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Sister Alvear 08-10-2017 05:56 AM

can every...
 
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.

aegsm76 08-10-2017 07:31 AM

Re: can every...
 
Sister Alvear, this is great writing. Can I send this to several people?
I will give you the credit as the author.

returnman 08-10-2017 07:36 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear (Post 1494549)
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.

I think the majority on here agree whole-heartedly. Question, how do your conservative constituents feel about use of video in any regard of the above. I note that in some conferences they still advertise "will be recorded for audio". Its almost like the word itself is evil. You make a wonderful case for how we can use video with multiple ways for much instruction.

n david 08-10-2017 07:37 AM

Re: can every...
 
It was a good post up to the social justice warrior part.

aegsm76 08-10-2017 07:52 AM

Re: can every...
 
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.

jediwill83 08-10-2017 09:03 AM

Re: can every...
 
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.

n david 08-10-2017 10:26 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by aegsm76 (Post 1494561)
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.

Basically what Jediwill said. The church is to preach the Gospel, not try to fix unemployment, healthcare, create clean water or whatever other social justice cause there may be. The Gospel is the cause, not social justice.

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.

jediwill83 08-10-2017 11:21 AM

Re: can every...
 
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.

Captain 08-10-2017 10:18 PM

Re: can every...
 
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.

jediwill83 08-11-2017 05:04 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain (Post 1494658)
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.

Ill tell you what the Biblical answer to the healthcare issue is...ita vwry simple.

"Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee.....IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST....."

Esaias 08-11-2017 06:10 AM

Re: can every...
 
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.

Aquila 08-11-2017 06:17 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1494560)
It was a good post up to the social justice warrior part.

I know. We can't have any of that "social justice" stuff. :heeheehee

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:

Holman Bible Dictionary

Justice

The order God seeks to reestablish in His creation where all people receive the benefits of life with Him. As love is for the New Testament, so justice is the central ethical idea of the Old Testament. The frequency of justice is sometimes missed by the reader due to a failure to realize that the wide range of the Hebrew word mishpat , particularly in passages that deal with the material and social necessities of life.

Nature of justice Justice has two major aspects. First, it is the standard by which penalties are assigned for breaking the obligations of the society. Second, justice is the standard by which the advantages of social life are handed out, including material goods, rights of participation, opportunities, and liberties. It is the standard for both punishment and benefits and thus can be spoken of as a plumb line. “I shall use justice as a plumb-line, and righteousness as a plummet” (Isaiah 28:17 , REB).

Often people think of justice in the Bible only in the first sense as God's wrath on evil. This aspect of justice indeed is present, such as the judgment mentioned in John 3:19 . Often more vivid words like “wrath” are used to describe punitive justice (Romans 1:18 ).

Justice in the Bible very frequently also deals with benefits. Cultures differ widely in determining the basis by which the benefits are to be justly distributed. For some it is by birth and nobility. For others the basis is might or ability or merit. Or it might simply be whatever is the law or whatever has been established by contracts. The Bible takes another possibility. Benefits are distributed according to need. Justice then is very close to love and grace. God “executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18 , NRSV; compare Hosea 10:12 ; Isaiah 30:18 ).

Various needy groups are the recipients of justice. These groups include widows, orphans, resident aliens (also called “sojourners” or “strangers”), wage earners, the poor, and prisoners, slaves, and the sick (Job 29:12-17 ; Psalm 146:7-9 ; Malachi 3:5 ). Each of these groups has specific needs which keep its members from being able to participate in aspects of the life of their community. Even life itself might be threatened. Justice involves meeting those needs. The forces which deprive people of what is basic for community life are condemned as oppression (Micah 2:2 ; Ecclesiastes 4:1 ). To oppress is to use power for one's own advantage in depriving others of their basic rights in the community (see Mark 12:40 ). To do justice is to correct that abuse and to meet those needs (Isaiah 1:17 ). Injustice is depriving others of their basic needs or failing to correct matters when those rights are not met (Jeremiah 5:28 ; Job 29:12-17 ). Injustice is either a sin of commission or of omission.

