Culture is influential. Some of what we believe to be true is influenced by the environment around us. We may deem that something is right or wrong simply because the people around us hold to a particular view. This cultural influence threatens to devour the Holy Spirit’s influence that ought to govern our lives. What the Bible explicitly states to be wrong, we may be tempted to deny, because in today’s culture it is deemed acceptable. One of these things is lying. How do you view lying? Do you have a zero-tolerance policy on lying? Or do you divide lies into big or small? White or otherwise? How we view and deal with lying tells us a lot about what we view about God.
Why Lie?
Cambridge Dictionary defines the word lie as “something you say that you know is not true”. This definition is partly right. Where this definition falters is that it neglects the condition of the human heart apart from God. We do not primarily lie because we want to hide the truth, we primarily lie because we do not know the truth as a result of our sinful nature. John 8 gives us the clearest exposition of this point. At the beginning of John 8, Jesus declares that He is the light of the world (John 8:12), which confirms the multiple Old Testament prophecies which stated this (Exodus 25:27, Leviticus 24:2, Psalm 27:1, Isaiah 9:2). The Pharisees took issue with Jesus’ statement because they judged wrongly (John 8:13-19). Jesus later identifies why they judged (concluded) wrongly, because of the condition of their hearts (John 8:39-41). And this is ultimately why we lie. We lie not merely to obscure the truth; our hearts don’t have the capacity to receive the truth. To speak the truth means to identify with the Light and to say what God says has a preeminent place not just in my head but in my heart (John 8:31-32).
Truth Over Lies
The battle between telling the truth and lying is really the battle of freedom. The reason why we lie is that we believe we can get, with a lie, what Jesus promises we can only get with the truth – freedom (John 8:32). Those who default to lying expose the nature of their heart – fallen. Their idea of freedom is too small. To paraphrase John Piper, you’re not free if the decisions you make today will not make you eternally happy. When we decide to lie, we often think of the consequences that we will face and rarely the consequences that others will face because of our lies. The reverse is also true. Perhaps, due to the condition of our hearts, we are blind to the freedom that is available on the other side of telling the truth.
The antidote for a corrupt, lying heart isn’t telling the truth, but the Gospel. Telling the truth is good but can’t change the heart that seeks to enthrone lies when the truth is inconvenient to tell. We need the Gospel that tells us that the condition of our heart is corrupt and fallen due to sin and there’s nothing we can do to change that. Therefore, we need Jesus who lived, died and resurrected for us- who doesn’t mend our heart but gives us a new one. With this new heart, our perception of lying changes. We realise to lie is to identify with Satan, whose nature is to lie (John 8:44). Instead, our desire is, to tell the truth, because when we tell the truth we declare that our allegiance is to the light and that we are free. When we tell the truth we declare that since my security is in Christ, I need not fear the consequences of telling the truth. If you’re struggling with lying today, turn to Christ. There is no lie that you have told that can’t be forgiven by Jesus.
A few years ago, my little cousin was misbehaving and to reprimand I told him to sit in the naughty corner. After he served his time, I lifted his punishment. I noticed his sadness and how it inspired him to keep his distance from me. I called him over to me and he respectfully declined my invitation, he’s rebuttal was ‘I don’t want to come to you because I’m naughty ‘. The interaction reminded me of the uncanny resemblance of how Christians who identify themselves by their sin and cause it to distance them from God was before my eyes.
How Do We Respond To Sin?
This is something we can all relate to as human beings. A liar is branded as a liar because he lies, and his judgment is the fact that everything he says must be taken with a pinch of salt. My cousin expected me to treat him the same way, he believed what he earned was the distance from my presence. I’ll revisit the story and tell you how I responded to my cousin, but first a question.
How many of us can relate to identifying ourselves by our sin and allowing it to create a wedge between us and God? If we were to be honest with ourselves, a vast majority would say we can relate to this. This is the present-day reality for some even reading at this moment. But is the way we ought to respond? That’s the question this article seeks to answer.
He Who Knew No Sin
To identify ourselves by our sin and distance ourselves from God is anti-gospel. This is because the gospel is the good news of not just a change of life but an exchange of life. It’s a Righteous Jesus, dying in the place of sinful Barabbas. The name ‘Barabbas’ means son of the father. We are like Barabbas in that we are guilty deserving of condemnation, but Christ died in our place and by the substitution on the cross we become sons of the Father, taking on the same identity as Jesus.
Paul puts it this way: ‘God made Him who knew sin to be sin that we may be the righteousness of God that’s in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross we are holy and blameless before God. We couldn’t do it with our works, therefore, we can’t undo it with our works. If we could then Christ would not have had to die and Colossians 1:21-22 would be nullified.
By identifying ourselves through what Jesus accomplished we are ‘making the tree good, so the fruit would be good also’. Jesus said, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” Matthew 12:33
We are the tree that Christ made good on the cross, but we must believe that we are now who He says we are because of the cross: Holy and blameless sons of God. Remember your sin cannot change that. If we attach our faith to our identity in Christ, our fruit will catch up.
