[Featured Post] Christ Entered Our Death Camp

In light of the Easter season being upon us, this week's featured post is "Christ Entered Our Death Camp" written by Lilianne Lopez, a regular contributor to the blog Sabbath School Net. Also since many of you may be more inclined to view religious movies during this period, be sure to check out the recent post on Christians in relation to Bible-themed movies "Whose Side Are We On".

If it had not happened, could we imagine a world in which God became a Man and lived among us? Although He could have come as a powerful and wealthy King, He chose to come as a newborn powerless and poor Baby. He lived like those around Him. He obeyed His parents and His government. He even allowed them to put Him to death.

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

We don’t know much about Jesus’ growing-up years … probably because it was much like everybody else’s who grew up at the same time. There was nothing that would make His childhood look different from the other children in Nazareth. He was a Jewish boy, from a Jewish family, in a Jewish village.

Then something startling happened. When He was twelve, in Jerusalem for His first Passover, He realized who He was. Think for a minute about how that moment of revelation must felt for Jesus. Can you imagine being twelve and finding out that you were the Creator of the planet that you were standing on and everything on it?

Even more mind-boggling though, is that after coming to that realization, Jesus went home with His earthly parents and continued to live, work beside, and obey them for the next 18 years. Our sinful, earthly minds rebel at the thought of being subject to anyone, especially someone we perceive as being somehow less important than we are. Yet Jesus knew He was God, and still obeyed His parents and lived as their Son.

From the time when Jesus and God the Father made the plan to redeem humanity, Jesus had been obedient to the laws that governed Him. Some people like to paint Jesus as a rebel, but if we look closely at His life, we realize that He never broke a rule He didn’t have to. In every way He lived the life of a devout Jewish baby, child, and man. His parents had Him circumcised just like every other Jewish boy. He didn’t eat any unclean meat. He kept all the Jewish feasts that pointed to Him as the Redeemer. He kept the Sabbath that pointed to Him as the Creator. He kept the Ten Commandments that He had written with His own finger.

In the stories of the mythological gods, all of them tried to “fly under the radar.” Most of them didn’t even attempt to live by the same rules that humans were expected to follow. Most of the mythological gods were immoral, jealous, and unprincipled beings, according to the stories written about them. They used whatever power they had to draw attention to themselves and to get what they wanted, no matter what it cost anyone else.

Jesus was different. He allowed Himself to be beaten and killed to save each one of us, even though He could have destroyed those who were mistreating Him.

Do you think you would be able to do what Jesus did, even on a smaller scale? Here’s the story of someone who did. His name was Witold Pilecki, a captain in the Polish army and a committed Christian. In September 1940, Pilecki did the unthinkable – he sneaked into Auschwitz!
Why would anybody sneak in to a Nazi death camp? Well, Pilecki was sure that very bad things were happening in that place and he wanted to get proof of what was going on. He could only get that information from the inside. So Pilecki came up with the plan. His superiors approved it and made sure he had a false ID card with a Jewish name. Then Pilecki went out and got himself arrested by the Nazis. He was sent to Auschwitz and tattooed as inmate number 4859.

Now, it wasn’t like Pilecki had nothing to lose, he had a wife and two kids. He said, “I bade farewell to everything I had known on this earth.”

Once inside the death camp, he didn’t go around telling people that he wasn’t Jewish and that he should be treated differently.

He “became just like any other prisoner—despised, beaten, and threatened with death. From inside the camp he wrote, ‘The game I was now playing at Auschwitz was dangerous…. In fact, I had gone far beyond what people in the real world would consider dangerous.’

“But beginning in 1941, prisoner number 4859 started working on his dangerous mission. He organized the inmates into resistance units, boosting morale and documenting the war crimes. Pilecki used couriers to smuggle out detailed reports on the atrocities. By 1942, he had also helped organize a secret radio station using scrap parts. The information he supplied from inside the camp provided Western allies with key intelligence information about Auschwitz.

“In the spring of 1943, Pilecki joined the camp bakery where he was able to overpower a guard and escape. Once free, he finished his report, estimating that around 2 million souls had been killed at Auschwitz. When the reports reached London, officials thought he was exaggerating. Of course today we know he was right.

“Here’s how a contemporary Jewish journal summarized Pilecki’s life: ‘Once he set his mind to the good, he never wavered, never stopped. He crossed the great human divide that separates knowing the right thing from doing the right thing.’ In his report Pilecki said, ‘There is always a difference between saying you will do something and actually doing it. A long time before, many years before, I had worked on myself in order to be able to fuse the two.’ The current Polish Ambassador to the U.S. described Pilecki as a ‘diamond among Poland’s heroes.’”¹

Mr. Pilecki was not Jewish and didn’t need to worry about what was going on in those camps. As far as he and his colleagues knew they were work camps. But Pilecki wasn’t satisfied to stand by and watch. He had spent his life working for freedom and eventually gave his life because he refused to give up the names of the people with whom he worked.

Jesus was not human and He didn’t need to worry about anything here on earth. We blew it – he could have just created another world and forgotten about us. But Jesus couldn’t stand by and watch, either. He and His Father made a plan and snuck Him into our sinful existence. And just like Pilecki, Jesus risked all. He risked failure and eternal loss.

“In stooping to take upon Himself humanity, Christ revealed a character the opposite of the character of Satan. But He stepped still lower in the path of humiliation. ‘Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ Philippians 2:8. As the high priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, and officiated in the white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ took the form of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.’ Isaiah 53:5.

“Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘With His stripes we are healed.’”(E.G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 25)

1. Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com;  Rob Eshman, “The man who snuck into Auschwitz,” JewishJournal.com (12-5-12); Captain Witold Pileck, The Auschwitz Volunteer (Aquila Polonica, 2012) ↩

[Featured Post] Marriage is Not a Convenience Store

This featured post comes from Dr. Kelly Flanagan's blog Untangled.  Enjoy.

What do an all-inclusive resort, a mobile device, a phone company, and marriage all have in common? We have come to expect the same thing from all of them: one-stop, all-in-one convenience. 

Photo Credit: TheFutureIsUnwritten via Compfight cc

Last August, my wife and I attended a conference in Honolulu. The hotel had three restaurants, two bars, six gift shops, a convenience store, a business center, two pools, and beach access. You could fly to Hawaii and have a perfect vacation, without ever leaving your hotel.

