A COMMUNITY OF THE WORTHLESS

Caution this Blog may contain uncomfortable reading!

Yesterday I visited Chuy's old folks home in Tijuana. Another strata of worthless people no one wants to invest in. Who in his right mind would invest in the aged? A community of more than 140 old and worthless people simply awaiting their turn to die. These are old and sick people; problem people even other Old Folks Homes rejected! One by one Chuy takes them in. Each one has their story. Unfortunately, for many, there is no light at the end of their tunnel.

Being 85 myself gives me, may I say, a weird and uncomfortable feeling interacting with these people that are awaiting the end. A gentle reminder that my time is getting short too and that I need to do what I can while I can.

Along with the poor barrios and orphanages we've been quietly supporting this community too. Not many do.

I feel the Lord considers these people worthy of investing. I don't just feel it I know it.

The old folks home which Pastor Chuy started many years ago keeps growing although the monthly death rate is high. The home is run by a few volunteers, no Government help (Not unusual) He just trusts God. It's clean and neat; unfortunately he needs more rooms. He would like to buy the property next door to put a Church up. You have to hand it to the man, he's got vision; as with most of us, his vision is slightly ahead of his funding.

I'm really impressed with some of the invisible ministries in Tijuana. Many are Christian (but where is the church??) Volunteers work simply for room and board. The environments are ugly, smelly and full of pain. Again, no Government help.

Many won't be comfortable with a Blog like this but, really ... how long can Christians turn their eyes and pocketbook away from the needy?

MY WORD ON FERAL TEENS

Last night I went where I shouldn't have gone. I went to YouTube ... Subject: "Street Kids" ... I should know better. I've worked with street-kids for a half a century, plenty of them, right here in Tijuana. I've watched them in other countries as well. Why look at more?

I looked at street kids in India. Street kids in Brazil. Street kids in the Philippines and Mexico City. These worthless little parasites are everywhere. Millions of them in this world. They are like leeches or fleas gaining their life from sick urban societies. Born to exist but never to live.

Cops hate them because they are little thieves causing trouble wherever they nest.

Most of these kids have run from a "home" of sorts, tired of the constant confusion, fighting and abuse inside their shelter, they run, sometimes toddle to the hell awaiting them in the streets, where they find their own kind and integrate ... worthless dirty little two legged rodent's invading the streets of big cities.

Two Street Kids Huffing Paint Spray

Later, Stoned, They Support Each Other

One by one the kids realize they are worthless and unwanted. Being unloved mixes them into a different human chemistry, indeed social misfits. In many cases angry against society.

I remember visiting a city in Brazil and where I was staying; word came of a mass grave that was discovered near us. The bodies of eleven kids, with their arms wired together were laying in their grave, each kid had been shot in back of the head. Professional exterminators. Problem solved.

In that city there is an understanding of how to deal with problem kids that hang in your neighborhood. Call a private phone number ... negotiate a cash deal. Late at night a black van with a few off duty police cruses the neighborhood and quietly collect and dispose of the "problem" kids.

It grabs you.

Looking at little kids sucking on plastic bags with some rubber cement inside ... or a couple of sprays from a can of spray paint. Crystal clear eyes that once looked directly at you, now take on a glassy stare, eyelids slowly drop as they enter a peaceful, restful world. I've seen it and it hurts. A four year old or five year old "huffing", hurts bad!

Why do I look at even more of what I've already seen? It builds frustration and anger in me that combine to develop more energy that drives me on, to do more. Why? Because God loves them.

God knows I can't do it all, but I'm going to go down trying! Doing what I can, while I can.

When You Crash Anything Becomes a Pillow

PUBLIC PRAYER

A very wise man once said "there is a time for everything" and with permission I'll include public prayer. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) I was going to end my comments with that; but why not start my short essay with that knowledge. (1) public prayer with Christians. (2) Public prayer, as in front of non-believers.

I've lived in this world for 85 years, and lived in the Church and "Christian" world for almost 75 of those years. That's a long time! As far as "Christian" public prayers go I can honestly say I have heard many thousands of prayers. We used to have Prayer Meetings each week, so that doubled my exposure to Christians praying, or in a few cases "braying".

1. Praying before the Believers: Too often the prayers I heard were shallow; simply announcements or news bulletins in a prayer form, most prayers were long and exhaustive. "Lord we know Saturday's prayer breakfast starts at eight, help everyone get there on time!" Some were even prayer covered criticism of others or maybe a worldly activity. "God bless Thelma, you know she's too fat, but help her to lose weight!" ... "Another bad movie is coming next week, Lord burn the movie-house down! Or prayer for critical issues like ... "Father bless my cousin Roger and his dear family as they head to Hawaii on a cruse next week." "Oh Lord convict my wife for her critical tongue!" On and on I could go. I guess these brothers and sisters were searching wildly for something to pray about. Or in a few cases bray about. Wow! When the person next to you finishes praying, super pressure, you're on next!! (Not criticizing, just telling the truth!) Many Churches are dropping their Prayer Meetings. Why? Well, to be honest, they have nothing to pray about. Why shouldn't I question public prayer in Church? At my age I have the right to do some truthful questioning. I certainly won't knock Church prayer meetings, after all it was a Spirit filled Prayer Meeting that gave birth to The Church! ... it's just immature individuals and leaders acting out their immaturity in a public prayer format. Give them time.
2. Praying before the unsaved ... or the "world!" The first thing I ask is; what's the motive? What's the point? Think it over. To give a Christian witness? Is God really calling you to do that? Why do publicly what you could do at home ... powerful honest prayer. Oh, I see! Corporate, witness. Making a together a more powerful show. We are Christians ... look you can see us, and we're praying together ... for all of you damn sinners! I've even heard of a parade of Christians showing their Christianity by parading down the street. Doing a parade for God! Wow! How sick; although its much easier to do that than live the Christian life 24/7 The honest question to ask is simple what do the people watching you think? Isn't that the point? That's the bottom line.

