The Insanity of God, by Nik Ripken : A Review

What it’s about

This is the story of Nik Ripken (a pseudonym) and his family. It chronicles the story of his own walk with God and how it led him to become a missionary in Somalia. After experiencing all the horrors that could be imagined going to a place like that, he and his family were forced to leave. Left with many questions about God, including whether God can and does work in such darkness, he came home and decided to search for answers. He began to travel all over the world, interviewing Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. Significant portions of the book are dedicated to his experiences in these countries, especially Russia and China.

Why this book is important

The Insanity of God is a grown-up view of persecution. In a health-and-wealth gospel world, sometimes I have difficulty finding a balance between an arrogant lack of faith in the miraculous and a naïve belief that God will heal all diseases and fix all situations miraculously according to the quality of one’s own faith. The first is letting yourself be dragged in to the naturalistic assumptions that plague the western world. The other is something my pastor aptly called “adolescent Christianity,” which is unwillingness to let God be sovereign over evil and pain. It is a failure to trust His wisdom for the way He chooses to act in this world.

The Insanity of God wages war on both errors. Concerning naturalism, there are clear accounts of the miraculous things that God is doing all over this world. There are reports of acts of healing, answers to prayer, and even testimonies of people being raised from the dead. If God is indeed all-powerful, He is not bound by the laws of the world He created. He can and does act in miraculous ways just as He did in the book of Acts. This book does not put a skeptical slant on these stories but allows a belief in a God who works wonders.

On the other hand, there are clear accounts of persecution and suffering. While miracles happen, they do not always happen. Sometimes God has a reason for putting His people through very difficult circumstances, and this book tells many stories of that as well. Never is the Chinese believer’s imprisonment linked to a lack of faith because he is going through suffering. Rather, the suffering is seen biblically; namely, as something that matures the believer in character and brings hope.

I really appreciate this approach. In the middle of these two extremes is a Biblical land where we can live, though we must live there without all of our questions answered. Although clearly very intelligent, the author writes with a humility and honesty to which I can easily relate to. God doesn’t always answer all of our questions, and Ripken is honest with this fact. In this honesty he finds believers from all over the world who speak truth into his doubts and encourage him.  While this book does not give exhaustive answers to why suffering exists (which are answers that only God knows), it does offer testimonies to reassure our faith.

Criticisms

When I read reviews, most of the negative critiques came from people who did not have biblical worldviews. For example, one said that the miracles discussed made the story seem fictional. This is nothing more than naturalism and is foreign to biblical Christianity. Another was unhappy that Ripken, while noble in his efforts to bring relief to suffering nations, missed the boat in proclaiming Jesus the only hope for these situations. Again, this is a criticism from one who is starting off with a different authority than Ripken and myself, making it an easy criticisms to dismiss.

I will give one criticism, however, and then offer a disclaimer for it. Much time was spent offering great stories from different cultures, bringing to light interesting differences in their experiences with persecution. I would have liked to have heard the author analyze the differences in the ways the varying cultures were experiencing persecution. In other words, questions like: “Why does suffering in this culture have this affect, while in other cultures it does something different?” “What are the differences and similarities between a top-down persecution (in which the government persecutes people) and a bottom-up persecution (in which families persecute their own family members when they convert)?”

These questions are particularly pertinent for me. While I was very encouraged hearing the stories from China and Russia, those are not things that I personally experience. I serve in France where there is freedom to practice religion, even if that does mean something different than it does in America. The government is not going to throw me or people in my church in jail. Bottom-up persecution does exist here, however, especially in the large Muslim population. I find myself asking the difficult questions that he was asking from time to time, and I would have liked to have heard more of his perspective.

A lot of time was spent on Russia and China, but he never came back to how those situations related to Somalia. Or rather, he never came back to that from an analytical standpoint. He did revisit it in terms of faith, which I appreciated and do not want to discount. He believes God can work anywhere, and I agree with him. I do, however, still think there is value in discussing these questions of how we observe God working in different cultures. I would have liked to have seen more of that.

