A Letter From Africa

For everyone who is wondering how Shawna is doing in Africa I am posting this email from her. I have cleaned it up some. Please pray for her to see and savor Jesus Christ while she is in Africa.

------- I've kinda written a rambling email. A lot of things happen in two weeks. I'll try to write it out before I come to the internet cafe next time. I've made some really good friends. I like it here. Chichewa is the language it's not too hard so that's good. I don't know that much, but that's fine.
-----There are 7 other girls than me. We hit it off quickly. Tessa, Sara, and Monica and I are one group. Monica and I (she's the oldest 27) always stay up the latest and get up first. We've laughed a ton. But we're kinda split. I'm with one group and theirs is another group. There seems to be problems with the split for some people. I think it’s fine, but oh well.
-----It's fun here though. It's really pretty. The people here are the nicest people I've ever met and there are so many beautiful people here too. Africa's not at all what I imagined. The landscape is kind of plain with few trees. But the sky is huge! I don't know why it's so big. The big dipper is upside down from us. And the moon is different too--instead of being half on the side, it's on the bottom so it looks like it's smiling at us. I told everyone what Greg said and they laughed. There aren't that many animals here in Malawi. There are a ton of ants. You can get them all of you in a second. But they don't bite or anything so it's not bad-just annoying.
-----I'm staying in a house on the top bunk. We have running water. I haven't gotten sick at all since we've been here. I've learned how to knit and crochet and we cook from scratch a lot. One of the girls Tessa and I made banana bread for breakfast. A lot of things remind me of Memaw and how she does it. O yeah, we have done a lot of dishes. The short term teams come and it appears that we are the maids. But it's fine. We drink warm tea in the mornings and night. We have guards and I make it for them at night. I take a bath at least every other day.
-----Children of the Nations since we didn't really know before hand has houses with house parents and aunties where around 20-30 kids live. These kids were the worst of the worst. Now they are healthy looking. They were the ones who were abused the most and had worms coming out of their nails. But I'm not sad around them cause they are always so happy and nice. I love being around them.
-----We just got a schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays we'll be teaching. The books look so old. I'm teaching math, English, and general studies which tomorrow will be about animals, what they're for and how to take care of them. My first day is tomorrow. And each classroom is a small building with even smaller windows. I chose a class because of the brightness of it. They don't have electricity in them. The younger kids don't have chairs. The middle grades have chairs. The oldest have some desks. I don't really know what to do tomorrow. I'm by myself. But I'm sure it will be fine.
-----These kids are the most well behaved kids I've ever seen. They are always dirty. In the outer villages the kids have flies swarming them like on the commercials. We got out there and helped the widows. I've fed pigs and ducks, got water from the well, which the Malawian interpretations said I did a very good job cause the other people's water came very slow. ha. When we do that kind of thing the kids and adults will stand around us and laugh at us. That part is kind of uncomfortable. But the kids just love us. Not to sound boastful, but they want to touch you and play with you.
-----They sweep their dirt floors a lot with brooms made from twigs. To be so dirty and dusty, everything's kept clean. I've washed clothes by hand and shuck the corn kernels off of the cob to make ufa for nsema which is like really thick grits or corn meal with water. That's their staple food. It's all right.
-----The second night we were here we went to church where they had dinner. You wash your hands with just water, then roll nsema into a ball and pick up beans or this relish stuff up and eat it. So I thought, “Oh, good getting sick right off the bat,” but we didn't. And I don't drink the water, but I brush my teeth with it and wash fruits and vegetables with it so it's not bad. I've used the “squatty potty” once. It's a hole in a concrete floor that you squat over. I try to not drink too much if I'm going to the villages.
-----If you have extra time with the kids they expect you to tell them a story or teach them a song. So me and another girl told Jonah. That skit from church helped me out. ha. People can't say my name here very well, and I laugh and talk in my sleep, but I knew that. One day we went to an outer village and I helped water the garden which they said I was a professional. haha. I guess I did it just a little less awkwardly than the other girls.
-----But we tried sugar cane. You just bite off the outer layer and then take a chunk and chew on it for the juice then spit it out. Everyone here almost always has a piece in their hand. It was really good. It was like watermelon but sweeter.
-----One day we went on a scavenger hunt at the market which is like an open market with different things and you barter with them but they charge white people a lot more money. It's really, really crowded. I liked it, but then I didn't. But we got food to take home to make like a Malawian over fire.
-----While we were there a boy on my team took a picture of a woman with her baby which she said was fine. Then the husband said no we need to receive money for it, so a huge crowd gathered around, and a Malawian intern with us talked to him, and we ended up going to the police b/c the man wanted money. Nothing happened. They just said no. He deleted the picture; they were just trying to get money. So that was kinda funny.
-----Then we were riding in this bus like vehicle with too many people so three of us were sitting up front in two seats. They have police stops a lot on the roads to check licenses and insurance, and I got in trouble for sitting up there and they were going to give us a fine so I moved in the next seat behind which was already too full so I sat on someone's lap and the policeman just looked at me and said no. So I squeezed in. That was funny too, and the Malawian men who were with us were in the back kinda hiding! ha. They're really nice.
-----The kids gave us welcoming programs where they introduced themselves and sang and danced. I love dancing with the kids. It's so great. They said Bible verses too. I think they know more than most of us. The head guy over COTN here is-Chris. I don't really like him. He seems very prideful. I like the rest of his family though.
-----There's this guy here, Quamie, from Sierra Leone, he just left actually, but they speak Kreol and it's so funny. Thank you is tankee, and so he taught us a song in Kreol that said, “Tell'em tankee, tell'em. Tell Papa God tankee. What He do for me I go tell'm tankee,”and stuff like that that sounded exactly like English except for funny. And then someone said will you translate that for us? So me and Monica and Tessa were laughing so hard and then no one else thought it was funny but that's probably the funniest thing ever. I should have waited to tell you that, but I just couldn't.
-----I've met a lot of Malawians because we're on the campus of African Bible College a lot, like for lunch and dinner. Oh yeah we kinda eat the same stuff here as in America. And most people gain weight when they come here because we eat a lot of high calorie starchy foods. So forget that idea about coming back thin. ha.
-----It's cold here at night and in the morning or anywhere there's not sunshine. I didn't bring enough warm clothes. I keep wearing one that's so dirty. But we have a washing machine we can use periodically so it's fine. I'm really glad for my sleeping bag though.
-----Thank you for your prayers! I love you all. Forward this to any other people who may want to know what's going on.

