It was a most uncomfortable “marriage”. A broken Relationship seeped in dishonesty, distrust, and despair. The more that Pastor Jones drew close to the Lord and ministry, the more disturbed his wife became. She began sleeping outside the house. Much to the embarrassment of the Pastor. And to the bewilderment of their 6-year-old daughter, named Favor. The biblical admonition for a Pastor to have “his house in order” was turned upside down. The more grace, patience and forgiveness Jones extended to his wife, the more she despised him. What began as mere discord descended into aggressive disparagement of the marriage and utter neglect of their daughter.
Then the “bad situation” took a turn for the worse. One day Pastor Jones’ wife unexpectedly returned to the house….and was cooking him a meal! She had not been around for weeks. And she had not cooked for him or Favor for months. The normal tension between them seemed to have evaporated. His wife was at least civil, if not entirely cooperative. Jones sensed something was amiss, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Soon after eating, he became sick. Very sick. He began vomiting uncontrollably outside their shack. His wife utterly ignored him. He pleaded for help from her. She never left her chair. In desperation, he staggered to the neighbors. That’s the last thing he remembers.
He woke up the following afternoon. He didn’t remember what happened. He had collapsed in the muddy path between the slum shacks. Neighbors rushed to his side. He was vomiting violently without ceasing. Then he began having seizures. They put him in a cart and rushed him first to a clinic, then to the community hospital. There was nothing the hospital staff could do for him. Without proper diagnostic equipment or medicines, he faced the reality of “free health care” for the slum dwellers. It is an image. A counterfeit. Not a reality. Real health care was just across the main road…in the private hospital. One hundred meters away…and yet entirely out of reach for slum dwellers. Pastor Jones was dying an indescribably violent and painful death. He had been fed rat poison. The hospital staff left him convulsing on the floor…to die. Neighbors quickly called his church members. Then the saints came marching in.
Pastor Jones did not die. Without emergency care, without medical intervention of any type, without scientific rationale…. he survived and left the hospital the next day. The man marked for death…was carried home by his Bishop, church friends and neighbors. Not in despair, but rather praising God! The last words of Jesus had been fulfilled in their midst…
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
It may seem extraordinary to us. But it was not to them. These are people who pray as a first resort. Not as a last. God had done what He said He would do. Either we take Him at His Word…or we don’t. There is no room for wavering…no middle ground. Lukewarm faith is a spiritual poison. It makes God Himself “sick” to His stomach.
“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
Pastor Jones’ wife was nowhere to be found. Ever again. It was just him and his daughter Favor. A most unwieldy situation. In such cases, local culture clearly dictates the child be sent away upcountry. To be raised by grandparents or other close relatives. Surely a daughter would never be raised by a single father. It is simply unheard of for all kinds of cultural reasons…but not for Biblical reasons. And Pastor Jones knew that…because he knows the Word of God.
One of the foundations of the DSM Bible School program is to emphasize Practical Application of the Word of God to everyday life…right there in the slums. If we cannot do that, we have no business teaching slum pastors or even being in the community. Marriage, Parenting and Family Life are key areas of Application: Virginity until marriage; Marriage to one, and only one, till death do us part; Formal Marriage in the Church, not cohabitation; Work, not laziness; Shepherding our own children, not passing the responsibility off to schools or the government; Children in righteous submission to their parents, not rebellious; Lifelong care and responsibility for the Elderly and Infirmed, not abandoning them to fend for themselves. Such Fundamentals are Biblical. And oftentimes counter-cultural. When culture violates the Word of God, culture is to be jettisoned. Respectfully… but firmly. We cannot serve two masters.
Pastor Jones had been taught the Fundamentals well. And he Applied the Word of God without hesitation…
“Everyone assumed I would send my daughter to relatives. I insisted I would not. She is my daughter. And I will raise her myself. Regardless of what people think or say. I know what happens to children sent away. And I will never let that happen to my daughter. Never.”
Fortunately, Pastors Jones had the full support and encouragement of his Bishop. Another man of God with equal convictions about godly parenting. Between the two of them, this little girl has protection, nurturing and love rarely found even in two-parent “Christian” households. God has done a mighty work in these men…deep down in their Hearts . Bravely facing the headwinds of cultural pressures, they stand united in their commitment to raise this precious child as well as they can. Even in the midst of a squalid slum. Only the Spirit of God could generate such tenderness, concern, and commitment to a child. The prophet Malachi prophesied about such a season before the arrival of the Coming Messiah…
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and the Hearts of the Children to their Fathers…”
John the Baptist heralded that mandate, as he prepared the people for Jesus. A sincere and holy Preparation seeped in Repentance. Including Repentance within the family. Parents towards their children. Children towards their parents. If we can’t get those Earthly Relationships right, we’ll never get our Eternal Relationship with God right.
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.’ ”
Three Relationships of the greatest importance…inextricably and eternally linked. That’s the Word of God brought down to Practical Application.
The destruction of families is a well-known objective of the Enemy. We don’t need to elaborate. The evidence abounds. Not just in the slums of East Africa…but throughout the world. So what is missing? More Church? No. More Religion? No. More Justice? No. More Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? No. Something profoundly more simple and Fundamental: Practical Application of the Word of God. Horizontally…one to another. And Vertically…mankind to God. One part without the other leaves the whole entirely undone.
Pastor Jones and Bishop Timothy have embraced the Practicality of being Christ-like. In the public square, when it is costly, inconvenient, and culturally opposed. They have stepped in when many others would have stepped aside. Seizing the opportunity to be sacrificial, serious, and Christ-like in real time, with real people with real problems.
Reflecting the Practical Relationship between God our Father…and His children. Seeped in undeserved Grace…all to our Favor.