Now for my disclaimer about my criticism. My criticism is largely one of omission, but such an omission is understandable. The book is fairly long as it is, and it no doubt could’ve been longer. The book seemed to be focusing on strengthening the faith of those hearing these stories more than it was about analyzing trends in the way God is working in the world. Perhaps what I wanted was beyond the scope of the book. The author no doubt would have much wisdom on this subject, however, and perhaps there will be a future project with this in mind. I would personally love to have a coffee with him and discuss these issues. He has worked hard to gain the perspective that he has, and I hope he will continue to share his wisdom with us.

What this book did for me personally

One issue that I was challenged with is the way I am to pray for the persecuted church (which I do not do enough). Typically, I have been encouraged to pray that these persecutions would stop and that liberty would come to these countries. I was surprised to discover that the believers in these stories (especially those in China) were not praying for their persecution to stop. Rather, they were praying for their faith to be strengthened so that they could endure the suffering. This takes a deeper trust in God’s sovereignty and a strength of faith to believe even when being thrown in prison and tortured. I greatly admired this and wondered if I could be that strong myself in such a situation.

In a similar vein, I was impacted by the difference in vitality of the church between the pre and post-Communist Russia. Those who grew up in that persecution had memorized books of the Bible to be ready for the persecution. Bibles were not readily available, and they surely would not have one if they went to prison. Their solution was to memorize it. This changed with the newer generation of believers who grew up in liberty. They could hardly name the books of the Bible.

This is a sad reality that I have also experienced in my own life. It seems that if things are not going badly then I do not pray that often. It is a particular challenge for believers who grow up with liberties of worship (which we should be thankful for) not to take them for granted. We need to use our freedom to become stronger disciples of Christ. We have Bibles everywhere, hymnbooks in our pews, and iPhones that allow us unlimited numbers of downloadable sermons. Why should it take threats of jail to get us to memorize God’s Word and hide it in our hearts?

Conclusion

This is a book that should be read by believers. It will both strengthen and challenge your faith. It does not water down the questions, but neither does it leave us in doubt of the power and goodness of God. It challenges the western church without bashing the western church. It provides some great stories and lessons for us from believers all around the world. Take advantage of this great book that would have been very difficult to write in ages past.  This one is a must read.

dev195 - Evil Judges

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

Matthew 7:11

It is clear God knows how to give us gifts. The person who seeks to be grateful can easily see all of the love surrounding him. I find it interesting, however, that in this passage Jesus feels the need to present an argument concerning the ability of the only all-powerful and all-knowing Being to be capable of good gift-giving. It should be obvious to us, but he wants to be clear.

Yet, in this passage, there is one thing that Jesus does assume. The fact that Jesus believes everyone is in agreement on comes in the form of a little jab that he throws in to his listeners- namely, the fact that they are evil. God knows how to give all this great stuff to you, and, by the way, you are evil.

The opposite argument, however, might be needed today. People probably would assume that God gives gifts; in fact, sadly, many feel as if they are entitled to them. As C.S. Lewis said, “We have put God in the dock for judgment, and it is we who judge.” If God hasn’t given us enough of what we assume is our due, we get to announce our sentences upon him. The assumption has shifted. Before, men thought God was just and the one who is able to judge. Now, somehow, people have deemed themselves the ones with sufficient knowledge and goodness to judge, and God the one who is be submitted before our verdicts.

Before we hammer down our gavels to silence the Lord of Creation in our courtroom, let us be reminded of Jesus’s little jab. You are evil. Even if you had perfect knowledge of all God is and does; even if you could comprehend all the mysteries of reality; the fact that you are evil would still keep you from being able to pronounce any justice before Him. Possession of the knowledge necessary to judge is not sufficient; you would still bend your judgments to suit yourself.

