Matthew 11

Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds (from verse 19)

This comes at the end of a phrase where Jesus pointed out that the religious leaders were not satisfied by either John’s fasting or by Jesus’ eating. No matter what either of them did, because it was not part of the establishment, it wasn’t good enough.

This is a big issue today. Christians cannot do anything right in the eyes of unbelievers. Those who focus on their families and the church are ridiculed and held up as being selfish, insular, and not reaching out to the community. Those who are involved with outreach activities like evangelism, or in “good works” type activities like missions, or volunteering at homeless shelters or pregnancy centres are also ridiculed as being those who are trying to coerce those around them into being Christians by their good deeds. Missions comes under special attack for this.

It is easy to get discouraged here. We can’t do anything right in the eyes of the world. But the thing is… we are not meant to! We are only to focus on doing right in the eyes of Christ. Wisdom, godly wisdom, will ultimately show up in our actions – in families and churches that are strong, in deeds that make a real difference both in people’s lives and in people’s eternities. And that is what we need to remember.

Are We Commanded to Be Good Stewards?

I have been reading a lot of criticism of different expressions of Christianity, and it’s interesting how often one comment comes up about any type of Christianity that really seeks after God’s will in a counter-cultural way… they all get told how God really couldn’t have meant xyz, because He wants us to be “good stewards”.

It seems so right. It seems so reasonable. You shouldn’t have more children than you can afford. You shouldn’t have to tithe. You shouldn’t give to missions. You shouldn’t dedicate your life to staying home with your family, or helping others when you can have a well-paying job. You shouldn’t use your spare time in a way that helps others without making sure you receive adequate remuneration. Because those things are not being a “good steward” of the gifts that God has given to you.

The thing is, God actually doesn’t ask us to be good stewards. That command is nowhere in Scripture. The command to give up all we have and follow Him – that makes it in there… several times. We need to give all that we have in order to follow Christ more closely.

In many cases, this is going to look like “wasting” things to the world. It is going to look like the opposite of good stewardship. It’s going to be having more children than you can afford to give soccer and ballet classes to. It’s going to be giving more than you think you can afford to missions. It means turning down a job that pays better so that you have more time to invest in God’s kingdom. It means going yourself when it would be cheaper to get someone else to.

It means giving our all to God.

I don’t want to be a good steward. I want to live recklessly for Christ. He is my treasure, not anything in this world. And when that makes me look foolish in the eyes of the world, then I will remind myself that the wisdom of God is beyond that of man. And I will continue to follow Him with all I am.

From The Saint’s Everlasting Rest by Richard Baxter

Doubt not but the recompense will be according to your labor. The seed which is buried and dead will bring forth a plentiful harvest. Whatever you do or suffer, everlasting rest will pay for all. There is no relenting of labors or sufferings in heaven. There no one says, "Would I had spared my pains, and prayed less, or been less strict, and done as the rest of my neighbors!" On the contrary, it will be their joy to look back upon their labors and tribulations, and to consider how the mighty power of God brought them through all. We may all say, as Paul, "I reckon that the sufferings" and labors "of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." We labor but for a moment; we shall rest for ever. Who would not put forth all his strength for one hour, when, for that hour's work, he may be a prince while he lives? "God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labor of love." Will not "all our tears be wiped away," and all the sorrow of our duties be then forgotten?
Chapter 7.

Converted in their 20’s

I’m kind of prone to feeling sorry for myself. Which I know is really silly, because I have a LOT to be thankful for. I don’t need to worry about going hungry, about having clean water or about being able to see a doctor. I’m reasonably well educated, and I have a job I mostly enjoy that pays more than I need to live on. And what’s more, God has redeemed me. So I have really no right to be sorry for myself. And what’s even dumber, is that I feel sorry for myself over the dumbest things.

One of the things I’ve been feeling sorry for myself a lot recently is my “late” conversion. I was saved a little over 5 years ago, shortly before my 22nd birthday. That means that I have had nearly 22 years of serious sinful behaviours, habits and thoughts to overcome. There are a lot of things that Christian kids know that they should not do, which I not only was allowed to do, but which I was actively encouraged by my parents and other people who were responsible for me, to do. I am envious at times of those who were saved younger, before they had a chance to do many of the things that I have done. And occasionally I use this in my mind as an excuse as to why I can’t do as much for God. After all, there are a whole lot of other, less sullied people around who God could use.

But recently in my reading I’ve noticed quite a few people who were saved at around the same age as me – the twenties, when you’ve had plenty of time to make mistakes but usually haven’t settled down with a life partner or really seriously started your life’s work. And these people did some serious work in God’s kingdom. People like…
- John Calvin (born again age 22/23)
- John Newton (born again aged 21/22)
- William Wilberforce (born again aged 26)

There have been many saints who have done great things for God’s kingdom, who were saved in their 20s. They served God as they were able where they were, and in doing so, transformed the world. They were saved at just the right moment, so that they could do the work that God had in mind for them.

Just as I was.

