An Ordinary Person, An Extraordinary God: Gladys Aylward

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26

Gladys Aylward was born in 1902 into a working class English family.  As was common for a person of her class during that time, she went to work as a domestic servant at a young age. While in her early twenties, she attended a revival in which the preacher encouraged those attending to dedicate their lives to the service of God.  Gladys eagerly responded to call, feeling that the Lord was leading her to become a missionary to China.

Certain of her calling, Gladys became a probationer at the China Inland Missions Center in London, but her lack of education and poor academic abilities resulted in her failing in her exams there and she was rejected as a missionary candidate.  Despite this monumental setback, Gladys did not give up. She went back to work, saved her money, and continued to look for an opportunity to serve God.

In time, Gladys heard of an older missionary woman in China who was looking for a younger person to take over her work. The 73-year old woman, Jeannie Lawson, responded positively to Gladys' inquiry, offering her a job in China if Gladys could pay for her own passage there. Even with all that she had managed to set aside from her years of working as a maid, Gladys still did not have enough for ship passage to China.  However, she did have just enough for train passage and so, in 1930, Gladys set off from London with her passport, Bible, and just a little over two pounds (roughly equivalent to $100 dollars in today's economy).

It is hard to imagine a single woman, with no language training and few contacts, leaving on such an arduous journey to work in a strange land alongside a complete stranger, but this just indicated the faith that Gladys had in her extraordinary God. During her years of ministry, Gladys was instrumental in ending the centuries-old custom of foot binding (which  painfully crippled Chinese women by deforming their feet), in single-handedly stopped a prison riot, and in saving the lives of hundreds of unwanted girl babies. She became a shining beacon of Christianity to the people of China and earned herself the nickname, Ai-weh-deh, meaning "Virtuous One."

From this amazing life of Gladys Aylward, we can see the awesome results of an extraordinary God on an ordinary life.  Even though the people around her could not see the potential in Gladys, God saw her dedication, faith, and willingness to serve.  That was all that He needed to accomplish great things among the people of China.

Sometimes it's easy for us to fall back on the excuse that we are nobody special or that we have no special gifts that make us valuable in the service of the Lord.  However, Gladys Aylward did not let that stand in her way, no matter what others believed.  Her life should be an encouragement to all of us who feel that we are too ordinary to do extraordinary things for God.

A Veteran Missionary's Guide to Missions

And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world,
 and preach my Gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15

Part One: Why We Must Do Missions

Evangelism is a focal part of the Christian faith.  Sharing our faith with the lost is something that Christ expects from each of his followers. It is not a suggestion or a request; it is a mandate from God. Evangelism is the natural by-product of a mature and growing faith.  For the majority of Christians, evangelism takes place on the local level.  We witness to our family members, neighbors, co-workers, and (sometimes) even complete strangers. 

A part of evangelism is missions.  The word "missions" was coined by Jesuit monks to describe those who were "sent" to minister in foreign lands. They rightly believed that this special calling, with its greater dangers and sacrifices, was set apart from regular evangelism and deserved (at the least) a new classification.  Unlike many Christians today, who believe that "we are all missionaries," the early Church understood that leaving your family, your culture, and your heart language behind so that you could pour out your life in a strange land was not the same as spending twenty minutes telling your neighbor what Christ has done in your life.

During the early era of international missions, the crate that carried your possessions to the field often doubled as your coffin.  The average life expectancy for those early missionaries was less than five years. Fortunately, medical breakthroughs and advances in transportation has significantly improved the survival rate of missionaries.   However, the sacrifices they make are still very real.  Ask anyone who has spent more than a month overseas; it is not easy to live in a different country.

Obviously, Christians do not do missions because it is easy.  They do it because it is right.  The Great Commission was not limited to local evangelism.  Jesus commanded them to go "unto the uttermost part of the earth."  To me, that phrase always conjured up images of those places that I would LEAST like to visit- and that may very well be what He was saying.  Missions requires us to reach a greater level of commitment in our service to Christ because we often end up going to places that we never wanted to go to and doing things that are completely outside our comfort zone.

So, you may be asking yourself, "What is she trying to do, scare me from ever doing a mission trip?" No, that isn't my intent at all.  Instead, what I'm trying to say is that the missions experience will take your faith to a higher level because it is HARD.  Have you ever talked to someone who has just returned from a mission trip?   They go on and on and on about how incredible it was and how it changed their life.  The number one response that I've heard from first-time mission trippers is something like this: "I went, thinking that I might be a blessing to others, but I ended up being the one who was blessed."