The world loves the idea that man is basically good. If man is good, then I too can be good. If I am good, then I don’t need to be accountable to anyone. I get to avoid the dock and be the judge and jury. In my courtroom I can tell the voices that don’t please me to be silent. I can be in complete control, as I have become the authority. Yet the minute I become evil, I no longer have this power. I am the one being judged. Someone is claiming a command over me that assumes I am wrong. The declaration is that I am broken and need to be fixed. And, if that is an accurate description of me, then I give up my rights to be an authority. I am no longer a solution; I am a problem.

Jesus assumes that we are a problem and he is the solution. In the face of this sad humanism that the world is trying to hold on to, the fact remains that a plague of sin has infiltrated everything it is to be human. It is in the news. It is in the streets. It is in our hearts. Of all the historical Christian doctrines, none is more obviously seen to be true in every culture throughout time and space than the depravity of man, as it is perceived both outside of and inside of our souls. It is so clear that Jesus felt no need to expound on this simple descriptive of people: evil. Jesus cannot be listed amongst those who promote humanism. Richard Neibuhr said, “Only romantic fictionizing can interpret the Jesus of the New Testament as one who believed in the goodness of man.”

It is popular for people to run away from religious faith to a stance on having “faith in oneself.” If this is the route you want to go, you must realize that you are placing your faith in someone who is evil, and your foundation is no more firm than one who places his confidence in a corrupt government. You are not worthy of your trust, and I suspect that in most areas of your life you assume that to be true. Christ is the One who is worthy of confidence, and He thinks that you are valuable, loveable, redeemable and important. And evil also, by the way.

dev194 - Justice in lines at Versailles

But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Acts 16:28-30

The lines at the Chateau de Versailles are long, especially on a French holiday in a season known for tourism. Yet, being the only day possible for a visit, some friends decided to brave the hazards of extreme boredom and claustrophobia and suffer the long queue that would lead them into renown palace. 

Just as they reached the front of the line and the portal into the castle, a French couple jumped in front of them, unjustly skipping ahead of my friends who had been waiting patiently. They took a spot they did not earn at the expense of their group. Similar situations have happened with me. My first instinct is to react with anger, demanding my own rights. It would have been completely within the bounds of justice to order them to the back of the line.

Fortunately, my friend was not thinking as I would have. His mind was filled with thoughts of the gospel, which had taught him that he did not need to demand his own rights. God had already given him better than he deserved. In view of God’s mercy, he smiled at the couple and invited them to join his group in the line. They proceeded to have a pleasant conversation which ended in glory being assigned to Jesus’ name and a gift of a Gospel of John to their new friends. This incident could have justly ended in a humiliated French couple being shamefully sent to the back of a long line. Instead, grace given brought forth a new friend and a positive witness being testified concerning Jesus.

In Acts we see the same thing happening with Paul and Silas. They were unjustly thrown into prison. God, the Lord of the earth, caused the earth to tremble. The earthquake opened the doors of their cell, seemingly offering them a red carpet to escape. Yet Paul and Silas knew that God was after something bigger than personal justice being done for his two missionaries. God was bringing about His kingdom in the world. Knowing this, Paul and Silas stayed in the prison cell and prevented the suicide of their jailer. Upon seeing the Christians not demanding their due, the jailer was moved. He became the first complete pagan to become a Christian in Acts (the previous Gentiles were all God-fearers).

It is natural to want justice. Justice is always right. Grace, however, offers a higher power than justice does. It is by grace that salvation comes to sinners, as justice would demand our demise. Therefore, having received grace, let us remind ourselves to be a people who offers grace. Seek opportunities to avoid recognition of being wronged, but rather proactively seek to forgive. It is God’s kindness, says Romans, that leads us to repentance. Let that kindness work through us.

dev194 - BCS Championships and the Victory of Christ

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 22:12-13

A few weeks ago, the day of the BCS National Championship game, I sat down to watch the re-run of the game between Alabama and LSU. It was a hard fought game in which the good guys (the Crimson Tide) pulled out a last minute victory on a heroic drive to win the game. I knew the results of the game, so I sat calmly, waiting to watch the already known pleasant outcome.

