Daniel's Gloves (author unknown)

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day. 

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank. 

I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief. 

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.' 

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack. 

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor. 

'Looking for the pastor?' I asked. 

'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.' 

'Have you eaten today?' 'Oh, I ate something early this morning.' 

'Would you like to have lunch with me?' 

'Do you have some work I could do for you?' 

'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'  'Sure,' he replied with a smile. 

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'   ' St. Louis .' 

'Where you from?'   'Oh, all over; mostly Florida .' 

'How long you been walking?'   'Fourteen years,' came the reply. 

I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.' 

Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought. 

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God 

'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'  'Ever think of stopping?' I asked. 

 'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles, that's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.' 

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?' 

'What?' 

'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?' 

'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me.' 

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.' 

I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked. 

He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite.. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.

'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see' I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful. 

'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.   'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'  'Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?' 

'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.' 

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things. 

'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.' 

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'

 'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.' 

'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.' 'The Lord is good!'   'Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked. 

A long time,' he replied 

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.' 

'I'll be there!' was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?' 

 'You bet I will,' I shouted back, 'God bless you.' 

'God bless you to.'  And that was the last I saw of him. 

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them.... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them. 

Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?' 

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will... 

 'I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.' 

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GOD’S MISSION

Modern missions has become the fad of the few. 

Not since the first century has missions been given its rightful place of preeminence in the ministry of the church. Of course, efforts have been made to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth by churches, mission groups, societies, and individuals; but if we were to count all those involved in any phase of Christian missions... the number as a percentage would be dismally small.

The results of the fad-of-the-few-mentality have been disastrous. Two misconceptions have been most damaging in the effective and diligent spreading of the gospel message. First, missions is perceived as a super special assignment for extraordinary people.

Nothing could be farther from God’s purpose. The Bible teaches that God’s method is to use the foolish, the weak, and the despised persons of the world to bring glory to Him (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). 

God’s purpose is to be accomplished by ordinary people who believe in and serve an extraordinary God. The apostle Paul has been upheld for nearly 2,000 years as the quintessential missionary who evangelized the known world of his time.  However, many more were involved in the first century spread of the gospel.  While he was a major factor, he was not alone.  First century gospelization was  accomplished primarily by people named Barnabas, Silas, Mark, Aquila, Epaphroditus, and a host of other Christians. God intends to use everyone--the Marks and the Epaphrodituses, as well as the Pauls--to accomplish his mission. 

If we are to carry out God’s mission during our lifetime, we must erase from our minds the idea that only unusually gifted persons are capable of being missionaries. Such thinking discourages one from identifying himself with missions unless he thinks he has an extraordinary gift and some “special” calling. This kind of thinking places a halo over the missionary’s head, making it impossible for him to measure up to the ideal.  

A second misconception fostered by the fad-of-the-few mentality is that world missions can be done by proxy. 

Some think missionaries are their substitutes in world evangelization.   They feel satisfied to pray for missionaries, to support them, and to encourage them.   All these things should and must be done, but doing them does not relieve each Christian of his responsibility to be involved directly in God’s mission.  

Missions by proxy is the standard operating procedure for many churches today.  Some Christians interpret their giving as paying their part in missions... thereby discharging their obligations to personally evangelize the world.

Missionaries, mission agencies, and mission boards are practical expressions of concern by Christians and local churches, but these alone cannot fulfill the obligation God has given to every Christian and to every congregation of the body of Christ.  One command and one logistical overview help us to define our personal responsibility in God’s mission.

First the command of Jesus as recorded at Matthew 28:19-20:  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Secondly, the logistical overview that defines the mission and provides a place for all to participate... in the words of Jesus recorded in Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus commands us to... “Go... make disciples... baptize... and teach”.  He then recognized that not everyone who believes in His mission will be free to go to the ends of the earth.  So he provides a clear directive that begins in our own neighborhoods, communities and expands as our circumstances afford greater opportunities to pursue our personal evangelism for Him.

No special skills required.  No academic credentials required.  No special calling other than the ones just sited.  All you need is a love for Him and people... and He will empower you to open your mouth and declare the gospel of salvation. 

Not everyone can be a missionary in Africa or Asia or a far off place, but everyone can be on mission for God right where you are planted.

Door-Knocking for Christ

Door-knocking is the most effective way of making face-to-face community contact, whatever your message might be. Politicians do it all the time and get pretty good results on election day for their efforts. It’s typically called “get out the vote”. Many social-humanitarian causes do it and also get good reception at the door.

