A Christian Response to the Fall of Others

This has been a very bad couple of weeks for the church. First was the news that a famous evangelist leading a “revival” was living in immorality and excessively drinking. Next came the news that the writer of the song “Healer”, who has been claiming for the last two years to be suffering from a terminal form of cancer, is a fraud. He completely made up his sickness, lying to his family, his friends, his church, and countless pulpits around the world. When he would make his “doctor visits”, he simply would sit in the doctor’s waiting room. Several months ago, he even blasphemously claimed he was partially “healed” when he stood behind John Wesley’s pulpit on a trip to England.

So how should we in the church respond to these things? First, let’s consider what we should not do. We should not throw stones and kick people when they are down. There is no need to heap scorn and hatred on the fallen. We should refrain from name calling and accusations that are unproven.

But on the other hand, we also should not excuse horrible sin. In too many cases, this has been our knee-jerk reaction. We make excuses for the sins of these high-profile people, and in so doing we add to the reproach they have already brought to the church. “Oh, there is so much pressure in revival. Satan really attacked him,” we say. Or, “Wow, he must have been really brave to come clean about this situation. Let’s just pray for him and his family.” Statements like these turn those who have committed the grave sins into victims, when they are not the victims but the perpetrators!

So often we hear people say “We should not judge others. We are all sinners saved by grace.” It’s true that if it wasn’t for God’s grace, we all could commit any sort of horrible sin. But what these statements neglect is that these men willingly turned away from God’s grace. The Bible is clear that no one can make us sin but ourselves, and when they rejected God’s grace they fell.

We are all imperfect and all commit sin, but there is a difference between occasional sins (that we all commit) and open, continual deceit. Consider the songwriter; how did he use his tremendous giftings and influence that God gave him? How many times did he blaspheme God’s name and healing power by pretending to be terminally sick? How many lies did he tell in the name of God? The reproach he has brought on the body of Christ is enormous. The victims of his sin are first the worldwide Church (for the damage his sins brought upon us, furthering the world’s perception that the church is full of hypocrites), next his family (for the untold heartache his stories put them through), and finally and most importantly, the Lord Himself (for the way this man so terribly abused His name). He is not the victim in any way. Sweeping his sin away with, “We’re all sinners” and, “How brave he is to tell the truth,” is not the New Testament model for dealing with open sin.

While it’s true that we should not walk around constantly judging our brothers and sister, when there is open sin we are to deal with it. I have no business judging those of what I perceive their sin to be, but as Christians (and all the more ministers) we must call deal with sin when it is out in the open in the Church! We are not to judge the world, but the Apostle Paul instructs that we are to deal with sin when it is inside the church (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). Excusing sin clouds our witness and makes us a joke in the eyes of the world. We cannot ignore these things, we must confront and deal with them! And that means admitting that those who have fallen have deceived us and done terrible things that cannot be tolerated by God’s people, called to be a “holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).”

So what should our response be? An acknowledgement that these men have sinned and disappointed many; a prayer that those under our care will not be negatively affected by their fall; and a fresh consecration to God, asking Him to search us and know us and take out any wicked way that be in us. We should also pray for the men that have fallen, not just that they will “have strength through this difficult time”, but that they will come to true repentance and will experience God’s tremendous grace. Not a weak sort of grace that is effective only to forgive our sins, but grace that is powerful and transforms us so that we don’t have to live in sin anymore.

As leaders, I’m very concerned if people see us ignoring and excusing sin. It will be a tacit acknowledgement that holiness is not that big a deal, that if they are just a nice guy or girl whatever they do will quickly be forgotten. We must call sin for what it is and raise up a righteous standard in our churches. Yes, we should let people know that there is forgiveness and restoration for those who truly seek it, but it’s not an instant “Get out of jail free” card. There are grave consequence for grave sin and we must never forget that.

I truly do pray that these men come to true repentance and restoration in their personal lives, and perhaps one day even restoration of their ministry. I pray that they will be protected from further enemy attacks, and that they do find those in the Church who will bring them through true Biblical restoration. So let’s respond by reminding people of God’s righteous standard and our constant need for God’s grace.

Happy New Year from the Walcotts

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from snowy, frigid Michigan, where we are currently on a three-month furlough and are having a wonderful time visiting loved ones. We hope that you are having a blessed 2008 and wanted to send you this New Year greeting (along with the attached card).

2007 was an exciting year for us in many ways. We are still ministering in Generations, the youth ministry of Cornerstone Community Church in Singapore. Generations currently has over 400 members and continues to see young people saved on a regular basis. We lead one of the ministry’s six zones, where we saw steady growth throughout the year. We were able to lead many young people to salvation in different evangelistic services and saw God move awesomely in many lives, as young people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and touched by the power of God. We look forward in anticipation for what God will do in the new year.

