Oh Why Don't We Go?

I've been tossing this question around in my heart for nearly a decade and recently it has gotten more poignant. Today I was reading a book titled "Under an Afghan Sky." Subtly foreshadowed by its subtitle,"A Memoir of Captivity", the book details the harrowing account of a Canadian journalist enduring kidnapping and finally being released a few weeks later. 

As I read, wondered, and thought, I entered the world of War. Real, serious, gruesome war. The kind that leaves indelible marks on hearts, bodies, relationships, landscapes, and economies. 

I read about the terror of bombs, the brutality of the Taliban, the irrationality of suicide bombers, and my heart began to melt. To hurt for these people who knew nothing different. To reach for those children who had no other chance or dream. The pain in their eyes, the hopelessness in their hearts.

Somehow I have an awfully hard time reconciling my soft and relatively safe childhood with theirs. And it baffles me how I am teaching beautiful students today who have had their emotional and physical needs well-supplied since infancy, while children in war torn countries would give almost anything for a simple bowl of rice.

Their pain begs us to go. To help and to rescue. But the question always comes, "How?"

Should I become a nurse or doctor and offer my assistance in their clinics? Perhaps. Should I pick up my Bible and head off with a single pair of shoes and one coat. Maybe. 

What really is the answer? What really is the call?

We have been given the mandate to, "Go and preach the Gospel to all nations."

This means that we cannot all go to the same nation. I beg of you. If you feel God calling you to go to another country. GO. Simply go and let Him do the work. Time is sliding quickly. Opportunities are being lost daily. Go and may the Lord be with you. 

If, on the other hand, you are called to stay home then still go. Go to your neighbours. Go to your children. Go to your church family. Go to your closest town. But by all means, GO. 

"FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH; TO THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO TO THE GREEK. 

Romans 1:16

Play it Safe...

 I thought of going to the man by the road

Then taking his hand and lifting his load

But a voice in my head slyly spoke in my ear, 

"Play it safe."

I saw the poor child who needed a hug,

His hands were so grubby his face all a smudge,

But a tune in my ear sang so softly and low, 

"Play it safe."

I bowed to the woman who stood by her car. 

I figured her help would come from afar. 

But a sweet lilting voice banged a slight melody,

"Play it safe."

At the end of the day, I saw my poor wife.

I took in the counter and the children's last strife.

And I thought to myself surely this is the time, 

"Play it safe."

So I walked to my room, took a nice steaming shower,

Emerging in time for a hot steaming platter,

I shoveled it in thinking only of me.

"Play it safe."

I laid in my bed at the end of that day

And put each event on my memory's replay. 

I brought up the woman and man by the road.

I remembered my wife and her tiring load. 

I thought of the child, grubby but sweet

And in my mind's eye, I sighed with relief. 

"I was safe."

Matthew 25:41-45

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

He Sees...

Rain comes down in raging torrents
Like the tears of God.
Puddling on the ground in rivers
Like His gentle love.

Rushing to the sea in torrents

Like His mighty arm.
Strong to save and rescue all
The small forgotten ones.

Injustice is all noted by 
The tender eye of God.
He holds His dear ones to His heart
And keeps them in His love.

The tears of each small lonely child 
Are cupped within His hands.
He weeps from heaven as He waits
With angels at command.

He sees their pain and watches close
To shelter them from harm.
Just like the sparrows, He knows them,
And keeps them in His arms.

He shepherds them so safely on
And bends to touch their hearts.
He holds them oh so gently close
Although we're far apart. ❤️

God sees the children. Those hurting in abusive relationships, ignored in broken families, terrified in war-torn countries, and starving in poverty-stricken places. 

Sometimes we have a chance to love some of these little souls for awhile. Let us be assured that God's eye is on each of them and we are responsible to love those He brings to us. When they leave us, He keeps them. 💔

One heart at a time. 

My Dream...

I wish that I could change the world

Into a better place. 

I want to rescue all the kids

Who're ruthlessly displaced. 

I want to hold them, stop their cry

Replace it with some love.

If I could only take them in

And build a home of love. 

I guess I'd build a cottage

At a place beside the sea, 

So they could see God's handiwork

And play out on the lea.

