‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’
My companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’
And at that very moment, I was able to see him.
Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth’.

Acts 22:10-14

Do you have an Ananias in your life? At times God brings people into our lives that bring about a transformation that lasts forever. These people we meet give us sight to look to Jesus, they point us to what God wants us to do, and teach us how to grow spiritually and draw closer to the Lord.

In my life, I have had several Ananias, one of whom was my pastor Rafi Shahverdyan.

I grew up in a strongly atheistic family, and I thought that religion and believing in God was for uneducated people. As a ‘smart’ and ‘clever’ person I would never think of such nonsense things. But the Lord opened my eyes to his grace after graduating from Medical University and I became a Christian.

However, I had a lot of confusion and conflicts in my mind. I was ultimately ‘blind’ and didn’t know what to do or where to go. It was then that I met Pastor Rafi who took care of me and gave me a vision of using my medical skills for the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Rafi (pictured centre) was a close friend of Dr Jany Haddad who once asked him if he knew anyone who could assist him during surgeries in Armenia. He organised a meeting with several medics from our church, and this was the first time that I was introduced to Dr Jany Haddad (pictured left).

This meeting was a life changing encounter. I was inspired by Dr Jany’s vision and with the encouragement of Pastor Rafi we started a group of Christian doctors (with only three doctors initially) which became the Armenian Christian Medical Association (ACMA). Within a year more than 50 people who had joined the association!

Pastor Rafi, who was not an ACMA member, was incredible in supporting the association from the very first meeting. He connected us to other doctors, advertised ACMA, prayed for ACMA missions and conferences, preached at ACMA annual conferences and meetings, and counselled ACMA members. One of his main messages to Christian doctors was to demonstrate the Father’s love to their patients, treating them with compassion in a way that other doctors cannot.

He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

Rafi was one of the few leaders who reminded ACMA members of the danger of burn out due to their medical workloads. He taught that the best place to go for the Holy Spirit’s refreshment was at the feet of Jesus Christ. I learned from him that inner healing is essential and that without inner harmony you cannot work efficiently and serve God.

During ACMA conferences, Rafi could spend several hours praying for every person there and listening to their stories and needs. His arms were always open to hug and comfort the broken ones.

In Armenia there is a national unforgiveness which is rooted in historical persecution with Turkey. As a grandchild of a genocide survivor, I too struggled with this. Pastor Rafi however, was a Christian that looked beyond nationalities. He looked at every nation with the eyes of the Lord and had a heart for them. He organised several reconciliation conferences inviting Turkish Christians, and he went to Turkey several times and sent several missionaries from his church to Turkey.

Pastor Rafi was trying to break the wall that had built up between these two nations since 1915, and was encouraging us as Armenians to forgive and love our neighbours. After one particular trip to Turkey he wrote a beautiful book, Armenian Wine and Turkish Bread – A Real-Life Journey of Reconciliation.

Because of Pastor Rafi, I started to look at the country of Turkey and its people with a different lens, and began to think about starting a Christian Medical group in Turkey. I shared my vision with Pastor Rafi who was delighted to hear of my plans and helped connect me to his Turkish contacts. This was the journey of starting a Christian medical group in Turkey.

Through Pastor Rafi, I was also introduced to Alice, an Iranian dentist, who is now leading a group of Iranian medics.

Pastor Rafi was a person with whom I could share my successes, difficulties and challenges and receive his godly advice and prayers. Our meetings always ended with gifts which were usually books that had either been written by him or had been a blessing to him.

The last book he gave us, in November 2022, was Wipe My Tears, a message of healing to comfort people who grieve. It was a collection of testimonies from people that he had met during his years of ministry. They were people who had experienced much brokenness but had also found healing and restoration in Christ. Their stories were a motivation to believers to help those who are grieving find comfort.

Pastor Rafi had a wonderful family. He was married to the lovely Janet and they had three beautiful daughters and five grandchildren. He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather and by just looking at his family you could already learn a lot.

I am very grateful to God for the Ananias and Loving Fathers I have met on my life’s journey. Because of them I am a completely different person.

Today my two spiritual Fathers are rejoicing in eternal life with our Lord. They leave us with beautiful memories and are a testimony of how to be a Loving Father to others before we join them there.

It is my prayer that everyone in ICMDA can be an ‘Ananias’ for someone and finds one for themselves. Amen.

Dr Kristina Alikhanyan is the ICMDA Regional Representative for Caucasus, Eurasia

What is Conversion Therapy?

Most of these therapies should rightly be banned: the list includes aversion therapies, using drugs, enemas, electrical shock treatments and also brain surgery. All these were administered by the medical profession. Not only were they cruel, but there is no evidence that any of them worked. At a time when homosexuality was illegal, individuals were pressurised to have their orientation changed by such methods.