The content of justice, the benefits which are to be distributed as basic rights in the community, can be identified by observing what is at stake in the passages in which “justice,” “righteousness,” and “judgment” occur. The needs which are met include land (Ezekiel 45:6-9 ; compare Micah 2:2 ; Micah 4:4 ) and the means to produce from the land, such as draft animals and millstones (Deuteronomy 22:1-4 ; Deuteronomy 24:6 ). These productive concerns are basic to securing other essential needs and thus avoiding dependency; thus the millstone is called the “life” of the person (Deuteronomy 24:6 ). Other needs are those essential for mere physical existence and well being: food (Deuteronomy 10:18 ; Psalm 146:7 ), clothing (Deuteronomy 24:13 ), and shelter (Psalm 68:6 ; Job 8:6 ). Job 22:5-9 ,Job 22:5-9,22:23 ; Job 24:1-12 decries the injustice of depriving people of each one of these needs, which are material and economic. The equal protection of each person in civil and judicial procedures is represented in the demand for due process ( Deuteronomy 16:18-20 ). Freedom from bondage is comparable to not being “in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and lack of everything” (Deuteronomy 28:48 NRSV).

Justice presupposes God's intention for people to be in community. When people had become poor and weak with respect to the rest of the community, they were to be strengthened so that they could continue to be effective members of the community—living with them and beside them (Leviticus 25:35-36 ). Thus biblical justice restores people to community. By justice those who lacked the power and resources to participate in significant aspects of the community were to be strengthened so that they could. This concern in Leviticus 25:1 is illustrated by the provision of the year of Jubilee, in which at the end of the fifty year period land is restored to those who had lost it through sale or foreclosure of debts ( Leviticus 25:28 ). Thus they regained economic power and were brought back into the economic community. Similarly, interest on loans was prohibited (Leviticus 25:36 ) as a process which pulled people down, endangering their position in the community.

These legal provisions express a further characteristic of justice. Justice delivers; it does not merely relieve the immediate needs of those in dire straits (Psalm 76:9 ; Isaiah 45:8 ; Isaiah 58:11 ; Isaiah 62:1-2 ). Helping the needy means setting them back on their feet, giving a home, leading to prosperity, restoration, ending the oppression (Psalm 68:5-10 ; Psalm 10:15-16 ; compare 107; Psalm 113:7-9 ). Such thorough justice can be socially disruptive. In the Jubilee year as some receive back lands, others lose recently-acquired additional land. The advantage to some is a disadvantage to others. In some cases the two aspects of justice come together. In the act of restoration, those who were victims of justice receive benefits while their exploiters are punished (1 Samuel 2:7-10 ; compare Luke 1:51-53 ; Luke 6:20-26 ).

The source of justice As the sovereign Creator of the universe, God is just (Psalm 99:1-4 ; Genesis 18:25 ; Deuteronomy 32:4 ; Jeremiah 9:24 ), particularly as the defender of all the oppressed of the earth (Psalm 76:9 ; Psalm 103:6 ; Jeremiah 49:11 ). Justice thus is universal (Psalm 9:7-9 ) and applies to each covenant or dispensation. Jesus affirmed for His day the centrality of the Old Testament demand for justice (Matthew 23:23 ). Justice is the work of the New Testament people of God (James 1:27 ).

God's justice is not a distant external standard. It is the source of all human justice (Proverbs 29:26 ; 2Chronicles 19:6,2 Chronicles 19:9 ). Justice is grace received and grace shared (2 Corinthians 9:8-10 ).

The most prominent human agent of justice is the ruler. The king receives God's justice and is a channel for it (Psalm 72:1 ; compare Romans 13:1-2 ,Romans 13:1-2,13:4 ). There is not a distinction between a personal, voluntary justice and a legal, public justice. The same caring for the needy groups of the society is demanded of the ruler (Psalm 72:4 ; Ezekiel 34:4 ; Jeremiah 22:15-16 ). Such justice was also required of pagan rulers (Daniel 4:27 ; Proverbs 31:8-9 ).

