Let us REMEMBER

In so many ways today's refugees and evacuees from the Gulf area are like the people Moses led out of captivity. They have left facing all manner of harm, trusting that somewhere, somehow there is something better awaiting.

As a people of God, let us not let our brothers and sisters lose hope during this time. We must continue to pray for them, for their spirits to be uplifted, for them not to lose courage or hope. Above all, they must NOT lose hope. We must NOT allow that. Too many already have, with dire results. We surely will hear more desperate stories of suicides and wrongdoing done by those who have lost all vision, courage and hope.

We must raise them up, speak for them to the Father when all they can do is groan. And once they are led out, we must do all we can as a people of faith to restore them.

Politics will take care of itself after Hell has been conquered again. I've previously written, and need to remind myself, that it was only days ago (Aug. 24) that we had a great debate at E.R.'s blog.

Among the things I posted in that debate were these:

Jesus said "forget the damned rules and listen to me. Take care of each other and pay attention to me."

Philippians 2:1-4:
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

John 15: 12-15
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Matthew 25:34-46
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "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.'

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."


I needed to be reminded of these things again today.

Now is the time for us, members of the Body of Christ, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and bring these brothers and sisters out of captivity.

I've made a series of posts today to offer some encouragement and some ways of plugging in. Please look through these -- I've broken them up so they aren't overwhelming. Take this as a call to action, a trumpet blowing.

Love to you all.