A PERSONAL TIPPING POINT

In his work, The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World, Chris Stewart looks at events that led to the Freedom that we, in the Western World at least, enjoy today. Many of them are heroic conflicts, such as the Battle of Britain, which turned the tide against the Nazis in WWII, and the fight to the death of the 300 Spartans against several hundred thousand Persians at Thermopylae or the Revolutionary War here in America. Interestingly, in these and many other examples that could be mentioned, though the odds were greatly against them (the German Luftwaffe coming against the RAF were considered the best in the world, the American irregulars were fighting the world's most powerful military force at the time), the force fighting for freedom prevailed, changing, as Mr. Stewart points out, the course of human history forever. In each of these cases, the underdogs believed in a particular quality that united them—for the Greeks, Courage, the British, Tenacity, for America, Freedom.

Recently I was reading Behind the Ice Curtain, the autobiography of a young Jewish girl, Dina Gabel, sent to Siberia with her sickly mother during WWII. At one point, she is carted off to prison to be questioned by the KGB. The Soviet Secret Service does there best to tear down Dina's resolve, holding her in solitary confinement, interrogating her in the middle of the night, confronting her with a long list of supposed offenses, enticing her with promises of better rations and pay should she turn informant. Choosing to fast rather than eat the choice foods they offer her to soften her will, the young lady outlasts and outwits her tormenters. This proves to be the tipping point in her own personal odyssey; things begin to gradually improve until her eventual return to her homeland.

Much could (and should) be said about the role of the Lord, in directing human events towards His desired ends. It is easy, especially these days, to see the hand of the enemy of our souls in hastening events towards his goals of death and destruction. But we should never forget that, ultimately, it is the Lord's plans that prevail. As the father of our nation, George Washington put it:

I have lived sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.

What is it, though that God actually does to tip the scales in favor of the few against the many. In it's fulness, the answer to this is surely a mystery, only to be known (perhaps) when we meet him face to face on That Day. A number of clues, however, seem to be present in each of these incidents as to the key to winning against all odds. Hope, surely. Perseverance. Courage.

I would like to focus specifically on one in this writing. It may not seem as “heavy” or important as those just mentioned. But I find it to be key none-the-less. There is perhaps no single English word that expresses it fully so let me describe it with several: Sincerity. Innocence. An absence of guile. Interestingly, this is the first character quality the Lord commends in one of his disciples (Jn 1:47). Many of us have heard sermons describing how sculptors stamped sincere (literally, without wax) on their works to certify that no wax was used to hide cracks or other mistakes in workmanship. i.e. the piece was wholly connected to and with itself.

I recently watched a touching youtube video of the program China's Got Talent, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Kwk_nK-Ds&feature=related) showing an Inner Mongolian young man, singing a song about how he dreamed of his mom. He had lost both parents in an accident. But he was choosing to focus on the good and move forward with life.

I believe that is the key to success against all odds. Are we wholly connected to our beliefs? Have they become part of us and we them? A facebook post proclaims that spirituality is about having one's mind, heart, and behavior in alignment. All of this is a choice, or rather a(n ongoing) series of choices that determine whether our foundation is solid or shifts like the sands.

When I was growing up in Arabia, the winds would blow the sands so much that tall dunes would cover the roadways overnight, making them impassable. Oil was sprayed along the sides of the main roads to prevent this. Sand storms (for protection against, the Bedouin wear their iconic headresses) stung one's face like a thousand needles, clouding vision and making progress difficult. Amazing how tiny grains light enough to be blown easily could cause such problems. It is because they are not attached to anything. They have no integrity. It is the oil of the Spirit which enables us to connect the various elements of our life and faith to present a solid whole.

One final point. What makes fine qualities in a person especially endearing is when the person him or herself doesn't draw attention to them. A case in point: Nawal El Moutawakel (anyone ever heard of her?! Neither had I until an reading a past issue of Success magazine. :-) ) Turns out she was the first Muslim woman to win a Gold Medal at the Olympics (1984, 400m hurdles), no mean feat in a culture that often makes women cover their entire bodies and only allows them to participate in sports during their childhoods, and then only after completing household chores. She says about her victory that day, that she, herself, didn't expect to win (she looked to both sides on crossing the finish line in surprise that no one was there!). Yet win she did, blazing a trail for 1/3 of the world's population of women to follow.

Are we connected to our beliefs? Have we allowed them to become part and parcel of who and what we are? My mother, growing up the child of missionary parents in India learned to love the often warm, Indian culture. My father used to tease her about how Indian she was in her thinking by saying that if you scratched her you would see brown skin underneath. If someone were to scratch the spiritual facade we all put forth, what would they find?

As part of my professional training, we had to prepare irregular pieces of gold for casting by melting them. We knew the gold was ready to be cast because it had lost its particular nooks and crannies and formed itself into a clear, quivering ball, held together by the purity of its bonds. True faith, because it is of such great worth, must always be tested by fire. May we all come through our time of testing as shining gold....