Go to my othen blog for further letters from Shawna, and updates from seminary.

James 4:4-10

James 4:1-12

-----What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. [4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? [6] But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

-----[11] Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. [12] There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Adultery

-----Once James has argued that his audience’s sin was a direct result of idolatrously seeking satisfaction apart from God, he begins to scold them. It is worth noting that James never calls into question their confession of faith or their “decision to follow Christ,” but rebukes them under the assumption that they are united to Christ. He calls them adulterers for being unfaithful to that union.

-----James describes their unfaithfulness as “friendship with the world.” Those who are prone to doubt will use such a statement to inflame their doubts. “I choose the things of the world way too often; I must not really be saved.” Their problem wasn’t that they found themselves frustrated with how much they still loved the world and gave into its temptations. Their problem was that they wanted to make peace with the world. They only relied on God’s grace because they thought it allowed them to love the world with impunity. This was the reason that they found themselves enemies of God. What could possibly stir the fury of God more then one who uses His name to hide one’s disdain for Him, and who, in the process of their hypocrisy, causes much distress and much stumbling for those who take His name in genuine affection?

Push-over God or Harsh Taskmaster.

-----James understood from his audience’s hypocritical religion that they considered God to be a push-over. James, therefore, turns to the scripture to reiterate that He is a jealous God. Still assuming the genuineness of his audience’s profession he argues that the God who made His Spirit to dwell within them would not allow that Spirit to be mocked. This is precisely because He is faithful to Himself, even when we are faithless to Him. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).”

-----The reason that they considered Him to be a push-over was because of His grace (Jude 1:4), but James quickly guards against another error. James didn’t want them to then serve God was a harsh taskmaster because of His jealousy. Trying to please such a God would inevitably lead to a reliance on strenuous law keeping and a denial of faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).”

-----Understanding that faith seeks to receive from God, James encourages them to consider the abundance of God’s grace in verse 6. They were not sacrificing great reward by turning from their worldly pursuits, but they were gaining it. Yes, it was necessary that they sacrifice, not to prove that they could in some noble way put aside happiness, but only in faith that He would give great grace.

What is this grace?

-----James’ audience was led into sundry sins because they envied (2:6) the rich and desired earthly gain. James wanted them to consider such gain as worthless in comparison to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). And so he uses the word “grace” to signify the riches of being a friend of God. A careful look at verses 6 through 10 will make it clear that this is James intent.