Back to my story. I responded to my cousin the way God responds to Christians when we sin. I told him he’s not naughty and that he’s a good boy that misbehaved. But his misbehaviour does not define him. I beckoned him closer, hugged and embraced him.
Truly, I am in awe of the life of Jim Elliot. Although short-lived, he accomplished a lot for the kingdom and today we acknowledge him as one of the great missionaries. He was wholeheartedly focused on the mission to bring the Gospel to all the nations, putting aside his own desires and completely denying himself. We should all aspire to live more eternally focused lives. Here is more on the life of Jim.
From Childhood to the Mission Field
Born Philip James (Jim) Elliot on 8 October 1927.
The Elliots were a Christian family where the parents encouraged the children to know Jesus. There were 4 children, Jim was the second oldest.
At the age of 6, Jim professed his faith in Jesus saying to his family that he was ready for Jesus to return as he knew Him. And Jim lived his life with this confidence, for Jesus.
When the time comes to die, make sure all you have to do is die!
Photograph of Jim Elliot | Inspirational Christians.org
In 1953, Elliot married Elisabeth Howard, a devoted follower of Christ whom he met whilst in his final year of college. Together they had a daughter, Valerie.
He was an American Missionary martyed with four other missionaries on a trip to Ecuador in 1956.
Jim was only 28 when he died sharing the gospel with the unreached Huaorani people in Ecuador.
Mission Minded
Jim was interested in missions from a young age, asking questions to the visiting missionaries and enquiring about their trips. It was at college (university) where his passions for missions sprung into action. From then his life was one of complete commitment to the mission of bringing the Gospel to all people.
He was very passionate about speaking to people about Christ. On weekends, Jim would travel from his college in Massachusetts to Chicago to train stations trying to speak to people about Jesus. As well as his desire to evangelise, Jim was devoted to studying the scriptures. During his college years, he regularly attended Bible study. In his journal he wrote:
None of it gets to be ‘old stuff’ for it is Christ in print, the Living Word. We wouldn’t think of rising in the morning without a face-wash, but we often neglect the purgative cleansing of the Word of the Lord. It wakes us up to our responsibility.
Jim Elliot (right) with Ed McCully and Roger Youderian who also died in 1956 | Source: Christianity Today
After College, Jim was determined to enter the mission field, he believed this was where God was calling him. He wanted to bring the gospel to the unreached corners. So for years, he and his mission partner Pete Fleming, whom he met at a Christian conference, studied Spanish and the culture of the people they desired to reach. They became fluent in the language, which allowed them to converse with the natives in Ecuador, the Quichuas, and spread the word. Three years into their work, many of the natives had become faithful Christians.
An Eternal Mission
One day, Jim heard about an unreached people in the jungle of Ecuador called the Aucas. They were known to the natives to be extremely violent as many of the Quichuas had been killed by them. Nonetheless, the call Jim felt for the mission was greater than his fear of death. Even the stories of the Aucas murdering foreign visitors did not deter him from an opportunity to share the Gospel, in fact, it solidified his resolve. Thus in January 1956, Elliot, Fleming and three other missionaries would set out for the jungle to preach to these people about Jesus. However, they would never make it home. They were killed by the people they were trying to reach.
Which one of us would risk the possibility of death to preach the word? How many of us would have given up when the call seemed too difficult? Truthfully, many would not choose to leave the comforts of their home to travel to a foreign land in their youthful prime. But Jim did and this is what draws us to look at his life. The question most people would ask is why? Here is one of Jim Elliot’s famous quotes:
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.
Similar to Scripture in Mark 8:36 where Jesus says “what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul“, this is what God calls for us too. Although Jim and the four other missionaries never made it “home”, they are now home. With Jesus for all of eternity.
Man carrying bible and bag on a journey
Our Mission Field
Honestly, most times we do not have to give up our desires to this extent to preach the Gospel. But we do have to deny ourselves. We have to choose to walk in the call upon our lives when we committed our lives to Christ.
To clarify, the mission field does not necessarily have to be in another country or remote jungle, Elliot even preached in train stations! The mission field can be wherever we find people who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It could be where we are right now. Undeniably, we are all called to know Jesus and to preach Jesus.
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Matthew 9:37-38
Saying all of this, if you are interested in going on a mission trip, OGGM annually takes a group of young people on a missionary trip to Tenerife. To find out more, send an email to hello@ourgodgivenmission.com. Additionally, you can read about the most recent trip here.
By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible – Hebrews 11:3
Noah’s Ark and the Flood Summary:
Genesis Chapters 6-9
God saw how great wickedness had become and decided to wipe mankind from the face of the earth. However, one righteous man among all the people of that time, Noah, found favour in God’s eyes. With very specific instructions, God told Noah to build an ark for him and his family in preparation for a catastrophic flood that would destroy every living thing on earth.