Oh, I would need some workmates though

Who'd help me change some diapers, 

And cooks and bakers who would take,

The time for little fingers. 

I'd also bring the homeless in

(Perhaps we'd need expansion.)

I guess I'd need a carpenter

With cash hid in his apron!

And then I'd bring a pianist,

To add some joyful noise.

Of course there'd be a doctor too,

To bandage careless boys. 

If that were done, I'd fetch the teens

Who stand behind Tim Hortons.

I'd bring them home and play some chess,

While listening to their problems. 

I guess we'd need some more adults

To help with adolescents.

It really is a tricky thing,

To navigate those changes. 

Oh yes, I'd bring a preacher too

Who'd get down on their level.

And help them see the God above 

Who loves them from His heaven. 

Perhaps we'd also add a wing

For dear old lonely ladies,

Who pet their cats and sit and stew,

Abandoned by their families.

To that, we'd add a room for plants

So they could have some flowers. 

The children could learn much from them

And cheer their lonesome hours. 

Oh wouldn't it be completely grand

If all these dreams were true?

You see it just might be the dream

Of One who rescued you. 

I think He'd like to bring the boys 

And girls from off the street.

I'm sure He'd care about the lost

Teens living in defeat. 

So shall we go and help Him make

His glorious dream come true?

Perhaps we should begin by prayer

And ask, "What shall I do?"

If we would all go down the street

With eyes and hearts edged wide.

I think we'd find a lot of folks

That we could bring inside. 

You take your mansion, I'll use mine.

And rather than one place,

We'll reach the people all around 

And help them find God's grace. 

I think He'd be quite pleased if we,

Would bring His children home.

He really doesn't like to leave

Them crying all alone. 

You are a child of God the King.

You have His highest favour

I know there's more who'd like to come

And let Him be their Saviour

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40b

Bring Them Jesus 🩷

A couple days ago, as I was spending some time talking with God, a picture came to my mind. I saw a large, hairy beast, with gray leather skin, growing bigger and bigger in front of me. He didn't really look that ugly, but he took up space. A lot of it.

I recognized the representation. Just like the big beast in front of me, that gradually and steadily presented itself, Satan has been taking over North America. The trouble is, he really doesn't look that horrible at first glance; he just takes up space. He twists a bit here, moves a little there, smudges a couple lines and it's really not too bad. After all, small details don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Until one day, things do look horrible. We look back and realize that Satan has been deceitfully scheming all along to crowd out as much of God as possible.

I believe North America has slowly been hijacked by the Devil himself. He likes nothing better than to twist leaders in parliament, sell souls to the gods of entertainment, money, and fun, and render influential public organizations void of morals. He has stuck his sticky fingers into marriages, families, and churches. Warped, torn, and trapped until suddenly there was not much of God left. The ashes, pain, and absolute brokenness he has left in his wake require a miracle of aid.

We see children, confused when their family and security is broken by divorce, teenagers selling themselves to cheap love and entertainment simply because they don't know any better way, and older people bent on making the top dollar because they've been taught that's what matters. Our world is in disaster because they've left God behind. Let those of us who still have Him, remind them of who He is.

    

    Oh Christian friends. We owe it to them to help. We owe it to them to make a difference. We carry the Light within us. We have so much to share, so much to give, so much to care with. Let us give our lives for this cause. There is no nobler or greater calling than that of rescuing spiritual souls from the brink of destruction. Reach them where they are. Hear their pain, share in their stories, and bring them JESUS! Oh bring them Jesus. He is able to shatter darkness, mend broken hearts, and redeem lost situations. He will miraculously change the impossible, restore the shattered, and bring hope to the hopeless. Oh let us bring them Jesus.🩷 

Beautiful Death

Leaves are dying, crimson, red,

Orange and yellow, bright instead

of green, old green, the colour true

that speaks of life in every hue.

There, in the midst of crimson gold

We see death bring out beauty bold.

Dying factories, shutting down

Lacing on their final crown.

Leaving glory in their wake

Leaves drift down and make their grave.