All-inclusive convenience.

As consumers, we have come to expect this.

An iPhone is a one-stop shop in our pockets: phone, email, text, iPod, maps, news, personal calendar, family calendar, eBook reader(s), weather forecasts, Netflix and YouTube, and the list goes on and on.

All-in-one convenience.

As consumers, we have been trained to feel entitled to this.

In Chicago, AT&T bundles home phone, mobile phone, internet, and cable service. They recently added home security. I wonder when they’ll add babysitting to the bundle. I bet they’re beta testing it right now.

As consumers, we’ve been sold a lucrative lie called convenience, and it has infiltrated every aspect of our lives.

Including marriage.

Why Marriage is Ripping

In the last several decades, we have come to expect our marriages to serve an endless list of functions for us. We want our marriages to be the place we find romance and friendship and community and entertainment and security and self-esteem and direction and purpose and meaning.

Marriage has become life’s ultimate convenience store—an existential one-stop shop expected to meet all of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.

I think the biggest threat to marriage is this idealized, consumer-oriented, convenience store mentality we now bring to our wedding day.

Because when we act like we’re marrying a Walgreen’s instead of a person, marriage becomes an end unto itself. It becomes our one focus, our one purpose, and our one source of satisfaction. Our lives shrink as the expectations of our partner expand.

Many of us have put all our existential eggs in the marriage basket. And the basket is ripping beneath the strain of it. So then we compound the problem by spending all of our time trying to stitch the marriage back together, hoping it will hold all of our hopes and expectations again.

Maybe, instead, we need to spend some of our time finding other baskets.

Marriage is Not an All-Inclusive Hotel

I suppose it sounds like I’m recommending infidelity or lukewarm love or questionable commitment, but I’m not. I’m suggesting we will become more loving and more committed when we quit making marriage the only place we find purpose and meaning. 

Last August, we were with friends in Honolulu, and one of them got angry about the all-inclusive hotel and its plethora of services. He said it was the hotel’s way of tricking people into spending all their time and money there, discouraging guests from going out into the city and seeing the beautiful island.

He insisted on spending most of his time outside of the hotel, discovering new things. Then, after a day of exploring, he would return to the hotel to rest and recover.

I think that’s how marriage is supposed to work. It’s not supposed to be the one place we experience satisfaction in life. It’s supposed to be the place we return to—the safe place to recover—after we have ventured out into the world, to explore, to discover, to live. 

Marriage is the Hub of a Rebellion

What if we can’t find enduring purpose and meaning in marriage alone, because it’s simply not there to be found? What if purpose and meaning are found as we venture out into the world,

discovering we are strong enough to endure and good enough no matter what,

discovering a community or a cause that echoes the cry of our heart,

discovering how our gifts fit the needs of a broken world,

discovering how to love the unloveable (including ourselves),

discovering the grace that contains it all,

and discovering the courage to live all of it one day at a time.

Marriage is not an existential convenience store or an all-inclusive bundle of emotional services. Marriage is not the place we fight for good things—it’s the place we return to after we fight for good things, in ourselves and out in the world. It’s the place we return to:

to celebrate our victories,

to mourn our losses,

to lick our wounds,

to regain our strength,

and to be sent back out into the world again.

When lived in this way, our marriages become a celebration—a place of rejoicing and encouragement and support—and the hub of a rebellion against a world riddled with shame, meaninglessness, loneliness, despair and darkness. 

Two people living with that kind of purpose become a light no darkness can withstand. 

Last night, in the midst of a “family cleaning night,” I heard my daughter in her room, cleaning up and making up a silly song of her own: “By myself this is too hard, but together, we can do it. Together, we can do anything.”

Yes.

Marriage isn’t everything. But from within it, we can do anything.

What do you think about this view of marriage?  Leave your comments in the comment section.

[Featured Post] Marriage and Scooby-Doo (and the Freedom of Mystery)

This featured post comes from the blog Untangled: A Psychologist's Reflections on Therapy and Life

Marriage and Scooby-Doo (and the Freedom of Mystery)

 
They’ve messed up Scooby-Doo. 

When I was young, you could always count on “the gang” to solve the mystery. The monster always turned out to be some rich-white-male capitalist trying to rip off somebody. I liked Scooby-Doo, because there was a mystery, followed quickly by solutions. In the newer episodes for a new generation, the monsters turn out to be…monsters. The mystery never really gets solved. The point of the show is to experience the mystery, rather than to solve it. 

But my kids love it. They prefer mystery to solutions.

Maybe I need to learn how to love mystery again. Maybe we all do. Our marriages and our world may even depend upon it…

I’m not alone in my quest for solutions.

Just last night, I sat in my living with a group of friends—our children playing outdoors in the June twilight, echoes of laughter drifting on the breeze through open windows—and we talked about the ways we try solve even the most uncertain and mysterious of human experiences. Does a particular feeling mean we made the best job decision? Does our children’s happiness confirm we moved into the right neighborhood? Does a sense of accomplishment mean I have used my time wisely?

Uncertainty everywhere. Mystery everywhere. And all of us on the endless hunt for solutions, for answers to the timeless, unanswerable questions.

While our kids played.

Why do we yearn to solve the mystery? I think we search for solutions because they bring the illusion of certainty, and certainty brings a sense of safety. And we will go to incredible lengths to feel safe. In fact, we have been encouraged to do so from the womb.

Before we were born, most of our parents were purchasing the safest, most disaster-proof crib on the market. They were installing plugs in the light sockets and putting mouth-sized things in cupboards out of reach.

And once we could speak, they plied us with questions, searching for answers. Our parents wanted us to explain our every emotion, and they wanted to know what possessed us to do this or that. Our teachers were always looking for a specific answer, because standardized tests don’t measure mystery.

And the world knows we will pay an awful lot to purchase a feeling of safety. From the moment we earned our first paycheck, businesses were selling us the solutions they create. So, we have become convinced that iPhones are the answer to our disconnectedness, or that a particular neighborhood is the answer to our children’s education and future. Or we settle on a particular theology or a particular church, so we won’t have to wonder anymore. Or we eat kale and expensive vitamins and we think we have found the answer for perfect health.

We seek solutions because they make us feel safe. For a while.