The deliberate untruth, which campaigners frequently tell us, is that, ‘People cannot change their orientation because they are born that way’. This is clearly untrue. No genetic evidence has ever demonstrated this, despite extensive genetic research. Neither is it supported by the study of identical twins. They overlook the fact that many homosexuals admit to being ‘fluid’ in their sexuality. Bisexuality is demonstrated whenever middle-aged adults suddenly declare they are gay, after being happily married for 20 years and having several adult children.

The deliberate confusion is that all these therapies were discontinued over 50 years ago! Nowadays homosexual activity is legal in many countries, along with gay marriage. In the West, only talking therapies are available to those who want help. These include professional counselling, pastoral care, prayer and support from family and friends. In Australia, LGBT pressure groups are now seeking to ban all of these.

The half-truths they promote are that ‘talking therapies’ don’t work and are harmful, causing clients to become depressed and suicidal. Certainly, counselling treatments may well be unsuccessful and are always difficult to evaluate scientifically. You cannot do ‘double blind, controlled, cross-over trials’, as there is no possibility of finding a placebo for counselling.

As for causing harm, homosexuality itself runs a high risk of harm. It is strongly associated with mental illness, alcoholism, drug addictions and a greatly increased risk of catching STDs, which may have life-long, even fatal consequences. These are all good reasons for wanting to move away from homosexual behaviour and culture. Yes, counselling can also be stressful, which is true for treating any addictive behaviour.

Hear what Elton John had to say in his autobiography, ‘Me’. He admits he was addicted to drugs, alcohol, food and sex (pp225/6). He chose to undergo counselling therapy in a residential unit, but he walked out after six days. He said, ‘It was tough…I couldn’t sleep…I had panic attacks…mood swings…depression and anxiety…I felt ill…weak and lonely.’ (pp230/1)

A further deception that campaigners spread, repeating it like a mantra, is that homosexuality ‘is not an illness and therefore cannot be cured’. Both these terms are deliberately misleading. Bereavement, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders and relational difficulties are not ‘illnesses’ that can be ‘cured’. They are, however, stressful conditions for which counselling is often effective in resolving. Such problems are ‘managed’ not cured and they commonly recur if therapeutic techniques are ignored or further aggravating events happen. Counselling rarely ‘cures’ anyone and the therapist may be as important as the therapy in achieving a good result.

Does counselling ever lead to change in a person’s sexual orientation? Yes, though not always or even often, but there is a growing number of people around the world, who now happily identity themselves as being ‘Ex-Gay’. If the identity of LGBT people is to be respected, then so should the identity of ex-gays – LGBTX. Success may depend on a younger age, high motivation and the degree of sexual fluidity.

Is such talking-therapy ethical? Yes. To ban such therapy would be seriously unethical, denying basic human rights – freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, and freedom to choose your treatment – while condemning people to live a lifestyle they want to leave.

‘The overall aim of counselling is to provide an opportunity for the client to work towards living in a way he or she experiences as more satisfying and resourceful.’ BACP code of practice.

For counsellors to ban such therapy is a denial of their ‘raison d’être’, the very purpose of their existence. Yet many therapists are now prohibited from helping clients troubled by their sexual orientation. Whether there is a legal ban or not, they will be struck off their professional registers if they offer it.

It is the therapist’s task to stand where their client stands. It is not the therapist’s role to introduce his own agenda and values into the counselling relationship. Ironically, the transgender debate highlights the importance of counselling for those who wish to change their sexual identity. This campaign to ban talking therapies for those who are troubled by their sexual orientation and request counselling should be vigorously opposed.

Peter May is a retired general practitioner in Southampton, United Kingdom

I think back to clinic visits over the years with patients living with Trisomy 21, whose visits I would eagerly anticipate, knowing that I would get a joyful hug and loving greeting as I walked into the exam room which would keep me smiling throughout a busy day. 

But closer to home, I had the tremendous blessing – and I use the word ‘tremendous’ advisedly in its most comprehensive definition, meaning not only ‘greatness or excellence’ but also the broader sense of ‘arousing awe and trembling’ – of having a younger brother who taught and inspired me from my earliest memories, as he overcame great physical challenges. I share part of his story as an example of how God instructs us through the lives of those who overcome.

My younger brother, Stephen Glenn Teusink, died a few days ago in his 66th year, having lived victoriously in the face of mobility challenges from severe cerebral palsy, initially acquired when he was three months old from encephalitis complicating chicken pox. Decades later it was exacerbated by being stabbed in the neck with resulting spinal cord damage during a robbery in his apartment, not long after starting to live independently as a young adult.

Steve’s vibrant Christian faith, fierce independence, enthusiasm, ready smile and laughter and what the French call ‘la joie de vivre’ were a blessing to all who knew him, particularly my sister and myself who grew up with him and assumed our family was typical. Steve was my primary motivation for pursuing a medical career. His way of tackling life head on was an inspiration to all who were privileged to know him, including those of us who knew him best. 

