The Riches and Poverty in Africa

RICHES AND POVERTY IN AFRICA
PART SEVEN

The first error of the Prosperity Gospel is that it distorts the true reason for giving. Several more errors follow.

2. THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL DISTORTS THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF TRUE PROSPERITY

Unfortunately, the preachers of the Prosperity Gospel have bought into the marterialistic philosophy of this age, the belief that material prosperity is gain. It is a gospel shaped by the materialism of our contemporary culture. Biblical teaching is clear. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap…For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (I Tim 6:6-10). In contrast to material prosperity, true prosperity in God’s sight is the riches of faith. “…God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom…” (James 2:5).

3. THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL VICTIMIZES THE POOR

Since preachers reduce God’s blessings to material gain, anyone who falls into financially hard times must be guilty of sin or unbelief. If God’s will is for everyone to be healthy and wealthy, then anyone who falls sick or remains poor is suffering from his own unbelief or disobedience. This places a terrible burden on the poor for it is unfair and unbiblical.

4. THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL DISTORTS GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL PLAN FOR HIS CHILDREN
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Let us be honest. If we had our own choice, most of us would desire perfect health, long life, material prosperity and influential positions in the church and nation. Such desires are natural because our sinful human nature seeks our own personal gain, prominence and sucdess. But God’s plan is for his children to grow in grace. The proud, self centered human nature must be crucified and in God’s providential plan this often entails trials of many kinds. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jam 1:2-4).

Riches and Poverty in Africa

RICHES AND POVERTY IN AFRICA
PART SIX

It seems strange to me that in a continent with such poverty, the people fall victim to the Prosperity Gospel hurled their way by charlatans.

On one occasion I attended a growing church of 6,000 members which attracted Members of Parliament, bank managers and accountants, headmasters of secondary schools and thousands of youth.

That morning the pastor preached the Prosperity Gospel based on I Kings 17. The poor widow of Zarephath, about to eat her last remaining food before imminent starvation, was asked by the prophet Elijah to feed him first. When that poor widow in faith obeyed the prophet, God richly blessed her and saved her life with a jug of oil that never ran dry until the rains began to fall. Indeed, there was much truth in what this pastor preached – the need for faith and sacrificial giving by the poor who will then experience God’s blessing and favor.

But heresy is never total error, rather a mixture of truth and error, an unbalanced emphasis and distortion of the truth. Though the advocates of the Prosperity Gospel may quote Scripture, they never balance these isolated Scripture references with the full teaching of Scripture on poverty and wealth. Upon reflection we suggest that there are four serious errors in the Prosperity Gospel.
1. THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL DISTORTS THE TRUE PURPOSE OF GIVING.
Offerings should be given to God as an act of worship (Isa 43:22-24; Ps 116:12-17) and not for selfish gain. It is biblical truth that God promises to reward those who give to him generously (2 Cor 9:6-11). But the divine blessings reflect the gracious gift of God and not God’s obligation of favor. The desire for prosperity must never be the motive of giving. Before one gives material gifts, he should first give himself to the Lord (2 Cor 8:5; Rom 12:1). God is more concerned with the giver than the gift. Though generous giving is a virtue in Scripture (2 Cor 8:1,2), one should give unto the Lord as an offering of thanksgiving (Ps 116:17). Never should one give with selfish ambition of material prosperity.

Continued in Part Seven

Riches and Poverty in Africa

RICHES AND POVERTY IN AFRICA

PART FIVE

The Bible has a lot to say about riches, nothing very good. Nave’s Topical Bible has three pages of Scriptures on “riches.” Jesus speaks repeatedly against the dangers of material riches. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven whether neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Jesus warns, “You cannot serve God and money” (Mt. 6:19-21, 24). It is the “cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” that choke the Word and lead to self destruction (Mk 4:19).

Do you know how much money it takes to make one happy? Just one more dollar (or shilling)! “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Lk 12:15). I’ve seen many happy people who are materially poor. America is full of rich people who suffer from an inner void and seek to fill it with drugs, sex, and worldly thrills.

We need a biblically balanced view of riches and poverty. Proverbs 30:8, 9 reads, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of God.”

We need moderation in our aspirations and contentment with what God provides. Paul admonishes, “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim 6:6-10).

Could poverty in Africa in reality be a blessing for it humbles people and turns hearts toward God? Could the riches of the Western World prove to be a curse in disguise for it hardens westerners to the Gospel because they feel no need of God?

But wretched poverty! That is something else! I have witnessed abject poverty on numerous occasions that has torn my heart out. I remember a friend in Eldoret who took me to his home in Kisii where I stayed overnight. One of his age mates came and they began to commiserate. Their future was bleak. Each of their fathers had only one acre of land to feed a family of ten. For one month of the year they went hungry, and worse; they could not finish school for lack of fees. What was their future? An acre of land divided among three or four brothers? I will never forget the anguish I felt for him.

Charlatan preachers line their pockets with money by taking advantage of the poor and the rich with the preaching of the Prosperity Gospel. More on the Prosperity Gospel in Part Six.

Continued in Part Six

The Riches and Poverty of Africa

THE RICHES AND POVERTY OF AFRICA


PART FOUR



Following are my thoughts for resolving poverty in Africa, taken from a letter I wrote ten years ago. However, as I read over this now, I fear that it is very inadequate. Can you suggest other aspects of the solution – how to ameliorate the harsh conditions of poverty? Elimination of poverty is impossible. Jesus said, “The poor you will have with you always.” Look at the poor in America? The question is, what steps should be taken to reduce the harsh conditions of poverty?

“If what we have observed above is true, then it takes little wisdom to see how the discipling of the nations comes into play. Christians have met together in Nigeria to deal with this problem of corruption in official circles. If corruption is such a burden in society, then the Christians must share their responsibility because it is the Christians in their great numbers who participate in what is going on, even if it is only by turning a blind eye to what takes place. The deep problems of society cannot be cured by the United Nations, the government or non-governmental agencies.”

“Only Christ has the answer. But it is not a cheap, superficial answer of a veneer of Christianity. The answer is becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ through living faith and faithful obedience and developing strong Christian homes where Christian virtues are instilled within the children.”

“Through much sacrifice Christian missions brought education to Africa. In the early days the common person recognized that those who attended the mission schools advanced economically. Mission schools were a living testimony to others. When one is delivered from the deep seated cultural restraints, and uses his few resources wisely instead of squandering them in sinful habits, and begins to work hard, and exercises his God given responsibility by promoting honesty and integrity in official circles - life will change. Africa will grow and prosper and become a vibrant testimony to others.”

“The vibrancy and enthusiasm of many Christians in Africa is a witness and testimony to western Christians who are more reserved and shy about their faith – and perhaps, more nominal or lukewarm in their faith. The Church in Africa is alive and growing but it not only needs to grow in width through evangelism but also in depth through biblical teaching in church and in the home. What the Church in any country needs is to teach the masses of “Christians” to go deeper in their faith with practical teaching based on the biblical exposition of the Word of God so that Christians can make a real difference in this richly endowed and diversified continent. Biblical theology must be relevantly applied to the practical lives of the people. For all this to take place, the Christian home is crucial. It is central to the future hope.”

“A fine Christian couple lived in the rural area of Ukambani some years back. Because of the man’s testimony and learned skills, the Africa Inland Church requested him to assist them in Nairobi. He consented with one condition; he wanted his whole family to live with him in Nairobi. I did not know him at the time nor did I see how he reared his children, but I do know his children. They are a marvelous testimony of God’s grace that flourishes when a Christian couple is committed to rearing their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Christopher Mwal’wa has served with sterling reputation as leader in Word of Life, Kenya. Matthews Mwal’wa is the pastor of A.I.C. in Nairobi and has a vibrant, effective ministry. Penninah, married to Dr. Titus Kivunzi, has exemplified the life and fruit of a godly woman who supports and helps her husband in ministry. I have met one or two other siblings whose names I have now forgotten, but they too are vibrant examples of Africa’s future in Christ.”

“As stalwart Christian men and women grow, they must become the salt and light in society. As Christians stand up and speak out and demand integrity and honesty and charity in society and among their political leaders – as Christians become part of the solution to a new Africa instead of being part of the problem – Africa will overcome her problems in the generations to come.”

“Africa or America or any other continent can be transformed through new birth in Christ, biblical exposition and teaching of the Word of God from the pulpit and in the home, growth in Christian virtues and shunning of sinful vices, attainment of a sound education, diligent work and humility in seeking to please God in all things – over several generations, this will transform Africa and the world.”

Tragically, the Christian virtues and values that have made the West strong in the past are fast disappearing. Christian Homes are becoming a distinct minority in the sea of the pagan wasteland that is America today. America today is in need of missionaries from Africa and elsewhere because we have forsaken our rich Christian heritage.

I must add Part Five because the Bible has a lot to say about riches and poverty.

See Part Five.

We are All of One Blood

The Tonga say, “The cold of the winter is the lion of the old people.” That is, “Old people like the warmth and fear the cold.” Here in Florida my feet are freezing and my legs are cold because of the arctic blast of cold air has reached us.