But, inevitably, something happens:

An accident.

Or a diagnosis.

Or an affair.

Or maybe nothing happens, and we simply notice the gnawing sense of unease has returned—the questions are back, and we resume our desperate scramble for answers.

You see, as it turns out, solutions do not bring the peace and freedom for which we are so desperately searching.

Last week, I was in the kitchen finishing the dinner dishes, when my eight-year-old son, Aidan, walked in to the room. He was wearing a flannel bathrobe, with eyeglasses slightly askew, and he was holding a book about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Parenting fail?)

A little gray hair and a pipe, and he might have been an elderly man enjoying his retirement.

Of course, what came out of his mouth only added to the effect. He said, “Daddy, the thing I love about God is that the more you think about him, the more questions you have. And I love questions and mysteries.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

His words ruptured me—they were truth and art and revelation, and they took my breath away. But even more than the words themselves, I was struck by the sense of peace and freedom with which they were uttered.

Because having solutions does not bring peace and freedom.


Peace and freedom come when we relinquish solutions and revel in the mystery.

When we stand on the threshold of mystery, we will be afraid at first, because it feels chaotic and dangerous. But if we can stay there, if we can dip our toe into the waters of mystery, we may be transformed. 

We may become like children again.

My two-year-old daughter, Caitlin, has just entered the “why stage.” She asks the question, “Why?” with impunity. And in the end, with dimples popping and a glimmer in her eye, she always answers herself in this way: “Because that’s the way it is supposed to be.”

That answer is enough for her. 
 
She’s not asking the question in order to find the answer—she’s asking because her eyes are opening up to a vast, glorious world, and her questions are an expression of wonder in the mystery of it all. Her questions don’t require answers. They only require asking. 

How might we enter into this kind of mystery and revel in it? I think we can begin by dipping our toes into the on-going, unsolvable mystery of the people to whom we’ve committed our lives. I think our marriages could be a training ground for a people learning to revel in the mystery. Because the truth is, we are all walking mysteries, even to ourselves. If we can never fully know our own depths, how can we expect to fully comprehend the depths of another? Our husbands and wives are bottomless mysteries that defy solving, and we are left no choice but to live in their mystery.

What would happen if we became like children again, reveling in the mystery of the people we are married to, rediscovering the joy of asking questions—not in order to nail down answers, but simply as a way to honor the glory in the people next to us and to acknowledge the wonder in the world around us?

I think we might be transformed into a childlike people, trading the safe harbor of feeble, temporary answers for the vulnerability and wonder of endless questions. I think we might live our relationships and our lives soaked in the freedom and peace of a child discovering. We might stare long at a spider web and wonder at its complexity. We might look at a night sky and marvel at the vastness. We might look into the rebellious eyes of our child and melt at the mysterious universe behind them. We might trade in the violence of certainty for the awe-inspiring peace of the mystery, and in doing so we may unleash freedom in our marriages, and in our families, and in our friendships, and in a world captivated by the need for certainty.

So, tonight, fall asleep next to your spouse. But in the morning, allow yourself to awake to a stranger. Awake to the mystery of another wondrous creature, and become like kids again, forsaking the safety of certain-answers and reveling in the multiplication of questions.

Tomorrow, unleash some mystery into the world, and live in the peace and freedom of it.

[Featured Post] The Price of Prejudice

Courtesy news.adventist.org

Many of us are a bit too young to remember when the Chamberlain case became worldwide news, but it serves as an illustration of the depths to which people can sink.

Opinion: The Price of Prejudice

"You baby killer!" yelled the schoolboys at Julie as she walked to her Adventist School in Strathfeild in 1980. She ignored the taunts as she'd done every day since the Chamberlain case broke sensationally in the tabloids. But this time, as she walked, a half-full can of Fanta hurled by her head as the boys cheered.

Julie wasn't alone. Many Australian Adventists of the period have stories of harassment, from prank phone calls to public abuse. The hatred that underpinned the anti-Adventist bigotry was more than uncomfortable; it likely influenced the decision to prosecute the Chamberlains and the subsequent miscarriage of justice.

As we go through the process of healing the scars from that period, it's incumbent on us to evaluate carefully what we've learned about our national vulnerabilities in the process, as well as what we still need to learn.

What is particularly surprising about the anti-Adventist bigotry of the period is that it happened at all. Australia is, after all, one of the most diverse and tolerant societies in the world. We look at attacks on minorities around the world and shake our heads. The brutality, the tribalism, the ignorance and the scapegoating that undergirds the hatred spewed at minorities from 1930s Europe to modern-day Iran seems entirely remote and foreign to us. And if you had to pick an innocuous faith community, it would have to be the vegetarian, noncombatant, healthcare providing, granola-making and education-cherishing Adventists who had a century's worth of contributing to Australian society by the time the Chamberlain case broke.

If anyone could be safe anywhere, it would have to be a peaceful faith community with a long history and deep roots in a tolerant and progressive society.

And yet in our society, in our lifetimes, the tabloid press used the most debased and defamatory claims to whip up intense hatred of Adventist Christians. And this let lose the inner demons of many Australians. When Lindy Chamberlain was sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor three decades ago, it's reported that cheers were heard from pubs all over Darwin. It's chilling. But it happened. That is the result of hate filled propaganda mixed with a mob mentality, even in an enlightened society in modern times.

Wendy Harmer, the prominent comedian, graciously apologized on Tuesday for her role in promoting bigotry, noting that "such was the firestorm of hatred, all rationality was lost."

The most profound lesson we can learn from the Chamberlain case has nothing to do with dingoes or even the flaws in our justice system. The most profound lesson is something that we've learned about ourselves: we now know we can be turned into lynch mobs as easily as any other society at any other time.

So let's stand guard of ourselves. Because if there's one thing we can know with certainty, there will be another firestorm of hatred against another Australian community sooner or later. And unless we have the character and the courage to stand up against it, the results will once again be terrifying.
Next time around, as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, I want to be there standing arm in arm with whoever is targeted, defending them, and in the process, defending what is best in our ideals and our national character.

--James Standish is the Communication director for the Adventist Church's South Pacific Division, based in Wahroonga, near Sydney. He previously served as secretary of the United Nations NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion and received an award from the American Sikh community for defending civil rights in the wake of 9/11.

