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Written by David Gaddy
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Saturday, 05 September 2009 02:44 |
We are so blessed with abundance in this nation, it is easy for us to ignore the absolute depravity of others who are still our neighbors. Maintaining a love for the poor and needy all around the world is hard, but we need to wake up and love like God. Even if that means starting locally.
- Introduction - Do we love the needy? Isaiah 61:1-3
- Who was Jesus' primary audience?
- The Poor and Needy
- Luke 4:14-21 - If Jesus set his goal for Isaiah 61, it
should be mine too.
- Read through Jesus' ministry and look at how many times
he addresses this.
- Define Poor
- If you make $25,000 per year are you poor?
Our society would consider you at least "low income".
Yet if you make $25,000 per year, then you make more money per year than
90% of the world's population does! Do you see how our rich nation has
deceived us? Millions of people around the world live on less
than $1 per day. Millions only have the clothes on their
backs, if they even have clothes. ("I was naked")
- Define Needy
- "I was an hungred" - In Haiti, 75% of the population
makes $2 a day and 20% of the children are malnourished.
- "I was thirsty" - In 3rd world environments, a major
killer is simply bad water.
What do you do if the only water you have to survive on is
full of
parasites which will eventually kill you? Do you die of
thirst or
dehydration from diahrrea?
- "I was sick" - Most children born in Africa today will
never see their 5th birthday
- 26,500
children died today from preventable causes all around the world and it
will happen again tomorrow. 10 Million die each year
- Who's responsibility?
- Ours personally
- Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16) - Why was the rich
man in hell? For something he did or something he did not do?
- James 4:17 - This is a sin of omission not of
commission
- Our Spiritual Fast - Isaiah 58:6-7
- The church's
- "A church living within its 4 walls is no
church at all."
- Why aren't we moving?
- Like everything else, it all comes down to love (agape).
This is a heart condition we have. This is not a
condition of law, but of grace... our grace to others patterned after
God's grace to us.
- "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the
heart of God." - Dr. Bob Pierce, World Vision
- Ezekiel 11:19
- Are we "keepers of the aquarium" instead of "fishers of
men"?
- God's tired of pew fillers: Isaiah 1:10-20
- Complacency
- James 1:26-27 - Some say they are religious only
deceiving themselves. Look at verse 27, does that happen in
your life, Mr. Religious Person?
- Revelation 3:14-22
- It's not my
child. No. But they are all God's children.
- Repulsion
- AIDS/HIV is the world's most devistating disease today.
Over 33 million people are affected now, mostly in Africa,
India, and Ukraine. Nearly 1 in 3 adults in Swaziland, Africa
are infected. What do you as a Christian think of AIDS
victims? Most think they deserve it because of the behavior
that spreads HIV. Was this the heart of our loving savior?
No. In fact the Religious people of Jesus' day
thought lepers were unclean and must've sinned and were being punished
for their unrighteousness. Therefore it was unclean to touch
them. Now read Mark 1:40-41 Most affected by HIV
are women and children. And many who aren't infected are left
widowed and orphaned by it. If it is due to their sin, they
need Jesus' blood and we are his hands and feet. And
regardless, they are humans made in God's image and in
dire need.
- When the house gets dark at night, do you blame the
house? No it simply got dark by nature so we turn on the
light. Even a small match can be blinding.
- When the meat we leave out on the counter goes bad, do
we blame the meat? No it simply goes bad by nature, so we rub
in salt to preserve it.
- WE are the light of the world and the salt of the
earth. We should not condemn people for their sins, instead
we teach them.
- Conclusion - You
are the answer to some needy persons prayer even if you don't even know
it. So pray that God will lead you to them.
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Written by David Gaddy
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Sunday, 05 April 2009 00:00 |
Life if full of battles. Do we know when God is with us? Are we looking for the signs that He is there guiding us? We must be bold like Deborah told Barak in the battle against the army of Sisera.
- Judges 4-5
- Barak takes soliders to Mt Tabor (4:6)
- Kenite allies inform Sisera (4:11-12)
- Sisera gathers chariots to Tabor (4:13)
- Barak charges them (4:14)
- Sisera is taken by surprise (4:15)
- Josephus says it began to rain and hail as Sisera’s
armies looked up to see the Israelites charging down the
mountain. Could this be the meaning of the Deborah’s
statement of the LORD going before them (v14)?
- Sisera abandons his post and is killed by Jael
(4:15,17-21)
- The Kishon floods hindering the chariots (5:21-22)
- As the enemy tried to flee, Barak overtook them (4:16)
- Who was in charge of this battle?
- The LORD commanded Barak (4:6)
- The LORD will deliver Sisera (4:9,14)
- The LORD caused Sisera to retreat (4:15)
- Levels of Faith
- Reuben, Dan, and Asher sat by without being involved
perhaps intimidated by an army of iron chariots who had afflicted them
over the past 20 years.
- Matthew 26:40-41 - It is easy to talk the talk but not
so easy to walk the walk
- Barak was a reluctant hero
- Josephus suggests in verse 14, Barak was getting cold
feet at the sight of the approaching army and Deborah had to rouse him.
- Hebrews 10:22-23 - Faith should not waver
- Deborah was willing to trust God and act
- Jael was willing to trust God and act
- Ephesians 6:10-12 - Where is our faith level when spiritual
battles are required in our lives? Are we waiting on someone
else to have more faith? Does our faith waver as we attempt
to fight our trials? Or are we willing to serve with nothing
wavering?
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