They are part of us

Nehemiah was very privileged like many of us in the west. He lived a life of affluence, and lacked nothing. His position as cupbearer to the king was that of a high ranking status. One day, unwittingly, an encounter with some brothers from his homeland of Judah changed his life forever.
He heard reports from them of the plight of those living in Jerusalem. His people were distressed, without a walled city, and the temple was in ruins. This news made an impact on Nehemiah like it had never had before. Being an exile himself in the courts of Persia, he would have known of the status of the holy land. Yet it was different this time. He was emotionally vulnerable, and allowed himself to be affected by this latest update of the state of affairs in Jerusalem.
When I think of the plight of the poor, locally and globally, I am very aware objectively of their depravity. However so often do I carry on with life as if it’s “business as usual”. Recently in Haiti, God opened my eyes in a greater capacity to the needs of people, and I like Nehemiah experienced an awakening, and become emotionally involved in their problems.
Emotional involvement, I feel is the beginning for social transformation. When I think about Nehemiah’s sudden interest in the plight of Jerusalem, I realize it couldn’t have happened without committing emotionally. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel that emotional connection until he put himself in the place of the others. He likened them to himself, and realized that they were of the same stock, nationality, and heritage. This congruency allowed Nehemiah to feel compassion for his “brothers”.
Compassion is sympathy in action. In order for us to demonstrate God’s love to the hurting we need to see them as we are. Most won’t go to our church, but they belong to Christ. Or maybe Christianity might not be their practice, however they qualify for help because they participate in humanity. For others, maybe they don’t live in our neighborhood, but we live in the same city. While many are not even from our country but we will care because we share this world together. Whoever they are, wherever they live, whatever they do, as we strive to emotionally sympathize with our suffering family like Nehemiah, we will see them to be part of us. Then and only then will we become emotionally involved, and poised to practically show them God’s love, sharing the gospel, while healing social hurts, bringing God’s restorative justice to the least of these.

Jesus is out of this world

Imagine the most unbelievable, unthinkable, incredible, outstanding event, activity or occurrence that you can conjure up with your mind. It could be an impossible feat, an unattainable goal, or a wishful thought. But instead of this just occurring in your imagination, what if it actually came to pass? What would you do? How would you act? Who would you tell?
This exactly would have been Mary and Joseph’s predicament. The messiah, king of kings, savior of the world, was to be born ….to them. As a virgin, Mary’s chances of being pregnant were nil. Joseph a devout Jew bound by God’s law would have nothing to do with an apparently illegitimate child. Yet, somehow, despite the impossibility of the virgin birth, and it’s social acceptance, Jesus was conceived and eventually born to Mary. This was the indeed the greatest miracle of all, God, divine, incarnate, born as a baby to a virgin, to save us from our sins. As grand as this event was, it should not be underestimated how significant Jesus’ earthly parents were in the process. These extraordinary young adults responded in simple but radical faith.
Faith, is a God given ability to believe in something supernatural. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and faith is representative of our willingness to receive from a loving father. When I choose to have faith in God, I decide to believe in a system diametrically opposed to what I am used to. The kingdom of God is intentionally contrary to that of carnal humanity. Or maybe it is more accurate to say the worldly system opposes God’s way by satanic design.
Thus, when Joseph in Matthew 1, decides to accept Jesus as his son, by marrying Mary, he was demonstrating faith that is otherworldly. Unknowingly he was making a statement that still resounds loudly thousands of years later - God is bigger than the human mind and will never be comprehended. Joseph demonstrated his faith in God by choosing to place his reputation, future, and destiny in His hands. He could have been mocked, shunned and even ostracized because he protected Mary, yet he ignored the natural inclination to protect his ego, and faithfully walked towards his Godly convictions. He truly believed in Jesus as God’s son, and was willing as it were to “stake his life on it”.
I am inspired by Joseph. I believe he is a hero of faith that we often don’t hear about. As Mary and Joseph were pioneers in accepting Christ, every brave new believer follows in their footsteps, when they invite Christ into their life, despite the criticisms of family and friends. Let’s face it, Christ is out of this world. He truly is. He came from another world, lived in ours, was unaccepted, and thus was crucified. He will never be popular. As you and I choose to accept Christ for the first time, or each day, by doing his will we will never be popular to the world, but we are blessed according to our father in heaven, and we are well pleasing unto him. Stop looking for worldly affection, and decide to trust God. Don’t depend on earthly means, or worldly gain, but instead trust in kingdom provision. Fix your eyes on heavenly things, and embrace the true and full Christian life that is yours in Christ.