Read the news story here.

[Featured Post] No Compromise: The Story of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

This featured post comes from the blog ReligiousLiberty.tv and goes as follows.

No Compromise: The Story of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

Posted by Michael Peabody on February 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Note: Since this was written, we have received news that the Iranian Judiciary has issued orders that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani be executed by hanging.  Today, February 23, 2012, the White House issued the following Statement:

“The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms reports that Iranian authorities’ reaffirmed a death sentence for Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani for the sole reason of his refusal to recant his Christian faith.  This action is yet another shocking breach of Iran’s international obligations, its own constitution, and stated religious values.  The United States stands in solidarity with Pastor Nadarkhani, his family, and all those who seek to practice their religion without fear of persecution—a fundamental and universal human right.  The trial and sentencing process for Pastor Nadarkhani demonstrates the Iranian government’s total disregard for religious freedom, and further demonstrates Iran’s continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens.  The United States calls upon the Iranian authorities to immediately lift the sentence, release Pastor Nadarkhani, and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion.  The United States renews its calls for people of conscience and governments around the world to reach out to Iranian authorities and demand Pastor Nadarkhani’s immediate release.”
——————

It is difficult to argue for separation of church and state when you are living in a “theocracy.” Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, learned this fact when he was arrested in October 2009 soon after refusing to allow his children to participate in government-mandated readings of the Quran. Nadarkhani had argued that Iranian law allowed children to be raised in the faith of their parents.

Nadarkhani remained incarcerated and in September 2010, a Gilan Province court ordered him to hang for “convert(ing) to Christianity” and “encourag(ing) other Muslims to convert to Christianity.”

The court did provide an opportunity for Nadarkhani to easily escape the gallows – all he had to do was verbally renounce Christianity. Since then, as of this writing, Nadarkhani has had the choice whether to live or die – just say the words and his freedom will be restored. Yet he refuses and remains behind walls at the Lakan prison.

The court asked him, “Do you believe in the elements of Islam which are the unity of God, resurrection of the dead and the prophethood of great Mohammad?”

Nadarkhani replied, “I believe in the unity of God and the resurrection of the dead but not the prophethood of great Mohammad.”

On June 10, 2010, Nadarkhani’s wife, Fatemah Pasindedih was arrested under charges of apostasy and imprisoned at Lakan. The authorities threatened to take away their children and give them to a Muslim family. Nadarkhani continued to refuse to convert and his wife was tried without an attorney and sentenced to life imprisonment. An attorney was then retained and that decision was appealed and the sentence was overturned and she was released.

Nadarkhani’s death sentence was appealed to the Iranian Supreme Court in December 2010 and on June 28, 2011 the verdict was handed down. He was to be “executed by being hung somehow until his soul is taken from him.” The Court ruled that there was some question as to whether Nadarkhani had previously been a practicing Muslim “from the beginning of puberty” onward and therefore whether he had actually committed apostasy. The lower court was ordered to determine whether he had been a practicing Muslim between the ages of 15 and 19. If he had been a Muslim during that time, then the court could execute him after giving him an additional opportunity to recant.

The lower court held its re-trial between September 25 and 28, 2011. Before the trial even began, he was asked to renounce his faith. Under Islamic Sharia law[i], an apostate is given three days to recant. The court then asked Nadarkhani to renounce his Christianity and “return to the faith of your ancestors.”

As the case progressed, the story caught fire on the Internet and soon news agencies around the world were spreading the story of a young pastor facing death for refusing to renounce his faith. In an attempt to sway attention away from the story, the Iranian state-supported media outlet, Fars News Agency, dismissed claims that the court had passed down the death sentence because of apostasy, and that Nadarkhani had actually been charged with “rape, corruption, and security-related crimes including extortion.”[ii]

The Fars story added that Nadarkhani was a “Zionist” who ran a “corruption” house like a brothel or “opium house.” The alleged charges were not clear as to what Nadarkani had allegedly done.
In response, Nadarkhani’s attorney, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah told told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, “If he is under trial in another court on other charges, I am not aware. But we only defended him against the death sentence in the case of his charge of apostasy. The charge the court staff announced that I defended during several different court sessions was apostasy and no other charge.”[iii]

Dadkhah, a Iranian Muslim represents Nadarkhani at great personal risk – he himself appealing a sentence of nine years in prison for “actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime,” which is what the government calls his legal human rights work.

Iran’s secret service officials have reportedly given Nadarkhani a book on Islamic literature, and told him that they will return to discuss it with him. The book, entitled “Beshaarat-eh Ahdein,” claims that Christianity is false. If Nadarkhani later discusses the book with authorities and claims that he disagrees with it, this may be a basis for a later charge of blasphemy. As a result, Nadarkhani’s attorneys have advised him to remain silent on the book as any statements he makes could be used against him.

Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State released a statement on September 30, 2011 expressing concern about the case and persecution against Zoroastrians, Sufis, and Baha’is. Clinton wrote, “The United States stands with the international community and all Iranians against the Iranian government’s hypocritical statements and actions, and we continue to call for a government that respects the human rights and freedom of all those living in Iran.”

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said that the prospects for the execution of Nadarkhani, “unless he disavows his Christian faith are distressing for people of every country and creed.”

Today, there are about 300,000 Christians living in Iran – one-half of one percent of the population. Of those, the majority are ethnic Armenians. There are 73 registered individual Christian churches, and almost all Christian activity is illegal. Those who conduct evangelistic activities including publishing pamphlets in Persian languages are harshly punished.

During the early 1990s, religious persecution increased in Iran. In 1993, Pastor Mehdi Dibaj, an Islamic convert was sentenced to die after ten years of imprisonment. Later that year, church leaders were asked to sign a declaration stating that they would not allow Muslims or Muslim converts into their churches. Only two church leaders refused to sign, including Haik Hovsepian who was the Superintendent of the Assemblies of God churches in Iran.

Instead, Hovsepian called the world’s attention to the plight of Iranian Christians. With an increase in international pressure, Dibadj was released from prison on January 19, 1994, only days before he was scheduled to die.[iv]

That same day, Hovsepian vanished from the streets of Tehran, and his body was later found with 26 stab wounds in the chest. Dibadj and three other pastors disappeared and their bodies were later discovered.

