Run with Open Arms: February 2012

I want to be real. These things we put on to make it look like we have it all together, that our faith is strong and unwavering, that we never doubt and challenge God, they are lies. I am not strong in my faith, yes I have "better" or "more" faith than some, but I also have "worse" or "less" faith than others. But who am I to judge? Christ, he will Judge. My good deeds are dirty rags to Him. I am nothing, but Christ, He is Everything.

I don't have it all together. And just when I think I do, I don't. God reminds me and pulls me closer to Him, He humbles me. I doubt God, sometimes. I am not going to lie or pretend otherwise. But He is faithful to me even in my doubt, and His faithfulness is what reminds me of His truth.

You see, I'm beautifully broken. I'm imperfect, but loved by a perfect God; just like you.
To God alone be the glory.

I want to help. I want to make a difference in peoples lives. I want to serve like Christ served. I want to love like Christ loved. I want to give like Christ gave. Anyone and everyone can help. YOU can make a difference.

So today, I encourage you to make a difference in someones life. There are many different ways and opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ. Whether its smiling at someone who looks like a grouch, spending time with a stranger, packing a Christmas shoe box, feeding the poor at a local soup kitchen, giving money to help those less fortunate then you, going on a mission's trip, into ministry or into the mission field. We can all serve, we can all make a difference. You don't have to be missionary to make a difference. You can make a difference right where you are with the resources you have. God has blessed us all in different areas, and with different talents, we should be ready and willing to use those blessings and talents for His glory. I encourage you to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Serving:

There are many ways we can serve, whether it's packing a shoe box, helping at a local soup kitchen, helping with special needs programs or even making a meal for a single mother. We can always serve. Here are some sites to help get you started.

http://www.samaritanspurse.com/index.php/OCC/Volunteer (Volunteer to help pack Christmas shoe boxes at an OCC [Operation Christmas Child] processing center.)

http://www.samaritanspurse.com/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/ (Pack a Christmas Shoe Box. This link will show you how to pack a shoe box to send to little boys and girls around the world to tell of Christ's amazing love. )

http://www.visitingorphans.org/mission_trips/ (Visit orphanages in third world countries on a mission trip to share God's love.)

You can also look for local Soup Kitchens, Homeless Shelters and other places to serve in your community.

Funding:

A lot of the sites listed below have a store where you can buy jewelry, apparel, or books and the money will be donated to the cause. This is a cool way to give a gift to a friend or to give in general and promote giving, by purchasing an item with the organization's logo. Also you can give to different causes within the organization (like chickens, bibles or medicine) or you can give in general (where most needed). Another cool way to give and get involved, is through child sponsorship. You can choose a child who you would like to give money to, to help pay for food, clothing, school supplies, and other things to help the child and their family. You can also interact with your child, by writing a letter, sending pictures and drawings. It is a unique way to help a child and to let them know that they are loved.

http://www.samaritanspurse.com/

http://www.worldvision.org/

www.visitingorphans.org

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.amazima.org/

http://www.exileinternational.org/

Equipping Others:

Some of the above listed sites have discipleship programs that you can help with by donating money for the supplies needed. Or you can help others help others. :) Yep. I said 'help others' twice. :) You can give money to help equip a missionary doctor to save lives, or help send out missionary doctors. Listed below are specific links to 'helping others help others'. ;)

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/GreatestJourney/index/

http://awaa.org/development/default.aspx

You can also invite a friend to church, give a friend a bible, or start a bible study in your community.

And don't forget prayer. No matter what is going on in our world rich or poor, sick or healthy, we can always pray. We can always plead with our Father to give our brothers and sisters in Christ strength, power, fearlessness, and the words to speak. We can pray for salvation for those we have never met and we can pray for missionaries as well as the man next door, to grow steadily in their faith. There is power in prayer.

"I have learned that I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, change the world for one person. So I keep stopping and loving one person at a time. Because this is my call as a Christian." ~ Katie Davis

So I encourage you to take a step of faith and to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the body of Christ.

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (NIV)

To God alone be the glory! God bless.