As the holidays approach, I am reminded of the importance of family. Beloved, I have a real, live family. We don’t live in Stepford. We live in Realville. We still have some fights and hurt feelings at our house. We love passionately and can tangle passionately. Read the words of tiny Psalm 133-David penned these three verses about unity and family. “How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony. For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls in the mountains of Zion. And the Lord has pronounced His blessing, even life forevermore.” (NLT) Psalms are for real people-not robots. We are creatures with all kinds of hang-ups and emotional needs. Bible-time dads probably got upset with their kids just the same as daddies in our day. Did Bible mommies get PMS? Of course! Family feuds and irritating relationships are timeless. Psalm 133 was written as a collection of psalms called the Psalms of Ascents. These succinct poems were spoken or sung by pilgrims as they journeyed to the Temple in Jerusalem for feast days. Have you ever taken a road trip with your extended family? Jewish relatives relished such reunions. But as the journey continued, they probably remembered how annoying some of their kinfolks’ personal habits could be to the others of their clan. They forgot that Uncle Hosea spits, or that cousin Jedediah eats with his mouth open, And how Gran-Bethlebigma takes her wooden teeth out after dinner. Journeying in a caravan over long distances only exacerbates relational challenges. David taught in this psalm that unity is hard-won, but totally worth it. Unity-oneness intimacy-allows the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit to fill hearts and homes. There’s nothing like it. We probably have no say about the kin God gave us. Even the challenges they pose can be effective motivation to seek His throne, His help and His healing. Friends are family you got to choose, but you may not grow spiritually and emotionally if you refuse to face the tests of family life. We can choose our companions according to affinity and common interests. We can drop friends more easily if the relationship becomes awkward, painful or inconvenient. But we may not be the better for it. Where would our prayer lives be? Where would we learn tolerance, unselfishness, and flexibility? Who in our lives would motivate us to change? Family members quickly learn that a fight need not be a fatality. Conflict may be healthy. Forgiveness is a learned art all should practice. God often uses other people as the chisel to carve true integrity into our rough personalities. A chisel that never scrapes the stone is useless. The New Interpreter’s Bible commentary says, “The family is a crucial institution. If affects everyone, for good or ill. By its very nature, it can be the place where one experiences and learns intimacy, love and growth, or it can be the place where one experiences and learns resentment, abuse and destructive behaviors.” Having a close family requires a dose of humility, a lot of patience, and a lot of unconditional love. But at the conclusion of Psalm 133 God promises that His refreshing blessing, His Divine presence and long life will result when we choose to be family peacemakers! May you be filled with His Spirit this wonderful Christmas season! Excerpts from Stepping Up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascents by Beth Moore. Nashville: Lifeway Press, 2007, pp. 154-156.

Someone said that, “We’re all millionaires and don’t know it.” I read this in a book about 20 years ago. The book was about Jesus living his life as a contemporary man…and riding a Harley!* Although Joan Brady’s book does not portray a biblical view of Christ, her point is well-taken. When I reflect upon my good health, my relationships, my material blessings, the gift of God’s Spirit living in me, and so many, many blessings, which I often recount to myself at the end of the day, I am so thankful! I REALLY AM a millionaire in a spiritual sense. In one of the American Indian cultures, a person is considered rich, if they know a lot of songs. I’m rich in that way, too! I just read a book called “The Richest Man in Town,” by V.J. Smith. This short book is about an elderly cashier at Wal-Mart. The cashier’s name was Marty. Marty served about 200 customers a day, and after each transaction, Marty walked around the counter to shake the customer’s hand and to thank them for coming to Wal-Mart. Well, people started to line up at Marty’s cash register simply to receive their greeting, sometimes a hug, and always a smile. Other lines were very short while Marty’s line stretched quite a ways! V.J. Smith happened to shop at Wal-Mart and observed Marty’s acts of kindness on several occasions. Finally, V.J. wrote a letter to the president of Wal-Mart. Subsequently, Marty was one day honored by all of the employees at the local Wal-Mart. They clapped and cheered for him. Marty could hardly believe it! V.J. Smith met with Marty many times, as they became the best of friends. Because V.J. is a motivational speaker, he started to tell the story of Marty everywhere he spoke. At times Marty would accompany him on his speaking engagements. Of course, Marty would always get a standing ovation that brought him to tears. Marty taught V.J. three basic principles: Relationships matter most in life; try to do a little more; only you can make yourself happy. What solid principles these are! Of course, for many of us, our lives are centered in our relationship with God. Perhaps, that was also