God also instructed Noah to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, both male and female, and seven pairs of all the clean animals, along with every kind of food to be stored for the animals and his family while on the ark. Noah obeyed everything God commanded him to do.
Source: Jesusway4you Image description: Illustration of Noah praying
After they entered the ark, rain fell on the earth for a period of forty days and nights. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days, and every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out. As the waters receded, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Noah and his family continued to wait for almost eight more months while the surface of the earth dried out.
Finally, after an entire year, God invited Noah to come out of the ark. Immediately, he built an altar and worshipped the Lord with burnt offerings from some of the clean animals. God was pleased with the offerings and promised never again to destroy all the living creatures as he had just done. Later God established a covenant with Noah: “Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” As a sign of this everlasting covenant, God set a rainbow in the clouds.
When we read the story of Noah naturally logic/pragmatism may challenge the science and the reality behind this story and even make you want to discredit it. However, my question to you is, if science could explain everything…where would faith come in?
God of the Inexplainable
Friend, let me tell you this as someone who has witnessed but also experienced this personally…there will be miracles/stories that cannot be explained with human understanding. As Christians, we are encouraged to not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6), because that is where we will enter a downwards spiral where we are fuelled by questions behind our faith and lose sight of the reasons for our faith.
In this life, people will challenge the bible and what it says, to be honest, it is not a surprise. If people are not for Christ, they are antichrist (John 15: 18-21), and so there will be opposition to our faith and the contents of the Bible. Yet we are emboldened to still share God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit and not our human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:4-9). We only see in part and depend on the Holy Spirit to unveil the hidden truths within the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:9). Doubt/fear is not an unknown emotion, God still meets us where we’re at in our faith and helps to build it Thomas (John 20:24-31), Elijah (1 Kings 9:1-14), Jonah (Jonah 1 and 2), Father of the child who struggled with unbelief (Mark 9:24)).
What You Do When You Don’t Have An Answer To These Questions
Go back to the word and pray for deeper revelation.
Seek wise counsel (Proverbs 15:22).
Admit when you don’t know – humility.
Understand that a big part of the Christian walk is faith and logic/reasoning can only take you so far,
God’s Power Starts When Human Ability Ends
It is important to ask questions about your faith, why do you believe what you believe but also to understand the intent behind the documentation of the Old and New Testament as they both feed into our faith. Ensure you are not just believing blindly and that your faith is your own because this will matter when it is tested i.e. questions/ridicule from unbelievers. Finally, God would not be God, if we could explain everything in the Bible. Faith proves that your experience of God in your life is very real and true. It also acts as a reminder to yourself of the relationship with your heavenly Father vs having an explanation for everything your Father does.
More importantly, the story of Noah’s Ark is a pointer to Jesus and His saving Gospel. God’s hatred towards sin and His desire to eradicate it is seen in Noah’s story. God enacts judgement upon the wickedness He sees on earth by destroying everything living thing except those who have found favour in His eyes and trusted in Him. The ark is a representation of Jesus and God’s grace in salvation. The vessel that saved the family from being destroyed, resembles how Jesus is the very means by which we can be saved. This is just one way in which Noah’s story testifies of Jesus. Take comfort in how God gives us a glimpse in His grand plan of salvation, through these stories that may defy logic.
Film recommendation: “God’s not dead”
Book recommendation: “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
At Our God Given Mission, we take Missions very seriously. Our mission is to help young people discover Jesus and to empower them to make Jesus known. As part of this, every year, we take multiple groups of people on Mission. From the 28th of October to the 1st of November 2021, we took a group of young people over on a missionary trip to Tenerife. Beforehand we trained on ZOOM, completed an evangelism course and met for the first time at the airport for the trip. We saw amazing things happen in Tenerife and we are excited to share with you some snippets of the kind of things that happened.
Day One
Words by Temi Oluwadare
We arrived at Tenerife very early in the day. Our first goal was to leave the airport and pick up the bus we would be using to get around. This first stop was Fasina, in the more remote parts of the Island! Honestly, for me the drive was a bit wild – but the accommodation there was on some beautiful mountains away from the busyness of the Tenerife strip.
Once we arrived at the halfway house in Fasina, we were able to spend some time with John and Natasha who run a halfway house for those nurturing a relationship with Jesus after facing hardship. After this, we relocated to our accommodation nearer to the strip. Along the way to our new accommodation, we stopped in Lidl to pick up some key essentials!! Lots of snacks, pasta, breakfasts and a vast amount of juice. The plan was that this food would keep us going throughout the week.
After we arrived at our accommodation and we had all settled in. We went to El Cordero for a late lunch/early dinner. The atmosphere was lovely and this was the first time that we could all sit together as a team and begin getting to know each other. We used this space to discuss our personal lives, what we do and more. I loved this time because it was great for us to start building relationships. After we ate, we went to explore the strip, Las Americas – there were countless nightclubs and bars. It was exciting for us to see where we would be going to minister to people. I think at this point, we were all quite excited. After this, we went back to our apartment to have a Bible study. The study looked at ‘the ability to stay hot’ and we explored the dangers of familiarity and how it could hinder us from learning from people around us.
