Tonight I want to share about our outreach to Haiti as well as some principle in transforming a nation. Haiti is considered one of the poorest nations in the world and the earthquake of January 12, 2010 has devastated the country and little has been done to rebuild the nation. The extent of the damage was greater than I had imagined. In Port a Prince, the capital, almost every city block had one or more buildings destroyed. We took a tour of the city and saw the extent of the damage in several areas. One of the most memorable areas was the National Palace which to me symbolizes the state of the nation. It is broken and needs to be fixed yet nothing has been done other than keep people away from it. Over a million people are living in tent cities in tents donated by many different nations. We did not go into any of the tent cities in Port a Prince but we were able to do some ministry in a tent city near the mission house we stayed at our last 4 weeks. All of the people living in the tents have lost their homes and at this point do not have a place to go until their property if they own it can be cleared of the rubble. Many people prior to the earthquake were squatters and had no title to the property where they built their homes. This presents a huge problem for the people trying to get financial help to rebuild a home on property that they do not own. Since the government did give out deeds there have been many parties laying claim to pieces of property which will have to be settled in court. This will bring even greater delay to the reconstruction process of homes, schools and hospitals. 90 percent of the land is legally unclaimed and people are making claim to the land, fighting over it and making rebuilding even harder. Habitat for Humanity is committed to build 40,000 houses in PAP in the next few years. They cannot build the homes because of the claims against the property they want to build the homes.
We saw very little being done to clear the rubble. The heavy equipment needed to clear the rubble has been donated by many countries but it is sitting in the port because the government will not release it. The missionary that we worked with the final four weeks had a vehicle shipped from the USA and when he went to pick it up he saw many heavy equipment vehicles in the same area of his truck that had been donated by governments and relief organizations. Many nations have pledged to help but very little of the money has been given due to the corruption in the government and lack of accountability. 10 billion dollars has been pledged by over 50 countries but only 700 million has been received. The government of Haiti has failed its own people and many officials have stolen money from the people for their own personal greed. The current Haiti government will not allow outside organizations to monitor how the money that is pledged will be spent. The greatest problem facing the nation of Haiti is not the economic problem but the moral problem that have devastated the nation. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Prov. 14.34
Its greatest need is a transformation of the heart of the people which can only come through the preaching of the gospel and faithfully living it out in every aspect of life.
Haiti has more missionaries per capita than any nation of the world. There are over 9,943 mission agencies in Haiti which means there are thousands of missionaries working in the country. You would think that with that many missionaries there would be more progress on bringing change to the nation. I know God is at work through his people and I know it is His desire to see this nation transformed. It seems like a daunting task yet it is not impossible. Many people are greatly discouraged and even some missionaries are losing hope as they continue to see conditions not getting better.
Charles Kraft is a well-known author and missionary who has worked in countries like Haiti that are controlled by animism and voodoo. In his experience working in these cultures he found that there needs to be three encounters to bring transformation to the people.
The first is a Truth Encounter. At the core of the worldview of the people is their beliefs about what is real and true. Many people have never had the Truth of the gospel presented to them and they live with a worldview that is based on a false understanding of God. They fear their gods because their gods have power to curse or bless. In order to appease their gods and receive what they need, they must practice certain rituals and rites that are very detailed and must be done exactly as told or they will not receive what they need. They do not know of a God of love who desires to give them good things and loves them unconditionally. The truth of the Bible needs to be clearly presented to them to free them from the bondage of the false beliefs they have accepted. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. It is the truth of God’s word that will transform individuals, families, communities, cities and nations. The preaching of the gospel is our number one mandate because transformation as God has planned cannot take place apart from the truth of His word.
Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)
We have the model-Jesus “As the father has sent me so send I you.” John 17. 18
We have the motive-love “For God so loved the world…”John 3:16
We have the mandate: Go and make disciples
We have the method: preach
We have the message: the gospel
We have the magnitude: the whole world
The enemy, satan, has blinded them to the truth and he is holding them in bondage. Food, medicine, hospitals, homes, orphanages, schools and other humanitarian aid are needed but they in themselves do not meet the greatest need of the people which is the truth of God’s word. All of these can be vehicles in which the gospel can be shared and must be shared. God cares about the whole person but the greatest need is to have an encounter with truth.
One of the disheartening things we experienced in Haiti was an attitude of “Give me” among some of the people. They were not interested in hearing the gospel and were focused only on receiving something material from us. We saw this in young children and in adults. But we also met people who were seeking for the truth and when the gospel was presented they received it and gave their lives to Christ.
God in His wisdom has chosen the foolishness of preaching to communicate His truth. We must never back down from this mandate and seek for creative ways to communicate the message so that the people will understand. We used the Jesus film children’s version frequently on our outreach. Whenever we showed it we drew large crowds and always had people come to Christ. It was a method that was very effective along with the dramas and testimonies we gave.