true for Marty. Also, our primary source of happiness is truly our relationship with God. Perhaps, that was also true for Marty and he simply “loved his neighbor as himself.” Even though Marty may have defined these important principles in life in a slightly different way than some of us would define them, Marty is a role model for us all. Marty finally received the Wal-Mart’s Hero Award at a convention where Colin Powell addressed 13,000 managers and supervisors. It was the most touching moment of Marty’s life. Marty died in 2004 and 1,000’s of people mourned his passing. In his casket, Marty wore his red Wal-Mart vest with his badge that read “Marty.” Balloons, photographs, and a poster board to sign for the benefit of Marty’s wife and children adorned Marty’s cashier station. Also, at the station, the light that indicates a station is open remained on even though Marty wasn’t there. Marty became known only because V.J. Smith wrote a letter to the president of Wal-Mart. Whether any of us ever become well known, I think Marty is an example to us all to take time for what’s important in life: loving other people. Marty was quite aware that he was rich in relationships. I think it’s important for all of us to put God and people first and realize that we can all give love, as Marty did, and “We’re all millionaires and don’t know it!” All of us can be “the richest man in town – just like Marty!” *Disclaimer: “God on a Harley,”by Joan Brady does not portray a biblical Christ, as in the “Joshua” series, by Joseph Girzone.

Have you ever found yourself making (or thinking) any of the following statements? As you work through this exercise, consider how God may want to adjust your thinking as it relates to the issue of forgiveness. 1. “There’s no unforgiveness in my heart.” Do you still feel angry at the person who hurt you? Do you have a secret desire to see them pay for what they did to you? Do you find yourself telling others how they hurt you? If you answered yes to any of those questions, it’s an indication you have not fully forgiven one or more people who have sinned against you. 2. “There’s no way I could ever forgive [person] for [offense]. He (she) hurt me too deeply.” How has God dealt with us who have sinned against Him so greatly? (See Ephesians 2:4–5; Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 10:17; Micah 7:18–19.) How does the New Testament command us to respond to those who wrong us? (See Luke 6:27; Luke 17:3–4; Romans 12:17–21.) 3. “They don’t deserve to be forgiven.” What did we do to earn or deserve God’s forgiveness? (See Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4–9). 4. “If I forgive them, they’re off the hook!” Letting the offender off your hook does not mean they are off God’s hook. Forgiveness involves transferring the prisoner over to the One who is responsible for meting out justice. It relieves us of the burden and responsibility to hold them in prison ourselves. 5. “I’ve forgiven them, but I’ll never be able to forget what they did to me.” When God forgives us, what does He promise to do? (See Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 10:17; Psalm 103:12.) God does not ask us to forget the wrong that has been done to us, but simply to forgive. However, the attitude of our heart, when we think of the offense, can be an indicator of whether or not we have truly forgiven. 6. “I believe I have forgiven, but I still struggle with feelings of hurt.” What must we be willing to do in addition to forgiving those who sin against us? (See Luke 6:27–31; Romans 12:17–21.) The act of forgiveness is only the starting place for dealing with those who wrong us. It must be followed by a commitment to “return good for evil.” This investment is the key to experiencing emotional healing and wholeness. In situations where it is not possible or appropriate to rebuild the relationship with an individual, we can still invest in their life through prayer. 7. “I won’t forgive!” Ultimately, forgiveness comes down to a choice. It is a choice that God both commands and enables. But some simply refuse to make that choice. What can we expect if we refuse to forgive those who sin against us? (See Matthew 6:14–15; Matthew 18:32–35; 2 Corinthians 2:10–11). Choosing the pathway of forgiveness can be extremely difficult. You may have been sinned against in ways that have caused enormous pain and consequences in your life. Just reading this may be opening up some wounds or memories you’d just as soon not face. Be assured that if you are willing to walk into the pain, God will go there with you. Hard as it may be to forgive those who have sinned against you, you will experience great freedom as you choose to obey God, by His grace. © Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. Adapted from Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy Leigh DeMoss & Tim Grissom