After graduation from secondary school, Steve attended college and worked in data entry for the City of Seattle. He was the first person with his severe degree of spastic quadriplegia and significant speech difficulties (he used a typing pad with voice synthesizer to communicate) to serve on a jury (twice) and he was active in his church. When the sanctuary of the church he attended was renovated, Steve served as a consultant representing church members in wheelchairs. 

He was asked where the wheelchairs should be located during worship: in the back near the entrance doors for ease of access, or in the front indicating a place of honor where everybody could see them? He responded, slowly typing one letter at a time, that they should be right in the middle of the congregation, where they belonged. And that’s where they were placed, in the middle, even though that might impede the smooth flow of other parishioners as they arrived and left. But in that impediment, interaction occurred with those in wheelchairs to the benefit of everyone.

During my infrequent home assignment visits back to the States when I would attend church with him, I would meet his friends. Once, a distinguished Seattle business man, whom I recognised from television commercials, turned around and introduced himself as a friend of Steve’s and wondered who I was, sitting in that place of honour. After services, when we would go out to lunch at his favourite restaurant, the host/hostess and wait staff spoke of their appreciation for Steve as a regular customer.  Just being with him felt like an honour.

When Steve left the love and care of my parents’ nurturing home as a young adult, our parents prayed daily that people would be kind to him in his vulnerability. That prayer was answered in abundance and I again saw poignant evidence of it two years ago on a brief visit home from overseas, when I went to see him in the small group home where he lived after his retirement.  

Steve had just left the residence before I arrived, in his electric wheelchair, taking the backroads and paths for his daily shopping outing at the local supermarket located about a mile away. I drove and arrived just as he was entering the store. As we walked down the aisle together, the store manager came up and with a cautiously protective air, asked if I knew Steve. I replied that I was his big brother and she immediately relaxed, smiled and shared how much they appreciated his daily visits to buy one or two items.  

One of the workers would be assigned to help him get the articles he desired off the shelves and then helped him pay by getting his debit card from his wallet and running it through the card reader. Steve was totally vulnerable and completely dependent on the kindness of strangers but in that dependence exhibited a confidence and strength that was extraordinary and profoundly instructive.  

All of us are only temporarily ‘enabled’ in this broken world and whether our period of disability extends for decades or only briefly before we transition into eternity, it’s helpful to have guides who have walked that path before us.

My brother’s strong Christian faith enabled him to face each day with courage and optimism. He was by far the bravest person I have ever known.

Steve, I look forward to walking and talking with you when next we meet, unencumbered by human frailty and made whole by the God in whose Image we were made. Thank you for being so patient with your big brother when in the midst of my busyness and ‘abilities’, I was actually the ‘disabled’ one.

‘Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!’
(Hamlet, Act V Scene ii)

Tim Teusink MD MA (Bioethics) is an American physician based in France with SIM in France but his primary work involves teaching Bioethics around the African Continent to medical students and resident physicians. In normal times he travels a lot and also teaches at the CMDA-CMDE Conferences in Thailand and Greece.

Jany Haddad (born Teheran, Iran, 13 March 1954, died Aleppo, Syria, 14 August 2020)

‘Doctor, we plead with you, please do not leave Aleppo, you are the salt of this land. You are the light of this city.’

So spoke Dr Jany Haddad’s Muslim patients during the dark days in Syria when hundreds of thousands were escaping the country to seek refuge in Europe and beyond.

Dr Jany stayed, while the bombs fell and the bullets flew, through ten years of the Syrian civil war operating on the wounded, caring for the sick and ministering to the broken.

Jany was a monumental figure and a leader among leaders, deeply loved by many. His achievements were breath-taking, and he will be very greatly missed.

As the founder and president of both the Armenian Christian Medical Association (ACMA) and ‘Living Hope for Family Ministries’ he touched the lives of thousands and he inspired many others to join him and share in the work to which God had called him.

Jany Haddad was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1954. He graduated from Damascus medical university in Syria then specialised in general surgery. He trained and worked in Kuwait, later gaining FRCS in Glasgow, Scotland. He later gained training in 13 surgical subspecialties including oncology, endocrine, microsurgery and laparoscopy.

He married Sonig Arabian in 1982 and God blessed them with three children: Fouad (engineer), Manana (dietician) and Pethia (plastic surgeon).

In 1985, he and Sonig started family ministry together in Kuwait, interrupted by the Iraqi invasion.

When the Armenian earthquake struck in 1988, killing 50,000 and injuring 130,000, he felt God calling him to help this nation and chartered two shipments of medical supplies.

In 1990, Jany moved to Syria, where he started the family ministry once again in 1992, in Aleppo, with annual family conferences.

In 1996, God guided him to found ‘Living Hope for Family Ministries’, registered initially in Lebanon. The ministry expanded quickly and Jany wrote, translated, and published many books on Christian family principles and discipleship

In 2002, he had a vision of starting a Baptist church in Aleppo, and in 2003, when others joined him, the Baptist Evangelical Church of Aleppo was born. This was to become a seed which led to the planting of other new Syrian churches.

