I would like to tell you about Lachie, she was forty-something years old and had no experience of Christianity in her home, grew up in a youth home system and is the product of two decades of failed institutional reform. Daily diet of TELEVISION shows, History Channel documentaries, a little spiritualism and a cocktail of conspiracy theories about the meaning of life. Aachie likes to talk about God, but usually when he’s drunk or somewhere with his face full of drugs.
In her moments of lucidity, Lachie is not sure that God exists, after all, science has shown that there is no God, is she?If you ask him how science has done it, he’s not sure, but he’s convinced that this has something to do with evolution or a big bang.
- But one thing Lachie knows for sure is that if God really does exist.
- He certainly doesn’t care about people like him.
- His life is proof of this.
- If God really exists.
- He must not love us very much.
- Because He allows us to suffer and allows bad things to happen.
- If God really exists.
- All Lachie can hope for is to live in the present moment and hope that God will forgive him.
- Then.
I have worked with street children in Brazil and residents of dormitory cities in Scotland. And in my experience, these two groups are surprisingly similar in their reasoning about God. Both have a supernaturally innate worldview. They have no problem believing that there is some form of supernatural entity (or “God”). Understand what’s going on here: these groups don’t want a relationship with God. The Apostle Paul clearly states that “is the tendency of the flesh enmity against God?(Romans 8. 7). But you won’t find many intellectually convinced atheists in the developments or on the streets of Brazil.
The fact is not that people do not believe in God, the problem lies in the kind of god they believe in.
? They see God as irrelevant. God is completely disconnected from everyday life; is someone who exists to clean weddings, baptisms and funerals. It’s useless.
? They see God as selfless. Theoretically, this God can help you, but he simply has no interest in doing so. Do you think it’s amazing that God can be? In a real sense in this world. They believe that God (and the Church) are only interested in elegant people.
? Come tolerant God. On average, people living in poor neighborhoods believe that God is not holy, does not hate sin. He’s contractually bound to be a nice guy, so make sure he lets you through on the last day. And, if so, why should we obey it today? Worse still, there is no urgency to please God with your life.
Because of these various misconceptions about God, it is important that we proclaim his character among the poor. We must present a God who is holy, who will hold each person accountable, something that is a direct attack on the laissez-faire approach of life We must present a known God and that in Christ has been perfectly revealed to sinners. It’s a real counterattack on the stimuli of culture. This God is worthy of our service. It will replace the self as the main object of service and worship. When we know this God and he is known, we gain a gigantic amount of transformative purpose and self-confidence in our lives.
Another example is Rob, a former heroin addict in his 40s, a criminal, a thief, Rob did what he wanted, when he wanted, without even considering the consequences, he stole, lied and hurt people from left to right. to think, there is no God and life makes no sense. Life is the survival of the fittest.
One day Rob heard about God and his eyes opened to see God’s character: infinite holiness, perfect love, and relentless anger against sin and sinners. This knowledge has transformed the life Rob. Il and is now submitted to its creator and judge. he understands that God’s loving interest and personal care for him exist in harmony with God’s holiness. As a result, Rob no longer delys into a story without a script. Today, he lives with determination, hope, and direction. No more crimes. She is no longer absent from her children’s lives. He now lives responsiblely as someone who knows that Heavenly Father loves him, cares for him, and expects him to live like his son.
All this change in Rob’s life, the kind of change that social programs seek to achieve (correctly), is due to the change in theology of Rob, who now understands who God is and that has made a difference.
Not presenting God’s character in a faithful and biblical way has important ramifications in ministry to the poor, whoever they may be.
In recent years, Christians and Christian organizations have increased their interest in helping people who suffer from poverty and misery, but this renewed interest in reducing poverty is doomed if it does not have roots in the local church, which is the way established by God to attract the miserable. people in a transformative relationship with him.
Emphasizing the priority of the gospel, Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley, both pastors of local churches in poverty-affected areas, offer biblical leadership and practical strategies to faithfully establish, revitalize, and cultivate churches in difficult places, in our own community, and elsewhere around. the world.
· The greatest need of the poor is to understand the true gospel. The greatest need of the poor is to know the true God. The greatest need of the poor is to understand that they are sinners. The greatest need of the poor is to be saved by the true Christ. The greatest need of the poor is to repent of their sins.
By: Mez Mcconnell. © 2016 20Seemas
Rights: Excerpt from the book Church in Hard Places, future publication by Editora Fiel
© 2016 Faithful Ministérium. All rights reserved. Website: MinisterioFiel. com. br. Original: TITLE WITH LIEN.
Authorizations: You are authorized and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that the author, his ministry and translator are no longer no longer modified and not used for commercial purposes.