A few years ago, I learned a lesson about the faithfulness of God, a lesson that I will probably never forget. I would like to be able to tell you it was due to something earth-shakingly significant, but it was actually quite mundane. That was the beauty of it. I had a clock radio that I used to get up to every morning. At one point, the alarm function ceased working, but it wasn’t really a problem because I would generally wake up in time to get to work by 9:30, and I worked flex-time. But one evening I realized that I needed to get up early the next morning (no later than 6:00) and had no alarm clock. The clock part still worked fine, but the alarm didn’t work. And at that time, there was no place in Rolla Missouri to buy an alarm clock at 11:00 p.m. In desperation, I told God that I really needed to awake at 6:00, and asked Him to wake me. My faith made mustard seeds look gargantuan. The next morning, when my eyes opened, I was looking directly at the clock radio, and it said 6:00 on the money. The alarm had not gone off, but there I was wide-awake. Hmmm! Pretty neat, I thought, but was it for real? So over the next few days, I performed an experiment. Each night, I would ask God to wake me at a particular time the next morning. To make the experiment more robust, I would randomly vary the time I wanted my wake-up call. Each morning, when I awoke, I would look at the clock, and it was exactly the time I had requested. This went on for several months, and every morning, I would awake at the exact time I had requested the night before. I didn’t always get up at that time, but without fail, I would wake up at the exact time I asked for Him to wake me – until one day. It was a late Saturday night, and I asked God to wake me at 6:00 the next morning. I had to finish my class lesson, and was leading worship that morning, so I needed to get to church early to get ready for that. So I went to sleep, confident that He would wake me at 6:00. When I awoke, I rolled over and to my horror saw that it was 7:00 instead of 6:00. I was shaken, and in my panic to get ready quickly, I skipped breakfast and rushed up to church, the whole time wondering why He had not awakened me as before. I ran up to the church door, grabbed the handle, and pulled against the locked door. Stunned, I stood there confused. The whole morning had been totally disorienting, but why was the door locked? Then it hit me. I sank to the door-step, sat down and began to laugh. If any one had driven by just then, I’m sure they would have called the rubber truck – I was totally in stitches. I had forgotten to reset my clock for the change from daylight savings time, but God had not forgotten the time change. Since that day, I have remembered that as the day God showed me just how faithful He is. I no longer need to have Him awaken me, but many mornings as I awake and look at the clock, I smile and wonder at the faithfulness of a God who remembers to reset the clock when I don’t.

In the counseling office, I rarely feel under pressure to answer people’s questions, or to defend God. I know that as I “come along side” hurting people, God’s comfort will overflow, and He will also give me the words to speak. Although God uses my counseling skills and abilities, my desire is not to receive personal praise, but to help the hurting and to glorify Christ. I’ve found that God has never let me down in the counseling office and that He truly heals and also answers the prayers of all that call upon Him in sincerity. Sometimes all a hurting person needs from us is to spend time with them and hurt with them. In so doing, we are imitating our heavenly Father. Isaiah 63:9 says, “In all their distress, HE TOO IS DISTRESSED, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and CARRIED them all the days of old.” WHEN WE HURT, GOD HURTS, and His desire is to carry us through our difficult times. Of course, when we don’t FEEL “carried,” it’s important to be thankful for what blessings we can identify. Oftentimes, it’s only when we look back on our struggles that we recognize miracles, small and sometimes large, that God performed in order to help us. The Apostle Paul – who saw the risen Christ when he was on his way to persecute and murder Christians – said to “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:15). Paul also said that God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows” (2 Corinthians 1:4-6). People who are hurting need our presence, our comfort, and God’s presence through us more than they need our teachings. When Job was greatly afflicted, three men came to comfort him. They sat silently with him and also offered words of comfort. However, they ended up inquiring what Job had done wrong that he was suffering so. Now famous as “Job’s comforters,” these men brought Job no comfort at all, which is why they are famous! However, when Job PRAYED FOR these men, Job was commended by God, and what had been taken from him was restored two-fold. “Job’s comforters” received God’s correction, not His approval. Likewise, when we give comfort to those who are hurting, as our first priority, we receive God’s approval and eventually His blessings._

We’ve got to be willing to be salmon swimming upstream. What do salmon do? They get bloodied and beat up on the rocks in order to give birth and produce life. Then what do they do? They die. You say, “That doesn’t sound like something I want to be called to.” But what a picture that is of the heart of Christ, who swam upstream—bloodied and beaten—to give spiritual life; laying down His life on Calvary to give us eternal life . We may die in the process, but if we die fulfilling the kingdom purposes and will of God for our lives, so be it. If we perish, we perish. Let’s go for broke! That’s what Amy Carmichael did for over 55 years. She risked her life to rescue little girls who had been sold into prostitution in the Hindu temples—one young woman at a time. She worked tirelessly to salvage those lives and to expose the works of darkness that had claimed so many children’s lives in India. Each step of the way she was fighting and pushing against the powers of darkness—not in her own strength, but in the strength and power of God who had sent her there. She