#410 Leaving the Chapel for the Dungeon .

Christmas gift why not the one she can have a couple of chicken maybe it's not the get for your family, but it gives the perfect gift for poor family ninja chicken can break the cycle of poverty for poor family yes chicken chickens and provide nourishment for family and they can sell mosaics at the market for income when you donate a chicken or any other gospel for Asia one her percent of what you give goes to the field and get the ball went gospel fundraiser to support family.

Jesus family this Christmas, give them six explanation see chickens and camping.love you will move this working right now was folks over there because of the blood. We are supposed to go there this summer to do a prosthetic limb ministry we would take teens over there since 2005 and helped work with a few desserts to prosthetic… Was my wife's vision. After giving up both of her legs to be able to provide quality prosthetics as a way of sharing the gospel. If you go to the coast of Ghana. There's a little town called Cape Coast. There's a beautiful castle sitting there in a been there a couple times to teams there you tour this it's museum down and the British. I believe built it. If they didn't they inhabit.

For a long time. Originally, the Dutch were on the coast but there's been a lot of over the year went by serial look at this beautiful castle to take a tour you go down below in this castle you see the dungeons were slaves for help. And men were put in more than women. The other children in its darkness, damaging its filthy that's been cleaned up since the hundred and 50 years or so since it was it ceased being used like and they'll turn off the lights.

At one point in your sitting there in abject darkness of this cave. And then there's a doorway to go out to the to the sea where they would take them to boats to ships are waiting for symptoms people wait on. Therefore, weeks and months in filth and squalor is horrible.

That is a gets worse, because up above that Castle's beautiful castle. Beautiful facilities up above it. There's a chapel and they would have regular services up stairs at the castle chapel was beautiful chapel and have regular services upstairs while down below there were hundreds and hundreds in overtime thousands and thousands and thousands that went through an absolute squalor and slaves that were told to be quiet so the people upstairs could have church.

The church is supposed to insulate itself from the suffering in the squalor and the horrific the church goes into the dungeon.

Ms. Diane length access.

In her book suffering in the heart of God and the church becomes the Dutch so that we can reach others is what our Savior did for us. He allowed himself to condescend to everything that is me make all things new. This means Minneapolis. This means you as a character as you watch someone you love American family radio. I am Peter Rosenberg. This is the show for you as a family caregivers hosted by caregiver. It's for caregivers is about caregivers, about those who were knowingly and willingly putting themselves between a vulnerable level and even worse disaster. How are you doing are you home up for 888-589-8840 888-589-8840 if you want to be a part of the show's of us go back to this thought here of what this means for us as believers and ice caregivers. I think we have a picture of this sometimes a little clear because we deal with all the time we do it all the time.

We are constantly showing up to someone bedside or our special needs child or somebody that has some type of chronic impairment could be of alcoholism addiction or alcoholism.

Whatever the impairment there's somebody around who was seeking to care for that person, and that's a picture of what we're doing as believers we are not supposed insulate ourselves from this and I know that it would be nice to.

It would be lovely to be able to just wall ourselves off and not have to go into these places. But we have to look we have to touch we have to see it. We have to to respond to it. But how are we going to do this in the model is in Scripture of what this looks like and were called as believers to be elbows deep into the suffering of this world in order to effectively share the gospel that could be in the situation where you're taking care of an aging love one, and you feel this rage or despair that just keeps welling up in you don't know how to respond. You go back to Scripture you go back to Christ and learn from him take on his yoke.

It's it's it's easy it's hard all at the same time because it involves you letting go of things that you want to see for yourself. I want to feel in control. I want to feel powerful and Scripture says, take up your cross and I am pushing myself to the breaking point.

Scripture says come unto me, I'll give you rest give you peace. It's almost the opposite of every instinct that we have as human beings and as I watched some of these things going on across the country. I recognize these things when people don't feel invalid value or any way feel like they are being considered is worthy, then, that the instinct is sometimes just reach out because I want to feel powerful. I want to feel in control of what to feel. Want to feel and know the word I just want to feel powerful and, and that is that is our that is our battle because were not in control. Though they we have control of his or her own thoughts, words and deeds and those things come with consequences and as I is I watch all these things this week we've got so much injustice going on around it it it it causes no small amount of alarm force but would Scripture say about it. Proverbs 28 five. Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understated fully.

Proverbs 24 verse 24 whoever says to the guilty.

