Courage | From the Inside Out

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Glory and Strength

Posted in Bible Study, Blessings, Courage, Encouragement, Faith, God, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Power, God's Strength, God-Given Abilities, Uncategorized, tagged 1 Chronicles 29:12, 2 Peter 1:3, Blessings, Encouragement, Faith, God's Attributes, God's Glory, God's Goodness, God's Strength, Jackie Kennedy, Kennedys' Trip to France 1961, President Kennedy, Psalm 89:17 on May 22, 2025| 30 Comments »

Late spring, 1961, President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie visited France. He’d only been in office four months, but already the world had embraced the refined and fashionable First Lady.

Upon arrival in Paris, people lined the streets and shouted, “Vive Jackie!”

And as the week unfolded, she impressed them further with her knowledge of French history and culture and her command of their language, polished to perfection at the Sorbonne during her junior year of college.

With dignitaries Jackie proved to be articulate, diplomatic, and a good listener. She especially charmed their president, Charles DeGaulle.

President Kennedy, on the other hand, received a cool reception from his French counterpart. The two had not seen eye-to-eye on certain policies. Jackie helped pave the way for diplomacy between them.

At a state dinner held in the Palace of Versailles, JFK famously introduced himself as “the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris. And I have enjoyed it.”

The Hall of Mirrors where the dinner took place

Today, many still remember Jackie’s iconic style, her gentle demeanor, and stalwart courage following President Kennedy’s tragic death. But she will also “go down in history . . . for creating a dominant soft power dynamic in American politics” [1].

We also admire the way JFK humbly honored his wife at that state dinner. He appreciated her strengths that provided great benefit to him.

With this example in mind (although a weak one compared to what it illustrates!), we might understand more clearly what the psalmist meant when he wrote that God is the glory and strength of those who put their faith in him:

“Strength” we more readily understand. Many of us have experienced God’s power upholding us through crises and augmenting our efforts to serve him. But glory? What did the psalmist mean by “God is their glory?”

Perhaps the following comparisons will make the meaning clearer.

Even more than the great benefit Jackie provided to her husband, God provides abundant benefit to us.

As Jack gloried in Jackie, honoring her and acknowledging her worth, we glory in God.

As Jackie made the visit to France a glowing success, so God makes his people glow with success—that is, prosperity of soul, contentment of heart, and peace of mind.

JFK understood it was Jackie who exalted his position with DeGaulle and the French people. Similarly, we need to acknowledge that our sovereign God is the one who exalts us.

We don’t have to push and strive to prove ourselves; we can rest in all the glorious attributes of our Heavenly Father, lavished upon us for our benefit [2].

But like all analogies, this one involving the Kennedys breaks down, because no one is like our God.

Beyond the examples given above to explain how God is our glory, consider these truths:

God’s magnificence

God’s infinite power gives impetus to all his perfections in our lives. After all, what good would his perfect wisdom do without the wherewithal to execute it? His unfailing mercy without the ability to apply it? His infallible promises without the capability to keep them [3]?

God’s enabling work in our lives

God’s incomparable strength is instilled in us as we rely upon him. The result? We begin to display the glory of his attributes, including: patience in the midst of stress, kindness in response to rudeness, and self-control in the face of frustration [4].

God’s power

God specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for his almighty power; nothing is too small for his love. Enter God’s realm where everything is possible [5]!

Of course there are many more facets to God’s glory. And this splendorous God of wonders is our strength—even if we don’t feel tough enough, talented enough, smart enough, or engaging enough for the path ahead—even if circumstances seem against us.

That last state of affairs must have been President Kennedy’s perception as he and Jackie left for France. Little did he know how Jackie would transform their visit.

By contrast we KNOW God’s capabilities of transformation! The evidence is in scripture, history, in the lives of those around us, and in our own experience.

Therefore, let’s remember:

Praise be to God, our glory and strength!

[1] https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/jackie-kennedy-public-diplomacy-camelot

[2] Another post about God’s attributes: Rooted/

[3] 2 Peter 1:3

[4] 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 1:15

[5] Based on a quote of Corrie ten Boom, Holocaust survivor

Image credits: http://www.deviantart.com (Kralj Aleksandar); http://www.boudewijnhuijgens.getarchive.net; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.dailyverses.net (2); http://www.canva.com (2).

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My Peace I Give You

Posted in Bible Study, Courage, Encouragement, Faith, God, God's Presence, God's Salvation, Jesus, Peace, Praise, Salvation, Suffering, Uncategorized, tagged 2 Thessaloninas 3:16, Colossians 3:15, Good Friday, John 13:21, John 14:27, The Last Supper on April 17, 2025| 32 Comments »

Another time, another meal

Easter afternoon we’ll join our son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters for dinner in their home—with six other guests.

E. and H. have planned a Georgian feast, based on traditional dishes from the Eastern European country of Georgia. (Did you know that 85% of that nation’s population are Christian? I certainly didn’t.)

Each family or single person attending this celebration has been given a recipe, so we’ll be able to sample eight different dishes of this new cuisine. And because of the many delicious meals we’ve enjoyed with E. and H., we know:

Within the warm ambiance of their home and the congenial atmosphere as we converse and laugh together, each of our individual concerns will recede to the background. In their place, joy, contentedness, and peace (shalom) will settle upon our spirits.

By contrast, the Passover feast that Jesus celebrated with his disciples, the night before his crucifixion, held little joy or peace for him. In fact, the Apostle John wrote, “Jesus was troubled in spirit” [1].

He knew what would happen that night and into the next day: the pain of betrayal, scourging [2], a crown of thorns thrust on his head, mockery, the crucifixion, and separation from his Father.

