Relax. You Are Not Responsible for Changing the World

Perhaps I'm the only one with this problem. I read books and listen to sermons admonishing me to change the world...and I feel stress, anxiety, and guilt.

I look at the problems of the world:

*AIDS, war, and famine ravaging Africa
*140 million orphans in the world
*Millions of women enslaved in sex trafficking across the globe
*A billion people without knowledge of the true Christ throughout Islamic dominated societies
*Over 1 million abortions performed in America alone each year
*Inner-city poverty and crime

The list could go on and on, but the effect would be the same. I know that the problems are too big for me. I can't end any of them.

However, the good news for ordinary Christians like me is this: I'm not responsible for changing the world. I'm responsible for pursuing good, but I'm not responsible for the results.

The apostle Paul wrote, "The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people" (Titus 3:8). As a believer in God, I want to do good in every way possible. I want to help people in poverty, women who are considering an abortion, children who need parents, and everyone in need of knowing Jesus. I want to be devoted such good works.

But I also want to acknowledge my limitations. I can pursue good in every possible way for all the right reasons, but I'm not responsible for my effectiveness. The apostle Paul recognized this fact when writing about the effectiveness of his ministry (along with the ministry of Apollos). He wrote, "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). I am responsible for pursuing good works, but God is responsible for the results.

If I can keep that in mind, I can accept the next challenge to change the world without slipping into despair. I'm not going to change the world, but I can do my part and let God work through me.

Adopting Children with Disabilities

On the Hope for Orphans blog today (see my blog roll on the left side of my blog for a link), a story was posted concerning a little boy with a heart defect being adopted. It reminded me of the time that Janet and I tried to adopt a child with disabilities. Our story is found at this link...

A Disciple's Thoughts: Sage

Every child is special.

People Who Inspire Me: George Muller

George Muller (sometimes spelled Mueller) was a preacher in England during the 1800s. Born in modern Germany, Muller came to Christ from a background of lying, stealing, and drunkenness. Although raised as a Lutheran, he had no real faith in Christ until he came into contact with a small group of committed believers who met in a home. After turning to follow Jesus Christ and receiving an education in his native Germany, he immigrated to Great Britain where he became a preacher.

Why does George Muller inspire me?

1. He loved the Bible. As a seminary student, he had a strong preference for theological books. However, after seminary, Muller wrote, "God began to show me that His Word alone is our standard of judgment; that it can be explained only by the Holy Spirit; and that in our day, as well as in former times, He is the teacher of the people...The Lord enabled me to put it to the test of experience, by laying aside commentaries, and almost every other book, and simply reading the Word of God and studying it. The result of this was that the first evening I shut myself into my room to give myself to prayer and meditation over the Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of several months previously."

His love for the Bible and his dependence upon the Holy Spirit led him to adjust his practices as he discovered truth from its pages. For example, through reading the Scriptures, he came to the conclusion that believers should be baptized and that baptism meant immersion. After studying Acts 8:36-38 and Romans 6:3-6, Muller wrote, "I saw that believers only are the proper subjects of baptism, and that immersion is the only true Scriptural mode in which it ought to be attended to." Prompted by his faith and his new understanding of the Scriptures, Muller submitted to immersion as a believer.

2. He was compassionate. He saw the needs of the world and sought to meet them. His heart broke for the thousands of vulnerable orphans on the streets of England in those days. As a result, he started a small orphanage in which he and his wife worked to care for and to educate the children. At first, he and his wife cared for 30 orphaned girls. Eventually, they were able to build enough houses and hire enough workers to care for up to 2,050 at a time. By the end of his life, Muller had cared for 10,024 English orphans.

In addition, he sought to meet the spiritual needs of the world. During his lifetime, he distributed 285,407 Bibles and 1,459,506 New Testaments around the globe through his Scripture Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad. He also supported a number of missionaries, including the well-known Hudson Taylor.

3. He was a man of prayer. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Muller's life was his prayer life. He had a deep trust in God. In fact, his ministry was completely dependant on prayer. He never asked anyone but God for the resources needed to care for the orphans or to support his ministry in any way. He wanted the Lord to receive all the glory for anything good that came through his ministry. Therefore, he asked no one else for support. Of course, the Lord provided the support through other people, but those people never received a request of support from him or his co-workers. (They did receive notes of gratitude and financial reports to let them know how the money was spent.)

George Muller was an incredible man of faith in Christ.

Project Hopeful for HIV Adoptions

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (James 1:27).

The Fatherless

"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation" (Psalm 68:5).

Last Sunday, many churches around the United States observed Orphan Sunday, a day to reflect on the needs of the more than 140 million orphans around the globe and a day for each Christian to consider what he or she can do for these children in need.