The second encounter needed is a Commitment Encounter. Once people have heard the gospel and believe it to be true they must make a commitment to abandon all other beliefs and hold exclusively to the truth of the word. All too often in animistic cultures they people are accustomed to seeing change or answers quickly and when they do not receive answers quickly through their prayers they revert to the spiritists for help. When a person comes to Christ there must be repentance, complete turning away from every belief and practice that is in opposition to the truth. There cannot be a syncretistic mixture that was seen in the Catholic church in Haiti that allowed a mixture of Christianity and voodoo. Christ calls us to a complete and exclusive commitment to follow Him. He challenged those who wanted to be his followers to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. If He is the Truth then He must be followed, there can be no compromise or half-hearted commitment. Believing in Him is not a mental assent. The word belief has as its true meaning “by your life”. There has to be a commitment to live your life by the truth of God’s word which means there must be teaching given to them so they understand the Word. One of the things we observed was churches that did not interpret the Scriptures accurately and rejected people who did not conform to their beliefs. We met a couple of ladies who were rejected by a church and not allowed to enter because they wore pants and had tattoos. Not all churches have this warped doctrine but it was sad for us to meet people who wanted to be a part of a church but did not meet the standards to be accepted. We actually helped to start a church in the neighborhood of these ladies who seemed to have a real hunger for the truth.
Several times when we were out sharing the gospel we were confronted by Christian people who seemed to really focus on the issue of women wearing pants. They would get very passionate about their belief that women should not be allowed to wear pants. One time we were witnessing to a group of young ladies when another group of people passing by stopped to listen and then they began a discussion with our interpreter who was a pastor about the issue of wearing pants. The focus of the conversation changed from sharing the gospel to debating about pants. The girls we were witnessing to left the conversation and walked down to talk with Marianne. The pants debate finally ended and we again shared the gospel with the young ladies and two of them received Christ. It is a sad day when the primary focus of some believers is on outward things and not the condition of the heart.
Another thing we encountered was people thought they needed to change before they could really commit their lives to Christ. They felt that they would not be accepted unless they made changes or got themselves to be good enough for Christ to accept them. They did not understand that true change can only happen when Christ comes to rule their lives as they make a commitment to Him. We had to encourage the people with this attitude that Christ would bring the changes as the progressed in their knowledge of the truth. Sanctification is a process that is continually a part of our Christian life. When we make a commitment to Christ to become a follower he takes us “As is.”
The final encounter is a Power Encounter. People who live in animistic cultures have witnessed the power of satan. They have seen demonic power at work and fear it. For these people to convert to Christ they must experience Christ’s power as a greater power than satan. Philip Steyne in his book, “Gods of Power” stated the following:
“Throughout the history of the Church, she has been engaged in power encounters against the forces of evil. Therefore, to presume that a person can come out of the domain of darkness into God’s Kingdom without a power showdown, assumes that Satan will allow transfer of membership without a battle. The Bible doesn’t support this notion.” P. 210
Christ has given us power over the enemy. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are powerful. 2 Cor. 10:3-5
3 Indeed, we live as human beings,but we do not wage war according to human standards;4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
Demonic powers must submit to Christ. As believers, “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” 1 Jn 4.4
Christ did not leave us clueless or powerless regarding the enemy. We have been given authority through Christ to exercise power over the forces of darkness. The unsaved must see this and experience this especially those who have been involved in the dark side of the spirit world.
While in Haiti we saw Voodoo temples and talked with people who practiced voodoo. Several times after presenting the gospel the people would say no to the invitation. When asked what held them back they would state they were not ready. One man was 92 years old and said he was not ready. His days were definitely numbered yet he did not want to give his life to Christ. We learned that the rejection was often because they were practicing voodoo but did not want to admit it. One lady we shared the gospel with said she could not make a decision to accept Christ without her husband’s approval. Even though we told her that she would stand alone before the judgment seat and be accountable for her decision she was not persuaded. Her husband came home while we were talking with her so she went to ask him to come to talk with us but he refused. Another lady who was with her told us after we left them that the couple was practicing voodoo.
When these three encounters: truth encounter, commitment encounter and power encounter; are experienced individuals will be transformed and the culture can be changed as the truth of God’s word is put into practice in every area of life.