You are innocent will be cursed by peoples and demands by nations. Verse 25 goes on, but it will go well with those who convict the guilty and rich blessing will come on them. Proverbs for 15 2115 when justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous, but terror to evildoers.

God is not dispensing justice, God is justice. And we have in this free country bars elect people to help administer justice on a human level and they will get it wrong because there human beings and they will make mistakes and sometimes those are grievous mistakes and there will be consequences. Maybe not in the way we want to see it. Maybe not in the timeframe we want to see it. But is our hope in them or is our hope and God through this. In the meantime while we wait for that justice to go. It beat it at I have to do this for myself. A lot of times I asked for mercy for me and justice for everyone else but I realized when I see what if I'm holding up a piece of glass. It's often a window. What I'm looking at other people, but in reality I really need to be holding up piece of glass that has a silver back to that smear so I can see my own injustice that I create and once we understand the the condition of our own hearts in the light of Christ. It reframes our thinking so that we can go into these injustices with that same light and bear witness to his justice, his mercy and his grace. He is healing but his lungs were so busy looking at people wagging her finger while they are just they are just missing the boat and I don't want to be like those churchgoers above the slave dens and pins that the People in that castle and got been there I've seen the chapel. They were having church. While there were slaves down below who were living in despair stanch filth, squalor and hopelessness and they were right above them having church. We can't do that as believers we cannot do this and if we are to in any way reflect what our Savior did for us and we will go into these places and you may not be able to on the level that maybe you'd like to, but that's what you do when you are ministering to anyone who is suffering to anyone who is impaired whether they accept it or not, that is not in your purview. That is not up to you whether they accept what's up to you is whether you are going and being obedient and reflecting the Savior who did that for you. It could be at the bedside of someone with Alzheimer's. It could be someone who was convulsing with the craziness of addiction.

It could be somebody who was suffering from all types of affliction Scripture does not qualify where we stop with ministering Scripture says go and if you can't go sometimes. Then you commissioned others to go and that's what this whole network is about, that's with the American family Association is all about. It goes into these places it it it walks into it boldly and if you look at all the different programming on here. I don't think there's anything that I might involve Jim on this one, but Jim, I don't think there's any affliction going on with the human condition that this network doesn't cover was that a fair statement I think so it's it's one of the things that we try to do day in and day out. And as you've said several times this morning we remind people that even in the midst of these times. Even in the midst of hopelessness, sometimes as a caregiver. We hope we hope that we are doing what we can to point people back to the cross and to the salvation that comes through Christ and and I I've listened to enough programming object. I can't listen 24 seven. I got to sleep at some point be a character but I have a pretty good Birdseye view that there is no issue that you guys here and you're the program director.

There is no issue that you guys here shy away from addressing in light of the gospel that is affecting the you and we do it with specificity were not just doing it generically. So if you're dealing with abortion if you're dealing with.

In our case caregivers all these kinds of things. It's all there that I want also paint a picture before we go to the bottom of the out here want to picture something.

Think about how despairing the disciples were with Gwen with after the crucifixion coming. They were basically hiding they had no concept even though Jesus had told them it didn't register what was going to happen and in what the aftermath would be, and they were they were horribly afraid because they thought they were next. They saw how brutalized Jesus was there. How how brutally he was treated when he it was it was it was the most infected of the cross is so bad that the Romans actually invented a word for it.

Excruciating.

That's the word the pain of the cross and they were afraid they were horribly afraid and then flash forward six weeks later, roughly 5 weeks later. What happened Pentecost came, and that's tomorrow. By the way, tomorrow's Pentecost Sunday and that's when the Holy Spirit came with such power that these guys were transformed from cowering, fearful people to every one of them to a man faced brutal treatment themselves and is this Paul will say half A boast all the more gladly of my weakness that every one of them went through tremendous trials in torture, but they did it with the strength of the Holy Spirit and they went and they went into places where they were treated poorly where people did not respond well to the message they had, but they did it out of obedience. The didn't and sunk in many cases all but one of them were executed and they did it with with confidence in their Savior.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit that same powers available to you and you can go into the most horrific circumstances.

If you have a child that is out of control with special needs and you are so weary beyond belief. You are not ill-equipped to deal with this when you're in Christ you can do this through the power of Christ. That's what Philippians think I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He has commissioned you and he has equipped you and we can go and believe that pristine little chapel go down into the dungeons with the misery of the human condition. With the light of the gospel. This is what we do is hope Rosenberg 880-589-8888 eight 589-8840 like to hope for the caregiver here on American family radio this Rosenberg this is the show for you as a family caregiver you as someone who is knowingly and willingly putting yourself look worse disaster are you holding up are you doing 888-589-8840 888-589-8840 go back to Ghana and and I that's that's a pretty vivid picture of that slave castle in the churches up there worshiping while the slaves were down below have been told to be quiet so the folks could worship upstairs that is not the mission and the picture of the church of Jesus Christ that is not it. That is wrong.