The plan had already been set in motion, when Judas approached the chief priests and officers of the temple guard to discuss how—for a price—he might hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present [3].

Under these stressful circumstances Jesus stated to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” [4].

The Amplified Version adds: “Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.”

But if Jesus was troubled in his own spirit, how could he promise his peace to the disciples? How could he tell them not to be troubled?

The answer lies in his confidence in his Father. Though fully aware of the suffering to come, Jesus displayed confidence in the purpose and power of his Father and moved forward unhesitatingly to meet the pending crisis [5].

Consider his demeanor over the next eighteen hours or so. Jesus conducted himself with calm quietude from the moment of his arrest to his last breath on the cross. God did indeed supply courage and strength for every torment.

This is the nature of the peace Christ gives to all of us who trust in him [6].

But how do we avail ourselves of this precious gift? (And for those of us who are familiar with these ways to peace, how well are we implementing them?)

Get to know God in his Word.

We considered one way in the post, “Celebrating God in the Psalms.” So many of his attributes and gracious actions are highlighted in these ancient songs.

No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.

–Croft M. Pentz

Practice his presence.

Possibilities include expressing gratitude, speaking simple prayers throughout the day, and singing worship songs.

Be quick to praise God.

You’ll find your cares reduced and your anxieties lessened. The result: expanded peace.

Focus less on the problems ahead and more on the victories behind.

–Max Lucado, Mocha with Max, 82

Come Sunday, our son and daughter-in-law’s home will provide a splendid place of refuge and peace—for a few hours.

How glorious to contemplate that Christ’s refuge and peace is much more splendorous, much more impactful, and for all time!

* * * * * * * * * *

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for enduring unimaginable suffering in order to restore our relationship with God and provide the gift of eternal life. Now you are our Lord of peace, ready to give us peace at all times and in every way. You ARE indeed worthy to receive honor and glory and praise!

1 Peter 3:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Revelation 5:12

[1] John 13:21

[2] A flogging, inflicted with a whip of leather straps imbedded with pieces of metal and glass, meant to rip into the flesh. Such a brutal beating often led to death.

[3] Luke 22:1-6

[4] John 14:27

[5] Merrill Tenney, www.preceptaustin.org

[6] Colossians 3:15

Image credits: Nancy Ruegg; http://www.canva.com (3); http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.flickr.com.

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The Mismatched Pairing

Posted in Blessings, Courage, Encouragement, Excellence, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Grace, God's Promises, God's Protection, God's Provision, God's Refuge, God's Strength, God-Given Abilities, Godly Character, Heroes of the Faith, Joy, Perseverance, Service, Suffering, Uncategorized, tagged 1 Peter 3:14, Chinese missionary, Faith, God's Provision, Jeanette Li, Joy in Christ, Psalm 138:7, Psalm 18:17, Psalm 18:32, Serving Christ in Difficult Circumstances, Suffering for Christ on March 27, 2025| 38 Comments »

“God preserved me so I might tell the story of my life and of God’s goodness to me,” wrote Jeanette Li in her autobiography. And readers might expect her to share stories indicating a life of continual blessing.

They would be wrong.

Jeanette Li (known first as Li Mao Ya, or “Jasmine Bud”), was born in 1899 and grew up in Southeast China with a large extended family of forty-plus people. They lived in hardship and poverty along with most everyone else in the village.

At age six, Jeanette suffered her first trauma—her beloved father died.

Many more ordeals followed, including:

At age 9: Jeanette contracted malaria and received treatment at a mission hospital. One blessing: while there, she and her mother, Taai-So, became Christians.

Perhaps a mission such as this one in central China

When Jeanette was released, they returned home, only to be turned away by their Buddhist family because they’d become Christians. Taai-So and Jeanette returned to the mission and lived there.

Age 10: The mission was closed due to political strife; all their missionary-friends had to leave.

Age 16: Against Jeanette’s will, Taai-So arranged a marriage for Jeanette, in order to provide for her daughter’s future. Jeanette went to live with her husband’s family under the thumb of a domineering mother-in-law.

Age 20: Jeanette bore a son. But her husband was rarely home, first because he was in school, and then because he was hired as a teacher some distance away. Eventually he married someone else.

Age 32: Jeanette left all she knew to live and serve in bitter-cold Manchuria, requiring her to learn a new language and culture. For thirteen years she traveled by cart on unpaved roads, telling people about Jesus.

Age 38: War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, lasting eight years. Millions died in combat or the result of starvation or disease.

Age 47: The Communists warred against the Nationalists in a three-year civil war, resulting in more suffering and the death of another million-plus people.

Jeanette returned to South China, to the mission where she and her mother had lived. Jeanette was questioned many times by Communist Army officials.

Age 50: All foreign missionaries were constrained to leave China as the Communist Party took power. Jeanette assumed responsibility for the mission-orphanage.

Age 51: She suffered imprisonment for seventeen months, accused of being a counter-revolutionary. Jeanette had to sleep on the floor “in a damp cell infested by mosquitoes, with hardly any food”[1].

They forced her to perform hard labor, and interrogated her day and night. she became ill with fever and developed hemorrhaging dysentery. Her captors offered no medical treatment [2].

Some would ask, “Where was God in all this? The poor woman endured such hardship, pain, and unfair treatment!”

Jeanette would have us know that God graciously involved himself throughout her life, blessing her, and bringing her joy:

He was there during the siege of malaria that took Jeanette and her mother to the regional mission. God spared Jeanette’s life and introduced them to Jesus.

When they returned home, God used the family upheaval to lead the two back to the mission. Taai-So obtained employment and they grew in their Christian faith.