Before engaging in my normal Sunday morning routine of preparing breakfast for my family (which consisted of driving to Quik Trip to buy donuts), I checked my Facebook account. Southern Baptist Seminary dean Russell Moore's status update on that morning has been in my thoughts ever since. He wrote, "Today is Orphan Sunday. Remember the fatherless, and the Fatherless, in your community and around the world."

The needs of the fatherless are overwhelming. More than 140 million children live without parents around the world. Nearly 500,000 American children are in the foster care system of the states. Many of these children grow up on the streets. Many starve to death or die of easily preventable illnesses. Many end up as victims of human trafficking in a world of forced prostitution. Many find their only solace in illegal drugs. Many are lured into gangs. Many are kidnapped and forced into becoming child soldiers for lawless militias that terrorize many nations around the world. They grow up without hope, without love, without guidance, without discipline. They are heading toward a tragic end. They need parents who will love, nurture, and protect them.

The needs of the Fatherless are overwhelming, too. More than 4 billion people around the world do not have God as their Father. They are trying to make it on their own. Sometimes they are following a false god who misleads them into an abusive situation. Sometimes, in efforts to protect themselves in a harsh world, they hurt others and themselves. Sometimes they merely wander through life, surviving in the best manner they can, but never knowing the security of the Father's love. Their lives are heading toward a great tragedy. They need the Father who will love, nurture, and protect them.

Christians are children of the Father. "In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6). As children of the Father, we have been called to care for the fatherless (James 1:27) and to seek out the Fatherless in the world whom our Father wants to adopt as his own (Matthew 28:18-20).

As John Piper said a few weeks ago at the Lausanne Conference in South Africa, "Christians, in the name of Christ, care about all suffering, especially eternal suffering." We care about the physical orphans of the world. We care about the spiritual orphans of the world. With God's help, we will do something positive about their situations.

Pure Religion

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (James 1:27).

James 1:27 is our family's latest memory verse.

As we have been working on memorizing it, we have had a few conversations about its meaning.

As I have looked at the Scripture, I have been struck by its first word: Religion. It refers to a devotion that ties one to God. James mentions that it can be pure and undefiled before God, implying that some religion can also be impure and defiled. It's been popular in recent decades to say, "Christianity isn't a religion. It's a relationship." I understand the sentiment, but I prefer James' way of looking at it. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he sees Christianity as a religion that can be pure and undefiled. He sees the Christian faith as something good and wholesome...something that connects us to the Father in a very positive way.

Then the verse focuses on what makes this religion pure and undefiled.

First, it asserts that pure and undefiled religion cares about people in need, especially orphans and widows who have no one to care for them. An impure and defiled religion would ignore or minimize the needs of people who are suffering. But Christianity, in its purest form, is a faith that takes the needs of people seriously. We follow Christ when we visit someone in the hospital, adopt an orphan, make a phone call to a widow, spend a day with a disabled man, read the Bible to a child whose parents do not believe, or sponsor a child in a poverty-stricken country. Pure religion prompts us to care about people who are suffering to the point that we will take action.

Second, the Scripture states that pure and undefiled religion motivates us to keep ourselves unstained from the world. We can do this in a number of ways:

~By accepting the word of God with humility (James 1:21)
~By eliminating our prejudice against the poor (James 2:1-13)
~By putting our faith into action (James 2:14-26)
~By controlling our words (James 3:1-12)
~By replacing envy and selfish ambition with a godly perspective of peacefulness, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy, impartiality, sincerity, humility, fairness, patience, and good conduct (James 3-5)

This kind of religion is not only pure and undefiled; it's compelling.

Caring for Orphans

Churches across the nation will be observing Orphan Sunday on November 7, 2010. For more information, please visit www.orphansunday.org.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (James 1:27).

The Heart of Christianity

"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8, NIV).

Christians can be passionate concerning many things. We love worship music. We are passionate about Bible study. We are driven to help the widows, the orphans, and the poor among us. We are passionate about pursuing justice, righteousness, and high ethical standards.

But above all, we are passionate about Jesus Christ. We love to hear about what he has done for us. We love to think about his character, his words, and his actions. We love to let other people know about him. And we look forward to his return above all other expectations.

Jesus Christ is the heart of Christianity.

The Saddleback Civil Forum on Orphans and Adoption

A couple of weeks ago, southern California's Saddleback Church hosted the Civil Forum on Orphans and Adoption. The video is available at www.saddlebackcivilforum.com/orphansandadoption.

A Respectable and Godly Man

A few weeks ago, I heard someone mention that Proverbs 31 is the text commonly used when one teaches about the qualities of a godly woman, and that Job 29 should be the text commonly used when one teaches about the qualities of a godly man. I don't remember who made that point, but it was a good one.

Job 29 describes the characteristics of a man who received high praise from God himself. The Lord said of Job, "(T)here is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil" (Job 1:8).

