Defeating the Wisdom of the World

Imagine Marcy. She’s been a single mom for the last few years.  Her little family of three lives month to month barely scraping by. Yesterday her boss came up and suggested she could get a promotion and a small raise if she will just leave out some details on this month’s report.  Not lie.  Just not share this particular information.  Marcy is torn.  She calls you asking for prayer and good advice.

What would you tell Marcy?  Where can you turn in the Bible for this kind of absolutely practical advice?  We know there is no, "Thou shalt not leave out important details." It is in situations just like this one where living in and living out the story of scripture helps.  Let me suggest a story from Jeremiah.

Up in Smoke

Recently as I was giving my servants their morning chores (in other words I was loading the dishwasher and starting the washing machine), I was listening to my audio Bible.  As usual, I was lost in listening.  Suddenly I gasped aloud in shock.  From the other room my surprised husband called out to find out what was wrong.  Here’s the story…

A Small Part of God's Mission

Missional.  It's one of those "Christian Buzz Words" like "Jesus Follower" and "Community." They all evolved out of a need to recapture the meaning of another word that was being over/misused.  Unfortunately though what happens sometimes is that they become a kind of sign.  "Cool church ahead!"

To be fair I like the word "missional". It simply means our every action is should further God's great mission in His Kingdom.  And it was built on a solid Biblical foundation--Jesus' words in Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Yet like the other buzz words I fear that much of its impact has been lost in our hashtag culture. The grand visions-defeating addiction, stopping hereditary poverty, saving orphans and solving the refugee crisis-are too big for one ordinary person to tackle. We live in a world that seems to imagine that a FB like, a retweet, a pin, or hashtag promotion is the answer. I like awareness as much as the next blogger (IE a lot), but I am not fooling myself. When in the parable the Lord was asked, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?" He did not reply  ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you included my hashtag, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:37-40).

Why is this on my mind? Let me share some pictures with you. 

In Kenya, in the Maasi region, there is a terrible drought.  Simply put the rains did not come in their season and as a result animals, crops, and people are dying.

The church in Leboo
 

In this same part of Kenya there's a church.  In the picture above they have a couple of guys from the Commerce church of Christ in Texas stopping by to visit with them.  They've been providing funding for buildings etc. for the last few years.

The children at school

That church answered God's call to take care of the fatherless, and late last year opened its doors to 42 orphan children.  They built a Christian school for them and for the local children to attend.

A school, a church, an orphanage and a drought.  What does that add up to?  Well in the words of their evangelist, Nathan Oloumu...

"The great challenge that we face here as a community is the lack of water. There are no wells in several villages. People will walk for over 7 Kilometers to get to the nearest water source. As for the orphanage will need help to get a well and also get tanks to harvest the rain water." (Read his full statement here)

A well is expensive business.  The one Mr. Oloumu is working on to provide care for these children and his village will cost 18,000 dollars (see detailed invoice here). It is not meant to only alleviate the current drought but provide a convenient and safe source of water for years to come.

Which brings us full circle back to grand visions and "missional" life.  

I have never been a grand vision girl.  I've never started a charity that served millions.  But I have asked friends for a 100 dollars so I could buy Bibles to give away so my students could read God's word for the very first time.  I have never been able to see that all the orphans in Africa had what they needed; my part in God's great mission is a small one. But I'd like to ask you, to be a small part of that mission today.  Not to help not every fatherless child in Africa, but 42 thirsty orphans in Kenya.  

My local congregation is partnering with Mr. Oloumu and the Commerce church in Texas to raise money towards that 18,000.  Our local church is small and not wealthy, but we raised more than a 10th of the price in a single Sunday of giving.  And with an active GoFundMe we are hoping to give others an opportunity to participate.  

How could you help?  

You can give a little money.  There is no overhead here, no sense of paying for administrators or offices.  You are buying water for orphan children.  And not bottled water that will run out next week but the supply of water they will need to grow up strong and healthy.  Find our GoFundMe here.

You can also get the word out.  I know that social media will not change the world.  But we aren't raising awareness here, we are trying to find enough Christians to solve a real problem. I have reached out on all my outlets (including this one now!) to the Christians I know.  Can you do the same?  

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Table Privilege

Privilege might seem like a obsessively modern term. We discuss it in terms of social leverage, financial, educational, gender and racial divides. But the divide is more ancient than modern.  Take the story of the cross: Jospeh of Arimathea and the woman who followed Jesus.  

All of the gospels tell Joseph's tale, a rich man, a powerful man religiously, socially and politically.  When it comes to privilege, he had it all.  All the gospels tell the women's tale as well. When it comes to privilege, they had less: less money, less power, less standing in their community, and less political influence. 

Yet they all wanted the same thing: Jesus’ body.  United in this common desire to honor their Rabbi, they were brave.  Joseph was afraid of declaring himself yet goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus.  The women watched all the disciples/apostles but John flee, yet stand at the foot of the cross as mute witnesses to their own Lord’s death.    United in their common desire to honor their Rabbi, they honor his corpse. Joseph takes the Lord’s body and brings the it to his own unused tomb. (Would that I ever had the opportunity to let Jesus take my place of honor.) The women follow him from afar to see where they can come after the Sabbath to bring their spices and prepare his body for burial.  