Going on a mission trip is a lot like riding a roller coaster for the first time.  There is a lot of anxiety and trepidation before you head out, then you are overwhelmed with new sensations and experiences, and finally you are dropped back at the start feeling exhilarated and you can hardly wait to do it again. Face it, missions gives you a rush like nothing else, but (like the roller coaster) it can be a bumpy ride; whether it is your first mission trip or your fiftieth, you just never know what might happen.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be writing on what you can do to make your next mission trip a little easier.  If you've never gone on a mission trip, I hope that these blogs will spark a desire in you to stretch your faith enough to be willing to reach the lost overseas.  At the very least, I hope that it will give you the knowledge of how you can better pray for those in your church who will soon be taking mission trips and for the career missionaries who have committed their whole lives to reaching the uttermost ends of the earth.

Willingly Ignorant

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

II Peter 3:5 - 6

This week I attended an Answers in Genesis conference with my grandkids. It was a special event for me because I remembered attending this same conference with my children when they were about the same age. What really made the occasion special was knowing that my daughter is providing the Biblical foundation that my grandchildren need to combat the philosophies of this world. Like Ken Ham, I believe that the battle for the minds and beliefs of our children begins with Genesis.

When I started college, I had only been a Christian for a year.  When we began to study evolution in my biology class, I quickly realized that there was a gigantic chasm between what the Bible teaches about our origins and what our science classes teach.  For me, there was no spiritual conflict over this issue.  I believed that God's Word was literal and inerrant; therefore, there had to be error in what my teacher was telling me.

Over the next few years, I read every book (Christian and secular) that I could on the topic of evolution- even Darwin's Origin of the Species. The more that I read, the more certain I became that evolution was fiction.  I learned that evolutionists frequently put forth their own assumptions and assertions as "facts" even when their is little or no actual data to support their theories.  For example, a tooth or a portion of a skull is "reconstructed" into a new "species" of early man. 

Now, decades later (with a Master's degree in Archaeology) I know that what passes for science today is 10% facts and 90% supposition.  Whether its evolutionary biology, theoretical physics, or geology, what we actually know for sure is just a drop in the bucket compared to what we do not know.  If you think that I am exaggerating, ask yourself why our science books have to be updated every 5 to 10 years.  It isn't because we are adding that much new knowledge, but that we are changing our suppositions regarding those few facts that we know.

God's Word is different. It is immutable and inerrant. It doesn't have to be updated or revised because it is infallible.  In all my years of researching the origin of man, I have never found one single fact that calls into question the credibility and accuracy of the Scriptures.  The scientific evidence of a young earth, created in six days, is overwhelming.

However, my faith isn't built upon the science of creationism.  My faith is founded in the Word of God.  Ultimately that is where we all stand or fall as Christians.  Do we put our faith in the word of man or do we put our faith in the Word of God? That is the foundational choice that determines the course of our own personal walk.  We can choose to try to avoid making the choice or we can try to waffle on the decision by trying to put together some hybrid mix of faith and science; but by doing that we are actually choosing to mitigate the truth of God's Word.

Walking by faith cannot be a half-hearted action.  If we are not 100% certain of the reliability of God's Word, then Satan will slowly and surely chip away at us until our faith collapses like a house of cards. If you haven't given this issue much thought, maybe it is time that you did.  If you've been on the fence about creationism, trying to live with one foot in the world and the other with God, then maybe its time that you asked yourself this question: How is that working for you?

"Works" is Not a Four-Letter Word

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,

which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Just try to bring up the topic of works in your Bible group and see what happens.  At the mention of works, most believers bring up Ephesians 2:8-9 faster than Buffy raises a cross to ward off vampires. Now don't get me wrong. I am so thankful that we don't have to depend upon our works for salvation.Nothing that I have done (or ever will do) could earn me a place in heaven. I have faith that I am saved by the grace of God, who sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sin.

My concern is that, despite the number of times that I have heard Ephesians 2:8-9 quoted by Christians, I rarely hear verse 10 mentioned. We all agree that works has nothing to do with salvation, but once saved, where do works fit in?  According to Paul, we were created to do good works and to walk in them.  That word "walk" is the same word used to command us to "walk" by faith.

It would seem that walking by faith and walking in good works go hand in hand according to Paul.  He is not alone in this belief. James tells us that faith without works is dead (James 2:17).  That isn't a statement that would go over well in most of the small group studies that I have attended.  Surely James can't have meant that a lack of godly works a person's life might mean that they have a phony faith, could he?  That certainly doesn't sound like it belongs to the feel-good, don't-put-anyone-under- conviction philosophy that I've been hearing in most American churches.

Think about it.  When was the last time that you were challenged to refine your spiritual disciplines like fasting, daily personal devotions, or real sacrificial giving.  When was the last time that you even heard the expression "spiritual disciplines?" Face it, we've become spiritual couch potatoes who would much rather throw a little money at others who are doing good works (like Operation Christmas Child or the Red Cross) than to have to get our hands dirty by actually doing the work.

