Rescue the Perishing

Last week, I had the privilege of being part of a group of volunteers  collecting both money and food on behalf of  well-known charity that need both money and food to help those in our community that the Christmas period instead of being a time of happiness and enjoyment is a time of stress and heart-break .  I was really blessed and encouraged to be part of a team that seeks to help those at this difficult time,  earlier this week I was saddened and shocked to watch a TV programme called Benefits Britain,   that showed high levels of poverty and deprivation in a Blackpool.

It’s very easy to be sanitized to poverty and deprivation on our doorsteps,  when we see news reports on foreign crisis and political upheaval  or caught up with our own problems, desires, issues, dreams or our well intentioned plans.

The church that I’m part off,  is located next to a lake and is used for a variety of water sports,  because it’s winter and there have been high tides and high winds,  today I noticed that a sailing dinghy had capsized and while the sailor had fallen into the lake,  there was a rescue launch that had come to rescue the sailor and to make sure the sailing dinghy was able to continue its voyage  ,  I was sitting in my normal seat and was enjoying the time of fellowship , and because of the bad weather the local marine lake had higher waves than usual I noticed that a sailing dinghy was capsized, fortunately  before I could go into Baywatch mode,  a rescue launch had come to the rescue of the stricken sailor.

The Lord spoke to me through this,  that we the church in the words of the hymn are to rescue the perishing ,  we have a comfortable form of  westernized Christianity,  well meaning,  polite , perfect all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted , we need to have a brand of brave,  engaging,  challenging missionary church that says no to the status quo,  that risks all,  it’s reputation,  recognition and respectability .

“Not called!' did you say?

'Not heard the call,' I think you should say.

Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”

― William Booth

While women weep, as they do now,

I'll fight

While little children go hungry, as they do now,

I'll fight

While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now,

I'll fight

While there is a drunkard left,

While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets,

While there remains one dark soul without the light of God,

I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!”

― William Booth

“Some want to live within the sound

Of church or chapel bell;

I want to run a rescue shop,

Within a yard of hell.”

― C.T. Studd

Today in a leading national newspaper,  the Archbishop of Canterbury,  Justin Welby mentioned the growing need  for Foodbanks here in the United Kingdom

State must back food banks, says Welby: Archbishop of Canterbury steps into austerity row with radical report

1.      Archbishop called for £150m state-backed system to combat hunger in UK

2.    He called on PM to reverse decision not to take EU funds for food banks

3.     Archbishop is to launch a Parliamentary report in Westminster on Monday

4.    Report's proposals call for bigger food banks to distribute more free food

5.     Also asks for a provision for free school meals during school holidays

A new row over food banks erupted last night after a report backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury called for a £150 million state-backed system to combat hunger in Britain.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby appeared to be on course for a clash with David Cameron after calling on the Prime Minister to reverse his decision not to take European funds to boost UK food banks.

Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, Archbishop Welby makes a powerful call for more help to prevent families going hungry. The Archbishop is to launch a Parliamentary report in Westminster tomorrow, and calls on the Government to take ‘quick action’ to implement its recommendations in full.

Read more here from the Daily Mail

In  past generations,  Christians such as William Wilberforce and the 7^th Earl of Shaftesbury were noted social reformers ,   we need those amongst us to become social reformers or missionaries to our communities.

Isaiah 58:6-14New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

6 ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness[a] will go before you,

    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I.

‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry

    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

    and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you always;

    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

    and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 ‘If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

    and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

    and the Lord’s holy day honourable,

and if you honour it by not going your own way

    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,

    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land

    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Finally,  the Lord is calling again

Isaiah 6:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Isaiah’s Commission

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Be Blessed today

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside

7^th December 2014