Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Haiti: What’s Our Response?

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I try and steer away from tying in a blog post to a current event. My thinking is this gives the posts a more timeless element so that they can be applicable regardless of when you read them. The recent earthquake in Haiti (and subsequent aftershocks) has given me reason to break my unwritten rule. Looking at the pictures of devastation is heartbreaking. There is a great outpouring of support from the world at large which is heartening. At least we have not totally lost our soul; not yet anyway. As followers of Christ we must ask, “What is our response to the tragedy in Haiti?”

The most basic tenet of Christianity is to care for the poor and needy. Haiti is a poor country. They were before the earthquake; they are even more so now. As Christians it is our duty to serve them. We should have been serving them all along, but perhaps this tragedy will awaken our slumbering hearts. In mere moments, tens of thousands found themselves homeless, hungry and without basic sanitation. Tens of thousands more are no longer among the living. In the blink of an eye their lives ended and we lost the opportunity to serve them and to share the love of Jesus with them. It’s too late. We waited too long. We waited because missionary work was always someone else’s job. We waited because we were too afraid to give of our time or our money or ourselves. We waited because we were simply indifferent to the plight of a poor nation thousands of miles from our front door. While we waited, Jesus wept. He gave all He had for us. He died for us. He set the perfect example for our response to those in need. We ignored it.

Now, we are awake. Our eyes are open to the plight of these dear people. Each one of them is created in the image of God. Each one of them is loved unconditionally by the same Savior we call Lord. Do we love them? Are we willing to give everything we have to serve them? Will we open our checkbooks, our cupboards or our life to them? They are our brothers and sisters. Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, in his terrific “The Hole in Our Gospel”, writes “Authentic faith, rooted in the heart of God, is expressed in deeds done to ease the pain of others; it is imbued with personal sacrifice, and it comes with a cost.”

This is our opportunity; this is our time of great decision. We can rise up and stand with people of Haiti, or we can turn our back on Jesus and all we profess to believe. In a couple of weeks, Haiti will be off the front page, but the need will remain for years to come. So I ask again, what is our response to Haiti? Will we be unchanged by the tragic events or will we use it to open our eyes to the poor and suffering all over the world? Haiti needed us before the earthquake, and few of us did anything. Are we awake now? Do we now see the need that has been there all along and is far greater now? What will our response be to Haiti and the rest of the world in need? Whatever we do for them, we do for Jesus; if we turn away, we turn away from Jesus. How will you respond?

No Rest for the Righteous

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If you are like me, one of the biggest challenges of the Christian faith is simply keeping up your energy level. Despite practicing a faith of love, peace, hope, and acceptance, Christians are some of the most vilified and persecuted people on earth. This is sometimes difficult to remember in America. Even with the erosion of Christian values and the removal of public displays of faith in recent years, you are still free to practice your faith as you see fit. The worst we face here are prejudice and insult. Most will never have to choose between their faith and their teeth. Most will never face the reality of torture simply because they profess to love Jesus. For those in America and other countries of religious freedom, be thankful daily for that freedom and pray for our brothers and sisters who do face persecution, torture and even death.

Still, the Christian life in America is exhausting. While our trials would be laughable to those living under oppressive governments, they do not seem so trivial to those of us who endure them. Every day we are surrounded by non-believers. We are called to be different, to live different and to stand out. We are called to demonstrate the love of Christ to all people, even to those who, truth be told, drive us crazy. If we are to have a significant impact on the lives of those who do not know Christ, we cannot afford a letdown; we cannot afford a slip. Our days are spent guarding our lips, counting our words and diligently determining how to respond to every situation. It’s as if people cannot wait for us to slip up so they can point out that we are no better or different than they are.

While it is true that we are no better, it is definitely not true that we are no different. We have the Spirit of God living within us. We have pledged our allegiance to the Creator of the Universe. For we who are wholly committed to this servanthood, we desperately long to love everyone we meet and to tell them the reason for our joy. We long to be caring friends to all those around us; we long to be careful and attentive listeners. We long to reflect the love and character of Jesus. To live up to the label of “Follower of Jesus” is the ultimate goal.

Yet, I get tired. Following in the footsteps of Jesus is a long and arduous journey, one fraught with peril. I never want to quit, but I often want to rest. This is not an option. Time is both finite and fleeting. If I rest, to whom might I miss the opportunity to minister? If I rest, who will fill my place? Each of us has a distinctive and equally important role to play in this world. We all have work to do that was created specifically for our talents and gifts. We are, each one of us, a vital cog in the plan of God. Rest is not an option. When you are exhausted and in need of rest, retreat to a time of prayer and study of God’s Word. Drink deeply and return to the front lines. I need you there; we all need you there. I want to be there with you. Oh, that Christians would take their call seriously, push through their exhaustion, and live a life of total commitment to their King.

