obey our Master completely and alter our course. We must discipline our bodies to join our spirits working together in obedience to God’s commandments.We must take heed of the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit, which will definitely unite our spirits and bodies in a purpose that will guide us back to our eternal home to live with our Eternal Father in heaven. Choose which example to follow Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience remain an outstanding, marvellous and amazing event in human history. Humanly speaking it appears to be an impossibility. But through the eyes of Christian faith and trust in God’s promises, Abraham’s faith and trust in his God is seen to empower him to follow God’s lead in his life exactly up until the miraculous moment when an angel called out to him from heaven. He had passed his impossibly agonising test. God gave him a substitute, a ransom that preserved Isaac’s life, Genesis 22:1-19. Too often our tendency in obedience leans towards passiveness and thoughtlessness as we follow the order or dictates of a higher worldly authority. We can assume this is of God without checking it out. At its best our obedience to God is an emblem, badge or mark of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest heavenly authority, Almighty God Himself. Like Abraham our father in faith, who demonstrated his unwavering faithfulness and obedience to God, we too can succeed in demonstrating our faithfulness through obedience and the power which results in ultimate rescue when we are faced with trials and hardships. Our human self-inclinations and personal fallen desires will always try to limit and thwart our obedience and faith toward our Father. Therefore we should tap into God’s insight, power, guidance and the spiritual gifts He offers us. By strong and proactive obedience we can declare our faith in God and qualify ourselves to receive the blessings and powers of heaven. Obedience is a choice between relying on our own limited knowledge and puny power, or on God’s ultimate wisdom and absolute omnipotence. It is the choice of a living Christian faith that helps us to follow “the spiritual bits in our mouths”. As we follow our Master’s directives and leadership with faithful obedience, He gives us the privilege of attaining the true blessings of eternal life that are available to everyone who is faithful and obedient to God. Obedience is a matter of spiritual life and death. Do you choose to obey God and live eternally or do you choose disobedience and so perish and live in hell eternally? You have free will to choose bearing in mind the consequences of your choice. One day you will come to the judgement throne of Jesus Christ and give account of what you have done in this mortal life. Let me exhort, encourage and spur you on to choose obedience every moment of every day. You are saved so that you can ultimately enjoy eternity and live forever with God and the saints in the bliss of His blessed glory. Practice it now with a life of obedient, God-fearing and God-honouring, Christian discipleship. Discussion questions 1. What is the difference between delayed obedience and disobedience? See Matthew 8:21. Why is timing important? 2. “Disobedience reveals that we grossly underestimate and are dissatisfied with the God we say we serve”. Do you agree with Pastor Israel, or not? Why? 3. How does the example of the Lord Jesus best show us the cost of true Christian discipleship?

My life (put) alongside God's word. The Christian disciple section. Christians have been commissioned to tell every person about the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:18-20. It is a charge to do a task for Him. In the Gospels, the twelve disciples followed, learned from and admired Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:1; John 13:35, 15:8. But these individuals alone would never achieve the great commission on their own; it is for all the followers of Christ. Some evangelists that the Lord has used to impact lives have become world-famous. But even though we may feel unknown to anyone except God, each one of us has an important role to perform. God placed you precisely where you are to reach your immediate circle of neighbours, colleagues and friends. Are you ready to be a useful tool in God’s hand? This is evangelism: to introduce others to your one special Friend and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our following and commitment By tracing the word “follow” in Mark’s gospel we discover a picture of commitment that makes all other ties secondary: Fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew left their business to“follow” Jesus and were changed into “fishers of men”, Mark 1:17-18. Tax collector Levi, who left his collection booth, “followed” at the command of Jesus and soon introduced his Lord to his unsaved friends who also then followed, Mark 2:14-15. Crowds surging around Jesus in the area of Caesarea Philippi heard Him challenge everyone to make a costly, individual commitment; suffering as part of “following”. “Take up his cross” brought the vivid picture of a publicly humiliated and condemned man to the listeners’ minds, Mark 8:31 and 34. Jesus was crucified a short time later, Matthew 27:15-44. Through Him a gentle army of “following” Christians would infiltrate the world with a message of life-transforming love from