-----First, the God opposes the proud. He is their adversary. This is placed in contrast with God giving grace to the humble, which would then have to refer to the opposite reality. Therefore when He gives grace to the humble He becomes their friend, and the power that upholds the universe is for them and no longer against them.

-----Second, the reader is told that if they draw near to God then God will draw near to them. Seeking close communion with God is one of the ways that James tells his readers to act in light of the abounding grace of God. They are also told to do this in light of the fact that He will draw close in love. And so God's abounding grace must be or be related to His affection.

-----Finally, they are told that if they humble themselves before the Lord they will be exalted. This exaltation is parallel with the grace given to the humble in verse 6. Consider this command in place of that proverb, “But He gives more grace. Therefore humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” So the grace that God gives seems to be this exaltation. This isn't a worldly exaltation or it would defeat James' entire argument. This is the exaltation that ultimately exalts God's excellence. He said the poor should boast in in this exaltation in chapter 1 (see commentary on verses 9-11). From verse 5 of chapter 2 we can see that it at least includes God's favor granted (not because of what we have done, of course), being able to trust God, and being part of His kingdom.

-----All these together demonstrate that James appeals to the richness of knowing God to turn his readers from idolatry. Whereas he first used threats he now uses treasure to entice his readers. His audience was to serve God because there is none more desirable to have working for your good. Or to say it another way, his audience was to serve God because His intimate affection is promised. Or to say it another way, his audience was to serve God because He is gracious to grant faith and entrance into His kingdom.

Review

-----You adulterous people [who are unfaithful to your union with Christ]! Do you not know that [affection for] the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world [as you do under the pretense of fidelity] makes himself an enemy of God [for He, as a jealous husband, demands that you be satisfied in Him]. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose [as when the weak and effeminate speak] that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the [Holy] spirit that He has made to dwell in us [, His covenant people]"? But He gives more grace [in that He is not only Jealous, but to know Him is fantastically satisfying]. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace [as He befriends] the humble." [He isn't going to humble you just to make you miserable.] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. [Oh! What precious reward.] . Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [For all these are part of being humble before the Lord.] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you [to riches in Him that will make sin unappealing].

James 4:1-3

James 4:1-4

-----What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. [4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The Testimony of Fellowship

-----James has just finished telling his readers that worldly wisdom results in disorder and that godly wisdom produces peace. Now, lest his readers think that they are an exception to this principle, James addresses the reason there is disorder in their fellowship. The discord among them stemmed ultimately from spiritual adultery (v.4). Although James' audience tried to appear righteous, the condition of their fellowship testified against them. As Jesus said, “By this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How is quarrellings a manifestation of spiritual adultery?

-----Because Christ creates and sustains all things, He is the only ultimate source all things must turn to for satisfaction. Christ is the only thing that people can pursue whole-heartedly and find riches abundant enough to satisfy themselves while still having abundant enough riches remaining that they may freely give to satisfy all those they are called to love. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37,38).'”

-----Those who seek satisfaction in other things do so to the detriment of those around them. This is why the second greatest commandment is like unto the first. “'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-39).'” When James saw quarreling among his audience He knew that their religiosity was a false boast.

You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.

-----Those who have their affections set on Christ remember to be satisfied in all God has given. On the other hand, coveting never ends in satisfaction. To covet is to set our affections on those things that God has not given to us. Coveting is an act of rebellion which rejects satisfaction in Christ by seeking satisfaction in what He has not given. One can never obtain what they are coveting because as soon as one receives what they have coveted they continue their rebellion by desiring something else.

-----This constant striving leads to disordered relationships such as those among James' audience. Love and peace are not too high a sacrifice for those who are determined to be satisfied in things that can never satisfy them. While not really engaged in wars and murder, they spoke the poisonous words which characterize the unregenerate (Romans 3:13).

----John Calvin wrote eloquently about this passage, “God, indeed, whom they owned not as the author of blessings, justly disappointed them. For when they contended in ways so unlawful, they sought to be enriched through the favor of Satan rather than through the favor of God. One by fraud, another by violence, one by calumnies, and all by some evil or wicked arts, strove for happiness. They then sought to be happy, but not through God. It was therefore no wonder that they were frustrated in their efforts, since no success can be expected except through the blessings of God alone.”

Welcome to the Overflow

James 3:13-18

James 3:13-18

-----Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. [14] But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. [15] This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. [17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. [18] And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Meekness and Wisdom.

