Saturday, May 1, 2010
Easy to Talk
It's easy to talk about someone else's woes when you are in an armchair a safe distance away.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Walking Wounded
[Dedicated to MR]
by Linda Light
I walked by the hospital one day
And out back I heard the sounds of shots fired.
Hurriedly I ran back there to see
A man kneeling on the ground,
Writhing in pain,
As a doctor stood pointing a gun
At a man who was already ill.
I shoved the gun aside and ran
To the man on the ground.
I screamed at the doctor
“ You’re supposed to help people heal here,
Not wound them more! What do you think you are doing??”
I took hold of the elbow of the now shot man,
Helped him to stand, and
Took him to a humble cottage down the road.
Urgently I rapped on the door.
A bearded man robed in white
Soon opened wide the door.
“Father, please take us in! Another patient rescued
From down the road.”
With eyes full of love, he helped the man in.
He touched his wounds and healed them,
Then lastly he touched the man’s heart.
“Go and tell others of what you’ve learned this day.”
Monday, January 11, 2010
Jewish Salvation Is Not Automatic
There are some false teachings going around in the “Christian” world that the Jewish person does not need to be told about Yeshua HaMachiach (Jesus Christ) because the Jewish people are automatically saved by being Jewish and therefore they will automatically go to Heaven when they die. Not so!! This is a lie straight from the pit of Hell to keep the gospel from the Jewish people. I love the Jewish people. I believe they are a chosen people by God to bring the law (Torah) into the world and to be the earthly line that the Messiah would be born into and enter the world of mankind in physical form. But I believe they have to make a choice about what they will do with Yeshua just like everyone else. The Bible supports this. Here is an excerpt from an article by Dr. Mitch Glaser of Chosen People Ministries that explains it very well.
The Church and Jewish Evangelism
By Dr. Mitch Glaser
Introduction
As the leader of a traditional mission to the Jewish people, I believe that all Jewish people need to accept Jesus in order to have a place in the age to come (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). I do not believe that a Jewish person is capable of keeping the Law to the extent that their human efforts would in some way satisfy God’s demands for righteousness, enabling the individual Jewish person to enter heaven on their own merit (Gal. 2:15-16, 3:23-25, Romans 10:2-4 ff.). This is true of non-Jews as well, who are judged on a different basis than the Jewish people according to the argument of the Apostle Paul in the early chapters of Romans (Romans 2:12-16, 3:9-20), but non-Jews are also made acceptable before God by the same act of conscious faith in the Son of God who died and rose for our sins (Romans 10:9-12).
I also believe it is a biblical mandate for Gentiles in the Body of Messiah to reach Jewish people with the Gospel message. In fact, according to Paul’s statement in Romans 11:11, the Gentiles are to make the Jewish people jealous. The Great Commission has application to both Jewish and Gentile believers; however, the Scriptures do not present Jewish evangelism as simply one aspect of the Great Commission among many. It is a unique venture that is specifically addressed in Scripture and once again, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, is the biblical spokesperson who argues for this position.
This mandate for Jewish evangelism (and discipleship) that Paul calls upon the Gentiles in the Body of Messiah to embrace is based upon many different passages from the New Testament, but the following two passages seem to be the most prominent.
The Mandate to Evangelize Jewish People Based Upon Romans 1:16
Franz Delitzsch, the well-known Old Testament scholar, wrote, “For the church to evangelize the world without thinking of the Jews is like a bird trying to fly with one broken wing.”
The Apostle Paul expresses it this way, For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
It is in this thematic verse of Romans that one is able to see the clear progression of evangelism. The rest of the world is not to be ignored, but the first step is to reach out to God’s chosen people. Even the word “first” clearly exhibits that the Jewish people are the first priority for evangelism in time, place and rank.
…for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first…
Of course, Paul is not suggesting that the Roman believers withhold the Gospel from the Gentiles until every Jewish person in the world is reached.
Neither is the Apostle implying that the Gospel has already come to the Jewish people first and therefore preaching the Gospel to the "Jew first" no longer has any particular application to the year 2010. Romans 1:16 is written in the present tense - so let's follow the logic of the text. If the Gospel is still the power of God "unto" salvation and is still for "all who believe," then the Gospel is still "to the Jew first."