a holy God. One man described as a “rich”, Mark 10:22, “young”, Matthew 19:22, “ruler” Luke 18:18, wanted to be sure of having eternal life. But the Lord pointed out an obstacle that stood in the man’s way of following Him: the man would not let go of his riches to grasp the Saviour, Mark 10:21; see also Matthew 6:24. Peter with the disciples drew a response from the Lord Jesus Christ affirming eternal rewards for “allowing the things of earth to matter less to them than Jesus and the gospel”, writes Darrell Bock in his Tyndale commentary on Mark. Throughout Christian history men and women have left worldly possessions in order to give themselves to the service of “following” God, Mark 10:28. A group of women had “followed (Jesus) and cared for his needs” during His earthly ministry, Mark 15:41; Luke 8:1-3. Their humble service was used of the Lord during His ministry years. There are always many ways to serve in the overall Christian mission. A follower goes in a similar manner and the same way as the person whom he is following. Our Lord Jesus Christ encouraged everyone to think seriously about spiritual matters, consider God their Creator, and ponder their eternal destiny. Realising that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is with us, we should do the same. By His Spirit He is already working in the hearts of those with whom we talk, ordering their life circumstances as well as ours to plant seeds of His Word into lives. I urge you to follow Him, walk with Him and consciously accompany Him in your daily activity. Introducing others to Christ From Matthew 28:16-20 we notice five steps to introduce other people to our Lord Jesus Christ: 1. Worship the Lord Jesus Christ yourself, verse17. The eleven disciples obediently followed the word of therisen Lord heard through the women who had gone to His tomb, verses 8-10. One hundred percent obedience is a sign of true worship. The apostle Paul saw the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point for all creation and responded to the call of God to be a witness, deeply appreciating the grace of God in his own life, Galatians 1:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:5-11; Romans 15:15-16; Acts 9:15-16,20. Take special note of the reference in Acts as Ananias shared that Paul would “suffer much”. This was not the easy calling or comfortable career that we see in much of Christianity today. Rather, it often proves costly – surrendering your life to God for whatever He may choose to allow you to go through in life. This is genuine Christian worship. 2. Understand where true authority is, verse 18. We do not need to feel strong or adequate to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The power of the gospel is in the message, not the messenger. Paul speaks of the gospel as “bearing fruit and growing”, Colossians 1:6, and was “confident” in God to “carry on to completion” the “good work” that was begun, Philippians 1:6. He wrote how “the Lord’s message rang out from” the young Thessalonian believers, 1 Thessalonians 1:8. “All authority in heaven and on earth” belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:18. We speak with that authority to our co-workers. When we speak with family members and friends we can trust God’s power to work in the other person. Whenever human authorities challenge us, we can respectfully say that God tells us to submit to human authority except when doing so compromises our Christian faith. We need to witness sensitively, yet boldly, Acts 4:19- 20; 1 Peter 2:12-17. 3. Move deliberately into evangelism, verse 19. The little word “go” has big implications. After understanding “authority”, there must be a conscious effort to become a Christian witness. In a sense, people who call themselves “Christian” are already witnesses, since individuals outside of the faith will judge them. It is necessary for every Christian to be consciously aware of being a witness all day, every day. Ask yourself first thing each morning, “How does my Lord want me to represent Him today?” Speak about the person and the work of Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. For me this meant first witnessing to my schoolmates and later to my work colleagues. I also gave testimony at gospel music events around London. Eventually, God led my wife and me to Khartoum, Sudan. He graciously brought people to Himself in every place using His followers, whether it was through me or someone else. Fifty years ago, when I surrendered to God’s will, I had no idea where He would lead me. Looking back, I have no regrets as God’s call can always be trusted. 4. Mark out new converts, verse 19. Jesus instructed, “Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Baptism is a clear and distinct point. Some believers have been baptised and others have not. There are committed Christians who are ready to serve while others are still counting the cost. In Acts, new believers were baptised, Acts 2:41, 8:36-39, 9:18-19, 10:47-48, linking baptism with repentance. Water baptism, a picture of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, gives testimony to the believer’s repentance, the turning away from sin to God. It is very fitting to begin a new life in Christ by baptism. It is also important for believers to gather together in His name. If no Biblically sound gathering exists where God sends you, it may be necessary to start one. Acts and most New Testament letters show us that Paul, Barnabas and Silas did this on their missionary journeys . 