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Our world is more interconnected than ever before. We could legitimately provide every last person on our planet with access to the gospel in our lifetimes. Here’s why I believe that.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE TO US TO CHANGE THE WORLD We have better technology at our disposal than ever before. And we can leverage this to bring the gospel to the unreached. Today, I can video chat with a church planter in the developing world from Washington state. Google Hangouts and Skype gave us all that ability. Potentially, I could on a video call answer a biblical question of a church planter in the field—in a remote village, because pretty soon, 3G and 4G is going to be everywhere. That’s at least the plan of big tech companies—with their efforts empowered by a space company who can now send reusable rockets to space to launch satellites. This is the age we live in, one where any person on the planet can potentially connect to any other person in seconds. All the sudden, the issue of training and empowering church planters is far simpler than it has ever been. And the interconnection between those who sponsor church planters and the church planters themselves is greater than it has ever been. Imagine the potential for global discipleship in this world. I first realized this when I was sitting next to a church planter in Bihar, India and he showed me the screen of his Motorola flip phone. On the screen was my bio on JesusEconomy.org. He said, this is you, right? I was first surprised by how good our website looked on his phone—leave it to me to notice that first. But my second thought is what changed my life: If this guy can look up my bio on his phone, right here while we’re talking, what if I put a study Bible in his hand? What if I gave him a full Bible dictionary and a Bible translation? What if I gave him Bible studies in his native language? And, of course, we can do this. We could even send him video courses on SD cards. We could put any piece of information in his hand. This is our world. It is more interconnected than ever before. And it means completely rethinking missions. HOW WE CAN BRING THE GOSPEL TO THE UNREACHED If our churches thought long and hard about their budgets, we could—like the churches of Paul’s day—pool our resources to bring the gospel to the unreached corners of our world (see Romans 15:26–29). If we sponsored indigenous church planters, it’s surprisingly cost-effective to fund missions. The church should be innovating in this space. And in the process, we should be thinking holistically about how we approach poverty and reaching the unreached—thinking about how we care for a person’s soul, mind, and body. We should be leveraging every opportunity possible to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The fact that the gospel has not reached every people group on our planet is an injustice. And it’s an injustice we can correct. Likewise, it’s an injustice that the people of our planet do not have clean water. And with technology we can do something about. It’s an injustice that everyone on the planet does not have access to economic opportunities. And in this world, in this time, we can do something about. JUSTICE IS THE BIBLE’S CRY AND ONE WE SHOULD ANSWER Justice is a central cry of the Bible. The works of the prophets are full of calls to create a more just world (Micah 6:8; Isaiah 1:16; Jeremiah 22:3; Amos 5:23–24). Isaiah put it this way: “Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!” (Isaiah 1:16 LEB). Jesus himself told us that he will distinguish between those who truly know him and those who do not by what they do for the marginalized, outsider, prisoner, and impoverished (Matthew 25:37–40). And we know from James that true religion is loving the hurting and the poor—the widow and the orphan (James 1:26–27). Indeed, it is unjust when a child has to go without clean water, healthcare, or education. It is unjust when a parent doesn’t have access to a fair paying job that can lift their family out of poverty. It is unjust that there are millions of people who have never heard the name of Jesus. Let’s do something about it. Let’s innovate the bring about a future of missions where every last person has heard the name of Jesus and experienced his love. |
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Sister Alvear, this is great writing. Can I send this to several people?
I will give you the credit as the author. |
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It was a good post up to the social justice warrior part.
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nd - I agree with what she posted.
It is unjust. And I would say that a lot of our American values and expectations of government are rooted in Christian values. However, my belief is that it is the gospel that is able to overcome and lift up those who have been treated unjustly. Not government. Whenever government tries to correct these issues it always leads to more injustice. |
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Jesus said that the poor would always be with us. Is the idea of being poor in itself injustice?
