“For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” – Paul writing to the followers of Christ in Philippi (philippians one:ten and eleven)
As followers of Christ, we are not called to live in the comfort of what we know. When we live as the minority in a world where the majority are oppressed, hungry, trafficked, poverty-stricken, and left with absolutely no hope, we can not call ourselves followers of Christ and not act when the very gospel in which we say we believe has much to say about the passion we should have to make a difference among the unlooked. When we get down to what really matters, what are you going to do with what you know?
“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.” – Isaiah (isaiah one:eighteen)
You can’t do this by ignoring the reality of what is.
Did you know that two-thirds of the world live in an area called the 10/40 window? “It is here that nearly two-thirds of the world’s people reside…over 4 billion people! Over 90% of the poorest of the world’s poor struggle to exist on less than one dollar a day. They are trapped by poverty, oppression, politics, and war. Where disease and injury are prevalent, education is inadequate or altogether non-existent, and people lack even basic health care. The spirit among the people is broken as they live life without hope.” (http://www.1040i.com)
Didn’t know this? Now you do.
Jesus said, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me. Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”
Does this represent the lifestyle that you live?
Is your faith defined by the faith we are called to live in james one:twenty seven, “Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.”
Paul prayed for the followers of Christ in Philippi that their love for others would become stronger and that their knowledge and understanding of Christ would constantly be strengthened. (philippians one:nine) Paul says that are lives are to reflect the very things that Jesus was all about. Our faith is to be defined by “the fruits of our salvation – those good things produced in our life by Christ.” (philippians one:eleven)
When our faith is strengthened by the knowledge and understanding of the gospel, we can’t set limitations on what we know to be true of what we are called to do and how we are to live. Don’t settle for comfort. Truth needs to be known in the most uncomfortable of places.What are you going to do?
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! The Lord will demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. The ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” (isaiah fifty two: seven through ten)
Those where hope is unseen, truth is not known, and redemption is ready…Are you still comfortable by being the minority?
P.S. You know there are homeless in your community so don’t act like they don’t exist. When you are downtown, don’t walk the other way just so you can ignore them. Don’t be ok with yourself in doing that.