After this study, we continued to learn more about each other. We played a game that encouraged us to consider 3 items that summarise us well. But also a song game where we all shared our favourite songs and had to guess who’s song was whose. I loved this day because it set the tone so well of what the week would look like. Love, laughter & Jesus.
Day Two
Words by Oladipupo Joseph
The 2nd day of the retreat was possibly the most packed day. We were able to sleep earlier the previous night, so we got ready to go for our first prayer walk at 9 am. By God’s grace, our accommodation was close to a beach of sorts which was perfect for reflection and prayer. I really enjoyed the walk there; the open air and lovely weather encouraged the group’s conversations as we got to know each other before we separated to speak to God and it marked the beginning of a day filled with His Presence.
Afterwards, we got back home to have our showers and eat breakfast. Temi and Deborah handled most of the cooking which was truly kind of them. Tenerife has a lot of mountains which are honestly so beautiful to behold. As we stepped out of the house, climbing one of these was our first destination. We first got drinks from a nearby shop and made our way up the mountain. It wasn’t too steep and took us probably about 20-30 minutes to get to the top and remained there for about the same period. I remember the view made me feel so grateful and my problems so small. It was impossible to not admire the beauty of creation and feel at one with everything, I won’t forget that anytime soon.
We climbed down the mountain and walked down to the van to head to our next destination Golf del Sur. The experience here was more of a continuation of the beach. We were closer to the ocean as well with there being a large beach nearby so we could clearly see the flow and harmony it possessed even as it crashed into the sculpted rocks by the shore. Unfortunately, we could not go on the beach, but it was a worthwhile experience, nonetheless. We then headed to the strip to survey and acquaint ourselves with the area.
We journeyed back home afterwards to get some rest in preparation to go evangelise at night-time. I think we played a game or two but mostly talked and read books. After we regained some energy, we prayed and set out to the strip for the first time. We separated into pairs with a boy and girl- with Trudi and me at the front. Looking back, we must have looked like soldiers setting forth in some battle formation. At first, I had feelings of hesitance mixed with excitement as we approached the first person we spoke to. However, that night was one of the best I have ever had.
I got to meet and speak to so many different people, who engaged us in different ways and although some conversations felt more fruitful than others, I had a general sense of dropping seeds after we left each one. As we met up at the end of the night to debrief and share our experiences, I experienced even more beautiful conversations that the rest of our group had. We then prayed for them all and prepared for bed. However, we ended up playing games till about 5 am and honestly, I would not have minded that day going on forever.
Day Three
Words by Deborah Brown
After a Friday night of intense competitive games (post evangelism), we reconvened in the morning early as usual. We were reminded of the life of discipleship that we were committed to; being submissive in learning from our Lord Jesus and from the more mature in the faith. We were also reminded of our due diligence to offer that same discipleship to others – being poured out as a drink offering.
All that before lunch! Together, we enjoyed the European delicacy spaghetti bolognese courtesy of the amazing Tems and Trudi (who thankfully spotted that the supposed bottle chilli actually said ‘food colouring’). This was followed by a calming walk to the beach, a semi-dip in the sea and yet another game of Mafia (with unsurprisingly zealous participants).
Then came another Bible Study session on the 86% Christian – who, by the way, doesn’t actually exist!!! There is no such thing! We go all in! Nothing but 100% is acceptable! We’re also encouraged by the fact that this 100% Christlike living is by His grace. Grace through faith – the same faith by which we are saved. We live our lives committed to Him, dependent on Him.
With this in our hearts and minds we set out back to the streets of Tenerife that night preaching the Good News of Christ to people – one having no plan and no way forward for his life; another being stuck in a rut feeling like he wants to commit to Jesus but thinking he won’t be able to give 100% and will go back to the world; and another seemingly knowledgeable but oh so confused. We preached the Gospel to such as these, and continue in prayer for their hearts and souls to come Him, knowing that whom the Son sets free is truly free indeed.
Day Four
Words by Trudi Auletta
We woke up early on Sunday morning for our last full day in Tenerife – we began, like other mornings, with a prayer walk, before coming back and getting ready for Church!
We had the privilege of participating in the service at the Tenerife Family Church – with myself (Trudi) being able to share my testimony of coming to faith and a bit about the encounters we had so far during our time in Tenerife, and M.T delivering the sermon on the topic of ‘How To Change The World’. The members of the church were very hospitable towards us and it was lovely to speak to some of them about their experiences in ministry and missions.