The Greek word used by Paul and translated first is protos. It implies a priority, rather then a sequential order of events. The word is also used in Matthew 6:33 where the Lord Jesus reminds us to Seek first the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God should always be sought as a priority in our lives, even as we seek other things. In a similar way, reaching Jewish people with the Gospel must be a priority concern for all who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, focused his ministry on reaching non-Jews with the Gospel message. But this did not lessen his concern for the salvation of the Jewish people. Wherever Paul went in his ministry among the Gentiles, he also tried preached the Gospel to the Jewish people living in that area (Acts 13:13-52; 14:1-5; 18:7-11; 19:8-10). He would regularly attempt to evangelize the Jewish people of a particular city before he spoke to the Gentiles. The salvation of the Jewish people was an ever- present concern for Paul, and his actions in the Book of Acts reveal his understanding of what he wrote in Romans 1:16.
However, all too often Jewish evangelism has become the Great Omission of the Great Commission. This is beginning to change and some church bodies are taking Jewish evangelism more seriously than ever before - and it is my hope that this will continue.
A wonderful story is told of the relationship between John Wilkinson, a Gentile missionary to the Jews who founded the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, and of J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (which is now OMF). It seems that every January, Taylor would send Wilkinson a check for a sum of money with a note attached, “To the Jew first.” Wilkinson would then the same amount back to Taylor with a note that read, “And also to the Gentiles.”
I hope this is a true story, though it has almost reached the zenith of myth within the Jewish missions community! However, it does characterize the interdependence that missions to both Jews and Gentiles have in Scripture. One mission does not negate the possibility of fulfilling the other. We can reach Jewish people as a priority founded upon God’s own choice of Abraham’s seed according to the flesh, and still reach the world as commanded by our Messiah prior to the ascension.
Romans 9-11
Romans, chapters 9, 10 and 11 are passages of Scripture with which most Christians are familiar, but which are not usually understood in respect to Jewish evangelism. These texts are often utilized by preachers to instruct believers in the doctrines of election and predestination - especially Romans chapter 9.
Romans 10 speaks about the role of preaching and the preacher in evangelism: “How can they hear without a preacher?” This is the passage believers use regarding evangelism in general and the role of the Word of God in evangelism.
In Romans chapter 11, where clearly the relationship of Israel and the Church is central to the Apostle's thinking, the text is mostly known for the final few verses which form a doxology, “For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever and ever.”
Yet for our purposes, Romans 9, 10 and 11 are some of the most critical chapters of Scripture dealing with Jewish evangelism, the role of the Jewish people in God’s plan, and the role of the evangelist among the Jewish people.
Some Key Thoughts from the Text
In Romans 9-11, the Apostle Paul points out some key thoughts about the Jewish people and about Jewish evangelism.
For example, in Romans 9:1-3, we learn of Paul’s burden for the Jewish people. The statement “I wish that I would be accursed” shows Paul’s willingness to go to hell so that Jewish people might go to heaven. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, had a great burden for his own people.
In Romans 10:1 we learn about Paul’s desire to pray for the Jewish people. “Brethren, my heart’s desire, my prayer to God is that Israel might be saved.” The Apostle Paul relates his struggle in Romans 9-11 as he attempts to figure out how in God’s plan, the Jewish people did not embrace Jesus as their Messiah.
In chapter 11 Paul concludes that God has not rejected the Jewish people and that there is hope for their salvation in the present age and in the age to come.
The following summarizes the Apostle's struggle and conclusion. Did all Israel reject Christ? Did God reject the Jewish people? No - all Israel did not reject Christ because Paul himself declares that he is a Jew in Romans 11:1 ! So not all Jewish people rejected Jesus, because Paul himself was Jewish! Had God rejected the Jewish people for their unbelief? No! Paul is living evidence of God’s faithfulness. I too am a Jewish believer in Jesus, and there is a remnant of Jews today who are accepting the gift of salvation through our various ministries.
