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Foreword
It is that time again whereby we find time as Methodists to celebrate the life and teachings of the Wesley family, the family of which we are one of its extensions. Each year we introspect in retrospect the life of John Wesley and those who were around him, e.g. his mother, father, brothers, sisters, and colleagues in faith, to draw some inspirations from the foundations of our movement, and at the same time applying the same inspirations and their experiences to our contemporary situations. This tradition helps us to appreciate who we are and at the same time highlight the very aspects that define our identity as people called Methodists. Guided by our theme, ‘Trusting God in all circumstances’, it is our conviction that this year’s Wesley Week booklet will inspire us in understanding our past, our present and our future as a movement which is in motion.
May God bless the people called Methodists.
Revd. Dr. D. Muzenda
(Acting Mission Director)
Acknowledgements
This publication of the Wesley Week was prepared by Rev. O. Chagudhuma (R&P Coordinator)
DAY ONE
TOPIC: Trusting God in all circumstances
READING: Habakkuk 3: 17-18
“The best of all is, God is with us. Fear not, therefore, for He that is with us is greater than all that are against us” – John Wesley [Journal, June 17, 1739]
Though the above quote is popularly known as his departing words of 1791, John Wesley had actually earlier written the words in his journal of 17 June 1739 as he was experiencing a deepening of his spiritual life and a growing sense of depending on God. The statement was also an encouragement to his fellow Methodists that they should not be overwhelmed by fear when faced by catastrophic circumstances. What is important, or best is not the circumstances, but God who is with us.
Today is first day of the Wesley Week. We want to reflect on the theme of the year that we launched in January. Habakkuk prophesied during the 7th century BC, during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. The period was characterized by great turmoil and upheaval in the Ancient Near East (ANE), with the Babylonian Empire rising to power and such rising threatening the existence of Judah. The Northern Kingdom of Israel which comprised of the 10 tribes had already been swallowed by Assyria. Reading through Habakkuk 1: 6ff we learn that the rise of Babylon was God’s plan so as to tow His people, Judah, into line. However, the rise was not good news to Habakkuk. Although he knew that his people had sinned before God, he never wished that the wicked people would by any means triumph over God’s chosen people. Chapters 1 & 2 are a dialogue between God and Habakkuk where Habakkuk questions God’s justice and sovereignty in the face of evil and suffering. Chapter 3 is a prayer whereby Habakkuk now recognizes the nature of God and His relationship with His people, and expresses confidence in His God’s ability to deliver His people from evil.
Knowing how devastating the Babylonians’ involvement in the affairs of Judah will be on the sources of their livelihood, Habakkuk made a declaration that he will still have faith in his God. He points out the catastrophes that might befall God’s people knowing very well how such would shake their faith. However, in the face of all those negatives, Habakkuk made a declaration that, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour”. Why would he rejoice in the face of catastrophes?
Because the one who created the fig trees, the olive trees, and the livestock is alive. As long as He is alive we can face tomorrow with confidence. The present situation is not the conclusion.
Drawing insights from the theme text we find out that Habakkuk is presenting to us remedies on how to deal with life problems:
~ Admit them honestly. Never pretend as if things are well when in actual fact they are not.
~ Talk to God about them. Do not remain silent even though our God knows them before we even talk about them (Psalm 38: 9; Matthew 6: 8).
~ Wait patiently before Him in prayer and meditation on the word. God will reveal Himself to you and you will see the reason for rejoicing in the Lord even in the face of such problems.
~ When God speaks, listen.
~ Don’t run away from the difficulties of life because God wants to use them to strengthen your faith.
~ Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light.
Habakkuk is not rejoicing in the problems, but in the Lord. This means that he is not justifying the catastrophes, but had trust in the one who is above the catastrophes.
Finally, we have to take note of the first-person singular pronoun ‘I’ which Habakkuk is using. This is a type of a pronoun which represents only the speaker. In this case, Habakkuk is not worried about how others would react or respond to the situation. He is taking the matter upon himself. He is making a personal declaration. Matters of trusting God are personal. Trust Him in all circumstances.