5. Take time to disciple young Christians, verses 19-20. Mould them into the image of Jesus Christ. This will happen as you arrange Bible classes to “teach them to obey” everything that Jesus commanded. Paul and Barnabas taught Antioch’s new converts for “a whole year” and it resulted in “the disciples being called Christians first at Antioch”, Acts 11:25-26. At one church where I fellowshipped we had a discipleship class every Sunday morning as a concurrent alternative to our adult Bible class. New believers and interested but not yet believers were channelled into this group. Practical areas of life were put alongside the Bible’s teaching. People had mentors assigned to meet them once a week outside of the class. Thanks to God, many of those young converts have remained faithful to the Lord. (See my 'Raising the Standard' discipleship book, elsewhere on this site). Do it now! Your investment of time and energy will be rewarded. Not all will continue in Christ, but many will. In turn they will become God’s disciple-making personal evangelists of the future, leading many to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ before He returns. Start where you are, and go God knows where!

My life (put) alongside God's word. Suffering and response section. – by Matta Mubarak Though our life on this planet called Earth is temporary and short, James 4:14, God our Creator intended it to be lived fully and in a satisfying way. God wants life to be joyful for every one of us, regardless of our individual skin colour, gender or geographical location, Acts 17:26-28. Our Lord Jesus said, “I have come in order that you might have life–life in all its fullness”, John 10:10, (Good News Bible). Humankind had turned away from the true God at the beginning and that sin made living much harder, Genesis 3:17-19. Only “When anyone is joined to Christ, he is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come”, 2 Corinthians 5:17 (GNB). Those not joined to Christ make life difficult for everyone. What the Creator wants for us By “life in all its fullness” Jesus means satisfaction for us. He wants to satisfy every need He allows in the life He has given us. God does not want anyone to be a victim of anything in this world, 1 Corinthians 10:13. He wants every one of His human beings to fully enjoy life on this planet and to have the opportunity to live a life in full, enjoying all the benefits of using the earth He has created, Genesis 1:29-30. God wants equal opportunities for everyone, opportunities of using the land, opportunities in education and opportunities for development. He planned for everyone to have the right of being protected and valued, enjoying welfare wherever he or she lives. Unfortunately, despite God’s great plan for all human beings, life is full of disappointment. With all those gifts from God that have been entrusted to us, life is not fully satisfying. Lots of the gifts that should be blessings have been turned to our harm, and life has become something unbearable. Therefore, today in Nuba Mountains where I live, many people repeatedly ask these questions, “Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does life victimise good people? And why are good people victims of bad people, or victims of bad things?” Life in Nuba Mountains After the signing of the Peace Agreement in Sudan to end the 21 years of civil war between South and North Sudan in 2005, (including 17 years in Nuba Mountains), many Nubas came back to their land with very high expectations of life. They were going to rebuild and to share in the development of their land, which had been badly damaged by the fighting. People enthusiastically started to rebuild social life that had been severely destroyed during war. Parents were reunited with their children after long times of separation, husbands and wives joined together again, people came back to their villages and their original places, where there were good lands for farming and producing enough crops to live on. Educational life started, with equal opportunities for the first time ever in the lives of Nuba people, allowing girls in big numbers to attend school. Girls themselves were sent and enthusiastically went to their schools. Contrary to the past they gave education priority rather than marriage. This was also the first time in the history of Nuba people that they had secondary schools available within their area and those schools were to be managed by Nuba men and women. Many young men and young ladies who had finished their education came back home to participate in these developments. They used what they had learned in different levels. Some started good and great projects. Life in Nuba Mountains started to change. People tasted and began to speak of a bright future for all Nuba people. Unfortunately it did not last, and many have felt hugely disappointed. Peace did not come. All that the Nuba intended to do and proposed did not happen. The ongoing war against the people brought them big disappointment these nine years (2014) and it cut deeply into their expectations. Consequently life today is not at all easy for the people in Nuba Mountains. Most have experienced difficulties, sorrows, injustices, persecutions and oppression. However, many