God had preserved a remnant, and there is a remnant today as there was in even in the Old Testament period, as evidenced by Paul’s recounting of the story in 2 Kings 18. Elijah went up to Mt. Carmel to stage a contest with the Ba’al worshippers. What ultimately happens is that God shows Elijah when he feels all alone that he has company, because there are 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Ba'al.
This remnant doctrine is extremely important in Scripture and is mentioned throughout Scripture from Genesis through Revelation. Sha’ar, the remnant, is a key term and a very important concept in Scripture.
Noah is one example of the remnant. God was willing to preserve a city, Sodom, for the sake of the remnant. Often you see the phrase, “except for the sake of the remnant, I would have destroyed...” Jewish believers today are also part of the remnant.
This doctrine points out that we are not alone. The Apostle Paul's teaching reminds us that in every age there exists a remnant of Jewish people who are open to the Lord and willing to follow Him! In this age, clearly, accepting Jesus as the Jewish Messiah fulfills this faith in God.
One of the reasons I am excited about serving with Chosen People Ministries is because I know that in every corner of the globe and every community within our own country, there are Jewish people ready to hear the Good News and respond positively.
This is why we should preach the Gospel “to the Jew first” in our communities, knowing that the Lord has promised to save a remnant.
I hope we will follow the Lord’s mandate and proclaim the Good News to the Jewish people and keep Jewish evangelism close to our hearts, as we know from Scripture that God is not finished with His people yet! (Romans 11:25-27).
The Church and Jewish Evangelism
By Dr. Mitch Glaser
Introduction
As the leader of a traditional mission to the Jewish people, I believe that all Jewish people need to accept Jesus in order to have a place in the age to come (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). I do not believe that a Jewish person is capable of keeping the Law to the extent that their human efforts would in some way satisfy God’s demands for righteousness, enabling the individual Jewish person to enter heaven on their own merit (Gal. 2:15-16, 3:23-25, Romans 10:2-4 ff.). This is true of non-Jews as well, who are judged on a different basis than the Jewish people according to the argument of the Apostle Paul in the early chapters of Romans (Romans 2:12-16, 3:9-20), but non-Jews are also made acceptable before God by the same act of conscious faith in the Son of God who died and rose for our sins (Romans 10:9-12).
I also believe it is a biblical mandate for Gentiles in the Body of Messiah to reach Jewish people with the Gospel message. In fact, according to Paul’s statement in Romans 11:11, the Gentiles are to make the Jewish people jealous. The Great Commission has application to both Jewish and Gentile believers; however, the Scriptures do not present Jewish evangelism as simply one aspect of the Great Commission among many. It is a unique venture that is specifically addressed in Scripture and once again, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, is the biblical spokesperson who argues for this position.
This mandate for Jewish evangelism (and discipleship) that Paul calls upon the Gentiles in the Body of Messiah to embrace is based upon many different passages from the New Testament, but the following two passages seem to be the most prominent.
The Mandate to Evangelize Jewish People Based Upon Romans 1:16
Franz Delitzsch, the well-known Old Testament scholar, wrote, “For the church to evangelize the world without thinking of the Jews is like a bird trying to fly with one broken wing.”
The Apostle Paul expresses it this way, For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
It is in this thematic verse of Romans that one is able to see the clear progression of evangelism. The rest of the world is not to be ignored, but the first step is to reach out to God’s chosen people. Even the word “first” clearly exhibits that the Jewish people are the first priority for evangelism in time, place and rank.
…for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first…
Of course, Paul is not suggesting that the Roman believers withhold the Gospel from the Gentiles until every Jewish person in the world is reached.
Neither is the Apostle implying that the Gospel has already come to the Jewish people first and therefore preaching the Gospel to the "Jew first" no longer has any particular application to the year 2010. Romans 1:16 is written in the present tense - so let's follow the logic of the text. If the Gospel is still the power of God "unto" salvation and is still for "all who believe," then the Gospel is still "to the Jew first."