Yet that day was not completely stress free. Although that game I was watching was already decided, I still had the anticipation of the title game with Notre Dame looming over me. Although I was confident in my team, the gravity of the game and the enduring uncertainty gave me pause. I worried that the ball wouldn’t bounce our way and that an unthinkable loss could occur. I had anxiety.

I was nervous about the game that was yet to be decided, while I stayed completely unruffled about the already finished game I was watching. While it only took me about five minutes of the championship to know my team would prevail, there was some stress as long as the outcome was in doubt. Watching a game is different when the outcome is known.

Christians are watching a different game than non-Christians. For the unbeliever, a degree of stress and anxiety, although inept at changing anything, is appropriate. There is no certain outcome. Only a dark cloud awaits them in the future, and eyes are not strong enough to penetrate into it to see what it contains. What might be divined about the future can only be deduced from the gloom that we constantly see in our world. This outcome can’t be known, but it must be concluded that it doesn’t look good.

On the other hand, the believer is completely at ease. The outcome of the gravest of games has been decided in our favor. Our Champion has won the victors crown and now sits on the throne. He has declared his people righteous and promised to conquer death. It is over. Done. Finished. Complete. A total annihilation of the foe has been accomplished.

After a few minutes in the title game the outcome had been decided. My team was going to win, and it was my joy to sit back and watch them do it. How much greater, if we are living under a God who has given us good promises and proven Himself able and willing to accomplish them, should we watch him work in this world with jubilant expectation? Let us all participate in the coming victory and continually celebrate in a manner worthy of a heavenly Champion.

dev 193 - The Law of the New Year

^“because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin”

Romans 3:20

It’s New Years’ time again. Once again we must face the dichotomy of reflecting on the past year while at the same time anticipating what the next one will bring. I love the Christmas season, but I must admit that New Years is not a holiday that I have ever particularly cared for.

I have never liked the reflecting I had to do over the year that I had just finished. I am always confronted by all the things I vowed would be different when the year started, only to find myself having failed to be what I had decided I ought to be. I make New Years’ resolutions, and I break them. It is never difficult for me to see the times where my life had been less than faithful, seeming always to let external circumstances dictate my emotions and my hopes.  Time after time in 2012 I failed to be disciplined in my walk with God, lacked compassion for those who need it, and neglected to love the Lord who created and redeemed me. I am not who I should be, and another year passing only gives me another occasion to be humbled before this disappointing truth.

Yet, when we look at the approaching year, we are still drawn to our resolutions. We want to change. We hope our lives will be better; that we will have a better character, and that we will be respected by those around us. We make laws for ourselves that we think will get us there, only to find that a year later we have broken them. This year, rather than despair over the law I have broken and for not becoming what I should have become, I will choose to allow the real purpose of law have its affect on me. I will not become righteous by observing the law, either Moses’ law or the law that I create. I am by nature a lawbreaker. Rather, through the law I will become conscious of sin; and, consequently, my need for a Savior.

It is the gospel that changes us, and New Year’s is a holiday where we particularly need to reflect on this truth. Looking back on our past years’ disappointments, we need the gospel to show us that God doesn’t love us based on how well we performed. Our righteousness comes from Jesus and not from keeping New Year’s resolutions, which is a good thing because you probably won’t keep them. In the same way, our hopes from the upcoming year should not be focused on making ourselves better people in our own strength but on how God might be loved stronger and truer. The affections that come from a relationship with our Creator are what need to be cultivated. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all the other stuff will work out just fine for you.

You have been a sinner this past year, but do not let this keep you from rejoicing. For, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. You have been adopted into the family of God and bought with a price paid by the Lord Himself. Nothing could take you from His hand, not in 2012 nor in the year to come.