When you scratch below the surface of racial features and cultural differences, we find that we are all of one blood, created in the image of God, fallen, and all in need of the Savior. "[God] made from one man every nation of mankind..." Acts 17:26

The Riches and Poverty of Africa

THE RICHES AND POVERTY OF AFRICA
PART THREE

“Absence of an Enabling Environment. While one may change the above mentioned things, there remains a very important issue, the absence of an enabling environment. Corruption (a problem of dishonesty) and mismanagement (a problem of cultural values) work together to destroy an enabling environment for development. It has been said that 60% of Africa’s problems are due to corruption and 40% is due to poor management. A serious restraint on development in Africa is corruption and mismanagement of the many co-operatives and government agencies which serve the people. Those who grow coffee, tea and sugar cane, find that their pay is either squandered through dishonesty or poor management of the co-operatives. Their income is often delayed by many months. This can only lead to discouragement, disinterest, strikes and loss of initiative. Roads, telephones, electricity, all necessary parts of the infrastructure for business, are seriously wanting. This is due, not simply to poverty, but to corruption. Money designated for roads is not faithfully used for that. Bribes are regularly demanded for routine services. Many international projects designed to alleviate poverty by providing educational seminars; facilities and equipment are thwarted by corruption. International and national aid for famine relief is siphoned off by the politicians for personal gain. Africa has many capable managers and administrators. But unfortunately, it is not what you know but who you know that leads to employment and promotion. Relationships are often more important for employment than knowledge and skills. Hence people are placed in management positions because they have the right ethnic connections and not because of their knowledge and skills.

“Frequent wars, violence and social upheavals. Over the past twenty years [written in 2002], many wars and conflicts in Africa have set back development. Right now or within the past few years, war has been waged in the Sudan (for 20 years), the Congo (intermittently for 40 years), Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Uganda, Angola (since independence) and elsewhere. People flee from their homeland and become refugees in another country. They leave behind fertile land that lies uncultivated. The education of the youth is interrupted. The youth are enlisted in the violent conflict. Inability to resolve conflicts and generate peace has caused some wars to continue for well over ten or twenty or thirty years. These conflicts may be over ethnic or religious or personal issues. But it is the masses who suffer and social and economic development suffers enormously.”

“One may wonder what all this has to do with a Christian missionary seeking to evangelize and disciple Africa for Christ? The unspoken part of our lives as missionaries are the persistent problems which arise from poverty that surrounds us. Requests for money are unending. These are not selfish desires but life and death issues such as food for the table, fees for education, medicine for the sick, work for the jobless - it goes on and on. During our recent safari the pain of poverty was driven home to us as never before.”

PLEASE let me know if you can think of other reasons that contribute to the poverty in Africa – and if you disagree with some of my thoughts in Parts Two and Three.

CONTINUED IN PART FOUR

The Riches and Poverty of Africa

THE RICHES AND POVERTY OF AFRICA


PART TWO

“The poverty of Africa is pervasive, persistent and endemic because the reasons are complex. No simple answer explains it. Sometimes you hear of the burdensome foreign debt owed by the African governments, or the devastating economic loss that came from slavery two centuries ago. Poverty surely is not a racial problem for there are many intelligent, capable and prospering Africans in every country. I have concluded that poverty in Africa is due to a complex set of reasons including the following. When conferring with some African friends, they concurred with my thoughts. It may be that more can be said, but at least these reasons point in the right direction. And the significant thing is that the authentic Christian gospel which transforms lives is at the heart of the solution to Africa’s problems.”

“Lack of Education. Most people lack proper training. This is much more than the 3 R’s (reading, [w]riting and [a]rithmetic), for a large number of people can read, write and count. Much of what we take for granted in America is learned in the homes and understood as a basic part of a strong, Christian family. This includes such things as hygiene and the basic knowledge of maintaining health; the use of money - earning energetically, spending wisely and saving faithfully; maintenance of a house, furniture and equipment, including how to care for such things so that unnecessary damage does not occur. By care one can preserve things and extend the life of clothes, radios, furniture, and ceiling boards (leaking roofs). ‘A shilling saved is a shilling earned,’ as the saying goes. By preserving what you have, you increase your material wellbeing without depending on large sums of income.

“Cultural Restraints. Certain aspects of African culture militate against prosperity. For example, acute jealousy may arise when another appears to succeed. Any show of wealth in some rural areas will result in witchcraft and cursing directed toward that person. This discourages hard work, development and planning that lead to prosperity. In Ethiopia there has been no private property for centuries. Peasants can be moved anytime from the land and the property they have developed is lost. This policy is anti-development. The African traditional desire for many children, deeply rooted in African culture, in this modern era creates enormous burdens on the parents who simply cannot feed, clothe and educate their children. The communal aspect of African life, while beautiful in its own way, creates a burden. Those who are industrious and work hard are asked for food and material help by those members of the family who are lazy. Many admit that they lose their possessions and become poor when compelled culturally to share their possessions with others in the family. A culture which promotes asking and assisting instead of self reliance may also contribute to poverty.”

“Lack of a Work Ethic. While many people do work hard and are progressing, many are content with little. This is evident in the rural areas where cultivatable land sets idle because they fail to work and till the ground. Somehow, they tend to be passive, accepting poverty as their lot. Stubborn and harsh realities discourage them from making greater effort. Through lack of education, lack of vision and understanding, lack of initiative, they simply accept life as it is with its burdensome poverty. They experience so much in life that they cannot change, such as poor government, poor roads, poor medical facilities, poor education and poor rains, so that they tend to be passive, fatalistic and content with only enough to survive. Many lack the energy, vision or understanding to progress and instead only do what must be done to survive.”

“A Lifestyle that Wastes Money. A sinful lifestyle saps what little may be earned. For example, smoking, drinking, drugs, discos, prostitution and various forms of entertainment are a sheer waste of material resources. Drunkenness is pervasive among the men so that what little money they may have is squandered on wasteful living. Prostitution saps a man’s wealth, energy and time away from building a strong family. In contrast, a Christian who lives a clean life, cares for his family (clothes, feeds and educates his children), is faithful to his wife and invests his money in his family, will improve his home. He is present in the home to teach and guide. It is a known, confirmed truth that a strong Christian heritage gradually lifts people from their poverty to middle class because they conserve what little they have and invest it wisely in profitable adventures rather than wasting it on a sinful lifestyle.”

CONTINUED IN PART THREE

The Riches and Poverty of Africa

THE RICHES AND POVERTY OF AFRICA


PART ONE

[The following was an email I sent to our supporters in August, 2002, after our memorable trip to visit our graduates from Scott Theological College in seven African nations – Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Malawi, and Tanzania. After you read the whole series of four parts, I would be happy to receive your feedback.]

“For the past thirty four years we have lived and worked in Kenya with its rich beauty and natural wealth mingled with wrenching poverty of people surviving with meagre resources. During our recent opportunity of visiting seven different African countries, from Ethiopia in the north with its ancient peoples and culture, to Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland and Namibia in the south, I have done a lot of thinking and enquiring. Why does Africa have so many riches mingled with such pervasive and endemic poverty?”

“Africa is a beautiful continent which is rich in natural resources. Africa cannot take a back seat to “America the beautiful” in its diversity of natural beauty and resources. Every country we visited was unique in its splendour. The awesome lakes in the Great Rift Valley are jewels in Africa that stretch from Ethiopia in the north, through Uganda and Kenya, down into southern Africa, moving into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. We saw the water plunging out of Lake Victoria into the tributary that flows into the Nile. It takes three months for the water to flow 4,000 miles to the Nile delta. We walked beside the longest shelf of falling water in the world where 550 million litres fall 300 feet into the gorge every minute, sending mist 1,500 feet into the air. It is awesome. In the vernacular language these falls are called, “The smoke that thunders.” David Livingstone called them the Victoria Falls. We travelled over the vast Central African Savannah grass lands where elephant grass grows fifteen feet tall and the whole of central Africa receives plentiful rainfall for all kinds of rich agriculture. We saw the tiny but beautiful monarchy of Swaziland perched on the mountains of southern Africa with mountain streams flowing everywhere. Though Namibia is a desert country with the Namib to the west along the Atlantic ocean (the oldest and driest desert in the world) and the Kalahari desert on the east sweeping into Botswana, the country is actually rich in mineral wealth. In fact all these countries have mineral wealth which is the envy of the world - tin, copper, bauxite, coal, gold, diamonds, oil and uranium.”

“But mingled with all the natural beauty and resources, I frequently became depressed by the pervasive, persistent and endemic poverty everywhere. Yes, the wealthy class is always present in these countries. When arriving in Zambia, the first place Bishop Shamapani took us was a modern shopping mall recently built by a South African company. I was dumb struck. I thought, “Has Zambia overtaken Kenya in economic development?” Inside the mall one would have thought he was in some electronic store in the modern West – wide aisles stocked with electronic goods that staggered my mind. But we soon discovered that Zambia is a very, very poor country with people subsisting on this fertile land. Yes, a rich minority but the masses in poverty. Zambia is a country with so much land occupied and developed by so few people that the Zambian government is actually inviting white, commercial farmers from Zimbabwe and South Africa to take possession of empty portions of the land and develop it. People in all the countries where we visited (except Uganda) felt that their country was economically depressed. Ethiopia is reckoned the second poorest country in Africa even though they trace their history back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and even though Ethiopia became a Christian monarchy in the fourth century. Why?”

CONTINUED IN PART TWO

Christianity and Spiritual Warfare in Africa

CHRISTIANITY AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN AFRICA

Part Three

The Christian Church has been firmly founded in Africa and there are many vibrant Christians committed to Jesus Christ. They show by their lives of commitment that they truly are disciples of Christ. But those who are truly discipled are a distinct minority with the masses of “Christians” either nominal in their confession or weak in their understanding and obedience to the Word of God. The peoples and the countries wherever we went are wide open to the Gospel. Africa has not yet reached a state, as found in the West, where the peoples oppose Christianity and resist the Gospel. This is the day for the Christian Church to fulfill the Great Commission in Africa.