The nation of Haiti is in desperate need of transformation. The beliefs and attitudes that rule the country need to be replaced with the truth of God’s word. The gospel must be proclaimed through committed believers who know the power of God. The church must rise up and begin to exert influence in every area of life to establish the Kingdom of God in the country. It is easy to be discouraged by the corruption and devastation but God is not calling his church to sit back and wait for help. He is calling his church to be on the frontlines setting an example to people who have accepted a counterfeit system of beliefs. We saw very few people actually working to clean up the rubble and garbage that was thrown everywhere. We did see on a couple of occasions a group of people wearing shirts that said “Working for food or money.” I am not sure why people are not doing much to clean up their country and begin the rebuilding process. It is a completely different attitude than what was demonstrated by the people of Germany after WWII when many of their cities were completely destroyed. The German people used their hands and hand tools and wheelbarrows to clear the rubble. In Berlin there remains a large pile of rubble where the people brought it after clearing their property. It remains today as a memorial to the hard work of the people to restore their nation. I pray that this attitude will become part of the transformation of the Haitian culture. Haiti needs a leader or leaders like Nehemiah who had a passion to rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem and in doing so reestablished the true identity of the people of Israel who were in captivity. He encouraged the people to “rise and build” and the people responded and accomplished the task in only 52 days because they had a “mind to work.” I believe that God wants to establish a new identity for the people of Haiti which will only happen as they allow God to bring transformation to their nation.
We were blessed to be able to work with a church called, “The Body of Christ.” They were actively involved in relocating people on their property in Babancourt that served as a refugee camp for 1500 people. Most of the refugees have returned to Porta Prince but there are still families living at the site. The church is constructing homes on their property and has a long-term goal of making it a community with a hospital and community center to serve the needs of the people.
Haiti is in the process of electing a new president and representatives in their government. While we were there the first election took place but the results have been disputed and riots have erupted in the capital. Many of the people are angry and are demanding another election. It is perhaps a defining point in the history of this nation and we must continue to pray that whoever becomes the next group of leaders in Haiti will take a stand for truth and justice and work for the good will of people. But above all we must pray for the truth of God’s word to be the foundation of the country and that the values that are taught and principles taught in the Scriptures will become the standards of the nation.
Pray for the missionaries and mission organizations that are working in Haiti. It is not an easy country to live and the spiritual environment is challenging. Pray that more teams will go to Haiti to help bring the transformation that is needed. Pray for encouragement among the missionaries who are giving so much of themselves to help the people. Pray for the church in Haiti to take action and set a good example to the people.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Banana Church
Sunday,we ministered in a new church that is located in a field of banana plants. It is surrounded by channels of water that carry the waste water to a river so the odor at times can be pungent. A group of about 40 believers gathered to worship in the simple structure in a plot of land the pastor purchased and gave to the church after his other church was destroyed by the earthquake on January 12 in Haiti. His desire is to build a structure and purchase more land to expand the church. It was a privilege for us to be a part of what God is doing here amidst people who have suffered greatly yet are willing to sacrifice to see his Kingdom advance in their nation.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Outreach to Haiti
We were able to finally show the entire Jesus film, children's version on Thursday night to a crowd of 300! We simply hung a bed sheet on the wall of a business and used the PA system to announce it. We were delayed about an hour due to some technical problems but the people patiently waited and the longer we waited, more people came. At the end of the film we wanted to give an invitation but as soon as we started speaking the generator used to power our system rain out of fuel. It got real dark fast and the people scattered but at least they saw the entire film which is a very powerful took in presenting the life of Christ. We pray that hearts were ministered to by the message of the film and that the Holy Spirit completed the work of bringing conviction of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Haiti Outreach
We are continuing to share the gospel by going to homes in the area. The people are open to hearing the message and many are responding to receive salvation. We have also been hosting a Bible study for some people who we have met and shared Christ. They have been rejected by some of the churches because they do not wear the right clothes and some have tatoos. Not all the churches are legalistic as these but the ones that are have a very negative impact on people who really want to know the Lord. We will be showing the movie on Jesus to the people tonight. It is the shorter version for children but it has been very effective in reaching all ages and it is in the language of the people. We are working with a Pastor to help start a church with the people who are coming to Christ through the ministry we are doing. Please continue to pray for us as we labor together in the harvest field God has placed us for the next 2 weeks.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Haiti Outreach
I am currently in Haiti with our DTS students for the next 5 weeks. We arrived on October 17 and spent our first week ministering in Port au Prince. I was overwhelmed by the extent of the damage from the earthquake of January 12, 2010. There are countless buildings and homes that are damaged and some reduced to rubble. I saw very little work being done to clear the rubble as there seems to be few machines available to deal with the problem. It will take years to clear and rebuild everything that has been damaged at the rate of progress that is currently happening. One of the most telling signs was the condition of the National Palace that is totally damaged and nothing has been done to remove it and rebuild. It is a symbol of the state of the government here, broken and in need of major repair. We came along side of a church called "The Body of Christ" and ministered in 3 different churches as well as several school. We also visited an orphanage that is in great need of funds to fix what has been damaged and finish the construction of the building. It cares for 47 children who have been orphaned. It is a very simple facility and the children have very little. The food was being cooked over a fire because they did not have gas in the propane tank. The children sang the National Anthem of the USA to us and they really enjoyed the ministry the student conducted for them.
