Starving Jesus

The Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31 - 46

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”


When it comes to Jesus' directions to us as his followers this passage is just as direct as his command that we love out neighbor. Truly, if we love our neighbor we will help them when they are in need.


I have to be honest with you and acknowledge my bias because I have never been able to understand why a person or a people would not feed those who are hungry, help those who need housing, care for those who are sick and love and offer compassion to those who are in prison. I just don't get it. What does it take for us to ignore the needs of our fellow man? When we do we are undoubtedly the Levi or the Priest, for surely we are not being the Good Samaritan when we ignore and walk on the other side of the road when we see someone in need.


Besides the direct command in this verse to care for those in need Jesus shows us where we can find him. If you want to be about the business of sharing God's love then you need to go where Jesus is.


Today we can find Jesus with people who are without a job or underemployed. Today we can find Jesus with people who have no home. Jesus is with those who are on government assistance and also with people who are sick whether in the hospital or not. Jesus is with the many children and families who are victims of Human trafficking and with the person who is undocumented. Jesus is with people who are currently vilified by those in government and American citizens.


Putting politics aside, those of us who claim a belief in Jesus Christ need to not only be with the people Jesus is with but also advocating for support that they so desperately need. When we sit comfortably in our homes and enjoy the blessings God has given us and not be a blessing to others we will be the ones that God turns away from as this passage in Matthew states. I think that we who follow Christ forget that we will still stand before God, when die or when Jesus returns, and account for our lives.

Do you want God to know you as the one who served the "least of these" or one who ignored them? Many people fall on hard times, I have myself, but that last thing we need to do is vilify those who are in need of our help or the governments help.

I hear many people talk about how we need to get back to the Christian principles that this country was founded on. If people really mean that then we need to embrace Matthew 25:31-46 and make sure that we as a country feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, welcome the undocumented person, ensure care for those who are sick and show compassion to those who are in prison.

If that is what people mean then I welcome it.

If you want to test your knowledge on Hunger in America click on this LINK
You can also see current statistics people who live in food insecure homes.

To see what CBF churches and Field Personnel are doing to combat hunger in America click on this link and read blogs submitted by people who are reaching people by feeding them.

Sex Trade 101: Part 1

For the next five months my monthly blog for The Exodus Road I will be presenting information so you can get a better understanding of the Sex Trade around the world, how people are working to rescue victims and what you can do as well to help people who are victims of the sex trade.

Here are some statistics on trafficking around the world.

Now watch and see how the FBI rescued a girl from child sex trafficking.







Here is one more article on how trafficking can occur right in your own neighborhood. Yes, right in your own neighborhood. It just does not happen in urban areas. Suburban America is very much affected as well. Click on the title of the article below and read about trafficking in Ohio.


WARNING: Disturbing content!

The sex slave next door:

How human trafficking happens near you

The Word of God

BEHOLD! THE WORD!

JOHN 1: 1 - 3; 14

I still have hope

 

 

 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

 

 

 

 

 

August 28, 2013 marked the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech. I had intentions on going that day and participating in the celebrations but I had to wait to head up to our Capital till Labor Day. But nevertheless it was a wonderful day and I plan to go back next year to see more sites. What made this day so wonderful was not the beautiful architecture or the company of my friend Sarah, but the diversity of people that I saw as we walked along the National Mall. As a country, in a relatively short time have come a long way in terms of equality for American but will still have a long way to go.

 

 

 

 

 

We have witnessed the abolishment of slavery that stained our countries history. Women and the black community have earned the right to vote. I have to remember these things when I see evidence still of racism, sexism and homophobia. We are an amazing and unique country. What we have in this democracy is very special and it gives me hope that we can achieve that goal of equality for all.

 

 

 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that

 

 

"one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain
will be made low. The rough places will be made plain,
and the crooked places 'will be made straight, and the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see
it together. This is our hope.....

This will be the day when all of God's children will be
able to sing with new meaning. "My country, 'tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of the I sing."

 

 

I still have hope in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream

 

(These are pictures I took during my trip to DC on Monday, September 1, 2013)

Can I get a Good Samaritan?

Luke 10:25-37, NIV

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

I am no expert when it comes to international relations, specifically as it pertains to the governments around the world. So as I ventured to share my opinion on the crisis in Syria I ask that you read this knowing it comes from the eyes of a Christian minister.

 

I do not like war, never have never will. I believe that:

 

 

Hate begets Hate

 

 

Violence begets Violence

 

 

and

 

 

Love begets Love

 

 

I am among those Americans who are in disagreement that America should intervene in Syria with Violence; missile strikes BUT I am not one who feels we should do nothing. When I look at Syria I see the man in Luke's parable who is left half dead on the side of the rode. I see our country and others around the world as the Priest and the Levite. I long to see America as the Good Samaritan. I long to see the humanity of God's world cry out at the atrocities and do what we can to rescue those in need, those who are dying. I am very uncomfortable with us doing nothing. Luke tells us that Jesus calls us to care for the one in need. Our neighbor is one who is in need and Syria is in need.

Can I get a Good Samaritan?

Batman & Syria

 

 

 

Since the announcement last week that Ben Affleck would be playing the role of Batman people have been up in arms. One petition to have him NOT play Batman man has acquired over 70,000 signatures. There is even a petition to the White House asking for Ben Affleck to be removed as the actor for Batman.

 

 

 

 

All the why men, women and children are dying daily in Syria. To date they estimate that over 100,000 people have died in the two years this war has gone on. Where are the cries of outrage at this atrocity? Why is there no anger or disgust over the lives that are no longer here, that have died far to soon.

 

Seems to me that things are backwards in our country right now and it troubles me greatly. If we can only be upset that an actor is cast into a role with don't agree with rather than the lives that are dying needlessly then we may need to step outside of ourselves and think more of our neighbor rather than our own needs and desires.

Sin is the Problem!

Women are not the problem in society.....

 

 

SIN IS

 

 

 

Genesis 1

 

The Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light "; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good ; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. 6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse ; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 9 Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear "; and it was so. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas ; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation : plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind ; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day. 14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years ; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth "; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night ; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness ; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. 20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." 21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind ; and God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind : cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind "; and it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind ; and God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness ; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed ; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food "; and it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 

 

God's creation is good. I have always liked the saying, "God don't make no junk" I know this is a double negative, common in the south but you get the point that everything God made is good. That includes women. See in verse 26 of Genesis 1 the Hebrew word we translate man is best translated as mankind or humanity. Mankind is made up of both male and female, we are both good.

 

Based upon this passage it always upsets me and offends me when people blame women for the problems in society or the bad choices men make. Here is the truth, we are good simply because we are a creation of God but we are also sinful. We are a fallen people, but that in no way negates the inherent goodness that is in all of us.

 

What I love most about God and creation is that we have free will. We have the ability to make our own choices with out interference from God and especially without interference from others. So when someone blames men's behavior on the behavior of women three things are negated:

 

1 - the inherent goodness of women is dismissed/negated

 

2 - women's role in creation and God's created order is dismissed/negated

 

3 - and men's (male) sinfulness is dismissed/denied

 

If we dismiss or deny our sinfulness then we cannot receive the redemption of the cross and the forgiveness that Jesus freely gives.

 

I implore and beg all Christian men to consider what they imply about God's created order when they place the blame of societies ills on women. Do we really want to imply that God created a flawed world and that God made a mistake when Eve was created?

 

Something I hope people will really think about.