So which is it – give them food and shelter or tell them the gospel of Jesus? Frankly I think that is a stupid question. How could anyone support doing only one of those and not both?
For the Muslim family getting help out of one of those rubber rafts, they arrive with physical hunger and spiritual fear.
The ministries that we have seen do not have any hesitation with how to answer the opening question. Many respond to the physical hunger of the refugees. Some provide housing, others legal assistance, warm showers, still others a change of clothes and daily food.
In addition as they interact with the families, They show a deep integrity of sincerity, understanding, a listening ear, patience, and all devoid of any sense obligation from the refugees.
Many times – over and over, in fact—the classic set up was in place. The refugees would ask those serving them, “Why are you doing this?”
Explaining the answer takes more time than handing out clothing, but the refugees want to go where they can be loved. The God of their religion is not a God who says, “My peace will cast out your fear.” They know they are with people whose God is a God whose love includes even them. And so many of them become followers of Jesus.
The knot that ties together the Great Commandment—“Love your neighbor as your self— and the Great Commission— Make disciples of all nations—That is God‘s mighty witness.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
Saving Syrians IV. Their needs
There humanitarian needs are so very evident. The trauma that lies beneath is also evident but harder to reach. The clothing, the food, And a shelter for the wife and child – – those can be provided in fairly quick time. The fear for the family left behind and the memories of the desperate narrow escapes linger. Those take time and skilled understanding.
There are deeper essentials that are missing. These can only be filled by the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The workers make it very clear that they do not encourage Muslims to change religions. What they do try to show as what it means to follow Jesus As they draw closer to him, they discover unexpected and almost unbelievable things that Jesus gives them.
This begins with God as father. This is not in the list of 99 names of Allah. This truth makes them children of God, dear children of God the father.
They learn about Jesus has Shepherd. They know what it is to be a lost sheep, but they don’t know of a God who pursues them, finds them, clothes then, and brings them home.
Then they learn how the good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. The sacrificial death of Christ for the sins of the world has no place in the Qur’an. In fact it is explicitly denied.
They find a heart that has been born again with all sin forgiven, with a peace that is inconceivable apart from the Holy Spirit.
There is no debate or argument about whether the God of Islam andthe God and father of Jesus Christ are the same, no claims that there are no differences between the two faiths. If someone doesn’t see it, debate won’t open their eyes. So why bother?
The great discovery and the truth that they want is all found as they follow Jesus.
There are deeper essentials that are missing. These can only be filled by the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The workers make it very clear that they do not encourage Muslims to change religions. What they do try to show as what it means to follow Jesus As they draw closer to him, they discover unexpected and almost unbelievable things that Jesus gives them.
This begins with God as father. This is not in the list of 99 names of Allah. This truth makes them children of God, dear children of God the father.
They learn about Jesus has Shepherd. They know what it is to be a lost sheep, but they don’t know of a God who pursues them, finds them, clothes then, and brings them home.
Then they learn how the good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. The sacrificial death of Christ for the sins of the world has no place in the Qur’an. In fact it is explicitly denied.
They find a heart that has been born again with all sin forgiven, with a peace that is inconceivable apart from the Holy Spirit.
There is no debate or argument about whether the God of Islam andthe God and father of Jesus Christ are the same, no claims that there are no differences between the two faiths. If someone doesn’t see it, debate won’t open their eyes. So why bother?
The great discovery and the truth that they want is all found as they follow Jesus.
Saving Syrians III. God’s Mighty Work
A clear theme emerged from our first worker we interviewed, and all the way through. A wise worker summed it up this way:We are not here to show Christ to these people. Christ is here to take over more of me and then show himself through me.
One woman said it this way: I soon learned that if I was going to see these people change through Christ, then Christ had to change me first.
Another, one working side-by-side in the mist of anarchists said it this way: the hardest part of this work is to get over one self first.
When he said that to the four of us, it really became clear. The internal scrutiny, deep confession, clear dependence, broken ego, purified goals – all of that would be hard to avoid living in the multi layered demands of the anarchist environment. I even pointed to my friend, the psychologist, and said he could not get nearly as much stuff out of me in the easy environment of Richmond as a year there would do. I also knew that to take shortcuts around any of these would leave me vulnerable and several and in unexpected ways.
Another sais that she made a very difficult but successful application for a permit, something others would have charged $3000 to do. She submitted it proudly—and was turned down. She knew. God had to work on her first. That was the mighty work of God— to prepare her for a telephone call from a man she barely knew who volunteered his legal skills cor anyway that would help her work.
No, God does it need these people but he has chosen to work through them. His first mighty work is to work in them.
One woman said it this way: I soon learned that if I was going to see these people change through Christ, then Christ had to change me first.
Another, one working side-by-side in the mist of anarchists said it this way: the hardest part of this work is to get over one self first.