Justice is also a central demand on all people who bear the name of God. Its claim is so basic that without it other central demands and provisions of God are not acceptable to God. Justice is required to be present with the sacrificial system (Amos 5:21-24 ; Micah 6:6-8 ; Isaiah 1:11-17 ; Matthew 5:23-24 ), fasting (Isaiah 58:1-10 ), tithing (Matthew 23:23 ), obedience to the other commandments (Matthew 19:16-21 ), or the presence of the Temple of God (Jeremiah 7:1-7 ).

Justice in salvation Apart from describing God's condemnation of sin, Paul used the language and meaning of justice to speak of personal salvation. “The righteousness of God” represents God in grace bringing into the community of God through faith in Christ those who had been outside of the people of God (particularly in Romans but compare also Ephesians 2:12-13 ). See Law; Government ; Poverty ; Righteousness ; Welfare.

Stephen Charles Mott

http://www.studylight.org/dictionari...j/justice.html

Aquila 08-11-2017 06:48 AM

Re: can every...
 
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.”
― Tony Campolo
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)
48 As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
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.

n david 08-11-2017 09:52 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila (Post 1494701)
I know. We can't have any of that "social justice" stuff. :heeheehee

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:

Holman Bible Dictionary

Justice

The order God seeks to reestablish in His creation where all people receive the benefits of life with Him. As love is for the New Testament, so justice is the central ethical idea of the Old Testament. The frequency of justice is sometimes missed by the reader due to a failure to realize that the wide range of the Hebrew word mishpat , particularly in passages that deal with the material and social necessities of life.

Nature of justice Justice has two major aspects. First, it is the standard by which penalties are assigned for breaking the obligations of the society. Second, justice is the standard by which the advantages of social life are handed out, including material goods, rights of participation, opportunities, and liberties. It is the standard for both punishment and benefits and thus can be spoken of as a plumb line. “I shall use justice as a plumb-line, and righteousness as a plummet” (Isaiah 28:17 , REB).

Often people think of justice in the Bible only in the first sense as God's wrath on evil. This aspect of justice indeed is present, such as the judgment mentioned in John 3:19 . Often more vivid words like “wrath” are used to describe punitive justice (Romans 1:18 ).

Justice in the Bible very frequently also deals with benefits. Cultures differ widely in determining the basis by which the benefits are to be justly distributed. For some it is by birth and nobility. For others the basis is might or ability or merit. Or it might simply be whatever is the law or whatever has been established by contracts. The Bible takes another possibility. Benefits are distributed according to need. Justice then is very close to love and grace. God “executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18 , NRSV; compare Hosea 10:12 ; Isaiah 30:18 ).

Various needy groups are the recipients of justice. These groups include widows, orphans, resident aliens (also called “sojourners” or “strangers”), wage earners, the poor, and prisoners, slaves, and the sick (Job 29:12-17 ; Psalm 146:7-9 ; Malachi 3:5 ). Each of these groups has specific needs which keep its members from being able to participate in aspects of the life of their community. Even life itself might be threatened. Justice involves meeting those needs. The forces which deprive people of what is basic for community life are condemned as oppression (Micah 2:2 ; Ecclesiastes 4:1 ). To oppress is to use power for one's own advantage in depriving others of their basic rights in the community (see Mark 12:40 ). To do justice is to correct that abuse and to meet those needs (Isaiah 1:17 ). Injustice is depriving others of their basic needs or failing to correct matters when those rights are not met (Jeremiah 5:28 ; Job 29:12-17 ). Injustice is either a sin of commission or of omission.