A prayer of integrity

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years………… He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly. 2 Chronicles 25:1-2


I pray that as I serve my Lord that I would do it with all my heart. That on my epitaph it would simply be written here lies Olu Jegede, a disciple of Christ who followed Christ faithfully until his end.

Amaziah, and many other kings of Judah and Israel had the opposite written on their biblical epitaph. They sought God, and something in addition.
Lord let me be singleminded, whole, one…only focused on you.
Amen

Success motivation

What does success look like for you? A good looking spouse, a great career, admiration from friends, and this list goes on. What would you trade for this success? Family? Health? Peace of mind? … God’s blessings? King Jehoram of Judah was granted 8 years of kingship, but he chose to pay a hefty price. Pretty much all of the above mentioned did he freely trade. In the end he was left with nothing, all alone.
8 years earlier, he became king. He had attained the highest goal imaginable to most. His lust for power was so much however that he ended up killing all his brothers in case they posed a threat to his throne. Instead of trusting God from who all blessings flow, he leans on the “arm of flesh”, and trusts in his sword. He truly felt the way of the sword would guarantee success, yet he was very wrong.
I believe all of us have a tendency to act like Jehoram. See when our thirst for love, significance, accolades, and natural benefits become a consuming passion, we find ourselves wielding an intangible, (but powerful ) sword to displace opposing forces. Sure you haven’t killed your brother, but check your heart. How have you viewed their successes, or failures? Do you wish the best for him? Did you act in love or outside of love? Scripture says that if I hate my brother in my heart, then I am guilty of murder which warranted the death sentence. Ponder this thought. By our criticism, judgment and despising of others we deal spiritually lethal blow that eventually come full circle. An unexpected relationship breakdown, a topple from the career ladder, a premature midlife crisis, and plethora of emotionally traumatic scenarios leaves us with much sorrow and regret.
Jehoram’s sins did not stop with murder, like his father Jehoshaphat, he married from Ahab’s family, binding himself to familial sin and compromise, and incurring the judgment of God. His lust for self aggrandizing blinded him to God’s voice. He was judged by God and plagued with a disease of hemorrhaging bowels, dying a painful death, all along, without honor and acclaim he went to his grave.
Let all you do be motivated by love, is God’s cure for the Jehoram in us. Put yourself in the other’s shoes and act as Christ would. Do you have lust for things, people and power? Then bring yourself to the Christ of the cross. Repent for your ungodly motivations, expose your inner thoughts to him, and find accountability in the community of Christ. While this process is ever painful, and never ending, you will find truer, deeper successes as Christ, not self has become the platform on which your life is built.

Ungodly alliances

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers…2 Corinthians 6:14 is all about ungodly alliances. How often do godly people end up limiting their potential in God by partnering with worldly people. This partnership could be romantic relationships, marriage, business or friendships to name a few. The scripture further goes on to inquire what agreement does righteousness have with unrighteousness. Meaning that our alliances should not compromise our stance of holiness and righteous living.
King Jehoshaphat we are in told in scripture was allied to King Ahab by marriage. King Ahab was not necessarily an unbeliever. However he had lived a life of compromise, primarily stemming from marrying a gentile who introduced false Gods and wicked ways to the land of Israel. As a result of Ahab’s ungodly alliance God had declared judgment on him, and it was only a matter of time before his end would come. Thus when Jehoshaphat married into Ahab’s family he was treading on dangerous ground. Sometimes we as believers ignore God’s leading, or wise counsel by other Christians and pursue alliances of compromise. Yes, that person may be a Christian, but are they sold out to God? You may be blinded or biased because of your position, but have your mentors pointed out any issues with the alliance? Will you move forward despite these red flags?
That is exactly what Jehoshaphat did in the battle against Aram at Ramoth-Gilead. Due to treaty obligations Jehoshaphat warred together with Ahab. However this was the battle that divinely sentenced Ahab to death. Jehoshaphat was a hair’s breadth away from sharing the same fate as Ahab. But fortunately for him, God spared him. Upon Ahab’s death, Jehoshaphat finds himself partnering again with this family. Remember he was obligated by marriage, and thus would constantly be placed in situations of compromise. One wrong decision years ago, resulted in consequences that were largely unavoidable. This time around, Jehoshaphat suffered great losses because God condemned his business dealings with Ahaziah, son of Ahab.
What can we learn from Jehoshaphat? Avoid ungodly alliances. Remember oftentimes you will be emotionally and subjectively affected. Listen to the voice of God in others, and not just yourself. Prophets had confirmed Jehoshaphat’s partnerships were forbidden, but yet he forged ahead. God may not use a prophet of old as he did, but be sure he is still speaking prophetically. Yes through you, but also through others around you who care for and watch over you. Beware of ungodly alliances for they could affect your destiny, limit your potential, and leave you with a lifetime of regrets.