In 2003, during the Iraqi war, Jany began ministering among the Iraqi refugees, with medical care, food and supplies.

During this time, he visited Armenia twice a year from 2000, running charitable surgical clinics for the poor in rural villages and towns. This led to him founding the Armenian Christian Medical Association (ACMA) in 2006, which ran annual leadership conferences and weekly mobile medical and dental clinics.

When the pastor of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Aleppo migrated with his family in 2013, Jany took over as pastor, and expanded ‘Living Hope’ between 2013 and 2020 to embrace a huge range of charitable and relief work during the Syrian war which had started in 2011.

This included support for internally displaced Syrians, digging 41 wells for drinking water (Isaac Project), spiritual and practical care for war widows and orphans (Ladies of Living Hope), University student ministry and the St Luke and Healing Grace medical charity centres.

The ‘Building Restoration Department’ helped families restore and renovate their homes which had been damaged or destroyed during the war. An elderly people’s ministry cared for the medical, social and spiritual needs of those who had been left behind after their families left the country.

Other initiatives included a mini-enterprises ministry providing food, a post-war trauma care centre, a psychological support centre, and training in sewing and other skills.

Jany died from complications of COVID on 14 August, 2020. It may be hard to understand why God should preserve Jany through the war only to take him in this way at a time when he seemingly had so much more to give and was still, even at 66, effectively in his prime.

The mystery remains, but the Lord is sovereign. His ways are always perfect and he always in all things works for the good of those who love him.

Jany is now in the presence of the Saviour he loved and served and has finished the race. He joins that great cloud of witnesses cheering the rest of us on.

He leaves behind friends and colleagues from all over the world who he encouraged and inspired and who are thanking God for his faithfulness to Christ and his wonderful service to God’s church and the Syrian and Armenian people as a surgeon, pastor, leader, teacher and mentor.

The words posted by his daughter Pethia this week, on behalf of his children and their families, are a lovely tribute:

‘Our beloved father, you are now with your Saviour… You planted in us the love of God and the spirit of service since our childhood, have nurtured in us our abilities and talents and were the motivation to reach successes we didn’t dream about. You were the perfect husband, the caring father, the honest shepherd and the healing doctor who healed thousands of souls and bodies with his smile, words and blessed touch…. We trust God’s appointments and know with all certainty that your mission has not yet come to an end. We will continue it.’

Peter Saunders is CEO of ICMDA

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.(Genesis 2:25 NKJV)

In the beginning, the first couple in the Garden of Eden were naked. This nudity symbolises transparency, an intimate knowledge of the other, of their thoughts, dreams and deep aspirations. Satan succeeded in breaking the beauty of innocence in the Garden of Eden, and I believe Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). His work still makes possible today a deep engagement and intimacy as a couple.

The time of confinement of COVID-19 may not only be a time of conflict between spouses who are not used to spending so much time together, but also an opportunity to deepen communication and knowledge of each other. I invite you to choose the second option. Organise in stress free moments of the day, in a peaceful atmosphere, a time for discussion outside of any crisis.

Many couples only have these discussions in times of conflict and therefore spend much time fighting and reconciling. Talking in peacetime is what you need because it allows you to defuse time bombs and to communicate better apart from any negative emotions, to get to know each other better and to unite.

Times for couple discussions are not moments of settling scores or resolving conflicts. These are times of sharing and building, heart to heart. So encourage each member of the couple to open up and freely share their heart and avoid judging but rather value the point of view of the other and take it into account.

To make listening easier, choose a witness object that passes from one hand to another depending on who is speaking.

To avoid outbursts or tantrums, maintain eye and body contact (hold hands, or sit so that you touch each other). Avoid accusing yourself and using the ‘you have…’ but use the ‘I’.

Express your feelings without making the other feel guilty. If there is a misunderstanding, take a break for a set time and then come back to continue the discussion. Set the length of the pause time before the discussion begins.

I offer 40 simple questions to fuel a constructive discussion in your relationship.

Take the time to explore them and write down the discoveries you have made. Remember to pray and watch over each other to implement your resolutions. Good discussion.

A. FAMILY WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL LIFE AS A COUPLE AND FAMILY

1. What do you think is the state of our family worship? How do we restore it?
2. What is the level of our couple prayer life? How do we improve it? How much time can we devote to prayer, as a couple, in a week? On what day can we schedule it?
3. What is the level of our Bible study as a couple? How can we improve it? How much time can we devote to meditating on the Word of God, as a couple, in a week? On what day can we schedule it?
4. Do our children see us living our faith? When? How can we impact them more through our everyday lifestyle?
5. Can we set up a Bible reading time each day together with the children? What time do you think is the best time?