The content of justice, the benefits which are to be distributed as basic rights in the community, can be identified by observing what is at stake in the passages in which “justice,” “righteousness,” and “judgment” occur. The needs which are met include land (Ezekiel 45:6-9 ; compare Micah 2:2 ; Micah 4:4 ) and the means to produce from the land, such as draft animals and millstones (Deuteronomy 22:1-4 ; Deuteronomy 24:6 ). These productive concerns are basic to securing other essential needs and thus avoiding dependency; thus the millstone is called the “life” of the person (Deuteronomy 24:6 ). Other needs are those essential for mere physical existence and well being: food (Deuteronomy 10:18 ; Psalm 146:7 ), clothing (Deuteronomy 24:13 ), and shelter (Psalm 68:6 ; Job 8:6 ). Job 22:5-9 ,Job 22:5-9,22:23 ; Job 24:1-12 decries the injustice of depriving people of each one of these needs, which are material and economic. The equal protection of each person in civil and judicial procedures is represented in the demand for due process ( Deuteronomy 16:18-20 ). Freedom from bondage is comparable to not being “in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and lack of everything” (Deuteronomy 28:48 NRSV).

Justice presupposes God's intention for people to be in community. When people had become poor and weak with respect to the rest of the community, they were to be strengthened so that they could continue to be effective members of the community—living with them and beside them (Leviticus 25:35-36 ). Thus biblical justice restores people to community. By justice those who lacked the power and resources to participate in significant aspects of the community were to be strengthened so that they could. This concern in Leviticus 25:1 is illustrated by the provision of the year of Jubilee, in which at the end of the fifty year period land is restored to those who had lost it through sale or foreclosure of debts ( Leviticus 25:28 ). Thus they regained economic power and were brought back into the economic community. Similarly, interest on loans was prohibited (Leviticus 25:36 ) as a process which pulled people down, endangering their position in the community.

These legal provisions express a further characteristic of justice. Justice delivers; it does not merely relieve the immediate needs of those in dire straits (Psalm 76:9 ; Isaiah 45:8 ; Isaiah 58:11 ; Isaiah 62:1-2 ). Helping the needy means setting them back on their feet, giving a home, leading to prosperity, restoration, ending the oppression (Psalm 68:5-10 ; Psalm 10:15-16 ; compare 107; Psalm 113:7-9 ). Such thorough justice can be socially disruptive. In the Jubilee year as some receive back lands, others lose recently-acquired additional land. The advantage to some is a disadvantage to others. In some cases the two aspects of justice come together. In the act of restoration, those who were victims of justice receive benefits while their exploiters are punished (1 Samuel 2:7-10 ; compare Luke 1:51-53 ; Luke 6:20-26 ).

The source of justice As the sovereign Creator of the universe, God is just (Psalm 99:1-4 ; Genesis 18:25 ; Deuteronomy 32:4 ; Jeremiah 9:24 ), particularly as the defender of all the oppressed of the earth (Psalm 76:9 ; Psalm 103:6 ; Jeremiah 49:11 ). Justice thus is universal (Psalm 9:7-9 ) and applies to each covenant or dispensation. Jesus affirmed for His day the centrality of the Old Testament demand for justice (Matthew 23:23 ). Justice is the work of the New Testament people of God (James 1:27 ).

God's justice is not a distant external standard. It is the source of all human justice (Proverbs 29:26 ; 2Chronicles 19:6,2 Chronicles 19:9 ). Justice is grace received and grace shared (2 Corinthians 9:8-10 ).

The most prominent human agent of justice is the ruler. The king receives God's justice and is a channel for it (Psalm 72:1 ; compare Romans 13:1-2 ,Romans 13:1-2,13:4 ). There is not a distinction between a personal, voluntary justice and a legal, public justice. The same caring for the needy groups of the society is demanded of the ruler (Psalm 72:4 ; Ezekiel 34:4 ; Jeremiah 22:15-16 ). Such justice was also required of pagan rulers (Daniel 4:27 ; Proverbs 31:8-9 ).

Justice is also a central demand on all people who bear the name of God. Its claim is so basic that without it other central demands and provisions of God are not acceptable to God. Justice is required to be present with the sacrificial system (Amos 5:21-24 ; Micah 6:6-8 ; Isaiah 1:11-17 ; Matthew 5:23-24 ), fasting (Isaiah 58:1-10 ), tithing (Matthew 23:23 ), obedience to the other commandments (Matthew 19:16-21 ), or the presence of the Temple of God (Jeremiah 7:1-7 ).