That is antithesis of it. We are to leave that place and go down into the dungeons. That is what our Savior did for us. He left pristine glory and closed himself in the human condition. Why should we be any different. What makes us think that that's okay and so is your serving someone right now who is not responding to you in the way you would want look at all that I'm doing look at all that I'm doing for you understand a little clearer of what your Savior did for you for me that's our tendency is we tend to somehow think what we but Lord you know and and and and get get Mary to help me. Martha said sometimes I think Mary Martha got better helps us to get Jesus you know she was yet she was working to serve you guys and and Mary just sit there, but but Jesus said no focus on me and Ed are at. I guess it's it in some respects it's kind of, you know, you cant have to wonder if you're in that situation. If Marious is sitting there worshiping Jesus in Martha's runaround try to make dinner and this is gathered just for 5000 with a couple pieces of fish and bracket Martha's likable baby maybe 80 stir water to one absolute will why do I need runaround act like a chick on the head could often think of doing something so wonderful.

I got the King of Kings and Lord of lords here. I don't know what, that's one of things were going to have – we get there, but I was in I was gone. Another time with our prosthetic limb and strip you will see more about is that it stayed with hope.com and we just sent over some some resin about purchase resin to make these prosthetic sockets was that her supplies got more coming out were trying to also be able to send some funds over there for some of these patients be able to buy food, and in all things you can be a part of that it stayed with hope.com Gwen take a look at it but want to tell you one particular story, and this was, this is embarrassing. I shared it before, I think on the station but I don't know if it didn't, it's okay. It's worth repeating. It's embarrassing anything that embarrasses me is probably worth repeating because it reminds me of my foolishness. The young man came into the clinic from Nigeria, but he didn't speak English very well at all. We really it was really tough to communicate with look like a healthy young man about 25 or so and he had a prosthetic leg seemed to be okay with and it was a and I thought wants to hear me decently sorry got a leg, but we you will get evaluated me was see what's going on in. I didn't have anybody around, such as that will take a look and see what's going on Saddam take his prosthesis off and he had a gel liner that that are used with a PTs and you can use a lot of different things, but jetliners go over the amputated limb. It goes into the socket and that cushions it and informs it is seal that you wear with a sleeve that goes over it and that's how you keep the leg on. Otherwise you have to use a belt system and all it cost so he took the gel liner off and I'm I'm sitting in the chair in front of him and as he took it off the stench from this man's leg nearly overpowered. I mean it was so bad that you and I was right there that infect the head of Buddy mine. That was having a baby to our 67 feet away and he backed up because it was so bad but I bright dabbing. I just get it full frontal man. I mean it in my eyes were watering it was bad. I thought this guy must have an abscess there some kind of infection and it turns out that I live in up, puts through it and I looked around the amputated limb and there was no one.

This just body odor peaches had cleaned his leg and clean that ladder and washed it and we but the leg seem to fit in pretty well so I wanted to get a Medica clean liner in a clean sleeve for we got that and and then we provided little bags where they had soaps and things like that to be able to hygiene things and I wanted to make sure he understood that he had to wash that liner sleeve and wash his leg that was really important.

He obviously was not doing this young man couldn't speak English. He was a Muslim young man and he looked at McKenna Blankley. As I was trying to somehow communicate this to at all the other processing team members were tied up. This is late in the afternoon and everybody was just busy working and so I have. I just I asked friend to bring me up a bowl of water and I had. I got a fresh bar soap and I demonstrate how to do this by washing this young man's amputated limb that you told me after 9/11 that I'd be washing the amputated limb of a guy in a faraway country.

This could be an enemy of my faith could be the enemy of my country. I thought your crazy but here I was washing this young man's amputated limb and he looked at me think he ever said thank you but that was the point because as I was washing the smelly limb that really stunk to high heaven. I mean it was off and dried it off.

I couldn't help but think about how much my own stance made the eyes of Christ water is a is a sinner. I couldn't help but think about this is what he did for me is the pictures that had needed far more for me, but this is a picture of what he did for me whom I withhold this from others and I know that many of you are caring for someone right now who is not responding to you in the way they made outings. I think you may not even be able to say thank you. They may be being a jerk.