B. JOINT VISION, TEAMWORK, GIFTS AND TALENT

1. Do you think we work well together as a team? If not, what do you think is the biggest obstacle preventing us from doing it? How can we function better as a team?
2. Tell me what your vision is, what do you think the Lord is calling you to?
3. What are your priorities in life?
4. Do we have a common vision? What is the intersecting point of our callings? How else can we find one? Can we write down our vision, our family’s mission? If so, write it down, then come home and post it.
5. Do you know your position in our common vision? What do you think my position should be?
6. What gifts do you think I have?
7. Write down on a sheet the strengths and qualities of your spouse. How can we function as a team taking into account each other’s points?
8. To what extent are we sources of blessing not only as individuals but also in terms of a couple and as a family?

C. FRIENDSHIP & COMMUNICATION IN THE COUPLE

1. Share with me how you give love and how you love to receive it.
2. Where is our heart to heart? Do we have any? Is it deep? Do you feel free to share everything with me? If not, why not?
3. How is our communication? Do you think I communicate well? What are my positive points? What should I change/ improve?
4. How creative are we in our married life? How to break the monotony? What can we change?
5. Share with me your fears, your weaknesses and your experiences.
6. In which of the following things are you most comfortable speaking with me: the facts, my opinions, my emotions or my deep aspirations?
7. Do you think you have enough space to flourish in our relationship as a couple?
8. How were you trained in the following areas within your family of origin: conflict management, integrity, deep sharing, listening, decision-making, encouragement, service? Are we doing better than our parents with our children? What do we pass on to them in these areas?

D. CHILDREN’S  EDUCATION

1. Do you think we have ceded responsibility for the spiritual training of our children to the Church? if so, how can we reverse the trend and take our place in the education of our children? What should we do concretely?
2. How can we better manage our time to better play our role as parents?
3. How can we stimulate sharing of deeper conversations with our children?
4. What are the most common topics of conversation? How can we integrate God in a non-religious and non-moralistic way?
5. Do our children feel involved in our family?
6. How can we affirm and value each of our children?
7. What do you think of our education system, its strengths and weaknesses?

E. FUNDAMENTALS OF COUPLE LIFE

1. The couple constitutes the foundation of the family. Did you know this?
2. Why do you think it should be like this?
3. What will we have to change to live this reality?
4. What do you think are the characteristics of a temple? What can this imply for us as a couple?
5. Is there a difference between the image we portray in public and who we are in private? How can we resolve the difference, if there is any?
6. To what extent do you think we, as a couple, reflect the image of God? What do we have to put in place together to reach this level?
7. Do you think I have left my father’s house according to Genesis 2:24? What remains to be done on each side to finalise this process?

 F. SEXUAL INTIMACY

1. Are you satisfied with our sex life? How can we improve it?
2. What would make you really happy?
3. Are you satisfied with the rhythm of our sexual acts? What rhythm would you have wished for? What consensus can we find on the frequency of our sexual intercourse?
4. Do we need to seek advice to find solutions to our challenges in this area or seek medical advice?
5. Are there spiritual or emotional blockages for us in this area?

Dr Jean Paul DANSOU is ICMDA Regional Representative for Francophone West Africa

We all face difficulties in life. What is unique about the coronavirus pandemic is that we are all facing the same difficulty at the same time – although its effect on each one of us is different.

But each family has its own story of illness – mental and physical, chronic or terminal. Each family at some time will face loss – of money, possessions, hopes and dreams. Bereavement, failure and disappointment is part of life for all of us at some point. And we all eventually know the pain of broken relationships or loneliness and isolation – be it temporary or permanent. In addition, for Christians there is the promise that in some way or another we will face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).

People of various worldviews and faiths all have their explanations for suffering. For Muslims it’s about the will of Allah – it’s all fate. For Buddhists, it has to do with unsatisfied desire – it’s in the mind. For Hindus it is payback for past lives – it’s all karma. And for atheists it’s the product of time and chance – it’s just random molecules.

But for Christians who believe in a God who is at once all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving – the question is often raised – why doesn’t he do something about it? Surely, he must know and care and be able to deal with it?

Philosophers and theologians throughout the ages have grappled with this question by devising ‘theodicies’ – explanations for why God might allow suffering.

At one level these usually fall in the category of one of four F’s.

First, we live in a fallen world which is damaged by sin. The breaking of God’s relationship with human beings (through our rebellion and indifference) has led also to a breaking of our relationships with each other and with the planet. War, disease and natural disasters are to be expected in such a world. The whole world is ‘groaning’ (Romans 8:22).

Next is the effect of free will. God has granted human beings, and indeed the devil himself, the ability to make choices. How much of the difficulty in our world results from people (or demons) making bad choices or failing to make good ones?

Third, we need to see difficulties through the eyes of faith. God has higher purposes in suffering which we, from our limited human perspective, may be unable to discern. Suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character, as the Apostle Paul reminds us (Romans 5:3-4).