DAY TWO
TOPIC: He makes me lie down peacefully
READING: Psalm 23: 1-2
“The peace of God is not a mere negative thing, a mere absence of trouble; but it is a positive thing, a sense of the love and presence of God” – John Wesley.
Today is second day of our commemoration of the Wesley Week. Our discussion today is centered on the peace which God brings as we trust Him. As we have seen from our previous discussion and from the above quote from John Wesley, this peace does not mean the absence of problems, but what God does to us in the midst of those problems.
Psalm 23 is a psalm written by David during his reign as King of Israel. In this psalm, David talks about his relationship with God drawing insights from his experiences as a former shepherd of his father Jesse’s flock. In the psalm David brings out the notions of belonging and ownership. In as much as the Israelites referred to him as their shepherd, David understood himself as a sheep under the Lord’s care. But what makes the Lord distinct from all other shepherds which can be spoken of such that David has to make a declaration and mentions Him by name? Verse 2 has the answer; “He makes me lie down …”
One of the renowned authors, Phillip Kuler, asserts that the strange thing about sheep is that because of their very making it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met:
i. Fear. Owing to their timidity, sheep refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fear. They can spend the whole day running for their dear life. Furthermore, when pregnant ewes are intimidated or chased by predators, they tend to slip their unborn lambs and lose them in abortions. A good shepherd knows this and makes sure that he leads his sheep into an
environment which is free from predators. In the same note, sheep are defenceless. When faced with predators, the sheep themselves cannot fight the predators, but the shepherd does, thereby creating a peaceful environment for the sheep to lie down peacefully. The same applies to God’s people. God’s people as mere sheep cannot fight their own battles and succeed, but God does so on their behalf. That awareness that God fights for us makes us
have peace of mind even when we know that there are forces out there which are against us. It is not our duty to fight them, but the Lord who is our shepherd.
ii. Friction. Because of their social behaviour within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. Continuous conflicts and jealousy within the flock, church or family can be a most detrimental thing. The sheep become edgy, tense, discontented and restless. However, the shepherd knows those that cause friction from within and deals with them accordingly. This means that it is not our duty to deal with those who are jealous; those who always cause tension; those who create unrest; etc. God knows them and deals with them accordingly so that we have peace of mind even when we know them by their names.
iii. Parasites. If tormented by flies or parasites sheep will not lie down. Parasites are blood and fat sucking insects. They survive on draining blood from the sheep. In other words, they do not have any positive contribution to the sheep except to drain that which matters to the sheep. However, sheep on their own cannot deal with the parasites; they have no capacity. It is the duty of the shepherd to spray the parasites and create a parasite-free environment which is peaceful for the sheep to lie down.
iv. Hunger. Sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger. However, they, themselves, do not know where green pastures are; it is the shepherd who knows and leads them there. God is the Provider of all what we want and need as His flock. We do not know what tomorrow holds for us but God knows (Psalm 37: 3; Isaiah 30: 23; John 10: 9; 1 Peter 2: 25). This reminds us of God’s loving care and provision for His people.
As we have seen from the above 4 circumstances, in this Christian journey we can face predators, both physical and spiritual; experience conflict from our peers, i.e. those who do not rest until they have caused trouble upon our lives; be surrounded by parasites, those who always drain our energy by their unappreciative tendencies; or find ourselves in need of basic necessities. We have no capacity to solve all these circumstances on our own. It is the Lord, our Shepherd, who deals with all these threats and creates an environment conducive for our peace of mind; hence we trust Him in all these circumstances.
DAY THREE
TOPIC: A brand plucked from fire
READING: Genesis 45: 1-15; Zechariah 3: 2
“You, indeed, are a brand plucked from the burning” – Susanna Wesley.