Our second week was spent north of Port au Prince in Babancourt. We stayed in a camp that was set up to house the people whose homes were damaged after the earthquake. There were about 1500 people originally living in tents in this camp but many have left or return to their homes. We worked with the church on the grounds and also conducted ministry in several public and private schools. We had around 30 receive Christ as Lord. It has been very hot in Haiti and it has taken our team a bit of time to adjust to it. Electricity was scarce in our first home we stayed in and in the camp we only had electricity when the generator was started at night. The church treated us well and we did not mind living in tents for the week, it was actually cooler than staying in the home the first week. While we were at the camp there was an outbreak of cholera in communities around us. We know of 2 people who died near us.
We are now at our 3rd ministry site in Fonds Parisiens for the next week. We will be doing a lot of evangelism in the community.
God has used our students in a marvelous way and even though the conditions are harsh at times they have stayed strong and focused on the mission. Please continue to pray for them.
Our second week was spent north of Port au Prince in Babancourt. We stayed in a camp that was set up to house the people whose homes were damaged after the earthquake. There were about 1500 people originally living in tents in this camp but many have left or return to their homes. We worked with the church on the grounds and also conducted ministry in several public and private schools. We had around 30 receive Christ as Lord. It has been very hot in Haiti and it has taken our team a bit of time to adjust to it. Electricity was scarce in our first home we stayed in and in the camp we only had electricity when the generator was started at night. The church treated us well and we did not mind living in tents for the week, it was actually cooler than staying in the home the first week. While we were at the camp there was an outbreak of cholera in communities around us. We know of 2 people who died near us.
We are now at our 3rd ministry site in Fonds Parisiens for the next week. We will be doing a lot of evangelism in the community.
God has used our students in a marvelous way and even though the conditions are harsh at times they have stayed strong and focused on the mission. Please continue to pray for them.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Identity Crises
Identity Crises, Confusion
We are living in a day in which personal and gender identity is in a state of crises and confusion for many people. Gender identity is now much more than just male and female. We have an organization called the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual) that defends the rights of people to express themselves any way they desire.
In New York it was proposed that young students would not have to declare their gender until they were sure of who they were and if they wanted to change their identity they could do it at any time. We are seeing an increase in the number of people who are living with a different identity than what they were born.
Guatemala and El Salvador have serious problems with gangs. In El Salvador a law was passed recently that would allow the police to arrest anyone who was in gang and put them in jail. Many who join the gangs are looking for a new identity and a sense of belonging to a group of people. They cover their bodies with tattoos that are identification marks of being part of their gang or they wear certain clothing in a specific way that identifies them as one of the gang members. Being identified with the gang is very important to them as it gives them a place to belong and a purpose for living even though it is not at all what God created them to be and do. There is a new movie called “Reparacion” about the gangs in the prison in Guatemala.
The identity of these gang members has been the result of growing up in a home without a father who did not help them identify who they are and unfortunately many churches were guilty of not reaching out to help them realize their true identity in Christ. Your identity determines your purpose in life.
The enemy has been very successful in creating massive confusion regarding man’s true identity. You can choose who you want to be regardless if it is against God’s original design for mankind. We are expected to be tolerant of others choices and not try to force a moral standard upon them. Let them be who they want to be is the mantra of our day. There is increased acceptance and pressure to give approval to the identity that a person chooses for himself or herself. The ultimate goal is to get everyone to believe that it is natural and choice is not involved.