We must not give up on Africa, either in despair because of its failure to progress, or in the belief that Africa is now Christian and can evangelize their own people without the help of western missionaries. The greatest need in Africa today, as we see it, is biblical teaching of the Christians and the training of church leaders. So many, many evangelical denominations in these countries are tiny and need a boost in evangelistic zeal. So many denominations have only a small percentage of trained pastors. The result is that many Christians are not being taught the deep truths of Scripture and challenged to devote themselves fully to Christ. In many ways the Christian Church in Africa is the victim of her own success. The churches have grown so rapidly that they have not been able to provide adequate numbers of well trained shepherds to disciple the flock. We need missions and missionaries who can come along side the national Christians with a sensitive and humble spirit to assist them in becoming all that God intends them to be, firmly rooted in the Word of God. There is so much confusion everywhere, a cacophony of different theologies and ideologies that Christians must become confused without deep teaching from Scripture. In Machakos, our neighboring town in Kenya, with 30,000 people (precise figure is not known), there are 37 different kinds of churches (this I counted recently).

Our visit to these Scott graduates has confirmed my conviction that the ministry of Scott Theological College, along with other similar ministries of leadership training, is the most strategic and important ministry today in Africa. Together with this, we need to find creative ways of providing Bible teaching with practical application so that the anemic and weak Christians can grow. We need to find ways to provide in-service training for pastors to help them continue to grow in the Lord. And above all else, we need to continue to pray and work for revival in our churches. A revitalized and renewed Christian Church will be energetic in their witness, faithful in their personal lives and eager to reach out to the lost who still do not know the Lord.

FINIS

Christianity and Spiritual Warfare in Africa

CHRISTIANITY AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN AFRICA
Part Two

In the limited circles of Kampala, the capital of Uganda where we stayed one week, there was evidence of education and Christian faith. The Anglican Church we attended had a vibrant service which became my favourite of all the churches we attended during our twelve weeks of travel. It combined solid biblical truth in hymns, liturgy, two Scripture readings and an expository message from the Word, with enthusiastic singing, dancing and praising God by the people for twenty minutes. The people were well dressed, English is the official language of Uganda (as was true in every other country we visited, except Ethiopia) and we found churches everywhere. However, a missionary told us that just beneath the surface one finds deep, traditional, cultic beliefs in ancestral spirits and mystical powers. Indeed, when we visited the Kasubi tombs where the last four kings of the Baganda were buried we could detect an underlying world view of spiritism. More than seventy descendants of the late kings’ wives still live there and several are always in the building. They perform rituals and give offerings for the dead. The well being of the Baganda depends on these offerings to the spirits of the dead kings.

In Swaziland where 80% claim to be Christian only 19% are church members. 50% of all church members belong to one of 73 Zionist denominations which are mostly syncretistic without knowledge of the Gospel. Swaziland prides itself in its strong traditional culture but this includes performing rituals and ceremonies for the dead. Christians in a couple’s seminar we attended from an evangelical church admitted that most of the Christians, even in the evangelical churches, perform these rituals simply because it is Swazi culture, without any understanding that this is anathema before God.

Pentecostal type of Christianity (both mission churches and African indigenous churches) is sweeping over Africa with its emotional extremes, theological errors and lack of biblical depth. In Ethiopia, during the years of persecution under the Marxist government when all churches were closed, the Christians clung together for survival in house churches with constantly changing locations and times. As a result of this mixture and lack of biblical teaching, all churches tend to be similar in their theology and Christian practice. In one SIM daughter church during a choir number, one woman jumped to her feet in hysteria, made some emotional outburst and then collapsed to her seat. When I inquired later what this meant, I was informed that she had just been “filled with the Spirit.” I was greatly disturbed as we attended church after church, how seldom there was Scripture reading in the service. Even in the best of churches, there was no Scripture reading. The message we heard in Addis Ababa was nothing but random talk about Christ’s death and resurrection without any biblical basis, theme or biblical instruction. Worship is becoming louder, nosier, more emotional and ecstatic, with the focus seemingly on how good one feels rather than focusing on God and praising him for his glory and greatness.

When we were in Malawi I asked one Malawian what he felt was the greatest need in the church. He thought for a minute and then replied, “Revival.” Many churches have lost the Gospel through a liberal theology. Others have lost their zeal for evangelism and devotion to the Lord. Church leaders are often pre-occupied with retaining their position and see the educated younger clergy as a threat to them. Thus church growth is squelched. The Presbyterian Church in Malawi opposes evangelism and excommunicates anyone who claims to be “born again.” They desire to co-exist in peace with the Muslims which are now spreading rapidly because the President is Muslim and the Arab oil wealth is pouring into the country. Evangelical churches founded by faith missions have lost their zeal for evangelism in several South African countries we were in. Those with an evangelistic zeal are seen as a threat to the leaders who were never known for evangelistic outreach.

So what is our conclusion? There is a spiritual warfare going on in the African continent. On the one hand, there is the voice of the Christian Church, over radio and TV, in public arenas and official circles and within the churches. But competing for the attention of the peoples are two other voices: the traditional attraction of African religion with its mystical powers and dependence on the ancestral spirits and witchcraft, and the modern attraction of materialism, hedonism and humanism. On one bus we heard the gospel sung and preached and later on saw a western movie full of violence and lust.

CONTINUED IN PART THREE

Christianity and Spiritual Warfare in Africa

CHRISTIANITY AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN AFRICA
Part One

In the year 2000, prior to our retirement after thirty-six years of ministry in Kenya, East Africa, God gave Flo and me the marvelous privilege of traveling to seven different African countries to visit our former students whom we taught at Scott Theological College in Kenya, the Chartered Private University of the Africa Inland Church in Kenya with some 5,000 churches.

Arising out of our three months visit to these graduates, I did a lot of reflection on many issues. Following is Part One of a three part series on my Reflections of Christianity and Spiritual Warfare in Africa which I prepared in August of 2000.

Those who come from abroad to visit us in Africa are impressed by the strong presence of Christianity. Indeed, the Christian Church is widespread and the Christians are vibrant in their worship and testimony. Never before in the history of the Christian Church has a whole continent been converted to Christianity within one century. As we visited seven African nations to spend time with our Scott graduates, we saw living evidence of the dynamic presence of Christianity everywhere.

Ethiopia embraced Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century. The late Emperor, Haile Sellasie, traced his roots to King Solomon and the queen of Sheba. He was a faithful member of the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Church which remains orthodox to this day in its Trinitarian doctrine derived from Alexandria in Egypt and Athanasius, the champion of orthodoxy. During the fifteen years under Marxism and since its overthrow the Christian church in Ethiopia has exploded exponentially in numbers. The Lutheran church which does preach the Gospel has exploded from 57,000 in 1967 to 2,000,000 today. The SIM daughter church has grown even more.

Uganda has a marvelous history of Christian faith which includes the birth place of the East African Revival in the 1930’s which transformed the spiritual landscape of the country.

In southern Africa David Livingstone left his mark, not only with landmarks of his pioneering journeys and museums displaying his relics, but missions and churches that sprang up through his vision. The Blantyre Mission was founded in Malawi in 1876 through his inspiration. Named after the home town of David Livingstone in Scotland, the modern industrial city of Blantyre in Malawi grew up around the mission station. Today the Presbyterian Church is virtually in every corner of Malawi together with other churches.

The President of Zambia, a born again Christian, declared several years ago that Zambia was a Christian nation. When travelling in Zambia I was impressed with a Christian radio station playing gospel music and preaching the gospel on a public bus. It was not uncommon to find in many places Christian music being played in stores and public places.

When we arrived in Swaziland we were warmly greeted outside the airport with a large sign, “Welcome to Swaziland. We love you but Jesus loves you more.” 80% of Swazi’s are “Christian” by their own profession. The government has built a Christian Church beside the Parliament where public official religious services are held. The king and queen mother frequently preach.

But the visitor to Africa who sees and hears all of this can be easily deceived. In fact, there is spiritual warfare being waged in Africa and those who truly know the Lord are a remnant among the masses. Never before has there been greater need for discipling, biblical teaching and leadership training than there is today. The fact is that not far below the surface of public confessions of Christian faith, there is evidence of nominalism, syncretism and divided allegiance.

CONTINUED IN PART TWO

Worship and Culture

WORSHIP AND CULTURE

In Kenya I worked with the Theological Advisory Group Research Team on worship. Of all the various research teams this was my favorite. It was composed of pastors and Bible College teachers from many backgrounds, including Gikuyu, Luo, Akamba, Kalenjin, a white South African and an American. In our discussion it was apparent that culture affects one’s style of worship. To think that all Africans are the same is a major error. The Gikuyu and Luo are much more emotional in their expression of worship. The Kalenjin kept saying, we need a balance between the emotions and the mind. And of course many white Americans are even less emotional outwardly.

The most important biblical teaching on worship are Jesus’s words to the Samaritan woman, “God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24). Indeed, the Kalenjin were right, we need a balance between “spirit” and “truth.”

“Truth” is the objective element in worship that guides us in worship that is acceptable to God according to his revealed Word. Truth must continually shape our forms, expressions and modes of worship. Who is God? What does He require of us? What pleases him? How can I worship God in a manner that honors him? This is a fundamental issue.

This means that the Word of God must play a formative role in all of our worship. Tragically, this is often not the case. Where the reading and preaching and teaching of Scripture is sidelined, people may lose their moorings and move into troubled areas that do not honor the Lord.

But worship that honors God must not only be “in truth” but also “in spirit.” This refers to the inner part of our human nature. Worship is not formal and external ceremonies. Many have the erroneous notion that when they participate in all the elements of worship on Sunday morning they have worshipped. The service may be rich in truth with great hymns of the faith, Scripture reading and expository preaching. And yet the person has not truly honored God because he has not worshipped “in spirit.” To worship God “in spirit” means that we must worship God with our whole inner person, sincerely and from our heart. We must mean and feel what we sing and pray. We must be real and genuine.