On February 9, 1709, when John Wesley was 6 years old, the house which they were staying in (rectory) at Epworth caught fire during the middle of the night. The parents, the servants and the rest of the children easily walked out of the house but the little Jacky (John) returned to his sleep when he was instructed by the maid (Betty) to follow her out. The father, Samuel, attempted to get his son several times, only to be beaten back by the flames that now consumed the staircase. Convinced that he had been defeated, he ran to the garden thinking that it was over, Jacky (John) would not be saved. The family knelt down and “prayed God to receive Jacky’s (John) soul”. It was after that prayer that John was seen by one in the yard on the window. With no time to find a ladder, a couple of quick-thinking neighbours did actually the next best thing. One stood on the other’s shoulders and pulled Jacky (John) through the window just as the roof fell into his room. Jacky (John) was miraculously saved. It was after that fire incident that his mother (Susanna) would refer to John as a ‘brand plucked from the burning’, referring to Zechariah 3: 2, and looking at how the fire of the gospel was burning within himself, John also referred to himself as such. The actual cause of the fire is a mystery. However, there are speculations that the fire might have been the result of arson. Some church members and some neighbours did not like the Rev Samuel Wesley’s sermons, so, are suspected of wanting to kill him and his family in their sleep; but God protected the family and miraculously saved John for a special purpose. God saves lives for a purpose.
From the text under study, the book of Genesis reminds us about how God spares lives for a special purpose. In this case, we are presented with the story of Joseph and his brothers. Reading through Genesis 37 we encounter Joseph being hated by his brothers because of the father’s love and his dreams. The hatred led to the brothers plotting to kill Joseph but later sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him down to Egypt. Joseph suffered a lot under Potiphar in Egypt (Genesis 39-40) until God rescued him through the gift of interpreting dreams, the gift that later made him land a position of being second-in-command of Egypt.
Genesis 45 carries events that took place 20 years from the time Joseph was sold by his brothers. It is interesting to note that in as much as they had forgotten about Joseph, God had not forgotten him.
Secondly, for all those 20 years, none of Joseph’s brothers died. God preserved their lives so that they will be able to testify to that which they had declared that it would never happen to them, i.e. Joseph ruling over them. Sometimes God preserves the lives of those who are against us so that they will see us having prospered in life and on the other side of the river.
Thirdly, 20 years had passed and none of Joseph’s brothers had changed in status and appearance. The Bible says that, “As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them …. (Genesis 42: 7). However, the brothers did not recognize him. This means that it was Joseph’s life that had progressed to another level while his brothers’ had not. He last saw them being people of the bush looking after the flocks in the bush, and even after 20 years they still looked like people of the bush. Nothing had changed. If you want your life to remain stagnant be cruel to someone. God has a tendency of standing with the oppressed. Joseph as a ‘brand plucked from fire’ was now on the other side while his brothers remained without any other qualification except that of looking after the flocks (Genesis 47: 3).
One would want to believe that even Potiphar and his wife who had earlier made Joseph’s life miserable also ended up bowing down before Joseph for grain. God turns the tables upside-down. This is an encouragement to all those who are suffering at the hands of those who are jealous, etc, the present fire will by no means consume you; and once you come out of that fire you will be greater and mightier than whatever people think. God will preserve you for a purpose. Even your enemies will be preserved so that they will testify to that which they are currently going against. Yours is just to trust God in all circumstances.
DAY FOUR
TOPIC: Trusting God in the face of the Devil’s attacks
READING: Acts 28: 3-6
“Our house has been exceedingly disturbed with noises this week … I verily believe, it is the work of the devil … I am persuaded that the Devil is at work in our house … But I am not afraid, for I know that God is stronger than the devil” – John Wesley [Journal, December 11, 1716]
We have heard of haunted houses where strange things happen such as people mysteriously waking up sleeping outside when they had actually slept in their bedrooms during the night; mysterious washing of dishes in the kitchen during the night by unknown people [creatures], etc. This was the case at the Epworth rectory where the Rev Samuel Wesley stayed with his family. For 2 months, beginning on December 2, 1716 up to the end of January 1717, strange things were happening at the rectory during the night and the family concluded that there was a ghost tormenting them. The children could hear sounds of a person’s footsteps walking outside, knockings on the doors and walls, seeing a person-like creature coming out and going into the house floor crack, etc. Being used to the ghost’s acts the children gave it the name, ‘Old Jeffrey’. Upon sharing with people about these mysterious events that were happening at his house (rectory), the Rev Samuel Wesley got different advices in a bid to deal and do away with the so-called ghost, but to no avail. Some of the strategies he employed included inviting a fellow minister (reverend) to pray with the family in the evenings, blowing a trumpet whenever they hear mysterious sounds of the ghost, buying a big vicious dog that would bark thunderously whenever the ghost begins its acts, shouting to the ghost, etc.