The Greek word used by Paul and translated first is protos. It implies a priority, rather then a sequential order of events. The word is also used in Matthew 6:33 where the Lord Jesus reminds us to Seek first the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God should always be sought as a priority in our lives, even as we seek other things. In a similar way, reaching Jewish people with the Gospel must be a priority concern for all who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, focused his ministry on reaching non-Jews with the Gospel message. But this did not lessen his concern for the salvation of the Jewish people. Wherever Paul went in his ministry among the Gentiles, he also tried preached the Gospel to the Jewish people living in that area (Acts 13:13-52; 14:1-5; 18:7-11; 19:8-10). He would regularly attempt to evangelize the Jewish people of a particular city before he spoke to the Gentiles. The salvation of the Jewish people was an ever- present concern for Paul, and his actions in the Book of Acts reveal his understanding of what he wrote in Romans 1:16.
However, all too often Jewish evangelism has become the Great Omission of the Great Commission. This is beginning to change and some church bodies are taking Jewish evangelism more seriously than ever before - and it is my hope that this will continue.
A wonderful story is told of the relationship between John Wilkinson, a Gentile missionary to the Jews who founded the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, and of J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (which is now OMF). It seems that every January, Taylor would send Wilkinson a check for a sum of money with a note attached, “To the Jew first.” Wilkinson would then the same amount back to Taylor with a note that read, “And also to the Gentiles.”
I hope this is a true story, though it has almost reached the zenith of myth within the Jewish missions community! However, it does characterize the interdependence that missions to both Jews and Gentiles have in Scripture. One mission does not negate the possibility of fulfilling the other. We can reach Jewish people as a priority founded upon God’s own choice of Abraham’s seed according to the flesh, and still reach the world as commanded by our Messiah prior to the ascension.
Romans 9-11
Romans, chapters 9, 10 and 11 are passages of Scripture with which most Christians are familiar, but which are not usually understood in respect to Jewish evangelism. These texts are often utilized by preachers to instruct believers in the doctrines of election and predestination - especially Romans chapter 9.
Romans 10 speaks about the role of preaching and the preacher in evangelism: “How can they hear without a preacher?” This is the passage believers use regarding evangelism in general and the role of the Word of God in evangelism.
In Romans chapter 11, where clearly the relationship of Israel and the Church is central to the Apostle's thinking, the text is mostly known for the final few verses which form a doxology, “For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever and ever.”
Yet for our purposes, Romans 9, 10 and 11 are some of the most critical chapters of Scripture dealing with Jewish evangelism, the role of the Jewish people in God’s plan, and the role of the evangelist among the Jewish people.
Some Key Thoughts from the Text
In Romans 9-11, the Apostle Paul points out some key thoughts about the Jewish people and about Jewish evangelism.
For example, in Romans 9:1-3, we learn of Paul’s burden for the Jewish people. The statement “I wish that I would be accursed” shows Paul’s willingness to go to hell so that Jewish people might go to heaven. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, had a great burden for his own people.
In Romans 10:1 we learn about Paul’s desire to pray for the Jewish people. “Brethren, my heart’s desire, my prayer to God is that Israel might be saved.” The Apostle Paul relates his struggle in Romans 9-11 as he attempts to figure out how in God’s plan, the Jewish people did not embrace Jesus as their Messiah.
In chapter 11 Paul concludes that God has not rejected the Jewish people and that there is hope for their salvation in the present age and in the age to come.
The following summarizes the Apostle's struggle and conclusion. Did all Israel reject Christ? Did God reject the Jewish people? No - all Israel did not reject Christ because Paul himself declares that he is a Jew in Romans 11:1 ! So not all Jewish people rejected Jesus, because Paul himself was Jewish! Had God rejected the Jewish people for their unbelief? No! Paul is living evidence of God’s faithfulness. I too am a Jewish believer in Jesus, and there is a remnant of Jews today who are accepting the gift of salvation through our various ministries.
God had preserved a remnant, and there is a remnant today as there was in even in the Old Testament period, as evidenced by Paul’s recounting of the story in 2 Kings 18. Elijah went up to Mt. Carmel to stage a contest with the Ba’al worshippers. What ultimately happens is that God shows Elijah when he feels all alone that he has company, because there are 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Ba'al.
This remnant doctrine is extremely important in Scripture and is mentioned throughout Scripture from Genesis through Revelation. Sha’ar, the remnant, is a key term and a very important concept in Scripture.
