The Revelation of God Through Us: Apologetics with a Touch, Part 2

Examining national ministry comes from union Indonesian I know more about renting a car and my name is Michael Ramsden, Pres. about. We are living in difficult and challenging times we've all felt the impact of COBIT 19 in one way or another whether that be through the economic challenges and hardship is brought to the physical separation from loved ones to those who know wrestling with illness are present with you. I would like to thank you also for praying for us in the last few weeks have been reflecting on if you famous words in Romans eight where it says what shall separate us from the love of gold shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger sold. What is amazing to me is the first few words in that sentence. The first two is a matter of fact, refer to the idea of living with constraint will be in Hamden to be the narrow place to which it seemed to sum up so much of the global challenge we see right now. Wherever you are with you with family where you going and facing this challenge alone. Please know our prayers and thoughts are with you. Would also like to thank all of you will be praying for us during this time we have seen fresh openness to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We recently launched a series go take 55 short minutes. Thoughts of five minutes each. Once a day during the week to try to bring light into a situation of darkness. Some of the Oz young life events which we have done audiences in the hundreds of thousands, both in Europe and across note North America as well as across the world is managing in wondering where they can find solace and comfort but also the promise of a new life. I would like to thank all of you who been standing with us in prayer and financial support to help us take that message to where it needs to go. We know that so many of us are hurting right now as we do with the economic challenges, but for those of you are able, regardless of how people's moral gift may be.

Please know that we are very grateful and feel very blessed to have been given the privilege in trust by you to take a message to those who most need to hear it. Thank you for standing with us in your lifetime and visit you get close to hurting and that sometimes the gospel is easy and the crisis cooled by apologetics in impact the whole passage. Welcome back to let my people think with Rob. Why everything in the mobile Luke T simple statement love God and love of the ocean in the notice and sounds. They are hard to dictate areas. As always, on any tree. I think the president in proximity to pickup on the second he's probably with the conclusion of his message.

The revelation of God. Three. Last secondly I privileged possessions are privileged possessions.

If you were to read second Corinthians 8, and nine. They are magnificent passages which the apostle reminds the Corinthian church of how much they have second contents chapters 8 and nine that they have so much that the abundance is something that needed to be shared and I was born and raised in India and we were very rich.

We were mid-level middle-class family and my my dad. We had a comfortable living had decent home and had servants in all of that but really very rich fact, my parents never gave any pocket money. I was if I were needed and they had to go to some of my buddies and I picked my friends very carefully then and many of these guys would take me to the movies and take me out to farm. I never had and I and my dad just didn't have enough to give us, and yet when I go back now and I look at the surroundings whether it's in the homes of seven so the jemadar's as we call them the sleepers.

My mother always used to send my suitcase was half full of things.

Every time I went to India that my mother had packed for us to take the jemadar's the sweeping community that used to come and sweep our home and swap the floors and so on so forth. When I look at the deprivation and the lack of so many day-to-day needs in homes and in the lives you and I are swimming in the lack of absolute luxury, you know, there are 700 million people living today. Below the line of poverty. Two thirds of them are in the Asia-Pacific region.

My daughter Naomi yesterday was in a home that I had asked her to go to and she emailed me late last night and early this morning and just said thanks for sending us that dad won't be the same again. Last time I go writer and I were in India a year apart last August. I am fellow was a limo driver kept on driving us all over the place in the notice that I would stop where I was born and stalker.

I was raised I be telling stories need be listening to it.

He understood English a little and so he was following them.

On the last step of the � would you mind driving me to the cemetery here.

I want to go and lay flowers by my grandmother's grave so we'd driven over and he followed us and when he saw us find the grave and saw me put flowers and with my calling � say a word of prayer.

I saw him take his hat off and tucked it under his arm and then he looked at me said you're a spiritual man, sir said I'm a Christian.

He said will you come to my house and pray for my family, so he got into his car and had to drive 40 minutes into one room home where some of them lived and I just took to this family. So right away and so I asked Naomi I said when you're in Delhi I want to go and visit his home and going. Pray for them, so she went there for three little ones running around the mother who's been widowed for 50 some years or so her husband walked out one morning and never returned their stories like this and on and on and on and you come out of a home like that and you see that there is one room for seven people and a toilet is shared by full families in the hallway and there is no shower there is, from which water runs and if you've got about 25 or 20 people sharing that every day when I come back home is like walking into the Ritz-Carlton.