God brought good out of the abandonment of Jeanette’s husband, providing the opportunity for her to obtain a teaching certificate. She was able to support her son as a teacher and then as school administrator.

God fulfilled Jeanette’s desire to tell others about Jesus and made it possible for her to serve in Manchuria, teaching in village after village.

God led her to return to South China where he used her to assume leadership of the mission-orphanage, putting to use her skills as educator and administrator.

God sustained Jeanette during her imprisonment as she suffered acute misery with grace, courage, and stamina—a witness to all in the prison of God’s power at work in her life.

God also spared her life as illness and weakness nearly overcame her.

After her release, God provided for her recovery and subsequent missionary-work in Canton.

God bestowed a miraculous escape from Communist China, first to Hong Kong where she ministered to children and refugees, and finally, in 1962, to Los Angeles, California where her son already lived.

Throughout her life, Jeanette was one of those “true saints who [could] wear the mismatched pairing of suffering and joy” [3]. And as a result, she drew attention to Christ.

May we do the same.

Addendum: For six years prior to a fatal stroke, Jeanette ministered in the Chinese community of Los Angeles, told her story at every opportunity, and wrote her autobiography.

[1] https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/jeanette-li-and-her-faith-in-gods-promises

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://jenniferdukeslee.com/on-suffering-and-joy-a-lesson-from-the-garden-tomato/

Other Sources:

https://www.bdcconline.net

https://rpwitness.org

Jeanette Li (Yin Wei Jie)

Image credits: http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.getarchive.net (2); http://www.canva.com (2); http://www.freebibleimages.org; http://www.getarchives.net.

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An Extraordinary Journey

Posted in Courage, Encouragement, Excellence, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Provision, God's Strength, God-Given Abilities, Godly Character, Heroes of the Faith, Obedience, Perseverance, Service, Uncategorized, tagged Hebrews 13:21, Liberia, Lott Carey, Missionaries, Missionaries to Africa on February 27, 2025| 27 Comments »

Lott Carey ran his hands over the polished wood of his new desk. He shook his head in wonder while contemplating the most recent turn-of-events in his life.

Lord, I can scarce believe where you’ve brought me, he prayed.

Surely no one but a prophet could have predicted this day for Lott, a former slave from Virginia, born about 1780.

Thank you, Father, for placing me in a God-fearing family, and for our kind master who kept us together—my grandmother, parents, and me. Thank you for their faithfulness to raise me up knowing you.

Lott rested his elbows on the desk and covered his eyes at the next memory, when his master sent him to work in a tobacco warehouse in Richmond.

He was twenty-four, joined with a group of carousing men, and began drinking heavily.

Months later, he returned to church and reestablished his faith in Christ.

Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on me, even when I turned my back on you.

Lott smiled to think how God engineered the ensuing events. First came the desire to read, and Lott signed up for night school at First Baptist Church. He also studied writing, math, the Bible, and other subjects.

Then God provided a promotion to supervisor at the tobacco warehouse, providing a better salary. Lott saved every extra penny and purchased his freedom [1].

Looking back, God, I can see how you’ve cared for me all along the way. You’ve gone before me, you’ve been with me, and have never forsaken me [2].

Next came the realization that God had given him a gift for preaching, and his church licensed him to do so. Lott ministered to a small black congregation for a time, and under his leadership, it grew to over eight hundred members. Lott began receiving invitations to preach all over Virginia.

That turned out to be a short stretch of road, didn’t it Father! You used my teacher, Mr. Crane, and others to turn my heart toward Africa, which I found exciting but also overwhelming.

The fact that my church family provided strong affirmation encouraged me that this was your plan.

For six years the idea of becoming a missionary in Africa had grown increasingly urgent in Lott’s heart. Finally, in 1821, the dream became a reality when he, his second wife, three children and two more co-workers with their families set sail for Sierra Leone.

They were the first black Americans to serve as missionaries in Africa.

West Africa

Lott shook his head. Never would I have expected my life journery to take me across the ocean!” he mused.

Not long after disembarking, the group discovered that the American Colonization Society, responsible for purchasing land for them, had not done so. The team had to work as laborers for nearly a year until support arrived from the States.

An even more grievous event that year: Lott’s wife became ill and died.

Such agonizing setbacks might have done me in, Lord, but you upheld me. Thank you for your sustaining presence.

One uplifting circumstance: God used Lott to establish a mission among the nearby Mandingo tribe.

In 1822 the neighboring state of Liberia was founded by the America Colonization Society as a place for freed slaves to resettle and govern themselves.

Lott became Liberia’s health officer and government inspector in the capital city of Monrovia, while also serving as pastor for several churches.

These have been exciting times, Lord. You’ve also helped me found the Monrovia Mission Society, to help us spread the good news of Christ all over Africa.

He suddenly chuckled. AND you made me physician of the colony!

Lott marveled how much he’d learned just through observation and experience while ministering to the sick. He’d also absorbed knowledge from scientific practitioners who visited the colony [3].

But most surprising of all, Lord, is where I currently sit, at this desk—the GOVERNOR’S desk!

Who would ever guess that an illiterate, former slave like me would be chosen provisional governor of Liberia while the elected governor returns home because of illness?

Lott surveyed the desktop with its books and papers–his domain now.

God, you’ve taken me on an extraordinary journey. As I assume these responsibilities, thank you in advance for your continued enablement to do what you require. May I serve you well, AMEN.

Little did Lott know that he’d shortly be organizing a defense force against hostile tribes, that he and seven co-workers would die in a gun powder explosion while preparing to rescue negotiators from the enemy. He was just forty-nine years old.