Noah is one example of the remnant. God was willing to preserve a city, Sodom, for the sake of the remnant. Often you see the phrase, “except for the sake of the remnant, I would have destroyed...” Jewish believers today are also part of the remnant.
This doctrine points out that we are not alone. The Apostle Paul's teaching reminds us that in every age there exists a remnant of Jewish people who are open to the Lord and willing to follow Him! In this age, clearly, accepting Jesus as the Jewish Messiah fulfills this faith in God.
One of the reasons I am excited about serving with Chosen People Ministries is because I know that in every corner of the globe and every community within our own country, there are Jewish people ready to hear the Good News and respond positively.
This is why we should preach the Gospel “to the Jew first” in our communities, knowing that the Lord has promised to save a remnant.
I hope we will follow the Lord’s mandate and proclaim the Good News to the Jewish people and keep Jewish evangelism close to our hearts, as we know from Scripture that God is not finished with His people yet! (Romans 11:25-27).
Thursday, December 24, 2009
If Jesus Had Not Been Born, There Would Have Been No Crucifixion
'Tis the season to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, God's Anointed One, Yeshua HaMachiah.
There are some who would be spoil sports and try to take the joy of our Savior’s birth out of this time of year, saying Christmas has pagan origins and that we don’t know for sure if Jesus the Messiah was really born on December 25. Also, they would remind us that it was Jesus’ death on the cross that brought salvation to humankind. Well, I’m here to say that Jesus’ birth is an event worth celebrating regardless of when it happened. It did happen! He is THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD! He offered his perfect, sinless body up on the cross as the perfect blood sacrifice to pay the price for our sins. Jesus TOOK UPON HIMSELF all the sins of humankind, past, present and future in those hours of suffering on the cross. BUT, if He had not come down to earth into the womb of a human woman, a virgin, supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit, in human form and been born, He would have never been on earth to do that in the first place. He had to become wholly human, yet wholly divine to fulfill EACH AND EVERY Messianic prophecy foretold in the Judaic Tanakh, or Old Testament in the Christian scriptures. He could not truly claim to be God’s Anointed One if he failed to fulfill even one Messianic prophecy. One of those prophecies foretold centuries before His birth is found in Isaiah 7:14:
A virgin shall conceive and bear a son. A woman who should not even be pregnant is going to have a BABY! And IT’S A BOY! His name will be IMMANUEL, which means GOD WITH US! The Divine Creator is sending his only Son to earth in human form to literally live among mankind, and laugh and cry and suffer rejection JUST LIKE US! Immanuel will know what it is like to be human in every way. To humble Himself and become as one of us. What a loving God!
Truly the message for this time of year is one the angels sang after one of them announced Jesus’ birth to those shepherds long ago: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men”. Hallelujah!
There are some who would be spoil sports and try to take the joy of our Savior’s birth out of this time of year, saying Christmas has pagan origins and that we don’t know for sure if Jesus the Messiah was really born on December 25. Also, they would remind us that it was Jesus’ death on the cross that brought salvation to humankind. Well, I’m here to say that Jesus’ birth is an event worth celebrating regardless of when it happened. It did happen! He is THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD! He offered his perfect, sinless body up on the cross as the perfect blood sacrifice to pay the price for our sins. Jesus TOOK UPON HIMSELF all the sins of humankind, past, present and future in those hours of suffering on the cross. BUT, if He had not come down to earth into the womb of a human woman, a virgin, supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit, in human form and been born, He would have never been on earth to do that in the first place. He had to become wholly human, yet wholly divine to fulfill EACH AND EVERY Messianic prophecy foretold in the Judaic Tanakh, or Old Testament in the Christian scriptures. He could not truly claim to be God’s Anointed One if he failed to fulfill even one Messianic prophecy. One of those prophecies foretold centuries before His birth is found in Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
A virgin shall conceive and bear a son. A woman who should not even be pregnant is going to have a BABY! And IT’S A BOY! His name will be IMMANUEL, which means GOD WITH US! The Divine Creator is sending his only Son to earth in human form to literally live among mankind, and laugh and cry and suffer rejection JUST LIKE US! Immanuel will know what it is like to be human in every way. To humble Himself and become as one of us. What a loving God!