What would prompt God to say such a thing about a man? Consider Job's description of his life at the time the Lord made those comments:

"...I delivered the poor who cried out for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and a turban.
I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth...
Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word dropped upon them.
They waited for me as for the rain,
and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and the light of my face they did not cast down" (Job 29:12-17, 21-24).

Job cared about the poor, the orphans, and the widows. He helped and encouraged the oppressed. He was consumed with pursuing a right relationship with God and with those around him. He aided the disabled, and actively sought out those who needed his help. He did not back down from a fight against those who would take advantage of others. He was a formidable foe to those who would harm the innocent and the vulnerable. When he spoke, his words were simultaneously weighty and encouraging.

In many ways, Job (like Christ himself) is the model of biblical manhood. The world needs more men like Job.

My goal is to be more like him, too.

An Adoption Story

On the radio program FamilyLife Today, Georgia Bulldogs coach Mark Richt and his wife Katharyn tell the story of the adoption of their two children from Ukraine. You can hear the interview (or read the transcript) by clicking on the link below. (I recommend listening to it.)

FamilyLife Today - FamilyLife.com

Tomorrow, you should be able to access the second part of the interview by following a link from part one of the interview.

Posted using ShareThis

The Silence of the Orphans

This is my planned communion meditation for this coming Sunday at the Contact Church.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio interview of a man who traveled with his wife to Russia in order to adopt a couple of young boys in an orphanage.

When the couple arrived, they were shocked at what they saw: a rundown and windowless building needing numerous repairs and fresh paint, packed with young children and a sparse staff. They were most surprised by the sounds of the orphanage...actually, by the lack of sounds in the institution. Despite the large number of children, there were no cries.

You see, the orphanage was so understaffed that the employees did not have time to pay attention to crying infants. Eventually, the babies had learned that no one would pay attention to their needs. So they stopped crying. They suffered in silence, growing accustomed to feeling ignored and unloved.

After spending a few days at the orphanage with the two boys they were working to adopt, the couple noticed something both surprising and refreshing as they prepared to leave. The boys started reaching out for them and crying. "At that point," the father said, "we knew that we had connected with the boys. They had felt our love. They had become our boys."

The Bible describes Christians as adopted children of God who have learned to cry out to our Father in heaven. We have learned that our Father hears our cries and meets our needs, just like those Russian orphans had learned that their new parents cared about them. As the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:15, "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (English Standard Version).

How do we know that God loves us, his adopted children? Because a few sentences later, Paul wrote, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32, English Standard Version).

He saw our greatest need, our need for salvation, and he met it. As we take the Lord's Supper today, we remember how Christ heard our silent cries and met our greatest need.

Football, Faith, and Action

"...I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18).

I appreciated ESPN's story about University of Georgia coach Mark Richt's Christian faith at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Src61ByXEzk. In addition, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy's remarks at a prayer breakfast before the Super Bowl a few years ago are classic. You can watch them at www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8fEpvdHC40 and www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3PUPCR7NFA. These two men are coaches who have earned the respect of everyone around them by the way they live their lives. I hope everyone enjoys the videos.

The God of the Lonely People

"All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)" ~The Beatles

During last Wednesday evening's Bible class with Harold Shank (www.haroldshank.com), Dr. Shank was discussing God's heart for the widow and the orphan. He pointed out that the widows and the orphans were left alone after the deaths of their husbands and fathers. They were left without providers, defenders, and companions. They were alone and vulnerable, not only to those who would take advantage of them but to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

God notices such circumstances. He cares.

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families..." (Psalm 68:5-6).

In the Old Testament, he set up laws to protect vulnerable and lonely people like orphans, widows, and immigrants (Exodus 22:21-22). In the New Testament, he calls upon Christ's church to "look after orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27). Reflecting his heart for the lonely, God calls on his people to care for those who are alone and vulnerable.

Now the challenge is to look around and see the lonely people. Then I need to take the initiative to let them know that they are not alone and that God cares about them.

The Cry of the Orphan

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).

Next week, my favorite radio program will devote a week to covering one of my favorite topics. FamilyLife Today will feature its third annual Cry of the Orphan Week. Each day will be devoted to how Christians can help the orphans of the world. More information concerning broadcast stations and times (as well as podcasts) may be found at www.familylife.com. Please check out these broadcasts. You will not be disappointed.

More information about caring for orphans can be found at www.hopefororphans.com. Thanks for reading!

Ideas for Christians Who Want to Help Orphans

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).

World Magazine contains an interesting article this week about churches that provide matching funds and no-interest loans to families who want to adopt. It may be read at www.worldmag.com/articles/14558.

