Ministry Update 2012 #3

Everyone,

I actually had something in mind for my update but then popped on to Facebook for a minute and saw something I really wanted to share. This update was posted by a friend and supporter Casey Martin:
"So I'm sitting on the couch with my son jacob (he's three) and he says to me "maybe you can get a blanket so you're not cold anymore". I was instantly filled with fatherly pride that my son at such a young age would consider the needs of others without any prompting. So I said to him "that's very nice would you like to go get one for me". He smiled and said "yeah I will". Then he looked down at the toys he was busy playing with on the couch and then looked around the room. He appeared to be searching for someone to delegate the task to. His eyes went first to his sister..then to his mom..then he looked back at me and then back down at his toys again before saying "um..maybe you can get it yourself ".

This was such a perfect picture of how we sometimes look at the problems in this world whether they are around the block or around the globe. We say "There are people in this world who lack the basic necessities of life". God says "Why don't you do something to help?" We look down at our "toys" and then we look around us. Surely God didn't mean us personally - there must be someone else who can do it. Maybe it's the government's job. Or maybe it's the job of someone who has more resources than we do. Aren't there people who are "called' to do this sort of thing? We really wish these people would be taken care of but.....we shake our head sadly over their plight and go back to our toys.

I don't write these things to make anyone feel guilty and I know that many of you ARE reaching out in tangible ways to help those who are less fortunate but I think it never hurts to be reminded that it is not enough to FEEL compassion for people but we need to be open to taking action in whatever way we can. James talks about faith without works and says in James 2:15-16 "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" in James 1:27 it says "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world". Sometimes we think being "polluted by the world" is watching the wrong movie, dressing the wrong way or not going to church. But maybe being polluted by the world means buying into to the idea that we deserve what we have and in fact if truth were known we probably deserve more. I know that most of us have worked hard to achieve the standard of living we enjoy and there is nothing wrong with that. I am also aware that there are people who want to be handed that same lifestyle without working. However many people in the world have had no opportunity to achieve this or maybe have achieved it and then watched it be swept away by evil men.

We meet these people every day. Men who stand in the square day after day hoping to be hired on to a job so they can provide for their families. Mothers trying to take care of their children while living in abandoned buildings. Young men and women who have been denied an education and desperately want to learn. Families living on the streets because it was too dangerous for them to stay in their own country. We do what we can. We try to provide food, clothes and the little necessities like shampoo and toothpaste. We do laundry and provide showers. We sit with them, we listen to them, we cry with them and we laugh with them. We teach them. We teach them English or Greek or we show them how to fill out the papers for the doctor or the police. But most importantly we teach them about Jesus. We teach them about Jesus not just in the classes we have or the sermons we preach but we teach them about Jesus by doing all the things I mentioned above. Jesus said, "Love your neighbor". Jesus said, "Freely you have received, freely give". Jesus said, "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.......I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Thank you so much for joining us in ministering to "the least of these". We are so grateful to have a team of people who love not just in word but in deed. Because of you we were able to do more than just SAY "be warmed and fed" during these last couple of weeks. We were able to give out sleeping bags and blankets - we were able to offer meals and hot tea, we were able to give out grocery packs and we were able to show the love of Jesus in tangible ways. We know we could not do this job without you - thank you for giving, thank you for praying and thank you for caring. We love you all.

Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
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