Truly the message for this time of year is one the angels sang after one of them announced Jesus’ birth to those shepherds long ago: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men”. Hallelujah!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Who Is the Rich One? or, 'The Man on the Street'
I’ve been feeling really bummed out, depressed lately. Unemployed and feeling useless. Didn’t want to write anything here because I want this blog to be a place for being uplifted, encouraged, comforted, maybe exhorted from time to time. But just when I’m feeling at my lowest and feeling sorry for myself, God sends someone across my path to remind me that there are people out there who are in a far worse situation than I am, and yet they bear it with such grace and faith in God. They put me to shame.
Feeling a head cold coming on and not feeling like cooking, but wanting something warm to eat, I walked to a local fast food place for some late breakfast. I can’t afford to eat out very often, yet if I do, it’s usually a cheap fast food place. While sitting inside the dining area eating I saw this presumably homeless man from his somewhat shabby, disheveled appearance come in through a side door and sit down a few seats from me at a counter. Another man whom I did not see was sitting in a booth behind me and he began talking to the guy beside me, asking him if he was hungry and walking over to give him some money to get something to eat with. He then sat down back at his booth and told the guy about the food stamp program and how it worked. The man beside me never once asked anyone for money or anything. He just quietly came, used the bathroom and sat in the dining area. After a few minutes of silence and thinking, I decided to chime in with some further information on what office location he could go to specifically for this area of town since the other guy was originally not from this part of town, and government assistance offices here in the Phoenix area each serve people according to the ZIP codes assigned to that office. The other guy behind me talked to him some more. From that conversation I learned the guy beside me had a camp somewhere up the road from there. He said his church was helping him out a lot, too. Then man behind me then told the other guy that he was homeless, too. This latter guy had bought something to eat there, finished, and walked out after that. I then saw him with his overstuffed backpack, clean and neat nevertheless, walk out the door. It then dawned on me what had just happened. One homeless man had just helped another homeless man out for a meal after seeking reassurance that he would use the money to buy something to eat with the money, not something else. The first homeless man went to order something to eat then, and I felt led to quietly go up and slip a dollar on the counter before him to insure he got enough to eat. I said not a word, just quietly went and sat back down to finish eating. After awhile when he had gotten his food, the guy thanked me and told me he knew where to go but had not had a chance to go there yet and fill out the paperwork for food stamps. Both of the homeless men were very sober, and fairly clean, in spite of their situations. Most homeless men I encounter smell strongly of alcohol and are drunk as a skunk, very belligerent, always trying to start an argument and beg for money or cigarettes. These guys were very polite and well-behaved. The guy beside me looked to be in his 40’s somewhere. The other guy was younger, probably in his late 20’s or early 30’s. The guy beside me started talking to me some more. He asked me if he could ask me a personal question. Hesitantly, I said yes, but fearing he was now going to “hit” on me and try to sweet talk his way into me taking him home and having sex with him, making him kinda my gigolo. I’ve had it happen to me before. Turns out all he wanted to know was my name. I gave him just my first name. He said he asked because he wanted to say a prayer for me that night. I thanked him. I asked him just before I left what his name was and he told me his name was Kurt. But while I was still there eating, Kurt began to talk some more. He told me how Jesus had saved him one day on the street corner just across the street. He was filthy dirty at the time, had hit bottom in his life, and was wanting to go to church but did not have a way to get there. He said most people usually thought he was “out of his mind” when he told them that, about Jesus saving him there, but it was the truth. God had also provided a way for him to get to church that day. Being a woman I did not want to appear too friendly, so I didn’t ask him details, but nodded and told him that I believed him. I told him that I was a born again Christian, too. He told me how rich he felt, in spite of his homeless situation, and how it wasn’t material goods that mattered in this life, but having Jesus in one’s heart. He told me that at one time in his life he had had nice homes, owned several nice cars and motorcycles, but that now he had nothing, nothing at all. Yet he acknowledged that all those things meant nothing, and that the only thing that really mattered was to have Jesus’ in one’s heart. So he felt rich, actually. He had the only thing that really mattered. He had a positive attitude. Gentle. Not bitter or angry. I felt in my