Most of us have been in situations where God was leading but when He did not give all the answers we needed. Key elements were missing. Perhaps He put a person in our life whom we later found unreliable and the relationship ended painfully. As pastors, He may have sent us to particular churches only to have doors slammed in our face. Worse still, some may have married the partner He sent only to find fighting and jealousy awaiting them. Please know that I am not suggesting God is responsible for sin; nor am I speaking of situations which resulted from our own foolish decisions. I speak of God’s having perfect foreknowledge of all things and yet refusing to share certain facts with us which seem vital to our well-being.
Let me illustrate what I mean by God’s giving only part of the information: Bruce Olson, one of the greatest, most successful missionaries of modern times, obeyed God implicitly, and as a single, young man went alone to the jungles of South America. God had called him to take the gospel to Columbia’s stone-age Motoloni Indians. Bruce’s decision was not a small one; the Motoloni tribe murdered every stranger who came among them--including Indians from other tribes. Before leaving home Bruce carefully made arrangements to be met at the airport, to be housed, and be assisted in his missionary preparations. When he arrived in South America, none of that happened. No one met him. Nothing was provided. Instead, he soon found himself as a vagabond on the streets of a strange and dangerous city. In a short time Bruce was penniless, without food and no place to go. Finally, he sought refuge with men whom he discovered were gangsters.
Bruce arrived in Motoloni territory several years later after fording jungle rivers alone, fighting snakes and poisonous insects, and crossing the towering Andes on foot. His welcome by the tribe was their shooting him with an arrow, imprisoning, and nearly starving him to death. In pain and isolated with the most backward people on earth, Bruce had long hours to reconsider what he had done. He had to deal with the memory of his parents ridiculing his stupid “call of God”, accusing him of being a fool, and of wasting his youth on religious fanaticism. Now alone and sick, the question pounded his heart: “Why had not God rescued him or forewarned him of these troubles before he left home? Why! Why!” Just when his ministry was beginning to take root, Bruce was captured by Communist guerillas and kept nearly a year with his hands tied behind his back tied to a jungle tree.
While our circumstance may not be as intense as Bruce Olson’s, we have all been in crisis situations. That being so, let me ask some important questions: When God left you without answers and did not come to your rescue, did you panic or did you trust Him? Did you get angry at God and abandon your ministry? During that painful process, did you realize that God actually had two projects in mind: The one He told you about--His plan to use you--and the other (unannounced) one, His plan to change you. God knows that your preparation is as important as your willingness to go. One without the other is dangerous. Because of that, God does not call anyone to represent Him and leave them as they are. Everyone has to be changed. Some of the greatest saints in Scripture walked alone through the “valley of the shadow of death”.
Before going further, let me emphasize this point: God never causes someone else to sin so He can teach us a lesson. Never! Where sin is active, God is innocent. As in the case of Bruce Olson who obeyed God and was tragically abused, his parents and the Motoloni’s were activated by their own hellish dispositions. Under no circumstances did God make the savages commit sin so He could “get Bruce’s attention” or make him more humble. But, God is sovereign! He can do anything. No, He cannot. God cannot lie. Titus 1:2. The sovereignty of God will never violate the Covenant of God. That would constitute falsehood on God’s part and cannot happen. What He has provided in Covenant, He will not transgress. He said, “My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34. At the same time, when God called Bruce into the jungle He never promised him safety. Bruce knew that before he left home. With that understanding about sin and sovereignty, let’s look at key Biblical examples of God’s providing only partial-information.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 1:18-20.
Question: How long did Joseph have to wait from the time of discovering Mary’s pregnancy until the angel made the explanation? Why was the delay necessary? What was accomplished in Joseph during that time of tragic despair? But, read on, such delaying-tactics for Joseph are not over.
“Now when the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.’” Matthew 2:13. Much later, we read, “But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.’” Matthew 2:19,20..