Unfortunately it has become a lost art. It has also gotten a bad wrap over the years as many unsavory characters have knocked on your door hawking everything from questionable insurance, cable TV, to brushes and cleaning supplies. Today we have an aversion to anyone knocking on our door with a commercial offering. We also cringe when Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons come knocking with their respective religious messages.

We have been culturally conditioned to see such activity as an invasion of our privacy. Be honest... you probably get a bit irritated when you hear an unexpected knock on your door. “Whatever you’re selling, I ain’t buying...get out of here... leave me alone!”

That being said... those who are courageous enough to try it for the first time are usually surprised by the pleasant reception they receive. What better way to spread the message of Salvation to unbelievers! It’s been done for 2,000 years very effectively and with stunning results.

Here are some pointers that will help when you go door-knocking for the first time with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

BEFORE YOU GO OUT – PREPARE A STRATEGY

Begin with a door-hanger
If you’re church can afford it, leave a door-hanger two days before you go door-knocking. It will prepare people for an expected knock at the door. The door-hanger should briefly describe the purpose of your visit and say that someone will be around in person. Make the door-hanger with light cardstock, cut about 5.5 by 8.5 inches, with a 1.5 inch hole cut in the top and a slit on the side of the hole for easy attachment to the doorknob.

Wear an official name tag
Door-knockers should wear name tags with clear identification and affiliation with the local church name and address. The name-tag ID your wear should match the ID that was on any door-hanger used a few days prior to your knock-day. The best name tags will also include a color photo of you with your name. Name tags are especially important in neighborhoods where people might be suspicious of someone knocking on the door.

Have people knock their own blocks
The easiest way to get started in door-knocking for Christ is to do your own block. This allows door-knockers to introduce themselves with something like: “My name is Bill Smith and I live in the red brick house three doors down from you.” Being a neighbor creates an immediate connection with the person answering the door; after that, everything else is much easier. Arranging for people to knock their own block is the basis of a lot of grassroots organizing.

A survey is a good excuse to door-knock
If you simply want to make a connection with people in your neighborhood or the neighborhoods near your church building, consider preparing a short survey about local concerns,civic projects, or ways to serve the needs of the poor and homeless.

Figure out responses for various situations. What if no one is home? What if the person who answers the door cannot speak English? What if a child answers the door? Figuring out responses ahead of time will make door-knocking easier. more productive and satisfying for you.

Once you have a simple STRATEGY defined... it's time to take the next step... GO!

Be Courageous... Knock on that Door!

The two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and Canada, according to a recently published report, are ones whose beliefs are known to radically conflict with Biblical Christian teachings.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarded by many as cults and not Christian, year after year report the largest membership increases of any denomination, according to statistics gathered by the National Council of Churches’ and the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. Mormon numbers have more than doubled in just over 20 years; Jehovah’s Witness membership numbers have increased 75% in the U.S. in the last 20 years.

If their doctrine is wrong, clearly in conflict with what the Bible teaches, then why are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons consistently wracking up new converts?

Maybe it’s their method of evangelizing... Door-to-Door. Face-to-Face. They quickly secure commitment for home-based Bible studies. They have frequent contact during the week with the “interested” person and family. They stay close with phone calls, emails, and they quickly involve the interested and curious in immersive fellowship activities.

Ask a Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness what accounts for their consistent growth and they will gladly tell you... Door-to-Door Evangelism.

While very successful at attracting new converts, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons knock on a lot more doors than other traditional denominations who have experimented with door-to-door evangelism.

Mormons for example knock on 1000 doors to get one Bible study. Whereas more traditional Bible-based denominations who have tested the door-to-door concept, have a ratio of 18 to 1; 18 door knocks for every one Bible study started. In recent statistical drill-down analysis, some churches have found that on average, during their door-to-door campaigns, someone is found home for every six doors knocked. A Bible study is set up for every three doors where someone is found home. When studies are set up, one-half of these studies result in a baptism into Christ. This means that on average a conversion is made, a soul is saved for every 36 doors that are knocked These are amazing results, far surpassing the Mormon stats of 1000 to 1!

Here’s the nagging question: Why don’t traditional Bible-based denominations use door-to-door evangelism as their main method for proclaiming the gospel? Forget the occasional event-driven campaigns, and make door-to-door witnessing for Christ the mainstay strategy for evangelizing. With the potential converts that could be won to Christ... why not?

Truth rings true when it come from the Holy Word of God. Just imagine the growth that could be happening if Christians would get in the game, proclaiming “TRUTH" door-to-door! Real Truth, not the perverted and distorted gospels proclaimed by the aforementioned cult-like organizations. We should be ashamed and embarrassed by these proclaimers of false teachings garnering the growth that is occurring in the greater world of so-called Christian evangelism. Think about it... in spite of their relatively unfruitful door-to-door evangelism (1,000 to 1), the Mormon Church is one of the fastest growing religious bodies in the U.S. today, while Bible-based churches have had essentially zero or marginal growth in the U.S. for the past twenty years.

