While in Tulsa this past week I had the opportunity of meeting some amazing people from a ministry called One Hope, an outreach to inner city kids in the Tulsa area. I sat down at Starbucks with Joe Blankenship and his daughter Miriam along with Curtis and Rachel Branch for not even an hour, but after our time together and hearing about the children they are investing in daily, my heart was deeply stirred. You see, just the day before I had finished reading a book called "When Invisible Children Sing" about street kids in Bolivia and their struggle to survive from day to day amidst the violence and poverty and everything that goes hand in hand with calling the streets 'home'. Little did I know how closely the lives of children in America could mirror those I had just read about from a third world country. Both worlds live in extreme poverty and as a result, children are left to fend for themselves, adopting violence at an early age as a means of survival. Abuse, drugs, rape, hunger and illiteracy are everyday factors considered normal by these children who have never known anything different, and falling into the same patterns as the ones who go before them is the only way they feel even remotely accepted.
In talking with Joe and Miriam and hearing how sincerely they desire to reach each child with the Gospel of Jesus, who is their "One Hope," grabbed my heart. They recognize the deep need for these kids to be loved and accepted without condition, the need for a safe environment where children can play and learn and just be kids, and their greatest need for a Savior who cares about each one more than they'll ever know. One Hope is dedicated to training interns in the ways of the Lord and equipping them to reach out to hurting children with the hope of Jesus Christ. One Hope is committed to building lasting relationships with their kids and being a family to these children who may feel abandoned by their own families. The ministry of One Hope is affecting the Tulsa community with the love of Jesus, but they need our help. Thus far, One Hope has been dependent on the generosity of churches and city officials for their meeting location, but the goal is to raise enough money to build their own facility for the children. I encourage you to visit their website at onehopeministry.org and see how you can get connected and extend the love of Jesus to waiting kids in Tulsa.
Check out the article about One Hope in Tulsa World this week: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080719_29_B7_hCa....
The River
Please let me share this writing with you that was made complete by the sharing of your words to the song, "The River": This is a weekly encouragement email that goes out to some people.
The Wind-Fire Moment
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going, so is everyone who is born of the spirit” John 3:8
04/24/2008
If you are fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, then you would know the famous passage from “The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe” by CS Lewis, where Lucy is asking Mr. Beaver whether Aslan is “quite safe”?
“Safe? Safe? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”
Though, less of you are probably familiar with a passage that comes from the Narnia book “The Silver Chair”. A haughty girl named Jill Pole lands in Narnia with Eustace Scrubb. Jill gets into a tussle with Eustace at a cliff’s edge and ends up pushing him off. As Eustace falls, Aslan rushes up and blows a huge stream of breath to catch Eustace and it carries him away to safety…Aslan then turns, and to the relief of the girl, walks into the forest…Jill ends up growing thirsty over time, and she hears the sound of a stream in the woods and goes to find it. She comes upon the stream, but is paralyzed in what to do as she sees the big lion sitting like a statue next to the water. She waits for a long time hoping he will leave, and then he finally says, “If you are thirsty you may drink.” But, the girl holds back…She is dying of thirst, but asks if the lion would please leave first. He does not. Then this conversation takes place:
“Will you promise not to- do anything to me, if I come?”
“I make no promise”, said the Lion.
”Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,“ said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
”I daren’t come and drink”, said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.
Whether it is the woman at the well with Jesus, or it is Jill at the stream with Aslan, they may have come seeking water to drink, but what they needed was “life”. And Jesus (Aslan) knows this without having to even ask. He is offering us living water!
“”If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10
Living water that will heal our brokenness, restore our glory, provide us strength and to give us freedom. This is the greatness of the gospel, and we should shout with joy because it is freely given!
Look at the response of the eunuch after Phillip uses the scriptures to preach the message of Jesus to:
And as they went along the road they came to some water: and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What keeps me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36
He didn’t want to wait! That should always be the response to the Gospel. I know that baptism is symbolic for surrender, obedience and cleansing. And I am not here to debate “immersion versus anointing”. But, I think there is something to the thought of symbolically being immersed into “living water” that really excites me.
When it comes to our life’s search, there really is no other option but God. Whether we have been believers for many years or just a few months, we all need to be reminded of this never-ending offer from the Lord. We go through our own stages in life, where we are weak from battle, broken from some wound, or just plain “thirsty” for life. We try other remedies for what ails us, or other “false treasures” in our pursuit of lasting happiness. But, it will always come down to this; “There is no other stream.”
I want to encourage you to see what Jesus really wants to give you, and be ready to accept it. Become refreshed in His living water. Or, maybe you just need to take this truth and to share it with someone else who is broken, and needs healing and restoration. TAKE THE WATER TO THEM!
I want you to look for yourself somewhere in this awesome new song that I just found. I have just immersed myself in this one. J And I think that you will find yourself (or see others) many times here:
Everyone is broken and in need of a Savior
So He came and was broken for the mocker, for the shamed
Still our eyes are blinded by the culture, by the lies
We can’t see that were filthy, we’re fallen and so dry
But He invites us - can your hear him say
He invites us - hear Him call your name
Everywhere is the sorrow and the pain of empty living
You can see it; look in their eyes, all the hopelessness of the world
But look closer, He is right there in the midst of every fear
Living water is the offer - restoration is the call
And He invites us - can you hear Him say
He invites us - hear Him call your name
Welcome to the river
Come drink, come wade
Come find your very life
Welcome to the river of God
Where your brokenness is washed away
Find your healing – Find your freedom – in the river of God
“The River” by Meredith Andrews
That song is just so packed with the truth of our brokenness, blindness, sorrow and fear. But, answers with the truth of the Gospel:
HEALING…FREEDOM…LIFE…RESTORATION…HEAR HIM CALL YOUR NAME…
“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes to take the water of life without cost.” Revelation 22:17
The time is now to head to the river!
Next Week: “Healing”
Reflecting His Glory
Jim Rubstello