have been and are living faithful lives even while suffering and facing incredible situations, such as the losing of all their properties and almost everything else in life. To change the miserable life for the people of Nuba Mountains in any great way, and to make it easier for them simply to live, major things need to be done. We understand it is God’s plan and purpose that every man and woman He created lives where He puts them with equal opportunities for a satisfying life and the right to enjoy it until the end of their stay on this planet. Yet the fact is, because of disrespectful worldly men things do not go as the Creator originally intended. There are people who appear to have fewer problems and challenges, and they seem happier in life than others, but we must remember it is not because they are more valued by God. God wants us to think differently about life as Christians, different from the way non-Christians think about life, Philippians 3:18-21. The Bible describes life as a wisp of smoke and as a shadow, James 4:14, Job 8:9. We should understand that all the things we are after in our lives are not actually what genuine life is really all about. Life is much more than things, Luke 12:15. The reason behind life’s disappointments As we see that it is God’s plan and purpose for all human beings to enjoy life together despite life being just a brief stay on earth and only a temporary residence for us all, we do well to also remember He wants life to be full of beauty, just as He has already beautified it with all beautiful things, Genesis1:28-31, Psalms 8:3-9, 39:4-6, 119:19, 1 Peter 1:17-19. God has entrusted human beings with many precious things and working opportunities, Psalm 8:6-9. Those who understand God’s purposes have caught this worshipful vision and have started to work very hard to add and contribute to life’s beauty. Unfortunately that is not the case with many different people. While some struggle, contending to keep life tasteful, uncivil men and women foolishly harm others and cause the disappointments in life by living unclean, harmful lives without decent ethics. While some people do good and live life by God’s standards according to His intention, valuing those precious things of life, other people distort life’s beauty and bring disappointments into the lives of everyone else. I have seen and met many people in Nuba Mountains who do not plan or behave to deliberately harm others. They want to keep all moral, ethical regulations and fulfil all that is requested from them, but because of the wicked behaviour of other people with no consciences, they have suffered a lot. Many women have fallen as victims of the unmannerly behaviour of ‘undisciplined people’. These are the people of whom the Bible says that they do not sleep if they do not harm others Psalm 36:1-4, Proverbs 4:16-17. They victimise others by their wicked, satanic behaviour, 1 John 3:8-12. Why? Why? Why? When we each take a hard look at our own lives, making careful observation over them, we must come to the conclusion that life is full of disappointment and does not always make us happy. And how much worse it is to see other innocent people simply fall as victims under the feet of evil people! Truly, “It is useless”, Ecclesiastes 1:2-3. Because of injustice, severe oppression, persecution based on skin colour, geographical location and religious factors, which in turn cut out every opportunity and cause the lack of every basic human need, Nuba people and other folks have deeply suffered. Most of the young people of Nuba Mountains, who were born during the late nineteen eighties and nineties or since, have not experienced any of the good things of life in Nuba Mountains. All they have seen is killing and destruction. They have grown up knowing enmity and facing aggressive words. Today the very life of a human being is not precious any longer. For many people-groups in Sudan all such precious things are no longer precious. While many desire good and precious things to happen to all people, others plan day and night to distort and destroy this by their wicked behaviour. Many are using their positions of being in higher places of authority or of having the best top jobs, to oppress and victimise others. This has made – and is making – life utterly miserable. Because of this men exploit many women. Although the women want to live good and clean lives wicked people force them to do otherwise, using the oppression enabled by the lack of basic necessities or simply using force. Many young people would like to conduct Christian marriages but because of undisciplined men they are not permitted to do so. Many married women want to live faithfully for their husbands but because a lot of people live without Christian ethics they are blocked from doing it. Uselessness that points us somewhere Many today receive precious things for which they have not worked, while others have worked and struggled simply to find themselves the victims of robbing criminals. There is no doubt this life is really disappointing when evil people interrupt daily life by stealing valuable precious gifts that belong to others, things that have been given by God to certain people, and the bad people turn it into the harm of innocent and good people. That is indeed “useless”. Evil people are the cause of the disappointments. They do not respect or honour