endured and persevered through all those years with a handful of victories, but also with numerous heartbreaking losses and apparent defeats. The issues around us are no less serious than those of those little girls sold into temple prostitution. People all around us are in bondage to guilt, fear, bitterness, anxiety, eating disorders, sinful behaviors, addictions, and depression. They need to be rescued from the enemy who has taken them captive. We are called to fight the powers of darkness in the name, power, and Spirit of the Lord Jesus and to join God in His great rescue operation. We’re called to shine the light in the darkness, to see captives set free, and to see God glorified. If you’re like me, you feel inspired and grateful to help with such a mission, but on the other hand, there is a real sense of weakness and overwhelming inadequacy. In these times of fear, the Lord reminds me of that passage in Luke 1 when the angel came to Mary and said, “You’re going to have a baby—God’s Son. I know you’re not married and you’ve never been intimate with a man, but this is what God is going to do.” Mary asked the obvious question, “How can this be? It’s not physically possible.” The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Who’s going to win the battle? God is. Who’s going to fill you with power? God is. “Nothing will be impossible with God,” the angel said. What was Mary’s response? Mary said simply, in faith, humility, and surrender, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Mary said, “Yes, Lord.” If you were to ask her today, “Was it worth it, Mary? Would you do it again?” Do you have any doubt about what she would say? “Yes, it was worth it. The Savior was born!” His calling on our lives will involve hardship, suffering, and obstacles. It’s not a calling to comfort, convenience, and self-fulfillment. It’s a calling to glorify God with the laying down of our lives, just as our Savior was willing to lay down His life so that we could live. When you and I see the face of Christ—if we’ve been faithful in fulfilling His calling in our lives—we will say, “Jesus, it was worth it all for You.” In fact, I think most—if not all of us—will say, “I wish I’d given You more.” I’m asking God to raise up a great host of men and women—people of courage, faith, compassion, humility, and wisdom. Followers of Christ filled with Jesus for such a time as this. Will you join me in that mission? Will you be a part of that counter-cultural revolution? www.reviveourhearts.org

Do you want long life? You can make choices that significantly extend your time here on earth. Our goal as believers is to live every day in the light of eternity. But how can you better “take care” of your body, God’s temple? Here are some statistics of people over 100 from southern Russia, Ecuadorian Andes and Okinawa, Japan. They exercise regularly and consistently: walking is part of everyday life. They avoid highly processed foods: almost none of their food is highly processed. They eat a nutritious diet: diet is low in calories, salt, saturated fats, and sugars; and high in fiber, whole grains, nuts, and “good” fats. Fish is an important staple. They drink lots of water: water is also from wells or mountain streams and had a high mineral content. They consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. They avoid loneliness: vital relationships with neighbors, family, and friends. They practice and enjoy regular sex: usually with their spouse, who is their longtime partner in a mutually monogamous relationship, even after the age of 100. They live with and depend on their extended families: cradle to the grave security. The concept of a nursing home is unheard of and would not even be tolerated. They seldom use alcohol or tobacco products. They intensely respect their elders: they enjoy this same respect when they become old. They lead active, fruitful lives well into their second century: no retirement They emphasize relationships and harmony over the pursuit of wealth or success: many of them would be considered poor by Western standards, yet they consider themselves wealthy and satisfied. Characteristics of Centenarians in the Boston Area (1994) Significant obesity is rare. Smoking history is extremely rare. They scored low on a test that measures neuroticism. In other words, they don’t dwell on problems, and they handle stress well. They have a history of showing signs of aging very slowly with almost no heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. 90% functioned independently up until the average age of 92. Rather than “the older you become, the sicker you get, the healthier you’ve been, the older you get”. Many females have born children after the age of 40. Over 50% have close relatives who lived to a very old age. Many children of these centenarians appear to be following in their footsteps. I hope to do all the good I can for all the people I can for as long as I can. However, long life in itself is not a personal goal of mine so much as a quality life of serving God until God decides my time on this earth is over. But I want and need to improve in many of the areas mentioned above. I think that God wants us to be good stewards of WHATEVER quality of health we have. I read about a woman who had a debilitating disease and was finally completely immobilized. One day she discovered she could move one of her toes. Every day she tried to move her toe, then toes, then other parts of her body a little more. Finally, she was completely and permanently restored to good health.