When he said that to the four of us, it really became clear. The internal scrutiny, deep confession, clear dependence, broken ego, purified goals – all of that would be hard to avoid living in the multi layered demands of the anarchist environment. I even pointed to my friend, the psychologist, and said he could not get nearly as much stuff out of me in the easy environment of Richmond as a year there would do. I also knew that to take shortcuts around any of these would leave me vulnerable and several and in unexpected ways.
Another sais that she made a very difficult but successful application for a permit, something others would have charged $3000 to do. She submitted it proudly—and was turned down. She knew. God had to work on her first. That was the mighty work of God— to prepare her for a telephone call from a man she barely knew who volunteered his legal skills cor anyway that would help her work.
No, God does it need these people but he has chosen to work through them. His first mighty work is to work in them.
Saving Syrians II. Today’s Cyrus
Bashar Al-Assadr isn’t the kind of rescuer that Cyrus was. In fact in an opposite way, he has driven the Syrians away, while Cyrus kept the Jews in their homeland. But he could be the means of the Syrians hearing the gospel.
The number of Syrians to have left their homeland since 2014 is staggering. There were some days when more than 10,000 Syrians went ashore on Greek lands. Also staggering is the number of Syrians who have been killed in the Civil War. And for all who choose to leave, President Assad and his government are the reasons.
That has been a twofold development: 1) hundreds of thousands of Syrians are in territories where Christianity can be openly believed and taught; 2) those Syrians have reasons to be disillusioned with Islam.
The scene is set for a mighty working of God. And that is going on.
The number of Syrians to have left their homeland since 2014 is staggering. There were some days when more than 10,000 Syrians went ashore on Greek lands. Also staggering is the number of Syrians who have been killed in the Civil War. And for all who choose to leave, President Assad and his government are the reasons.
That has been a twofold development: 1) hundreds of thousands of Syrians are in territories where Christianity can be openly believed and taught; 2) those Syrians have reasons to be disillusioned with Islam.
The scene is set for a mighty working of God. And that is going on.
Saving Syrians I. The Barrier
That’s the dilemma, isn’t it? A nation of Muslims, a nation torn apart by Muslim dictator, and nation of people who would be open to hearing of the Prince of Peace.
But there is no way in to meet the neighbors and to have coffee at their shops. Blocked by visas, blocked by the results of bombing.
And blocked by perceptions of Christians as immoral people who worship three Gods. Their New testament has been changed. Those hristians have nothing to tell us that could improve on Islam.
That’s a dilemma, isn’t it? How could the Syrians hear about Jesus?
But there is no way in to meet the neighbors and to have coffee at their shops. Blocked by visas, blocked by the results of bombing.
And blocked by perceptions of Christians as immoral people who worship three Gods. Their New testament has been changed. Those hristians have nothing to tell us that could improve on Islam.
That’s a dilemma, isn’t it? How could the Syrians hear about Jesus?
My link to Stuttgart
About a year ago in a used book store I saw a book of sermons by someone whose work I remembered from seminary. For 99 cents I acquired “Our Heavenly Father,” sermons by Helmut Thielicke.
They are brilliant, full of encouragement, and absolutely profound.
But what gave even more depth to his insights were the occasional footnote saying something like, “This sermon was interrupted by the bombing and had to continue in the shelter.” Or, “The Lutheran Church where the congregation met was no longer fit for meetings.”
Thielicke preached this series in late 1944 and early 1945. Allied bombing of Stuttgart was devastating to the city and its population.
Thielicke’s counsel and perspective have a place beside Augustine’s City of God for God’s Fatherly love and sovereignty when chaos and evil reign He squarely faces the evils of the Nazi regime and gives pastoral wisdom in the midst of the daily pain and fear of his congregants. He still speaks—in those times and these.
Tomorrow we meet with an elder leader to learn about Christians in the Middle East. I hope to hear about Thielicke from him.
They are brilliant, full of encouragement, and absolutely profound.
But what gave even more depth to his insights were the occasional footnote saying something like, “This sermon was interrupted by the bombing and had to continue in the shelter.” Or, “The Lutheran Church where the congregation met was no longer fit for meetings.”
Thielicke preached this series in late 1944 and early 1945. Allied bombing of Stuttgart was devastating to the city and its population.
Thielicke’s counsel and perspective have a place beside Augustine’s City of God for God’s Fatherly love and sovereignty when chaos and evil reign He squarely faces the evils of the Nazi regime and gives pastoral wisdom in the midst of the daily pain and fear of his congregants. He still speaks—in those times and these.
Tomorrow we meet with an elder leader to learn about Christians in the Middle East. I hope to hear about Thielicke from him.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Coming up —-
Humorous interactions with the four of us
A Baptism this morning
Visiting a German concentration camp
An evening service — during the World Cup🙃
Stuttgart tomorrow with a tale of how I know that city.
It got light here hours ago. We are above Montreal. The wait for breakfast is over.
A Baptism this morning
Visiting a German concentration camp
An evening service — during the World Cup🙃
Stuttgart tomorrow with a tale of how I know that city.
It got light here hours ago. We are above Montreal. The wait for breakfast is over.
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