In addition to serving in the youth ministry, Cameron continues to work full time for Cornerstone. He spent much of his time in the last year working on publications, writing weekly Bible studies for Generations and two devotions a week for the Generations website. He also worked in the church’s Training and Equipping Department, writing manuals for the church’s use and teaching in the classes. Cameron was busy with the School of Leadership from April to August, helping on staff at the Bible school that Cornerstone is running. He was also invited to minister in different places and countries during the year and we thank God for the open doors.

Delia continues to work as a teacher at East View Secondary School. She enjoys working with the students and has an excellent relationship with them. Several of her students have come to church, and ex-students retain a close relationship with her. Together, Delia and Cameron also taught a class at Cornerstone on courtship, looking in depth into Biblical views on romance and encouraging the church’s singles to seek God’s best for their lives.

The highlight of our year has definitely been watching the growth of Caleb, who turned one year old in December. Caleb is a real joy and seems to mature every day! He is rapidly learning to talk and his favorite words are "Bible", "Amen" (which he hurriedly repeats after praying for his food so that the eating can commence sooner!), and "Bob" (after the red tomato in Veggie Tales). He easily stands up and has taken unsupported steps on a couple of occasions, but usually still doesn’t have the confidence to walk without holding onto something. He loves being with both sets of his grandparents and his aunts and uncles as well.

We are going to be continuing in the States until the middle of February when we will return to Singapore. We have had and will have the privilege of visiting and ministering in several churches while we are here and we treasure the times we are getting to spend with many of you.

We look forward to the year 2008. In praying about the new year, we received the verse Psalm 27:8, "When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’" God is speaking that this is a time to seek Him, to draw nearer to Him than ever before in our prayer, in our worship, in our study of His Word. God is looking for a righteous people that will love Him passionately, and it is our prayer that we will all be part of that company! May we all answer God’s call and seek His face with all of our hearts.

We thank you for all of your prayers and think of you often, even as we are often on opposite sides of the world. We keep you all in our prayers and pray that you will know the blessings and the presence of God throughout this year. We hope to hear back from you and will write you all again soon!

God Bless,

Cameron, Delia, and Caleb

Experiencing God's Goodness Through Trials

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8).”

As a basketball player, the best way you get to know your teammates is when you are going through a difficult game. When the opponent is easy and everything is going great, all of your teammates seem reliable; you only really get to know their strengths and weaknesses when time is running out and you desperately need someone to make a play. It is the same in many situations in life; we find out who someone actually is not in good times but in the bad ones!

In the above verse we see that God wants us to taste and see that He is good. In other words, God doesn’t only want you to know He is good in your head, He wants you to experience it in your every day life. God’s goodness is His inherent nature of kindness, compassion, and virtue; He wants us to know Him as a good God. And one of the greatest ways we get to know God’s goodness is when He leads us through trials.

This truth may not make a lot of sense at the beginning. Many times we associate God’s goodness with His blessings, and that is true; however, sometimes He blesses us by leading us through difficulties in this life. As we go through trying situations on earth, we come to know God in a way we never could in easy times. The confusion around us makes the goodness of God shine all the brighter. The truth is that Jesus never promised His followers a life of earthly ease and prosperity, but rather He promised eternal glory and heavenly riches! And our trying times on earth give us treasure in heaven that is far greater than anything on earth; God works every situation for our eternal good (Romans 8:28).

Consider Joseph. He was a righteous man who served God, yet his brothers hated him and sold him into slavery in Egypt. After this he was unjustly thrown into prison, and was forgotten by everyone who he had helped. Yet after many years of horrible treatment, in the end Joseph became the governor of all Egypt (behind Pharaoh) and through his wisdom saved the nation and the surrounding people by storing grain for the years of famine. Eventually he was reconciled with his brothers, and his testimony to them was this, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20).” God had a good purpose through all his suffering.

We can also think about the Apostle Paul. In the middle of a successful missionary journey, he and his coworker Silas were thrown into the inner dungeon of a Philippian prison. How did Paul respond? By praising God in the middle of his dungeon! He proclaimed the goodness of God when everything around him was going wrong. In the end, God sent an earthquake to release the prisoners, and the jailer himself got saved, along with all his family! Proclaim the goodness of God in every situation, for He is good all the time, regardless of what you are going through.

Let’s focus our eyes and our minds on Jesus, the One who is infinitely valuable, the Greatest Treasure. When we see Him we are overwhelmed and captured by His goodness. He is worth so much more than our present struggles. Jesus is waiting for you, so praise Him in every circumstance. He is good.