Throughout history, it seems that people of most faiths have had some period of persecution and martyrdom for no crime other than telling others what they have chosen to believe. Those who dared to think differently were dangerous to the status quo and they either had to publicly change their mind or face torture or death.

When it comes to church and state issues, Americans have become used to “epic” battles over Nativity scenes, prayers in public schools, or the occasional crucifix in a government office. But in other nations of the world, making the basic choice to believe a certain way can quickly become a matter of life and death.

There is still hope that the sentence will not be carried out.

To Take Action, visit http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=news&id=1142

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[i] Abdurrahmani’l-Djaziri’s Kitabul’l-fiqh ‘ala’l-madhahibi’l-’arba’a i.e. Apostasy in Islam according to the Four Schools of Islamic Law (Vol. 5, pp. 422-440) First English Edition (Villach): 1997

[ii] “Supreme Court Dismisses Reports on Nadarkhani’s Case,” Fars News Agency. October 7, 2011 Retrieved from http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9007130274  

[iii] “After Trial on Apostasy Charge, Christian Pastor Nadarkhani Accused of Rape and Extortion”.International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2011-10-28.

[iv] Hovsepian Ministries maintains a website at http://www.hovsepian.com

[Featured Post] Brazilian Girl Sees New Face for the First Time

This featured post comes from the blog BlogPost which is part of the Washington Post.  It's not difficult to see why I posted it; we need to see more news about people helping other people.

After cleft lip surgery, Brazilian girl sees new face for the first time (video)

By Elizabeth Flock

A friend she used to hide behind. (Image via YouTube.com)Twenty-four hours after surgery to fix her cleft lip, a little Brazilian girl’s face is still swollen and painful.

But the look in her eyes when she sees her new face in the mirror for the first time is hard to mistake.

One volunteer caught the moment on camera:


(Via the Daily What.)

[Featured Post] I have an anger issue: I don’t get angry enough..

This featured post comes from Mark Brown's blog Journey Deeper Into God's Word.  Enjoy.

I have an anger issue: I don’t get angry enough..

Posted on 28 September 2011 by admin

Click the play button below to check out my latest time in the Word. I explore anger, what does it mean to be angry?  If you can’t see the video on email click here:  VIDEO



God bless,
Mark Brown


What kind of things get you angry?  Tell us your story in the comments section.

[Featured Post] Worship As It Sometimes Is

This featured post comes from Michael Hyatt's Intentional Leadership blog.  It is funny yet sad at the same time.

Do you ever find yourself worshiping God and not really meaning it? This very funny video is a good reminder that we need to align our hearts with our words.

[Featured Post] Remembering September 11, 2001

This featured post comes from Ted N.C. Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church  as posted on his new blog Presidential Perspectives.

Remembering September 11, 2001

 

On September 11, I was in a committee at the General Conference when I received word about the unfolding tragic events in New York City and Washington. I remember having a strange surreal feeling that this was not really happening and then a feeling of sympathy and deep sadness for those affected. We, of course, prayed for the thousands of people affected by this tragedy.

In the 1970s, I spent about seven years serving the church and the people of the metropolitan New York area. While living and working there, I learned to respect and care for the people of that great region and their strong resiliency to challenging problems. When I heard about the attacks, I was reminded that life is very fragile and that it is important that we maintain a close connection with Christ on a daily basis as we share with others our hope for a better world when the great controversy between Christ and Satan is ended at Christ's soon second coming.

I am thankful for the manner in which the Seventh-day Adventist Church was able to assist and minister to so many individuals in New York and Washington D.C. during that difficult time. It is a blessing that this ministry continues in those two important cities and in many other places.

This week marks the 10-year anniversary of that tragedy. Many of us have been forever changed by the pain and suffering we witnessed that day, by the stories we heard and by our own personal loss.

As I look at our church 10 years later, I see a group of dedicated believers who are beacons of peace and justice to the world around them. I see a community of faith alleviating pain and suffering now, but pointing to an earth made new. Together, we long for the day when loss of human life will be a distant memory when Christ puts an end to death, tears and suffering. His second coming and then ultimately the new earth He will create will bring to an end the suffering and sin of this world as the book of Revelation tells us.

On September 11, 2001, we were reminded that our world is a battlefield. Forces of good and evil are at war all around us, and innocent lives are lost. But we know that the hurt will end. Our hope is in our loving God and Savior, who shares our pain and has the solution for the problems we face. What a privilege to read about His plan of salvation in the Bible, the authoritative Word of God.

Whatever the battle -- and don't be discouraged if it appears that evil seems to gain the advantage for the moment -- let us remember that at the end God "will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces" (Isaiah 25:8).

My hope is that we will continue to be a church that unites in showing God's love to friends and neighbors, in times of joy as well as adversity. It's my hope that amid the memory of tragedy, we are sharing a message of hope as we look forward to Christ's soon return.

Let us all be encouraged and comforted in believing what God said in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Let's renew our personal and church efforts to share that hope with others in words and Christian service to God's glory.

Featured Post: What I Learned About Leadership from a Fight with My WIfe

This featured post comes from Intentional Leadership, a blog written by Michael Hyatt, Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers.  His goal is to "help people live and lead on purpose".

What I Learned About Leadership from a Fight with My Wife

Gail and I have been married for thirty-three years. She is my lover, my best friend, and my coach. But a few days ago we had a fight. It was a doozy.

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/mediaphotos

It’s not important what it was about. It was one of those issues we have stumbled over previously. But I will admit that it was my fault. I ambushed her and let it escalate beyond what the circumstances warranted.

Thankfully, it ended well. Primarily, because Gail was patient, refusing to react to my rant. This was enough to end what Emerson Eggerichs calls, “the crazy cycle.” (If you haven’t read his book, Love and Respect, you must do so. It’s the most practical book on marriage I’ve read.)

Weary—and feeling a little foolish—we asked one another’s forgiveness and restored the relationship.

As I was reflecting on that experience today, I thought to myself, How can we avoid slipping into this same conflict in the future. I wrote down five lessons I want to remember for the future.