Since moving to Mongolia six years ago I’ve had to give a great deal of though to the issue of Christian unity. In Mongolian culture the idea of unity is very important. In fact, unity if one of Mongolia’s most important value (just behind power). For a society to be healthy it must be unified around a set of principles or a history that defines what that unity looks like. Most importantly, unity is often seen as agreement on important issues—especially controversial ones. However, the idea of Christian unity as presented in the Bible is different from the secular unity that is promoted in culture and politics. This is true not just in Mongolia but also worldwide. Most secular unity is achieved by reaching agreement on common ideas. Those who are not in agreement on those ideas are not unified, or perhaps even viewed as divisive. For some nations, such as those of the Islamic world, a common religious heritage is the driving force for perceived unity. For many in Mongolia unity often revolves around a history—Chinggis Khan, and the unity of the Mongolian tribes into one nation. These are examples of a secular-focused unity. The unity that the Bible prescribes for Christians is very different. It is a unity that transcends ideas and opinions in pursuit of something far greater. The idea of unity in Christ, as presented in the Bible has very little to do with a common set of ideas, and almost nothing to do with agreement on controversial issues. Rather, biblical unity always centers on behavior. Psalm 133:1 declares: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” Conspicuously absent from Psalm 133 is any reference to philosophical agreement. In fact, I believe it is absent on purpose. The Bible provides the authoritative model of unity for Christians. While many passages touch on the subject, I find it is best modeled in Ephesians 4:2-3 when the Apostle Paul says: “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forgiveness to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is no coincidence that the idea of unity is tied to the Holy Spirit and issues of behavior. In fact, in most New Testament passages a Christian’s behavior and the Holy Spirit are linked whenever the topic of unity is approached. And there is another subject not far behind: Truth. Continuing on his theme of unity, Paul later says in Ephesians 4:13-15: “…until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the Head, even Christ.” Biblical unity always looks like this: TRUTH + LOVE = UNITY. Where else does the Scripture provide this model? One book earlier in Galatians 5:22-26 Paul ties the “Fruit of the Spirit” with a life empowered by the Holy Spirit. But earlier in the chapter as he prepares to touch the topic Paul rebukes the Galatians for abandoning the purity of the Gospel message in Galatians 5:7 by saying: “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” What “truth” is Paul referring to? He reveals it in Galatians 5:1: “It was for freedom that Christ set you free.” Paul also makes these connections in his famous love chapter in I Corinthians 13 when in verse 6 he notes that love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” The entire chapter is part of a much larger context from chapters 12 through 14 about how the Holy Spirit expresses Himself through the life of the believer and the church at large. Paul’s focus in these chapters is spiritual unity among people of different motivations, gifts, and talents, based upon the simplicity of Christ’s identity (truth) and expressions of love. The model presented in Colossians 3 is the same, with a much heavier emphasis on personal behavior along with Paul’s note that in Christ there is “no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11). The implication, and application, for our modern times is that it doesn’t matter if you are Mongolian, or American, or Chinese, or Russian, Korean, or any other nationality. In Christ such temporary distinctions are to be washed away in favor of a much higher citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself also tied together this notion that TRUTH + LOVE = UNITY. In John 16:13-14 Jesus revealed: “When He, the Spirit of Truth comes He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever he hears He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you.” With this important background on the Holy Spirit’s role in revealing truth, Jesus then prays for unity and truth in the very next chapter! “Holy Father keep them in your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are,” (John 17:11) Then in verse 17 he prays, “Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth.” Just before speaking of unity and truth Jesus said in John 16:8-9: “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment, concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” What is the first truth we must recognize? That we are sinners in need of a Savor—the Lord Jesus. Even the passages in Galatians 5, Colossians 3, and I Corinthians 12-14 demonstrate that we are sinners in need of unity with Christ that comes first by recognizing our sin and embracing Jesus as the only solution to our sin. So while the secular model of unity is based upon heritage, or philosophy, political principles, or some other set of ideas, the biblical model is different—so different as to be foreign to the way the world works. Biblical unity is not a unity of ideas, but a unity of behavior based upon the identity and work of Jesus Christ. Even Paul’s example of marriage in Ephesians 5 and 6 reveals this, as the husband and wife are different, having different motivations and relational desires, but their behavior toward one another unifies them as a family. Christians can have many different ideas and disagree on a wide range of issues. Jesus didn’t say people would know we are His disciples because we agree, rather because of our love for one another. Disagreements don’t need to be wiped away to unify the church—only the sinful behavior that elevates personal opinion to the status of godly conviction and thus dishonors the brother or sister for whom Christ died. TRUTH + LOVE = UNITY.

