Sharing our Food with the Hungry

Isaiah 58:6-9

This is the kind of fast day I’m after:  to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is:  sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

Giving food to the hungry, welcoming the lonely and fighting for justice are things God cares deeply about.  He is not impressed with ‘religious’ activities like fasting and prayer unless we also care about those in need. We are commanded to help any members of our own families in need, we do need to treat those who work for us well, we should care for our neighbour in need but we also need to care about the hungry and poor wherever they are.

The oppressed and exploited need justice and we are called by God to right wrongs and help in very practical ways. Giving to World Mission is just one way we can feed the hungry and clothe the naked. The Gospel is Good News for the poor not just ‘pie in the sky when they die’ but right now because God cares about our material well being. According to the passage when we express God’s compassion and concern for the needy He promises us our lives will turn around, he will give us light, security and the assurance of being ready to answer to our prayers! 

Is Missional Mentoring one answer to the Discipleship Problem?

For many years my most important ministry in Africa was to disciple both Mus!ims and believers. I spent many hours a week introducing men to Jesus and spurring others on in their faith. What has struck me since returning to the UK 6 years ago is how badly we disciple believers in this country. Many leaders rely too heavily on a monologue sermon and some inspiring corporate worship once a week, a cosy house group meeting every so often, and a lot of personal responsibility.

In most mission situations expecting new believers to grow on a diet of weekly sermons, the odd bible study and superficial fellowship would be ridiculous, not least because it is a million miles away from the model Jesus gave us. The Jesus school of discipleship asked for uncompromising commitment to the master as Luke 9:23 says “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Jesus also demanded an uncompromising commitment to each other. “A new command I give you, love one another.” (John 13:34).

Mentoring is often the missing element in discipleship. We all need someone who will listen to us, challenge us, hold us to account, encourage us and spur us on. An intentional relationship in which a mentor leaves aside their own needs to focus on helping another to grow, is both powerful and rewarding.

Where mentoring can fall down is when the relationship becomes inward looking, more about personal fulfilment than submitting to God’s will. One way of countering this is by giving mission its proper place. The real need is to help each other become effective missionary disciples. We need to be reaching out personally and also developing a heart for God’s world.

The challenge of effective mentoring is integrity, setting a good example. Indeed many fear that they are not good enough to mentor another and hesitate to approach a potential mentee. Yet it is in mentoring another that we can learn and be challenged and grow ourselves. All of us have something God has given us that we can share with another, all of us should make ourselves accountable to another and hold another to account. Mentoring done properly multiplies as our mentees find others to help grow in faith. The apostle Paul understood this principle well as he wrote to his mentee, “You have heard me teach... Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Tim 2:2). If we want to see our churches growing healthily perhaps we need to take missional mentoring seriously.

Father help us to be strategic and effective in our discipleship.

One Prayer to Change the World Revisited

Col 4:2-4 Pray for us too that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ...

A couple of weeks ago we looked at this verse and I suggested that if we took this prayer seriously it really could transform our witness and lead to many coming to know Jesus who, if discipled could then reach others. I have to admit I haven’t been as faithful as I had hoped in praying for many opportunities in my own life but God has answered abundantly in any case. Unfortunately I completely failed with two of them recently; one was a phone call from a lady wanting to do market research, the other was also a complete stranger with apparent mental health problems who engaged me in conversation on the street. Rather than taking time with these people and waiting patiently for the right time to speak I made my excuses and walked away. However with a neighbour I felt the Holy Spirit prepare me just before he took the initiative to talk; I didn’t on this occasion have the freedom to speak about Jesus but feel we did take our relationship further ready for future opportunities.

Not only is this a great prayer to pray for evangelistic opportunities but it’s also relevant for important conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ. Time is short, we need to make the most of every occasion.

Father, help us to persevere in prayer that our lives may be very fruitful.