They will laugh at you, but its okay; they laughed at Jesus. They will mock you, but it’s okay; they mocked Jesus as well. They may hurt you, but this too is okay; they put Jesus to death. Remember whom you serve. Remember what He endured for you. We must not rest, we must not tire. We have got to share the love of Jesus with the entire world. This must be our lone desire.

The Sheep and the Goats, part 4

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This is our final day spent on examining this passage of scripture (Matthew 25:31-46). Some of you are probably giving a huge sigh of relief! As in part 3 (see also part 1 and part 2 if you missed them), I want to conclude today by looking at the last three commands from the parable, and do so by looking at them from a spiritual perspective.

Clothe those in need. Often we help lead someone to Christ and never check back with them. We figure we’ve done our part; we’ve gotten the gold star and done the happy dance, so it’s time to move on and look for the next “target”. This is wrong behavior and we should instead be nurturing the growth of the one who has just come to Christ. Their unrestrained passion is infectious, and I guarantee you will learn something from them. Otherwise it’s like leaving them naked in the wilderness and telling them “good luck” as we drive away. They are unprepared to face the spiritual challenges ahead. Our job is not to see how many people we can lead to Christ; rather it is to tell everyone about Him and feed and clothe those who do know Him. These are your brothers and your sisters. Do not leave them unprepared. Instead, instruct them in the ways of Christ. Prepare them for the battles they will face so they will be able to stand firm, clothed in grace, humility and the power of Jesus.

Care for the sick. We all are infected with the disease of sin. Some who have accepted Christ have fallen away and are in terrible condition. We must gently, and without judgment, care for their needs. We must help them through their trials and point them back to Jesus. Satan will poison our minds with doubt and lust and greed. He will pollute our thoughts with inaccurate teaching. Jesus is the antidote; we are His hands, responsible for administering it. Never judge an ailing brother or sister, but rather encourage them with wisdom and nurse them back to full spiritual health.

Visit those in prison. Finally, there are those who have closed their minds to anything spiritual. They believe man has the answers for everything or perhaps that there are no answers to be had. Their hearts are locked behind iron gates and stone walls. Yet we must never refrain from demonstrating love and kindness to these individuals. The Bible tells of angels opening locked doors (Acts 12:6-10), and they are still in the business of doing just that. By engaging those who want nothing to do with Christianity, we are able to bless them by simply being a friend. Perhaps someday angels will unlock the door to their heart and we can then share the good news of Jesus. Our call is to the sick, not the healthy. Never grow discouraged when speaking to those in great spiritual bondage. We have the Creator of all things on our side. Be gentle, loving and persistent. Pray that God would unlock the door to the heart of that person.

I hope you have found something useful in this series of posts. It is vital that we grasp the things we are to be doing, for Jesus made it quite plain that these are the very things that will determine whether we join Him in Heaven or spend an eternity apart from Him in Hell. I cannot stress enough that our salvation does not end with Ephesians 2:8 and 9. Once we have accepted the Gift of God, we must work out our salvation by doing the very things He created for us to do, as explained in Ephesians 2:10. That’s the whole package; stopping at grace is simply removing the bow. We have to dig in and put in some effort to unveil what’s inside the gift. This year, let’s move beyond the simple profession of faith. Let’s get in there, get our hands dirty and wage spiritual warfare. The sidelines are for spectators, we need to be in the game. Gear up, get engaged, and throw yourself into all that God has made for you to do.

The Sheep and the Goats, part 3

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After spending the past two posts (see part 1 and part 2) examining the parable of the “Sheep and the Goats” (Matthew 25:31-46) from a very tangible, physical works perspective, I want to spend the next two posts looking at the same verses from a personal, spiritual perspective. The spiritual teaching in this parable does not negate the physical, nor does the physical render the spiritual less important. As mentioned earlier, we are instructed in Ephesians 2:10 to be about doing these works. At the same time we must never forget that we are constantly engaged in a spiritual battle and so must be ever working on this area of our life as well.

Feed the Hungry. We are blessed to live in an era where there is no lack of information available. The internet has opened up the world for many, and answers to questions are but a few keystrokes away. Yet people still crave more information. They want it quicker and in ways that are meaningful to them. I think behind this desire is a simple search for meaning. People are hungry for truth and seek it in many ways. There is only one truth and that is the love and salvation found in Jesus Christ. We are commanded to tell everyone we meet about Christ (Mark 16:15). People are desperately hungry for the truth. We are spiritual beings and those without Christ are left with a huge ache in their soul. Our job is to feed them the truth of Jesus, the Bread of Life, and the only one who can fill their emptiness. At the same time, those who know Christ continue to hunger for more of Him. It is our duty to instruct them in wisdom and teach them the truth of scripture. We must look after the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ; encourage them when they are discouraged, lift them up when they have fallen, minister to them when they are weak. Constantly feed on the Word of God and share with all who ask.

