Poverty and Hope in Addis Ketema

               “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the    

               needy honors God. He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD and he will reward him 

               for what he has done.” Proverbs 14:31; 19:17

               “’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to 

               drink?’ And the King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least

               of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” Matthew 25:37, 40

I have a confession to make.  

The last time I visited and served in an area of extreme poverty was in 2014 in Nicaragua. I confess that I’ve been away from the poorest of the poor for far too long. Busyness ruled and memories faded as I settled back into my way of life. This cannot continue because God identifies with the poor; their cries express divine pain. The Bible teaches us that our treatment of those who suffer poverty equals our treatment of God and I need a re-alignment.

One of my favorite John Piper quotes is, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” Today we had the opportunity to serve and encourage Milkias, Danieal, Mesfen, Yifrut, Fikru, and Yordanos on the front line of severe/extreme poverty with Children’s HopeChest (CHC) in Addis Ketema, Awassa, Ethiopia. These five amazingpeople love God and strive to help others see God’s greatness and goodness through the gospel, providing basic necessities, and fostering self-sustainability with accountability. They are new friends to us but father, big brother, and big sister figures to approximately 80 kids. Every day, they come to work to help children and their families survive, thrive, and succeed when all hope seems to be lost. They need our support and encouragement lest they become discouraged as they face conditions of biblical proportions. 

Most of the kids here are single orphans(one parent deceased) making the children most vulnerable to the dark effects of poverty (including HIV). The CHC team works with local churches to identify who is at highest risk and provides supplies to make and sell injeralocally to provide food and an opportunity to earn much-needed money. The parent is also connected with a church community group so that they can encourage each other and bank their earnings together. Once earnings reach a certain level, a portion of the funds are deposited in a bank while the remainder is used locally for immediate needs and enterprises. For example, after one woman’s basic needs were met, she was educated in animal husbandry and given two oxen to multiply the animals. Within a short period of time, she had a fair-sized herd of cattle and sold some of them at market and gained some independence. She said her dignity was restored when she realized that Jesus suffered in her place and being productive in her community so that she wasn’t simply relying on continuous relief. In another case, a man was provided with a donkey cart so that he could begin earning a living hauling items. He paid off his cart soon after and bought a sewing machine so that he could earn a living mending worn clothing. Similar accounts abound in and around Addis Ketema.

Right now, there are millions suffering the affects of poverty. They need the hope that only Christ can give while having their most-basic needs met. As part of the global Church and as one with means (like most who live in the U.S.), part of my responsibility is to not only be aware of poverty but to actively engage it through prayer, resourcing, and personally encouraging those who fight the darkness each day. 

If we are really serious about our faith and the sacrifice of Christ, we have to face the darkness of poverty and its affects head-on. 

I’ll be reassessing my priorities. Will you assess yours?

Ethiopia Update 11Mar19

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR ETHIOPIA TEAM, March 12–23, 2019 

Team Members: Josh, Isaac, Jason, Jon, Nick, Nate, Gil

As we journey to train church leaders and to care for the poor, please pray that God in Christ would …

1. Protect us in travel and give us wisdom in a country that is increasingly volatile.
• Isaiah 41:10. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
• James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
2. Manifest his Spirit in power through our teaching and in the lives of our students.
• 1 Corinthians 12:7. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
• 2 Timothy 2:2. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
3. Open unexpected doors for ministry of the Word and prayer that would glorify him.
• Ephesians 6:17–18. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
• 1 Peter 4:11. Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
4. Use us to image and share his love with the poor and needy, especially orphans.
• Deuteronomy 10:17–18. The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. ¹⁸ He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
• James 1:27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
5. Grant us unity, joy, prayerfulness, thanksgiving, and a health-level that would let us stay focused on mission.
• Ephesians 4:1–3. I … urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18. Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances.
• 3 John 2. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
6. Grant you, our loved ones, trust in God, peace, and joy in serving as senders.
• Philippians 4:6–7. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Peter 5:6–7. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
• 2 Corinthians 9:11–13. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others.

Ethiopia Update

Stay tuned from updates from Addis Abeba and Hawassa, Ethiopia!

Ethiopia Update 3

Thank you, all, for your prayer and financial support, both initially and while I'm gone March 12-23. 

Last night, our team met with our missions mobilizers at church to brief them on our activities in-country and for prayer. We're also viewing and writing on the Chalmers "When Helping Hurts" videos over the next few days. *If you haven't seen these, I highly recommend them — have your kids join you — to learn more about helping in positive ways. Go to https://chalmers.org/resources/the-small-group-experience/

to view these short 15-minute videos.

Our main mission in Ethiopia is to provide theological education to pastors and church leaders in Ethiopia through intensive study of the Bible together. We'll be teaching how to read the Bible for all it's worth so that, when the class is over, pastors and church leaders can return to their communities with new appreciation for God's word.

More to come — stay tuned!

Live adventurously & stay salty.

Doxology in Romans 11

Romans 11:33-36  (ESV)

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

These last four verses of Romans 11 are a doxology that wraps up Romans 9–11, an entire section where Paul writes about the mercy and grace of God and his deep (if not aching) desire for those of Jewish heritage to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

There is a lot to consider in these chapters, but in these last few verses we can catch a glimpse of the wonder Paul has for God’s grace.

First, Paul starts with “Oh!” He proclaims his awe, his wonder of God. His deep regard for God is palpable as he considers what God’s riches are— his kindness in the blessing he brings on undeserving sinners, both Jew and Gentile alike. Oh! The DEPTH!

Then he exclaims, “How” as in “O! Oh! How…!” HOW unsearchable his judgment and incomprehensible his ways!

Next Paul throws in some Deuteronomy 29 and Isaiah 40 just to add DEPTH: Who has known the mind of the Lord or been his counselor? It is the Lord who is the counselor (Think Handel’s Messiah: Wonderful! Counselor!). Who is man to counsel God? WHAT IS THE ANSWER? NO ONE! The Lord’s mind is his and what he shares of it with us is up to him.

He asks another rhetorical question: Who has given to HIM? All that we have we have received from God’s goodness, from our consciousness to our heartbeat to our breathing to our sight, hearing, ability to think, etc. Again the answer is no one!

Paul finishes, FROM, THROUGH, and TO HIM are all things. God is the SOURCE (from), the sustainer (through), and GOAL (to) of all things.

Finally, WHY is Paul saying these things? He’s drawing attention to the purpose: To HIM (God) be the glory — God gets it all — TO THE AGES for all eternity.

Now, why is this all important? I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to get distracted with busyness. Deadlines, work, dealing with customer service, flat tires, interruptions, and the like. But it’s absolutely VITAL that we slow down and worship and appreciate who God is. He is incomparable. He is wise and rich beyond our comprehension. He is worthy of our “OH’s!” and “HOW’s!” He is the only one worthy of our worship. We can’t give him anything he hasn’t given to us first and it is impossible to repay him. We cannot tell him what he needs to know, but we can go to him in prayer. AND we must absolutely rely on His grace and mercy to be saved. All things are for his glory— absolutely everything.

During our devotional time, let’s pause and think about the depths of who God is and stand in awe and amazement!