Excuses abound for not embracing what works! Some church denominations say that door-to-door evangelism doesn’t work. Christians... wake up, these facts don’t lie. They’re undeniable. Proclaimers of TRUTH should be ashamed!

Some church leaders have even stated flatly that they don’t want a lot of new babes in Christ. They don’t think the church can nurture an influx of new Christians properly. In other words, effective productive evangelism would be a bad thing! The “twelve” filled with the Holy Spirit on the morning of Pentecost were courageous and prepared to handle the first wave of new believers on that day... 3,000! Thankfully no one told Peter not to get carried away in his first sermon or the results might have been different. 

Going from door-to-door proclaiming the gospel follows the example set by Paul in Acts 20:20 where he says that he did not hesitate "to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house."  A similar statement is made that the rest of the apostles also did this in Acts 5:41-42. 

Many believe that Paul is saying that he was merely preaching in house churches to small assembled groups of believers.  There is no question that this is where Christians were meeting together (Acts 2:46).   Acts 20:20 can be found frequently quoted as a proof text for both small group ministry in homes and for door-to-door evangelism to the unbeliever.  If Greek means anything to you... the same Greek word is used to describe both actions. Consider the context:  In Acts 20:21, Paul goes on to say that in doing this house to house teaching, he "declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must “turn to God” in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus."  This clearly indicates that he was carrying out a ministry to “nonbelievers”. 

Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).  The disciples were commanded to "make disciples... baptizing them... and teaching them to obey everything..." Surely, those who were taught to obey everything the disciples were commanded to do were taught to teach others. Each of these who were taught by the disciples in turn made disciples, baptized them into Christ, and taught them to do likewise wherever and to whomever they could.

This command has not changed since it was first given by Christ. It has not been modified or altered in any way. Christians today are responsible to harvest this generation of truth seekers.  We must be doing it as efficiently and effectively as Paul and the first century Christians did... door-to-door.

A common misconception about evangelism seems to be that only certain people are gifted to be evangelists. Most Christians would agree that there are certain members of a church who have the gift of giving, but no one who would say that other Christians are free from any need to obey God's commands in the matter of giving (2 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) just because others may be better equipped to do so. 

Evangelism is exactly the same.  Some may be more gifted in public speaking and teaching than others, but that does not mean that the rest of us are free to ignore God's command to to preach... to teach... to baptize... to evangelize for His Kingdom. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16)

Christians are commanded by God to proclaim the gospel. We have a clear precedent established in the “first century” church of door-to-door evangelism. We know God’s Word of Truth... we have the Holy Spirit on our side... therefore we are already perfectly equipped to handle the fruits of door-to-door evangelism. We just need to move past the “excuses” and use the methods that work. The fields truly "are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35).

We can wait no longer. NO MORE excuses! House-to-House and Door-to-Door wins souls to Christ! There is no better way!

NEXT POSTING: Equipping a Congregation for Door-to-Door Evangelism

THE MOST POPULAR RELIGION IN AMERICA

WARNING! WARNING! The most popular religion in America... what is it? Its not Christianity. Its also not Islam, Judiasm, Buddhism, Taoism, or any other religious “ism”.


According to Christian Smith, a professor and associate chair in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the National Study of Youth and Religion, the number one religion in America is something called "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" (MTD).

Mr. Smith conducted an extensive research project aimed at discovering the religious and spiritual beliefs held by U.S. teenagers.  After hundreds of discussions about religion, God, faith, prayer, and other spiritual practices, the youth of America summarily referred to their beliefs in such bizarre ways that Smith and his team labeled the hodgepodge of beliefs with a humanistic definition... Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. This religious attitude is characterized by five fundamental beliefs:


1. "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth." 2. "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most all world religions." 3. "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself." 4. "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem." 5. "Good people go to heaven when they die."

This is a religion that is far more about comfort, individualism and conformity that it is about meaning, calling, and sacrifice. What makes it particularly challenging is that it is not offered through a new MTD movement or denomination. It is actually catching on and being practiced in churches where leaders think of themselves as traditional orthodox Christian. Here’s a run down of the impact the key aspects of MTD are having in the Church:

Moralistic – Do Good attitude. 
This is the belief that the Gospel can be reduced to improvements in behavior. This moralistic approach to life believes that central to living a good and happy life is being a good, moral person. That means being nice, kind, pleasant, respectful, and responsible; working on self-improvement; taking care of one’s health; and doing one’s best to be successful.