The Bible is very clear about our identity and our purpose in life. We have been created in the likeness and image of God and our purpose in living is to know God and enjoy a personal relationship with Him that is based on love. God created us with a free will to choose to love Him. As we read the Bible we see what has happened to man when he has lost his identity and lives outside of the boundaries God has established. When Adam and Eve sinned against God a major change happened immediately. They lost the glory that clothed them and the innocence in which they lived after they ate of the fruit. They alsol lost the intimacy they had with God. Immediately they were filled with fear, hid from God and tried to cover up their nakedness. They knew they had violated God’s command and their reaction of hiding and covering themselves because a change had taken place. They were no longer innocent people but were people who were ashamed. They had a new identity that was not what God had originally intended for them. Man quickly degenerated as this new identity was passed on to succeeding generations. Man became so wicked in this new identity that God had to wipe out the human race and start over again with Noah and his small family. God chose Noah and then Abram to be the people whom He would reveal Himself and reestablish the identity of God’s people. Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a nation of people were created who would understand their true identity through the revelation God gave them through the laws and the prophets. The nation of Israel was to be a kingdom of priests who represented God to man and interceded between man and God (Ex. 19:5,6). Through the nation of Israel God would send the Messiah who would make possible the restoration of man to God. The intent was that the nations would come to know God through His chosen people and understand their true identity through their relationship with God. Israel did not do a very good job at being the nation that followed God. They identified themselves with the gods of the other nations and abandoned their true identity and purpose. Eventually they were taken captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians as punishment for their abandonment of God. When the captors destroyed their cities and took them into their lands they immediately split the people up and dispersed them throughout the land to destroy their identity as a nation. Separation and isolation were great tactics to destroy the identity of the people. Yet in spite of their efforts to disperse them and destroy their identity, God maintained a remnant of people who would not lose their identity. The story of Daniel and the 3 Hebrew young men is a great example of how the conquering nation tried to change their identity. First they were removed from their homeland, separated from their families and everything that was familiar to them. Then they were given new names that were names to honor the gods of their captors and give them a new identity. (Daniel 1:6,7)
Their names carried meaning. Daniel meant God is judge, or my judge. Hananiah’s name could be translated, Jehovah is gracious. Mishael’s name, as Daniel’s, contained the shortened form for God (el) and meant who is like God. Azariah’s name asserted that Jehovah helps. These godly names were changed into compounds of the names of the Babylonian gods.
To make them forget the God of their fathers, the guide of their youth, they give them names that savour of the Chaldean idolatry. Belteshazzar signifies the keeper of the hidden treasures of Bel; Shadrach—The inspiration of the sun, which the Chaldeans worshipped; Meshach—Of the goddess Shach, under which name Venus was worshipped; Abed-nego, The servant of the shining fire, which they worshipped also. (Matthew Henry Commentary)
Next they were reeducated in the knowledge of their captors. Finally they were asked to adopt the customs of the Chaldeans and forsake the laws God had established. This was the point where they would not give in. They would not bow to the gods of their captors and identify themselves with them. They knew their God and they were determined to not compromise their true identity as children of the One True God.
Our enemy tries to do the same thing with each of us to get us to lose our true identity. He tries to separate us from other believers by creating divisions or he tries to exploit us when we are in a situation in which there are few believers. He wants to isolate us so we feel alone and then are more susceptible to his temptations to adopt new gods and standards for living. Unfortunately many Christian college students fall away from the faith because of the isolation they feel as believers in a godless campus that is filled with many opportunities to be engrossed in sin and be accepted.
One of the reasons we have the Monday night worship service in English is to counter this tactic of the enemy to isolate and separate believers who come to Antigua. It is easy to fall away from the faith in Antigua, the temptations are there and being away from home where no one knows you makes it even easier to give in to temptation and change your identity. When I came to Antigua in 1999 the Lord put in my heart the desire to start these meetings because I saw and felt the need for fellowship among the English speaking people who were here. These meeting have been going on since January 2000 and I am glad you have come to be a part of it. It is a great way to meet people, get connected and be encouraged in your faith.
Beside separation and isolation the enemy will do his best to expose us to a new way of thinking about life. He will try to destroy our Christian world view and replace it with the current philosophies that the world embraces. If you are not solidly grounded in your faith or a Christian worldview of life, you will be unprepared to recognize and refute other world views and begin to adopt them as part of your life. Someone once said, “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.”
One of the greatest examples of the power of wrong values and philosophies of life was witnessed in Germany when Adolf Hitler rose to power. I recently read the biography of Dietrich Bonheoffer and learned many things about what was going on in Germany when Hitler’s philosophy of life ruled the nation. He viewed the Jews, the disabled and the elderly as expendable. He sanctioned the death of millions of Jews and used them for medical experiments that were unconscionable. He saw no value in disabled children and ordered them put to death. Much of this happened without the knowledge of many of the people in Germany and when people found out they were appalled that these things were happening. Unfortunately the church did not make a united stand against him for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons was the people were afraid they would lose their identity when they would eventually be defeated. Those who were opposed to Hitler tried hard to convince Britain that they were serious about overthrowing Hitler and they did not want the whole world to think that everyone was in agreement with his philosophies. A few Christians tried to overthrow Hitler and kill him but were unsuccessful. Hitler’s worldview influenced an entire nation and led to the death of millions of innocent people. Ideas have consequences and we must be vigilant to expose false philosophies that undermine God’s values. When you lose your true identity, you expose yourself to many ideas and philosophies that can be very destructive and your purpose in living becomes something God never intended.