1. Clarify our expectations up front. Most conflicts are born out of a misalignment of expectations. In this particular argument, I had a set of unexpressed expectations that Gail failed to meet. If we had discussed them before the day began, we would have likely avoided the problem altogether. But, she didn’t know, because I hadn’t bothered to articulate them.
2. Assume the best about each other. This is especially difficult in the heat of the moment. It is easy to impute motives. But, realistically, your spouse does not get up in the morning intending to make your life miserable. You have to give your spouse the benefit of the doubt, and assume that he or she is well-intentioned.
3. Affirm the priority of the relationship. The most important asset you have as a couple is the health of your relationship. You don’t want to win the battle but lose the war. Near the end of our argument, I finally came to my senses. I said, “Honestly, I don’t know who is right or who is wrong. What I know for sure is that I love you and that trumps everything.” She quickly agreed.
4. De-personalize the problem. When you square off against one another and make it personal, it gets ugly. If you are not careful, you end up cornering your spouse and leaving them no other option than to react or retaliate. Instead, you have to move to their side of the table, and work on the problem together.
5. Listen more than you talk. When you get angry, it is easy to rant—to give expression to your emotion. This is almost never a good idea. Instead, if you want to be understood, you must seek to understand. (Thank you, Dr. Covey.) This means trying to see the other person’s point-of-view. Ask a question, and then ask a follow-up question.

What does this have to do with leadership? Everything. If you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead others. And if you can’t learn to manage conflict with those closest to you, how can you manage it with those who have less of a stake in the outcome?

Question: What have you learned from conflict in your own marriage? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Featured Post: Corporate Identity and God's Blessing

This featured post comes from Ted N. C. Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church via the Adventist News Network.

Commentary: Corporate identity and God's blessing

Church membership and leadership must unite to receive latter rain

Luke tells us twice that the disciples were of one accord as they prepared for the outpouring of the early rain (Acts 1:14; 2:1). The fact that he would mention it twice suggests that unity within the church is a very important step in preparation for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. There is an aspect to unity presented throughout Scripture that is seldom recognized or addressed in our church -- the role of corporate identity.

First of all, look at an example of corporate identification and then at two aspects of this phenomenon, which are crucial in the preparation for the latter rain:

First, the example: God made it absolutely clear that the Israelites were not to take any spoils for themselves in Jericho's fall and that the silver, gold, and the bronze and iron vessels were consecrated to the Lord (Joshua 6:18, 19). But Achan stole 200 shekels of silver, a wedge of gold and a Babylonian garment (Joshua 7:21). God's anger burned against Israel, and in the next military engagement, Israel lost 36 men and suffered a shameful defeat. When Joshua cried out, "Why, Lord?" the answer was short and to the point: "Israel has sinned" (Joshua 7:11). The whole nation suffered and men lost their lives because one Israelite disobeyed -- corporate identity.

Now, two illustrations that impact directly upon our plea for the latter rain:

First, when the 12 spies returned to give their report about the promised land, Caleb and Joshua were positive and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it" (Number 13:30). However, the 10 spies said they could not take the land because there were giants in it and they felt like grasshoppers. The nation believed the 10 and turned against their leaders who were positive that God would fulfill His promise and give the land to them. God's response? Back into the wilderness for 40 years. Moses, Aaron, Caleb, Joshua, and those who supported them had to return to the wilderness because of those who refused to believe God's Word -- corporate identity.

The second illustration takes us to the time of Jesus. Now the roles are reversed. The common people of Israel were flocking to see and hear Jesus. They were bringing their sick to be healed. There was a growing belief among them that Jesus was the promised Messiah but not so among the leaders. They were jealous of Him and plotted His death. During His trial, Pilate asked, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests responded, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:15).

Concerning the priests' attitude, Ellen White says, "Thus by choosing a heathen ruler, the Jewish nation had withdrawn from the theocracy. They had rejected God as their king. Henceforth, they had no deliverer. They had no king but Caesar. To this the priests and teachers had led the people. For this, with the fearful results that followed, they were responsible. A nation's sin and a nation's ruin were due to the religious leaders" (DA, pp. 737-738) -- corporate identity.

In the first illustration the leaders suffered because of the rebellion of the people. In the second illustration the people suffered because of the rebellion of the leaders. God deals with us individually when it comes to our own salvation. But God deals with His people as a corporate group when it comes to carrying out His instructions for the advancement of His work.

What is the lesson to be learned?

God deals with His church today as a corporate body. If we are to receive the latter rain power of the Holy Spirit today, the body and the leadership must be on the same page. God has been ready for years to give His people the latter rain. He has been waiting for us to get ourselves together. If we would only press together in seeking the promised power, pray for each other and stand united, shoulder to shoulder, the power would be given, the work would be finished quickly and we would enter the kingdom soon. It will happen and the glory will be given to God alone.

Featured Post: Clutter and Newton’s First Law of Motion

This Featured Post comes from Erin Doland's blog Unclutterer, which "is the blog about getting and staying organized. A place for everything, and everything in its place is our gospel."

Clutter and Newton’s First Law of Motion

When uncluttering your home and office, chances are you’ll come across many objects you’ve thought about getting rid of dozens (maybe hundreds) of times, but never did.

For example, I’m allergic to Neosporin, yet I found six tubes of it when we were packing up for our move. I had regularly looked at those tubes in different parts of our house over the years — the medicine chest, the emergency kit in the kitchen, the medical kit in my gym bag — yet I didn’t get rid of them whenever I saw them and thought, “I should get rid of those.” I’m also not very sure how we came to own the ointment. My best guess is that my husband brought a couple into the house, maybe one or two came with a packaged medical kit, and one could have been left here by someone else.

In the case of the Neosporin, and all clutter, I believe Newton’s First Law of Motion can explain how it lingers for years in our spaces. An object (clutter) will stay at rest until a force (motivation) of equal or greater value acts upon it. The thought, “I should get rid of that,” is not a force of equal or greater value than the clutter. As unfortunate as it is, thoughts cannot move clutter. We can’t wish away our unwanted objects. We actually have to do something about them physically.

The other case of Newton’s First Law also applies here. An object (me) will continue in motion until a force (motivation) of equal or greater value acts upon it. Usually when I would see the Neosporin, it would be because someone or myself was injured. I was on a path to take care of the injury, not stop and deal with clutter. Then later, when maybe I thought about the Neosporin again, I could have been on a path to a meeting or to make dinner or to relax and watch a movie with my family. The motivation to clear the clutter wasn’t equal or greater than whatever else it was I wanted to be doing.

