Looking Like the Lowly
Greetings sisters!
I pray your day is not idle. I bring that up because as we were working online we witness a lot of idleness in people. Oftentimes a group will gather, usually the elderly, and they sit and stare around, saying something every once in a while. Normally the conversation has very little value and sometimes it's outright vulgar. It's a waste of the precious time God has given them and when the opportunity arises we hand out a gospel card to those interested.
The other day, in a post I wrote, I talked about how we sleep in the same parking lots as the homeless so brother Jim and I were talking about the similarities that we have with the homeless. No, we don't try to look or act like them nor do we condone anyone to be a homeless beggar. (Brother Jim is always telling them what God's Word says; 'if you don't work you don't eat'.) We are self funded and because we need so very little to live, we can easily support ourselves. We would never be a financial burden to society and in fact teach people to help others, which we do.
What we saw when we did this was that we look like the lowly that the world looks down upon, simply by following our Savior, being obedient and giving our lives to share the gospel, good news. We have a twofold grievance against us from the world...
*** We are Christians (the world hates the truth)
*** We have similarities of the homeless.
Here are a few things we came up with:
* We live in our vehicle, homeless people live in their vehicles.
* We sleep in parking lots, homeless people sleep in parking lots.
* We hold signs on corners (gospel signs), homeless people hold signs on corners (begging signs).
* We have a backpack with important things in it (gospel tracts), homeless people have backpacks with important things (their belongings).
* We dress different than the world (biblically) and the world looks down on us, homeless people dress different and are looked down on.
* We are running from sin, many homeless people are running from the law.
* We walk around parking lots (for exercise), homeless people walk around parking lots (begging).
* We are looked down on by society for our lifestyle, homeless are looked down on by society for their lifestyle.
* We get run off by the police (for preaching), homeless people get run off (for begging).
* We deal with religious people (giving them the gospel), homeless deal with religious people (begging for food).
* Religious people try to give us money (we refuse it every time), religious people give homeless people money.
* Religious people offer us a meal, religious people offer the homeless a meal.
* We spend time in fast food restaurants having a coffee and working our ministry online, homeless people spend time in fast food places drinking coffee and getting warm.
* We travel the country according to the weather, homeless people travel the country according to the weather.
Our life today is a far cry from who we were before being born again in Christ. We were both in the business world, dressing to fit the part, driving nice vehicles, traveling around the country on the company jet, having a big company title etc...and being looked upon as a higher status. Today we drive an old van, wear simple clothes and are nobody to the world, (but someone in Christ:-) Amen! We wouldn't go back to that life for anything!
The world used to esteem us in our prior life but now looks down on us in our simple life for the Lord. Have you found that in yours as well? Let this be an encouragement to you....
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
(Luke 16:15)
This was an interesting exercise for us and it's an eye opener to the culture of this society and what it deems 'esteemed' and 'lowly'. We are thankful for this life because Jesus walked among the lowly, the cast offs, the ones who didn't fit in society and what better way to be blameless than to be on their level. I'm not just talking the homeless, I'm talking about those who don't quite fit in with the American dream type people, the prestigious people, the elite or upper class. I'm talking about those who work hard to make ends meet, drive older cars, have children wearing hand me downs from their siblings, who shop discount food stores, who don't hold themselves 'higher' or 'better' than others. The ones who see through the trap of American consumerism and live simple lives. Jesus said this about the rich in Matthew 19...
I pray your day is not idle. I bring that up because as we were working online we witness a lot of idleness in people. Oftentimes a group will gather, usually the elderly, and they sit and stare around, saying something every once in a while. Normally the conversation has very little value and sometimes it's outright vulgar. It's a waste of the precious time God has given them and when the opportunity arises we hand out a gospel card to those interested.
The other day, in a post I wrote, I talked about how we sleep in the same parking lots as the homeless so brother Jim and I were talking about the similarities that we have with the homeless. No, we don't try to look or act like them nor do we condone anyone to be a homeless beggar. (Brother Jim is always telling them what God's Word says; 'if you don't work you don't eat'.) We are self funded and because we need so very little to live, we can easily support ourselves. We would never be a financial burden to society and in fact teach people to help others, which we do.
What we saw when we did this was that we look like the lowly that the world looks down upon, simply by following our Savior, being obedient and giving our lives to share the gospel, good news. We have a twofold grievance against us from the world...
*** We are Christians (the world hates the truth)
*** We have similarities of the homeless.
Here are a few things we came up with:
* We live in our vehicle, homeless people live in their vehicles.
* We sleep in parking lots, homeless people sleep in parking lots.