Sequoia or Bristlecone, Which are You?

On the way to school the other day, my son asked me a good question—Do trees grow in the winter time?  Not being an expert on such matters, I answered as best I could.  He then followed up with a question about how long trees live.   We had talked about this before and how there were some trees alive today which were living at the time of Jesus. 

My son’s questions starting me thinking about types of trees and how long they live.   I remembered hearing of the great age of some of the mighty Sequoias, growing so large and tall surrounded by others of their own kind.  Then I remembered the diminutive bristlecone pine, which often lives alone on the side of a mountain, twisted by the powerful winds that whip past its inhospitable environs.  Interestingly, of the two, it is the bristlecone which can live the longest.

My thoughts (in the Lord) then led to two lives of another sort, both of which are lived by faith.  In Hebrews chapter 11 we’re told that some accomplish mighty deeds, gaining victories and receiving great blessings through their faith in God.  Much like a Sequoia, they are  impressive people, well known and respected by others for their accomplishments (in the Lord). 

But the same chapter also mentions others, ones who suffer, are ridiculed and even despised.  These often live alone, or in small groups, little known or heeded by the world at large.  Sometimes they are killed for their faith.  These, too, the Word commends, in fact it adds the special commendation, “the world was not worthy of them”.  In other words, it’s not that they are not fit to live.  To the contrary, they are too great for the evil world in which they find themselves.  They will be taken to a better place, where they will reign  together with the Lord (see Rev 20:4). 

Each of us has his or her own path to travel as a believer in Messiah Yeshua.   Some live out their faith among others of like mind, enjoying the rich soil of broad fellowship, standing strong and accomplishing much, both in the world’s eyes and in the eyes of the Lord, just as the Sequoia’s grow large and tall in their groves together.  Such serve as beacons and examples to others, and many are sheltered under their spiritual covering. 

But others are called to a different type of life, a life of struggle, often waged seemingly nearly alone (but actually in the presence of the Lord).   In the often solitary environment in which they find themselves, there is little of the mutual encouragement which exists among those who spend their days in fellowship with others.  Their fellowship is with the soaring eagles, and the wind of the Spirit which blows so freely in their special abode.   Like the bristlecone, they must cling to the soil of whatever revelation they have, prying out of the Rock enough nourishment to carry on.  Their energies, it seems, go mainly into simply surviving.  They often bear scars caused by the difficult location in which they find themselves. 

They, too, have grown strong.  But their strength manifests in a different way, the strength of heart born in the midst of perseverance through difficulty.  Instead of outward accomplishments, their growth has been within, resulting in a wiry tenacity that refuses to give up, despite the tremendous factors arrayed against them, factors that would cause those who have not been through similar challenges to bow down under the strain.  With  time persecution, shame, and loneliness no longer intimidate them, much as bristlecones become accustomed to the lightning, blizzards and fierce winds that frequent their lofty mountain locales.   Their one desire is to please the one who created them for this very purpose and placed them where others could not survive to be a testimony of His glory.

Some of you reading this are Sequoias.  Enjoy the life you have been given in the Lord here on earth, for you have the opportunity to influence many.  But for the bristlecones out there, take heart.  Your struggles are not unseen by Him.  In fact, His eye is much upon you.  Yours is to claim the mighty peaks for the Kingdom.

WORDS

I bought a movie the other day—The Kingdom, starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner. More violent than my usual but I felt led to watch it. I learned several things from the film, which is set in the land I was born in, Saudi Arabia. The film is about a team of FBI operatives who fly into the capital, Rhiyadh, to try to solve a terrorist plot. In one scene, one of the agents is swearing profusely. Their Saudi Policeman host asks him in no uncertain terms to stop. Our agent seems a bit surprised by this, but out of respect for their culture, he complies.

I have thought much over the years about the power of words. The Bible claims that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (!). And that by our words we will be justified and by our words, condemned. Wow! Something so simple as words have the power to bring us into heaven or send us to hell.

If you're like me, you struggle sometimes to believe all that the Bible says. Those of us with a scientific background are used to having evidence. Well now there is some. By way of background, there has been a debate in scientific circles for decades about the role of environment vs. heredity as to their respective effects on human life and society. My father, a Professor of Public Health at Harvard, used to refer to this as “Nature vs Nurture”. The debate over which has the upper hand in determining what kind of people we become has swung back and forth over the past 40 years or so.

One other background point--Neuroscience has made incredible advances over the past 15 to 20 years, so much so that my wife, a Physician, felt she needed to buy a new textbook to help catch up on some of the new understandings that have emerged since she was in Medical School. Now bear with me as I attempt a brief foray into genetic science. One of the new areas of study is that of gene expression. It turns out that who we are is not only determined by our genetic makeup, i.e. what genes we are born with. It is also influenced by which genes are “expressed”, or turned on by what is called the “epigene”, the part of the genome on top of the DNA which actually codes for our individual characteristics.