Before we went out evangelising on the strip, we visited The Living Room – a supportive drop-in centre that “support people, listen to people, share testimonies with people and often pray with people”, run by Rachel from the Tenerife Family Church and located on the strip. Rachel shared some inspiring stories that she has witnessed in her 12 years as a missionary in Tenerife and gave us some exciting insight into the future of The Living Room. We chilled together, prayed together, grabbed some dinner, and then we finally went out onto the strip one last time.
Our final evening of evangelising continued to be fruitful just like the rest of the nights, as we were able to proclaim the good news to many people! It was particularly interesting as this night happened to fall on Halloween. There was once again lots of unique encounters and conversations that were held and we are trusting God to continue His work in all of those individuals.
Once we headed home, we prayed for all of the interactions and thanked God for His faithfulness during the trip, and prepared for our departure the following morning. (Preparation may or may not have involved a few more rounds of mafia).
Day 5
Words by Daniel Atere
As a group we knew there was only one way to start this day….at 1 am playing mafia. Once again for the fourth time, Deborah and Ladi were mafia’s but we all knew it was Deborah’s tactic that won the game. After many “one more games” we went to bed to take a quick nap to be up for 7 am. This wasn’t going to be an ordinary morning though, as Nana made the decision to get baptised as a public declaration of his faith and his obedience to God’s command in the Bible. We first walked down to the beach to do our morning prayer, we thanked God for all He had done on this trip and what He is yet to do.
Before Michael and I baptised Nana, we all had to adjust to the waters temperature step by step until the water got up to our waist, we prayed for Nana and baptised him. It was a wonderful experience as Nana came out of the water, just the knowledge that a new and wonderful life is ahead of him is something we were all joyful about. When we go back home, we were in good time to pack the rest of our things, shower and have breakfast and of course, one more game of cheat (which Nana won, clearly because of the baptism). After, we had to get the airport time to make sure there weren’t any issues with documentation and all of that. Now, I hadn’t yet done my lateral flow test to get my certificate to fly but I was sure the results will come out negative so before arriving at the airport I was as calm.
When I did the test, we all went through security and waited for the results. As I opened the e-mail I was sure it was negative so you can imagine my disappointment when I saw positive, my chest was beating, palm-sweating but I held on the God’s promise to get me back with negative results. As I told the others, there was suddenly a realisation that I could be here for another week or so. I went back out through security and attempted to take another test at the same place but the ladies there were not having it because of the company policy of only doing the test once. I asked around the airport and no one had any other alternative apart from doing another test. Mike made a few calls and in a matter of minutes Neil a guy from the local church was there to help me.
We first drove back to his house and I met his lovely family, and the way they embraced me as if they were also sure that my results were negative was mind-blowing. I thought they would have wanted me to keep my mask on and stay in a corner but no, the first thing they asked me to do was to remove my mask and assure me everything will be fine. After making a few calls, Neil found a local clinic that was still open, before we went his wife prayed for me and prayed that the test will come back negative and because God is faithful to these promises the result did come back negative. I got my certificate to fly and booked a direct flight to London leaving that evening. This whole trip, especially the start and the finish taught me that if God says He’ll do something, He will do it, maybe not how we envision it or when we expect it but He will do it. KB a Christian rapper once said to “write your plans in pencil and allow God to write his in pen”, more than ever before I’m learning to trust God’s word and allow His say to be the final say, and even when I feel fear, I’ll still do it in faith anyways. This whole trip has been a whole experience and the people that I went with were absolutely amazing and I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
Are you going to go on mission?
Jesus’ instruction was simple and clear. When He was leaving the earth to be with the Father, He gave us the Great Commission. He commanded us all to preach the Gospel and to make disciples of all nations. Whether you do this in a different country or at your workplace, or in your family, that’s for you to work out. However, the command is non-negotiable. It’s for all.
If you are interested in coming on future mission trips then please email hello@ourgodgivenmission.com and express your interest. Our next mission trip will be in the second quarter of 2022. Looking forward to seeing you there.
I am sure we have all at some point read or heard a passage from the book of Proverbs, Song of Solomon or Ecclesiastes- books that carry threads of wisdom through them. As we know King Solomon had the honour of being the wisest King in the Bible. However, to who much is given, much is expected. Through examples such as that of Samson or even King David, we see men who were entrusted with a gift or a position of power and abused it. Despite the great gift King Solomon was bestowed with, he was still subject to sin and unlike his father, he drew further away from God. Essentially, he ended up backsliding…so how did he get there?
God’s Relationship with Solomon
God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone — wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol. His reputation extended to all the surrounding nations
1 Kings 4:29-31
In this Solomon requested wisdom and this was given to him. God even commended the humble nature of his request and exceeded his request by adding wealth and honour to the list! (1 Kings 3:10-14) and it was such a good thing that he attained that wisdom. We are certainly reaping from it today.
Solomon Turns from God
King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women from the nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn your heart away to follow their gods.” To these women Solomon was deeply attached in love – 1 Kings 11:1-2
Foreign women were Solomon’s vice and idol and he never actively tried to wean himself off them. He didn’t even exercise or tap into the gift of vast wisdom that was given to him- but instead, he sought vices out. He allowed these women to take precedence in his heart and turn it towards other gods. His devotion to God gradually deteriorated.
Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not remain loyal to the Lord…The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
1 Kings 11:6, 9
The Lord appeared to King Solomon twice first in a dream for Solomon to make a request from Him (1 King 3:5). He also appeared to Solomon a second time saying if Solomon obeyed His command and lived according to His will, that He would establish the throne of Solomon’s kingdom over Israel forever (1 Kings 9:2). In God’s latter appearance to Solomon, He blesses him but also issues a warning: “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name” (1 King 9:6-7).
Solomon did not observe what the Lord said, which made the Lord angry. To expound on this point further, when in right living with God we can experience fruitful moments where God can bless us richly, where we walk intimately with God and receive His favour. However, when we go against His commands, out of love, God can chastise us. If we don’t honour Him with our lives, He can remove certain gifts and responsibilities from us. As a consequence of Solomon living according to his own desires and not God’s desires, God said He would remove the kingdom from his lineage leaving his son Rehoboam only with Judah (out of love for his grandfather David). God also raised adversaries to rebel against Solomon.
Lessons on backsliding
1) Solomon neglected His time with God – which gave way to various forms of idols forming within him. Our time with God allows us to be purified and refined by the word (John 15:1-4).
2) In that neglect, Solomon sought after what God had warned him against, leading him to sin. We are warned to flee from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).
3) Solomon’s gift could not cushion him nor protect him from the sin that dwelt within and the temptations of the world (1 Kings 11:11).
4) Our disobedience can impact our bloodline, we need to think carefully about the seeds we sow in our lives as this will reap blessing or disaster for our offspring. It was the obedience of King David that saved King Solomon’s son Rehoboam (1 Kings 11:12)
5) 1 Kings 11’s account of Solomon’s love for his sin acts as a warning to all of us. Matthew Henry puts it, “Though we have reason to hope that he repented, and found mercy, yet the Holy Ghost did not expressly record it, but left it doubtful, as a warning to others not to sin. The guilt may be taken away, but not the reproach; that will remain.Thus it must remain uncertain to us till the day of judgment, whether or not Solomon was left to suffer the everlasting displeasure of an offended God.“
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
Romans 8:39 (b)
Whilst King Solomon was not in close fellowship with God, it didn’t mean that God’s love for him died. It is important to mention that no one is too far gone for salvation. When we sincerely repent of our sins and turn away from our wicked ways, we can approach God’s throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). If as Christians we backslide and then become aware of this, as long as there is breath in our lungs we can still cry out to our Father as He waits for us with a patient and steadfast love (2 Peter 3:8).
All of us are made in the image of God- male and female He created us (Gen. 1:27). Every one of us is made in this image, our skin colour included. Nevertheless, we are not all to be the same, look the same or talk the same. Each one of us distinctively represents a part of the image of God and that is how God created it. God’s great goal in all of history is to uphold and display the glory of His name for the enjoyment of his people from all nations. There is a solid biblical conviction that ethnic diversity in the church is a beautiful thing, and part of God’s ultimate design for his people.
All one in the body
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Paul explains how each body part is important to the whole body, illustrating the symmetry with us as Christians. As unique as our features are to our body, is how each individual is to God’s family (v.27). Every member with a different yet vital role to play belonging to this body. We are all part of the church, the body of Christ (Col. 1:18). God designed it that each member of our body functions conjointly with the other (v.18). As a puzzle that fits precisely together once completed is the semblance of the body of Christ when working together as one.
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
1 Corinthians 12:16-17
Puzzle with missing piece
Similarly, the gifts we have been given by the Spirit for use in the body are different for each person. Although the gifts are distinguishable, they collectively work in harmony for the glory of God (1 Cor. 12:11). Regardless of the differences, we all function under one Spirit, being united in our diversity.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
This is the same with our community as Christians. All of our talents, gifts, personalities and characteristics are joined together to share and preach the Gospel of Christ. And all people, creed, nation and body is connected to reflect and be His body, the Church, to the world. We are united under one name, Jesus Christ, with one indwelling Holy Spirit serving one God, in three Persons.
All nations to be saved
The Gospel is for all people, for the Jews first then the Gentiles, everyone not a Jew (Rom. 1:16). Saying that, under Christ, we are all one, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female (Gal. 3:28). There is no exclusion of salvation for any one race, nation or people, God desires that everyone should be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). For us to then to try to exclude anyone from receiving the Gospel or spreading a message that some groups are not included is incorrect and false. No one is left out. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul says he has become all things to all people in order to share the Gospel. He expresses the need to understand and relate personally to the different personalities and cultures of the people he wishes to share the Gospel with.
