CRISIS IN CHRIST CHURCH

Posted on Feb. 22,2011 @focusontheheart.org

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There are many still missing, thought to be trapped under the rubble. At 12:51 the earthquake occurred in Christchurch, so as you can imagine it was a busy lunchtime period, there was a lot of people out and about.
This is the news this morning as we awake from our nights sleep in America. Yes, the people of Christchurch, New Zealand were shocked by yet another earthquake. It was the second major quake to hit Christchurch, a city of 350,000, in five months, though Tuesday's 6.3-magnitude temblor caused far more destruction than a stronger September quake that struck before dawn on a weekend. More than 100 people, including as many as a dozen visiting Japanese students, were thought to be trapped in the rubble as darkness — and drizzling rain — fell Tuesday night. The Prime Minister John Key rushed to the city and describes it as a scene of utter devastation.
Sidewalks and roads were cracked and split, while thousands of dazed, screaming and crying residents wandered through the streets as sirens and car alarms blared. Ambulance services were quickly overwhelmed, and groups of people helped victims clutching bleedings wounds, and others were carried to private vehicles in makeshift stretchers fashioned from rugs or bits of debris. "The government is willing to throw everything it can in the rescue effort," Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said. "Time is going to be of essence."
Troops were deployed to help people get out and to throw up a security cordon around the stricken area, and residents throughout the city were urged to stay home or with neighbors and conserve water and food.

As I was reading this article in the comfort of my home this morning, my heart went out to those suffering in the midst of this crisis, but at the same time I felt helpless. I know they are suffering and that they are experiencing the worst day of ther lives, but I don't know how I can possibly help them. As I began to process this, it occurred to me that this is exactly what we are experiencing in our homes across this country of ours. Lives are being devasated by crisis upon crisis in the home and we don't know where to begin to help, so many times we just stay out of it. The last part of the article I read said that troops were deployed to help and the residents were being urged to stay home.


God help Americans to get out of this rut in the church! Sadly, this describes exactly what the majority of the people in the church are doing today! Why is this? Who told us to stay home and let the pastors go out and rescue the perishing? Can we find insructions in the Word of God to live this way? If you can find it, let me be the first to know about it, ok? Where has the sense of urgency gone for the homes in crisis? How many times do we walk into and out of church on Sunday without even looking for someone who is going through the worst day of their life? Why do we tell people to go to church when their lives are falling apart? As I read this article, I began to think about the people I met and talked to yesterday at the Community Kitchen in downtown Chattanooga Tennessee and saw how many lives have truly been touched through this effort. I talked with those volunteers who have given of themselves to reach a life in crisis. Yes, the homeless are all alone in their individual world of crisis. Every day for them is a struggle for survival, yet many of us go about with our lives as though there wasn't a problem in the world; with our earplugs in and playing our favorite songs completely oblivious to the world around us.
I'm here to tell you mother, father, brother and sister, "It's time to pull out those ear plugs and get out of our recliners and off of the computers! It's time to help the suffering people that are in our own churches, communities and cities who are experiencing crisis in their lives today!"

People who are going through the worst day of their lives without anyone to reach out to for help are out there and sadly enough, they are also in our homes sitting in the next room. Yes, just as the children in this picture have lost their parents in the quake of Christchurch, New Zealand; their are children who have lost parents right in our own churches and homes. How do feel right now for these children who have lost a mom or dad or maybe both in this awful earthquake today? Does your heart reach out to them? If so, you can do something about it! Yes, it's true, I too can do something about the compassion that I felt in my heart as I talk and prayed with the poor and sick men, women and children yesterday at the Community Kitchen.
Let your God given compassion drive you to reach out with with ever you have, to offer hope to the children; the women and the men who have recently lost a job, a spouse, a parent or best friend.

"Where are they?", you may ask. They're at your church on Sunday, at your job on Monday and even at your very own house every day of the week! Take the time to notice them and then do something to help them; offer them hope today! I challenge you tonight to ponder, "Did I really show compassion today?"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR?"

Can we be happy this year?

That's a legitimate question for anyone living in the world today, but most people will go through with the tradition of celebrating at midnight as they look forward to a New Year. As a matter of fact, many will drink and party themselves into oblivion while momentarily forgetting all of the pain and suffering that still exists throughout our nation and world.

Billions of dollars will be spent tonight on an annual celebration; forgetting the past year and moving ahead into the next year, all over the world! With the help of modern technology, we will see people in all countries and time zones as they welcome in the new year. Do you believe that anyone will be able to declare an international solution to all of the turmoil and crisis we have experienced in the past year? Will there be any great revelations that would lead to the end of poverty, hunger, sickness, flooding, mudslides, earthquakes and tsunamis? Some will talk about prospering and others will make resolutions, but does anybody have anything to say that would have a definite positive impact on the entire world this next year?