Who knows, they may be mentally incapacitated, or they may be just spiritually and emotionally incapacitated, or physically incapacitated.

Doesn't matter whatever the snares if you're doing it for. Thank you and you're the wrong you're the wrong mindset. But if you're doing this out of obedience to Christ and picturing what he's done for you through this.

That's where the real growth comes. That's where the real change comes in.

You, as you've heard me say over and over and over the show it. I don't think caregivers need a lot of instruction but I do think we need a lot of repetition. I know I do have 34 years of this I can't be the only one, but it's not about feeling better about these things were never going to feel better about the mystery of the human condition of her own and those of our brothers and sisters were never to feel better about what happened in Minneapolis or other places that it's been going on and all the things are going on around us were never going to feel better about what this virus is done to our world and our lives but we can be better.

We can be better how we do that we somehow get together and sing some kind of we are the world so no we go back to the fundamentals of our faith we understand the concept of what Christ did for us and then we communicate that to others. We leave the chapel and go to the dungeon whether we can do that physically or whether we can commission other people to do it. That's what we do. That's why this network exist. That's what I do the show. If we are so busy insulating ourselves and feeling better about our own lives that we wall out the cries of those chest within earshot so that we can sing to him a little bit louder so that we can get our appraisal so that we can get our spiritual blessing. We were missing the whole point. The servant is not greater than the master master knelt down and wash smelly feet master took up across and ask us to do the same thing as hard theology, but it's correct. It's painful but it's right it is scriptural. This is what he says do if you don't like it, deal with him because he has five things that is looking for sick make it hungry and thirsty prison. That's what is looking for is pretty serious about go back and look at his work will take my word for look at his words is what he said this is what he did. So as we care for our loved ones. This is the picture we keep this hope of the kick 888-589-8840 880-589-8840 Rosenberger St., Rosenberger never helped somebody walk for the first time I've had that privilege many times through our organization. Standing with when my wife Gracie gave up both of her legs follow this horrible Rick that she had as a teenager and she try to save them for years and if it just wouldn't work out.

And finally she relinquished him and thought wow this is that I'm not heavy legs anymore. What can God do with that and then she had this vision for use in prosthetic limbs as a means of sharing the gospel to put legs on her fellow amputees and that's what we been doing now since 2005 was standing with hope. We work in the West African country of Ghana and you can be a part of that through supplies through supporting team members through supporting the work that were doing over there, you can designate a limb. There's all kinds of ways that you can be a part of giving the gift that keeps on walking and standing with.com would you take a moment ago understanding without.com and see how you can give they go walking and leaping and praising God. You could be a part of that@standingwith.com back over the caregiver here on American family radio. This is the show for caregivers about caregivers hosted by caregiver IP Rosenberger bringing you 3+ decades of experience to help you stay strong and healthy as you take care of someone who is not. Are you feeling 888-589-8840 888-589-8840 that's all my Keith Green, who I grew up on Keith Green just extraordinary. So you put this love in my heart that's the whole plot. If you think you can do this on your own if you think you can manufacture the kind of love it takes to be a caregiver it's going you go to be disappointed it is. It is people said you know I'm not telling Rebecca say this better because of stumbling over this word. I don't know many atheist in this voxel and it is a when you can.

You can screw up the courage to somehow do this for about, you know X about time but after certain point you're going to have to you can have your events will be depleted. You will be able to sustain it and you know I'm I'm in my fourth decade of this now. I guess completed three full decking three to have to ask its long-term and you learn over time that you just don't have it in you to maintain this and he did put this love in our hearts. Next come the whole point.

And that's the point of this particular message and show today is of watching all these things going around. We we cannot insulate ourselves from this we we as believers must go into whether we like it or not, whether we want to or not, but we find it distasteful or not.

That is our journey.

That is art that is our calling the use of computer I can't go anywhere I'm I'm landlocked will know you can't physically sometimes and that's why being a part of the station may be the only way you can do that, but that's important because we are going to. We are doing and really keep doing it on to the different programming shows a Appleton you know I look forward to his insights and thoughts on what's going on. He just puts his finger on the nation. Look at Sadie Rios just just got all of down the line here on a global level John Riley with his report on Israel and and all the things that are going on globally were dressing here and the point is is that you know we we we cannot just insulate ourselves from these things. We must go into it with clarity of the gospel was that look like what is that mean what is what was that picture of us that's doing this and that's what we do the show. That's what we do all the sinks to make sure that people can understand clearly that I'm not responsible for results. Neither you were responsible to be obedient and that's what is good asks again. His words not mine.