Justice in salvation Apart from describing God's condemnation of sin, Paul used the language and meaning of justice to speak of personal salvation. “The righteousness of God” represents God in grace bringing into the community of God through faith in Christ those who had been outside of the people of God (particularly in Romans but compare also Ephesians 2:12-13 ). See Law; Government ; Poverty ; Righteousness ; Welfare.

Stephen Charles Mott

http://www.studylight.org/dictionari...j/justice.html

I was waiting for this post. Any time social justice is mentioned you post this.

Sorry, Stephen Charles Mott, the Justice of the Bible is not the social justice liberals preach.

n david 08-11-2017 09:54 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila (Post 1494705)
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.”
― Tony Campolo
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)
48 As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
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.

I wouldn't take biblical advice from Tony Campolo. Just sayin.

Aquila 08-11-2017 10:15 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1494740)
I was waiting for this post. Any time social justice is mentioned you post this.

I post it because I've found over and over again that some people have no clue that the Bible does indeed advocate for social justice. The Bible's social justice is largely focused on poverty and the sick.

Quote:

Sorry, Stephen Charles Mott, the Justice of the Bible is not the social justice liberals preach.
Nothing Stephen Mott wrote is unbiblical. You can check the references. But you are right, the Bible's form of social justice isn't exactly what the liberals preach. The Bible's command towards social justice is focused on the widows, orphans, aliens, workers, the poor, prisoners, slaves, the sick, and the oppressed. Now, liberals expand upon the "oppressed" by including minorities, women, and the LGBTQXYZ community.

Aquila 08-11-2017 10:18 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1494742)
I wouldn't take biblical advice from Tony Campolo. Just sayin.

I don't agree with Campolo theologically either. But his statement is dead on. You know very well that we could mention that 30,000 children died last night for lack of water and food and people would sigh and frown and think, "That's so sad. But let's not get into social justice or anything." But if I said just one four letter word... they'd be up in arms to run me out on a rail. While we both reject Campolo's theology... he's dead on concerning the apathy of so many in Western Evangelicalism and Fundamentalist churches.

aegsm76 08-11-2017 10:23 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1494742)
I wouldn't take biblical advice from Tony Campolo. Just sayin.

Seriously.
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.

n david 08-11-2017 10:39 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila (Post 1494747)
I don't agree with Campolo theologically either. But his statement is dead on. You know very well that we could mention that 30,000 children died last night for lack of water and food and people would sigh and frown and think, "That's so sad. But let's not get into social justice or anything." But if I said just one four letter word... they'd be up in arms to run me out on a rail. While we both reject Campolo's theology... he's dead on concerning the apathy of so many in Western Evangelicalism and Fundamentalist churches.

His statement is hyperbole.

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.

n david 08-11-2017 10:41 AM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila (Post 1494746)
I post it because I've found over and over again that some people have no clue that the Bible does indeed advocate for social justice. The Bible's social justice is largely focused on poverty and the sick.

Nothing Stephen Mott wrote is unbiblical. You can check the references. But you are right, the Bible's form of social justice isn't exactly what the liberals preach. The Bible's command towards social justice is focused on the widows, orphans, aliens, workers, the poor, prisoners, slaves, the sick, and the oppressed. Now, liberals expand upon the "oppressed" by including minorities, women, and the LGBTQXYZ community.

The Justice of God and the Bible is not at all what modern, liberal social justice is about. Period. You can try to twist and argue, but it's not.

Sister Alvear 08-11-2017 11:10 AM

Re: can every...
 
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...

Sister Alvear 08-11-2017 11:11 AM

Re: can every...
 
i do think many churches have lost the real vision of the work of the church...but that is just my opinion...

Aquila 08-11-2017 12:19 PM

Re: can every...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by n david (Post 1494753)
His statement is hyperbole.

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.

You might be surprised, but I agree with you. :thumbsup

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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