While pondering this question, I began to think about the revelation I had found in my reading one morning and decided to share it with you. As I read and re-read the passage, it occurred to me that there was a man who walked among men who offered a solution to everything that the world would ever experience! I believe we would all agree that the entire world is seeking for a blessing, great or small, in their life today. I also believe that this blessing that they seek in their life must be found in someone other than themselves in most cases. Why? Because their world is sick, weary and weak economically, physically and spiritually.

So where will they look to find such a blessing in their life when everything looks so dark? When they lose the spice of life that they had before these catastrophes came into their world?
Where do they turn for immediate relief? You may say," to the church, the mission, the government or their family". But when a national catastrophe hits, everything around you crumbles and there isn't any immediate help. It's also true that some people will call out to God at this point for help, but what if I could share with you a revelation that would allow you to experience the blessings we all are seeking as we enter the New Year? Would you take a few minutes and take a chance at trying what I have to offer you this next year? Let me ask you this, "Has anyone else offered you any solutions that guarantee blessings for next year?". Most of us would have to say, "No", but a few would say that they already know the answers and don't have time for such talk. Guess what? It's actually allot easier than most of us think and we just haven't come to realize this as a nation or as the human race! In the next few minutes you too will read what was revealed to mankind long ago. A revelation that guarantees blessings in the year ahead of you!

This revelation was first revealed at a time when there were no phones, TVs, radios or Internet. It was revealed by Jesus of Nazareth by mouth to a small group of men and they were to take this message to the huge crowd who had followed them out of their villages and towns. The crowd may have been one of the largest gatherings of that time as they came from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and from beyond Jordan. These places combined added up to possibly more than a million(s) people. The passage that I find this in is the fourth chapter of Matthew and verse twenty-five.

4:25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

As Jesus fame had spread because of the miracles he had performed, a great multitude had begun to follow Him. At that time Jesus looked on the multitudes and went up to a mountain to teach His disciples what I believe was the revelation that He wanted His disciples to carry back to the multitudes and as a disciple of God today, I bring this to you, my friend, as you enter the New year looking for a blessing in your life. This is what Jesus said to those He taught and remember as you read this, that the words of Jesus come with a lifetime Guarantee! I have placed in parenthesis the (literal Greek translation) for a deeper understanding and I hope that your will take this revelation with all seriousness and experience the blessings that you seek. Then you too can say with all sincerity,"Happy New Year!".

Matthew 5:1-12
1 And (Jesus) seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed(supremely blest) are the poor in spirit (opposite of proud): for theirs is the kingdom (royalty) of heaven (in eternity).
4 Blessed(supremely blest) are they that mourn (grieve): for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed(supremely blest) are the meek(mild or humble): for they shall inherit the earth (world).
6 Blessed(supremely blest) are they which do hunger(crave) and thirst after righteousness (justification): for they shall be filled. (filled to abundance)
7 Blessed(supremely blest) are the merciful(compassionate): for they shall obtain mercy. (receive compassion)
8 Blessed(supremely blest) are the pure(clean) in heart (in thoughts of feelings): for they shall see(have wide open eyes or to gaze at) God.
9 Blessed(supremely blest) are the peacemakers (peaceable): for they shall be called the children (son) of God.
10 Blessed(supremely blest) are they which are persecuted (pursued) for righteousness' sake (on account of righteous living): for theirs is the kingdom (royalty) of heaven. (in eternity)
11 Blessed(supremely blest) are ye, when men shall revile (defame, rail or chide) you, and persecute (pursue) you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely (saying things deceitfully to hurt you) for my sake. (on account of Jesus)
12 Rejoice, (be full of cheer) and be exceeding glad (jump for joy): for great is your reward (much pay is yours) in heaven (eternity): for so (in this way) persecuted they (the world pursued) the prophets (inspired speaker of God) which were before (prior to) you.

If you took time today to read the entire passage above, you now know that in any situation that comes your way this next year you can be blessed more than any man, church, family member or government could ever bless you. This would be my message to the nation and to the world today! As Christians we should exhibit a hope for the world and in living out this revelation in our lives throughout each day we will be the salt that savors the world around us and the light that shines through the darkness of a world in crisis of every kind!

Matthew 5:13-16
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Take to heart these words that Jesus himself revealed to His disciples on that day long ago up on the mountain overlooking the multitudes who were seeking a new day, a new life and a BLESSING!

Go to the mountain each morning and let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven! Have a Supremely Blest Year!