Dr Caroline Leaf, a Christian neuroscientist, reports the result of a fascinating experiment that reinforces the incredible influence of our environment and in particular our words. Samples of DNA were extracted from a number of researchers. The DNA was normal. For a period of time, half of the researchers spoke all kinds of negative words in the room . They then examined the DNA again. It had shriveled up and become largely non-functional! (This was true both of the genes in the test tube, that in those speaking and that of those hearing the words).

They then did the experiment again, speaking all manner of positive words. This time all the DNA had returned to normal, “plumping up” and becoming functional once again! If you have struggled with believing that what you say and what you listen to has any effect on your life, here is your proof! The words that are spoken around us have tremendous power. The good news is, all of us have the ability to influence what we think, read and hear each day. Choose to make those inputs positive (the Bible, anyone!) and watch your life change like you could never believe!

THE GLORY OF REST!

This past weekend we (my wife, son (amazingly) and myself) rested. Like many families, weekends are often filled with activities: church, visiting friends, going ice skating and on and on. I'm not against any of these "things-to-do" per se. They all have a place and a time. But here is my experience: setting aside a major block of time to rest, focus on the Lord and just BE, and especially in the context of your family or other community, can do wonders.

This morning, after the weekend was over, I believe the Lord shared with me several crucial insights for areas I have been struggling in, sometimes over a period of years. Yes, I plan to share these with you! But for the moment, I want (and hope that you will also desire) to step back and, in wonder, proclaim the Glory of Rest!

To My Family and Friends...

To my Friends and Family-in-the-Lord:
I want to thank so many of you for the encouragement you've given to and confidence you've shown in me. As Zig Ziglar notes, even those who try to encourage others need to be encouraged themselves.
All of us can reach our God-ordained potential, the "high calling" He has for us, of that I am now sure. All that is required is staying the course, which we can only do with the help of our friends and family. Doing so involves willingness to endure pain. Pain requires us to grow in love, for without love, none can withstand it.
These are amazing times in which we live. Evil is growing in intensity and scope, yes.  But, even more, the Kingdom of Light is igniting. The fires of the Holy Spirit are being kindled, in far-off places as well as close to home. Many hearts are being joined into the Great Family that We will be (and already are) for eternity.
My prayer is that I can be there for you and others as you have been for me.
Let's each bring our fuel to the fire. We have much to give.
There is much more to say. Let me close as I began:
THANK YOU!
Quaife Nichols
Ps I recently read (or better put, experienced) a book that has had more effect on me than any other than the Bible itself: Heaven Awaits the Bride, by Anna Rountree. Some may have a theological issue with someone visiting heaven. If so, perhaps you could read it as an allegory (such as the Narnia Chronicles) that contains much truth.

How to influence nations

The apostles of nations were all interior men, endowed with a sublime spirit of prayer. The salvation of souls being a supernatural end, the instruments ought to bear a proportion to it, and preaching proceed from a grace which is supernatural. To undertake this holy function, without a competent stock of sacred learning, and without the necessary precautions of human prudence and industry, would be to tempt God. But sanctity of life and the union of the heart with God, are a qualification far more essential than science, eloquence, and human talents. Many almost kill themselves with studying to compose elegant sermons, which flatter the ear yet reap very little fruit. Their hearers applaud their parts, but very few are converted. Most preachers, now-a-days, have learning, but are not sufficiently grounded in true sanctity, and a spirit of devotion. Interior humility, purity of heart, recollection, and the spirit and the assiduous practice of holy prayer, are the principal preparation for the ministry of the word, and the true means of acquiring the science of the saints. A short devout meditation and fervent prayer, which kindle a fire in the affections, furnish more thoughts proper to move the hearts of the hearers, and inspire them with sentiments of true virtue, than many years employed barely in reading and study. St. Patrick, and other apostolic men, were dead to themselves and the world, and animated with the spirit of perfect charity and humility, by which they were prepared by God to be such powerful instruments of his grace, as, by the miraculous change of so many hearts, to plant in entire barbarous nations not only the faith, but also the spirit of Christ. Preachers, who have not attained to a disengagement and purity of heart, suffer the petty interests of self-love secretly to mingle themselves in their zeal and charity, and have reason to suspect that they inflict deeper wounds in their own souls than they are aware, and produce not in others the good which they imagine.
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume III: March.
The Lives of the Saints. 1866. March 17 St. Patrick, Bishop and Confessor, Apostle of Ireland

A Prayer for 2012

Lord, I offer up the coming year to You. Use it and me as You would. Set me free from fear, laziness or any other besetting sin that keeps me from fullfilling Your perfect Plan for my life.
Help your vision for my life to be realized, first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, Samaria and the the Ends of the Earth 9metoaphorically speaking).
I commit to follow Your Word, Your Spirit, and godly counsel in the year to come, as You enable me. Make me willing to obey, as you promise to do in Your Word.
Let not desire for comfort or any other earthly desire keep me from fulfilling Your desires. May the anointing of Your Spirit break every yoke in my life and the lives of all I influence.
So be it, Amein, let it be so, Amen!