Give the thirsty a drink. Jesus once told a woman that if she would drink the water He offered, she would never be thirsty again (John 4:14). The water He was referring to was His Spirit. People need Jesus in their lives; they need His Spirit to fill them. Look at the world around you: hunger, starvation, desolation, terrorism, murder, rape and looting. This world is desperate for hope, desperate for an answer. There are thirsty people all around you, people in need of the living water of Christ. If you don’t tell them about Jesus, who will? Share the living water of Christ with them; allow them to drink their fill.

Take in strangers. What is the spiritual meaning behind the command to take in strangers? One thing I take from this is to remember to never show partiality toward anyone. We often tend to look down on different cultures and people groups. We have preconceived notions about them, often a result of a lifetime of wrong teaching. Satan loves to make us stumble by having us look past these individuals. We must repent of this and ask God to give us a spirit of compassion and equal acceptance of all people. Satan has gained extensive ground through the use of racism. We must take back the spiritual ground he has seized by correcting our heart attitude towards those who are different from us. There are no strangers in the kingdom of God, there is only family. Do not let Satan gain a foothold in your life through the evil of racism. Reject those thoughts outright and deal a deadly blow to Satan and his demons.

In the next post, we’ll wrap up this series. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated as we work through this passage. We can all learn something from each other. After all, that is what this life is all about. It’s about community. Let’s live in such a way that we are feeding each other with the words of Christ and quenching the thirst of those without Jesus by helping them to understand and receive God’s spirit in their own life. Finally, welcome all to the family of God. We all have critical roles to play, and we all must do our part; we need each other!

The Sheep and the Goats, part 2

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In the first installment of this series (see “The Sheep and the Goats, part 1”), we examined the first two commands from the parable found in Matthew 25:31-46, feeding the hungry and giving a drink to the thirsty. Today, we’ll look at some practical applications of the other four commands from a physical perspective. In the next post we’ll begin examining these same four commands from a spiritual perspective.

Take in strangers. In our current economic situation, more and more people are losing their homes; not everyone will have a place to go. If you have extra room, consider taking in a family until they get back on their feet. Perhaps you could help those with pets by caring for them until they can afford a place that will allow them to keep their pets with them. If you love children, consider adopting one of the millions of children without parents. Older children, in particular, are in desperate need of a loving family. If you aren’t ready for the commitment required of adoption, consider being a foster parent. Get involved with a ministry like Big Brothers and Big Sisters and invite the children into your home to spend some time with your family. Become a mentor or life coach for someone in need; invite them to stay with you if they are struggling to meet their financial commitments. Support your local homeless shelters; they are always in great need of your financial support. Donate to ministries that provide orphan and refugee care in foreign countries.

Clothe those in need. When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? How many shirts, pants and pairs of shoes do you really need? We have been richly blessed, yet often we get caught up in those blessings to the point that we begin to hoard more than we need. Determine a reasonable number of sets of clothing for yourself. Do this without looking at your actual wardrobe. Once you’ve determined an appropriate number, tell the Lord that you will give away anything over that quantity. Then go into your closet and select the predetermined number of outfits you will keep. Give away the rest to local shelters, a clothing ministry at your church or to families you may be aware of who could use the clothing. Repeat this process annually to keep yourself in check. There are ministries that provide coats to the needy in winter, ministries that provide shoes for orphans, and ministries that clothe refugees and children. Compassion International and Persecution Project, again, do a wonderful work in this area.

Care for the sick. Hospitals have scores of patients who are terminally ill and never receive a visitor. Nursing homes provide another tremendous opportunity to care for those who no longer can care for themselves. Homeless people often lack medicine or the means to acquire it. Head out to areas of your town where the homeless hang out and hand out cold and flu medicine, aspirin, band-aids, facial tissue, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Drive those in need to a local clinic. Take food to a neighbor who has been injured or is perhaps recovering from surgery. Check with your church to get a list of people who cannot get out on their own; visit them, tend to their needs and run errands for them. Support ministries that provide medicine and medical care to third world countries and inner cities. Call your local homeless shelters to find out their medical needs. It is so easy to take our independence for granted. The sick are wholly dependent on the kindness of others.

Visit those in prison. This is a scary one for many people. Connect with a prison ministry to discover ways you can make a difference in the lives of prisoners. Support these ministries with your money and with your time. Go to those who live inside locked walls and just be a friend. Let them see someone outside those walls actually cares for them. Write letters to encourage them. As an aside, I would recommend women visit women, and men visit men. You can donate to ministries who visit incarcerated Christians in countries of religious persecution. The Voice of the Martyrs does a wonderful work in this area. Write letters to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in prison because of their faith. You can learn how to do this at the PrisonerAlert (a ministry of the Voice of the Martyrs) website.

I hope that these past two posts have given you many ideas of how to put the commands of Christ into action. Again, I’d love to hear some of your ideas as well, please leave a comment with your own thoughts. Practice putting your faith into action. You were created and equipped to do these works to the glory of God. Pray for wisdom and the guidance of His Spirit. These activities will be some of the most fulfilling things you will ever engage in. As you live out the commands of Christ you will find yourself growing ever closer to Him. There is no greater cause for which to live.