 

    These glorious fall days are reviving the spirit of poetry within me and I chanced to tap a couple lines into the notepad of my cellular mobile device. (Yes that's what we dubbed it a couple years ago which in plain English means cellphone.) Indeed, 'tis almost a pity how much that wretched sound vibrator gets used these days, yet on the other hand it is quite a useful and brilliant object to have on hand when quick access to a writing tablet is in demand. I penned these lines after a sequence of events that led me to thinking. That age old type of pondering of the brain that turns a subject round and round, adds slight trifles to it, makes a couple adjustments and Voila! We have a new blog post that must be shared.

    I've been thinking about death. The sometimes slow, sometimes quick procedure that ends this thing we call life. But besides the death that leads to a cemetery, I've been pondering death IN life. In fact, before I wrote the lines above, I wrote a shorter version that went like this:

               Leaves are dying, crimson, gold,

              Girding colours, turning bold.

              Could it be that we must die?

              Our wretched selves to crucify?

              Choosing truth o'er selfish things,

              Moving on to nobler things?

              Could it be that when we die,

              We raise the cross of Christ up high?

    I can't get it out of my mind. This thing called dying to self and rising to NEW LIFE in CHRIST. I remember listening to a CD a few years ago and they sang a song about dying to self. I remember thinking, "What do they mean?" I didn't get it. It seemed like a foggy sort of concept to my young inexperienced and uninformed brain. Now there is a part of me that is beginning to understand it more and more as I walk the Christian road up and down, around bends, through rain, in sun and deserts, through jungles, across tiny bridges spanning ravines, beside quiet lakes, and even around cacti. You see, the Christian life is not all easy or beautiful. In fact, parts of it are quite the opposite. Sometimes they hurt. A LOT. Sometimes they make no sense. AT ALL. Sometimes people are simply frustrating or cruel. Life looks unfair and unjust. Why, if we're children of the King do we suffer? Why doesn't He just heal me or take away my problems? Why doesn't He convict the prodigal sons, or change the stone-cold husband's heart?  We kick and scream and lament at our lot in life. We begin to question our Maker. We fuss and fume and sometimes quietly simmer. 

    But what if? What if North American Christians would begin to embrace pain instead of running from it. What if we would begin to see trials or hard things as gifts from God to mold us into His character and train us for kingdom combat? What if we would begin to thank and ask Him to help us trust and love and give inspite of pain? What if we would truly look at the agony our Saviour endured and begin to count it all joy to fellowship with Him in suffering?

    Anyone could see He had completely lost any good reputation as He hung on the unforgiving Roman cross with nails sticking through His wrists and sharp thorns gorging into His skull. Nobody would have thought that He came straight from the throne of God when he hung there a shrivelled, bleeding, bruised, corpse. Why do we think we deserve less? Soldiers of all nations count it a great honour to fight and die for their countries. Should we not swell with joy at the thought of laying our lives down for the King of Kings? Soldiers for the world's countries know they will go through boot camp. They know they might face death. They know they'll be far from comfortable. They know they'll have to help their teammates in combat. They know they'll go hungry sometimes. They know they'll leave family behind. But they go anyway. Why? WHY? The simple answer is: They care for and love their country and the people in it. Really, that sounds a lot like the reason a certain Son of God left a heavenly throne and descended to a cursed human world to give His life.

    If He gave His all, should we not join Him? If He endured chastening as a Son of God, should we not glory in tribulations? 

    "Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4 NASB1995

Looking to Jesus

 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." - Acts 4:20

This scripture come from a chapter in Acts where the religious leaders of the time were telling the apostles to be quiet. They were not ready to here the good news of Jesus Christ and neither did they want others from their synagogue to hear the message. Status, control, and politics had clouded their vision. 

What about us today? What clouds our vision to the good news of Jesus Christ? 

Daily worries and concerns? The current state of our world? The fear of how it will all end? 

Our minds can quickly find a multitude of dilemmas and problems to dwell on instead of finding "the peace that passes all understanding." 

Let us "fix our eyes upon the Author and Finisher of our faith." Let us "run with patience the race that is set before is." (Hebrews 12:1&2) Let us boldly walk forward, claiming our position, inheritance, acceptance, and safety in Jesus Christ our All in All. 

Keep courage brothers and sisters! Our redemption draweth nigh!