If we are trying to reach them? Why alienate them?

Stupid if you ask me. If we were in a Muslim culture, (Indonesia) we would be fools to pray as a group publicly! We would be culturally wrong. Sincere leaders, eager but immature, who don't know their culture, on occasion alienate the very people they want to win. Unfortunately ... so it will be.

Public prayer before non-believers? Think it over.

Uncomfortable fact! The people you want to reach need to see the Believers lifestyle as different ... Godly. They need to see and feel, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22) If we as Christians HAVE The Spirit, this shouldn't be hard ... if we haven't the Spirit, (fact) public prayer is not a good substitute, it's only going to confuse and alienate. In my opinion, public prayer is no substitute for a Christ like lifestyle.

But I must defer ... and as I said, a very wise man once said "there is a time for everything." With permission I'll include public prayer.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

• a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
• a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
• a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
• a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
• a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
• a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
• a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

SHAME ON ME!

Many, many years ago, I was speaking to my youth group of about forty teens, and I was talking on courage! I was really pumped! The true Christian has to have backbone! A Christian has to have courage! In conclusion I decided to ask the group to act. "I want to see if any of you have courage; if you are a Christian and not ashamed of it, stand up!" Well, most stood up, except for three boys who remained seated. At that moment I became painfully aware of what I just did!



I did wrong! I was sincere but stupid! I was shaming!

I put the three kids on the spot! I shamed them! I alienated those I wanted to win. On the other side I created and reinforced liars and hypocrites who broke under the public shame pressure and stood with the rest of the group when they really should have remained seated.

I dismissed the meeting and went directly to the three honest kids and apologized. More than that I commended them for their honesty and courage. In fact they had more courage than many of the hypocrites who stood up. (The three became my friends.) I like honest people.

When I look back; public "shaming" was just one of our tools. I had never thought of it that way before. Asking the group to make a public act which will divide the group. To stand or raise your hand. Shaming is so wrong ... cruel and crippling.

Example: telling your group: "Those who will promise to read a chapter of your Bible each day this week, raise your hand!" What does this shaming do? It divides. It creates liars and hypocrites. It may get a few to read, Is shaming a few of them into it really worth it?

Throw shaming out of your tool box, it's simply wrong!

Any time you as a leader ask your group to raise your hands if ... or stand to your feed if ... consider closely what your doing!

As a new Christian when asked to pray aloud I would sweat drops of blood! What do you say in a prayer. I stumbled my prayer to the group, not to God ... and dreaded prayer public prayer since. The shame of not knowing how to pray.

Oh boy, ask your kids to read aloud certain scriptures, then you come to an uncomfortable kid who really can't read well ... shame floods him!

I learned my lesson, I don't shame people anymore.

Several years ago, I was asked to take my turn leading in the opening prayer for a Billy Graham Crusade. As the day drew near, I was sweating! I have no problem praying alone in my room, but praying before 35,000 people? Yeah, I carefully wrote my prayer and said my prayer, but was that a prayer to God? No! It was simply a public utterance on Graham's platform.

I hate to be put on the spot, and so do you ... why put others on the spot?

GET THE KIDS OUT

It probably went something like this ... "Ladies, ladies! listen! The Teacher hasn't time to bless all of your children. Today He has a lot of teaching to do! Please leave the front here and take your kids with you, they're only a distraction!" WRONG MOVE! "Peter, Andrew, listen ... let the children come to me, for of such is the Kingdom of God. You must become as a child even to enter my Kingdom." Jesus knew something the disciples along with many of us, have forgotten. Children are natural believers! (Mark 10:13-15)

I'll admit I wasn't born a Christian, but I was born a believer. We were all born believers. It's a shame life changes us. We believed, we trusted ... we learned!

O. K. I'll admit I believed in Santa Claus and his slay with reindeer pulling it through the sky. By any measure an aerodynamic challenge, but Christmas Eve I listened. I hoped. I trusted. I was disappointed. I was fooled!

At an early age I heard that at the end of a rainbow there was a pot of gold! Now in Southern California it didn't rain often but on occasion I would see a rainbow and I was off hunting for the pot of gold. Yep I was a believer. I trusted. I returned to my house a simple and poor, wet fool!

As I grew older, little by little my innocent belief was corroded, as was my trust. Who was I to trust? Who was I to believe? What was I to believe and what was I to trust? Caution hit my belief.

My belief and my trust became guarded and rightfully so.

I was a simple and innocent believer no longer. Through my disappointment I learned not to believe everyone and everything.

I was asked to believe in God; a God whom I had never seen. Jesus was invisible too. The Bible was just a dead book. I was asked to believe I was a sinner and that I needed saving. I was told Jesus paid the price for my sins. I was asked to trust in the Lord. Trust in His Word. Believe in this? Trust this word? My struggle was legitimate! I wrestled with this.

This was simply too much for my fragile human belief ... thank you Holy Spirit for helping me through my wall of cynicism to become a true, trusting BELIEVER.

Only God could make me a believer again, and He did.

Now, being born again of the Spirit, I start once more as a simple trusting believer. Please God, let no professing believer cause me to stumble and fall.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

~ Mark 10:13-15