31 Dec, 2009
Face to face
Ministering to "the least of these" in Thailand
This week I had the opportunity to share the dinner table with a passionate missionary who is currently stationed in Thailand but was home for a short Christmas break. When she moved to Thailand with her husband they had one child and they were planning on two years of service before returning to the United States. Now they have two biological children, they've adopted three Thai children, and they're working on their seventh year of service in Thailand. Simply put, upon witnessing face to face the abject poverty of Thailand's orphans, and the inhumanity of the child sex trafficking that is completely out of control there, these faithful missionaries felt so compelled by the gospel they just couldn't leave.
Now these two disciples of Jesus love the "least of these" in their own home everyday, as well as operate a "drop in" shelter where dozens of poor, outcast, and orphaned children can receive the physical, spiritual, and emotional care they are so desperate for.
Seven years ago two young Christians set out for a two year service project to a foreign land, now the same two disciples have made that foreign land their new home and have devoted their entire lives to making the Kingdom of God known to the least of these in Thailand.
Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
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.'
Have you ever really thought about what Jesus says in Matthew 25? It's incredible to think about the fact that when we love the vulnerable, downtrodden, and oppressed people of our world we are really and truly serving Jesus himself! I think that's why the missionaries in today's story just couldn't leave Thailand, they were just to overwhelmed by waking up and seeing Jesus face to face everyday.
The question for us is, where do we see Jesus face to face everyday?
- Read Matthew 25 today and pray that the words of Jesus confront you the same way that the "least" of Thailand confronted the missionaries in today's story.
- Ask your youth pastor or CL Director what you can do to love and serve the "least of these" in your community.
- Ask a friend who they believe represent the "least" in our society.
- Invite a friend along with you as you serve the "least" in your community.
- September 2010 [2]
- August 2010 [21]
- July 2010 [22]
- June 2010 [20]
- May 2010 [19]
- April 2010 [21]
- March 2010 [23]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