-----In the first part of the chapter James corrected his readers’ harsh condemnation of others by demonstrating that those who are condemning and unmerciful will receive and deserve the greater condemnation. He now tells those who are spiritually discerning (wise) enough to judge others that they must demonstrate such competency through humility and good works. James’s makes this exhortation because his readers neither had good works nor meekness. Despite a lifestyle that ignored personal holiness, particularly in their use of the tongue, they arrogantly considered themselves to be religious (James 1:26, 27).

Jealousy and Selfish Ambition.

-----Verse 14 reveals that the reason for the wicked behavior of James’s audience is that they were jealous and selfishly ambitious. James’s readers are jealous of the “worldly rich,” as I have called them (see commentary on James 1:9-11). That is why in two places (1:10 and 5:1-6) James uses the impending judgment upon the worldly rich to motivate his readers to persevere. Their jealousy toward the rich led them to pervert judgment against the poor (2:5, 6). It also led to quarreling, which James addresses in chapter 4.

-----The ambition that James speaks of is his audience’s desire for earthly gain. James calls this ambition “selfish.” This implies that there is unselfish ambition. The difference between the two types of ambition is important. Selfish seeks its own good from another source than Christ. Not only is this ambition idolatry, it also is destructive to everyone involved. Unselfish ambition, however, seeks its own good from Jesus. Jesus continually encouraged his listeners to be ambitious: seek treasures, be shrewd, be violent for the kingdom, and so on. When one is ambitious for Christ it is not selfish, although it is self-serving. When one seeks to live this life in anticipation of enjoying Christ they benefit those around them in many ways, most importantly by pointing them toward Christ.

Destructive Wisdom

-----James then lands a heavy blow against their religious pride. He informs these people who thought they were religious that their wisdom was at best from earth and at worst from hell. James understood (even if his audience did not) that they were not really concerned about righteousness. After all, if they had been, they would have been more concerned with correcting their own sin than in correcting others. James saw that they were not motivated by love, but by desire for worldly status.

----- Imagine the indignation of such people. They had deceived themselves into thinking that they were doing God’s work. They see wickedness in the lives of others and they correct it. They must have considered it ridiculous that James would say they were acting in a way that corresponds with devilish wisdom, when they were working to stop wicked behavior. James, however, says that their judging of others was leading to quarreling and other wicked behavior. They were actually creating more wickedness through their actions.

-----No one should doubt the extent that unworthy desires can affect the intellect. They had so deceived themselves in their desire for earthly prominence that they came to view their standing before God in a way that completely contradicted the evidence. While they were violating justice and leading those in the congregation to more sin they believed themselves to be righteous and executors of righteousness.

Wisdom From Above

-----James then turns to address the qualities of one who is capable of true spiritual discernment, all of which James audience was lacking.

-----First Pure. Those who are wise from above consider personal holiness to be their first priority. There is nothing that grieves them more than their own sin. James’s audience ignored their own purity (James 1:22-24).

-----Then Peaceable. Those who are wise from above take after their redeemer, The Prince of Peace. Next to righteousness, they consider peace to be of supreme value. (Hebrew 12:14) James’s audience was quick to stir up strife (James 1:19-20).

-----Gentle. Those who are wise from above fear the Lord. Realizing how Christ has been gentle with them even though they are by nature repugnant to him, they strive to handle others gently, lest they should stir up the Father’s anger against them. (Matthew 18:28) James’s audience reproved others harshly (James 2:13).

-----Open to Reason. Those who are wise from above take reproof quickly. Because they know their hearts they are quick to question their intent. (James 1:19) James’s audience ignored the reproofs of scripture (James 1:26).

-----Full of Mercy. Those who are wise from above, because of god’s infinite mercy to them, overflow with the desire to forgive offenses. (Matthew 18:21-35) James’s audience was unmerciful.

-----Full of Good Fruits. Those who are wise from above give evidence of the indwelling spirit through their manner of life. (Galatians 5:22) James’s audience’s twisted understanding of justification by faith allowed them to be confident in their salvation despite their fruitlessness (James 2:14-26).

-----Impartial. Those who are wise from above rejoice in truth and justice. Perversion of justice is an aversion to their character (Deuteronomy 16:19).

-----Sincere. Those who are wise from above do not feign religion. James’s audience loved the world under the pretense of loving Christ (James 4:4)

-----James reiterates that only through these things can a body of believers grow in righteousness.