Combatting poverty, bringing healthcare and providing education is NOT on par with the gospel and in my opinion should not be presented as such. God is not here to make us rich. A major mindset and attitude running through social media and culture is,"How dare you give thanks to God for you getting well when it was the doctor that did it." Education? The same education that teaches that there is no God, promotes and pushes homosexuality and transgenderism and pushes socialism? Yes I believe in feeding widows and orphans but I feel that way and do so because of the love of Christ and His Spirit NOT because of some kind of social consciousness/justice program thats being pushed. Its about spreading the Gospel, not bypassing Christ and trying to arrive at similar results shutting Him out. I love the idea of using tech, I have plenty of ideas. Im afraid that the same illusion that has came with social media will also come with a over reliance on technology with ministry. Let me explain. We are soooo "connected" with multiple avenues of access across multiple social media platforms, websites, apps yet we are never more alone and isolated than we are today. I remember the day when a physical visit was longed for and appreciated...there seemed to be deeper more sincere connections...just my observation. So now we can "minister" without real personal connection...tech in ministry is great but it will NEVER replace real personal connections. |
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Contrary to popular opinion, it is not unjust that some are without healthcare. It is not unjust that some are unemployed. It is not unjust that a "parent doesn't have access to a fair paying job." Sorry, but I don't buy the liberal malarkey about how things have to be fair or it's some kind of travesty. Life isn't fair. It's not the job of the church to become involved in social causes. I would argue that the focus on social causes is a small part of what has made the church lose focus and become ineffective and weak. |
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Its awesome to do good things! Fresh water...clothes...food all that is great to provide to those in need and Im not saying NOT to do it.
Im just saying, what are we involved with that is so different than aid unbelievers offer? Even Jezabel was loved by her people because she reached out to them and wept when they wept...for all her evil and faults she seemed to have a compassionate side. What do we do as Holy Ghost filled believers that sets us apart? Is it only our message? Or our dress? "Hi, Im here to demonstrate the power of God....aaaand heres a doctor if God decides not to show up?" So what will happen to all these countries that have amazing revival once we meet all their needs and get them educated...you think that they are going to show that same passion and fervency for God and be so desperate for His touch? How did WE change once all our needs were met and our comforts increased to the point where it was easier to take a pill rather than to fast and pray and have faith for a healing? Was it hard? Yes! But werent we closer to God as a result of depending on Him for our every need? You give Ethiopia all of the "advantages" and "advances" of a "modern" society and you can kiss those massive revivals goodbye until they tire of their new gods of progress that leave them fat and provided for but leave them spiritually empty and return to Jesus. I think thats the restlessness we feel in America now...we have been sold a. bill of goods and told we will find happiness and fulfillment if we only sacrifice our convictions and beliefs on the altar of our corporate overlords and degeneate society. Technology has not brought us closer to God..... We worship at the altar of whoever provides the most and requires the least from us. Its spiritual hypergamy. |
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Interesting. It's one thing to say unemployment, etc is unjust but Sis A doesn't propose exactly how the apostolic church is supposed to effect economics, healthcare and so on. Seems a little far reaching.
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"Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee.....IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST....." |
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If we bring the third world to western standards, what would it look like?