When you call yourself a follower of Christ you will be put to the test. It may be in a small thing or something that could have devastating consequences. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel were all faced with decisions to conform to the ways of their captors or stand faithful to their beliefs. They were asked to eat food that was against their beliefs but they refused to do it. They were asked to bow down to the idol and refused to do it. The consequences were not good, a fiery furnace waited for them. God honored their stand for righteousness and protected them. Daniel refused to stop praying against the order of the King and was thrown into the lion’s den. He stood for his beliefs and God stood with him. These men refused to change their identity and their beliefs. They knew who they were and whose they were.
What you believe will be tested, the enemy will make sure you go through the fire to see what you are made of and what is your true identity. I knew some Christian people who bought a roundtrip plane ticket with the intention of having one person fly on the first part of the trip and a different person fly back using the same ticket. In their mind it was a way to save money as a one way ticket is always more expensive. So in order to do this they had to created a false identity card so when they presented it at the check in counter it would match the name on the ticket. They were able to do it and they did not get caught. But in retrospect they were willing to expose themselves to a damaged reputation and possibly a fine for the sake of saving a few dollars. How valuable is your reputation? What is your price? I heard another example of a youth pastor who when attending college used the identity of someone else to play basketball in a health club so he would not have to pay the nonmember club fee. When asked his name at the desk, he gave the name of a friend who was a member of the club and then stated that he had forgot his membership card that had a photo i.d. He got in and began to play basketball when the attendant at the desk came to the gym with the person who he had stated he was!! He had been caught and now established a reputation with the attendant that he was a liar, deceiver and willing to sell his reputation for a small amount of money.
Some of you may have read the news of the past week in which a pastor of a megachurch in Atlanta has been accused of sexual abuse of 4 teenage boys in his church. He has denied the charges and time will tell whether he is truly innocent. He is going to go through one of the greatest testings in his life and I pray that he truly is found innocent of all charges.
None of are exempt from having our identity tested and we all must be careful to keep ourselves in the love of God and always respond with love toward God whenever we are tested.
God has made you in His image and likeness, He has chosen you, He has called you, He has made you a new creation in Christ, you are His, He has you in the palm of His hand, you are precious and of great value to him. Your identity is found in Him. Your purpose is found in Him. Your values, beliefs and behaviors are to reflect who you are in Him. Paul stated, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” His new identity was found in Christ and that is the beauty of Christianity. We remain unique in our personality, gifting and abilities yet we share the same values of Christ. Christ is forming his character in us, conforming us to his nature yet expressing it through our uniqueness.
Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago told the story of one of his daughters who invited a friend over to their house to play when she was only 4-5 years old. Her friend was not acting right, she was doing a lot of bad things that bothered Erwin’s daughter. Finally his daughter asked her friend, “Do you have Jesus living in your heart?” Her friend replied that she did and Erwin’s daughter responded, “I think you have a bunch of other people living in there as well.”
When Christ comes to dwell in us, we have a new identity. We no longer have to try to be someone we are not. We can be free to be the person God created us to be.
We are going to watch a drama performed by our DTS students called “King of Hearts”. It is a powerful drama about how we try to hide behind a false identity.
We need to establish our identity in Christ. We can be free in Christ to be who we have been created to be. We do not need to try to be something we are not to hide our fears or present a false image to other people.
In Christ we discover our true identity and our purpose. Celebrate your uniqueness and enjoy the great variety of personalities in the Body of Christ. Be secure in your identity in Christ. Don’t be a copycat, be who God created you to be.
We are living in a day in which personal and gender identity is in a state of crises and confusion for many people. Gender identity is now much more than just male and female. We have an organization called the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual) that defends the rights of people to express themselves any way they desire.
In New York it was proposed that young students would not have to declare their gender until they were sure of who they were and if they wanted to change their identity they could do it at any time. We are seeing an increase in the number of people who are living with a different identity than what they were born.
Guatemala and El Salvador have serious problems with gangs. In El Salvador a law was passed recently that would allow the police to arrest anyone who was in gang and put them in jail. Many who join the gangs are looking for a new identity and a sense of belonging to a group of people. They cover their bodies with tattoos that are identification marks of being part of their gang or they wear certain clothing in a specific way that identifies them as one of the gang members. Being identified with the gang is very important to them as it gives them a place to belong and a purpose for living even though it is not at all what God created them to be and do. There is a new movie called “Reparacion” about the gangs in the prison in Guatemala.
The identity of these gang members has been the result of growing up in a home without a father who did not help them identify who they are and unfortunately many churches were guilty of not reaching out to help them realize their true identity in Christ. Your identity determines your purpose in life.