And yet during his short life, Lott set for us a stellar example of hard work, strong faith, and prayerful compliance with whatever God set before him to do.

His legacy lives on in the Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community, established in 1897 and “dedicated to broadening the reach of the Christian faith across the globe” [4].

[1] He also purchased freedom for his first wife who later died, and their two children. The cost: $850. (https://landmarkevents.org/lott-carey-sails-for-africa-1821/; https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/taylor/taylor.html).

[2] Deuteronomy 31:18 NIV

[3] https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/taylor/taylor.html , 44.

[4] https://lottcarey.org/

Additional Sources:

http://www.imb.org, “Missionaries You Should Know: Lott Carey.”

https://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/lott-carey

Image credits: http://www.stockcake.com; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.flickr.com (Juan Freire); http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.canva.com.

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Celebrating the Saints

Posted in Courage, Encouragement, Excellence, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Strength, God-Given Abilities, Godly Character, Heroes of the Faith, Obedience, Perseverance, Prayer, Service, Suffering, Uncategorized, Waiting on God, tagged 1 Corinthians 3:10, African Inland Mission, Central African Republic, Christian heroes, Christianity, James Gribble, missionary, missions on January 9, 2025| 45 Comments »

Twenty-one-year-old James Gribble, a streetcar conductor, scanned the avenue ahead, but his mind swirled with visions of the future. Life was treating him well in Philadelphia with its many amenities in 1904, compared to his hometown of Mechanicsburg, PA. What opportunities might lie ahead?

Then it happened. A woman stepped off the still-moving trolley, caught her skirt under a wheel, and was pulled under. She died at the scene.

James agonized over the terrible accident. “Oh God, deliver me, and I’ll serve you!” he wrote in his journal.

That Sunday James attended church and accepted Jesus into his life. That evening he was baptized.

On Monday while reading his Bible, James came to Matthew 28:19a:

He told his pastor, “I think God wants me to become a missionary.”

For several years James received mentoring and instruction, then joined the African Inland Mission. To his delight, the team included a pretty young doctor, Florence Newberry. In 1908 they established a mission station in West Central Africa and started ministering to the nearby tribes.

The station was located in what is now the Central African Republic, south of Chad.

James wanted to become better-acquainted with Florence, but patients kept her busy from morning till night. Suddenly genius struck. James could pretend he was sick!

During the appointment he suggested courtship. Florence preferred they remain friends, still devastated over a previous beau uninterested in foreign mission work.

Twice more over the next four years James would approach her about courtship; twice more she declined.

James and another missionary traveled inland to establish a new station.

West African tribesmen, 1912

Soon his partner became ill and had to return to base camp, then James succumbed to black water fever. He expected to die.

Afterward James wrote about the vision God gave him on his sickbed—a panoramic view of the tribes of West Central Africa. God said, “Thou shalt be instrumental in carrying the gospel to these.” James knew then he’d survive.

During a prayer vigil in 1912, Florence’s thoughts turned to James. Her heart had warmed toward the trustworthy and kind missionary, so passionate about sharing Christ with the African people. Florence sensed the Spirit whispering to her, “Why not?”

The two were married within a few months.

Sometime later Florence developed appendicitis and required hospitalization. For thirty days they traveled the three hundred miles to the nearest hospital.

As she slowly recovered, the doctor told James, “You must take her back to America. She cannot live in the tropics.”

Florence did return home and six months later James followed. They lived in Chicago for several years while Florence regained strength. Their only child Marguerite was born there in 1915.

Daily James would pray over a map of Africa. He found his attention drawn to a town named Bozoum, in Ubangi-Shari (now the Central African Republic). He wondered why.

Bozoum is located in the northwestern province of Ouham-Pende.

The couple shared their hope with area churches: to establish base camps across central Africa as a barrier against encroaching Islam. When they returned in 1918, two nurses and another family joined them.

The group desired to enter a French-controlled area, but it took eighteen months to receive permission. They named their base, Camp-Wait-Some-More.

Finally able to move on, they arrived in Carnot. While waiting there another eighteen months, they spent their time learning the language and praying.

A new official arrived, and James made an appointment with him.

He asked James, “Where do you intend to set up camp, now that you’ve received permission?”

Permission?! James was stunned. “Where would you recommend?”

Then came Surprise #2. “I think Bozoum would be a good place.”

Now James knew why God had inspired him to pray particularly for this town.

Not long after their arrival in February, 1921, Florence and James became ill again. She had to return to the States, taking their daughter with her. Eighteen months later Florence traveled back to Africa, but without Marguerite. Though an anguishing decision, the couple determined she should remain in America to attend school.

In 1923 a young recruit was due to arrive, but he died within miles of reaching their mission station, causing more heartache.

James wrote:

Not long after, James succumbed to black water fever again; this time the forty-year-old did not survive.

He’d previously written to Florence, “I shall be content with the lowest seat in heaven if only there I may sit and see the redeemed of the Lord come in from those fields where I have a been a pioneer missionary.”

Except James had not witnessed one person becoming a Christ-follower during his years in Africa.

Some might say those years of pain and hardship had accomplished nothing. And what about God’s promise: ““Thou shalt be instrumental in carrying the gospel to these?”

James had been instrumental, by bringing others to join in their work. Even his own daughter returned to Africa, ministering with her husband for thirty-one years.

James had served as a foundation builder—constructing base camps, encouraging others, and giving himself to prayer. He followed in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul:

Today, 70% of the population of the Central African Republic are Christians.

In my mind’s eye I see James in heaven, greeting saint after saint from West Central Africa, just as he imagined. But instead of sitting, I think James is standing and celebrating with all his heart.

