Presented at the
Symposium "Distinctively
Christian, Distinctly Mongolian" in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on March 13,
2003
By Dr. Gailyn Van
Rheenen
I.
Introduction:
Story about Conversion from Kenya
It was my final Sunday in Kenya after serving for
thirteen years as God's minister. In additional to the prayerful farewell,
I remember that a vibrant, thirty-year-old lady, a faithful Christian,
responded to the invitation by walking to the front of the meeting with a
young girl at her side. The Christian lady explained her prayer request:
"Today I do not respond out of my own need for
forgiveness and cleansing but rather the need of this young lady. Remember
how ancestral spirits once possessed me. At that time I was just as this
young lady--bothered, frightened, and bewildered. After hearing of the
greatness and majesty of God, his sovereignty over the world, and Christ's
defeat of the powers, I responded to God in faith, and you prayed for me.
Because of these prayers, I have been delivered. After baptism, the church
encouraged and instructed me in the way of Lord. I praise God Jehovah who
is the source of my salvation. This young lady is now possessed by
ancestral spirits just as I was. I have taught her about the kingdom of
God, the covering of the blood of Jesus, and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
She believes in Christ and has repented of her sins and desires to come
under the sovereignty of God. She wants your prayers and desires to fully
come to Christ in baptism."
The young lady was then asked to confess her belief in
Jesus as God's Son and her Lord and was exhorted to give total allegiance to
creator God. After her confession a number of Christians gathered around
her and prayed to God that she might be delivered. Later that day, after
still more exhortations and times of prayer, she was taken to the river and
united with Christ through baptism.
Story of the Conversion of the Thessalonians:
The Thessalonians became a "model" to "all believers in Macedonia and
Achaia" (1 Thess. 1:7) because they "turned to God from idols to serve the
living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven" (1 Thess. 1:9-10).
In this presentation I will first describe
The human ego as the foremost obstacle to
effective ministry and define Christian ministry in the context of these
human limitations.
The transformation that occurs at conversion.
The ministry of Jorge Fagundez of Montevideo,
Uruguay, as one model of ministry among animistic people.
The Limitations of
Human Ability: We are "Jars of Clay" (2 Cor. 4:7)
Paul provides one of the most extensive descriptions of
Christian ministry in 2 Corinthians 2:14-6:2. A central theme of
this passage is that God leads us in his mission (2:14), we are not "equal
to such a task" (2:16), our competency comes from God (3:5), "we do not
preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord" (4:5), and "we are . . . Christ's
ambassadors" (5:20).
Within this context Paul writes, "We have this
treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God
and not from us" (4:7). An understanding of this passage within its
context will enable us to understand the limits of human ability. The verse
connects three significant phrases: “this treasure,” “jars of clay,” and
“this all surpassing power.”
The phase “this treasure” has two
possible referents. First, Paul may be speaking of his ministry as a
treasure. He writes, “Since through God’s mercy, we have this ministry,
we do not lose heart” (vs. 1). Paul encourages Corinthian leaders to
continue faithfully, to not “lose heart” (vs. 1, 16), despite persecution
(vs. 8-12). A second possible referent of “this treasure” is “the
light of the gospel” (vs. 4, 6). Paul writes that the gospel is to be
presented authentically, not in darkness as if “veiled.” Christian
ministers set “forth the truth plainly . . . not with deception.” Unlike
unbelievers who are blinded by “the god of this age,” Christians are
recreated. God, who first made light shine out of darkness (Gen. 1:2), has
“made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ” (vs.6). Like Moses, who was with
God and reflected God’s glory, missionaries must be transformed into God’s
likeness as they look upon God (2 Cor. 3:7-18, especially vs. 18). The
passage contrasts the spiritual blindness of unbelievers to the light of the
gospel, which enables Christian evangelists to become beacons of light.
Because they are being transformed into the image of God (3:18), these
Christian servants no longer “preach themselves” but Jesus as Lord (vs. 5).
The term “treasure” infers the value of Christian ministry, the importance
of proclaiming to unbelievers the light of the gospel.
This treasure is housed in “jars of clay.” Clay
jars were imperative to families in the ancient world because they were used
to carry water from the local well. Although essential, they were common,
scarred, and chipped. Paul did not describe Christian ministers as jars
of gold or silver to indicate their beauty or value or as jars of
bronze to denote their strength. Christian servants rather are jars
of clay, who minister out of weakness.
This verse climaxes by acknowledging that God uses
jars of clay, weak Christian servants, to carry out His mission so that
all will know that “this all-surpassing power is from God” and not
from innate human ability.
This principle can be seen throughout scripture. God
used men like Moses and Jeremiah, who acknowledged their weakness by asking
“Who as I that I should go?”, to carry his mission.