The Christian leader that is inclined naturally toward moralism, will begin to avoid the cross as the means of salvation, justification and sanctification. They will shame families and congregations into doing better and deal harshly with those who fail to perform to the level of acceptable behavior. To deal with the pressures of ministry, a man declares himself as moral in comparison with other Christian leaders. The true standard for morality is Jesus Christ and no one can attain morality without His righteous imputation (Romans 4:3-8). Moralism or behavior modification will not help anyone gain favor with God or ease life’s pressure.

Therapeutic – Be Nice and Smile.
This is the belief that adherents enjoy psychological benefits by participating in something good. This is not a religion of repentance from sin or living as a servant of the holy sovereign God. Rather, it is about feeling good, being happy, secure, at peace. It is about attaining subjective well being, being able to resolve problems, and being nice to people. It is doing good things so that you feel good about yourself.

Church leaders who have taken the first step of avoiding the cross, will lean toward this solution as the way to marginalize the effects of sin. They might be inclined to resign from ministry to find a more favorable environment. This person focuses only on the positives and avoids conflict at all costs—even if compromise of principles is necessary.

Many well-meaning Christian leaders offer therapeutic solutions to the problems we face. They suggest that we need hobbies or retreats or new routines. One preacher said that to deal with his stress, he listens to soothing music, hangs around good friends, gets a massage and shoots guns. Apparently, he shoots guns to compensate for his other less masculine practices to cope with pressure. Another preacher said “I take mental holidays while I am at church during the week.” What does that mean? Holidays from what? Finally, another preacher said, “I have a note card that I wrote to myself inside my desk. It simply says, ‘Lighten up and smile.’” I wonder if that note card works if he or a family member contracts a terminal illness? These men are giving spiritual advise to hurting congregants who are trying to comprehend the nature of sin and the existence of God. When churches and pulpits are filled with these ideas, it’s no wonder moralistic therapeutic deism is thriving in America.

Deism – Just Do it.
This is the belief in a God who exists, created the world, but leaves you alone to do your thing. In this belief, God is like a Divine Butler who waits for you to call upon Him to intervene or a Cosmic Genie who grants your wishes. If things do not go as one expects, God gets the blame.

Deism is the natural response of a leader who avoids the cross. If fact, this leader really doesn’t believe in a sovereign God. But he likes church work. To get the job done, so he has to get a consultant, or get more educated or get systems and structures to fix the problems he faces. He has a tendency to work on the superficial structures of his personal life and to align his life with leadership maxims and pragmatic quick fix ideals. He adapts quickly to methods that are good rather than adopting principles that guide. These may not be the stated principles he verbalizes, but his actions and attitudes show this is how he functionally operates.

MTD is not an official religion, which makes it all the more dangerous to those seeking to know the true God. The implication of all of this is that the philosophies of MTD are dominating churches, pulpits, books, and counseling and coaching sessions.  God, Jesus, the Bible, prayer, all being slowly but certainly marginalized to insignificant.


Moralistic Therapeutic Deism cannot sustain a life. It cannot build a community. It cannot call people to take up a cross. Young people, raised in the Church, are embracing MTD as their religion under many names, forms variations and themes. Many older adults are embracing these themes in a quest for unity and brotherhood. MTD is capturing our culture in such deep ways that we’re hardly aware that it threatens the foundations of Christian faith.

We now face the challenge of evangelizing a nation that largely considers itself Christian, overwhelmingly believes in some deity, considers itself fervently religious, but is loosing its identity and connection to historic Biblical Christianity.

Sadly, we have failed our children, the Church has failed our children. Our failure to teach this generation of teenagers the realities and truths of Biblical Christianity will mean that their children will know even less and will be even more readily seduced by this new form of paganism.

MTD is a pathway to eternal destruction. Concerned Christians must understand how to combat MTD and build a Biblical strategy to combat this insidious evil. Leaders cannot be seduced by the good feeling expressions of MTD! Leaders... PREPARE the Church to respond to the threat of this new religion!

Moralistic Therapuetic Deism CANNOT stand against Biblical TRUTH, PRAYER, OBEDIENCE, REVERENCE, CONFESSION, SERVICE to OTHERS, STUDY, FORGIVENESS, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER, FELLOWSHIP and BROTHERHOOD. Be armed for the fight... for it is against unseen spirits!

Change the World by the Power of Christ

Christians have different visions of how to transform the political structures of the world. Some argue that change needs to come from the top down, with righteous leaders and believers in positions of power. Others believe that true political transformation swells from the ground upward, as average people's work and prayers rev the engines of political change.