Our “spirit” is taught and molded by many factors, including our naturally born temperaments and personalities, our traditions of worship and the cultural milieu in which we grew. Culture is all learned behavior, values and traditions. Our spirits are deeply affected by what we learn. That is the reason there is such a deep divide between the youth who have grown up with one form of music and the adults who have learned to appreciate a different form of music. If you think there are music wars in the American church, “you ain’t seen nothing.” Adults in Kenya grew up with a worship experience shaped by the missionaries. The youth today have grown up with Christian Unions in their schools. We need to learn from each other.

Music is a form of language. Just as we learn Kiswahili or English, we learn different forms of worship. I am able to worship with certain forms of music. Other music simply turns me off. But I recognize that my “spirit” has been nurtured by my past church and cultural experience growing up. I need to learn to respect and accept others who feel they need other forms of music to worship and they need to understand and respect me.

Worship that pleases God is worship that is “in spirit” and “in truth.” We cannot truly worship unless God’s Word shapes our worship so that we honor God in ways that He has revealed. Neither can we worship “in spirit,” from our hearts, unless we consider the cultural factors which make worship meaningful to the worshipper.

In the end we can only worship God truly when the Spirit of God energizes, motivates and enables us to worship. In this sense we worship God “in Spirit” as the Spirit of God enables our spirits to worship.

Theology of Predestination, Part Seven

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART SEVEN

Continued from Part Six

Perhaps one more word needs to be said in support of my understanding of predestination. The key is the biblical meaning of FOREKNOWLEDGE. “For those whom he FOREKNEW he also PREDESTINED…(Rom. 8:28f). If you are foreknown you will surely be glorified. This is our assurance. Understanding what FOREKNOWLEDGE means in this context is the key.

Arminians believe that God foreknows THAT certain individuals will believe the gospel and on that basis God elects them. That is not the way I understand the Scripture. Let me list my arguments for believing that FOREKNOWLEDGE in this context means that God has known us before hand in a particular way of choosing us. Foreknowledge is based on God’s eternal will of choosing and loving beforehand, not on the basis of what he foreknew we would do.

1. The English dictionary defines “foreknowledge” only as prescience, knowing something ahead of time. That is what we are familiar with in English. But the Bible was not written in English and all words anywhere are defined by the context.

2. It is true that the Greek word for foreknowledge in the Bible can mean “know beforehand, in advance” (II Pet. 3:17). But it also means “choose beforehand” (Arndt and Gingrich Greek Lexicon). In I Peter 1:20 we read, “He was CHOSEN before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (NIV)” (KJ says “foreordained,” ESV says “foreknown”). Clearly, Jesus was not just known beforehand; he was chosen and foreordained to die on the cross.

Romans 11:2 is clearly not a passive foreknowledge or prescience when Paul writes: “God did not reject his people whom he foreknew.” The context speaks of God choosing Israel/the remnant by grace 11:5. Israel was a CHOSEN people and his remnant was chosen. God did not simply know them beforehand. God knows all things perfectly from eternity past. God’s foreknowledge in our salvation goes beyond prescience.

3. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that divine election is based on God’s foreknowledge that we would believe. NOWHERE does it say that.

4. Romans 8:28 does not say that God foreknew THAT we would do anything. It says God foreknew us. That is a big difference. He foreknew us, according to Romans 8:28; he did not simply foreknow that we would believe. That is extra canonical.

5. We are not free to pick and choose whichever definition we prefer. The context determines the meaning, and the context of Romans 8:28 clearly indicates a “choosing,” a knowing with a preference. All Greek lexicons affirm this.

For me this divine act of election is abundantly clear. It is equally clear that we have a responsibility to repent and believe; we have a responsibility to preach, teach, pray, evangelize and use all means possible to bring people to Christ. It is unbiblical to be passive in evangelism, to assume that the elect will be saved without your help or mine.

How do we resolve this dilemma of reconciling the divine act of election with our human responsibility? We cannot, anymore than we can resolve the mystery of the Incarnation.

Theology of Predestination, Part Six

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART SIX

Continued from Part Five

I believe that the Bible teaches that on this side of the veil we pray for the lost, preach the gospel and plead with them, reason with them and beseech them to turn to Christ, to decide for Christ and to seek God with all their hearts. We should follow Paul and use all means to bring people to Christ.

How they are saved is the mystery. Daniel Whittle’s hymn speaks to this thought, “I know not how this saving faith to me He did impart, nor how believing in his Word wrought peace within my heart.” For five stanzas he confesses, “I know not why…I know not how…I know not what…I know not when…” “BUT I KNOW whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day.” What is not clearly revealed in Scripture I leave with God to sort out. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Dt. 29:29).

On a different note, Paul had the audacity to say that “some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good-will…But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil. 1:15ff). If Paul could rejoice over the preaching of the gospel by those with false motives and malicious attitudes toward him, how much more should we rejoice when the gospel is preached by those who do not subscribe to the particular theology that we have adopted, and do not practice our forms of evangelism?

To make snide remarks about those who preach the gospel, to question their motives, to repudiate their efforts in evangelism because they do not dot the i’s and cross the t’s in their theology as we wish they would has brought me much pain and grief. We need bigger hearts and more humility to recognize that maybe we also have blind spots. Jesus taught us, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” We all need mercy because we all fall short.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (I Cor. 13:12). In glory we will know more perfectly than we know down here. In the mean time we seek to follow Paul’s example of using “all possible means” to win men and women to Christ. And we do not become upset when others say that the sun sets when in fact we know that the sun only sets from our standpoint.

Continued in Part Seven

Theology of Predestination, Part Five

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART FIVE

Continued from Part Four

Two aspects of our salvation cannot be reconciled or comprehended by our finite mind – God’s eternal election and Man’s responsibility.

The Bible teaches that man is born spiritually dead. That is biblical (Eph. 2). Exactly, what does this mean? The text does not explain the meaning of “dead.” Does this mean that he has no living, relationship with God, no spiritual life, no hope of life eternal? Clearly this is taught in the Bible (Romans 3:9-18; Ephesians 4:17-19). Does Ephesians 2 mean that man has no consciousness of God, no sense of right and wrong given by God, no spiritual sensitivities? Clearly this is not true (Romans 2:12-16).

Does the spiritual deadness of mankind mean that man is unable in any way to respond to the gospel until he is regenerated first by God? How do we logically put together this conundrum concerning God’s sovereign election, and mankind’s spiritual deadness with human responsibility to repent and believe the gospel?

Today we speak of the sun rising and setting, not simply because this is traditional but because this is the way it appears to our eyes; even though we know that the earth moves around the sun, not the other way around. In the same manner we may speak of man’s activities which lead to his salvation – indeed, they are commanded in Scripture – even while we understand that behind all of our turning, God is sovereignly working out his eternal purposes.

Ravi Zacharias, the brilliant apologist, makes various comments in his book, “Walking from East to West.” “But my hungers went unfulfilled until I FOUND HIM.” Is this semi-pelagian? Can a man find God or does God find him. He states, “I was very clear in my mind as I left the hospital with my mother that I had MADE A COMMITMENT to Christ. It was the most striking and MOST NOBLE-MINDED DECISION I HAD EVER MADE. My life now belonged to Jesus Christ.” Is the plea for people to “decide” for Christ semi-pelagian? Can those who believe in election and innate spiritual deadness of natural man call invite people to decide for Christ? When Ravi spoke to a hostile crowd, they quieted down and began to listen. “When I gave the invitation at the end, the response was overwhelming – nearly one hundred in that audience of just over two hundred RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION to turn their lives over to Christ.”

Is this unbiblical talk? Not in my book. We speak in human terms – choosing and deciding. At the same time we recognize that only God can bring new life to this person. Let us not become unbalanced by neglecting either the divine work of God in salvation or the human responsibility God has placed in our hands.

A critic of D.L. Moody cornered him, finding fault with Moody in his evangelistic crusades and altar calls. Moody responded, “And what is your method of evangelism?” The critic stuttered and replied that he had no method. “In that case, Moody said, “I like my method better than yours.”

Continued in Part Six

Theology of Predestination, Part Four

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART FOUR

Continued from Part Three

This mystery of our salvation pertains to the so-called “order of salvation.”

Those in the Reformed camp believe that the steps leading to our salvation proceed in this order:
1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call, 4) effectual (or inner) call, 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (including both faith and repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, 9) glorification.

Those in the Arminian camp have a different order: 1) outward call, 2) faith, 3) election based on God’s foreknowledge that a sinner would believe the outward call of the gospel, 4) repentance, 5) regeneration, 6) justification, 7) perseverance, 8) glorification.

The only place in the Bible that I know of where there is an “order of salvation” explicitly enunciated is in Romans 8:28-30. The biblical order is this: 1) divine foreknowledge, 2) predestined, 3) called, 4) justified, 5) glorified. “Foreknowledge” is the key. Clearly, this is not a foreknowledge that a person would believe. Nowhere does the text teach this. Election is not based on God’s foreknowledge about anything in the person. God foreknows a person, and he does this in the sense that he sets his preferential love upon him (Rom. 11:2). Election proceeds from God’s foreknowledge of the person – his preferential love and choice of the person.

Having come to this personal conclusion, you might say this puts me into the Reformed camp. True, but not fully. I prefer to leave mystery where the Bible has mystery. The Bible teaches, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). From this text I gather that in order to be saved you must believe. That is what Scripture says. Can a person be saved without being regenerated or born again? Can a person be saved without believing? Faith in Christ is required before salvation is granted according to the text.

We are told, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rom. 10:14,15). Clearly, man is not a puppet. Man has a responsibility.