We must take stock of how much we have, I know you do it, but it is a reminder, ladies and gentlemen, that in this day and this age in which we live, we live in the West. In North America here in the United Kingdom. I actually found myself there were days where I wished I were a little bit hungry because I saw some thing in the restaurant that I wanted to eat but I was already too full that Sun Life that Sun Life and so my family and eyes. I'm sure many of you have done it have made commitments that you're going to learn to live with less, so that you can blessed somebody's life with more and I could give you illustration after illustration after illustration. I walk into why I write do most of my writing I Ching Amar Colligan Singh was from Malaysia. I doing most of my writing in Penang, Malaysia there very good to me.

They gave me a nice room and business service and all of that and I can eat on the side of the road. It's wonderful food. I would not take all my friends out there, but you can get a plate of curry and rice and some accompaniments and don't look at how it is being dished out Egypt on a banana leaf and use your hands and so far in 33 years of travel. The Lord's not given me an upset stomach, so I keep eating that enjoying it works out very well but the problem was limbs around their and I walk into these little less side restaurants and at the end of the week will put some money into the hands of the man was runs that place. I say got 10 people here. I want to leave this gift for you.

Every time I've done it. Man looks at me and says why Weiser and I say to them. This is to show you the love of Jesus iPhone and this is a cup of water to your stuff in his name. They had never reject it or know what to say next time I come they can spot me 10 yards away and they all want to come and surmount do it every time I don't do it every time because I want to make sure they also understand that this is not a propyl.

This is something that comes at a time that God will choose and God will see as appropriate so our presence and proximity are privileged positions. Currently our presumptions are presumptions that there is already enough going on around and therefore they're not too many areas that we need to be purchasing anymore. There's enough there after the tsunami, I think it's a fact. There were tens and tens of millions that were given a lot of it still unaccounted for. That is never reached his destination, but you know God may bring some needing to your boss, be alert for that.

It may be something that nobody else has taken notice of, and inasmuch as you do it unto one of the least of those his brother you will do it as unto the Lord. So I suggest to you that there are numerous places of unmet need.

This time when I was in the air in Bombay. My host is a man by the name of go to Pilates a very successful businessman. One of the large exporters of seafood around the globe and he told me about this slum area in Bombay whether a 75,000 people living on us long if you've ever been to Bombay and you have ever seen Islam, you know, I could not possibly do justice to describing it. It is absolutely on imaginable, especially when the rains come that people actually live there and while he and I were driving and I talked about my heartache for the slums and I wish there were more we could do.

We started dreaming some dream and talking about the possibility of actually redoing this whole slum area for 75,000 people and this morning I get an email from them is already contacted do a three big givers and the vice president of India is going to throw in 10 million. He said he's going to find someone important and here we are with this political conversation, meeting a need for such enormous proportions. God gets these things done in the way and all I say to you, is there a many many needs in our homeland in the United States that needs right here.

So when I took a walk and saw man dipping into a Dustin and taking a drink and a gulp out of a half-empty bottle of milk, some of these. We can't always correct. They are there and I challenge you that are presumptions and I'll tell you why this is so critical and I always think this in terms of the culture in which I was raised enough reviews to read the holes during the ninth chapter of John wearing begins by saying who send this man or his parents, and Jesus is neither, but this was done so that the work of God might be displayed at the end of the chapter when his critics cannot handle the healing they are asking him to explain who did this and this boy says I'm telling you who did this and you're telling me you don't even know who is say to him what you know your center from the very thing Jesus said the blindness had nothing to do with these people been on him. In the end because they do not like what his testimonies on his see the pantheist when he or she looks at suffering will ultimately dismiss it as, as waiters born he was sending Uriel barrister that you're not going to escape the Muslim will say, Insha Allah, Insha Allah, it is fascinating to notice how little Islamic charities did after the sunny newspapers are talking about it. Wall Street Journal was talking about it. USA Today any of the hardest hit country was Indonesia. Yet the Christians are there, and I'll tell you what. When you get close. They whisper in your ear and tell you if it weren't for you as a believer, they would've had no hope whatsoever.

