Years ago during the height of our "Pizza" ministry, two little ones were found sleeping behind a dumpster in the rear of a downtown, Christian Bookstore. Their presence created quite a shock to the owner of the store...actually scared him and shook him up pretty bad.
I happened to walk in to the store later that morning, the owner greeted me with a very disturbed heart. His story was simple but compelling..."I can't believe it, I came in to work this morning and found two small children huddled behind our store's garbage dumpster trying to keep warm. And I yelled at them and said YOU BETTER GET OUT OF HERE!...What is this world coming to?"
I could tell he was waiting for my response knowing our ministry was to "street kids", but I remained silent while staring hard into his elderly eyes. He broke the silence..."Jeff, why couldn't you have been here you would have known what to do." (I guess that was to shift the blame that may have been felt in the silence). I asked just two questions and our conversation was over but it made a lasting impact on the man for years to come - "Were they cold?" and "Were they hungry?" His response was nothing but tears in his eyes...but later on I would here of small missions of rescue to these type of youngsters that would get them into the warm and get breakfast or a meal into bodies of the abandoned.
Why is it so easy to look the other way or chase away the Riff-Raff? Oh to have some spiritual common sense when comes to the needs of the abandoned. To see that these moments are opportunities to minister to and to feed JESUS.
Matthew 25:40 - And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. LEAST -this is an estimation of man by man, not by God.
Every time we allow ourselves to despise, overlook, discourage, or DISPOSE of an outcast...we have allowed an opportunity to love Jesus slip right out of our hands.
This is kind of a difficult time in the history of our nation, perhaps the history of the world ... Human traffic, bondage and refuse is creating a coldness in the souls of God's people. We will proclaim the buzz word of the day "Church without Walls", but we are adding more bars, padlocks, security systems, guards and self defense measures to our personal ministries. HEY! if you think I'm talking about a the securing of a physical building WRONG! I'm talking about what is going on in our hearts towards the unlovely ones whom Christ died for. The unprofitable, the stench-filled, the unkempt, the troubled-minded, the needy...again if you are thinking...homeless...the rich can be very destitute of Heaven. Just because someone appears well off means absolutely nothing in the economy of the Kingdom.
John 4:35 - Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold , I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
(allow His perspective to permeate your vision, see things His way...through His Word) Don't just assume away an opportunity to allow Him to reach others through you. Don't settle for the dumpster approach to people.
HLFA,
Jeff