His words not mine. My words are irrelevant.

His words are not.

My opinion is irrelevant. His is not as we have to answer to him. We have to we have to be willing to have that conversation with our brothers and sisters, and those who are not yet our brothers and sisters and just go would be obedient to it and speak into it not judging knots just wagging her finger or not. Try to insulate ourselves from these things but be willing to listen and to be willing to walk into suffering, just like he did. Let's see if we can go to the post Judy in Texas. Judy good morning how you feeling I asked you first. Judy will learn. I think caring error out for my mother and firm grandchildren went on at the last five years I and once must be getting the care now. I cannot cannot lock can complication from anything fine. When Dr. left hip surgery which will not help and I know that God has a miracle and my caregiver has been doing one who has never had to care and to be cared for himself and gets away right now. Everything is he still sleeping. Sleep and the learning curve is steep for caregivers in Tel Aviv can call the show anytime he wants. J LB gal be glad to have that conversation with you know because I get it in the learning curve is steep particular. If you've never done before in areas that have held for Lizzie all turned well. The patient was okay 8880 it's very hard to learn the skill sets it it it any age, but at 80 I imagine is going be a little harder now. I am actually I can call and talk unknowingly and on the Unique that I pray for you in your why Street and I can understand it and find out how I want to do some for me.

Judy, would you pray for your husband and pray for you because this is a this is a entire world shift for him to lots hello you been married okay. He's watching his wife available 60 years go through all these challenges and he's trying to figure out you at 80 trying to figure all this out and you know but as you pray for him. I want you to specifically ask you specifically pray that it that he get a picture of what it's like as Christ is the caregiver of the one to bribe himself because in and that's what I dedicated my book hopefully care caregiver solus Christus the ultimate caregiver of a wounded bride because we are all wounded bride. He's getting the picture of Christ as he cares for you and understand what Christ does for his wounded bride and I have a wounded bride myself and so IIII get the concept.

I don't get it on a huge level like out alike.

I'd like to but but I am starting to get the picture of it.

So this is going be tough for your husband and be kind with and be gracious with them and all well asking how he's doing. Eskimos feel about what you have your radio on.

Did you turn it off for weeks and we will have an echo and it said that's okay but when you call into the show. Sometimes if you get your radio on the new little echo back but but pray for him and be gracious with and and understand that he's going to a myriad of different kinds of feelings and emotions and not sure quite how to process what you said it's a it's a steep learning curve to care for another human being in particular that you know when you guys have had a lifetime together. 60 years is a long time when winter anniversary member, December 30 to be 60 years in that's awesome Judy that there are lots of Americans all around. When I write my book and you're not happy that love directed that would be that would be delightful Judy. Appreciate you call and let him sleep in this morning and I never wake one known did you wake up grumpy this morning not letting sleep. That's a little to be careful that Joe gets an antique Judy, thanks so much for the call. Appreciated and witty when you have the surgery on you now know know know know okay America without much market is starting pray for. There's a miracle is already happened. Okay in seasons of distress and grief. My soul is often found relief. That's the miracles that we were going to have broken disease ridden, pain filled bodies. The miracles already happened that happened at the cross and everything else gets reframed by that and and so that that I just wants to keep that in mind that that the miracles already happened. Yes, I do believe that God heals it does all kinds of extraordinary things and he's always working around us, but there's other things that are going on besides this, too, and there's a lot of suffering in this world you know and and so the miracle is that were able to go into that suffering with the light of the gospel because he is transformed our lives and your husband is learning a whole new level of miracle is that he sneezed.

He's embracing the heart of Christ a little bit differently than he ever has before, because he's looking at his bride now and sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

He looks at his wounded bride. So Judy, appreciate the call so very much and thanks for listing and ask your husband. The call located okay you very much Judy appreciate that this is hope for the caregiver. Healthy caregivers make better caregiver support. Being healthy is to understand clearly our mission, and who commissioned us to do it that we are to leave the pristine and go into the dungeon, then the dungeon becomes transformed into the church.

I'd love to tell you that I came up with that all by myself but I did. I stole every bit of that from Diane Ladenburg who I hope to have on the show in the near future of books and reading suffering in the heart of God and that is our Savior's heart understands the plight that we live will see next week.

Hope the caregiver