Dear family and friends:

Sometimes, new believers and seekers can be surprisingly honest.

There are all kinds of reasons people get interested in Christianity, and not all of them directly have to do with a desire to see God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven.

Anticipating a peek inside the “Difficult Theological Questions” community, you might expect nothing but challenging questions on the meaning of life, how we can really know what we know, this or that moral dilemma… and we do get a lot of those. But you might also be surprised at how often the questions are on a very basic level: “Does God answer every prayer?” “Can a Christian who has no job be in a courtship or get married?”

Prayer requests are often for problems at the office, for physical/financial/spiritual prosperity, for a good job, or success on a test.

A growing number of contacts even seem to have the impression that we’re offering some kind of a dating service: “I’m Lolo, from Egypt, 24y, Christian, I want a quiet wife, Married life that you love quiet, I am a man who likes stability, I want a stable life with a girl To last a lifetime.”

Others clearly are in a difficult situation because of past disobedience to God’s clear commands: “I have been dating, she is not a believer. I have expressed my desire for her to know Christ if we are to have a future together [but] she asks why I cannot accept her as she is if I love her.” “Recently I visited a lesbian party… I saw my classmate, hope it won’t turn into a gossip…”

The Spirit’s desires are contrary to the flesh and the flesh’s desires are contrary to the Spirit’s, aren’t they? Seekers and new believers just don’t yet know enough to be embarrassed into silence about their problems like some older Christians often are.

It’s easy to criticize blatant requests for material blessings or delivery from consequences in spite of admitted sinful choices, but it’s our job to help them see beneath their (our!) struggles to hold our comfort zone together to the real struggle: finding out what the one who bought us with his own blood wants for us.

The first chapter of John’s Gospel includes the story of the initial call of Andrew and (probably) John, the author, who were disciples of John the Baptist. After their teacher has identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, the two men begin following Jesus around. Jesus asks them a leading question: “What are you looking for?”

When we think about the cross we’re called to bear as followers of Jesus, we can get very abstract, thinking of our own limitations or external challenges. But according to history, at least one of those two men died within a few decades on a very literal cross of his own. Is that what he was looking for?

Because we as remote online counselors are soliciting questions, comments and prayer requests, we benefit from a kind of distance that local counselors don’t have - the so-called “anonymous intimacy” of the Internet. People tell us things they don’t dare to tell their spiritual leaders, their peers or spouses. It’s not always easy, initially, to tell which are the “Andrews” who might simply have a nearsighted view of discipleship, and which are the “Rich Young Rulers,” who want the pleasures of this life more than eternal life. But we try to bring God’s truth into each life in a careful way. As a favorite Bible teacher once said about being salt and light: “Shine, don’t blind. Shake, don’t pour.”

Andrew’s words to his brother Peter revealed what he had been looking for: “We have found the Messiah.” (John 1:41) He found the truth. Between acknowledging the truth and dying for it came a long journey of discipleship. We hope and pray that everyone who receives this letter is somewhere on that journey.
Love, in Christ

Love,

P.S. Please see our latest photos!

Mike and Cindy Skinner
“One day closer!” (Romans 13:11)