Joseph returned to Israel with the limited information he had--but, again, the angel did not tell him the full story. Joseph returned to Israel with Mary and Jesus only to be stopped in his tracks with the discovery that Archelaus (who was as dreadful as his father) now occupied the throne. Why did the angel neglect to tell Joseph all the facts? Why make the man wait to learn more truth from the secular world?
“Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.” Matthew 2:21,22.
This is now dream # 4 in the series of revelations--yet God knew from the beginning every future detail. Had He so chosen, the angel’s first appearance could have alleviated months of Joseph’s pain. Instead, Joseph walked through what we can best call “progressive revelation.” Why was the angel’s message given in two parts?
We find a parallel of this “progressive revelation” soon after the break-up of Paul and Barnabas’ joint ministry: “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia ...” Acts 16, 6.
There is an identical parallel with Joseph’s traveling in Egypt and Paul’s traveling in Turkey. With careful study you may see the same pattern in your own traveling. During an important missionary journey and without explanation, Paul was forbidden to preach in Phrgia, Galatia, or anywhere in Asia. No other instruction was given. He faced a harrowing desert with the voice of God silent. He might have feared he missed the will of God in coming to Turkey. Perhaps, he thought, he should have sailed to Crete instead. In the confusion, Paul attempted to visit Bithynia and Mysia, and again without explanation, God stopped him. For a period of weeks Paul was left without direction and no response to his prayer. Finally, when he reached Troas and fell into troubled sleep, a vision appeared in the night and a man in Grecian dress pleaded with him to come to Macedonia to help them. All the while Paul had been traveling in the right direction but did not know it. As a consequence of God’s postponement, Paul went through weeks of confusion and uncertainty. This was a trying time for the man--as such times are for us.
Speaking of one’s having only part of the information, John the Baptist was confused about his own identity. He told the Pharisees he was not the promised Elijah. John 1:21. Jesus said he was. Matthew 11:14. Who was right? The fact was, John did not know because God never bothered to tell him. Missing information? You will not find a better example of that mental gap than the man of whom Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” Matthew 11:11. Don’t be surprised if you don’t get all the answers you want..
But, why? Why does God withhold needed information from us? Admittedly, we do not know, but it seems God has two projects in mind: The first is to use us. The second is to prepare us for that use. Such preparation requires change. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to say to his Westminster congregation in London, “The most dangerous thing that can happen to a man is for him to succeed before he is ready.” R.T. Kendall has quoted that to me many times. And I believe it. Joseph, Jesus’ step-father, had the greatest honor and responsibility that any human parent ever had. God knew exactly how to prepare him for that assignment. So, with Paul; changes took place in the desert of Turkey he never understood and God never bothered to explain. That happened with Bruce Olson in the jungles of South America. Hopefully, it is happening to you and me.
In his early days Bruce met a young missionary girl who was as devoted to the Motilones as was he. They became engaged, planned to devote their lives to the Tribe. On a return trip to civilization she was in an automobile accident and was killed. It was weeks before Bruce learned she was never coming back. She was the only love of his life and after her death he never married. Did God know her death was coming? Yes. Did He cause it? No! Why didn’t He tell Bruce? His silence is the great mercy of His sovereignty. His silence forces us into a life of unrelenting prayer. Without His silence we would continue in our barn-storming, self-assured ways. Silence forces us to stop and re-examine where we are in regard to Him, ourselves, our mission, and the Universe around us. In such moments this silence is golden.
Before God finished Bruce Olson’s preparation, he was well-prepared for the work: Here are some of Bruce’s accomplishments with the Motilonis: The Tribe has been converted to Christ, has made peace with their bitterest enemies, and have evangelized 18 other tribes. Today, there are more than 28 Medical Stations and 50 Motilone-Bari Health Centers in the jungle staffed with native doctors. They have established 45 Bilingual Schools, publish a newspaper in their own tongue, operate 42 Agricultural Centers, and have more than 250 Motilone graduate-missionaries actively preaching the gospel in 22 different Latin American tongues. The Tribe now has a representative in Columbia’s National State Assembly and another is the Director of the Office Of Indian Affairs for the National Government in Northeast Columbia. In 1999, when Colombian earthquakes left 180,000 homeless, a Motilone Medical Team of native physicians and nurses gave assistance to more than 5,000 victims. This “fanatical” young man whose parent’s accused him of being a fool, has been given Honorary Doctorate Degrees and addressed the United Nations.