The enemy has been very successful in creating massive confusion regarding man’s true identity. You can choose who you want to be regardless if it is against God’s original design for mankind. We are expected to be tolerant of others choices and not try to force a moral standard upon them. Let them be who they want to be is the mantra of our day. There is increased acceptance and pressure to give approval to the identity that a person chooses for himself or herself. The ultimate goal is to get everyone to believe that it is natural and choice is not involved.
The Bible is very clear about our identity and our purpose in life. We have been created in the likeness and image of God and our purpose in living is to know God and enjoy a personal relationship with Him that is based on love. God created us with a free will to choose to love Him. As we read the Bible we see what has happened to man when he has lost his identity and lives outside of the boundaries God has established. When Adam and Eve sinned against God a major change happened immediately. They lost the glory that clothed them and the innocence in which they lived after they ate of the fruit. They alsol lost the intimacy they had with God. Immediately they were filled with fear, hid from God and tried to cover up their nakedness. They knew they had violated God’s command and their reaction of hiding and covering themselves because a change had taken place. They were no longer innocent people but were people who were ashamed. They had a new identity that was not what God had originally intended for them. Man quickly degenerated as this new identity was passed on to succeeding generations. Man became so wicked in this new identity that God had to wipe out the human race and start over again with Noah and his small family. God chose Noah and then Abram to be the people whom He would reveal Himself and reestablish the identity of God’s people. Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a nation of people were created who would understand their true identity through the revelation God gave them through the laws and the prophets. The nation of Israel was to be a kingdom of priests who represented God to man and interceded between man and God (Ex. 19:5,6). Through the nation of Israel God would send the Messiah who would make possible the restoration of man to God. The intent was that the nations would come to know God through His chosen people and understand their true identity through their relationship with God. Israel did not do a very good job at being the nation that followed God. They identified themselves with the gods of the other nations and abandoned their true identity and purpose. Eventually they were taken captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians as punishment for their abandonment of God. When the captors destroyed their cities and took them into their lands they immediately split the people up and dispersed them throughout the land to destroy their identity as a nation. Separation and isolation were great tactics to destroy the identity of the people. Yet in spite of their efforts to disperse them and destroy their identity, God maintained a remnant of people who would not lose their identity. The story of Daniel and the 3 Hebrew young men is a great example of how the conquering nation tried to change their identity. First they were removed from their homeland, separated from their families and everything that was familiar to them. Then they were given new names that were names to honor the gods of their captors and give them a new identity. (Daniel 1:6,7)
Their names carried meaning. Daniel meant God is judge, or my judge. Hananiah’s name could be translated, Jehovah is gracious. Mishael’s name, as Daniel’s, contained the shortened form for God (el) and meant who is like God. Azariah’s name asserted that Jehovah helps. These godly names were changed into compounds of the names of the Babylonian gods.
To make them forget the God of their fathers, the guide of their youth, they give them names that savour of the Chaldean idolatry. Belteshazzar signifies the keeper of the hidden treasures of Bel; Shadrach—The inspiration of the sun, which the Chaldeans worshipped; Meshach—Of the goddess Shach, under which name Venus was worshipped; Abed-nego, The servant of the shining fire, which they worshipped also. (Matthew Henry Commentary)
Next they were reeducated in the knowledge of their captors. Finally they were asked to adopt the customs of the Chaldeans and forsake the laws God had established. This was the point where they would not give in. They would not bow to the gods of their captors and identify themselves with them. They knew their God and they were determined to not compromise their true identity as children of the One True God.
Our enemy tries to do the same thing with each of us to get us to lose our true identity. He tries to separate us from other believers by creating divisions or he tries to exploit us when we are in a situation in which there are few believers. He wants to isolate us so we feel alone and then are more susceptible to his temptations to adopt new gods and standards for living. Unfortunately many Christian college students fall away from the faith because of the isolation they feel as believers in a godless campus that is filled with many opportunities to be engrossed in sin and be accepted.
One of the reasons we have the Monday night worship service in English is to counter this tactic of the enemy to isolate and separate believers who come to Antigua. It is easy to fall away from the faith in Antigua, the temptations are there and being away from home where no one knows you makes it even easier to give in to temptation and change your identity. When I came to Antigua in 1999 the Lord put in my heart the desire to start these meetings because I saw and felt the need for fellowship among the English speaking people who were here. These meeting have been going on since January 2000 and I am glad you have come to be a part of it. It is a great way to meet people, get connected and be encouraged in your faith.
Beside separation and isolation the enemy will do his best to expose us to a new way of thinking about life. He will try to destroy our Christian world view and replace it with the current philosophies that the world embraces. If you are not solidly grounded in your faith or a Christian worldview of life, you will be unprepared to recognize and refute other world views and begin to adopt them as part of your life. Someone once said, “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.”