The Christian arm is long and it reaches so our presence and proximity are privileged positions are presumptions and fourthly our priorities. When God gave the moral law in the Old Testament there was 613 Mosaic precepts.

David reduce them to 15 Isaiah brought them down to 11 Micah brought them down three to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly before your God. In Matthew chapter 22 Jesus brought it down to one a and 1B shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

You know neither of those two are in the 10 Commandments but he said on lease to hang all of the law and the prophets. In other words, these two other paintings on which the moral law hangs the assumption that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. The worst loving your neighbor as yourself actually comes from the book of Leviticus, but it is precisely the wording that Jesus uses their and when you can take 613 precepts and reduce them to simple statements to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself, then you know what he was trying to say in the good Samaritans, Lori, it is not your neighbor that you love as much as the fact that you become a neighbor to people who spots you cross, you become the neighbor to the world and those who cross your thoughts see in you that neighborliness and the last thing I say to you is are persuasiveness our presence and proximity are privileged positions are presumptions our priorities and our persuasiveness that we share with you a couple of illustrations and then I will close as some of you know this story because it really is so is is fascinating.

You never know how these things happen. There are two or three cities in the world at that I have visited often and done a lot of my writing. One of them is in the beautiful Oriental Hotel in Bangkok when I'm writing they give me a very special deal because they have an altered swing many great writers have written their and I always when I arrived there present them with the book that I've written and slavery kind to me to let me stay. This is really one of the most loveliest places to stand on thereabout 15 or 20 times the manager there is is an Austrian or Swiss. He's been there for 20's the nearest court vital and he always calls me by my name, they know me. There are team retreat was recently held at a just good to us and Mr. court as they call them always. When I walk in, so nice to have you back if your home away from home and they just treat you so beautifully and about a year ago I was visiting there because we were going to Chang Mai will be helping in a home for AIDS victims build a home there. So my daughter and family had left and I'd gone back to the hotel is right really tired that night starfighter was standing in the lobby is what brings you here this time. I said well we are building a home for AIDS victims in Chang Mai. He said you are. I said yes said he got a few minutes. I said yes to come and sit on tell me about so I started telling them about it. All guests coming in is ignoring all of them sitting down in a session I started reading your book can men live without God.

He said one page a night is all I can handle being finished.

He said Mrs. Zacharias, if you're doing this my people here in Thailand is married to a Thai lady you're doing this my people here in Thailand said we are opening the world's number one resort Chang Mai Cody Oriental part of daily.

He said I will invite royal family. Islandwide members of Parliament and High Plains government officials you speak to them and we'll raise some money for you if you will come of all the witnessing I've done to him. Nothing reached him until he knew I cared for his people.

All the philosophizing he could handle only a page and I building a home for the AIDS victims in Chang Mai and Kurt Clark vital said I'll give you what I have power to give you and will host a dinner and raise some funds. This is what it is all about men and women can see Christ in us. You know they really have nothing to say against him when they understand who the Christ is. It is our institutionalization of the whole thing that they have big problems with. You will need institutions to be a good Samaritan. You don't need an organization to give needy people. You can take a journey yourself around the globe and just warms somebody's hand with a gift and look in the eyes and you will know what it is you have done in a young life.

I get letters from restaurant waiters in Malaysia and barely write a sentence of English because of a little gift given to them.

They know who you are. Let me read this in closing's came to me from New York City, a place where we have a bit of a share in supporting some needs covenant tops.

It would have trouble believing this letter. What I'm about to tell you so strange and incredible lady says that she is writing the director this place that you never forget it.

But please understand that every single word of this story is true. I'm really praying you take time a few minutes to read it. She came to our front door Tuesday morning, dressed in dirty rags holding a little aluminum paint can in her arms from the second she stepped inside our shelters. She mystified us. Whatever she did wherever she went. The paint can never left her hands when Kathy sat in the crisis shelter. They can set in her arms. She did the can with her to the cafeteria that night. First morning she ate and with her the last first night she slept when she stepped into the shower. The can was only a few feet away arise always on when the tiny homeless go dress the can rested alongside her feet.