Sources:

A hero of the faith speaks about obstacles – James Gribble

https://www.encompassworldpartners.org/stories/what-can-james-gribble-teach-us-about-prayer/

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.rawpixel.com; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.nara.getarchive.net; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org.

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And Mary Pondered These Things

Posted in Bible Study, Christmas, Courage, Encouragement, Excellence, Faith, God's Provision, God's Strength, God's Will, God-Given Abilities, Godly Character, Jesus, Maturity, Uncategorized, tagged birth of Jesus, Christmas, Dealing with hardship, Luke 1:38, Luke 2:19, Luke 2:21-35, Mary Mother of Jesus on December 26, 2024| 31 Comments »

No Christmas season would be complete without the reading of the second chapter of Luke—the account of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, presiding over the birth of Jesus in a stable or cave, and receiving shepherd-guests.

Toward the end of the account, as those shepherds were spreading the word of Jesus’ birth, Luke wrote, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (v. 19).

Indeed. She had much to process:

Her baby was the Messiah, the Promised One, who would save his people from their sin. I wonder if she studied him, looking for signs that he was different from other infants.
This was the Prince of Peace cradled in her arms. Yet he had been born to a common village girl in very primitive conditions. Did that seem strange to her?
The shepherds had learned of his birth when angels visited them, just as the angel, Gabriel, had visited Mary and then Joseph. Gabriel had also visited Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Four angel visitations in a matter of months. Never had that happened before.

I find myself pondering, too—pondering Mary herself–this dear, young girl who carried a tremendous burden for a long time.

Dear means beloved and valued. Mary is certainly that for numerous reasons.

She embraced Gabriel’s announcement with great faith. “May it be to me as you have said,” (Luke 1:38). She put herself in the care of God in spite of incomprehensible circumstances.
Her prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), gives indication of a heart fully committed to God.
She endured much: shame for her pregnancy, a long, uncomfortable journey to Bethlehem, and crude circumstances for the birth of her Son.

Mary was young—perhaps between thirteen and fifteen years of age. That was the typical age for a girl to be married in Bible times.

Yet, young as Mary was, Gabriel praised her for being “endued with grace” (v. 28, AMP). In addition, Mary demonstrated stamina, maturity, and gentleness beyond her years.

No doubt God graced her with these traits. But I have to believe Mary also had freedom of choice, as we all do, to embrace God’s way for her.

What I ponder most, however, is the fact Mary carried a tremendous burden, given to her by an elderly man, Simeon, eight days after Jesus was born.

You undoubtedly remember the story. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple at Jerusalem to be circumcised.

There they met the righteous and devout Simeon who had been waiting decades for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him he would not die until he had seen the Lord Christ.

Immediately upon seeing the Child, Simeon knew this was the One.

He praised God for keeping his promise, blessed Mary and Joseph, and then spoke particularly to Mary, saying Jesus would cause some to rise and some to fall, he would be spoken against, the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed, and a sword will pierce your own soul too (Luke 2:21-35).

Those last words must have caused Mary’s eyes to grow wide and her heart to skip a beat. Wasn’t the worst behind her? Surely Mary wanted to ask Simeon, “What do you mean?” Scripture gives us no indication that she did so.

For thirty-three years those last words of Simeon must have echoed in Mary’s mind again and again. How does a person live with such long-term foreboding? Perhaps her mind turned back to the night of Gabriel’s visitation.

Perhaps, for thirty-three years, Mary repeated what she had told the archangel: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (1:38).

Mary may very well have developed the calm assurance that even when God’s ways are baffling, we can rest assured he is orchestrating events to accomplish far more than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20). She’d been witness to such orchestration in Bethlehem.

Mary knew that even our personal hardships can fulfill purposes that extend far beyond ourselves.

That’s a lesson for all of us to embrace with calm assurance.

(Revised and reblogged from December 15, 2014, while we enjoy a blessed week with family!)

Photo credit: http://www.stocksnap.io.

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In the Walled City and Beyond

Posted in Courage, Dreams, Generosity, God's Faithfulness, God's Power, Heroes of the Faith, Perseverance, Service, Uncategorized, tagged Example of faith in action, Hong Kong, Jackie Pullinger, Kowloon, Matthew 25:40, St. Stephen's Society, Successful rehabilitation from drug addiction, The Walled City on August 29, 2024| 44 Comments »

‘If I were you I’d buy a ticket for a boat going on the longest journey you can find and pray to know where to get off. If God doesn’t want you on that boat he’s perfectly able to stop you . . . or make the ship go anywhere in the world.’

Jackie Pullinger of Croydon, England nodded, sensing God’s affirmation to this advice from her pastor.

For months Jackie’s dream of becoming a missionary in Africa had been stymied. No mission society, school, or broadcasting company took interest in her, a twenty-two-year-old music teacher.

And yet the dream she’d held since age five remained as strong as ever—stronger, in fact, upon developing a close, personal relationship with Jesus while attending the Royal College of Music.

Jackie soon implemented her pastor’s advice and set sail from London in 1966 with no destination in mind and only ten pounds in her pocket. When she reached Hong Kong, Jackie sensed God telling her, this is the place.

Hong Kong, 1960s

She began exploring the island and came upon the Walled City, a place of lawlessness and squalor, open sewers and rats, gangs, drug addicts, and prostitutes. Thirty-some thousand people on six acres.

No building codes enforced .

Years prior the area had been occupied by the Chinese imperial garrison. “It was omitted from the lease of 1898 in which China ceded Hong Kong to Britain. Neither government had taken responsibility for it” [1]. When the garrison disbanded the underclass moved in, unchecked by any police presence.

In spite of the filth and stench, Jackie felt happy there because in her mind’s eye she already saw the darkness lifting. She saw the kingdom of God.

