Some thoughts on Children

I wrote this while on deputation for a Sunday School hour where I got to present beyond the typical ministry overview. My passion for the kids in the Philippines is seen as I reread this years later. Why am I posting it. No one will read it but it will be stored here as a reminder for me both now and years to come that while my greatest prayer of being there and fulfilling this work as a conduit of God's grace in the Philippines is not likely to happen now, I can still retain my passion, compassion and effect change through prayer. here it is. To start with, I would like to list our primary objectives in ministry – I believe that it is a four fold goal and follows a lot of biblical precedent set by the model of the apostle Paul 1) The ultimate objective is to see autonomous, self sustaining and self governing independent churches in every community so that all may hear the gospel a. The rest of the work of the ministry is done in and through that local church (let me explain) i. As your church has resources and opportunity – you have varying ministries perhaps to the poor or to widows or to senior citizens, in prisons or jails, maybe a Christian school or something like that ii. Your evangelism endeavors, maybe publishing ministries, discipleship and much more is done within the framework of the local church and so it should be done on the foreign field. iii. Having a parachurch organization in a foreign land that is strictly a medical ministry, orphanage, school or something that is functioning independent of a local church is really not the model employed in Scripture iv. And so, evangelizing an area with no cooperation with a local church to direct people to or with intention of starting a work there is also not the model of scripture 2) In order to do plant churches, we must ADAPT to the culture (reputation of wealth, of pride, of trying to change others to become Americans or westernized) a. – learn the language, b. the way of life, c. the worldview of the people d. adjust to the food, the climate, the sights and smells etc e. learn what to do and not do so we do not offend them unnecessarily f. we shouldn’t be afraid to shop at their marketplaces etc g. We must remind ourselves constantly that we are not there to make them Americans but to bring them the gospel and to teach the whole counsel of God with grace and truth 3) To evangelize the lost – certainly this is our primary commission from the Lord and the first step in seeing churches established and there are countless open doors and venues in which to do this 4) To DISCIPLE – for a church to be grounded, for labourers to be multiplied, for more to be sent out – we must commit to faithful teaching of the word of God – we would like to see Bible schools get established through the local churches to train labourers for the field Paul demonstrated the ability to understand the culture and adapt in the places he went without every diminishing the truth or the standards of God’s holiness. He knew that the Lord wanted local churches established and that those churches would then be the hub from which many would evangelize their communities, invest in world missions and train up more labourers for the gospel So those are our objectives and I will expound on the tribal groups God is directing us to as a large part of our ministry there tonight But there is one primary group I want to focus on for a few minutes this morning The truth is that there are many opportunities there, many different people groups, ages, religious systems, philosophies and venues in which to interact - it was difficult to even narrow it down this week to one aspect of ministry Then on Tuesday we were driving from Jacksonville FL to Raleigh NC and as I was driving, the Lord impressed upon me a strong reminder of the great need and potential of the children in the Philippines. First of all I would say that this is probably the easiest group to be burdened for – when you think of children, our hearts remind us of our own or those that are close to us – when we think of third world countries – we get pictures in our minds of hunger, poverty, begging, disease, abuse, neglect and much more – and the truth is – often times that is the case (and isn’t just peculiar to third world countries for that matter) But I want to share some things about the need and opportunity among children in the Philippines from 2 perspectives 1) Sympathy is no substitute for action – feeling for them is one thing, knowing there is a need is one thing – doing something about it is another 2) When Christ looked at people and ministered to them – His perspective was not to look at them with pity but rather to see them as having great potential We know from the example of our Lord Jesus Christ that children are worth our time and investment. Luk 18:15-17 (15) And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. (16) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (17) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. The disciples saw Christ as being too busy or too important to deal with kids but it was there that Christ needed to teach them the importance and potential of children and the need to invest in them Mat 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. An investment made in others is an investment made to Christ SITUATION WITH KIDS IN THE PHILIPPINES Let me see if I can paint a picture for a few moments of the situation as I have seen and understand it to be according to statistics, statements from the government and most importantly I feel, by the testimony of other missionaries in the Islands. The government will report that in the city of Manila alone there are more than 250,000 street kids – multiple missionaries I have spoken with believe that there are significantly more than this A Street kid can really fall into many categories or descriptions • Some are true orphans, • Some are runaways, • children of abusive parents that are using them to beg and steal (or worse) • or if they are just not watched by their parents and therefore spend most if not all their time on the streets • many times – they are the result of the overseas work system that is promoted in the country. o 1/10 filipinos work in another country and it serves to stabilize their economy with over 14 billion coming in last year through overseas remittances – the result though is that one parent often goes leaving the other with little financial help and a lot of stress – drinking, abuse and even prostituting of their own children can happen in severe circumstances. Whatever the case may be, there is an overwhelming amount of kids all over the street. During the day, you will find them • playing at the edge of filthy waterways in the city, • picking through garbage cans or at the dump • they might be gathered together in their squatter