The only way to deal with the clutter in our lives is to break the patterns of inertia and muster up the motivation to do something about all the stuff we don’t want or need.

Surprisingly, the best way to create force (motivation) of equal or greater value to change the course of our clutter is to simply acknowledge that we have the power (velocity) to change the situation. After we think, “I should get rid of that,” the next thought should immediately be, “and to get rid of it I have to take action, now.” Then, take the action to get rid of the object. (Unless, of course, you’re dealing with an emergency. Deal with the emergency and then come back when you’re on a path to watch television or something equally benign.) Knowing that the object will not move itself and requires a force to act upon it can go a long way in helping you to clear the clutter you encounter regularly in your life.

It can be helpful to have five boxes in your laundry room or at the base of your closet when you’re just getting started on this process. Have one box for items to be returned to other people, a second box for items you wish to sell or Freecycle, the third box for charitable donations, the fourth should be a trash can, and the fifth box a recycling bin. When you come across a piece of clutter, pick it up and carry it to the closet. Decide which of the boxes is most appropriate for the piece of clutter, and then go back to whatever you were doing. When one of the boxes is full, deal with the items in all of the boxes. Take out the trash and recycling, drop off items to charity and to friends, and list the items you wish to sell or Freecycle.

The easier your system to handle clutter, the less force (motivation) it takes to get the unwanted objects (clutter) out of your home.

Featured Post: "Why wasn't I informed?"

This featured post comes from Seth Godin who is an accomplished writer, speaker, and entrepreneur (bio here).

"Why wasn't I informed?"

 

Information is tricky. Sometimes it's delivered to you. Often, you need to go find it.
There's no blame in not being aware of something you had no idea you ought to be looking for. If you've been using the same brand of aftershave for five years, you're forgiven for not Googling it regularly to find out if it contains a carcinogen. That's information we'd like to come find us, not something we need to be on the alert for.

On the other hand, I'm stunned when someone enters new territory without doing a modicum of research. Consider the yutz who goes on vacation to a foreign land, only to discover on arrival that they're in the middle of monsoon season (happens every year around this time!) or that there's a civil war going on.

Or perhaps the small businessperson who launches an expensive marketing campaign without investing a few hours in reading up on what works and what doesn't.
 

Or the email novice who forwards an incredible email to her entire address list without checking Snopes first.

The rules are now clear: no one is going to inform you, but it's easier than ever to inform yourself. Before you spend the money, the time or the attention of your friends, look it up.

Featured Post: The Revolutionary Power of Words

This featured post comes from Jeff Goins whose blog, Jeff Goins: Writer is "a blog on writing, ideas, and making a difference in the world."  Jeff is also the author of The Writer's Manifesto: Stop Writing to Be Read & Adored.

The Revolutionary Power of Words

Never, ever, ever underestimate the power your words have.

Take today, instance. In America, we call July 4 “Independence Day”, because it marks the beginning of our freedom.

Photo credit: Flickr (Creative Commons)

And just how did this revolution begin? With a Declaration, of course:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Powerful, right? I like that scene in National Treasure where Nicolas Cage says, “People don’t talk like that anymore.”

I wish they would. It’s time to reclaim the revolutionary power of words.

Whoever said “talk is cheap” is a liar.

Words are powerful, painful, awful, and amazing tools. They can hurt, help, hinder, and heal. But they are not cheap. They are quite expensive.

Words cost something. Like your time and money. Sometimes, they even cost your patience or self-worth. Words have a price tag.

Words can change the world.

They have before. Here are some examples to remember:

• When Martin Luther tacked his 95 theses to the church door.
• When Gutenberg created the printing press and gave the power of thought back to the people.
• When JFK asked us what we could do for our country.
• When MLK wrote letters from Birmingham.
• When Gandhi spoke and staged nonviolent protests.
• When Jesus gave a little speech on a hilltop.
• When Neil Armstrong took his first steps (and spoke his first words) on the moon.

Words matter.

You know this already. You have felt it. Sometimes, it was subtle, but you knew it was there.

The potency of words. It’s immeasurable and unmistakeable.

If you listen to your life you can recall moments when you felt the brutal sting of words:

• When the other kids called you “fat.”
• When that boy dumped you for no reason.
• When your dad called you “stupid.”
• When you received that letter of rejection.
• When your boss told you that you were fired.
• When someone told you that cancer is “God’s will.”
• When your wife asked when you were going to get a real job.

You personally know the impact words can have.

It’s your turn now.

Say something worth saying. Don’t give in to the temptation to just fight back, to return an angry voice by raising your own. Don’t join the crowd of hurt people hurting other people.

Instead, use your words for something else. Something powerful, something subversive.

Better yet, let the words of your mouth reflect the actions of your life. Act first, speak second. But please, speak up. Say something.

Silence has often ushered evil into the world. There is a reason why Hitler gained power so quickly. He could speak. And there is a reason why he didn’t win the war. Someone else spoke up.

Be the person who says something when no one else is. Be brave. Dare to speak and have something worth talking about. Start a revolution with your words.

Talk is not cheap. It doesn’t have to be, anyway. Talk can be valuable. Talk can be rich and worthwhile and a gift to the world.

So do us all a favor and open up your mouth.

Speak.

Featured Post: Outreach is the Fuel for Revival

This Featured Post comes from Mike Jones of Portland, OR.  Mike is a seminar leader on how to reconnect with missing church members (reconnectnow.org). He is also author of the re-released book "Help, Lord, I Blew It Again" (2010, Pacific Press).
You can find the original post here.

Commentary: Outreach is the fuel for revival

Without ongoing community impact, revival is short-lived and self-absorbed

Calls for revival coming from our denomination's leadership are gratifying, but we must never forget the importance of outreach.

I'll never forget a revival that swept my home church back in 1969 in Worthington, Ohio. I had just left the ranks of cultural Adventism, having made an adult decision for Christ at the age of 30. Adventist businessman-turned-revivalist Emilio Knechtle had become my mentor, and at my suggestion, the church invited him to hold a weekend series of meetings. The result? A revival broke out.