The contextualization of Christianity in a culture is a controversial work. How much of the presentation of the Gospel must be adapted to a culture, and honor the culture? When must culture be ignored in favor of the supreme truth of Christ? I’m not going to answer that question here, except to say while these are tough issues that every missionary and indigenous Christian must wrestle with, there is one thing that must be clear. You must not change the text of Scripture, or introduce with its text, concepts which are foreign to its original meaning. It was with disappointment that I read this article from Thaindian News: “Indianised Version of the Bible Hit Among Christians.” The new Catholic translation of the Bible, which apparently went on sale in India this month, has sold like hotcakes, with 15,000 grabbed up in just 10 days. Those are big numbers! It’s also a big problem. Apparently the new translation draws “references to other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.” This means that the terms from these religions are used in the Bible’s text to explain Christianity. Actually, this is not an unusual concept. The same is done in Mongolia with one of two Bible translations called, in English, The Blue Bible. While the translation is popular here, for many it is also controversial. But back to India… According to one Indian believer, who is apparently a fan of the new translation, the translators “have also drawn the Indian mythology into it. It’s not only based on [the] Bible like you know foreign standards” (emphasis mine). This is not good news for Indian Christianity. But it does provide an interesting insight into the application of Christianity in Asia. Syncretism is a common problem in Christianity, but especially in Asia. The blending of words, concepts, and even practices of one faith into—what is supposed to be—Orthodox or Evangelical Christianity usually ends up corrupting the expression of Christianity so much that that expression of Christ becomes unrecognizable for what it was intended to be in the first place. According to one poster on the Indian forum site iVarta, “It portrays Jesus as Hindu.” Another remarked, “It would be funny if this version of the Bible slowly converts these Catholics back to Hindu practices.” Holy cow, what are the Indian Catholics thinking? Adapting presentations or emphasizing certain stories or passages is one thing, but altering the text by melding anti-Christian concepts into the scriptures is a violation of every principle of valid ministry I can think of. It distorts the message of the cross and puts it on par with the myths of Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other nonChristian “ism.” The contextualization of Christianity in a culture is a controversial work. How much of the presentation of the Gospel must be adapted to a culture, and honor the culture? When must culture be ignored in favor of the supreme truth of Christ? I’m not going to answer that question here, except to say while these are tough issues that every missionary and indigenous Christian must wrestle with, there is one thing that must be clear. You must not change the text of Scripture, or introduce with its text, concepts which are foreign to its original meaning. Note what one person who bought the new Indianised version remarked, “It’s not only based on [the] Bible like you know foreign standards” (emphasis mine). Christianity is a foreign religion. There’s no sense denying it. But being foreign to a culture doesn’t automatically invalidate its truth. The indigenous desire to “culturalize” Christianity, or in this case, the Scriptures, very often places the expression of culture over the expression of biblical truth. Certainly there are many aspects of many cultures that are compatible with Christianity. But where traditional beliefs conflict with the Scriptures the Christian is left with no choice. He must abandon that which is contrary to Christ. In the July 2007 issue of Christianity Today, Dr. David Hesselgrave, Professor Emeritus of Mission Trinity Evangelical Divinity School noted: “Hindu and Buddhist concepts such as bodhisattva, karma, dharma, samsara, and nirvana can be understood only in the context of the religious worldview of which they are part. Jesus is the Son of God, the only Savior and mediator between God and man. He is no one’s bodhisattva. He died for our sin, not our karma. Hindus and Buddhists have re-made Jesus into an avatar and bodhisattva in order to make their false religions more appealing. When Christians do the same they sacrifice true religion and contribute to Christ’s diminishment. Contextualization is necessary but it has boundaries.” Doing what the Indian Catholic church has done reads to me like an abandoning of the exclusive truth of Christ in favor of myth and superstition. If the Indianised translation becomes the Bible of choice of India’s catholics, then I predict it won’t be long before Indian Catholism becomes unrecognizable as Catholicism, much less as Christianity.