Meeting the parents

I have always thought that parents universally are happy when their kids experience opportunities they didn’t have. Good parents love to see their kids excel in sports, drama, education, family, etc. Somehow they are able to live vicariously through the achievements of their kids, who take their own progress to another level.
While this ideal rings true in most circumstances, recently however I have come to meet several people whose parents were not so keen on their development (that is spiritually). A young man I encountered in Haiti had been indoctrinated in to a false religion early in life. His parents thus were not elated to find out he had accepted Christ. Another individual had recently converted from Islam to Christianity. He faced intense persecution primarily from his nuclear family. Further still, a young lady feared embracing Christianity due to traditionally religious parents who would oppose this decision.
As I pondered on their stories, I thought of how well Christ’s call to forsake our families fit.

Matthew 10:34-37
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c]
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Christ’s call to discipleship is so life changing that it could even cause division among familial lines. Consider the text, “a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household”. Hostility from family is something that often occurs to believers who have been radically converted, whether from another faith, or an excessively worldly past. It seems that the change is too drastic, for the parents to handle. Family members with good intentions have found themselves opposing the call to Christ in the new believer’s life. No well meaning parent desires their child to be a radical extremist or fundamentalist. Yet Christ’s call to discipleship, does mean for that believer to live completely different from their pagan or heathen roots.

Maybe you are in a situation like this. You deeply want to follow Christ but worry about what impression he will make when you bring him home. With your eyes on Christ and your mind on scripture, follow Christ in faith. Despite the persecution, the tension and the fallout, if you seek him first, he will work things out for his good…yes even in your family.

Life goes on in Haiti

Eighteen months after the earthquake wreaked cataclysmic havoc, we find ourselves in Carrefour, Haiti. This is our second time in Haiti in the last 10 months. As we interact with our friends here, and work amongst the poor one thing is very evident, life goes on in Haiti.
Don’t misunderstand me by thinking much progress has been made in terms of rebuilding Haiti. Not all, in fact things look almost the same as they did 10 months earlier. Tents run amok in the city, piles of rubble make many two lane streets almost impassable in parts, a plethora of garbage piles abound in Carrefore reflective of the pervasive impotence of the government. These are just a few of the many things yet to be addressed. In fact it could be argued that whatever was broken or non-functioning in Haiti prior to the earthquake seems worse now, and definitely not better
What I mean by life goes on, is more of a disposition that I found many held. It was hard to find someone who would voluntarily talk about the earthquake. It was as if it never happened. We would have conversations about their need, hopes, plight, family, etc but their feelings about the earthquake and its effects were matters that had to be prodded. I didn’t get the impression that they had worked through deep emotional hurts and thus the earthquake was a passé issue. Instead it was as if misery loves Haiti, and the earthquake was another semblance of this fact. They would continue to survive as they had in the past, and thus it has become pointless if not distracting to delve into the past.
Coming from the outside, this attitude shocked me. I in my western solution oriented mindset wanted to determine cause and effect, and postulate solutions. Thus, I found myself disarmed by their survivor mentality, speechless often I was forced to be reflective and ponder these things in my mind. Being still helped me develop a better listening ear in support of my friends. Surprisingly I discovered that this unusual approach worked. Not prodding, or asking, but befriending and waiting for the timing, I found that my friends would share. Not in many words or with much emotions, but like a dam with a little breach, a trickle of words would often turn into a full expression of their pain and cry to God for help.
I am reminded that everyone has a story, and not to judge by externals. Just because our translator, our cook, or our chauffeur in Haiti had a smile and a great attitude did not dismiss that they all were probably adversely affected by the earthquake. These wonderful people who seemed to have it all, (after all they had a job unlike most Haitians and were not living in a tent) often had great scars. As we ministered in the tents, we found ourselves also ministering within our quarters, be it in the office, our missions base or our hired transport vehicle. God opened doors of ministry because we were willing to be used, within and without.
May God’s hand be on those who have lost children, homes, parents and friends, yet who keep going. I pray that they not only be strong in themselves and for their family, but also strong in God, for when we are weak in Christ, he makes us strong in Christ. Amen