In Jesus each of us bring all that we have-energy, time, money, standing-to the table as a gift. In our desire to honor the body of our Lord, we stand united at the table of communion. His table permits no divide: one Lord, one meal, one body. Thank God for the privilege of celebrating at His table. 

Helene

PS.  Interested in more of these devotionals?  I'd love for you to subscribe and I will send you a FREE PDF/Ebook with 12 short communion devotionals each one perfect for savoring with a cup of coffee on Sunday morning! 

Be the Joy!

Joy.  We glitter wooden ornaments with the word.  We see it inscribed on Christmas cards.  We proclaim it in song: “Joy to the world.”  

It is the Christian’s claim.  We are people of joy.  

Joy is powerfully attractive.  Not the smug happiness of having everything but the basic foundational attitude that there is in fact much to rejoice about in this world.  That despite today's natural disaster, the world God made is good.  Despite Satan’s depredations, the people God called are declared righteous and holy.  Despite all of our short term sorrows, despite death, sin, and terror, Jesus has triumphed and will continue to reign until His Father has put all things under His footstool. 

This is how and why Christians are people of joy. 

Not pie in the sky fools but people grounded in the solid anchor of hope in the face of every ugly storm Satan sends.

This attitude is entirely refreshing to a world bathed in anger, cynicism, hatred, and disgust.  To a jailer in Phillipi considering suicide, the sweet song of joyful prisoners was the sound of hope. Our joy in troubles echoes that ancient hymn. Peter instructs us to stand ready to give an answer for that hope. 

This Christmas season, let me encourage you to do something joyful.  Wish every Scrooge a merry Christmas.  Got the extra mile to bring delight to someone with less reason to rejoice than you.  (Say a dozen Christmas cookies to an elderly neighbor?)  Share your Christian long-view that when our Lord returns He will set this old world to right, rebirthed in a new heavens and new earth, a world fulfilling today’s little joys with the great joys of eternity!  And smile, friend.  Smile. And let the world know that God has given us something to smile about. 

Helene

PS: There will be another video to share soon!  Keep an eye out for in your email or the Facebook page.  (What?  You are not on the email?  Subscribe here and get the PDF: 21 days to Evangelism!)

PSS: If you were looking to buy one of my books to give for a Christmas present, time is almost up! 

Christmas In the Middle of a Mess

Have you ever been in the middle of a mess?

I don’t mean a polite middle class mess where you roll your eyes and complain with the other moms about decorations that aren’t up or a Pinterest masterpiece turned into burnt offering.  I mean the sort of mess that buries you in shame.  

In the middle of a mess like that we feel entirely unloveable.  We are convinced that if someone knew the truth we would be a pariah.  We hide.  We lie.  We try frantically to clean up our chaos hoping against hope that somehow no one will notice.  We tell ourselves all kinds of stories that start with "bad luck" and end with "never again" and some of them are even true. 

7 Ways to NOT Reach the Lost this Christmas

The Top 7 Ways to NOT reach the Lost this Christmas

7. At least once a day post something on Facebook that includes, “Like the Baby Jesus and receive a blessing today!”

6. Shout “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” at everyone who dares to wish you, "Happy Holidays."

5. Give complex explanations about the historical/mythical syncretism that connect Christmas and Saturnalia.

4. Every time some one says, “Elf on a Shelf” mutter “Tool of Satan” under your breath.

3. Insist that political correctness is ruining Christmas.  Lecture everyone who will listen on how President Trump will save us from this travesty.

2. Give out tracts instead of Christmas presents.


And...last but not least!

1. Focus on your family, your presents, your shopping, your music, your decorations and your traditions.  Just let the season slip away without seeing those around you who are lost and longing for Jesus.

Of course I say all that tongue in cheek.  And if you really think that the Elf on the Shelf is a tool of Satan, we can talk about it.  I think that little guy is super creepy myself.  But here is the point: vaunting our (however sincere) thoughts on Christmas, doesn't necessarily help people see Christ.

Every Christian nods her heads when I say "we should reach out to anyone and everyone who is willing to talk about Jesus!" And yet Christmas rolls around and we aren't effectively talking to the lost about Jesus at one of the few times of a year He is on their minds.  Sometimes that is because we are entangled in our own “issues," and sometimes that is because we are embroiled in our own pain and sorrow. But frequently it is because while are enjoying our holiday, the days slip by. 

For the last couple of years I have posted Christmas meditations--short thoughts about our lives and their relation to the Christmas story.  (I've gathered them into an ebook!  Check out our Holiday Bundles).  But this year, for the sake of the lost and for the sake of those who should be searching for them, I am going to be posting some connections we can make between the people we are reaching out for and the Christ who came reaching down for them.

Join me this month for posts to help you help the people you care about and for videos that can be shared on Facebook or via email directly with lost folks. (Ready to get started today?  Subscribe today and receive a PDF: 21 days to Effective Evangelism.)

Link-ups: Mommy-Moments, Inspire Me Monday, The Mom Gene, Good Morning Monday,  The Modest Mom Blog, Moments of Hope, God-sized Dreams, Glimpses, Breakthrough Homeschooling, Salt and Light