The God Who Hears

“And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear (Isaiah 65:24).”

When you’re hurting, God comforts.
When you’re missing, God seeks.
When you’re empty, God fills.
When you’re weak, God strengthens.
And when you’re praying, God hears.

Lately I have been going through a very stressful situation. My wife and I are attempting to buy a flat but have met one obstacle after another in completing the purchase. Making the matter worse is that we have to move out of the place we are currently renting. So I’ve been frantically trying to arrange a new place for us to stay, and everything is very last-minute because of the unexpected delays. Of course, we have been praying for God’s direction every step of the way, but sometimes have been unsure what He is directing us towards. As I was thinking about these things this week and pondering what God is doing, I felt this reassurance that God is the “God Who Hears.”

He is the God who hears us when we are in bondage. The children of Israel had been in Egyptian slavery for four hundred years when God appeared to Moses and told him He had heard the Israelites’ cry. He knew of their captivity and now was going to send Moses to deliver them. Are you struggling with a bondage? Are you oppressed by the chains of sin, depression, or illness? Cry out to God today and realize He is a God who hears your cry. You may not see your deliverance instantly, but if you cry out in true faith and repentance your miracle is on the way. God hears your cry for deliverance.

He is the God who hears us when we are in pain. The Scriptures tell us He is the “God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3).” When you are in pain, whether physical or emotional, God is interested in comforting you and drawing you to His side. Never think that He is unaware of your pain, but realize that as your child He knows all about it and is going to send you comfort. Cry out to God for comfort, and He will hear and walk alongside you.

Finally, He is the God who hears us when we are unsure. We are told to cast all of our care upon Christ, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). What a tremendous promise! The verse doesn’t say to only cast your big cares upon God, but all of your cares upon Him. That includes things like, “Where should I live?”, “What kind of grades am I going to get?”, “Why do I feel lonely?” Every single one of your concerns matters to God, and we can cast all of them upon Him! He hears your cares. So let’s learn not to worry about these natural things, but simply ask God for help. He comforts, He seeks, He fills, He strengthens, He hears. Praise Him for His never-ending help!

Lessons from Caleb-Calling God's Name

“And it shall come to pass, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32).”

I have learned many lessons lately from my nine month old son, Caleb. Within the last couple of weeks, he has started calling “Dada” or “Mama” when he wants attention from either me or my wife, Delia. The feeling is amazing when he looks up at me and says with his cute little voice, “Dada.” It instantly makes me want to stop whatever I am doing and pick him up, play with him, and let him know that he is loved!

I believe that our Father in heaven feels much the same way when we call His name. He is waiting for us to turn away from all earthly distractions, look to Him and call on Him for deliverance. He will save and deliver all who cry to Him. This saving goes far beyond our initial salvation experience. He’s not only after a one-time experience where we call Him Savior, but desires us to have a lifestyle where we consistently seek Him. He can deliver us from every sin, bondage, and destructive habit; He can bring salvation and revival to our schools, families, and neighborhoods; He can cause us to live a truly victorious life-but are we faithfully seeking Him for these things?

Of course, when I write about calling on the name of the Lord I mean something more than just saying “Father”, “God”, or “Jesus” with our lips. That is important, but it is easy to just say the words. Rather, God is looking for people who will come to Him in true brokenness and desperation, just as my son comes to me. Caleb often uses all of his energy and focus just to crawl to where I am sitting and grab hold of the bottom of my leg so I can reach down and pick him up. If we can just lay aside all of our busy activities and scratch the surface of true desire to come to Christ and call His name, God will come running to meet us and our needs as well. God doesn’t look for the very popular, highly educated, or naturally successful, but for those who will truly focus and abandon themselves to Him.

There is another thing I have noticed when Caleb calls out to me or crawls to my side. Sometimes he calls because he has a need (hunger, pain, sleepiness, etc.), and sometimes he calls just because he wants to be close to me. Shouldn’t our relationship with our Father in heaven be the same? Yes, we should definitely come to Him with our specific needs, things like healing, salvation for family members, and help on our exams. But there should also be many more times when we come to Him, not with an agenda, but simply because we want to spend time in His arms.

Finally, when Caleb has called me and I pick him up, he always clings to me. Especially if there is a loud noise or a scary situation, his little fingers grip my neck or shirt very tightly! He is determined to not be separated from his father. God is looking for that same desperation in us, that we do not let God go but cleave to Him in prayer. Let’s all apply these lessons from Caleb’s very natural life into our spiritual one! We have a Heavenly Father who is infinitely wise, good, and merciful; He is simply waiting for us to truly call out to Him! He will supply all we ever need.