Haiti Reflections

It’s the fourth day back from my three week mission trip in Haiti. I sit back in the middle of the day reflecting on a couple of occurrences from today.
I was driving today and I noticed how smooth, and quick the roads are. The traffic lights exist, and they regulate traffic expediently. I can’t help but think about my friends in Haiti, and how they lack amenities such as good roads, and traffic lights.
Shopping in Home Depot was an unexpectedly reflective event for me. In Haiti department stores largely don’t exist. Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or it’s equivalent are comprised of hundreds of different stores and stalls that could be spread across the entire city. A monthly household shopping experience at your favourite department store will take you a minimum of a whole day in Haiti, fighting traffic, pollution and frustrated people as you traverse the city. It is a tremendous blessing (and we are largely unaware of it) that you can buy multiple items under one roof. While shopping for our construction materials in Haiti we had to visit four different stores of which none of them was larger than the cash register area of a medium to small sized Home Depot.
I can’t help but think about the forces that are responsible for such dire lack of services in Haiti versus an excess that exists here in North America. Is it greedy Haitian rulers over decades colluding which preying opportunisitic corporations and affluent nations that are responsible? No one thinks about the average Haitian left holding the bag.
My heart goes out to the common man in Haiti who has to suffer. These precious souls are typically unaware of the reasons behind their plight. I wonder if they are better off not knowing at all. In fact the many I have met have known no other life, having growing up in a chaotic and oppressive world, they have learnt to survive with what they have.
May God’s hand be upon Haiti. May his peace, progress and prosperity rest on this nation. May he call forth intercessors and labourers both within and without, into this great harvest field.

The randomness of God

King Ahab had the judgement of the Lord coming upon him. Due to his aberrance from God’s law, a nation was idolatrous, blood had been shed, and God was forgotten. God had pronounced an impending end to Ahab, and it was only a matter of time for the divine decree to be fulfilled.
On a certain day, the 2 kings, Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah, were embattled with the forces of Aram. Ahab apprehensive about his fate in the battle had disguised himself by wearing plain clothes. Customarily the king went to battle in kingly robes. It served a two-fold purpose, encouraging the troops to bravado and solidarity, whilst challenging the opposition. Ahab, being out of costume was in effect transparent to the enemy. Ben-Hadad the Aramean king had instructed his fighters to seek the king, and this they did. They pursued Jehoshaphat, who was dressed in his kingly robes, thinking they had their man. Fortunately for him, his assailants discovered that this wasn’t the king of Judah and they withdrew. Shortly thereafter, the notorious king Ahab was struck, but oddly enough it wasn’t intentional. 2 Chronicles 18:33 state, “But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor”. This random act of providence was actually a sovereignly directed assault. What appears to be a co-incidence often to us humans has been ordained by God. Granted other forces may be at play, chance, the forces of evil, and natural consequences unleashed by our own actions. Yet ultimately this scripture challenges us to accept the fact that nothing is by chance or “random”. And that these events are allowed or even initiated by God. The odds that a plain clothed person would be hit, by a random arrow, in the vulnerable portion of the armor is unbelievably rare. The writer might as well have said God allowed the arrow to hit its mark. The accuracy of this random arrow much like that of David’s stone slung in Goliath’s skull, evidences God at work.
Be encouraged that God is always working. Even when your plans fail, and things seem hopeless. A “lucky” break, a chance meeting or a random event could change things completely for you. Let God be God in your life. As you demonstrate your faith and trust in him by putting him first in all things, he will work out the necessary random events to align your life towards his intended goal.