I am well aware of the arguments made in defense of the Reformed position of the order of salvation but they depend on logical deduction not explicit biblical teaching.

I would prefer to emphasize what Scripture clearly teaches and joyfully embrace the mysteries which the Word of God reveals. As someone has said, on this side of the Pearly Gates we see a welcoming sign into heaven, “Whosoever will to the Lord may come.” That is biblical (Rev. 22:17). But on the inside of the Pearly Gates is this inscription, “You did not choose me but I chose you.” This is also biblical (Jh. 15:16).

Continued in Part Five

Theology of Predestination, Part Three

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART THREE

Continuation of Part Two

I find the truth of the Incarnation (which I discussed in Part Two) to be analogous to our Salvation.

Our salvation includes the Divine work of grace and our Human responsibility to respond to the gospel with repentance and faith, and to evangelize the lost. The two may appear to be contradictory but I embrace them both because God teaches this in his Word.
After many years of reading the Bible over and over again, I have concluded fully and unequivocally that God has chosen his people, he has predestined his elect, not on the basis of foreknowing what anyone would do, whether they would believe or not. God has truly chosen before the foundation of the world those whom he would save for reasons known to himself alone (Jh. 6:44; 10:26; Rom. 8:28-3). This foreknowledge of God by which God’s people are elect (I Pet. 1:1,2), is not a passive, intellectual knowledge beforehand of what we would do. God’s foreknowledge is active, favoring the object with love and care (Acts 2:23; Rom. 11:2). This is the Divine side of our salvation; God’s predetermined election of his people.

At the same time Scripture teaches that men and women have a responsibility to repent, believe, obey and turn to the Lord. They are not puppets. We are commanded to pray for the conversion of the lost, to witness and evangelize.

Let’s think of the ministry of Paul. He did not approach evangelism with a detached, passive attitude, as if the elect would be saved with or without his effort. He felt “unceasing anguish” for his lost Jewish brethren because they were lost (Rom. 9:2). He toiled and labored with sleepless nights and hunger (II Cor. 6:4f). Paul affirmed, “I have become all things to all men so that BY ALL MEANS I might save some.” Think of it! Paul used ALL MEANS to bring people to Christ. He strategized on how best to evangelize and decided that he should preach the gospel only in those cities with Jewish synagogues where he found the most responsive hearers.

How can we then put these two biblical truths together? On the one hand, God and God alone predestines those who will be saved. No one can be saved unless God chooses them and elects them and no one who is not elect will be saved. On the other hand, man must turn to God, repent of his sin, believe in Christ, confess with his mouth and obey the Word of God. How do we reconcile this paradoxical teaching of Scripture of God’s election and human responsibility to repent and believe?

When we become unbalanced, we over emphasize either the Divine or the Human. Those who focus on God’s election fear the use of all kinds of means – altar calls, evangelistic crusades, passionate persuasion to receive Christ. Those who over emphasize the Human erroneously think they can usher men and women into the Kingdom through many persuasive means, that salvation depends on them. In my book, both are wrong.

To be continued in Part Four

Theology of Predestination, Part Two

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART TWO

Continued from Part One.

The mystery surrounding the Incarnation is similar to the mystery surrounding the sovereign work of God and the human responsibility of responding to the gospel. I see an analogy between the Incarnation (the sovereign, eternal God becoming flesh) and God’s salvation of his elect.

We believe that Jesus is truly God (Jh. 1:1-14) and truly man (Lk. 2:40; Heb. 2:14). Think of it! God is infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, self-existent, the eternal Spirit. Man is finite, limited in his power and knowledge, created out of dust, born in time with a corporeal body. This God-Man is both truly God and truly human. As Paul confessed, “Great is the mystery of godliness.”

In the early Church theories abounded, trying to explain this mystery so that it made logical sense, but one by one they were dismissed as heresies. The Christian Church finally concluded that Jesus is one Person with two Natures, a human nature and a divine nature, each being complete and perfectly joined in one Person. What does this really mean? Does this explanation really help me to comprehend the mystery of the Incarnation? This ecclesiastical conclusion may be true but it only raises more questions. For me, the Incarnation remains a mystery, but a mystery which I joyfully embrace and believe. Jesus was fully God and fully Man – the God-Man – whom we trust but cannot fathom in our finite minds.

The Christian faith is filled with mystery, theological truth that is beyond human comprehension. Instead of trying to make a water-tight logical system of beliefs, we need to embrace our faith joyfully by agreeing upon the truths that Scripture clearly teaches (Jesus is truly God manifest in a human body), rather than speculating and conjuring a rationalistic system of theology which can only divide the Church.

To be continued in Part Three

Theology of Predestination

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART ONE

Dear Rich,

Recently we had some vigorous exchanges about theology and predestination. Then everything went silent. I thought it would be helpful for me as well as you to record some of my musings on theology and predestination in order to clarify any misunderstandings.

To say that I have not been influenced by others in the formation of my theology would be both dishonest and stupid. I have graduated from Berean Bible School, Wheaton College, Wheaton College Graduate School, Gordon Divinity School (now Gordon Conwell Seminary), Fuller Theological Seminary, and attended Westminster Theological Seminary. I have taught Bible and Theology and studied books to prepare my courses. I have written books on theology. Of course! Others have played their part in shaping my theology, but I am Pennsylvania Dutch and a bit stubborn. I struggle in accepting other people’s thoughts unless I am persuaded by Scripture and I can be very slow in this. I want to submit only to the clear teachings of Scripture. My own theology has been largely shaped over the years through my reading and reading and reading of Scripture. Perhaps that explains in part why I am still in the process of developing a personal understanding of Scripture at the age of 74. It takes a life time to reinvent the wheel.

I notice that Scripture is not a SYSTEMATIC theological treatise. Men have sought to construct a system of theology but I have resisted “systems” of theology from the first day I heard of this in the early 1950s. Of course I must admit that even I have a “system” of theology with a coherent set of beliefs. But I prefer Biblical Theology to Systematic Theology because Scripture is not so clear at certain points. I live with paradoxes and mysteries without feeling a need to develop a tightly reasoned, logically coherent system of theology that makes rational sense but which is based on specious interpretations of Scripture. Where Scripture is not clear, let us accept this lack of clarity instead of foisting our logical clarity on it.

I begin my study of Scripture with total confidence in its absolute authority and inerrancy. Jesus, whom I have accepted as my Lord and Savior, clearly teaches his supreme confidence in the truthfulness, reliability and final authority of Scripture (Mt. 5:17-18; Jh. 17:17). Since he is my Lord, I bow to his wisdom. The apostles also taught the authoritative inspiration of Scripture (II Tim. 3:16).

To be continued in Part Two

Scott Theological College, a Chartered Private University in Kenya

When rummaging through my old papers I came across this description of Scott Theological College where Flo and I served in Kenya. The big day was the Award-of-Charter Ceremony.

“For me the highlight of the ceremony was the speech read by the Chairman of the Commission for Higher Education, Dr. Davy Koech. I had expected a formal, official recognition that Scott had met the standards of accreditation and was therefore being granted a charter. But he much most sounded as though he was a great supporter and defender of Scott. With the Vice Chancellors (Presidents) of three public universities and two private universities present, he upheld Scott as a model to follow. He extolled the Field Education and Learning Contracts utilized at Scott. He lauded the research sponsored by Scott, including the fifteen year publication of the Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology. He lamented that no African university in Kenya had such a commendable record. He acknowledged that by external appearances and student enrollment Scott did not appear like a university. But he declared that in fact the quality of education was golden at Scott. “All that glitters is not gold,” he said, referring to the large and well endowed universities. He observed that Scott has become the fourth private institution to be chartered and the first evangelical theological college to be chartered. He said that Scott sets the standard and model for other theological colleges to follow. Though Scott has decided to retain the name, Scott Theological Colelge, it is a recognized level institution, chartered under the universities act and offering specialized training in theologifal studies.

What a privilege we had to serve in a quality school like this.

A Funeral in Kenya

A FUNERAL IN KENYA

Jack, one of our seniors at Scott Theological College in Kenya, had lost his mother and then six weeks later his father passed away suddenly. Over a number of months he met with me on numerous occasions for comfort and encouragement. Jack was essentially an orphan and began to look up to me as his father.

The College staff felt that they should send some student and teacher representatives to attend the funeral which was hundreds of miles west in the Lake Victoria basin. I was one of two teachers sent to attend the funeral. Jack and other students drove in my car while the other teacher drove his own car packed with students. It was a three day journey (two days of travel and one day for the funeral) squeezed into our jam-packed school week.

On Saturday after the noon meal we left on our journey. Passing through Nairobi we climbed up the Central Highlands to the top of the escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley, driving on the upper road above Kijabe, then droping into the Rift Valley, passing various lakes adorned with the crimson of a million flamingoes. Then we climbed once again up into the “white highlands” and traveled into the heart of the Kenya’s tea country in Kericho. We stayed that evening at Sitotwet Training Center where an exciting Bible teaching ministry was taking place for lay people. Sunday morning we left the highlands and once again dropped precipitously into the Lake Basin, reaching Jack’s home on the plains around Lake Victoria at 9:15 A.M.

Jack and his late mother and most of his brothers and sisters are strong Christians. But the father was a nominal SDA adherent along with his uncles. The Seventh Day Adventists dominate the area along with several African Independent Churches. So the funeral was a vivid case study of syncretism.

On the one hand, the SDA minister and elders presided. Familiar Christian hymns were sung. Scripture was read and prayers made. Dr. Mark Shaw from Scott gave a brief talk, full of the gospel and hope. The congregation responded with “Amen” and support. The grave side ceremony resembled ceremonies in other Christian churches.