All from Christ

Last year my sister bought me a gift certificate from the iTunes music store. I was able to purchase music against the balance of this certificate. This was a really great present; I could buy without having to pay! Everything I purchased came not on the basis of my money but on the gift that she gave.

Righteousness is one of the greatest gifts we can ever receive in life. It basically involves our ethical conduct; a righteous person does what is right. But how does one become righteous? Is it through our own effort or inherent goodness? Can we decide, “I’m going to be righteous” and do it on our own? The answer is no.

The basis of all true righteousness is the finished work of Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus lived on earth as a man for 33 years. He was 100% God but also 100% man, yet He never gave into His human nature and sinned. He was perfectly righteous throughout His time on earth. How does His perfect life apply to our righteousness? The answer comes through understanding the two types of righteousness, imputed and imparted.

Imputed righteousness means righteousness that is “counted” to us, not earned by us. The moment we have faith in Christ and believe Him to save us, God counts us as righteous (Romans 4:21-25). Our faith connects us to Christ, and though we still have a fallen, sinful nature, God no longer looks upon us in judgment. Instead, He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. That is the way we are saved and the reason we are given entrance into heaven. It is the Greatest Trade of All Time; Jesus takes our sin and gives us His righteousness, He took our death and gives us His reward. Imputed righteousness comes only through faith.

Imparted righteousness is where God no longer only counts Christ’s righteousness to us; instead, He actually begins to fill us with the very righteousness of Christ (Matthew 5:6). Imparted righteousness is the process where our very character is changed and transformed. Just as it is with imputed, imparted righteousness only comes through faith. As our faith increases, God fills us with more and more of His character.

So we must understand that true righteousness never comes through ourselves or our own will. It always comes from God. Even imparted righteousness only comes after we have a clear understanding of imputed. God accepts us not based on our good works but on Christ’s perfect life. Our actions could never be enough, but Jesus has done it all. If we try to be righteous through our own effort, we will live a life of frustration, but if we learn to rely on what Christ has done and then allow Him to do His works through us we can have a life of victory.

Righteousness always follows true faith in Christ. Our actions do change when we are saved and as we draw closer to God, but it never starts with our actions. Rather, our actions are just the proof of the faith God has placed on the inside of us. It all starts with Christ; every good thing we have in life is all from Him.

All from Christ

Last year my sister bought me a gift certificate from the iTunes music store. I was able to purchase music against the balance of this certificate. This was a really great present; I could buy without having to pay! Everything I purchased came not on the basis of my money but on the gift that she gave.

Righteousness is one of the greatest gifts we can ever receive in life. It basically involves our ethical conduct; a righteous person does what is right. But how does one become righteous? Is it through our own effort or inherent goodness? Can we decide, “I’m going to be righteous” and do it on our own? The answer is no.

The basis of all true righteousness is the finished work of Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus lived on earth as a man for 33 years. He was 100% God but also 100% man, yet He never gave into His human nature and sinned. He was perfectly righteous throughout His time on earth. How does His perfect life apply to our righteousness? The answer comes through understanding the two types of righteousness, imputed and imparted.

Imputed righteousness means righteousness that is “counted” to us, not earned by us. The moment we have faith in Christ and believe Him to save us, God counts us as righteous (Romans 4:21-25). Our faith connects us to Christ, and though we still have a fallen, sinful nature, God no longer looks upon us in judgment. Instead, He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. That is the way we are saved and the reason we are given entrance into heaven. It is the Greatest Trade of All Time; Jesus takes our sin and gives us His righteousness, He took our death and gives us His reward. Imputed righteousness comes only through faith.

Imparted righteousness is where God no longer only counts Christ’s righteousness to us; instead, He actually begins to fill us with the very righteousness of Christ (Matthew 5:6). Imparted righteousness is the process where our very character is changed and transformed. Just as it is with imputed, imparted righteousness only comes through faith. As our faith increases, God fills us with more and more of His character.

So we must understand that true righteousness never comes through ourselves or our own will. It always comes from God. Even imparted righteousness only comes after we have a clear understanding of imputed. God accepts us not based on our good works but on Christ’s perfect life. Our actions could never be enough, but Jesus has done it all. If we try to be righteous through our own effort, we will live a life of frustration, but if we learn to rely on what Christ has done and then allow Him to do His works through us we can have a life of victory.

Righteousness always follows true faith in Christ. Our actions do change when we are saved and as we draw closer to God, but it never starts with our actions. Rather, our actions are just the proof of the faith God has placed on the inside of us. It all starts with Christ; every good thing we have in life is all from Him.