Warning: The following commentary will, more than likely, be found extremely offensive on one level or another to anyone who is comfortable with Christianity & the American way-of-life. The views expressed here ARE the views of A Place Called Hope Church, Pastor Jeremy Lesley, The Word of God, and it's Author and Originator. May you be challenged, awakened, and changed. May you BECOME the Hope that God always intended you to be. May your days be filled with the joy of bringing this Hope to a hurting world that desperately needs it. In the Name of the Supreme King, Savior, & Greatest Servant of all Time: The Lord, Jesus Christ.
There are all kinds of sounds to take in this time of year. You can hear the sweet and timeless Christmas Carols on almost every radio station. The traffic is always more challenging in the larger cities, as folks scurry to grab those last minute deals. Commercials are screaming at us on television, so that we will drop everything and go out into that traffic and make those "important" purchases. Our children are rattling off their wish lists to anyone willing to hear.
My prayer is that you will take a moment and hear what all of these sounds are trying, so desperately, to drown out. There are three sounds that we as a church and nation need to focus on. These sounds are voices. First of all, we need to clear the clutter of our hearts and minds and hear the Voice of God. Secondly, we need to hear the voice of people in unimaginable pain and need. Lastly, we need to become obedient and responsive and use our own voice for both of the afore mentioned voices.
While many churches are fighting over music styles, budgets, and how to build multi-million-dollar facilities, many within blocks from those churches are fighting to keep families together, food on the table, and some sort of roof on their heads. While government officials are fighting over partisan agendas, salaries, and ethics reform, families across the nation are losing jobs, facing or experiencing foreclosure and eviction, and women and children are being abused and neglected. Suicide is prevalent. Addiction is gripping hundreds of millions.
The Church is failing. Government is failing. We are all failing. My question is: do we realize it? Somewhere, we got ferociously off-track, and the attempts to get back to where we were always supposed to be have been proven futile (in most cases). Every newly elected political party blames the former. Pastors blame congregations. Congregations blame society. Society blames everything and everybody else. While mega-churches and Christian media outlets keep popping up nationwide and new government officials are getting elected, little change or hope is forthcoming. Everybody is looking for someone else to do something about it.
Before we go any farther, please know that THERE IS A HAPPY ENDING to this story. God has always had a plan, and many times powerfully servant-minded people have stepped up to the challenge of walking His plan out. Then, it seems we quickly slip off into complacency and self-preservation. We work hard for comfort and security. Sadly, only when that comfort and security is challenged do we even notice a problem. I have, way too often, been guilty of this very thing. We are a self-centered nation, church, and people. It is disgusting. Especially to God.
Jesus was hard-core and direct in His message to the world: pick-up your cross, deny yourself completely, forsake family and friends, care nothing about personal possessions or needs, love God and your fellow-man with all your heart, speak out against injustice, pray without ceasing, hang out with the unpopular, defend those who can't defend themselves, don't think that doing good things will make you right with God, and avoid thinking you are better than anyone else. Personal comfort, pride, and security was nowhere in His business-model. It still isn't. The Church is following an American Dream model, not the New Testament Model. In fact, I'm not sure we have ever been so far away from Him or His heart. In an age where you can hear the gospel preached and musically performed in practically every language and context, we are as far away from His Ways as the darkest of serial killers and witch-doctors.
Sometimes, we respond to those small feelings of guilt by throwing money at a charity or volunteering once a year for some great cause that wonders where we are the rest of the year. Oftentimes, we do even these small things so that we'll get a tax-break. It is a huge bonus that we can be seen by others doing these things, so they can feel good about us, frequent our business or church, or vote for us! We spend the rest of the year feeding our egoes, comforts, and selfish dreams. God have mercy on us! Think of this: If you are earning $10,000 annually, you are earning more than half of the world. If you earn $50,000 annually, you are making more money than ninety-nine percent of the rest of the world.