Finally, we need to see suffering in the light of the future. God has unfinished business with this planet and its inhabitants and his intention is to create a new heaven and new earth where there is no suffering (Revelation 21:1-4). Everything will eventually be put right. But he is in no hurry as he wants to give people a chance to turn to him before it is too late (2 Peter 3:9). And pain and difficulties, as CS Lewis reminds us, are his megaphone to a deaf world.

But the Bible is also a book for life travellers more than armchair philosophers. Travellers ask different questions: How do I get over this next hill or obstacle? Or, Which route do I take at this fork? Don’t expect to know the answers to all life’s mysteries and especially what God’s purposes might be for you personally through them.

And so, we would expect Scripture to be replete of practical advice for travellers – and it is.

Psalm 13 is a great example, worthy of thousands of words. Facing problems? Keep praying (Psalm 13:1-4), trust in his unfailing love (5), rejoice in his salvation (5) and sing the Lord’s praise (5). All of these are life-transforming exhortations.

But in this post, I want to draw to your attention five keys to resilience and perseverance from one of my favourite chapters in the Bible – Hebrews 12. I hope they will be as much help to you as they have been for me when I need something a little more. Hebrews 12 is a feast of practical instruction – and its appeal is to use our minds to think our way out of bitterness, despair and self-pity.

1. Consider those who have gone before (Hebrews 12:1-4)

The chapter starts with the word ‘therefore’ calling us to look back at what has just been said.

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’ (Hebrews 12:1,2)

Who is this great cloud of witnesses? They are the heroes of faith whose names are listed in Hebrews 11 – Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, Samuel and the prophets. Many of them won great victories – but none had a life devoid of suffering and struggle.

Some of them, we are told, were ‘tortured… faced jeers and flogging, chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning… sawn in two, killed by the sword… persecuted and mistreated.’ (Hebrews 11:35-37).

In comparison many of own burdens pale into insignificance.

But most of all, the author bids us to consider Jesus Christ himself, who ‘endured the cross, scorning its shame’ in order to win our salvation. In fact, he put himself through this ordeal for ‘the joy that was set before him’ – the joy of saving us, and of winning us for himself.

Jesus, in his struggles on our behalf, always had the end in view and this is what encouraged him to press on. In the same we need to remember that nothing done in the Lord’s service is ever in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58) and that our labours for him are fruitful (Philippians 1:22) even if there are times when we cannot imagine the fruit, let alone see it with our own eyes.

‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ (Galatians 6:9)

Have we ‘resisted to the point of shedding our blood’? (12:4) Not many of us. So, let us consider those who have gone before – especially Jesus Christ – and think about what they went through before feeling too sorry for ourselves. Let’s instead ‘throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles’. (12:2)

2. Endure hardship as discipline (12:5-12)

‘Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?’ (Hebrews 12:7)

God uses the hardships we face to build into us the qualities we need to be his effective disciples. ‘Perseverance produces character,’ says Paul (Romans 5:4). ‘Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance’, says James. (James 1:2,3)

Just as training hones the athlete and grit produces a pearl in an oyster, so God uses trouble and difficulty to shape and improve us, so that we are more useful to him. This is a mark of his love for us.

So, ‘do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves.’ (12:5). Just as our parents’ discipline is a mark of their love for us, so when God brings hardship into our lives it is with a higher purpose of moulding us into his image.

‘No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.’ (Hebrews 12:11)

Often if we are honest, we find ourselves taking exactly the opposite view and assuming that God cannot love us because of what he has allowed us to go through – but in fact he never promised us that life would be easy. Rather Jesus said to his disciples, ‘In this world you will have trouble.’ (John 16:33)

How we love to hear the tender words of Jesus, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28). But sometimes we actually need him to be tougher with us. Jesus said some unbelievably tough things to his disciples, which they badly needed to hear for their own good.

When Jeremiah was complaining to the Lord about how difficult things were for him as the Lord’s prophet he received a salutary telling off:

‘If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?’ (Jeremiah 12:5)

Effectively God is saying, ‘toughen up. If you think this is bad how are you going to cope with what is coming?’

God disciplines us through the hardships we face in order that he can use us more effectively in the future.

‘No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.’ (12:11)

So, when we face difficulty a good question to ask is, ‘What is God teaching me through this? What qualities is he building into me as I rise to this occasion?’

3. Make every effort to live in peace and be holy (12:13-17)

Sometimes we can be tempted to grumble against God when we face difficulties. In the Book of Malachi God accuses his people of saying ‘harsh things’ against him (Malachi 3:13). ‘What are these harsh things?’ they ask. God replies that it is when they say, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain from carrying out his requirements?’

How often we fall prey to this – pouring scorn upon our Lord and Saviour because we don’t like our personal circumstances.

