Thursday, May 16, 2013

A NEW CREATION

"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation." Galatians 6:15

          "A change in clothing or other externals doesn't make a new creation, as some imagine. It happens through the renewal of the mind by the Holy Spirit. This is subsequently followed by a change in the body, limbs and senses. For when the heart receives new light, new judgment and new impulses through the gospel, the external senses also are renewed. Then the ears have the desire to hear God's Word instead of human ideas and dreams. The mouth and the tongue no longer praise their own works, goodness and rules but joyfully praise God's mercy, which was revealed in Christ. These are not merely changes in words but real changes. They include a new mind, new will, new senses and also new ways of behaving. Not only do the eyes, ears, mouth and tongue see, hear and speak differently than before, but the mind itself resolves to follow a different way of living."

          Martin Luther penned the quote above over 400 years ago. His words describe the goal we seek in our work with men and women coming to our Rescue Mission. Luther knew the power of God as it is revealed through faithful obedience to His Word. Our clients have lived life according to the rules and standards taught them by family, friends and the world. As a result, their physical passions took control of their behavior and their lives. Selfishness reigned within them. Addictions and abuses abounded. In the end, their own desired led them into a world of hopelessness, despair and physical calamity. Today, with God's help, these men and women now have the opportunity to know true hope, true forgiveness and true love. Each day at the Mission our clients grow in their knowledge of God and the forgiveness He offers them through a personal relationship with the living Christ.

          With patient study and living, men and women at the Mission are finding new hope in their lives. In time they are learning to seek God's will for their daily decisions. As they progress through their nine-month programs, they are beginning to see their own lives, bodies and minds changing in ways they never dreamed could happen. We remind them that the changes they are experiencing are the result of their faithful obedience to God. Pointing them in His direction helps them begin to understand that He is present every day and in every tough situation they face. It is exciting to see God renewing the hearts and minds of these men and women.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

OUR FATHER'S LOVE

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like on of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:17-20

          We struggle to understand this love of the Father. Our conditioning is such that we seem Him through the experiences and words of our earthly fathers. Some people grew up not even knowing their father. When I speak to them concerning the fact that God is their Heavenly Father they can only envision an "absent" being who has no involvement in their lives. This is only one example of trying to understand God from our experiences and the perspective of life in this world.

          Jesus says that if we have seen Him, then we have seen the Father. The Word of God is here for us to read about, hear from and see the person of Jesus Christ and thereby read about, hear about and see our Eternal Father. He is ever present in our lives and when He appears absent or far away it is because we have moved. In the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32) quoted above, we see this principle clearly. The person described had taken all his possessions and left the relationship that had been established between himself and his father. He (or she) decided one day to venture out into the world and live according to his own agenda. Life and all it could provide was his goal. He enjoyed the pleasures of his own will and passing desires but in time they ran out. In the end he had squandered all that his father and the world could offer him.

          The men and women we meet here in our shelters are just like the son in the parable. Listening to the world through friends, co-workers and family members, they struck out into the world on advice and wisdom that was not of God. Along the way they involved themselves in activities, professions and relationships that drained them of all their material possessions. For some, addiction replaced their balance between healthy and destructive behavior. For others, the lust of the flesh, the love of money and the love of self drove them into relationships that quickly emptied them of self-respect. As the months and years passed, they lost more and more of their identity to people who quickly moved in and out of their lives stealing away their hope and a future.

          Today, the love of God is growing in their hearts and minds. Through the compassion and love of our staff the clients God has brought to us are learning about their Heavenly Father. They are learning that God's love for them is evident in the Cross of Jesus Christ. His forgiveness of their past is what brings healing into their hearts and new hope for their future. New relationships, new work opportunities, new educational goals are all the instruments God will use to bring them out of the darkness of their past into the light of a new future. Even before they knew Him, God was preparing their way into a place we know as Jericho Road. Here they would begin to read about, hear from and see for themselves Our Father's Love.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

PRAYER

           Prayer is our greatest resource for mission work here at Jericho Road. In the Gospels we often read of Jesus spending solitary time to pray to his Father. To be effective in our ministry we take time each day to pray for our clients, staff and supporters. Prayer makes a difference in our lives and in our mission work. Prayer impacts our future and the lives of our clients. God not only answers our prayers, but He does so with much greater force, power and impact than our words and requests seem to call for.

            In Revelation 8:1-5 we see the whole of heaven standing before God in great anticipation of the seventh seal being opened. There we see that an angel took all the prayers offered by the saints within a golden censer. The angel does not merely offer this to God but fills the censer with fire and throws it back to earth. With this all of heaven breaks loose on earth. That is the power of our prayers as God sends His answer.