Better healthcare, better jobs, nicer tvs... Bigger debts, more clients for Big Pharma, porn on demand, bigger grocery stores but fewer family farms, more food laced with higher tech poisons, McDonald's fast food, fast food religion, fancy hairdos, nicer suits, fewer children, LGBTQABCXYZ rights, everybody glued to their smart phone, spyware for everyone, more abortion, bigger government, more police state... In other words, the whole world would get to enjoy what we have in America. Not sure that's what they really need, though. |
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I found the Holman Bible Dictionary to have the most comprehensive definition of biblical justice. I'll share it here for those who might be interested:
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I'm reminded of what was once said by Tony Campolo at conference event:
“I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a sh!t. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said sh!t than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.”Yep, that's what we've become. In fact, our hatred for social justice is so great, the majority of our responses are dedicated to feverishly trying to refute any notion that we have any social obligation beyond handing out a tract. Did you know that those who oppose social justice are Sodomites? Yep. Sodomites. A Sodomite not only has relations with his or her own kind (mankind with mankind or womankind with womankind), but they also only care about their own kind. In fact, a Sodomite could watch 30,000 children perish in the night from malnutrition and not feel obligated to make the world a better place for all. A Sodomite can sleep just fine and dream soundly at night knowing that the poor are dying of treatable sicknesses simply because they can't afford care. A Sodomite sees nothing wrong with a society that burdens the next generation with near crushing debt simply because they went to college to contribute something greater to society than menial labor. You see, being a Sodomite is more than being homosexual. It also involves a worldview that is only concerned with self and one's immediate associations. Indeed, the root concern of the Sodomite is self. This is why they are so willing to give up relations with women and form families. That would require a high degree of selflessness to obligations than homosexuality does. And in our times, while many Christians may not celebrate the sin of homosexuality... they live according to a Sodomite philosophy of "me, myself, and mine". This was indeed a part of God's great indictment against Sodom. For the LORD said, Ezekiel 16:48-50 King James Version (KJV)You see, being a Sodomite is about far more than one's sexuality. In fact, homosexuality is only a byproduct of the Sodomite's self-centered philosophy of life. As oppression advances in our society, perhaps it would be good if we examine ourselves closely and ask ourselves, "Am I a Sodomite?" And let us pray that if we find that we are... let us repent and become more concerned for our fellow man. In America, things are divided down the middle between the Left and the Right. Interestingly enough, this is truly a trap of Satan. You see, Satan has injected the Sodomite lifestyle into the Left... and injected the Sodomite philosophy into the Right. And thus both are poisoned. And while the Left and the Right turn on one another...ripping an entire society apart with the ways of Sodom... he sits back and gleefully watches the action. |
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Sorry, Stephen Charles Mott, the Justice of the Bible is not the social justice liberals preach. |
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I have always found that those who like using this type of device to get their point across, tend to have "pride" issues. As in, "look how smart I am, I got you to ignore my point because I did something that offended you". Also, his numbers were wrong. And it is a very simplistic way to view the problem. But back to Tony, himself. You do know he believes that LGBTQXYZ couples should be admitted into the church. And did a great job raising someone who is now preaching the gospel of secular humanism. |
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But let's talk about the extreme example he gave: 30,000 people died from lack of food and water. That is indeed sad. We should do what we can to help those in need. But the focus of the church is not modern, liberal social justice. It's not the job of the church to provide housing, employment, food, water, healthcare etc. The primary mission of the church is the Great Commission: Go and make disciples. Salvation is the primary mission of the church, not liberal social justice. |
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goodness..just seen this...actually my grand daughter posted it from somewhere she thought was interesting....she wants to help me post....actually it is interesting...i will write some of my thoughts about it later today....my grand daughter is helping me in the office...
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i do think many churches have lost the real vision of the work of the church...but that is just my opinion...