This part of Hebrews 12 warns us of the danger of using hardship as an excuse to stop being serious about our discipleship. Esau is cited as a sobering example in throwing away his inheritance just because he was tired and hungry after a hard day’s work. (12:16)

We need to ensure that we do not fall into bitterness, sexual immorality or fighting with others out of spite for God or because we think that what we are going through gives an excuse for such behaviour.

Living holy lives and living in peace with others are no less our duty when times are tough.

As Peter reminds us, we ‘ought to live holy and godly lives’ as we ‘look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.’ (2 Peter 3:13)

This is crucial if we are to commend the Gospel to others. Let’s not use tough times as an excuse for sin.

4. Remember what you have been saved to (12:18-24)

The writer here draws a contrast between the Old Covenant made by the Israelites on Mt Sinai and the New Covenant sealed with the blood of Christ on the mount of crucifixion.

The promised rewards of the former were dependent on obedience to God’s commands (Exodus 19:5-6) and there were accordingly warnings, commands and punishments for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). But there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

By contrast, the New Covenant is based on God’s grace – his unmerited favour to us through Jesus paying the price for our sins on the cross.

We look forward to the ‘heavenly Jerusalem’ (12:22) and a glorious eternity with God. Christians often forget that the rewards in the Christian life are almost entirely in the future.

And it is the glories and delights of heaven that put the sufferings of this life into perspective.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). In the light of the eternal glory that is coming, our troubles on earth, however bad, are but ‘light and momentary’ when seen from this perspective (2 Corinthians 4:17).

5. Remember what you have been saved from (12:25-29)

Keeping our troubles in perspective against the joys of heaven is sobering, but so also is seeing them against the horrors of hell, eternal separation from God.

If God was simply a God of justice, then he would have eliminated humankind at the moment Adam and Eve first sinned. But he is thankfully also a God of mercy, who delays the judgment we all deserve to enable us to repent.

We cannot stand safely in his presence unless we are clothed with the ‘righteousness of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:21) because ‘God is a consuming fire’. (12:29)

The author of Hebrews here reminds us about the fate of people at the time of the Exodus who turned their backs on God.

How much worse will it be if we reject him now, after the coming of Christ.

The threat of coronavirus is nothing compared to facing Jesus Christ unforgiven on the day of judgement so we need to be thankful, reverent and humble before him. (12:28-29)

Conclusion

Are you tempted to fear, despair or give up? Consider those who have gone before. Endure hardship as discipline. Make every effort to live in peace and be holy. And see things in an eternal perspective – always remember what you have been saved to and what you have been saved from.

Let’s take these five keys to resilience and perseverance to heart as we negotiate these current difficulties.  

‘Give the whole community of Israel the following instructions: on the tenth day of this month, let every house or family get a lamb. If there are too few people in a house to eat a lamb, let us associate with the nearest neighbouring family, taking into account the number of people; and we will choose the lamb according to what everyone can eat. His blood will be taken and the two studs and lintel will be brushed from the door of the houses where he will be eaten. You’ll eat it in a hurry, ready to go: the belt tied to the loins, the sandals to the feet and the stick in your hand. It will be the Passover that will be celebrated in honour of the Lord. I will travel through Egypt that night and strike every first-born man and beast in the land, and thus exercise my judgments against all the gods of Egypt; I am the Lord. Blood will be for you a sign on the houses where you will be; I’ll see the blood, I’ll pass over you. Thus the destructive plague will not reach you when I strike Egypt.’ (Exodus 12:3-4,7,11-13 BDS)

Hello beloved in the Lord, Easter is upon us, but we hardly realise it. This great Christian feast, which comes with all night prayers, church services retreats and other spiritual activities in the Church, is now falling into the period of general confinement.

This can be seen as a blow, an attack on Christianity. But, we can also see that it is rather an opportunity to celebrate it in its authenticity for at least three reasons:

1. The first Passover was not celebrated in assembly, but in every house. At most two houses could associate, no more. Jesus Christ himself celebrated Easter in a house with his family: the disciples, there were 13 of them (Luke 22:7-12). The disciples of the first Church also celebrated the Passover in their houses (Acts 2:46).

2. The first Easter was celebrated in a context where a destroyer was going to visit in the night to kill. In the same way today, COVID-19 scares the whole world and spreads like wildfire. Jesus Christ himself ate the Passover in a context of confinement, because he was forced to hide from the religious leaders of that time who wanted to kill him. The first disciples in Acts ate the Passover sometimes in a context of persecution.

3. The first Passover was the culmination of a process of liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The second Passover is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The cross and blood of the lamb assures us of our deliverance from the bondage of sin, disease, the devil and death. This is an opportunity for us to put our lives back in order in relation to his work. To live the reality of the benefits of the cross.

How to celebrate Easter with your family

Many families are embarrassed because they have only experienced this practice in the Church. But I want to share with you a simple and practical way to celebrate Easter as a family.