A person holding a globe
As Christians, we can never look down on any other group because of our place in Gods family. Although we are now part of the family, we did not always have this position. We are saved by grace alone, through our faith in Christ Jesus alone (Eph. 2:8). Once we were like the ones who did not know God, but now that we do, we should have even more grace for those yet to find Him. Our faith should not drive us to pride in any capacity, if anything, it should lead us towards more humility. As salvation is something we did not earn and did not deserve, however, God chose us, loved us and welcomed us into His family (Eph. 1:4-5). And He can do the same for the person next to us, or in a different country or someone who does not even speak our language. Salvation transcends all boundaries, it is for all mankind.
What does it mean when God is presented as male? What does it mean when – from our internal assumptions to our shared cultural imaginings – God is presented as white?
These are the urgent questions Chine McDonald asks in a searing look at her experience of being a Black woman in the white-majority space that is the UK church – a church that is being abandoned by Black women no longer able to grin and bear its casual racism, colonialist narratives and lack of urgency on issues of racial justice.
Part memoir, part social and theological commentary, God Is Not a White Man is a must-read for anyone troubled by a culture that insists everyone is equal in God’s sight yet fails to confront white supremacy; a lament about the state of race and faith, and a clarion call for us all to do better.
I felt a personal connection to this book because I could relate to many of the experiences vulnerably shared, in some cases, it was like I was reading my own life story. Being a memoir, the writing was vulnerable and intimate yet also being social/theological commentary gave a very holistic view to faith, race, and the church, which helped to challenge readers. What I think the author did particularly well highlighted a range of issues related to white supremacy, be it in art, politics colonialism, music, or the media. Painting the picture through her words and research and allowing us as engaged readers to connect the dots and come to our own conclusion.
“Imago Dei – the idea that every human, no matter their colour, has a special quality that resembles the divine beauty of God.” She provides countless examples of where black is considered inferior and as a result undermined e.g., in childbirth, sport, education and in interracial relationships. This quote is a reminder that we are all made in the image and likeness of God, that regardless of how Jesus or God are depicted we are His creation, fearfully and wonderfully made.
A section that stood out to me was in the chapter “Africa is not a country” where she wrote the lyrics to the Igbo Christian song “Imela” in a cathedral rather than giving a speech just indicating that some emotions can’t be articulated but are better sung. Not necessarily a critique but a part I lost a bit of interest was extensive chapters on the “other revelations” such as discussions on the treatment of young black children in education, childbirth for black women, Africa is not a country, black death, black sisterhood. Whilst these are profound topics, they have been covered excessively by other authors and for me personally, the most striking part of this whole book is how Chine McDonald craftily and meticulously demonstrated to us that the Kingdom of God is a mosaic, bursting a lot of myths and reaffirming a lot of readers who may have felt inferior within church settings. Contributions from pastors with multicultural or all-white/ all-black congregations would have been an interesting addition to the book content.
Overall, this book was immaculately written, well researched and heartfelt. Chine McDonald through her command of the English language takes us on a journey of faith, self-discovery and personal revelation. I think anyone who has ever doubted their place in the church due to their race should read this book but also pastors of interracial/all-white/all-black churches, however, anyone looking for an insightful read would enjoy this book.
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say
Luke 12:11-12
In this life on earth, we can find ourselves asking many questions but also being asked many questions to which we may fail to have answers. Sometimes as Christians, we may think once we “say yes to Jesus” that we suddenly gain premium access to all the answers to life’s mystery. I can confirm that this is not the case. These burning questions can cause fear, doubt, and frustration to stir up within us. However, a big part of being a Christian is living a surrendered life, where we trust God but most importantly, we partner with Him; doing our part and allowing God to be God in our lives. We aren’t called to understand or agree with everything that we see or experience on this earth, but we are called into intimate fellowship with God and obedience to His commands. So how do we navigate a world full of questions?
We are not All-knowing
Only God is omniscient, He is all-knowing. This is an important fact to remember, which sets God apart from us humble humans! Part of the Great Commission is to “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” Mark 16:15; however, sometimes we can be afraid about being asked difficult questions and so avoid evangelism altogether. The very idea of it can seem intimidating because how can you share the gospel, whilst you’re also grappling with questions of your own?
Another instance is where something happens in your life which shakes the foundations of your faith for example a death in the family, natural disasters, losing your job etc. These are not light matters at all and can challenge your personal walk with God; you may wonder why God let these things happen.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
Proverbs 3:5-6
It is impossible to have all the answers
Let me tell you this, we were never meant to be all-knowing and seeing, this revelation is reassuring, and I’ll tell you why. There is a burden and a responsibility that comes with being all-knowing, that we were not built for. Instead, we are encouraged to cast our cares unto God (1 Peter 5:7). This was God’s intended purpose, for us to lean into Him and depend on Him. Furthermore, another reason that it is good for us not to have all the answers, is that it allows us to rely on Holy Spirit even more. When we lean on our own understanding, it can rob us of our peace.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen
Hebrews 11:1
What do I do with my doubts/questions?