When you realize God has two perfect plans: One, to use you. The other, to change you, and you surrender to both, you will enter a realm of “peace that passes understanding.” Bruce Olson found it, Saint Joseph, Paul, John, found it, so have thousands of others, why not you? ___ Charles Carrin
This theological fact may surprise you but the term “Christian,” first given to believers in Antioch, Acts 11:26, was not a designation of their having been born-again. The Greek language is very specific and uses the term “Christian” to identify a person’s having been “anointed.” The Greek word “chrios,” from which both “Christ” and “Christian” are derived, is translated every time in the New Testament as “anointing.”
“Christ,” or the “anointed one” in Greek, is the exact equivalent of “Messiah” in Hebrew. That simply means that the word “Christian” originally identified those disciples who had been empowered through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. These followers of Jesus were “anointed” in the same fashion as He had been. When Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit was poured into the Upper Room, it fulfilled Jesus’ promise to the disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
Today, the common use of the term “Christian” has been applied to a wide variety of meanings: To evangelicals, the most common usage denotes a person’s having experienced the new birth and walking in a public acknowledgment of Jesus Christ. I am happy to continue with this common, historic interpretation. To liturgical Protestants, a Christian is one whose family ancestry is rooted in the church and who, as an infant, received water baptism. Whether such a person is active in the church or attempts to conform his life-style to the New Testament pattern is not necessarily a factor in identifying him as Christian. To these liturgical believers the term “Christian” is more categorical than spiritual..
Basically, the distinction relates to the difference in internal grace and external grace. Internally, grace saves from sin and its consequence. Externally, in the operation of spiritual gifts, graces enables the believer to live in the Spirit’s realm of miraculous power. One without the other is not enough. _ CC
Dear Brother Charles,
I remember reading a brief article you published about the man who discovered penicillin. Would you please print it again? GJ
About 1890, a Scottish farmer by the name of Fleming heard a frantic cry coming from a peat-bog. Racing toward it, he found a terrified boy sinking into the black muck struggling for his life. Risking himself, the farmer rescued the lad and sent him on his way. It was a deed any man would have done.
The next day, an elegant carriage pulled up to the farmer's cottage and an aristocratic gentleman alighted. When Mr. Fleming came to the door, the stranger introduced himself as the boy's father. "I want to repay you," he spoke, "You saved my son's life." "Nay," the farmer replied, "I canna' accept payment for wot' I did. Saving your son was the honorable thing to do." As they spoke, the gentleman recognized integrity and character in the farmer. A moment later, the farmer's son appeared in the doorway. "Is this your son?," the visitor asked, studying the youth. When Mr. Fleming replied that he was, the visitor said, "Let me repay you this way: I will take him home with me and give him a good education; if he is anything like his father, he'll grow up to be a man you can be proud of."
And that is what happened. The boy moved onto the nobelman's estate, excelled in his studies and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London. He went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of Penicillin. Years later, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia and lay near death. What saved him? Dr. Fleming's Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.
The name of his son? Sir Winston Churchill.
The boy in the bog grew up to become England's Prime Minister during the tragic years of World War Two. His brilliance helped save Britain and the rest of the world from Hitler's madness. Farmer Fleming could never have imagined that momentous day he raced to the bog that he was God's tool in reshaping history. Without Winston Churchill, western civilization would not be the same. When Scripture says, "Cast your bread upon the waters for you will find it after many days," Ecclesiastes 11:1, it speaks of events such as farmer Fleming's. By serving others, the humblest of men can become mighty weapons in the hand of God. In helping those in distress, we open the door for our own lives to receive God's favors. Sometimes, the impact of that receiving reaches worldwide. Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom." Luke 6:38. _ CC