On a recent trip to the States I had the opportunity to teach about how Animism and Buddhism have influenced Mongolian culture. Mongolia, my home for the last six years, is a culture founded upon the ideas prevalent in Animism and Buddhism. This makes perceptions and communications in Mongolia very different from communications and perceptions in the West. The Americans I speak with are fascinated by discussions about Mongolia and its Buddhist foundations. It comes as a great surprise for many to learn, through practical illustrations, how Animism and Buddhism have crafted the basic value system of Mongolians. In all of my talks I present the two most important differences between Buddhism and Christianity—suffering and love. Buddhism fears suffering, Christianity redeems [through] suffering. The whole idea of suffering, desire, and detachment in Buddhism has had an effect on Buddhist societies that most Buddhists themselves do not recognize. Buddhism not only fears suffering, but actually contributes to suffering. By emphasizing detachment and the elimination of personal desire, Buddhism puts an unnatural barrier on relationships that stifles the fullest possible expressions of mercy and sacrificial love. Certainly there is love in Buddhism, but not the kind of love that we see in the demonstration of Jesus Christ on the cross. That is Buddhism’s greatest tragedy. It is from the Scriptures that we understand the fullest possible expression of love cannot be experienced without suffering and sacrifice. Buddhism fails to understand this, and thus it is a system that has an outward expression of love that is void of a truly impassioned heart. Buddhism has love without passion, Christianity loves passionately. Nothing expresses love in the way that Jesus’ sacrifice for us does. Buddhism denies this truth. Buddhists must work for their version of “salvation”—non-existence! Buddhism is a philosophy where the living hope for an eternal death. But Christianity presents the spiritually dead with the hope of a joy-filled, conscious eternity. There are no mediators in Buddhism to stand in for the sake of a person’s eternal destiny. But Christians have the joyful advantage of having salvation freely provided by a God who took their punishment in their place. Buddhism and Islam leave man alone to his own fate. Compare this to Christ who suffered our fate on our behalf, and gave us his fate (eternal life) as our own. Buddhism’s fears cannot compare to this expression of love in Jesus Christ. In II Corinthians 5:18 the Apostle Paul said God “reconciled us to himself through Christ.” In American terms we think of the word “reconcile” as a coming together of people from opposite sides, or perhaps even enemies, to join them together. Mongolians also have the same view. We both think of reconciliation in terms of wiping away differences and making friends of people who are at odds. But the Greek word “reconcile” in this passage has nothing to do with this very modern concept. “Reconcile” in the above passage was a purely financial term used by accountants in the ancient world to describe “an exchange of equal value.” This means that God was not simply trying to make peace with us through Christ by getting us to come to an agreement through compromise. God does not compromise with man! Rather, we can understand II Corinthians 5:18 like this: “In Christ, God exchanged himself for us as if we were of equal value to him.“ There is nothing in Animism or Buddhism that begins to compare to this concept. The One, Holy, All-Powerful, Supreme Creator of the Universe exchanged himself for us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as if we were of equal value to the One. Holy, All-Powerful Supreme Creator of the Universe. No passionless expression in Buddhism can approach or match the full-on, no holds barred, fully-attached, completely committed expression of love found in the person of the Lord Jesus. Neither does Animism have anything that can compare to Christ. The expression of God’s love in Jesus Christ is unmatched anywhere, everywhere, and forever. It is this message that is transforming lives in Mongolia at a rate 8 times faster than the so-called “Buddhist revival” the nation is experiencing. As one former Mongolian Buddhist said to me about why he finally rejected the futility of Buddhism in favor of Christ, “In Buddhism there is no love.” Comparatively speaking, he is correct. Visit www.thomasterry.com