the rights of others. This is one of main reasons life is made miserable for everyone. People who do not pay attention to standard human ethical principles (let alone the higher principles of Christian ethics) are themselves the reason behind lives being filled with disappointment. All the programmers who offer us help, all the beliefs and the promises given to us have ended up disappointing our people. In our disappointment we must hear our God speaking. When on earth as our Lord Jesus God said, “Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and He will provide you with all these other things”, Matthew 6:33 (GNB). “Other things”, in the context of verses 24-34, are work, food, drink, life, clothes, and a daily relationship with God Himself. May I draw your attention my brothers and my sisters, including all of my many fellow victims, to the priorities in that verse? There is only one Person Who never disappoints us. Live your life looking to Him. His name is Jesus Christ. Discussion questions: 1. Since God Himself promised us “life in all its fullness”, can we blame Him when we don’t seem to have it? Why? Why not? 2. Pastor Matta suggests it can help those who are suffering to think about the beautiful things God does every day. What are some of these? How do you think they would help you in suffering? 3. What can the ‘disappointed Christian’ do towards those people who are the cause of his/her disappointments? Back up your answers from the Bible. 4. How do you live daily “looking to Jesus Christ”?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Suffering and response section. Even though the handbook for the United Nations’ High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) says that there is no universal definition of persecution, my study dictionary defines “to persecute” as: “to oppress, harass or maltreat, especially because of religion or race.” Persecution is often systematic and carried out by one group against another, possibly including some of my readers as victims – if not now, then in the near future. The word Jesus used The New Testament word for “persecution” (Gk. dioko) means, according to W.E.Vine, “to put to flight; to drive away.” From the same root we get our English word “to pursue.” Notice what happens when we put the dictionary definitions into our Lord Jesus Christ’s first teaching on the subject, “Blessed are those who are (put to flight, driven away, oppressed, harassed, maltreated) because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, Matthew 5:10. And, let us be sure to notice the phrase, “because of righteousness.” If someone brings difficulties on himself by his own irresponsible behaviour, whether by simple lack of consideration for others or by deliberate efforts, what happens to him is hardly persecution. The consequences of his actions are simply his fault. Persecution is totally different. Let me tell you what persecution is by using examples of people I have known and ministered with personally in Sudan. Kaboogi was killed by a spear in his back while sharing the gospel with his neighbours. Somaia jumped to her death rather than be raped by two friends her brother brought home, threatened because she had left her family’s Muslim religion to follow her own Lord Jesus Christ. Aasia was kicked out of her home and cut off from her family when she became a Christian. She was given absolutely nothing to live on and had nowhere to go. Nahoum was hit by a flying rock that cracked his skull as he travelled from one village to another, witnessing for his Lord Jesus Christ. I could go on. These people, and many more, know what it is to be “blessed” by persecution. Why did our Lord Jesus say “Blessed”? Using Vine’s Dictionary we see that word “blessed” (Gk. makarios) strictly means “honoured and glorified.” We might say today “deeply happy and internally content.” Our Lord Jesus Christ, having promised this inner satisfaction to His disciples, immediately went on to say that all people who would follow Him should know that earthly persecution brings great heavenly reward – so abundantly great (Gk. polus) that we really should “rejoice and be glad” even when facing such horrible hostilities, Matthew 5:10-12. Abundance on earth is not a Christian promise. So you need to discipline yourself to keep uppermost in your heart and mind that this life, today, is not all there is. A different level of persecution As I write, my old church in Khartoum has had its congregation cut by 80% as work permits are revoked for Christian expatriates. After being called in to Government security offices, people have been given just 48 hours to leave the country. National workers who have helped lead the ministries serving local needs are being beaten up and otherwise mistreated. They are likely to suffer worse persecution once their colleagues have gone safely home to other countries. Of course, no earthly opposition can affect the Christian’s heavenly compensation. The reward (Gk. misthos), literally meaning “wages,” which comes later when we are in the Lord’s presence, ought to be motivation for standing firm and struggling on every day against any form of persecution. Both the Bible and Christian history record examples of people who suffered but stood firm for the Lord Jesus Christ. More types of persecution Changing laws in Western countries, such as the legal acceptance