Applications of the "Jars of Clay" Perspective to
Deliverance Ministry:
Human ego stands as a formidable obstacle to effective
missions. Christian ministers with immense talent and creativity flounder
when they rely only on their own power, and less talented missionaries who
look to God to empower their work frequently are used by Him to accomplish
His purposes.
Two Cautions:
We think that the power of God is centered in
certain human personalities. They may be called into the country from
the outside because of their deliverance ministry to preach healing
crusades.
Humans frequently misuse the power of God and
contort it for their own selfish, egocentric purposes.
The Willowbank Report says, “Power in human
hands is always dangerous. We have to mind the recurring theme of Paul’s
two letters to the Corinthians—that God’s power, seen in the cross of
Christ, operates through human weakness (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:18-2:5; 2 Cor. 4:7;
12:9, 10). Worldly people worship power; Christians who have it know its
perils” (Stott and Coote, 1980, 327).
In the first centuries of the church the common
Christian had the ability to depend on God and to pray to God to cast
out demons.
The final statement of the Lausanne consultation
Deliver Us from Evil (DUFE) in August, 2000, says: affirms the need and
essence of spiritual warfare but says:
"Engaging the Evil One is not the work of heroic
individuals.."
"We were saddened by stories of people, emboldened by
self-assured certainty and money, who come from outside, overwhelm local
Christians and carry out hit-and-run ministries of spiritual conflict that
(1) presume superior knowledge of the local reality, (2) treat local
Christians as inferior or unaware, (3) claim credit for things that local
Christians have been praying and working toward for years and (4) leave
uneven results and sometimes, pain, alienation, and even persecution of the
local church, while claiming great victory." (Moreau 2000, xxiii, xxiv,
xxv)
The power of God is power in relationship and should be
requested in prayer. The use of power words should be avoided.
There is power in name of Jesus but it is a
phrase of relationship rather than of power.
God is not a magical God who responds to certain
coded phrases like "in the blood of Jesus" or "in the name of
Jesus."
The final statement of the DUFE (Deliver Us From Evil)
Consultation of the Laussanne Conference describe the use of such formulas:
"We call for discernment concerning magical uses of
Christian terms and caution practitioners to avoid making spiritual conflict
into Christian magic. Any suggestion that a particular technique or method
or spiritual ministry ensures success is a magical, sub-Christian
understanding of God's workings."
"We strongly caution against taking ideas, methods or
strategies developed in one society and using them uncritically in another.
Scott Moreau's caution: "The emphasis on discerning
and naming demons before we can have power over them is approaching a
form of Christian animism. . . . The idea of needing the names of to have
power over spritis is found in magical thinking around the world. An Indian
friend of mine who has long been involved in spiritual warfare on a personal
and corporate level has told me that one of the most difficult problems he
faces in sharing the claims of Christ with his Hindu friends has come after
they see well-intentioned Christians engaging in what they believe to be
simple magical practices. . . . Prayer is not intended to be a vehicle of
violence, but a means of fellowship, growth and strength. One danger of an
attitude of "spiritual violence" is that we may become the very thing we are
fighting against" (Moreau 2000, 267).
Juliet Thomas of India asserts that the current
generation of Western missionaries in her country superimposes their own
models of spiritual warfare over traditional beliefs, thus amplifying
already tense religious frictions within the country. One presenter
advocated advocated a militant model of spiritual warfare by defining
conversion merely as a change of power. The result is that Christian
activities, such as healing, dedicating and blessing, look very much like
those of animists—except that the source of the power is God rather than
Satan (Moreau 2000, 295-97).
The Nature of Preaching:
Focused on the Kingdom of God rather than the dominion
of Satan.
Scott Moreau says, "Our goal should be to give Satan
and demons a selectively appropriate inattention. Do not let the
flaw the excluded middle become the flaw of the expanded middle; major on
God and minor on demons, not the other way around" (Moreau 2000, 270).
III. Defining
Conversion
A. Since ministry should begin
theologically rather than anthropologically, one significant beginning
point is defining conversion in Scripture.
B.
Definition of Conversion
1. David Wells defines conversion
as "turning to God." He writes, "Christianity without conversion is no
longer Christian because conversion means turning to God" (19 , 27).
Although conversion involves deep
and complex psychological and sociological changes, it is primarily the
work of God as demonstrated by God saving action in Jesus Christ, the
convicting and regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, and God's revealing
of himself to us both naturally (Ps. 19:1-6) and specially (Ps. 19:7-9;
2 Pet. 1:20-21). Wells writes, "God's grace is supernatural, in so far
as it is quite different from human potential, power, or wisdom" (19 ,
23).
2. The uniqueness of Christ also
makes Christian conversion unique. Wells says, "Christian conversion is
as different from other forms of conversion as Christ is from the
founders of other faiths" (23).