I'm sorry this is mine. She told our counsel is one of you asked about it. This can belongs to me. You want to tell me what's in it, Kathy � no, not today. Sister not today when Kathy was sad or angry or hurt, which happen a lot. She took her paint can to acquire dorm room on the third floor many times on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday at Best Buy room and watch a rock gently back and forth that paint can in her arms. Sometimes she talk to the paint can and little whispers, you know, I've been around troubled kids all my life.

I'm used to seeing them carry stuffed animals. Some of the roughest office kids at covenant House have a stuffed animal, every kid has something need something to hold but paint can. I could feel alarm bells ringing in my head early this morning I decided to accidentally run into her again.

Would you like to join me for breakfast.

I said Kathy will that be great so that we great for a few minutes. We sat in a corner of our cavitary talking quietly with the din of 150 ravenous homeless kids that took a deep breath and plunged into it all right Kathy, that's a really nice scan what's in it for a long time. She didn't answer. She wrote back and forth to hers hair swaying across her shoulders and she looked over at me.

Tears in her eyes. It's my mother. She said all we mean is your mother is my mother's ashes. She said I went and got them from the funeral home. You know, see, I even asked him to put a label) decided has her name on it. Kathy held the cannot before my eyes a little label on the side chronicled. All that remained of her mother, date of birth, date of death name that was it and get people that can close and how did you know I never really knew my mom.

I mean she trimming the garbage two days afterwards born we check Kathy story short of the other. Kathy was born the New York newspapers on the story saying that the police and found little infant girl in a dumpster. And yes, it was two days after Kathy was born. I've ended up living in a lot of foster homes in no matter what my mom Kathy said. Then I decided I was going to try to find her and I got lucky, someone knew where she was living. I went to her house.

She wasn't there.

Sr. she said my mother was in the hospital. She had AIDS and she was dying. I went to the hospital and I got the meat of the day before she died. You know she told me then that she loved me. Sr. and Kathy started crying. She told me she really loved me. I reached out and hugged Kathy and she cried in my arms for a long long time. It was tough getting my arms around her, because she just wouldn't put that paint can down but she didn't seem to mind and I know I didn't. I saw Kathy again a couple of hours ago eating dinner in our cafeteria. She made a point to come up and say hi. I made a point to give her an extra hug. I felt a lot like trying tonight.

I cannot seem to stop feeling this way.

I guess it's this story. This whole horrible sad unreal mess has gotten to me tonight that so I just had to write this letter to. That's the world in which we live at the world in which we live and I have set it to my teammates in order set it to my knee many times. If it weren't my calling to be an apologist. This is a place I would be. I've come to the conclusion. For me it's not either/or. I am an apologist. I want to be an apologist with a touch and that's why we are where we are and wellspring international was formed, but you have options in your churches to do this in organizations that you're in touch with the new sweater and Samaritan personal world vision of whatever the important thing is you ask God what you can set aside out of your riches and for will very comfortably and reach out and touch the millions who are hurting that may be the most powerful evangel to a world where there is a pain in every two, and there is a pain every home. I believe the Lord would want us to look at again what he said when he said this, he send me to preach good news to the poor to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. They will be called oaks of righteousness blunting of the Lord. The display of his splendor.

Can you imagine when he read it in the synagogue shouted and said today this Scripture is fulfilled in your think of the poor prisoners.

They found they found out that swine that concludes this week's message from Ravi Zacharias if you would like to purchase a complete copy give us a call at one 800-4486 76 takes we should ask for the title, the revelation of God through us when you cool even as they would any of our resources online at ancien.A1c was that I am.ca for days listening and counted at Wiley online. Be sure to check out Alpo costs from Ravi Zacharias on the IM team. These podcasts aim to address and unseal toughest questions on cults that faith, suffering, science and moral. You can listen to these podcasts on a website and ancien.LYG click on the listen tab will satisfy ancien Po costs on 19 if you listing in Canada that website is is that I am.ca. If you enjoy the content from this radio program will love the content on all GTP channel this case he keeps outcome and sets the channel.

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