No trash pick-up either.

To support herself, Jackie took a teaching position in a government school, but she also worked at a school in the Walled City, run by a missionary.

Jackie turned a few shabby rooms into a youth club where teenagers could play ping pong and darts. She began to build relationships with them, many of whom were already heroin or opium addicts.

Preaching about Jesus proved ineffective. But Jackie noticed people watching how she lived. So she focused on putting her faith in action.

Jackie shared her rice with an old woman, took a gang member to the hospital after a fight, waited in line overnight to register a young girl for school, went to court with a gang member who said he’d been framed, and more [2].

Many expressed appreciation for her kindness and generosity but no lives were changed—at first.

One night thugs ransacked the youth club. Benches, skateboards, and the games equipment were destroyed, the walls and floor smeared with sewage. But a gang leader who respected Jackie assigned guards to protect the youth club from future damage.

Another leader asked Jackie to help his gang members quit drugs. Sober members made better dealers, he explained.

“I’ll only help them to follow Jesus, reject narcotics, and not participate in organized crime,” she told him.

And yet the leader continued to support Jackie and even released from the gang those boys who became Christians [3].

One day while walking through the Walled City, Jackie spotted Christopher, a boy from her youth group. She asked him to carry her accordion.

As they walked, they talked. Christopher confessed he couldn’t become a Christian because he wasn’t good enough. Jackie made clear that wasn’t a prerequisite, and the boy became a Jesus-follower that day [4].

Others soon made the choice to become Christians, including one of the youth-club guards. But some of these new believers lived in opium dens, making their transition to sober-living especially difficult.

One by one they came to live in Jackie’s home, where they received compassionate care and faith-filled prayer while processing through withdrawal. For many their transition was neither painful or traumatic [5].

Of course, Jackie’s apartment quickly became crowded. But through gifts from other Christians and government resources she was able to rent more apartments. It wasn’t long before dozens of such living quarters became hundreds and each quickly filled to capacity.

More workers joined in the work, including former addicts. They established additional homes for teenagers, women, and girls.

In 1981 Jackie founded the St. Stephen’s Society, to provide accountability for the growing ministry.

In 1985, the Hong Kong Government gave the society a complex of buildings divided into apartments. Hundreds more displaced persons—the poor, the elderly, and the infirm—were given places to live.

In the 1990s, the government offered another property to the St. Stephen’s Society. Buildings were erected to house two hundred men as they completed the five-phase withdrawal program, from detoxification to re-entering society as productive citizens.

The St. Stephen Society continues to function to this day, “rescuing hundreds of young people from a life of misery on the streets” [6]—not only in Hong Kong but in other countries as well.

Jackie, now eighty years old, continues to serve.

[1] https://mycharisma.com/charisma-archive/one-woman-vs-the-dragon/

[2] https://www.ststephenssociety.com/about-us

[3] https://thechurch.org.au/celebrating-jackie-pullinger-of-hong-kong/

[4] https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=article&id=26751

[5] https://thechurch.org.au/celebrating-jackie-pullinger-of-hong-kong/

[6] https://blogs.georgefox.edu/dlgp/jackie-pullinger-loving-the-unlovely/

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com (2); http://www.picryl.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.rawpixel.com.

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Goodness and Mercy Followed

Posted in Courage, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Protection, Heroes of the Faith, Obedience, Service, Suffering, Uncategorized, Waiting on God, tagged China Inland Mission, Isaiah 41:10, Isobel Kuhn, J. O. Fraser, Jeremiah 29:13, John Kuhn, Lisu People of China, Missionaries in China, Psalm 23:6, Yunnan Province China on April 11, 2024| 40 Comments »

She was very popular at the University of British Columbia: effervescent, attractive, and intelligent. Yet Isobel (Belle) Miller found herself standing at the medicine cabinet in her parents’ home, ready to swallow poison.

Life had become meaningless, her spirit restless. To make matters worse, her fiancé was seeing another girl. Belle didn’t turn to God, having brushed aside her Christian upbringing when a professor insisted Christianity was for the superstitious.

She heard her father’s snuffling snore from the next room. If he found her dead, Belle knew it would break his heart. She returned to her room.

Suddenly, a line from Dante came to mind: “In His will is our peace.”

Belle prayed, “God, if you prove to me that you are, and if you will give me peace, I will give you my whole life”[1]. She began a passionate search for God, truth, and purpose.

Following graduation in 1922, Belle taught school. During this time she heard J. O. Fraser speak about his ministry in China and the need for more missionaries. Belle wondered, Is this what you want me to do, God?

Fraser was staying with Belle’s family. She asked questions about missionary life and the China Inland Mission he represented. Belle learned they required two years of Bible school and Fraser recommended Moody Bible Institute. With funds from a friend, she enrolled.

While at Moody, Belle met John Kuhn who also felt called to serve in China. Friendship developed into romance, but Belle wasn’t sure God wanted her to marry him. John sailed for China in 1926.

After graduation, Belle attended the China Inland Mission training school in Toronto. She and John corresponded frequently. In one of his letters he proposed and Belle said yes. They prayed to be assigned in the Yunnan province, hoping to work under Fraser. God answered their prayer affirmatively.

After Belle completed a year of language study, she and John finally married in November 1929. Belle moved to Cheng Chiang where he lived.

Yunnan Province in southwest corner

The first time she hosted a few women in their home, a baby soiled the Kuhn’s new rug. Worse yet, Belle found more “guests” after the humans left: bed bugs, fleas, and lice.

“Lord, make these souls more important to me than anything else,” she prayed. And soon genuine love superseded concerns about vermin or stains.