However, the more they employed these strategies the more the ghost became even more aggressive. It was when the Rev Samuel Wesley got to the realization that a ghost was a mere creature and that the One who was in him was greater than the ghost that things changed. The old Church of England minister, Rev Samuel Wesley, engaged a higher level of faith and commanded the ghost to leave his house in Jesus’ name, and that was it; there was peace at the rectory (manse). Knowledge is power. You do not need coarse salt in dealing with the devil because one day he will attack when you are far away from your salt; you do not need to sleep with lights lit in dealing with the devil because he can even attack you with your lights on. You need to know that you possess the power of the One who is greater than the devil.
From the text under study, Luke is presenting to us an incident that took place at the island of Malta after the events of the wrecking of the ship in the Adriatic Sea. Paul had survived the drowning in the sea and now comes another force. In the company of the islanders Paul was bitten by a deadly snake. To note in this incident is that the snake did not just strike Paul. It fastened itself on Paul’s hand making sure that its venom is thoroughly injected into Paul’s blood stream.
People who were with Paul knew about how deadly the snake was and had their different interpretations to the act. To their surprise, Paul did not panic. He just shook the deadly snake into the fire and it died. The islanders anticipated to see the swelling of Paul’s hand within some seconds, and perhaps die later but it did not happen that way. The God who had saved Paul from drowning in the Adriatic Sea protected him from succumbing to the venom of the deadly snake. Trusting his God, all these events did not in any way shake Paul’s faith. He just shook the snake into the fire and continued with what he was doing. Trusting God in all circumstances, Christians should learn to shake the devil into the fire and move on. They should not be deterred by what the devil brings unto them. Greater is the One who is in us than the ghosts of this world. With Christ and in Christ we are more than conquerors. We should not lose sleep because of what is happening around us. We have the one “who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3: 7). If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8: 31). Absolutely nobody. In this case, we trust Him in all circumstances.
DAY FIVE
TOPIC: Bypassing all obstacles to the throne of grace
READING: 2 Kings 4: 18-37
“The throne of God is always accessible, and we may go to it at any time with our wants and troubles” – John Wesley
John Wesley talked about ‘prevenient grace’. He described it as God’s grace that works in people before they are aware of it. According to John Wesley, this grace operates at personal level, stirring the human heart toward God. However, in as much as this grace is available to everyone, there might be obstacles, both physical and spiritual, to the accessing of that grace. It is in this regard that the Christian has to be aware of such obstacles and bypass them.
2 Kings 4: 1-37 presents to us cases of grace being administered to members of the public who were regarded as ‘periphery dwellers’ according to the so-called normal order of the day. The first one had a double tragedy, i.e. she was a woman as well as a widow. The second one was a woman who had no son. However, regardless of their circumstances, grace located them and tables were turned around.
From 2 Kings 4: 18-37 given above, the author of the second book of Kings gives us an account of what happened at Shunem. The story is quite long but we want to look at what happened when the son that the woman had borne after a long wait got sick and died. We are told that the child got sick while at the field with his father and what the father could do was to instruct the servant to take the sick child to his mother, and nothing else. We can start to see a deficiency in this kind of a father. Second, the child is said to have sat on his mother’s lap until afternoon and died. The mother of the child took the child upstairs. She did not tell her husband, the father of the child, that the son had died. Why? During those days in the ancient Israelite world, men and women had different roles when death occurs. Women had the role of mourning (Jeremiah 9: 20), and men had the role of burying the dead. Perhaps the woman knew that if she involves the father of the child in this matter he would quickly engage his relatives, the uncles, etc, and organize the burial of the child before sunset; and the woman was not prepared for that. Telling the husband was an obstacle she had to bypass in order for her to reclaim her son’s life back. Sometimes our hopes are prematurely buried because we talk too much about our circumstances.