The Healing Prosperity Gospel

I've spent most of my life being sick, getting sick, or recovering from being sick. I sometimes say that I have had seven near death experiences... and then I made it out of the birth canal. (That's true. And I have had more than a few more since.) I am one of those people who never has any sick leave, who rocks up to work looking like they need a month or two off, and who generally is not well.

I no longer go up the front when people ask for people to be prayed for for healing.

It's not that I don't believe God can heal me. It's that I don't want to hear the comments. I've heard some good ones.

From being told the story of everyone anyone's ever met who had "allergies" who was prayed for and was healed ("so I'll pray for you and then you can eat meat"... except I'm a vegetarian by choice), to being told that "God will heal the hole in your lungs when you have enough faith", to "You should be praying for your pwn healing and not getting us to do it for you", to "I read this book and we should be able to heal everybody because Jesus healed everybody," I really have heard them all.

The thing is, God does not always choose to heal. He wants what is best for us. And sometimes, what is best is not physical health. We have taken what the world has deemed to be good and just Christianised it.

Health is a blessing. No one who's been sick would deny that. But God's ways are not our ways. His ways are higher.

Anything less than that is nothing short of a prosperity gospel, which insists that because God loves us we need to be healthy, wealthy and wise, and that anything less proves we are not Christians / in sin / in the wrong church / etc. It's just not true. God's ways are different. They are higher.

And we follow Him in sickness and trial just as much as in health and prosperity. Because we love the Giver and not the gifts. Because He is our God, and nothing else matters.

Thought's From My Quiet Time

“...as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.” (From 2 Thessalonians 1:5)

Christ rarely calls us to an easy path. We rarely go through life without trials, without difficulties, or without persecutions for our faith. Yet it is these things that show us worthy for heaven.

Why? Because when we refuse to give up God in the midst of trial we show Him as our supreme desire. When we are patient and joyful in the midst of suffering we demonstrate that God is our comfort, and that He is more than sufficient.

I seem to bounce from one trial to another. I’m sick (again) with another potentially serious undiagnosed problem that’s clearly recurring. I’m having to fix problems other people have made at work. I still have family and friends who like making fun of me for my faith. And yet it is in these times that I have the biggest opportunity to show God as worthy.

LORD, help me to make the most of these opportunities, that Your name may be glorified in my life!

Coincidence? I Think Not

I just want to record this:

I recently decided to sponsor an additional child (And if you want to sponsor a child, ask me where this is! 100% of sponsor money is spent on the child! That's very rare in any organisation!) I thought about what type of child I wanted to sponsor. I thought about asking if I could sponsor one of Joash's (one of my sponsor children - the only boy!) siblings. After prayer, I thought that I should leave it up to the team at the orphanage.

The child I got is Ingrid... Joash's older sister!

Truly, our God is an awesome God!

The Not Entirely Bad Day

It wasn't a very good day.

All the staff were away except myself and Helen, and we both were starting late. All the children were unsettled. I was impatient with just about everyone. I felt like running about crying - "Don't be calm, this is not a calm day!" I was harsher than I needed to be. I focussed more on getting the day-to-day necessities done rather than on being there for the children, which really should always be my first priority.

And finally, I got to go home.

I was looking forwards to getting on that bus and sinking into the book I was reading. And then the bus driver wanted to talk. (All the bus drivers want to talk to me - I'm approachable looking, and I'm there on a regular basis.)

"You're always reading. What are you reading today?"

I showed him. From memory it was The Great Christian Revolution.

"Wow. You always read such interesting books." (He wasn't being sarcastic.) "I remember when you were reading this really interesting looking book, it was about the Jews and why they are not Christian..."

"Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus?" I asked.

"That'd be the one," he said.

He then started asking my opinions on reasons for Anti-Semitism, the reasons why Jews don't believe in Jesus, whether or not there will be a second coming of Christ, whether that coming has already happened, and we even got up to reasons why Mohammed is not the Messiah when it was my bus stop and I needed to get off.

No, he did not become a Christian because of my encounter with him. But a seed was laid.

And it taught me a few different things:

1. Even when I am a screw-up, God can still use me. Yes, I know that in theory, we're all screw-ups. But really, I'm pretty messed in the head. But even so, GOD CAN USE ME. As the saying goes, if He can use Balaam's donkey, He can use me.

2. Keep signs of the fact that you are a Christian about. It's amazing how often these provoke conversation. Bus drivers quiz me on my books on a semi-regular basis, and it's a great opportunity to witness to them - and they're even asking for it! The children I work with have always been more interested in my prayer slide and the cross I wear than a lot of other things - and it is an opportunity to share with them in an informal manner about God.

3. People remember. I read that book several MONTHS before. That bus driver is a regular reliever on my shift, so he's not there all the time. But he remembered, and God used it so that I could talk to him about the things of God.


So pray for me, and pray for yourself, and pray for all the bus drivers of Australia, that there would be lots of witnessing opportunities every day.

Storming the Gates

God will ultimately give us the victory. We just need to ride INTO the battle, not away from it!