communities trading or gambling to obtain something to eat • hundreds of people even live in cemeteries like Manila north – the biggest in the country – they can find shelter there and there is less chance of a run in with the law or others with bad intentions • you will find some selling whatever wares they might have obtained on the streets with the other Tinderas (vendors) – often times they are used to sell for their parents or those who “watch them” • as you would expect - They will often have very little clothing and are very dirty • They will be begging outside of stores and malls • They will walk between lanes of the major roads where 7-10 lanes of traffic will be wrecklessly trying to navigate – tapping on the windows of cars and taxis asking for a peso • You may find them playing ball at the nearest basketball hoop or standing outside of a shop or housing unit that has a tv to see if they can watch something • At night you can drive around this massive city of 12-18 million souls and see untold hundreds of kids and adults alike laying on the sidewalks, medians of the roads, benches, stairwells, bus stops, train station floors etc either with nothing under them or perhaps a piece of cardboard • You will also find many of the girls attempting to sell themselves – the country reports that there are over 375000 prostitutes – but a number of them as young as 9 and 10 years old… The situation with these children is very dire • If you look closely, you will find many of them holding a brown paper bag and sniffing from it once in a while – it is a hardware store type cement that is called rugby – it is considered a drug that is illegal but rarely acted upon by police o It is said that sniffing rugby fools them into thinking they are not hungry o Sometimes the police will find kids with it and they will empty the glue into their hands with a glove and smear it into their hair, ripping some of their hair out as they pull their hand away… o The truth is that many of these kids have had run ins with the police but often time they end up being yelled at, face some form of abuse perhaps and let go • The jails are incredible overfilled and the judicial system is tremendously slow as well as corrupt o I have preached in many of the city jails multiple times as well as the big 30000 inmate prison – many of them have large populations of kids in them – ranging from 9-15 years old – often they will spend 9 or 10 months in there for an offense that once they finally get their trial would have sentenced them to maybe 3-6 months o You might think that they would have it better in jail than the streets as it would be in America but those jails are incredibly overcrowded and horribly unsanitary and underfunded.  The government alots for 75 pesos per day/per prisoner – that is enough for a couple portions of rice and maybe some other small portion of food per day. o The first jail I was in I preached to 32 boys – 9-15yrs old – they all shared one cell. o Many of the jails and the maximum security prison had children living in it because their parent or primary caregiver was incarcerated there and there was no one else to take care of them – so they are put in a population with other kids in that situation and locked in as well In general, The poor remain in jail, while the wealthy can bribe their way out for It is considered by many analysts as the 11th most corrupt government in the world. • As far as education, some of these kids will go to school but most of the true street kids will not as you might imagine – o The schools are drastically overcrowded as well – with some facilities attempting to educate tens of thousands at a time – even having day and evening rotations because of a shortage of facilities and educators. David Livingston said “Sympathy is no substitute for action” I did not say all these things to attempt to pull your heart strings The Philippines is not the worst country in the world for poverty, disease or orphans etc I have visited leper colonies and orphanages in Zambia Africa and seen worse – where all their bellies are sticking out from Malnutrition, they are covered in flies and filth and the kids will literally start crying if you give them but one piece of candy… I have been to mexico and seen some needy kids there. But the truth is, all you have to do is turn on the news or pick up a paper and you will see a far more dire situation in HAITI right now. But I do believe our eyes should be open and we should look upon the fields Then once we have looked, ask the Lord, what would you have me to do. Jude 22 – OF SOME HAVE COMPASSION _ MAKING A DIFFERENCE Now let me clarify something very important - My goal is not to put clothes on the backs and food in the bellies of every needy child in the Philippines, although - would to God that could be done?!, amen?! – I know if it were my kids on those streets, I would do about anything to find them, feed them and clothe them…but more importantly – our greatest endeavour is to share with them the gospel of Grace – the means of hope, the promise of eternal life through the finished work of Jesus Christ What a shame it is that many “Christian” organizations have gone around the world and offered medical services, dental services, provided clothes, food and shelter – or even Christmas gifts to kids without ensuring that in the midst of these humanitarian efforts, that the Gospel would be clearly preached unto them Woe unto us if we will buy a meal for a child and not tell them about the bread of life that will satisfy them for eternity… Woe unto us if we will give them to drink physically while we allow them to step off into eternity without the opportunity to trust Christ… Just last week I was knocking doors in a nice neighborhood when I had a maid come to the door and say that it was not her house but that the owner of the house – a DR Richardson had just passed away and she was preparing the home for a family gathering… A full belly, designer clothes, the nicest house, expensive cars and in a moment – he is either in heaven or hell – and none of those things mattered one bit any more… We mustn’t overlook what is most important Now lets lok at a few scriptures pertaining to ministering to children and the Fatherless (Jas 1:27) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Deu 10:18) He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. (Deu 14:29) And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. (Deu 24:19) When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. Multiple times in Job when Job was rehearsing his life and practices and righteousness he would state how he had never forsaken or ignored the needs of the fatherless around him… (Psa 10:14) thou art the helper of the fatherless. (Psa 68:5) A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. (Psa 