Verse 22-23 tell us that although the husband had no idea that the child had died, he tried by all means to stop the wife from going to where Elisha was, arguing that it was not the appropriate time for that. However, despite all such pressure from the husband the wife did not disclose to him as to why she wanted to go to the man of God. Obstacle number 2 which the woman managed to handle was that of not entertaining suggestions from even those who were close to her. Sometimes as God’s people we need to learn not to entertain arguments from our kin if they stand as obstacles to our accessing the throne of grace.
Verse 25-26 tell us that even when Gehazi was instructed to meet the woman and ask if all was well, the woman did not disclose her issues to Gehazi. Instead she told him that ‘all was well’, and proceeded to the man of God; at his feet. This did not go well with Gehazi because previously he was the one who used to be the one taking the woman’s issues to Elisha and bringing the responses to the woman (4: 11-16). So, in this case, Gehazi had told himself that nobody should go to Elisha unless through him. However, this time, Gehazi had to be bypassed although it is not going to be well with him; it did go well with the woman. Sometimes as God’s people we should learn not to disclose everything to the Gehazis of this life. We do not need to promote the Gehazis of this life at the expense of our dear lives. Let it not go well with Gehazi but going well with us.
Finally, it was after the woman had managed to bypass all these above mentioned obstacles on her way that she personally reached to the throne of grace and Elisha went with her to her home and did restore her joy. Her son who had died was raised back to life. Do you wish to reclaim that which has been robbed from you? Trust God in all circumstances and bypass obstacles to the throne of grace.
DAY SIX
TOPIC: Setting an example for believers
READING: Exodus 32: 26
“Let all that are in distress, or in doubt, or in fear, come to me, and I will do my best to help them. Let all who are in earnest about their souls, and who desire to grow in grace, and to be perfect, come and join me. Let us help one another to heaven” – John Wesley.
Our focus today has got to do with standing for what is right and setting an example for believers. This is one area which John Wesley took seriously drawing examples from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Our Lord never referred people who were in dilemmas to someone else. Reading through Matthew 11: 28 we hear him saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” By inviting people to himself, John Wesley is not saying that he solves people’s problems, but he is saying that he can be a canon through which people can learn from, or just like Paul, through which people can imitate from as he also imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11: 11).
From the text under study we are presented with an incident which occurred at the base of Mount Sinai while Moses was on top of the mountain receiving the Commandments from God. After about 40 days whilst Moses was up on the mountain, the whole Israelite assembly became impatient and persuaded Aaron to make them a golden calf (god) which would lead them into Canaan (Exodus 32: 1). In short, the whole congregation participated in this abomination act except the one (Moses) who was up the mountain.
Seeing what the whole Israelite community had done in their numbers, Moses did not succumb to peer pressure. He stood for what he believed in. However, he understood that there were some who did not agree with the notion of having a golden calf but perhaps their voices were not heard during the process. With such people on his side, the journey to the Promised Land had to be completed; forward ever, backward never! But, we cannot proceed with people whom we are not sure of on matters of where they stand, hence the need to find out. “Those who are for the Lord should come to me. Be like me. I am your example”. Of all the people only the Levites did rally to Moses.
The underlying issue here is that the one who called the other people to join him on the right side had not participated in the evil act of the nation. He was not part of the abomination. He was upright and a good example of what it means to be on the side of the Lord. In the same understanding only those who are blameless can be able to be examples for believers. Only they can instruct us to imitate them as they also imitate Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ once said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5: 16). In other words, gone are the days when people used to encourage us to listen to what they say and ignore what they do. We want to accept both the messenger and message. So, be exemplary to us.