I hate to pray. There. I said it. I know that there are times in my life when I pray that the Lord will confront me with something that needs attention. Why can’t I have the “feel good,” prayers, the “peaceful” prayers, the prayers of “wisdom” and “revelation?” Today I’ve been reading in Colossians, going through its verses again and again until finally this little passage hit me between the eyes: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” – Colossians 4:2. This is not the kind of verse that normally stands out to people. For me the passages that stand out the most are those that describe the majesty, power, or sovereignty of Christ—or passages on ethics and the Fruit of the Spirit. But Colossians 4:2, a simple admonition to prayer? What’s so special about that, that it should take hold of my attention? Maybe its that little word, “Devote.” Ouch. The meaning here is not simply to perform a function regularly, or to be dedicated. The Greek word used for “devote,” is the word, “proskartereo.” It means, as John MacArthur points out, “to be courageously persistent.” Wait a minute. “Courageously persistent” in prayer? Isn’t prayer supposed to give “peace,” “strength,” and so on? What need is there for “courage” in prayer? Since I already had my MacArthur commentary on Colossians opened I read further to see just why Paul uses such a profound word about prayer. MacArthur quotes a 1976 Christianity Today article by Virginia Stem Owens, and it’s a jaw dropper. “Once you start praying there is no guarantee that you won’t find yourself before Pharaoh, shipwrecked on a desert island, or in a lion’s den. This is no cosmic teddy bear we cuddle up to…we must struggle with him as Jacob did at Peniel where he earned his name Isreal—”he who strives with God.” We too must be prepared to say, ‘I will not let you go until you bless me.’ But in this combat with God we must be ready to bear the consequences…’Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint, and he went away lame.’ Awful things happen to people who pray. Their plans are frequently disrupted. The end up in strange places. Abraham ‘went out, not knowing where he was to go’…After Mary’s magnificent prayer she finds herself the pariah of Nazareth society. How tempting to up the stakes, making prayer merely another consumer product. How embarrassing to admit that not only may prayer get you into prison, as it did Jeremiah, but also that while you’re moldering away in a miry pit there, you may have a long list of lamentations and unanswered questions to present to your Lord. How are we going to tell them they may end up lame and vagrant if they grasp hold of this God?” MacArthur continues the theme… “That stands in marked contrast to the glib self-centered prayers of our day. [God] is too often viewed as a sort of automatic teller machine. If we punch in the right code, He’s obligated to deliver what we want. The Lord might well ask the modern church what He asked the rebellious priests of Malachi’s day: ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my respect?’ – Malachi 1:6 As I thought through the examples provided through the lives of the Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles I realized that there isn’t a Christian I can think of that I admire that hasn’t struggled in prayer. Every one admired are those to whom God has said hard things—of whom God has required difficulty and suffering. The ones who met God in the ring are the ones who walk away in triumph to do great things. They are the ones who establish the kingdom and who become a living example of their Lord. But the prayers only for personal satisfaction, of peacefulness and calm—these are the prayers to nowhere. Only then does Paul’s admonition to be persistently courageous in prayer make sense. Likewise his following admonition to be alert (you are in a battle!), and be thankful—God uses the man or woman who has struggled with him in prayer.

Matthew Henry’s biblical commentary might be the most widely distributed commentary on the planet. Matthew Henry lived just around the turn of the 18th century and was an upstanding minister and preacher of the Word. His commentary reflects his deeply held piety and concern for the Word being made manifest in the entirety of the lives of the people of God. Few ministers have thought more clearly in applying the truths of God’s word to their times. But even Matthew Henry had his blind spots. In most eighteenth century English speaking churches it was commonplace to have the wealthy in the congregation purchase pews at the front of the church. The pews would be fitted with nameplates and these became their place of residence on Sunday mornings. Contrast this with the words of James 2 where James levels this critique of the first century church: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man.” One couldn’t find or even create a passage that levels a clearer critique against the eighteenth century pew-purchasing system if one tried. But even the sensitive exegete Matthew Henry manages to explain it away. He says, “As places of worship cannot be built or maintained without expense, it may be proper that those who contribute thereto should be accommodated accordingly.” Accomodated accordingly??? How could one interpret James 2 to say that? But I don’t bring this up to attack Matthew Henry. Quite the opposite. I bring this to say: “Woe is me!” If Matthew Henry was this blind to such an obvious cultural flaw, how blind must I be? In how many ways does my own reading of the Bible and appropriation of the faith betray my feeble faith? Brothers and sisters, let us come to the word humbled and stripped of our own foolish assumptions and be remade by our Redeemer’s truth. Let us not be fooled. We have blind spots. Allow the Spirit to attune you to your blind spots and allow the power of the Word of God to make you see where you once were blind.