spirit the love for God that he had in his heart. He went on to tell me how the manager of the place where we were at, John, was also a Christian. I told him that I thought so, but I wasn’t sure, because of the man’s friendly welcoming, sincere smile he greeted a person with when they came in the door, and his genuine pleasure at serving others and bringing their food to them if they ate in. Not a superficial attitude for on the job. His attitude was sincere. He makes a person feel like he/she is a welcome guest in his home. Anyway, Kurt told me how John and he were friends and how they shared books. Turned out Kurt loved to read fiction books, adventure and mystery and when he had finished with a book he would pass it on to the manager, John, to read because he liked to read also. When I heard about his love of books I was reminded that I had some books at home that I was going to donate somewhere and they were the kind of books that Kurt liked to read. I had finished with the books and don’t have much space to store things. It occurred to me that I could bring a little joy to this homeless man’s life by giving him my books even though I had not much money to give him. So I told him I liked those kind of books, too, and had some at home that I was going to give away anyway, and if he was going to be around long enough, that I would go home and get them and bring them there to him. I told him if they were books that he did not like, maybe he could pass them on to someone else who would like them. He joyfully said sure, he would do that, and he would be glad to accept the books. He said he respected books and never threw them away if he was done with one, but tried to find someone else to pass it along to who liked it. So I told him I didn’t live far from there, told him I had the books ready to go, and for him to wait there while I went home and brought them back there for him. That’s when I asked him his name and told him that I would pray for him also. I walked home, got the books in a plastic bag, and brought them to him. He was still sitting at the counter where I had left him. I handed over the books to him and just smiled and said “Enjoy!”. He smiled as he accepted them and said he had made a new friend and repeated that he would pray for me that night. I just smiled and nodded at him and left to go back home.
Afterwards I reflected on the experience. While listening to his story, I felt ashamed for my own self pity and lack of gratitude to God for all that he had given me. This man had nothing materially, not even a roof over his head, but he was content, knowing that it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world, but lose his soul. Suddenly, materially I felt rich and humbly blessed of God. Sure I had no job, but I had a roof over my head, however small and cramped, food to eat, clothes. I had family, a son, whom I love very much, living with me. We manage to get along in spite of close quarters. So who was the richer person in this story, I or the homeless man, Kurt? I would say Kurt was.
Feeling a head cold coming on and not feeling like cooking, but wanting something warm to eat, I walked to a local fast food place for some late breakfast. I can’t afford to eat out very often, yet if I do, it’s usually a cheap fast food place. While sitting inside the dining area eating I saw this presumably homeless man from his somewhat shabby, disheveled appearance come in through a side door and sit down a few seats from me at a counter. Another man whom I did not see was sitting in a booth behind me and he began talking to the guy beside me, asking him if he was hungry and walking over to give him some money to get something to eat with. He then sat down back at his booth and told the guy about the food stamp program and how it worked. The man beside me never once asked anyone for money or anything. He just quietly came, used the bathroom and sat in the dining area. After a few minutes of silence and thinking, I decided to chime in with some further information on what office location he could go to specifically for this area of town since the other guy was originally not from this part of town, and government assistance offices here in the Phoenix area each serve people according to the ZIP codes assigned to that office. The other guy behind me talked to him some more. From that conversation I learned the guy beside me had a camp somewhere up the road from there. He said his church was helping him out a lot, too. Then man behind me then told the other guy that he was homeless, too. This latter guy had bought something to eat there, finished, and walked out after that. I then saw him with his overstuffed backpack, clean and neat nevertheless, walk out the door. It then dawned on me what had just happened. One homeless man had just helped another homeless man out for a meal after seeking reassurance that he would use the money to buy something to eat with the money, not something else. The first homeless man went to order something to eat then, and I felt led to quietly go up and slip a dollar on the counter before him to insure he got enough to eat. I said not a word, just quietly went and sat back down to finish eating. After awhile when he had gotten his food, the guy thanked me and told me he knew where to go but had not had a chance to go there yet and fill out