of immorality and the banning of Biblical displays such as wearing crosses in public places, are often viewed by Christians as persecution. These believers will surely suffer more as they stand up against the erosion of their Christian heritage. Having lived under Islamic Sharia law for four years, I have seen church buildings demolished, met people with mutilated limbs, and students, especially women, unable to get their deserved grades in university exams – thereby suffering severe loss of career choice. Because I am a Christian, I have personally experienced barriers, delays and hindrances from Government authorities. But, in fairness, I have also been the recipient of some beautiful acts of kindness and generosity from individual Muslims while authorities harshly persecuted my fellow believers. Responding Christianly To Persecution From God’s Word, the Bible, believers are given instructions as to how they should react when they are being persecuted. Seven of them are: 1. Our Lord Jesus tells us to “rejoice and be glad”, Matthew 5:12. The word “glad” (Gk. agalliao) means “to exult greatly, to feel or express great joy and happiness.” I know this is tough when your own Government is using an airplane to bomb you every day, (26 bombs one day in May 2014, on the Nuba Mountains at a location where there were no military around for 50kms., I was told by a friend who was there), but Jesus commands us to be joyful because He knows the benefits of looking toward the heavenly benefits rather than the earthly losses. 2. The Lord also said, “Pray for those who persecute you”, Matthew 5:44. Deal with your enemies the same way God dealt with us when we were His enemies. He had a plan to win us back to Himself and He paid a heavy price to bring it into fruition. The context tells us this is the way to act like God the Father, and in so doing, to perfect our Christianity, Matthew 5:43-48. 3. He also said, “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another”, Matthew 10:23. There is nothing wrong with running away. God has used this to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, Acts 8:1 and Acts 11:19. Running away from persecution speeded up the translation of the Bible in some parts of Africa. Population movements brought many native speakers nearer to the big cities – and so to the linguistic teams who could more easily study their various unwritten languages and then translate the Scriptures. God will always succeed! 4. The Lord Jesus told His followers: “Keep in mind that it (the world) hated me first.” “Remember the words I spoke to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me they will persecute you also”, John 15:18,20. Our minds are very important. What we regularly think will determine if we stand or fall as Christians. Considering the Lord Jesus, especially in His suffering and death, will help us bear our persecution. Physically, He suffered horribly. Spiritually, His holy body was made sin for us and for our salvation, 2 Corinthians 5:21. 5. Our Lord also said to Saul, who was violently destroying the new Christian movement, “Why do you persecute me?” Acts 9:4-5. Any persecution of Christians is a persecution of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are His body. He knows our persecution – He feels it with us. He can and will intervene, if and when and how He chooses, in His sovereign, all-knowing and all-powerful way. 6. Following his conversion to Christianity, Paul wrote: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse”, Romans 12:14. Another definition of “to bless” is “to call upon God to protect”. I am sure this is the Holy Spirit’s thought here as Paul works out what his new Master said about praying for persecutors. 7. The apostle also wrote, “For Christ’s sake I delight in … persecutions”, 2 Corinthians 12:10. “Delight” (Gk. eudokia) shows a deep, underlying pleasure – something unaffected by daily events. Through years of sacrificial ministry Paul had learned that God and the world in which we live view weakness and strength very differently. God’s power is displayed clearly through those who have no power of their own. Putting these seven instructions together I suggest that we should respond Christianly to being persecuted by doing at least five things: 1. Cultivate a heart joyfully focused on heaven. 2. Pray that God would change the hearts of our tormentors while there is time for them to repent and be saved. 3. Scatter to share the gospel – if possible where it is presently unknown. 4. Remember it is our Lord Jesus Christ Who is being persecuted. We are to bear His cross. Thank Him that He has shown us the way. 5. Enjoy the unshakable knowledge that our weakness gives God opportunity to show His great power. For the Christian, it does not matter what the UNHCR can or cannot define. Our Lord Jesus Christ said we can know that we are citizens of His eternal kingdom when we are persecuted on this earth for the sake of living righteously. Stand fast in the Lord! Discussion questions 1. What challenges does 1 Peter 2:18-21 bring to those suffering persecution? List as many as you can. 2. How do you practically “look toward the heavenly benefits rather than the earthly losses”? See end of point 1 in the chapter. 3. Which of the five suggested responses above is the most difficult? Why? How can we help one another to do what is right in God’s sight?