God owns the whole earth. It is His, and everything on it belongs to Him. He can give it, and any portion of it, to anyone He wants. (Even me!)

Recently it has seemed to me that my vision is too small. Sure, I do more than 'most people'. But I should not be comparing myself to 'most people', I should be comparing myself to the standards in God's Word. And when I do that I see how much more there is to be done, in so, so many different areas.

International adoption is so rare in Australia. The foster care system is swamped. Children are being aborted every day. Aged people are being 'assisted' into the next life. Many have never even HEARD the gospel, let along accepted it. Millions go hungry every day...

And in all of these things I CAN DO MORE.

And when I do more, God will indeed give me the victory, for He has proclaimed that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (see Matthew 16:18)

And the thing is, whenever we think about this verse, we always picture an embattled church, holding on, just holding on, because one day, Jesus is coming back and He will make everything good and right and perfect. (Yes, Jesus is coming back. And when He does, He will make all things good and right and perfect. But THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS VERSE IS ABOUT.)

No, the church here is ATTACKING. We are ATTACKING the gates of hell, and we are BRINGING THEM DOWN. They canNOT stand against the power of the blood of Jesus. They are POWERLESS against Him.

It's time for me (and probably you too) to enlarge our vision. To pray more. To do more. To give more, and to love more. Because God will give us every place where we set our foot (Joshua 1:3). We will have the victory, if only we will fight for it!

Glorifying God

A few days ago I had a horrible night. I lay in bed, crying for hours, because I am such a wretched person. And yes, I did just admit that online.

I don't remember what it was that made me feel so attrocious; I expect it was that I was impatient with some of the children or something like that. There have been a few days like that recently. But whatever it was, I went to bed convinced that I was the worst person in the entire world, and that there never had been, and never would be, anyone more horrible than me.

So I'm lying there, crying, thinking that I'm such a bad person it's amazing that even God can love me, and that I'm completely worthless as a human being. And my thoughts just kept on going round in circles.

Finally, God broke it. He reminded me that my purpose in life is to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. Being an altogether sucky person means that one of the ways I've glorified God in the past is for His mercy in loving such a horrible person as me. And that even the smallest changes in my behaviour (and there have been a few, when I think about it rationally) are other ways that I glorify Him. And that the process of me growing is continuing, and I glorify Him in that.

Makes me more that slightly glad I've read the Shorter Catechism!

Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

There Is a Reason

I was recently reading through a lot of old blog posts at my not at all serious blog, Sam-Is-Mad. One of them really caught my attention. It was when I was working with the 4 year olds. Often I would get them to do things, and they would turn around and ask me, "Why?"

So I would look straight at them and say, "Because I am a meanie."

"You're not a meanie Sam," they would say. "You're the best!"

"Then I have a reason, which I'm not telling you right now. And I expect you to obey."

And they would.

Our relationship with God is a bit like that at times. We want to know why things aren't going the way we want them to, why we have to do xyz, why it's always us who is sick, broke, [insert problem here].

The thing is, God is good. And He has a reason. He just doesn't always share the reason with us, sometimes because we wouldn't understand it, or because we won't like it, or just because we need to work on obedience. But because God is good, there is always a reason. And the reason is always the right one.

And we need to go off an be obedient to Him, our heavenly Father, who knows all things and works them for our good.

Random Encouragement

I've been a bit down lately. I'm pretty much the only person who's interested in what I'm interested in (quiverful, pro-life, international adoption, homeschooling, white girl who thinks asian boys don't look at all bad...) and while I'm kind of used to standing alone on issues, it is discouraging to be the only person in sight who has a heart for any of these things. One of the reasons why I watch quite a lot of Vision Forum DVDs is for that reason. It assures me that I'm not in fact crazy; there are other people who see the world (and read the Word of God) in the same way as I do.

But still, it can be discouraging.

And recently God has decided that the best way of encouraging me is to show me that there ARE other people like me, even in Australia!

There is a lady with an adopted daughter who lives on our street.

A few people from my church have mentioned recently that they "plan" on adopting. Some of them are actually likely to do it too.

I occasionally see Eurasian couples with THE GIRL BEING THE WHITE ONE.

And this is definitely the best one:

I went to the ballet and when I came in to meet my friend Steph she was talking to a family. My first thought was, "Since when has Steph been related to a homeschooling family?" Well, they weren't related, but they did homeschool. Steph started talking to them by asking them if they homeschooled.

Mum was white. Dad (who was getting a program with their youngest) was Chinese. They had 5 kids, the oldest of whom would have been 10, the youngest was four. One of her sons was studying at the Australian Ballet school. When she heard I wanted 20 she said that I should adopt, especially "special needs" children. We then talked about the need for adoptive parents and the blessing of special needs children.

Living the life I want.

It was really encouraging to see that there are people out there who see children as blessings, who actually want them, and want the ones they have around them. And one day, God willing, I'll be encouraging others who think they are the "only one" by my example.