Over the next twenty years, the Kuhns served in five locations. For the most part, John preached in the villages and Belle taught women’s Bible classes. Their first child Kathryn arrived in 1931.

A terrible flood occurred in 1933, during Belle’s second pregnancy. John was away preaching, so she dragged belongings upstairs, some very heavy. Belle miscarried the baby.

There was little time to grieve as a new directive arrived from Fraser the next day: You’re needed in the Salween Valley to work with the Lisu people.

In 1936 Communist soldiers threatened the valley and missionaries were instructed to evacuate. For eight days they trekked northward, but so did the enemy.

“It seemed as if the Communists were after us,” she wrote, “but in real fact, our pursuers were those faithful watch dogs of Jehovah . . . ‘Goodness and Mercy followed us all our days ‘”[2].

In 1937, as the war with Japan escalated, they were told Kathryn needed to attend a far-distant CIM school out of harm’s way, causing a heartbreaking separation.

Belle fought her distress with a new form of ministry to train church leaders: Rainy Season Bible School, taking advantage of the free time inclement weather provided. Many men attended.

In 1938 their dear friend Fraser died. John’s ministry broadened to include travel throughout Lisu territory. At home, Belle continued to teach, but she also found time to write, completing four books during those twenty years of ministry.

Several times the Kuhns had to escape the Communists and then the Japanese. Each time the Kuhns returned when the danger had passed.

Yangtze River, Yunnan Province

Daniel Kuhn was born in 1942. When he was six, Belle and her son had to evacuate again. This time they traveled to America where Kathryn was attending college. John followed a short time later. They were never allowed to return to China.

Did the Kuhns wonder if the Lisu Christians would lose heart and give up their faith?

Author Wright Doyle wrote: “Of the 18,000 Lisu who lived in Fugong, Yunnan in 1950, 3,400 professed faith in Christ. As of 2007, it is estimated that 80-90% of the 70,000 population make the same profession. In Yunnan, it is estimated that there are between 100,00-200,000 Lisu Christians”[3].

A church in Fugong today

For three years the Kuhns worked in Thailand, but then Belle was diagnosed with cancer. She died in 1957 at age fifty-five. Yet even while battling disease, Belle completed five more books.

To this day, the legacy of Isobel Miller Kuhn lives on, among her beloved Lisu people and through her writing.

[1] https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/kuhn-isobel-miller

[2] https://fromthevault.wheaton.edu/2021/03/01/letters-from-lisuland-the-ministry-of-isobel-kuhn/

[3] https://g1.fieldpartner.org/isobelkuhn/

Other sources:

https://www.evangelical-times.org/isobel-kuhn

https://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/isobel-kuhn

Photo credits: http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.enwikipedia.org.

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A LIVING Legacy

Posted in Courage, Dreams, Generosity, God-Given Abilities, Heroes of the Faith, Perseverance, Service, Success, Uncategorized, tagged Ken Taylor, Kenneth N. Taylor, The Living Bible, The New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishing on January 25, 2024| 43 Comments »

Ken looked up from his Bible into the faces of his children, gathered for their family devotions [1]. He’d been reading to them from a puzzling passage, and the circle of glassy eyes betrayed their lack of understanding.

Ken knew the problem; he’d dealt with it himself growing up in the 1920s. The King James Version of 1611, used by most Protestant churches at the time, was difficult for modern generations to comprehend—much less Ken’s children growing up in the 1940s and ‘50s.

He stopped reading and explained the meaning of the confusing verse.

“But Daddy,” said one of his daughters, “if that’s what it means, why doesn’t it say so” [2]?

Why not, indeed, thought Ken. That’s when he decided to rewrite certain Bible stories for his ten children.

Ken’s background provided a strong foundation for such a project. He’d grown up in the home of a pastor father and godly mother, and earned an advanced theology degree.

That training served him well, first as editor for HIS magazine, then at Good News Publishers, and finally as director of Moody Press in Chicago.

Ken’s children loved his stories, and when he shared them with colleagues at Moody, they urged him to publish. (He’d already published two children’s books.) The first collection of scripture-stories, The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes (1956), was followed by several more.

Then came a new God-inspired epiphany. What if he rewrote scripture thought-for-thought instead of word-for-word, but still based on the original Hebrew or Greek? Could he make scripture—even the non-story parts—more understandable for his children?

Ken flipped open his Bible, and his eyes landed on 2 Timothy 2:4.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (KJV).

After careful thought, Ken wrote: “As Christ’s soldier do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army [3].”

That night he shared his rewrite with the family. They approved.

Thus began a multi-year commitment of evenings, weekends, and vacations, revising scripture for his family. Ken even worked during the 45-minute commute by train from his home (in Wheaton, Illinois) to Chicago.

Each evening he’d share the results of his efforts with the family.

A few years later another possibility occurred to Ken. Other families might also appreciate a scripture revision in modern-day English. By this time (1962), he’d completed the twenty-one epistles (letters) of the New Testament. He called the book Living Letters.

However, publisher after publisher rejected the manuscript. They doubted people would be interested in a modern version of the epistles so far removed from the familiar King James.

Ken and his wife Margaret decided to finance from their savings a printing of 2000 copies. He then rented half a booth at a Christian book convention and sold 800 copies.

The family helped process the orders at the dining room table. Boxes of books were stored under their beds.

Several months passed before the first orders arrived at their home. Ken dipped into their savings again and printed 5,000 copies. A few months later, 10,000 more.

In 1963 the Billy Graham Association contacted Ken. They wanted to offer Living Letters to anyone who requested a copy. They distributed six hundred thousand copies world-wide.