* We hold signs on corners (gospel signs), homeless people hold signs on corners (begging signs).
* We have a backpack with important things in it (gospel tracts), homeless people have backpacks with important things (their belongings).
* We dress different than the world (biblically) and the world looks down on us, homeless people dress different and are looked down on.
* We are running from sin, many homeless people are running from the law.
* We walk around parking lots (for exercise), homeless people walk around parking lots (begging).
* We are looked down on by society for our lifestyle, homeless are looked down on by society for their lifestyle.
* We get run off by the police (for preaching), homeless people get run off (for begging).
* We deal with religious people (giving them the gospel), homeless deal with religious people (begging for food).
* Religious people try to give us money (we refuse it every time), religious people give homeless people money.
* Religious people offer us a meal, religious people offer the homeless a meal.
* We spend time in fast food restaurants having a coffee and working our ministry online, homeless people spend time in fast food places drinking coffee and getting warm.
* We travel the country according to the weather, homeless people travel the country according to the weather.
Our life today is a far cry from who we were before being born again in Christ. We were both in the business world, dressing to fit the part, driving nice vehicles, traveling around the country on the company jet, having a big company title etc...and being looked upon as a higher status. Today we drive an old van, wear simple clothes and are nobody to the world, (but someone in Christ:-) Amen! We wouldn't go back to that life for anything!
The world used to esteem us in our prior life but now looks down on us in our simple life for the Lord. Have you found that in yours as well? Let this be an encouragement to you....
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
(Luke 16:15)
This was an interesting exercise for us and it's an eye opener to the culture of this society and what it deems 'esteemed' and 'lowly'. We are thankful for this life because Jesus walked among the lowly, the cast offs, the ones who didn't fit in society and what better way to be blameless than to be on their level. I'm not just talking the homeless, I'm talking about those who don't quite fit in with the American dream type people, the prestigious people, the elite or upper class. I'm talking about those who work hard to make ends meet, drive older cars, have children wearing hand me downs from their siblings, who shop discount food stores, who don't hold themselves 'higher' or 'better' than others. The ones who see through the trap of American consumerism and live simple lives. Jesus said this about the rich in Matthew 19...
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Yes, we minister to the rich also, the rich who see through the vanity of this world. We had a very wealthy man who said he longs for the simple life but has built such an empire, he's not sure how he could do it. Brother Jim gave him the gospel and shared the hope of eternal life that changed our lives.
But there is hope for all because Jesus went on to say this:
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Amen. We are here for whoever wants to hear the gospel and you are there for the Lord to use in your life, whoever wants the truth. God has us all in our places for His glory and will use us all in various ways, if we have prepared and are ready.
Last night we were in our van having a quick (late) snack dinner before we went for a walk. We didn't have our curtain up in the front because we were going to relocate afterwards so when this homeless man went walking through the parking lot, he could see right in. I looked over brother Jim's shoulder and told him that guy was waving at us and walking toward us.
Brother Jim rolled down the window and it turns out someone took off with this man's little dog and he was looking for it. (He said he got drunk the other night and had to sit in jail for a night. He asked someone he thought he could trust, to watch over the dog, the guy disappeared with the dog.) We told him we hadn't seen it and then brother Jim shared the life giving gospel with him; hope that goes beyond this world. The man thanked Jim and went on his way.
Earlier on in the day brother Jim had the opportunity to witness to several Mormon men. He shared the circumstances of how it came about and a younger brother in the Lord said, with his frankness, 'It's obvious that God set it up.' Well, that's exactly what I thought last night when that man happened to walk by our van, in the dark, walked right up to our window and got the gospel. :-)
I'm glad we are counted as the lowly, it allows us to be in the right places at the right times.
Have a joyous day sisters.
God be praised!
Sister Deb
Brother Jim rolled down the window and it turns out someone took off with this man's little dog and he was looking for it. (He said he got drunk the other night and had to sit in jail for a night. He asked someone he thought he could trust, to watch over the dog, the guy disappeared with the dog.) We told him we hadn't seen it and then brother Jim shared the life giving gospel with him; hope that goes beyond this world. The man thanked Jim and went on his way.
Earlier on in the day brother Jim had the opportunity to witness to several Mormon men. He shared the circumstances of how it came about and a younger brother in the Lord said, with his frankness, 'It's obvious that God set it up.' Well, that's exactly what I thought last night when that man happened to walk by our van, in the dark, walked right up to our window and got the gospel. :-)
I'm glad we are counted as the lowly, it allows us to be in the right places at the right times.
Have a joyous day sisters.
God be praised!
Sister Deb
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