On the other hand, the deep seated worldview of the Luo was ever visible. The Luo believe that no one dies without a reason. Some person (a living person or a spirit) caused the death. The departed dead must be appeased and satisfied with his burial. Saturday night when the body arrived at home from Nairobi where he died, the compound was filled with loud wailing and utter confusion as they tried to demonstrate to the departed their grief over his death. Even on Sunday as the memorial service was held, mourners drifted in from the villages, wailing and crying, going to the coffin and wailing as they gazed at the corpse’s face. After the burial various ones did the same, walking back and forth, entering the house, then approaching the coffin, always trying to impress the departed of their genuine grief over his death. If someone did not express grief in this way, he might be suspected of being the cause of death.

This worldview of the Luo and most other Kenyan communities reminds me of the Roman worldview two thousand years ago. Describing the beliefs of the Romans, we read, “The supreme duty towards the dead was burial, the fundamental motive was one of self-protection, on the principle that the ghost of the dead would continue to haunt the living until a place was provided for it.”

Because of this traditional belief of the Luo, traditions remain strong. No one dare change the customs because the spirits of the dead will haunt them, punishing them for neglecting the traditions of their elders. This traditional belief exercises a conservative restraint on many Africans, deterring change and progress. No traditional rites were performed when Jack’s mother died and the funeral was led by the Africa Inland Church. Perhaps this was the cause of her husband’s death, some said. The father had not rebuilt his house after his wife died as is the custom. Perhaps that failure brought on the curse leading to the father’s death, some thought. Therefore, the family placed the casket right in front of Jack’s late father’s house, under the grass thatched eaves and with a mat in front in order to have a make-shift house to appease the departed.

Jack’s faith had always impressed me. He was always rejoicing in the Lord despite his problems. Jack had no real sponsor for his fees at Scott Theological College and often lacked fees. But his faith and Christian courage was exemplary. As we drove to the funeral and then later returned home, we sang hymns in the car. In fact, the students purposely carried College hymn books in order to sing.

Jack’s uncles had met the night before and determined that Jack should build a house the day of the funeral in order to inherit his step mother, another one of the traditions. But Jack refused. According to tradition all members of the family must remain for three days to perform various rites for the dead. When the uncle requested Jack to meet with him in the house to talk over these matters, Jack excused himself and literally ran away. He ran to the car and ordered us to leave promptly. We left immediately post haste so that he would not be forced to participate in these proceedings. Since he is the first born everything depended on Jack, according to tradition. Because Jack refused to take part in these traditional ceremonies, no doubt any future family crisis will be blamed on this failure to follow tradition.

Because we left the place of burial at 4:30 P.M., we had arranged to sleep in Nakuru, some three hours before reaching Scott Theological College in Machakos. We always tried by all means to avoid driving in the dark in Kenya. Nakuru was one of the centers for the European settlers since it had rich soil and plenty of rain. When we arrived at Nakuru around 7:30 P.M., just after dark, we found the rains had been falling in abundance and the road to the house where we planned to stay that night was deep in mud. In my thirty years of missionary service, I have never been on such roads, simply because I never ventured out on such roads in the rain because my car was only a two wheel drive station wagon with a low under carriage. When we finally got stuck, some students walked on ahead to call for help. Our host had a tractor which came to pull us out. What a sight! The big wheels of the tractor spun around, throwing huge chunks of must on our car. For one or two kilometers the tractor pulled each car, slipping and sliding, falling into ruts and ditches, and crossing over little streams of water. The terrible part was that the car was pulled through the deep ruts and on occasion it was yanked rapidly over rocks protruding in the road which wrecked the underside of the car. The other teacher’s car had to be towed away to a garage on Monday for repair before they could return home. My car was also damaged but fortunately, they were minor ones.

Back at Scott, despite losing his father and mother, Jack expressed gratitude and praise for the way the Lord had helped. He continued to come to our house periodically to share and pray as he tried to come to terms with the loss of his parents, and to find ways of meeting the needs of his younger brothers and sisters. The weekend was taxing but such experiences have always drawn me nearer to the students and helped all of grow together in the Lord.

Driving Fearlessly in Kenya

DRIVING IN KENYA

Many would testify that the best place to witness for the gospel in Kenya is in a speeding bus or “matatu” (private commercial vehicle). In these “flying coffins,” as they are called, one quickly draws near to God. Several years ago when riding one bus I discovered to my horror that the bus driver began to race another bus. Losing all sense of caution he drove furiously, passing around curves and on the crest of a hill without any visibility of oncoming traffic. Never have I prayed more earnestly in my life. Suddenly, the other bus left the scene and our bus driver settled down to a comfortable pace.

Therefore, it was with mixed reactions that we read in the Kenyan newspaper years ago concerning an international breakthrough for Kenyan matatu drivers. It seems that European motor racing companies have approached matatu owners in Kenya to secure test drivers for the 1996 season models. During the visit of one European engineer, he was impressed with the matatu drivers. “Wherever I went I was tremendously impressed by the sort of driving displayed by the matatus…I saw young Kenyans handling these overflowing buses, matatus as they call them, with tremendous speed, élan and bravery” that would make European drivers “very impressed, indeed envious.”

“Sources in the industry said there had been concern that European mechanics and test drivers lacked the stamina, imagination and courage to test prototypes to their utmost, that is, to sideswipe other vehicles, swerve into the path of oncoming cars, drive on footpaths and without lights, force pedestrians to run at high speed and test the effects of head-on crashes. ‘These were abilities I saw in no small measure in Kenya,’ the engineer said. ‘Caution is not a quality to be admired in a racing driver and these matatu men have none of it – they displayed a wonderfully carefree approach to driving, a truly spirit-releasing devil-may-care attitude.”

Two days after publishing this news report I read what I had suspected. This was an April Fool’s Day joke. Though the international aspect was imagined, the vivid description of the matatu driver was very real and true to life. No wonder that on our last Home Assignment we decided that it would be prudent to increase our life insurance policy.

Strange enough, when we retired in 2002 and began driving on America’s interstate highways with cars hurtling down these ten lane highways, I felt more fear than in Kenya with its narrow two lane highways. It is all a matter of perspective. I learned years ago that a Christian is indestructible until his work on earth is finished. Therefore, we always drove the roads in Kenya with great exhilaration and joy, and by God’s grace, we are learning to do the same here in the States.

FAITH in Times of Trials

FAITH IN TIMES OF TRIAL


Throughout our many years of marriage, Flo has manifested marvelous FAITH and godliness. As I peruse my papers covering our ministry of thirty-seven years in Kenya, I am struck by the numerous tests God brought our way. Through them all, Flo has stood strong in her living FAITH in our faithful God.

In July 1987 we were hosting a research team on prayer renewal at Kijabe, Kenya. The men slept in Moffat College of the Bible nearby while Flo cooked their meals for them in our house. Then suddenly on Wednesday we received a phone call from Pastor Dana Weller of our home church, requesting Flo to come home immediately because her father was seriously ill. Her mother had passed away unexpectedly in her old age in 1985, just weeks after we had arrived back in Kenya. Since Flo had just been with her mother weeks earlier, she never returned home for the funeral. Our pastor kindly thought that Flo should return this time and the church paid for her return fare.

The love and concern of the African brethren is always refreshing. They met with us to express their concern. We sang several hymns; they read Scripture and prayed with us. Then they released us so that we could work together in sending Flo off to the States quickly.

Flo left Nairobi for Emmaus Pennsylvania on Friday 28th August, 1987. Two days after she arrived home in Emmaus, her dad passed away. Though her father was unable to speak when Flo had returned, he squeezed her hand, acknowledging her presence. She was so grateful to be there before he passed away. Flo was his pride and joy in her missionary service. We were all shocked and stunned. Though he was 79 year old, he had been active, umpiring ball games, working in the garden and active in church until a few weeks before he passed away.

Flo was gone on her compassionate leave to visit her father for more than three weeks, arriving back home on Tuesday, September 22, 1987. Pastor Noah Thananga, a faithful brother and friend, drove with me to the airport to take Flo on August 28 and then did the same when she returned on September 22 because the journey was at night and not the safest. Immediately after her return she spent two days sprucing up the house and elevating it to her standards of cleanliness and orderliness.

Then on the following Friday at 4:00 P.M. she began to have cramps in her stomach, could not move her bowels nor eat that day. She began to have a great deal of discomfort in her stomach and by Saturday morning felt nauseated and threw up. So we went to the Kijabe Medical Center. On the basis of her symptoms and her history the doctor concluded it was a bowel blockage, similar to the bowel blockage five years earlier which required major surgery. The x-ray and blood test confirmed his diagnosis. With her condition continuing to deteriorate with vomiting and a distended stomach, they decided to operate Sunday morning. The bowel blockage was caused by adhesions. She had so many adhesions that the surgery took longer than anticipated. She remained in the hospital for twelve days.

The Lord in his grace spared her from having this medical emergency in the States or on her trip back to Kenya. Though she was released from the hospital after twelve days, she was not allowed to return home because she developed a serious infection following the surgery and needed a nurse to clean and dress the incision several times a day. So Marian Gibbon, a nurse friend with her husband, Fred, kindly invited her to stay with them to escape the institutional surroundings of the Kijabe Medical Center with its limitations of nursing care and food. Her recovery was longer, having lost fifteen pounds and finding difficulty in eating.

Flo’s thoughtful reflection on this experience is a lesson to all. “I’m thankful,” she wrote, “for the thought that it takes both sunshine and rain to make a beautiful flower. I want to be beautiful flower. I want to be beautiful so I need the dark times of life too.” Flo loves flowers. All our houses in Kenya were graced, both inside and outside, with gorgeous flowers. In Kijabe our house was noted for its beautiful flowers; and in her own life, Flo desired to be a beautiful flower for the glory of God.