3. Paul in his testimony of his
conversion and call to apostles uses the words of Christ to define
conversion. It is an opening of eyes, a turning from "darkness to
light" and from the "power of Satan to God," receiving "forgiveness of
sins," and receiving a new home, "a place sanctified by faith" in Christ
(Acts 26:18). Each phase indicates the distinctiveness of the Christian
way and the significant paradigm shift that occurs when the unbeliever
accepts by faith the sovereignty of God, the covering of the blood of
Jesus, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
4. Thus we might define conversion
as "the process whereby we turn from our sins in repentance and
turn to God through faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross
for us" (Wilson Chow and John Reid in forward of Wells' Turning to
God, p. 11).
5. It must first become clear that we
are not saved by our own methodologies and mechanisms but by the mighty
hand of God.
C.
Elements of Conversion
1. When ministry is divided into
various types of encounters (truth encounter, commitment encounter,
power encounter) the terminology infers that conversion is a human
act.
2. This type of terminology is much
more militant than I feel comfortable. It infers that human encounter
brings about salvation that only God can bring.
3. Perhaps, at best, we can only call
come of these items elements of conversion.
IV. Three Forces in the World Leading to
Brokenness and Sin (James 4:1-10)
A. The Desires of the Flesh (vs. 1-3)
B. The Press of the World (vs. 4-6)
C. The Shifting of Satan (vs. 7-10)
Preparation for Ministry begins with us--in our hearts--and within our
communities of faith (local churches).
V. The
Ministry of Jorge Fagundez
· Always
looking for theologically integrated, culturally appropriate models for
nurturing people who are coming out of Spiritism
A. Background of Jorge Fagundez:
Pastor of the Church of the Word also called “The Covenant of Grace”;
Special Ministry: to help Spiritists come out of bandage; three
children, aged 5, 13, 14.
B. Major Tenets of Spiritism:
1. Belief in the continuity
of life after death and that the living can communicate with the
dead.
For many Spiritism
revived after WW II families wanted to contact their sons who died in
the war.
Belief that gods can be accessed by
guides to help solve immediate problems of life. During the Orunko
ceremony, the gods come down and “ride” the mediums, who ae
considered the cavalos (horses) of the gods.
“por las dudus”
-- “just in case” . People make sacrifices to Imanja “just in case” it
might help a very difficult situation.
2. They say that God is a spirit
like the Holy Spirit. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are only
advanced spirits who are still evolving. After death there are various
stages of the spiritual world. The spirits go through increasingly
purified levels. Evil spirits have higher weight and thus only reach
only Jesus in the 6th stage of development. They deny Jesus’
bodily resurrection.
C. Why did the Bible speak
against communicating with the dead? What they really are not
speaking to the dead but to demons or fallen spirits that imitate the
voices of dead people. (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37-38; 1 Cor. 10:19-20).
D. How do people access the dead?
They frequently play “Juego de la Copa” (“The Game of the Cup”). They
ask the cup questions and the spirit called responds by moving the cup to
the answers on the table. Many people are spiritually addicted to the
game and have to renounce it to be released. Those who participate in
these games develop fear, insecurity, and desire to die themselves. This
is like the ouigi board. The board was originally created by Spiritists
and then became a board game.
E. Two Ways in which People Become
Involved in Spiritism:
1. Consciously: When people
inquire of the occult or request information from a spiritist to
solve problems. Oppression begins. It depends on the heritage of the
person and how a person is living as his or her moral lives. The
depth of ones oppression of a person will depend on heritage and moral
life of a person. We should not look lightly on things like the
horoscope, throwing of cards, Taro cards, palm reading, All these
things that seem harmless are things that God forbids and get us in
contact with the spiritual world.
2. Unconsciously: People will
participate in parties in Brazil and do not know that they are
participating in forms of Umbanda. When people partakes of the food, a
pact is established. We are making a pact with the spirits and allowing
them to come into our lives. People have brought images or statues of
deities from other countries and then come to our congregation asking
for spiritual help because things were happening in their lives and they
did not know why. Today this lady destroyed these gods and became
healed.
F.
Practices of Spiritists:
1. Telekinesis: Objects are moved
perhaps beyond our reach.
2. Levitation: An object or
person is lifted into space.
3. Automatic writing: In a
trance a person writes. Many New Age books have been written in this
practice.
4. Mandola: what is created
when a person, who is in a trance, paints a picture or makes a musical
creation under the guidance of the spirits. Mandola is considered a
door to the spiritual world
5. Materialization: In a
session a spirit is appears before a group of people.
G. The church is seen as the major enemy of the spiritist
movement. Spiritists say that for 1800 years the church has been
blocking the spiritual development of humankind. Spiritism is on a
firmer rock. If the church is alive, Spiritism will die. If the
church die, spiritism will flourish.
H. Four Steps
of Helping a Person Come Out of Spiritism