the paperwork for food stamps. Both of the homeless men were very sober, and fairly clean, in spite of their situations. Most homeless men I encounter smell strongly of alcohol and are drunk as a skunk, very belligerent, always trying to start an argument and beg for money or cigarettes. These guys were very polite and well-behaved. The guy beside me looked to be in his 40’s somewhere. The other guy was younger, probably in his late 20’s or early 30’s. The guy beside me started talking to me some more. He asked me if he could ask me a personal question. Hesitantly, I said yes, but fearing he was now going to “hit” on me and try to sweet talk his way into me taking him home and having sex with him, making him kinda my gigolo. I’ve had it happen to me before. Turns out all he wanted to know was my name. I gave him just my first name. He said he asked because he wanted to say a prayer for me that night. I thanked him. I asked him just before I left what his name was and he told me his name was Kurt. But while I was still there eating, Kurt began to talk some more. He told me how Jesus had saved him one day on the street corner just across the street. He was filthy dirty at the time, had hit bottom in his life, and was wanting to go to church but did not have a way to get there. He said most people usually thought he was “out of his mind” when he told them that, about Jesus saving him there, but it was the truth. God had also provided a way for him to get to church that day. Being a woman I did not want to appear too friendly, so I didn’t ask him details, but nodded and told him that I believed him. I told him that I was a born again Christian, too. He told me how rich he felt, in spite of his homeless situation, and how it wasn’t material goods that mattered in this life, but having Jesus in one’s heart. He told me that at one time in his life he had had nice homes, owned several nice cars and motorcycles, but that now he had nothing, nothing at all. Yet he acknowledged that all those things meant nothing, and that the only thing that really mattered was to have Jesus’ in one’s heart. So he felt rich, actually. He had the only thing that really mattered. He had a positive attitude. Gentle. Not bitter or angry. I felt in my spirit the love for God that he had in his heart. He went on to tell me how the manager of the place where we were at, John, was also a Christian. I told him that I thought so, but I wasn’t sure, because of the man’s friendly welcoming, sincere smile he greeted a person with when they came in the door, and his genuine pleasure at serving others and bringing their food to them if they ate in. Not a superficial attitude for on the job. His attitude was sincere. He makes a person feel like he/she is a welcome guest in his home. Anyway, Kurt told me how John and he were friends and how they shared books. Turned out Kurt loved to read fiction books, adventure and mystery and when he had finished with a book he would pass it on to the manager, John, to read because he liked to read also. When I heard about his love of books I was reminded that I had some books at home that I was going to donate somewhere and they were the kind of books that Kurt liked to read. I had finished with the books and don’t have much space to store things. It occurred to me that I could bring a little joy to this homeless man’s life by giving him my books even though I had not much money to give him. So I told him I liked those kind of books, too, and had some at home that I was going to give away anyway, and if he was going to be around long enough, that I would go home and get them and bring them there to him. I told him if they were books that he did not like, maybe he could pass them on to someone else who would like them. He joyfully said sure, he would do that, and he would be glad to accept the books. He said he respected books and never threw them away if he was done with one, but tried to find someone else to pass it along to who liked it. So I told him I didn’t live far from there, told him I had the books ready to go, and for him to wait there while I went home and brought them back there for him. That’s when I asked him his name and told him that I would pray for him also. I walked home, got the books in a plastic bag, and brought them to him. He was still sitting at the counter where I had left him. I handed over the books to him and just smiled and said “Enjoy!”. He smiled as he accepted them and said he had made a new friend and repeated that he would pray for me that night. I just smiled and nodded at him and left to go back home.
Afterwards I reflected on the experience. While listening to his story, I felt ashamed for my own self pity and lack of gratitude to God for all that he had given me. This man had nothing materially, not even a roof over his head, but he was content, knowing that it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world, but lose his soul. Suddenly, materially I felt rich and humbly blessed of God. Sure I had no job, but I had a roof over my head, however small and cramped, food to eat, clothes. I had family, a son, whom I love very much, living with me. We manage to get along in spite of close quarters. So who was the richer person in this story, I or the homeless man, Kurt? I would say Kurt was.
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