What a marvelous expression of FAITH. Would to God that we could all say from our hearts, whenever trials of various kinds strike us: “I’m thankful - it takes both sunshine and rain to make a beautiful flower. I want to be a beautiful flower so I need the dark times of life too.”

Lessons Learned in Life: Miracle of Miracles

I am in the process of writing my memoirs and was reminded of this remarkable example of divine providence - not really a miracle but an example of God's gracious care and providence.

We were living in Kenya. Nathan, our son, had just graduated from Rift Valley Academy, a school for missionary kids. I decided to give him a trip to remember. We left Nairobi August 3, flying El Al Airlines to Israel and Egypt. Because El Al left in the middle of the night for security purposes, we had booked a room in Mayfield Guest House for Flo and Joy to stay. We all hit the sack for a few hours that evening before the Mayfield taxi would take us to the airport in the middle of the night. Somehow we fell asleep and were suddenly jolted by an awareness that it was time to leave and our ride was waiting outside. We quickly got up, collected our things and off we went.


However, as we drew near to the airport I discovered that my keys were missing, keys to the suitcases and trunks. Desperate, we wondered, what we should do? Since El Al is always full, we feared that if we returned to Mayfield to find the lost keys, we would lose our seats, so we decided to hope for the best. (In the excitement of the moment I am not really sure I prayed about the situation.)

El Al has devised unique ways of protecting themselves from terrorists. Instead of examining everything manually, they asked many questions to determine whether we were suspicious characters. When the El Al officials came to us, I told them our loss of keys and that they would just have to break open the trunk. Their x-ray machines of course revealed pictures of the contents. “No, no,” they said. “You don’t need to break the lock. Just tell us what is inside.” I explained that the locked trunk had a four drawer wooden cabinet which Nathan had made, the drawers being full of cassette tapes. They consulted with each other and were satisfied and waved us through.

In Israel the customs gave us no problem. Fortunately, the suitcases with our clothes had never been locked so we had access to them throughout the trip without breaking any locks. In Israel we walked the streets of Jerusalem and saw the strategic sites from biblical times. We took a bus tour to Masada and stopped by the Dead Sea, floating on the top of the saline waters.

After a few days we flew to Cairo, Egypt. Once again, for whatever reason, they did not give us problems with this locked trunk and fortunately, the unlocked suitcases were left untouched by thieves. After seeing the pyramids, the sphinx, the Cairo Museum with Pharaoh Tut’s remains, and Memphis, we flew up the Nile (going south) to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. This visit to Egypt was most fascinating to me, giving me the feel of ancient history. Nathan always said that I arranged to take him to Israel and Egypt for my benefit. While that is not entirely untrue, I would hope that he would come to appreciate his own opportunity of a life time to visit these historic sites about which we read in books and in the Bible.

Our faithful friend, Al Russell, once again met us in J. F. Kennedy Airport and brought us back to Emmaus, Pennsylvania. When the Lord brought us home to Doris Hilbert’s home (my wife's sister)where we stayed, a letter was awaiting us from Flo. Inside were the keys we had dropped accidentally in Mayfield Guest House when we quickly got up from the beds in panic and failed to look around and take care. God surely was watching over us. It is quite incredible when you think of it! We had left our own suitcases unlocked so they could be used. The one locked trunk was not a problem, even when passing through Israel and Egypt. And now in Emmaus the keys for everything were in hand. God was good to us!

God does not always work on our behalf in this dramatic way, but when he does, we can only say, "Praise the Lord."

Faith of our Fathers

FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

God never blessed me with a family of material wealth, but He greatly blessed me with a rich spiritual heritage. I can trace my lineage back for generations on both my maternal and paternal sides. They were rich in faith.

Pappy and Mammy Gehman lived into the mid 1940s. They were Pennsylvania Dutch, born and reared on a farm. My grandfather became an entrepreneur of the first order but above all he was a staunch Christian. He was generally quiet except when it came to his Christian faith. My dad always took my mother and me on an annual pilgrimage to visit his parents and siblings. Pappy Gehman died when I was eight years old. So I knew him a wee bit. In the last few years I interviewed many of my cousins who knew him well. What a treasure of Christian faith.

He knew the Lord and wanted ever so much for his children to know God as well. In their Mennonite home they had a family altar where all the children gathered for Bible reading and prayer. In their farm house they gathered around their pump organ and sang hymns. The words of one song which Pappy loved were, “Will the circle be unbroken in the sky, in the sky?”

God did work. All his nine children knew and served the Lord. One became a preacher; one married a preacher; and one became a lay Bible teacher in a youth camp for many years. But especially among his grandchildren, many became ministers of the Gospel. Fifteen of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren became “full time” servants of the Lord as preachers, missionaries, and Bible College teachers. Numerous others served actively in the church as lay leaders.

The riches of being born in a vibrant Christian home cannot be calculated. When father and mother teach their children God’s Word, and inculcate in their children the basic precepts of God’s Word, the fruit leads to a rich and rewarding life in this world and eternal life beyond.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Dt 6:4f).

My own father led our family in family worship and taught me Scripture to memorize. This Christian tradition I carried on when rearing Nathan and Joy. The result is evident.

Most of our society’s ills are due to the poor heritage that so many have these days – absentee parents, working parents, single parents, alcohol and drug abuse, absence of godly teaching and example, absence of prayer and Bible reading in the family. When children grow up with this kind of poverty, government can do little. Society deteriorates. Christian families are the bedrock of society.

How blessed to have this Christian heritage passed on to me through the Gehmans, the Woodrings, the Ziegenfusses, the Hollingers and others.

[All my genealogy and history can be found in my 308 page book, “FAITH OF OUR FATHERS: FROM BARBARIAN TO MENNONITE AND BEYOND,” published by Masthof Press. You can purchase the book directly from the publishers or from me. Send a check for $15.00 to Richard Gehman, 1011 Media Road, Minneola, FL 34715]

Learning from Genealogy

For two years I labored to trace my genealogy by names back to the 1500s – my paternal ancestors: Gehman, Hollinger, Horning, Bowman, Huber; and my maternal ancestors: Woodring, Ziegenfuss, Kemmerer, and Handwerk; then tracing my blood ancestors back to the German barbarians. It was exciting and fulfilling and I made some fascinating discoveries.

On my mother’s side, they were all Lutherans, Reformed and French Huguenots by religious conviction. They were also upper class and aristocratic. Vautrins (Woodring) were mayors of towns for generations who spoke several languages, owners of grist mills, successful entrepreneurs. The Kemmerers were the treasurers, the keepers of the wealth of royalty – the immediate officers of the Counts. A Kemmerer trudged off to the Holy Land as a knight during the First Crusade, bearing the official crest which symbolized crowned royalty. The Handwerk family can trace their ancestry to Count Handwerck who bore the title of nobility, whose abode was a forecastle of Greifenstein.

In contrast, all my father’s ancestors were German Swiss who professed their Christian faith as Swiss Brethren, several thrown into prison by Zwingli’s followers. They eventually became Mennonites. They were the peasants, the humble workers of the field – the low class which was ill treated by the landed aristocracy.

[All this genealogy and history can be found in my 308 page book, “FAITH OF OUR FATHERS: FROM BARBARIAN TO MENNONITE AND BEYOND,” published by Masthof Press. You can purchase the book directly from the publishers or from me. Send a check for $15.00 to Richard Gehman, 1011 Media Road, Minneola, FL 34715]

In Scripture we find that BOTH HIGH CLASS AND LOW CLASS stand on level ground before the cross. All are sinners and all need the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the Scriptures I have memorized in retirement is Psalm 36:5-9, a marvelously beautiful description of our great God who blesses BOTH HIGH CLASS AND LOW CLASS in one blessed family.

“Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the sky.
“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.
“O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love.
“Both HIGH and LOW among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
“They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

Both the HIGH CLASS among my maternal ancestors, and the LOW CLASS among my father’s ancestors, feasted on the abundance of God’s house, and drank from the river of delights that flows from God. Both my maternal ancestors in the Lutheran, Reformed and French Huguenot churches, and my paternal ancestors in the Mennonite church had a vibrant testimony hundreds of years ago. What a rich heritage God has given to me.

Joy in Life: Romans 15:13

FINDING JOY IN LIFE: Romans 15:13

When serving the Lord in Kenya while living in Kijabe I discovered one day that I really did not have joy in life or in the ministry. If “joy” is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, am I not filled with the Holy Spirit? Why don’t I have joy?

The reason was obvious. I was serving in a large denomination of thousands of churches where leaders were jealous, corrupt and ever so carnal. Dishonesty, quarrels, and power struggles abounded left and right and center. In my ministry of renewal with scores of African pastors and Bible School teachers, we were praying and working toward revival. So I experienced frustration and unhappiness when continually hearing of all this crap.

Then the Lord led me to Romans 15:13. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I began meditating on this and it showed me the way out if my dilemma. My focus needed to be on the God of Hope, not on the carnality of God’s servants. As I meditated on that verse I came to see that the secret of joy was twofold:

First, I needed to focus on the God of Hope, trusting in Him. Joy will not come until I rejoice in the Lord. Our God of Hope is the sovereign God who is Lord of the Church, who is building his Kingdom, who is in sovereign control of all things. Through the ages God’s people have fallen away (think of the Old Testament and the history of the Christian Church), but God has not been frustrated or defeated. My joy comes because I trust in this great God who is working all things out according to his eternal purpose.

Second, the secret of joy is being empowered by God, strengthened by God, yes, being filled by the Holy Spirit. “May the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you might overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The secret of hope is both from God’s enabling me by his Spirit and by my faithful response of trusting in the God of hope.