DAY SEVEN
TOPIC: Giving all you can
READING: Acts 10: 1-8
“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they exist only as a dead sect, having the form of religion without power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out” – John Wesley.
The above quote is one of the famous quotes by John Wesley, but wrongly quoted or quoted out of context by many Methodists today. You often hear it being thrown whenever people find it fit at revivals when they try to persuade people or the church to be more spiritual. This is not actually bad, but this is not how John Wesley used the statement. In actual fact, John Wesley used this statement addressing the issue of ‘giving’. On his sermon on ‘The use of Money’ which he preached in 1744, John Wesley taught about 3 principles. He taught to, ‘earn all you can, save all you can and give all you can’.
However, a few years before his death, on August 4, 1786, John Wesley reflected on how the Methodist movement had grown with a membership of around 50 000 in England alone, and noticeable growth in other countries as well. In his reflections he was concerned about how people had become rich as well as the growing wealth of the Methodist movement vis-à-vis their response to Christian Social responsibility. John Wesley was not against the notion of being rich; that is not it. However, he looked at what was happening during those days, which is almost identical to what is happening today, i.e. the strive for the growing of wealth as a threat to true Christianity. John Wesley noticed how people had mastered the first 2 principles, that of earning all they can and saving all they can, and ignored the third one of giving all they can as a recipe for disaster. His worries were no longer on church membership as the church had grown and was continuing to grow but the misdirected priorities of the people called Methodists. That was when he said that he was afraid that the church [movement] would exist as a dead sect. A sect which is not a reflection of God’s nature of giving (John 3: 16). Responding to this unfortunate scenario he preached a sermon titled, “Causes of inefficacy of Christianity”. In the sermon John Wesley urged Methodists to embrace the third principle, i.e. of giving all they can saying, “When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes industrious, trustworthy and prosperous. Now, if that man when he gets all he can and saves all he can, does not give all he can, I have more hope for Judas Iscariot than for that man”. This is a powerful statement.
From the text under study, we are presented with an incident that took place at Caesarea, a place approximately 104 km northwest of Jerusalem. Caesarea was a Roman capital of Judea. Luke tells us in this text that in Caesarea lived a Roman centurion called Cornelius, whose heart was tired of pagan myths and empty religious rituals, and had converted to Judaism hoping that he would find salvation.
We want to look at this man this way. First to note is the fact that he was a Roman. This means that he had some privileges which the Jews of his time who lived under the Roman rule did not have. Second, he was a centurion [a military officer who commanded a unit of 100 soldiers]. This means that he led quite a dignified life, economically, and could earn and save all he could. As a Roman (a Gentile) he was not permitted to offer sacrifices in the Jewish Temple, so he shifted his sacrifices to charity. He was so generous to the poor, especially the Jewish people who were deprived of economic opportunities by the oppressive systems of the day. He was a cheerful giver to the poor. Little did he know that word of God had already said that, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs 19: 17). Surely he had not heard Jesus Christ saying, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me’” (Matthew 25: 40). Cornelius’ generosity did pay. The angel of the Lord told him that his prayers combined with gifts to the poor had come as a memorial offering before God (v 4). We can talk of Cornelius as one who mastered all the three principles, i.e. earning all he could, saving all he could and giving all he could.
As children of God who are privileged in one way or the other, we are being challenged by the word of God to make a self-introspection on how we treat those who are around us and less privileged. How are we sharing what we have with our parents who are now advanced in age, and some who are deep in the rural areas? How are we viewing our siblings who are looking up to us to help them make ends meet? Are we able to share what we have with them as children of the same blood? How are we viewing our church mates whom we worship with every Sunday? Are we not striving towards rising whilst stepping on other people’s heads? It is actually true that most of us lead a prayerful life but lack on the area of giving, therefore our prayers have a deficiency. We are being encouraged here to learn from Cornelius and master all the three principles laid down by John Wesley.
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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