82:3) Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. (Psa 146:9) The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. (Zec 7:10) And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. ____ Psa 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psa 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Psa 127:5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. I want to tell you today that Children have great potential, - those that the world and sin and poverty have afflicted and imprisoned – THE LORD WOULD HAVE US TO GIVE THEM LOVE _ GIVE THEM HOPE AND GIVE THEM THE TRUTH THAT WILL SET THEM FREE And once they have Christ, the potential for them is immeasurable We could go through the great stories of the Bible and review all the children and young people that God has used over time – we could rehearse Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we could look at David, the boy with the five loaves and two fishes, Samuel as a boy and many others but suffice it to say – GOD HAS USED, can use and wants to use children. 5th and 6th illustration Then beyond childhood – these kids know they have been saved from much and will do much about it – Testimony of Liberty Baptist 3 streetkids Jacque, Nanette, Yoli SO WHAT DO WE INTEND TO DO, AND HOW? Well, one thing I learned quickly is that if you are going to minister to kids, it cannot just be a handout – whether you give food, money or even a gospel bracelet or tract, there are often times people that are watching these kids while they beg so that if they do get anything – they can come take it. Sometimes it can be a parent exploiting them because the kid will get more of a sympathy vote, other times it is just someone bigger than they are that can quickly bully them out of it. When I worked at Kodak, I would make it a habit as I had opportunity to buy some food from a street vendor or a bag of burgers or something and find some of the kids, have them gather around and watch them eat it. Meanwhile, I could talk to them, get their name and assure I’d pray for them and share the gospel with them. Those are some of the greatest experiences in my life, these kids don’t find too many adults that take a sincere interest in them and show care for their needs. We would play games, I might juggle for them or shoot hoops with them (they love to see a dunk) and I would have them help teach me the language… I have not had any direction from the Lord specifically about considering an orphanage or anything as part of the work either but I believe that any individual can have a STAGGERING IMPACT on needy children for the GOSPEL’s SAKE – wherever they are in the world. As I stand here, I am confident in the statement that anyone in this room would not have to look too far to find an opportunity to invest in a child and perhaps you may even influence one that could be a pastor or missionary down the road Outside of our command to do it and the privilege it is to do it Let me tell you of the benefits of this work 1) You are influencing an eternal soul with the message of salvation 2) You are impacting those that are observing both yourself as well as the child 3) Through the child is often how many parents are reached 4) By loving and investing in children, you can help establish a trust factor in the community 5) Helping kids in any way often times will garner the respect and appreciation of the government 6) It is one of the most personally satisfying and rewarding things you will ever be a part of 7) It reaps eternal hope for them and eternal rewards for you 8) When one is saved from much, very often, they will do much for God 9) You are planting the seeds of truth in a child before they have a lifetime of indoctrination with the lies and philosophies of religious systems and humanism HOW do we intend to impact them - Extension classes in their communities, trying to establish some consistency of time and a meeting place so they can be faithful to it and encourage others to be a part - jeepney routes to local churches as they are established - gather on streets, play ball, wordless bracelets - Schools – not so much for street kids of course but a great open door - Door to door and street ministry Our goal is not to produce rice Christians, we will not be giving them food and handouts to coerce attendance or attention but we will show them love, we will be sensitive to their needs and we will seek the Lord’s wisdom and direction to minister as He would have us. On the island of Cebu I have had the privilege to see extension classes in seven communities in one afternoon – hundreds of children got the gospel, many parents stood in the back and heard it as well and since I had some laborers with me, we had soul winners going door to door while the kids were occupied. Children are the key I believe to reaching not only the Philippines but the world for Christ and it will be by impacting children that we raise up another generation of missionaries. Now our primary leading and direction is to the tribal peoples and if there is one thing about tribal missions – it is that you better expect the unexpected, rely on God alone and not rational understanding and do what you are doing for the glory of God and not for a burden for men – for that will quickly fade… Yet in that statement – we must demonstrate supernatural Love – they don’t care what you know til they know that you care – don’t walk in casting down their idols and expect an audience… Be equipped with the promises and power of God – we cant look at the tract record of missions in that region – from Spanish to other missionaries – this has been hardened ground for a long time - Rev 5:9 – every kindred, tribe, tongue and nation - Expect great things from God – Eph 3:20-21 - For it is His will – 2 Pet 3:9 Regardless of the person, background, philosophy or religion – All people have an innate understanding that there is a creation and a creator – Rom 1:20 – for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen They also have a conscience and an understanding that they have violated this God – whoever He might be – sacrificial systems in all walks of life – Rom 2:15 which shew the works of the law written in their hearts I also believe in conjunction with this that ecclesiastes 3 teaches that eternity is in the hearts of all men – if men truly believed without a doubt that there were no eternal implications or repercussions for their actions then no society could ever stand and the world would have been destroyed long ago. With those that for hundreds of years have fought outside influences – you aren’t gonna walk in there with a wordless bracelet and see the entire trib bow their knee… Many of them are so remote that they have not heard the gospel or of the Bible at all – Chronological storytelling could be an effective way to teach of the holiness, justice and mercy of God…