That revival resulted in our launching approximately a dozen small prayer-study groups. Some groups studied various books of the Bible, while others used Christ-centered books such as church co-founder Ellen G. White's Steps to Christ. A new spirit permeated the church and lives were changed for the better. It was wonderful. For a while.

But a year later, our revival had mostly ended.

Why? Because our focus was mostly on us. We wanted to strengthen our walk with Jesus -- a good thing. But, regrettably, we weren't doing the works of Jesus -- not a good thing. You see, outreach is the fuel that keeps revival fires burning, and outreach wasn't happening with us.

There's nothing new about this. White once reported on a revival that happened in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1893, which faded when the students didn't engage in outreach. I will never forget the revival that swept the campus at Andrews University in 1971, my first year as an instructor there. It was powerful, impacting both students and faculty. But it didn't last, either.

Jesus underscores the importance of outreach: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons," he says in Matthew 10:8. But those ideas simply weren't on our plate back in 1969. We weren't impacting our community. We were so happy enjoying our sweet little revival and the new closeness many of us had with each other that we didn't do much else except maintain our groups.

Regrettably, it wasn't long before we were back in our Laodicean twilight zone. We liked what had happened and didn't want to lose it.

Jesus warned in Mark 4:18 that "the cares of this world and...the desire for other things" would, if permitted, choke the Word, causing it to be unfruitful. That's what happened to us. Over time, some of us even left the church, including me.

Today I'm back and believe I have revival in my life. But outreach is what's keeping it alive. As I encounter people in my church and community with fractured relationships, some homeless and others mentally ill, among other issues, I come face to face with a huge problem. I'm not up to the task. I'm inadequate.

But that inadequacy is proving to be quite a blessing. Because my sense of inadequacy these days drives me to my knees and to God's Word. Every morning I tell Jesus, "It's your son Mike down here in the war zone of Planet Earth, and I am desperate for your presence in my life." As I pray, I plead for God's power and wisdom and grace (His adequacy) to be manifest in my encounters.

Without a doubt, the one-two punch of prayer and Bible study, when combined with outreach, is what fuels the fires of revival.

"But I'm not good at outreach," you may say. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Let me help you.

You can begin by asking people questions, even ones you don't know. Perhaps it will be the bank teller. Or the cashier at the super market. Or the guy at the car wash. Or someone in the pew in front of you.

"How are you doing? How's everything going in your life?" you ask. Then you simply listen. More than a few will tell you about some pain in their life. You'll hear, "My mother died last week," "I'm recovering from a stroke," or "Our house is in foreclosure."

You'll think, Yikes, what can I say? And all you may be able to say is, "I'm so sorry. I'll be praying for you." And so you will, keeping in mind you'll try to connect with them again.

Even if you're not preaching an evangelism series in a far-away country, I assure you these kinds of seemingly small encounters -- listening to someone's pain -- will drive you to your knees, where revival takes place. It's also evangelism of the highest kind.

The great theologian Francis Schaeffer said it well in replying to his teenage son, Frankie, who had asked him his secret for turning so many people's lives around. "It isn't what you say to someone that matters so much. Knowing how to listen to people is what helps them."

If listening to people in pain is a key to keeping revival alive, then let's start today.

What do you say?

Featured Post: Mark, I am recalculating route now

This featured post comes from Mark Brown, who is the former CEO of Bible Society New Zealand, as well as the founder of Global Scope Media and Global Scope Ministries.  More info. about him can be found here.

Mark, I am recalculating route now

And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32

I was recently in the US and had a hire car.  Thankfully it has GPS to help keep me on the right path, but I cannot count the number of times the patient GPS voice reported, ‘recalculating route now..’  And thankfully even though I had accidentally taken the exit 10 miles too early, the nice GPS machine was able to get me back on track.  I could almost hear it sigh and quietly mutter under its breath ‘oh not again.. recalculating route now’. The greek behind the word ‘sinners’ talks of one who deviates from the path towards God.  To sin is to get lost, to be distracted, to stray off the path God intends for us.

My GPS is my Bible.  It shows me not only that when I am off route, but it displays to me what I need to do to get back on track.  But what would happen if I had put the GPS machine in the trunk of the car?  I would be in big ‘where am I?’ trouble. In the same way, I need to spend time with my Bible often.  Not just once a day, but often, making it part of my approach to life, being guided along the right path consistently.  Reflecting on passages throughout the day.

And repentance: when I come before Jesus and confess my sin and am washed anew, well that is when God says, Mark, I am recalculating route now, you are back on the path towards me.

Praise God!

Mark Brown

Featured Post: Seven Better Questions You Can Ask in the Midst of Adversity

I'm starting another addition to this blog.  Every so often I will feature a post from someone else's blog that I'm currently following.  This post comes from Michael Hyatt, Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.  You can find the original post here.

SEVEN BETTER QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY

Ihave several friends who are going through enormous uncertainty right now. Some are out of work. A few others are on the precipice of divorce. Still others have been diagnosed with cancer—one who is pregnant. In these situations, most of us ask, “Why is this happening to me?”

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/Yuri_Arcurs

Years ago, two months after I became the publisher of one of our book divisions, we lost a major author to a competing company. This had a significant negative impact on our bottom line. At first, I was angry. Then I became discouraged. Finally, I realized I was asking the wrong question.

Instead of asking “Why did this happen?” I started asking, “How can this make us better?” Immediately, I sensed a shift in my spirit. It began energizing me. In retrospect, losing the author was one of the best things that could have happened to my division. We grew from the experience in ways that would have never happened otherwise.

I learned a valuable lesson: the answers we get are often determined by the questions we ask. If we ask bad questions, we will get bad answers. If we ask better questions—empowering questions—we will get better answers.

If you are going through a difficult, uncertain time, here are seven better questions you can ask yourself and your team:

1. What if this isn’t the end but a new beginning?
2. What if the answer to my prayer is just over the next hill?
3. What if this is necessary in order for me to be prepared for the next important chapter in my life?
4. What if God knows exactly what I need at this particular time?
5. What if God is speaking to me through means I would not have chosen for a blessing I cannot see?
6. What does this experience make possible?
7. What will I be telling my grandchildren that I learned was so valuable in this season of my life?

How is this related to leadership? As I have written numerous times before, leaders must lead themselves first—even when they don’t feel like it. Sometimes it just starts with a better question.