Whether believers want to occupy political office to effect change or simply preach to it, we must all agree that the significance of the Christian message of the Gospel should be the center piece of a global conversation for change.

Change begins with a broken heart and grows to Passion

Where does change... the prospects of change begin? The human brain is a wonderfully complex organ, processing different kinds of information in different areas. For example, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and usually processes emotion. Scientists find ways to map where thoughts are processed, answering such questions as: “Where is romantic love located? It's not actually your heart … it's the basal ganglia region of the brain.” But have you ever noticed that some information, however important, never seems to register both intellectually and emotionally with humans?

The reality of poverty, war, and injustice in today's impoverished societies can seem like trivia, information that remains disconnected from reality. This is especially the case in developed, prosperous societies.

The desire to work for God's Kingdom must begin with a broken heart. A Christians desire to help others is grounded in the fact that while we didn't deserve anything, Christ still died on the cross to save us from our sins. Do you know someone who has sacrificed much for others?

The fact that God came to save the world, through Jesus, empowers Christians with significant responsibilities to work to bring “ change and peace” to the world. This responsibility must change our perspective. For example, when was you last time you focused on problems and issues that were not your own?

We must change our orientation... and begin thinking of the world's problems not as theirs but as ours. Before Christ... you lived in a “my” world. After Christ came into your life... all around us becomes a “we” world. What can “we” do to change the plight of the sick, homeless, and suffering? We don’t have to look far to find them... they are with us in every place, in every nation around the world.

The relationship of Christianity to political power is complicated by the reality of compromise. Politicians constantly barter and bargain for compromise on a variety of issues, while Christianity hopes to attain purity above all else.

The transforming power of God comes through love, not laws. As important as good laws are, just laws cannot substitute for a body that loves justice. It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to new and better days for impoverished peoples, but someone's soul, inspired and ablaze with a love for God.

Finding, experiencing, trusting, embracing, and walking in the light of God’s love... that’s how people change. When people change... so goes the world.

God’s Word is being Spoken in Haiti!

Audio Bibles are helping in much needed outreach to the impoverished Haitian people

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in mid-January, hundreds of disaster relief teams, aid agencies, NGO’s and governments rushed into Port-au-Prince to provide vital food, water and medical supplies.

According to a recent new release from Faith Comes By Hearing, the ministry came alongside more than 100 of these groups to provide 3,400 solar-powered Audio Bibles, called Proclaimers, to minister to Haitians’ spiritual needs.

While relief efforts are meeting physical needs, Faith Comes By Hearing's Audio Bibles are helping to bring the promises of God in the native language of people so desperate for hope and answers.

“It is a word of hope in the midst of much suffering,” said an aid worker in the news release, who contacted Faith Comes By Hearing for Haitian Audio Bibles. Three months have now passed since the earthquake, and field reports are coming back from groups that used Proclaimers.

The news release stated that one aid worker, noticed at a Bible study that not everyone had a Bible. So the aid worker approached the woman leading the group, who explained that some of the women and men weren't able to read. “We gathered them and explained what the Proclaimer was and how it was to be used. This gift was received with joy, tears and hugs. “During our stay at the camp, we were able to witness many times the Proclaimer being used. Some mornings we woke to the recorded voice of the teachings they were listening to.”

According to the news release, another team that took along Proclaimers was responsible for repairing freshwater wells and pumps to provide clean drinking water.

“We fixed 37 well pumps and had a Proclaimer playing at each well site in the disaster area,” said another aid worker. “The people were amazed when they heard the Word of God, and they asked questions. We also placed one of these Proclaimers at a primary school near the Dominican Republic border. The children love hearing the Word and smile while they listen.”

The news release said the outreach has wide support, and is being generously funded by individuals, churches, foundations, and groups across the country. For example, a sub sandwich shop owner in Port Orange, Fla., collected donations for Proclaimers and gave nearly $4,800. A children's group from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., also gave more than $1,300.

“The church as a whole took up collections for food, medical supplies, and also raised money for the tents,” said Steve Young, SECC Children's minister, speaking in the news release.

In the children's ministry, he said, “We support a different mission every month. The kids got excited about this because of the timeliness. A lot of the kids keep up with current events, and it was important for them to know that they helped someone. We felt honored and pleased to be part of it.”

Volunteer teams and short-term missions groups can continue to request Audio Bibles for their Haitian outreach through the “Every Church Every Village” program.

Since the devastating quake to hit Haiti in January, Faith Comes By Hearing is working with over 70 churches, ministries, and disaster relief organizations providing food, water, and supplies, to take Proclaimers® (solar-powered Audio Bibles) to minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of the people. For additional information visit www.faithcomesbyhearing.com