Love With No Obligations vs. Religion With An Agenda

I highly recommend the films of videographer Darren Wilson.  He simply takes a camera around the world to any place where God seems to be working in a powerful, miraculous way.  While so many Christian churches in North America struggle with direction, growth, and even survival, Darren finds faith in Christ alive in barrier-shattering ways.  And, more often than not, he films the impact of a living Jesus outside the walls of church buildings and in the most marginal, dangerous, and forgotten places on the face of the planet.  Hostile hearts turn God-ward, warlords and witch doctors cring before loving prayer, broken bodies are made whole, and centuries old barriers come crashing down...all because ordinary people wade into the streets and fields of a real world, armed only with prayers of faith, the touch of Christ-like care, and hearts flooded with the unbridled love of Jesus.

In his film THE FINGER OF GOD Darren chronicles the glowing love of Heidi Baker, who ministers among the poor and hopeless of Eastern Europe.  In explaining how God changes lives so dramatically through the ministry she shares with others, Heidi explained that it's the difference between "love with no obligations" and "religion with an agenda."  Miracles happen and lives change with the former; churches dry up and die with the latter.  In one instance Heidi used the translating services of a Turkish pastor to ask a poor Bulgarian woman if she (Heidi) could pray in Jesus' name for her healing.  The pastor told Heidi the woman was Muslim, so she would have to accept Jesus before someone could pray for her healing.  With joyous resolution Heidi lifted the woman before Jesus in prayer, insisting that love comes first.  Jesus didn't wait until we accepted him to die for us.  He died for us first; loved us first, before we loved him.

I believe signs and wonders, miracles, healings and deliverance can happen here.  Darren Wilson believes the doorway to all this is Heidi's kind of unfettered, forget the rules, just-love-'em-into-the-arms-of-Jesus love.  Heidi notes Roland Baker saying that miracles show God exists, but the greatest power is love.

This Saturday many people in our area will participate in an area wide mission blitz called Hope Epidemic.  For those doing so, this is more than cleaning yards, giving away groceries, paying for gas or laundry, or visiting the sick and home bound.  This is about BEING the love of Jesus in flesh and blood.  On Saturday morning look for the person who will not experience Jesus unless he/she experiences him in you.  Just love that person; don't make it complicated.  And be open to a miracle!

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.