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On "Being Light" And Seeing The Marginalized/Unreached
Posted by
mkrpa
,
06 November 2013
·
1546 views
On October 31, my family held a "fire pit" on the side of our home. Normally, we eschew everything having to do with the 'celebration' held that day, but this year we decided to not only give out candy, but invite neighbors to come for a hot dog and conversation around the fire. This is NOT a blog on whether a believer should celebrate that day - don't even comment on that part, please, or you will miss the point of this blog.
We decided to offer a prayer of blessing or for any other need to families in the neighborhood as they passed by and recieved candy we had set out. Probably 30 people allowed us to pray something for them. A few were very wary of us and were semi-polite in their rejection of the offer. Some believers [that we didn't ever know of before that day] thanked us for "being there" on such a night - quite a change for us, as we have had the house closed up on those nights - we've been in our home since 1991. We've never "been there" before. We are SO glad we did this, and for many reasons.
A few neighbors decided to chill with us for a while in front of the fire and have a hot dog and marshmallow feast. One person in particular, Elaine, brought her husband to our yard and settled in for a nice chat.
The Elaine story is unfolding before my eyes in a way that began because I forgot something at home and walked the few blocks from my church one Saturday. Elaine was on the sidewalk, fumbling with her oxygen apparatus, and I thought she may be in trouble, so I stopped and asked if she needed help - turned out all was well - and carried on a semi-light conversation. Elaine is Jewish. She has been in the neighborhood 11 years and I never have seen her before. Or, at least I thought. One day a few months ago, while looking out the window of my home I saw a couple walking and the woman had oxygen on her nose. Should I go out and help? By the time I thought about it, and reasoned myself out of it, they were gone. I was so disappointed in myself that I did not go out there. I was embarrassed at my lack of willingness to "Be Light" in my neighborhood. God gave me another chance, in the form of Elaine, and yes, she is the SAME woman that passed by my home before. OK, I hear you, God!
Upon invitation, she came to my church's non-religious coffee house: FRESH GROUND Coffee House and had a great time. After a while, she didn't even need her oxygen! When it was time to go, she searched far and wide to tell me she was leaving and asked that we keep in touch. Folks, when the door is open for God to work, no one needs to shove. And God is at work with Elaine.
Back to the fire pit: Elaine and Andy stayed for a few hours [her without oxygen again] and wanted to say goodbye to me, but I was on the phone with my Navy-helicopter-pilot-son, as he was about to head to what can only be called as "torture training" - I had to take this call. She left a phone message and then sent an e-mail - just so I wouldn't think she was rude upon leaving without saying goodbye!
Elaine is one of the 99.7% of the Jewish world that has not been reached for Jesus. Did you know that the Jewish people are not even mentioned in many arenas as being an unreached people group? Seriously? Whom do you have in your neighborhood?
As we are now called, being the C&MA, to "Bring Light" to those that have been marginalized in the reach with the Gospel, don't you think we need to consider the debt we owe to the Jewish people? Tozer said it: "Every time a Christian picks up his Bible he is reminded of his debt to the Jew,for "Unto them were committed the Oracles of God." God chose a receptacle into which He could pour His truth, a medium through which He could communicateHis saving knowledge to mankind; that receptacle, that medium was Israel. With all her faults, in spite of all her many sins, sheproved true to the trust, andas a result we have today the written Word, the Holy Scriptures, "A lamp unto our feet and alight unto our pathway." For this great benefit no adequate return has ever been made by the Church. It is an astonishing thing that multitudes ofBible students and lovers of the truth should calmly overlook their obligation to Israel."
I didn't do anything to bring Elaine into my sphere of influence for Jesus - God worked this out. I just [well, I ignored the first call] saw a woman and looked on her with compassion. God will bring Jewish people into your life for you to share the Gospel - training is great - but just LOVE, and bring the Light of the World to them - BE LIGHT for Jesus!
We decided to offer a prayer of blessing or for any other need to families in the neighborhood as they passed by and recieved candy we had set out. Probably 30 people allowed us to pray something for them. A few were very wary of us and were semi-polite in their rejection of the offer. Some believers [that we didn't ever know of before that day] thanked us for "being there" on such a night - quite a change for us, as we have had the house closed up on those nights - we've been in our home since 1991. We've never "been there" before. We are SO glad we did this, and for many reasons.
A few neighbors decided to chill with us for a while in front of the fire and have a hot dog and marshmallow feast. One person in particular, Elaine, brought her husband to our yard and settled in for a nice chat.
The Elaine story is unfolding before my eyes in a way that began because I forgot something at home and walked the few blocks from my church one Saturday. Elaine was on the sidewalk, fumbling with her oxygen apparatus, and I thought she may be in trouble, so I stopped and asked if she needed help - turned out all was well - and carried on a semi-light conversation. Elaine is Jewish. She has been in the neighborhood 11 years and I never have seen her before. Or, at least I thought. One day a few months ago, while looking out the window of my home I saw a couple walking and the woman had oxygen on her nose. Should I go out and help? By the time I thought about it, and reasoned myself out of it, they were gone. I was so disappointed in myself that I did not go out there. I was embarrassed at my lack of willingness to "Be Light" in my neighborhood. God gave me another chance, in the form of Elaine, and yes, she is the SAME woman that passed by my home before. OK, I hear you, God!
Upon invitation, she came to my church's non-religious coffee house: FRESH GROUND Coffee House and had a great time. After a while, she didn't even need her oxygen! When it was time to go, she searched far and wide to tell me she was leaving and asked that we keep in touch. Folks, when the door is open for God to work, no one needs to shove. And God is at work with Elaine.
Back to the fire pit: Elaine and Andy stayed for a few hours [her without oxygen again] and wanted to say goodbye to me, but I was on the phone with my Navy-helicopter-pilot-son, as he was about to head to what can only be called as "torture training" - I had to take this call. She left a phone message and then sent an e-mail - just so I wouldn't think she was rude upon leaving without saying goodbye!
Elaine is one of the 99.7% of the Jewish world that has not been reached for Jesus. Did you know that the Jewish people are not even mentioned in many arenas as being an unreached people group? Seriously? Whom do you have in your neighborhood?
As we are now called, being the C&MA, to "Bring Light" to those that have been marginalized in the reach with the Gospel, don't you think we need to consider the debt we owe to the Jewish people? Tozer said it: "Every time a Christian picks up his Bible he is reminded of his debt to the Jew,for "Unto them were committed the Oracles of God." God chose a receptacle into which He could pour His truth, a medium through which He could communicateHis saving knowledge to mankind; that receptacle, that medium was Israel. With all her faults, in spite of all her many sins, sheproved true to the trust, andas a result we have today the written Word, the Holy Scriptures, "A lamp unto our feet and alight unto our pathway." For this great benefit no adequate return has ever been made by the Church. It is an astonishing thing that multitudes ofBible students and lovers of the truth should calmly overlook their obligation to Israel."
I didn't do anything to bring Elaine into my sphere of influence for Jesus - God worked this out. I just [well, I ignored the first call] saw a woman and looked on her with compassion. God will bring Jewish people into your life for you to share the Gospel - training is great - but just LOVE, and bring the Light of the World to them - BE LIGHT for Jesus!
- Abraham Sandler and elizabethcog like this
Thank you for sharing this,I am encouraged to hear of God using you for His will, and you answering the call right there were you are!!Praise God!