Evangelism or Compassion

[eddybear]

Loving actions speak louder than words.

Love should ideally be unconditional, as God's love in Christ is to us. So we give someone bread whether they are thankful or rude, whether they want to talk of Christ or not. Some will only be interested in bread (after all, even Jesus faced that attitude) but some, seeing our love, will then want to hear about Jesus.

But meet the felt need first. "An empty stomach has no ears" as the African proverb says.

Or, as Jesus taught us to pray, first..... "Give us this day our daily bread"....and then...."forgive us our sins."

[canny]

nice post Eddy , thank you

[Lambsy]

Homeless people are always being told to move on, so its music to their ears when they are told to stay and relax, have something to eat and drink.

If we take away some immediate worry and anxieties, and accept them, their sense of self worth comes back, even if its for a short time.
If you see the anxiety in the faces of homeless, they are focused on immediate needs. Supply the immediate need and you take away the immediate worry.

Young homeless parents have many worries, fears for their children, fear of judgements, fear that their children will be taken away from them.

A 19 year old father of three, who was self mutilating, on drugs and very defencive, basically had his self esteem destroyed by a judgemental family sneering at his young homeless family.
All he needed was hope and acceptance, and to be told he was doing a good job. When I told him this, all his pain flowed like a river, and he couldn't stop crying. So there we were crying like idiots hugging in the street. ( We laugh about that now )
From there, with all my mining connections I helped organize him a high paying job, he had to pass a drug screen and get a couple of licences.

He felt his worth again, got his family off the street permanently, sometimes encouragement, humor and acceptence is all people need.
He was constantly told that he was a loser, told that his wife was a tramp, and his children were grots.

Tell people the opposite of what the world is telling them.

Heaven is full of losers. The losers of this world, who were never given a chance are held firmly in the hands of Jesus.

" What you did even for the least of these, you did it for Me. "

Look for the least in this world, and there you will find Jesus.

It makes your job all the more easy, look for those the world calls useless losers, they are the bearers of priceless and everlasting treasures.

[canny]

Wonderful stuff Lambsy thank you for sharing that

[onesiphorus]

Yes

[Bloodbought]

Thanks for that story Lamsby. It is amazing how God can change a life with a littkle help from us.

In a situation like that is it wrong to provide spiritual help and try for example to talk to someone about God? That what the politician was proposing to stop!

[GloryB]

Thanks so much for your story Lambsy! It shows the body of Christ has got to do something more to help those who find themselves in unfortunate situations than throwing a few dented cans of corn in a box in their church hall food collection. Until I moved into a lower income area in a city, I had no idea there were so many people with so many hurts and needs. It is so overwhelming.

I look at all the people who make their living on the street while driving home from work the other night. Their faces look dead with no hope in sight. I'm sure Jesus wants me to respond in some way, but other than prayer, getting out of the car is unsafe. I ask myself every night.... "Where are the men from the body of Christ - why doesn't anyone seem to care?" Why not hold a free barbeque in a parking lot during the day hours so there is at least some contact made?

[Lambsy]

Make no mistake, you are snatching souls from the darkness, and the darkness fights back.

If you do not pray, you will not last.

This ministry is not for everyone, however prayer for those in the darkness is your first priority, if you can't go face to face.

Pray for those who minister.

I do not recommend women be on their own in this ministry, this is not meant to be patronizing, this is from hard won experience. Go as a group especially if it is at night, and make friends with people first, get to know them.

Give them a judgement free zone. Very soon they will be your family, they will see you as family.

You must use wisdom when dealing with these people, do not promise them to much or get yourself manipulated into a corner. Do not expect any gratitude this is all about service.

Pray before going out, fill up. Pray for protection and guidance. After you come back pray for any wrong attachments to be removed, that anything harmful may be bound, and that you be freed from any burdens.

Pray, Pray, Pray. No Pray, no way.

And just another reminder, Pray.

[Lambsy]

Thanks so much for your story Lambsy! It shows the body of Christ has got to do something more to help those who find themselves in unfortunate situations than throwing a few dented cans of corn in a box in their church hall food collection. Until I moved into a lower income area in a city, I had no idea there were so many people with so many hurts and needs. It is so overwhelming.

One person at a time isn't as overwhelming, thats all we can handle, otherwise we become overburdened. If you have prayed first you will be lead, and they, who ever they are, will be lead to you.

Start once a week, for a couple of hours.

I look at all the people who make their living on the street while driving home from work the other night. Their faces look dead with no hope in sight. I'm sure Jesus wants me to respond in some way, but other than prayer, getting out of the car is unsafe

Prayer is the best and highest charity you can perform, any actions done without prayer, achieves nothing. This is not a physical battle, this a spiritual battle, I can not stress this point enough. With prayer and fasting you can defy all natural laws, if you did nothing but pray from the heart, you are already performing the greatest service.
I don't care if a billionaire spends his fortune trying to help, he will acheive far less than someone who prays and fasts.
If the Lord does not build the house then in vain do the builders labor.

I ask myself every night.... "Where are the men from the body of Christ - why doesn't anyone seem to care?" Why not hold a free barbeque in a parking lot during the day hours so there is at least some contact made?

The harvest is rich but the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers now into His fields. Pray that peoples hearts and minds are renewed, and turned to what is most important.
The darkness is in this indifference, only prayer cuts through this darkness.

This is the loneliness, and bitterness, when we see people enjoying themselves and carrying on with life as normal, unseeing. And many times we are tempted to be like them when it feels like its all to hard, care free, partying, unthinking and slothful.
But this is not the path of service that we are committed to, we are not here to entertain self or be one with the world.

First we must eliminate any darkness in us and in Jesus Name go onward, carrying the light. Being an example to others, rally people by example.

Prayer first and let Jesus do the work.

No Prayer. No where.