1. Prepare what you need

The symbol for the body of Christ: You can choose bread or a cake that you will cut into pieces.

Make sure that everything is eaten (as in Exodus) so one piece per person. The size of the piece doesn’t matter.

The symbol of Christ’s blood: choose what will symbolise your wine according to your convictions: eg juice or wine. Pour into small disposable glasses for each. Then cover it all with a tea towel.

2. Prepare your heart

‘That is why anyone who eats bread or drank from the Lord’s cup in an unworthy manner would be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let everyone seriously examine himself and then eat this bread and drink from this cup. For he who eats and drinks without discerning what the body is condemns itself by eating and drinking in this way.’ (1 Corinthians 11:27-29 BDS)

It is important to go through a time of confession of sin to the Lord and to each other.

Let everyone take the time to examine their heart: What did I do that irritated God’s heart? What did I do that hurt a family member?

Each member of the family must also go and ask forgiveness for what he or she has done wrong against one of the other members. The person concerned welcomes him and asks for forgiveness. Parents should not hesitate to ask their children for forgiveness in case of offence.

3. Remember the cross and its benefits

It is a time to remember all that the cross has brought to humans: salvation, victory over sin, victory over death, healing of the soul and body, deliverance from satanic bonds, redemption, sanctification.

Remember all this and invite each member of the family to appropriate it through faith.

4. Remember the initiation of the last supper

Then use the texts of 1 Corinthians 11:22-26 and Luke 22:17-20.

• Reading about the bread, the head of the family takes a loaf of bread and breaks it.
• Reading about the wine, he lifts the cup and blesses it.
• Then he ends with a prayer that blesses this moment together.
• Give the tray to everyone to take the bread and eat, then add the drink.

5. Intercessory prayer

We pray that the reality of the benefits of the cross may be shared, for salvation, healing and divine protection covering this house with the blood of the Lamb. Let us pray for our extended family, our local church and our country. All this while singing hymns that speak of the work of the cross.

Happy Easter to all.

Jean Paul Dansou is ICMDA Regional Representative for Francophone West Africa

‘So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.’
(1 Chronicles 13:13-14 KJV)

Three months of the presence of God (ark of the covenant) were enough to fill Obededom’s house with the blessing of God.

I don’t know how many months the COVID-19 lockdown will last, but I am one of those who believe that the Lord allowed this situation to give us the opportunity to establish practices in our homes to attract his presence and thus unleash a greater blessing on both us and our children.

The three months’ experience of the people in Obededom’s house became a lifetime service. They were so affected that they became responsible for the porticoes of the temple, the nearest place possible to the ark (the presence of God) that an ordinary man (other than a priest) could be.

My prayer is that ultimately these practices will take root in your homes and fill them with blessings.

Let me share these practices with you – four examples of family routines. I will deal with the first of these in this blog post.

• Family worship
• Holy Communion
• Family evenings
• Sharing the Word of God

The ingredients that compose family worship are: praise and worship, teaching the Word, intercession and memorisation.

We need first to schedule a time and it is the job of the family head to ensure that the time is respected. Also, we need to have an agenda to follow so that we are not distracted.

All the people of the house must be present, including any servants, nephews, nieces or cousins ​​who live in the house.

If we limit the worship to ourselves and our children, we leave an open door to the enemy, because others do not come under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Make it dynamic and enjoyable. Remember that there are children and take their presence into account.

Share the roles beforehand: MC, the worship leader, the preacher, the leader of intercession.

Let everyone have something to do and change roles often, from one session to another.

Allow the children to preach in turn, even if the preaching lasts only five or ten minutes depending on age. Expect God to speak to you through them.

Let them lead the intercession and pray for the subjects in turn. Even if their prayer is not very elaborate and only lasts 20 seconds, it is sometimes more powerful than our more beautiful, eloquent, long well-crafted prayers. Intercession must be an opportunity to pray aloud with each other, thus creating a strong connection.

Praise and worship should be a time to fix our eyes on God and connect our minds to him. Remember to remain silent after worship to listen to God and share the message of God. Depending on the age of the children it can sometimes be complicated but do not be rigorous, allow everyone to express their praise in their own way, while emphasising the focus on God. Allow dancing, playing instruments or beating the tables as a drum, let everyone express and praise.

The teaching must be suitable for the whole family, and must be varied, ranging from the classic exhortation, to activities leading to biblical teachings, or to a biblical sketch.

Allow everyone a chance to play the pastor, with an improvised desk, and listen carefully to the essentials of the message. You will probably need a range of activities to do this.

A family sketch consists of taking a biblical text with several actors, reading it together, then sharing roles to play it in the form of a scene. Then give each member the opportunity to share about the experience they have had and the lessons they have learned. We will end with a conclusion gathering all the lessons learned.

Remember to keep a memory verse and memorise it together, then post it around the house.

Jean Paul Dansou is the ICMDA Regional Representative for Francophone West Africa