Please allow me to show you some statistics that may shock you. These are just two or three of the causes that I am passionate about. You may have others that you want to share with me. Here we go.
Domestic Violence
One in Four women are victims of domestic violence. One in Four. That means that you know a bunch of women who have been, are currently being, or will be abused. That also means that those women (and the men who abuse them) are at your home, your church, your favorite restaurants, etc. They are teaching someone's children in a school somewhere. Their husbands are pastoring churches, sitting on judge's benches, defending or prosecuting in the legal system, coaching little league and varsity, writing laws, serving as policemen, firemen, entertaining, running businesses, picking up your trash, stocking the grocery shelves, mowing your lawn, building your dream house, repossesing your car, etc.
More than three women are killed at the hands of their abuser every day in America. Fifty percent of men who abuse their wives or girlfriends also abuse their children. One in five women have been raped or sexually assaulted. Seventy-six percent of those women were raped or assaulted by a spouse, lover,
or room-mate. The MAJORITY of men who abuse their co-parent seek to gain full legal custody after the divorce/separation. Seventy percent of those men are successful!
Poverty i
In 2009, 43.6 million people (14.3 percent) were in poverty.
In 2009, 8.8 (11.1% percent) million families were in poverty.
In 2009, 24.7 million (12.9 percent) of people aged 18-64 were in poverty.
In 2009, 15.5 million (20.7 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty.
In 2009, 3.4 million (8.9 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.
Hunger Statistics on Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security
ii In 2009, 50.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33 million adults and 17.2 million children
In 2009, 14.7 percent of households (17.4 million households) were food insecure.
In 2009, 5.7 percent of households (6.8 million households) experienced very low
In 2009, households with children reported food insecurity at almost double the rate for those without children, 21.3 percent compared to 11.4 percent.
In 2009, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (21.3 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (36.6 percent) or single men (27.8 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (24.9 percent) and Hispanic households (26.9 percent).
In 2009, 7.8 percent of seniors living alone (884,000 households) were food insecure. Native Americans
Since 1787, over 750 land cessions have been authorized by supposed mutual compacts. History demonstrates there was little that was mutual about these "treaties." Out of the hundreds of treaties, agreements, and promises made to Native American people...most have been broken. In fact, many of our historians argue that none have been honored. Truthfully, even the so called "first Thanksgiving Meal" between whites and Indians is a myth and lie. Please remember: the winners always get to write the history. And, no decent people would write the truth about the rapes, murders of millions of women/children/elderly, theft, and attempted genocide as part of the country's success story.
To this day, the highest per capita levels of poverty, hunger, diabetes, domestic violence, gang violence, addiction, suicide, murders, and hopelessness lies among the once proud and strong Native Tribes of North America. Opportunity & industry evades most Indian Reservations. Corruption and death prevails.
I could go on and on about this particular problem, along with the other two. It is sad that a Nation that is supposedly built on Justice and Freedom has all of these unresolved issues, needs, and pain right under their noses. It is time to act! Now! In Isaiah 58, God tells us what kind of response He expects of us. He actually spells it out to us: "break the chains of injustice, feed the hungry, etc." Jesus comes on the scene quoting Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me to preach good news!" And then, Jesus expounds on how this good news affects the broken and poor.
God didn't just save you to keep you out of hell. You didn't get elected to public office just to draw a paycheck from the government. You don't just make a paycheck to provide yourself a life of luxury. You are called, anointed, and FULLY CAPABLE to change the world around you! It IS your responsibility. God so desperately wants to heal the world, and He is waiting on you to help Him get it done!
Your time, money, creativity, passion, and energy is all on loan from The God of the Universe! Why don't you start giving it back to Him now. If you need help in getting started, just let us know. No matter where you are in the world, we'll get you hooked up and on your way to bringing Kingdom Power and Life to this Earth! As Bishop T.D. Jakes recently said, "It's Not Time. It's High Time!"
In His Hope,
Pastor Jeremy Lesley
aplacecalledhopealabama@gmail.com
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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