Your prayers for this ministry are answered with power and with His effect. God supports His ministry in this place through the prayers of His people. Your support brings God’s power to bear on the hearts and minds of the men, women and children we serve each day. Continue to pray that God will have His way with Jericho Road Ministries.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

FOCUS


What is your focus in life today? As school reopens, are you focused on your child’s many school supply needs, classes and activities? What should be your main focus as a parent? With elections coming in November, what should your focus be on as citizens? What activities or gadgets occupy your mind on a daily basis?

            As Christians, should our minds reflect a different preoccupation? Perhaps we should be consumed with the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps we should consider how we might be more available to Him in service to others. Are we preoccupied with teaching our children the truth and wisdom of Scripture? We possess a faith that provides a living hope for daily life and relationships. As ambassadors for Christ we can offer others a new living hope for their lives.

Our focus at the Mission is to share the good news that a new life for our clients can be found in the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ. In Him, lives are changed, a passion for life is renewed and focuses adjusted. It is easy to become distracted by many less important things at the Mission. But we strive to remain focused on sharing Christ Jesus with the men, women and children whom God brings through our doors.

May God continue to bless your support. Without your continued support the least and the lost among us will remain without hope.  Thank you for being a part of this Mission to the homeless among us.

Friday, May 3, 2013

SECOND OPPORTUNITIES


“Since I have been at Jericho Road, I have been able to work towards getting my driver’s license back, pay off debts, and get prescription eyeglasses. Part of my program requires that I do community service at the ministry thrift store. This has given me a chance to socialize with people. I am thankful for that because I have been an isolated person from society. I’m beginning to get an understanding of what I want out of life and it’s a good feeling for me. I have managed to get a part time job and establish a bank account of my own. I like my job and the people I work with. I think they will hire me full time when my program allows it.”  Terry H.

            Terry is one of our clients. Living in the woods and in vacant buildings began to take its toll on Terry. Since coming to Jericho Road Ministries, Terry has taken advantage of our New Life Program classes. With the guidance of staff, Terry has progressed to working outside the Mission and looks forward to eventually having his own apartment, full time employment and a vehicle to drive to work. When he accomplishes these goals, he will have accomplished a goal that is today offered to other men and women desiring a new and fresh start in life.

            Clients like Terry would never have a second opportunity in life if it were not for your support. Your support helps not just provide these material needs, but allows our staff to share the love of Jesus Christ with these people. Many accept Christ as their Savior while at our Mission. Thank you for helping these clients to know Christ and the goodness of His love.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

THE CROSS

          Look on the roof or outside wall of many churches and you'll see it. You will likely find one inside the church sanctuary or chapel building. Hanging from necklaces and bracelets, in paintings or sculptures and on Bible covers are where you find it. It's the most widely used and highly recognized symbol of the Christian faith. I'm talking about the Cross. It is the ancient relic of death and suffering. It is the center point of a religion that preaches the good news about everlasting life. Christianity has never been a faith of the usual. From its inception, Christianity turned the world and its values upside down.

          Today, the Cross remains the symbol of all that Jericho Road Ministries believes and practices. Our clients learn very quickly that there is power in the Cross that our Savior Jesus Christ died upon. His resurrection reveals the power of God's love for mankind. Through faith in His miraculous love, men and women here at the Mission find new life and hope for their future. In submission to God's leading Spirit recovery comes to many who pass through our doors.

           Celebrate with us the recovery of the lost and the least among our Mission's clients. Your support makes possible the resurrection of shattered lives. May God continue to exercise His power and love in your life so that others may find hope and help in theirs.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

WHATEVER YOU DID


          We are thankful that God is faithful to his ministry here at Jericho Road. Men, women and children continue to seek help and hope for their lives at our doors. God meets them here when staff and volunteers offer an encouraging word of prayer, hand them a box of food or invite them to receive clothing from one of our thrift stores. In the giving to fulfill human need and relieve the material burdens, we are doing it for Christ.

          The people we help are thankful and reminded by staff that God is the one providing this relief for them. They are at times surprised by such comments but the staff encourages them to mindful of God’s grace even in such troubling life circumstances and to know that God desires to have their hearts and attention every day of their lives. The giving of this help, alms as the Bible calls it, is one way we as a fellowship of church people, believers, can plant seeds of hope and faith in these people that God sends to Jericho Road Ministries.
 

"Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."   Matthew 25:40

          Thank you for being a part of our ministry. Supporting us extends the grace and love of Jesus Christ in a tangible form and with words of hope. Let us pray that God grows these seeds of hope and enables them to place their faith and trust in Him each day of their lives.

Ministry Scenes

Have The Homeless Become Invisible?