Considerable proceeds began to accumulate, but Ken and Margaret weren’t interested in upgrading their modest lifestyle. They set up a foundation in order to fund Christian mission projects worldwide [4].

Another prompting from God led Ken to leave Moody Press so he could write full-time and revise more books of the Bible into modern day language.

From 1964 to 1970 Ken added such volumes as The Living Prophecies (1964) and The Living Gospels (1966). Each one included a different portion of the Bible.

By 1965, the dining room no longer sufficed for conducting the business of their company, Tyndale House Publishing [5]. Ken moved the operation to offices nearby. Another move became necessary in 1967 when even more space was required.

By 1972 Ken had completed the revision of the entire scriptures. The Living Bible was released, selling eight million copies by the end of that year.

In 1973, The Living Bible became the best-selling book in America, and Tyndale House Publishing soon became the well-known and highly-respected company it is today.

By the late 1980s Ken had been semi-retired for several years and his son Mark served as CEO. Tyndale House brought together ninety Bible scholars to work on The New Living Translation, which would be “faithful to the ancient texts and eminently readable” [6]. That volume was released in 1996 and has sold more than 50 million copies.

To this day Tyndale House carries on the passion and Living legacy of Kenneth N. Taylor (1917-2005), ministering to “the spiritual needs of people, primarily through literature consistent with biblical principles” [7].

[1] A time of Bible reading and prayer

[2] https://todayschristianliving.org/ken-taylor-making-scripture-clear/

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] William Tyndale translated the Bible into English, and was burned at the stake in 1536 for doing so.

[6] https://www.tyndale.com/about-the-nlt

[7] https://www.tyndale.com/kenneth-n-taylor

Other sources:

https://www.zianet.com/maxey/ver4.htm

https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/6/Tyndale-House-Publishers-Inc.html

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Candles, Prayer, and Song

Posted in Courage, Encouragement, Faith, God's Goodness, God's Power, God's Protection, Heroes of the Faith, Hope, Perseverance, Prayer, Suffering, Uncategorized, Waiting on God, tagged Berlin Wall, Christian Furher, Church of St. Nicholas Leipzig Germany, East Germany, Fear and Faith, Peaceful Protests, Power of Prayer, Psalm 44:3 on November 9, 2023| 34 Comments »

Christian trudged to the church he pastored as rain drummed on his umbrella. His pant cuffs grew increasingly damp from his splashing boots.

Is this really worth the effort, he wondered. Only a handful of people attended the Monday night prayer meetings, which he’d established several years prior at Church of St. Nicholas.

And yet the faithful few who came demonstrated such hope, Christian always felt uplifted by the end of each gathering.

Encouragement of any kind was in short supply. Times were difficult; everyone was suffering except the government elite and their cronies.

In the third year of the weekly prayer sessions, Christian felt compelled to invite fifty people to his church to discuss the oppressive circumstances of their country. More than six hundred came, and subsequently, attendance at the Monday prayer meetings also grew.

Such a large crowd didn’t slip by the attention of authorities. They discouraged religious gatherings, but assumed that prayer meetings were harmless.

Attendees began bringing family and friends. Over the next few years the church started to fill to overflowing. Eventually eight thousand people gathered every Monday night, praying for peace in their land and throughout the world.

Other churches around the country organized their own prayer meetings. Some attendees would walk the streets afterward, carrying candles and praying or singing as they went.

The authorities finally ran out of patience with the demonstrations. They barricaded the streets around the Church of St. Nicholas to discourage attendees. Instead, the congregation grew.

The next step included peaceful protests. Thousands of people participated. And even though hundreds of demonstrators were beaten and arrested, they weren’t deterred.

Numerous threats were made; some lost their jobs. One woman reported that government officials took custody of her children for a while, due to her participation in what they called an extremist group.

Worse yet, the protesters were threatened with death. And though many admitted to fearing for their lives, they did not back down.

“Our fear was not as big as our faith,” Christian explained later [1].

One night, after an hour-long service at St. Nicholas Church, Christian led the people outside to join a crowd of approximately 70,000, all gathering from various churches. Each one carried a candle and marched through the city chanting “we are the people” and “no violence” [2].

All along the way, long rows of armed police watched their every move. More soldiers manned tanks, waiting for the order to disperse the crowd with murderous force.

But the order never came. Afterward it was revealed that government officials persuaded their leader to leave the protesters alone.

One of the demonstrators gave a soldier a lighted candle. He put down his weapon and accepted it. Others followed suit. “Soon all the soldiers had lowered their weapons and joined with the protestors” [3].

In the following weeks, the prayerful, candle-carrying crowd grew to 120,000, then 300,000, and finally 700,000.

A crowd such as this must have gathered.

The country’s leader resigned, knowing that without the army to back him, he had become powerless. Soon the whole regime resigned, unable to fight against the power of prayer and Light.

One month after the tide-changing protest, a government spokesperson mistakenly announced in a public broadcast that a monumental change was about to take place. Citizens would be allowed to travel freely, effective immediately [4].

News spread rapidly, reported across the world. Thousands of people soon gathered at the symbol of their thirty-year oppression, a barrier that had divided them into east and west: the Berlin Wall.

Harald Jager, commanding officer of the border guards that night, called his superiors to find out how to deal with the gathering crowd. He received no orders.

“People could have been injured or killed . . . if there had been panic among the thousands gathered at the border crossing,” he declared afterward. “That’s why I gave the order: Open the barrier” [5].

And so, on November 9,1989, thousands flowed through, celebrating and crying. Others climbed over the barrier, chipping away at the wall with hammers and pickaxes. Bulldozers and cranes soon made quick work of dismantling the entire structure [6].