A growing, vibrant faith will compel us to do good works; and as we move further outside our comfort zone to do more and more ministry, our faith will flourish.  I challenge you to get of that (figurative) couch and start looking around at the ministry opportunities that God has already placed around you.  If you have trouble seeing one, just ask about helping out in the children's department at church.  There is always a shortage of willing workers there.

The funny thing about doing good works is that you often go into it thinking that you will make others happy and finding out that you were the one who got the greatest blessing after all.

Living by Faith

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I but Christ lives within me:

 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

 

 

Ever notice how circumstances and other things tend to push our genuine celebration of Easter aside?  As Christians, this holiday should be the focal point of our year.  Yet so often, plans for spring break, Easter egg hunts, or shopping for new outfits takes our time, thoughts, and energy away from this important day.  Even our church services seem to take the emphasis away from the believer; seeing the opportunity to give a rousing salvation sermon for the small group of attenders that only come for this annual service instead of providing a celebration for true believers.

 

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now and get to the point.  We all know that, if it wasn't for the crucifixion there would be no Gospel. And with no Gospel, there would be no Christian faith.  However, it never hurts to be reminded that the crucifixion was not just something that happened to Jesus: it happened to every believer as well.  At the time of our salvation, our old self was nailed to that cross.  Like Christ's death, the death of our old self was bloody, painful, and costly.  Unlike Christ's death, the death of our old self was final.  It didn't come back to life on the third day. It is dead, dead, dead.

 

In Galatians, Paul tells us that, because of our being crucified with Christ, we are able to live by faith. Unfortunately, many of us have still not quite let go of our old self. There are many reasons why we do this; we may may still be just a little bit in love with the world and don't want to give up on some of those old ties to it.  Or we may still harbor that secret little sin that has such a hold on us that we can't let it go.

 

Whatever the reason, it is hindering us from truly living by faith.  In essence, we are trying to live a victorious Christian life while carting a corpse around on our back.  How is that ever going to work?

 

So maybe, now that Easter has reminded us of the great sacrifice that Christ has made for us, it is time to put the last nail in the coffin on our old self.  If it helps, make a ceremony of it.  Write out the main thing that is keeping you from living by faith.  Then, put it in a shoe box and bury it out in the back yard.  It is dead, it has been dead, and all that is left is for you to bury the body.

 

 

 

 





Fearless Faith

And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 4:40

Just prior to going overseas to serve as missionaries with the International Mission Board, Alan and I  spoke at numerous churches across the southeast. Our five children, ranging in age from 5 to 12, went with us. At every church that we visited, I had the same conversation after the service.

"So, you are going to be a missionary in Southeast Asia?"

"That's right," I'd say with a smile.

"Are you taking your children?"

"Yes, we are."

"All of them?"

"Yes, all of them." (Did they really think I would only take some of my children with me?)

"I could never take my children to some foreign country! Aren't you afraid that something might happen to them?"

"God has called us to the mission field," I would explain. "If I've learned anything, it is that my family is safer in a foreign country if we are following God's Will, than we could ever be in America if we are outside of His Will."

Fear is a terrible thing.  It robs us of joy, corrupts our thinking, and paralyzes our ability to do what is right.  We cannot fight it with words because fear is irrational.  In Romans 8:15, Paul calls fear "a spirit of bondage."  It is a very appropriate term because fear truly makes us a prisoner. And like other sins (Yes, fear IS A SIN), it damages our spiritual growth and our willingness to serve the Lord.

For a woman, fear is the greatest weapon that Satan can use against us. I know, because there was a time when I allowed fear to get a stronghold in my life. But, praise the Lord, God has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to be able to break the chains of fear. We know this to be true, but sometimes it can be a little tricky to actually apply.

Let me share a few tips that helped me to overcome fear in my own life.  The first thing that I had to do was to stop watching the news on TV.  I sometimes think that the main purpose of the evening news is to instill as much fear into Americans as possible.  Just look at the headline news: murders, tragic fires, deadly crashes.  Why do we need to see those things? Is there anything that we can do about them? NO! Then why subject ourselves to them?  God gives us sufficient grace to handle the tragedies that happen in our own lives and the lives of those around us, but not to deal with the suffering of the whole world. So turn the television off and read your news (if you absolutely have to have it) from the internet.

The next time you are facing a fearful situation, ask yourself this: What is the worst thing that could happen?  For example, layoffs at work may be making you fearful about your own job.  So the worst thing that could happen is that you would lose your job.  So if you lost your job, what is the worst thing that could happen? You could lose your home and be forced to live in a homeless shelter.  If that happened, could any good come from it?  Well, yes, you could start a ministry to the homeless; without a job, you'd have more time with your children; and you wouldn't have to do housework. It all boils down to this: If the worse did happen, do you believe that God would be with you through it all?