One of the greatest examples of the power of wrong values and philosophies of life was witnessed in Germany when Adolf Hitler rose to power. I recently read the biography of Dietrich Bonheoffer and learned many things about what was going on in Germany when Hitler’s philosophy of life ruled the nation. He viewed the Jews, the disabled and the elderly as expendable. He sanctioned the death of millions of Jews and used them for medical experiments that were unconscionable. He saw no value in disabled children and ordered them put to death. Much of this happened without the knowledge of many of the people in Germany and when people found out they were appalled that these things were happening. Unfortunately the church did not make a united stand against him for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons was the people were afraid they would lose their identity when they would eventually be defeated. Those who were opposed to Hitler tried hard to convince Britain that they were serious about overthrowing Hitler and they did not want the whole world to think that everyone was in agreement with his philosophies. A few Christians tried to overthrow Hitler and kill him but were unsuccessful. Hitler’s worldview influenced an entire nation and led to the death of millions of innocent people. Ideas have consequences and we must be vigilant to expose false philosophies that undermine God’s values. When you lose your true identity, you expose yourself to many ideas and philosophies that can be very destructive and your purpose in living becomes something God never intended.
When you call yourself a follower of Christ you will be put to the test. It may be in a small thing or something that could have devastating consequences. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel were all faced with decisions to conform to the ways of their captors or stand faithful to their beliefs. They were asked to eat food that was against their beliefs but they refused to do it. They were asked to bow down to the idol and refused to do it. The consequences were not good, a fiery furnace waited for them. God honored their stand for righteousness and protected them. Daniel refused to stop praying against the order of the King and was thrown into the lion’s den. He stood for his beliefs and God stood with him. These men refused to change their identity and their beliefs. They knew who they were and whose they were.
What you believe will be tested, the enemy will make sure you go through the fire to see what you are made of and what is your true identity. I knew some Christian people who bought a roundtrip plane ticket with the intention of having one person fly on the first part of the trip and a different person fly back using the same ticket. In their mind it was a way to save money as a one way ticket is always more expensive. So in order to do this they had to created a false identity card so when they presented it at the check in counter it would match the name on the ticket. They were able to do it and they did not get caught. But in retrospect they were willing to expose themselves to a damaged reputation and possibly a fine for the sake of saving a few dollars. How valuable is your reputation? What is your price? I heard another example of a youth pastor who when attending college used the identity of someone else to play basketball in a health club so he would not have to pay the nonmember club fee. When asked his name at the desk, he gave the name of a friend who was a member of the club and then stated that he had forgot his membership card that had a photo i.d. He got in and began to play basketball when the attendant at the desk came to the gym with the person who he had stated he was!! He had been caught and now established a reputation with the attendant that he was a liar, deceiver and willing to sell his reputation for a small amount of money.
Some of you may have read the news of the past week in which a pastor of a megachurch in Atlanta has been accused of sexual abuse of 4 teenage boys in his church. He has denied the charges and time will tell whether he is truly innocent. He is going to go through one of the greatest testings in his life and I pray that he truly is found innocent of all charges.
None of are exempt from having our identity tested and we all must be careful to keep ourselves in the love of God and always respond with love toward God whenever we are tested.
God has made you in His image and likeness, He has chosen you, He has called you, He has made you a new creation in Christ, you are His, He has you in the palm of His hand, you are precious and of great value to him. Your identity is found in Him. Your purpose is found in Him. Your values, beliefs and behaviors are to reflect who you are in Him. Paul stated, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” His new identity was found in Christ and that is the beauty of Christianity. We remain unique in our personality, gifting and abilities yet we share the same values of Christ. Christ is forming his character in us, conforming us to his nature yet expressing it through our uniqueness.
Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago told the story of one of his daughters who invited a friend over to their house to play when she was only 4-5 years old. Her friend was not acting right, she was doing a lot of bad things that bothered Erwin’s daughter. Finally his daughter asked her friend, “Do you have Jesus living in your heart?” Her friend replied that she did and Erwin’s daughter responded, “I think you have a bunch of other people living in there as well.”
When Christ comes to dwell in us, we have a new identity. We no longer have to try to be someone we are not. We can be free to be the person God created us to be.
We are going to watch a drama performed by our DTS students called “King of Hearts”. It is a powerful drama about how we try to hide behind a false identity.
We need to establish our identity in Christ. We can be free in Christ to be who we have been created to be. We do not need to try to be something we are not to hide our fears or present a false image to other people.
In Christ we discover our true identity and our purpose. Celebrate your uniqueness and enjoy the great variety of personalities in the Body of Christ. Be secure in your identity in Christ. Don’t be a copycat, be who God created you to be.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
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