Joy and peace are the complimentary part of hope. You cannot have joy and peace without hope – not the hope that Obama gives but the hope that comes from trusting in the supreme and sovereign God of hope. When God gives you hope, the joy and peace follow. Paul does not really explain himself here but I think that the joy and peace and hope that we cry out for all comes by trusting in the God of hope. Hope gives joy and peace. And you cannot have joy and peace without hope. And all of this centers on the God of hope.

Too often we as servants of God focus on the negatives among the people whom we serve. We must not deny those negatives. To deny the negatives is to live in denial of reality. Let’s face it. God’s people throughout history have brought much reproach on the Name of Christ.

But what keeps us going with vibrancy and confidence is when we focus on the God of hope. As Isaiah said, “Even youths shall faint and grow weary and young men shall fall, but they that WAIT or HOPE in the Lord shall renew their strength…” By faith we see God at work in the midst of all the carnality. God continues to save and call out a people for himself.

Lessons Learned in Life

LESSONS LEARNED IN LIFE

Long ago I learned that there is more to success in life than IQ. We are born with an intelligent quotient but only 20% of our success in life can be attributed to IQ. Much more important is the EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Parents cannot determine what the IQ their children will have but they can contribute immensely in building emotional intelligence. Neither can an individual help what IQ he may have been born with, but he has every opportunity to shape his own emotional intelligence.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE consists of six components:

• Knowing one’s own feelings and using them in good decisions;

• Managing feelings to keep distress from impairing one’s ability to think;

• Motivating oneself despite persistent setbacks;

• Staying hopeful;

• Delaying gratification;

• Empathizing with others and being able to have rapport with others, cooperate and handle feelings in relationships.

If Christian with new life in Christ can exercise daily in his spiritual disciplines, such as a faithful reading and meditation on the Word of God with prayer, a Christian will develop strong emotional intelligence. Fixing his eyes on Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, and shunning the natural tendency to be selfish and self centered, he will be hopeful, motivated, empathetic, patient, cooperative, self restrained and disciplined.

No Christian has any excuse for having low emotional intelligence. Every Spirit filled Christian has every reason to excel with Emotional Intelligence.

Wisdom from the Past

During the past weeks I have been rummaging through many boxes of papers and clippings, collected over the past forty years, filing some, tossing others out and perplexed what to do with others. I was astonished by these prescient words of Abraham Lincoln spoken written over 160 years ago.


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS by Abraham Lincoln.

• You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

• You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

• You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

• You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

• You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

• You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

• You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence.

• You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

The Grace of God

THE GRACE OF GOD:

What is the greatest biblical truth a student should learn in Africa when studying in a theological college?

Charles Kimweli, a graduate of Scott Theological College and Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in Kenya, is a pastor in the Africa Inland Church and a Bible translator. He has a bright and perceptive mind. His answer was straightforward. “The greatest biblical truth that changed my life,” he said, “was the grace of God.”

He believes that the average African Christian has a serious problem in knowing how to be rightly related to God. Most African Christians feel that they must somehow merit or earn the right of being right with God. The truth of God’s grace, of being accepted by Christ on the merits of his death, is not well understood.

I have spoken with others who come from churches with a Reformed tradition in Kenya who felt the same. African Christians, whatever their church affiliation, tend to be Arminian in their personal beliefs despite the official, doctrinal creeds of the Church.

This seems to be a common bent of man’s thinking and is found in many western churches as well. Besides, this view seems to be supported by biblical teaching. Doesn’t James teach the necessity of good works? “What good is it, my brother, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” (2:14). Biblical teaching in the African Church is an urgent need so that they understand that faith in Christ alone saves them, but that faith which saves them must be the kind of faith that manifests itself in good works.

On the other hand I inquired from Pastor Peter Ngugi, also of the Africa Inland Church in Githumu in Central Kenya, where the East African Revival broke through and made a significant impact on the Anglican, Presbyterian and Africa Inland Churches. In his opinion, it is not true. African Christians do understand the grace of God which alone is the way to be accepted by God. We note that the Revival Movement with it strong emphasis on the true nature of the Gospel impacted those churches greatly.

A great need in the African Church is to teach the Gospel in depth. Depending on our own merits can only lead to fear in the face of death. On the one hand I have witnessed funerals of Christians in Kenya who had a strong, vibrant faith. The testimonies were markers of triumphant faith in the grace of God and confidence of salvation. On the other hand I have observed weak Christians fearing for their future, uncertain of their future destination.

Christians wherever they are found must understand the basis of their salvation – it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The cross of Christ must be uplifted. His offer of free grace must be offered, grounded on the shed blood of Christ for sinners.

Thank God for his grace which made me a child of God through faith alone.

A Second Welcome

After my initial flurry of blogging, I was totally silent for more than six months. Hence I need to re-welcome you to my blog. From here on, the Lord willing, I intend to be diligent in posting my blogs every week.

My aim is to blog once or twice weekly on the following subjects: genealogy and family history, African Theology and reflections on my missionary experience, and lessons learned in life. My prayer is that after seventy-four years of enjoying the life that God has givenme, I might have some practical lessons and insights that God has given to me which I can share with others.

For thirty seven years I served in Africa with Africans in mind. In retirement the Lord gave me a desire to do some research on my own family. "Faith of our Fathers: From Barbarian to Mennonite" is the result. Following is the introduction to that book which explains how this book all came about.

INTRODUCTION
As I was growing up in my father’s church, The Mennonite Brethren in Christ, we used to sing this moving tribute, "Faith of our Fathers."

"Faith of our fathers, living still in spite of dungeon, fire and sword – O how our hearts beat high with joy whene’er we hear that glorious word! Faith of our fathers, holy faith, We will be true to thee till death."
"Our fathers, chained in prisons dark, were still in heart and conscience free; How sweet would be their children’s fate if they, like them, could die for thee!"

A deep impression was etched on my tender consciousness of the vibrant, living faith of our forefathers. In childhood my mother would read stories of faith and martyrdom from the Martyrs Mirror. “For Mennonites in their 465 years of history, no book except the Bible has been more influential in perpetuating and nurturing their faith than the Martyrs Mirror.” The second edition of 1685 had many illustrations which left memorable impressions. These faithful, stalwart Christians, who bore their testimony to the point of death at the hand of fellow “Christians,” were my heroes.

When I reached adolescence I hung on the wall of my upstairs bedroom in the parsonage of the MBC in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, a replica of a painting which represented my ideal – no hero from sports or pop culture but a hardy, stalwart farmer in a man’s overalls standing with his wife in front of a Gothic window of his farm house. This couple represented to me the serious-minded, devout, hardworking ancestors of yesteryear.

The blood of the Swiss German Mennonites courses through my veins and coalesces with the blood of the French Huguenots and German Lutherans. My paternal grandparents (Gehman, or Göuman in Switzerland) and all my paternal ancestry hailed from the German speaking Swiss Brethren; my maternal grandfather (Woodring, or Vautrin in Lorraine), descended from the Franks in Lorraine and became Huguenot Calvinists; and my maternal grandmother (Ziegenfuss, or Seiefus from Darmstadt, Germany) with other family branches were German Lutherans. Eventually, they all migrated to Pennsylvania Dutch speaking country in America. Their life was not easy. Backbreaking toil and persistent endurance were their lot. To learn of the faith of my forefathers has been an interest all of my life.

But my interest goes beyond the Mennonites, Huguenots and Lutherans. Those who trace their lineage usually stop with their European ancestors after the Reformation. My interest goes back further to their pagan past.

During our thirty-six years of ministry in Kenya, friends would occasionally ask me, “What is your tribe?” At first I was taken aback; tribes in America?

No, we do not have tribalism in America, but we do have ethnic diversity. Wave after wave of immigrants came from the Old Country – English, Germans, Swiss, Holland Dutch, Irish and others. America not only welcomed these West European immigrants; they bought enslaved Africans to serve on the plantations in the South. All these ethnic differences remain to this day.
Genealogists trace families by name back to the sixteenth or seventeenth century. But then the genealogical trail disappears because written family records don’t exist. Only the names of royalty and nobility can be traced into the first millennium after Christ.

The question of our own family’s distant past intrigues me. What were my pre-Christian ancestors like? How did they live? What did they believe? These fascinating questions have driven me to explore my ancestral roots in antiquity.

At first, the intention of my research was to satisfy my own curiosity and provide our own kids with a treasured account of our family history. But as I explored ever deeper I came to realize that this story transcends my own personal family history and applies to millions. For all who trace their ancestry back to Germanic roots, this narrative of the Faith of our Fathers is insightful and illuminating. They include English, German, French, Dutch, and others.

The purpose of this book is twofold:
First, to recount the life and faith of our ancestors over the past two thousand years. Having explored this subject, I am deeply grateful for God’s mercy in sparing me from the darkness and hardships that our ancestors have endured. This book sheds light on the miry pit from whence we were all dug.
Secondly, to glorify God by relating how the Christian faith was taken to our ancestors – how they received God’s grace wherein we stand today. To know the amazing grace of God that saved us from both paganism and nominal Christendom is the subject of this book.

As the apostle Peter wrote, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” This is the story of the Faith of our Fathers. By grace the gospel has been brought to us. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (2 Peter 2:9,10).

Though the book tells the history of the Gehmans, Hollingers, Hornings, Bowmans, Hubers; the Woodrings, Kemmerers, Ziegenfuss, and Handwerks. This book entails much more. The historical narrative of the Germanic tribes, moving from barbarian to a vibrant faith, is the journey that many Germanic peoples have taken. Come; join me as we travel through time, tracing our Faith.