It is not a coincidence that Jesus equates fear with a lack of faith.  If we truly believe that God can walk us through the valley of the shadow of death and bring us out into the sunshine on the other side, then fear cannot take root in our heart. We cannot argue ourselves out of being fearful. We have to build the kind of faith that can defeat it. That kind of faith requires stepping out and putting our lives on the line when He asks us to.  Running from God and His Will only produces unbelief.

So next time that Satan tries to enslave you with the chains of fear, trust that God can see you through the worst of storms. Take it from someone who has gone through some of those "worst things", GOD WILL BE THERE FOR YOU!

Walking By Faith

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.

Colossians 2:6

 

 

 

In the early 1930's a tight-rope walker was entertaining spectators by walking a rope that was suspended thirty feet above the road.  The crowd was amazed as they watched him push a wheelbarrow back and forth along the rope, however, the performer didn't stop there.  Loading the wheelbarrow with two one-hundred pound sacks of grain, he pushed the weight effortlessly across the rope.  The spectators cheered as he successfully reached the platform with his load.  Turning to the crowd, the acrobat shouted down to the crowd.

 

"Who thinks that I can safely carry a man across the rope in my wheelbarrow?"

 

A multitude of hands were raised to signify their belief in his abilities.

 

"Who will be the first to climb in?"

 

Needless to say, he had no volunteers.  The story may be a familiar one, but it is a striking example of the difference between faith and belief. 

 

It is unfortunate that, in the English language, there is no verb form for the word faith, as there is in the Greek.  Instead, we are forced to translate the word, pisteuo, as "believe," even though the words mean two very different things.  The difference is about eighteen inches: the distance between our head and our heart.  What I mean by that is that belief is something that we do with our head and faith is something that comes from the heart. 

 

In the story above, the people in the crowd believed with their minds that the performer could safely carry a person in the wheelbarrow.  However, their unwillingness to place their life on the line by volunteering to be that person shows that they lacked true faith.  As Christians, we are required to walk by faith, not by belief.  If we are not willing to put our life on the line for our faith, then what we have may be belief and not faith. 

 

Belief will never give us the ability to rise above sin or empower us to do what is right. As Paul says in Colossians, as we received Christ, we are to walk in Him.  If we accept Christ on an intellectual basis only, our walk will consist mainly of stumbling and falling.  However, if we have the kind of faith that is life changing, our walk will show it; we will be victorious.

 

I get so frustrated by the old adage, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace."  Satan loves for us to think that, but it just isn't true!  In the Scriptures, once a person is saved they are never referred to as sinners, but as saints!  By continuing to think of ourselves as sinners, we make it easier to justify sin in our lives.  But that old sinner was crucified with Christ and we are now a new creation. 

 

As a new creation, saved by faith, let us walk in that faith. It won't be an easy walk and we will seldom have the luxury of seeing more than a few steps ahead of us.  However, just as we have the confidence that the Christ, who raised from the dead, was able to cleanse us of our sin and give us eternal life; we can have faith that He will be walking with us as we continue in our journey of faith. 



Exercising My Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight...

II Corinthians 5:7

A couple of years ago, my husband and I made a New Year's resolution to exercise regularly together. We wanted to make sure that we stayed healthy so we could enjoy watching our grandchildren grow up. I still remember that first day of exercise (using an exercise DVD that our daughter had loaned us), we put everything we had into it. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. I went to bed that night feeling really good about myself.

I woke up the next day and could hardly get out of bed. I was sore in places where I didn't even know there were muscles. Every step, every breath, every movement was agony.  I wondered what I was thinking, to put myself through so much pain. I seriously considered just quitting. Surely nothing could be worth this much hardship.

But I didn't quit. For weeks I dreaded our exercise time.  I wondered if it would ever come easy to me. Two years later, we still exercise regularly.  Our health improved and we have greater stamina than I ever thought possible.  I can't say that I necessarily look forward to exercising, but it has become second nature to me- a part of who I am.

Faith is a lot like this. In many ways it is like one of the muscles in our body. The more that we exercise it, the stronger it gets. Conversely, a muscle that is seldom used becomes flabby and, eventually, will atrophy.

Exercising our faith is usually difficult, and sometimes downright painful. It is only when it becomes a regular part of our life that we can expect to reap the benefits.  While physical exercise profits little in comparison, exercising our faith has eternal benefits.  It gives us the spiritual stamina to survive every crisis that comes our way.

When you start any exercise program, it is best to start with small steps and work up to bigger things.  This week, start with the simple things that God is prompting you to do.  Go and share your faith with that lost neighbor or co-worker. Or maybe you need to agree to teach that Bible class at church that no one else wants.

It may be easier to be a spiritual couch potato, but you'll never truly exercise your faith until you get out of your comfort zone.  Only by living by faith will you see the full power of the risen savior, Jesus Christ.