Whilst it is easy to say that we can’t know everything and are not required to have all the answers, it doesn’t stop questions or doubt arising. Yet again in the bible, there are examples where biblical teachers asked questions (John 3:1-15), even when a question was asked and answered incorrectly (Matthew 8:28-30). There are even examples where people wrestled with doubt whilst having faith (John 20:24-29, Mark 9:24). And the beautiful conclusion from all of this is that Jesus met them at their point of faith, He responded in love and guided them. God is not afraid of our questions or doubt, He will not disown you or abandon you, He understands that we are human and we can be fickle! He created us after all. Yet He promises that He is faithful, even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). Below are some suggestions on how we can process our questions/doubt in a healthy and God honouring way:-
Fasting and Prayer > what is the root of these questions i.e. think about your circumstance/people around you
Find a trusted friend, family member or elder in church who can help unpack your question further and help you navigate your emotions
Write your questions down on paper/in a journal, sometimes it is good to just get it out of your head!
Remind yourself of why you became a Christian, was it to have all your questions answered? Or to follow Christ and glorify Him on earth. Sometimes we also need to know when our questions/doubt is consuming us and derailing us from our faith
We are limited and finite as human beings, we must recognise and accept that. It is not our duty to have all the answers to our own or other people’s questions, we do what we can and give room for God to move. We are His ambassadors on this earth to be a beacon and carry out His mission on earth, we make ourselves available to be used to carry out His good works. Whilst we may not always know what the future holds, we know who holds our future and that my friend, is enough.
We are in the world but not of the world. Though we are not of the world that does not exempt us from pressures to act like people of the world. And we are also called to minister to people in the world. So, how does one do that without compromising when we are exposed to all kinds of pressures that go against our belief system. How do we manage that pressure and our reverence to Gods word?
We are in the world
To reach the people of the world, we may have to enter the places we would not usually go. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul says he has become all things to all people so that he might save them. Even so, Paul never allowed himself to be pressured into living or behaving contradictory to what he believed. People will often ask us to do things that go against what we believe and at times, what they ask from us can be appealing, seem easy and appear to be without consequences. However, we must remember that though we are in the world, we are not of the world, just as Jesus is not of the world (Jn. 17:14).
You may be thinking then what is the point? The point is to show there is a better way – the way, the truth, and the life (Jn. 14:6). Jesus Christ, who came to this earth, not of the world but in it, as we are. He displayed exactly how to live and we are blessed to have His example in the Word. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14) so we could see that living in this world is possible. It is not easy, but attainable. Jesus said in this world we will have trouble but to take heart, He has overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). He has overcome. Our hope is a saviour who overcame the pressures of life for our sake.
We are not of the world
The pressures of the world may not appear as obvious and the compromises we make do not often seem damaging. In fact, sometimes the offer is not appealing to us yet the pressure is high – our friends ask us to lie to our parents about our whereabouts, we indulge in something we don’t particularly like to avoid looking different. We choose the path of least resistance to fit in. Whatever it may be, in the world we can face pressure that causes us to compromise or go against our beliefs. And when we do not conform, we risk being ostracised or looked at differently.
Nonetheless, we should remain steadfast in our choices to stand for our faith. When we defy the norms and customs created by the society around us to live according to the word of God, we will most likely experience resistance. People will not understand why we choose to live how we do or make our decisions and they will try to push us to conform but we must not be afraid. We have a choice to make when we are pressured. Will we choose Jesus or the world?
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel will save it. For What will it profit a man to gain the world but lose his soul
Mark 8:35-36
Living in but not of the world
In the book of Daniel during the exile and captivity of the children of Israel by King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, we are introduced to Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These young healthy men and many others were taken to a foreign land with foreign customs to serve in the King’s palace. They were to be given the Kings delicacies and wine then trained to serve before him. However, Daniel and his friends had purposed to not defile themselves with the King’s food and wine. Thankfully, in spite of their choice, they received favour from one of the Kings guards who allowed them to request the type of food they would eat. They made a deal to eat only vegetables and drink water for 10 days (Daniel 1:11-21) while many of their peers enjoyed what the King offered.
Later in the book, in another situation, King Nebuchadnezzar creates a statue of himself and commands everyone to bow down before it (Daniel 3:1-7). The young men refuse to obey the King and the punishment for this defiance is to be thrown into a fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than usual (vs.15,19). Coincidentally, the person who heated the furnace perished but the young men did not. They were unsinged and a fourth figure was revealed to be in the furnace with them which the King saw.
Look, he answered I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire and they are not hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!
Daniel 3:25
Despite the pressures to go against their belief system, Daniel and his friends were obedient to God over the King of the land who seemed to have their lives in his hands. And at this moment, the young men, by not being conformed to the world proved what was the good and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2).
Lessons we can learn from this story
Know what you believe before you’re challenged and stand on it even if you are the only one – Daniel 1:8
Learn how to say no to the things that go against what you believe in and don’t be afraid to say no – Daniel 3:18