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However, my answer is nuanced. It is not the job of THE CHURCH to provide housing, employment, food, water, healthcare, etc. And yes, the primary mission of the church is the Great Commission. To go and make disciples. Salvation is the primary mission of the church. To be a disciple is to follow after another. In this context, it is to follow after Christ and the way of God. God's Word DEMANDS justice for widows, orphans, aliens, workers, the poor, prisoners, slaves, the sick, and the oppressed. To preach and attempt to make disciples of slaves, without advocating the breaking of their chains is a failure to reach the fullness of that calling. To preach to the poor without advocating for their welfare is to fail at the fullness of that calling. To preach to widows, orphans (single parent households), workers, aliens, oppressed, and the sick, without advocating for their welfare is to fail at the fullness of that calling. YES, our primary concern is salvation. But not just some watered down "spiritualized" salvation. We are to seek their TOTAL SALVATION. The salve is to also be freed. The oppressed is to also be set at liberty. The widow is to also be cared for. The orphans are to also be relieved. The worker is to also be treated fairly and paid fairly. The sick is to also be cared for. The alien is to also be given asylum. This is the FULNESS of our message. Now, I'm not saying that it is the responsibility of the CHURCH to provide these things. No, it is the responsibility of the church to seek to save the lost and to advocate for the welfare of those who have specific needs which keep them from being able to participate in aspects of the life of their community. Especially when life itself might be threatened. We rightfully advocate for the lives of the unborn, yet we become snarling Sodomites at the mere notion that once born they and their families should be entitled to the provision of healthcare and basic food and shelter. We snarl at the idea that the child's father should make a living wage which might allow the mother to stay home and not have to work, or that would prevent him from having to work two jobs and thereby be denied the time necessary to be a father in the home. This prevailing attitude is inconsistent with the biblical notion of social justice. The church must be an advocate. Did you know that the original abolitionists were deeply convicted Christians and churches? The original advocates for civil rights and the abolishment of segregation were not liberals, it was churches, pastors, and ministers. The politicians only got on board when they saw the reverberations of the Christian impact on the issue. Sunday school began as an effort to not only reach children for Christ, but to teach those children how to read that they might aspire to greater opportunities back during the days of child labor. If churches had the social apathy regarding racism, discrimination, worker oppression, child labor, and slavery (to name just a few issues) back when those issues were indeed facing society... we'd still have them today. In fact, it's scary to me because we've become so fat, spoiled, and comfortable in our liberties that we feel we can freely have an opinion to the contrary of those who fought against those institutionalized abuses. The church should openly CONDEMN the institutionalized abuses that the widows, orphans, aliens, workers, the poor, prisoners, slaves, the sick, and the oppressed experience. I find it interesting that more and more missionary organizations and missionaries are speaking out on behalf of the impoverished and the sick. Ministering in nations that the "free market" has exploited, they see first hand what devastation unbridled corporate greed can bring to entire countries. They can see the sweatshops where so many name brand clothes are made and the shanty towns were the workers work for slave wages and often die of common illnesses that could be treated if they only had the money or insurance needed to receive care. They are eye witnesses to the Sodomite greed that runs rampant in our society today. So yes, we agree. It isn't the church's role to provide every need for those oppressed groups in our society. However, it is the church's duty to preach a message that not only saves the soul, but truly demands that the captives be free from the bondage of lack and destitution. And while charity was necessary for those immediate needs of those facing sudden hardship, the poor tithe wasn't charity. The rights of the gleaners was not a form of charity. The Jubilee wasn't intended to be a charitable option. These were SOCIAL MANDATES. The PROPHETS condemned oppression and DEMANDED that the NATION repent and give justice to these needy groups. So, we agree that it isn't the role of the church to provide those needs... but rather to demand that those needs be provided by the nation in a manner that is unbiased and open to all. The church should remind the churlish American Sodomites of Wall Street and Corporate America that, "You are your brother's keeper." In the Torah we read that the laws that governed usury, pledges, wages, gleaning rights, the poor tithe, etc. were designed that there be no poor in the land of Israel. That was nearly 4,000 years ago. That was radically progressive compared to the heathen nations around them who made sport of the poor and the destitute, or relegated them to the most abusive and sickening forms of slavery. Israel was a shining beacon of progressive hope to the ancient world. And she was indeed hated for it by the rich and powerful. You see, when Jesus says, "For ye have the poor with you always", it was an indictment against the nation's failure to ensure that there were no poor and destitute among the children of Israel. And so the church must be a prophetic voice that cries out to our nation, demanding obedience to God, and demanding social provision and justice for widows, orphans, aliens, workers, the poor, prisoners, slaves, the sick, and the oppressed. Without this, the Great Commission is but a "spiritualized" message that offers no hope or relief from the conditions that stifle the soul and crush the spirit. Society will not care about what we know, until it knows how much we care. It is our job to bring blessing, peace, and justice to every society wherein we flourish. Without doing so, we cease to be the salt of the earth and we fail to deliver the real world impact of the Great Commission. |
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