My wife and I were asked by Susie Jennings, the founder of “Operation Care Dallas,” to take the leadership of the foot washing area for Christmas Gift 2008. We served in this area in 2007 and were very blessed to be there, and we gladly accepted the invitation for 2008. I want to encourage every Christian to spend time in prayer and the study of God’s Word concerning ministering to the poor and homeless as well as the example of Jesus in washing the feet of the disciples. There are many passages that we all need to be familiar with but these two I think we should all keep in mind and reasoned through prayer:
John 13:13-17
[13] “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am. [14] If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. [16] Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. [17] If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
Isaiah 58:6-7
[6] "[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [7] [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"
Our responsibility as Christians, people who are called by the name of Jesus Christ, is to care for the poor and needy regardless of the reasons they are in their particular situations.
Jesus our Lord gave the disciples an example that they taught us to follow, and in the same way the Gospel came to the Jews first then to the Gentiles, this example came to the disciples first then to their followers. The example has been passed down to Christians as well as learning about it from the scripture, and then we take it to the world. It is an example of removing all pride and selfishness and humbling one’s self to lowliness for the sake of others.
Ministering to the homeless and impoverished is doing this very thing for many of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We cannot save anyone: only God can through Christ Jesus. But through this kind of ministry, we have the opportunity to give what we ourselves have received: the love, forgiveness, and grace of God in and through Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus teaches in the Gospels that “you are the light of the world” and that we all should let our light shine. This is one way of doing that very thing, and it makes a difference in many people’s lives ONE PERSON AT A TIME. This is the key to doing the work set before us.
As we minister love and kindness to all of them we begin to find the one’s who truly want to escape the darkness. We find those who are believers who have fallen on hard times and have no one to help them, but we as children of God, and priests in the kingdom of the King of kings are commanded by our Lord and King to care for them.
Homelessness and poverty cannot be “cured,” especially not on a mass scale. However, individuals can be blessed and ministered to in a way that will change their heart and mind, causing them to make the effort to seek help to get out of their situation. Because you have followed Christ’s example in obedience, those who receive the Lord will also serve the Lord with gratitude and help others because of that grace. This is our desire: to give each person we encounter Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the remission of sins. We want to share our lives with them, the good and the bad, in the hope that they may see and know grace, and be drawn to the same grace we have received.
This is the responsibility of every Christian, and this kind of ministry is a good place to practice that very thing. We are from many denominations and backgrounds, but what is the one thing we all have in common? Jesus our Lord and the Bible, God’s Word, that teaches us some very basic works that come through faith. If we obey this scripture: “Love God first and love your neighbor as you love yourselves, all the law and prophets are hung on these two commands.” There shouldn’t be any aggravated discussion of doctrinal differences because our focus, our reason for being here is to share the Love and grace we all have in Christ Jesus.
We must as God’s children, as servants of Jesus Christ, join together in “one mind and one Spirit” to do what our King commands us to do. Our work does not have to be confined to a one-day ministry; we can take this to the world every day and turn the world upside down for Christ. If we do this, we will see a day of incredible outpouring of the Spirit of God and everyone, homeless, laypeople, ministers, wealthy, and impoverished will be blessed as we have never witnessed in this generation.
I write this in order to provoke you to do the work of the Gospel, to do the work of the Kingdom.
Sacrificing ourselves in small ways or big ways is helpful to the cause of bringing the light into the darkness.
Here is an example: if there are a hundred people in a church congregation and 75 can afford or make the sacrifice of buying one pair of $15 to $20 pair of tennis shoes or work boots, then that is 75 people who have a pair of new shoes to protect their feet and help them meet the requirements of many jobs. If all the people in all the churches could do that one thing, how many shoes is that? How much grace is delivered to all those people? How many prayers in the darkness and fear of homelessness have been answered through your obedience, and Christ like sacrifice?
We call this a Christian nation yet right in our own towns, in our cities, we have little children going hungry without a home and living on the streets with no medical help that is efficient. Where are the Christians and what are we doing? Are we so comfortable in our economy that we have neglected the basic commands of the one that we call Lord and God?
Many are trying to do what they can, but sadly many more are not.
What are you doing to bring the grace and peace of the cross to the world?
“Freely you have received so freely give.” God Bless you in Christ Jesus,