Jenna Marie Howard of World Orphans left a comment on my blog this afternoon at http://adisciplesthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/09/influencing-powerful-on-behalf-of-weak.html. She works for a group that helps churches provide homes for orphans in countries that have been devastated by the AIDS crisis, famine, war or other factors that have left the communities with large numbers of orphans. Churches may be interested in using the services of World Orphans at http://www.worldorphans.org/.

Finally, I can recommend Christian Services of Oklahoma (http://www.christian-adoption.org/) for families wanting to adopt children. The cost is about half the normal cost of an adoption because Christians from Churches of Christ donate enough money to keep expenses down. We used Christian Services of Oklahoma during our adoption process.

Thanks for reading!

Tithing: A Time for Generosity and Joy

Until tonight, I had thought of tithing as a duty similar to paying taxes. I had considered it to be a simple ritual without much appeal.

Tonight in a Bible class, Frank Lott showed me something that has changed my perspective about the Old Testament practice of tithing. He showed me a passage from Deuteronomy that revealed God's intent for tithing. God meant for it to be a time to celebrate. He wanted it to become a party in his presence. He wanted it to be a time of joy and generosity. He wanted his people to celebrate with their families, while sharing their offerings with the Levites (who had next to nothing of their own), the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows among them. Notice these powerful verses about how God originally intended for tithing to be observed:

"Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything else you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

"At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands" (Deuteronomy 14:22-29).

At some point, the intent of the tithe may have been lost. Legalism may have transformed a party into a burden. But God never intended for it to be that way. He always wanted the offering of the tithe to be a time of celebration, joy, and generosity. He intended for it to bring people closer together as they shared with each other. He designed for it to generate awe and respect for himself as the one who had provided his people with so much to celebrate and to share.

Let's recapture the spirit of the original design for the tithe in our giving today. Let's enjoy, share, and be grateful for the blessings of God in our lives.

Influencing the Powerful on Behalf of the Weak in the Name of Christ

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed" (Psalm 82:3).

A co-worker has been passing around a video tape of the Saddleback Civil Forum, the series of interviews by Saddleback Church's Rick Warren with presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. This week, Janet and I had the opportunity to view it.

Both candidates did fairly well in answering difficult questions. I liked the nature of the questions posed by Rick Warren. "Does evil exist? If so, do you believe it should be ignored, contained, or defeated? When should a baby's life receive legal protection? How do you define marriage? Whom would you not have nominated to sit on the Supreme Court?" Such questions are important. The answers reveal a person's values and approach to life.

However, I was most impressed near the end of each interview when Rick Warren mentioned that 148 million orphans in the world are needing parents today. Then he asked each candidate, "Will you commit to making it easier to adopt those children? Will your administration make it a priority to remove barriers to helping these children?" I loved that question! Finally, someone has brought the plight of the world's orphans to the attention of our national leaders. Of course, both candidates were predisposed to answering favorably. Senator Obama has made it a point to advocate for help against the AIDS crisis in Africa, where millions of children are AIDS orphans. Also, Senator McCain and his wife Cindy have adopted a daughter from Bangladesh. So both candidates committed to look into what they could do as president to help the orphans of the world to find families to protect and nurture them.

Rick Warren honored Christ by letting the leaders of our country know that Christians want to help the weak and needy orphans of the world. He has done a great thing, something that I have not heard about in the news coverage of the event, but something important to the lives of many people around the world. He has used his fame well in advocating on behalf of the weak and fatherless.

An Orphans Ministry Workshop

"Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

and those who saw me commended me,

because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to assist him" (Job 29:11-12).

I received the following e-mail from FamilyLife today and would like to share it with anyone who may be interested:

"It's likely that you or someone you know has been deeply impacted through an encounter with an orphan. It might have been a missions trip to an orphanage while in middle school. Maybe it was a foster child you mentored during college. Maybe your relative or friend is considering adopting. Whatever the case, God has planted the seed and now, it's time for that seed to take root and grow.

"Your Church and the Orphan is a biblically-based, informative, powerful, and interactive one-day workshop that will bring together a group of passionate, like-minded people from your church to pray, dream and learn about how God wants to use your church to care for orphans. The workshop is designed for Christian lay leaders (though pastors and other church leaders are welcome to attend!) who want to explore how their church can make an eternal difference for orphans and waiting children.

"Your Church and the Orphan will be held on:

Saturday, September 27, 2008

9 AM until 4:30 PM

Irving Bible Church

2435 Kinwest Parkway

Irving, TX 75063."

National Missionary Convention

"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16, NIV).

In 4 months, the National Missionary Convention of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ will be meeting in Tulsa at the Tulsa Convention Center. Several missionaries will lead workshops dealing with topics such as reaching Muslims and Buddhists, poverty, AIDS, orphans, and human trafficking. The dates are November 20-23, 2008. More information may be found at http://www.nationalmissionaryconvention.org. I hope to see you there!