Entertaining Angels
As evangelicals, we believe the entire Bible is God’s Word. But in studying the scriptures and applying them to our lives, we tend to concentrate on certain topics and avoid others. One subject evangelicals tend to ignore is that of showing hospitality, both to other believers and to strangers.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). One example of this is in Genesis 18. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent when he saw three men. He did not know that they were angels, but he immediately greeted them and bowed to the ground. He humbly asked them to receive his hospitality, by washing their feet and feeding them. He had a choice calf killed and prepared a special feast for them. Only later did he realize that these were angels. In the next chapter, Lot welcomed these men in a similar way, before learning that they were angels. Throughout the Bible, we see similar examples of hospitality to strangers being shown by godly people.
Jesus taught extensively on the subject of hospitality. “When you have a feast, invite the poor, the lame, the blind, and you shall be blessed…for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:13-14). “Come…into the Kingdom…For I was a stranger and you invited me into your home…Inasmuch as you did it unto one of the least of these my brothers, you did it unto me” (see Matt. 25:31-46).
We need to be doers of God’s Word, not merely hearers. When we think about inviting strangers into our home, we immediately become fearful. “I can’t do that–they might hurt me or my children.” Lot lived in the wicked city of Sodom, but he did not hesitate to invite strangers into his home. I am not saying that we should take every stranger into our homes. Lot did not invite the mob of sodomites into his house. We need to use wisdom–both common sense and spiritual discernment. I do not think a man should leave a strange man alone at his home with his wife while he goes to work. But he could take a pregnant woman and or single mother into his home.
Life is filled with risks. We take a risk every time we ride in a car. We worry that a stranger might be a bad influence on our children. But we fail to see the risk of refusing to take in strangers. How many children of Christian parents do not follow the Lord as adults? Could it be because they observe that our walk is not the same as our talk? The example of Christian love our kids see in the hospitality we show strangers will say more to them than hundreds of sermons.
We need to obey all of God’s Word. We cannot embrace Hebrews 13:4 “marriage is honorable” and reject Hebrews 13:2 “entertain strangers.” All of God’s Word is true and it is for our good. God wants to bless us and our families and He knows that if we obey His Word–in this area as in other areas–our lives will be blessed and fruitful.
Mexico Outreach
On Sunday night my pastor called me. “How would you like to go to Mexico tomorrow morning?” I am not usually impulsive, but without much hesitation I said “Yes.” So I put off writing this newsletter and my other work and started packing. It was my first trip to Mexico and my first time out of this country since getting saved over twenty years ago. I went in a converted school bus with my pastor Dennis McNally, Ray Flores (who lives in our house and served as our Spanish translator) and three others from my church.
We visited two churches and an orphanage about 150 miles south of the border. We brought a lot of food and clothing to help one pastor. Pastor Carlos is a godly man who has raised up a church in a small town. The church building and his home are made of scraps of plastic, wood, and sheet metal and held up with tree trunks. His five children, boys and girls aged 4 to 14, live in one tiny room. The dirt floor is covered with scraps of carpet and the roof leaks when it rains. They have no running water or plumbing and get their electricity from a small generator. Pastor Carlos lives by faith and has only the food people bring him. He gives away most of the food he gets, since the members of his church are as poor as he is.
We drove 1 1/2 hours over a dirt road with Carlos to minister to some Indians who live in a migrant labor camp. These Indians are even poorer than the Mexicans. They live in cardboard shacks with dirt floors. They have no furniture except perhaps a box and get heat by burning garbage in a metal drum, which smokes up their “house.” When it rains they must replace the cardboard.
About 50 adults and 50 children joined us for the outreach. We sang songs and preached. There was a separate ministry for the children. Afterwards we gave out food and clothing. They appreciated the cardboard boxes as much as anything we gave out.
The orphanage was quite a contrast to everything else we saw. God has blessed them so much that their children live well even by American standards. The orphanage is involved in helping the poor people around them, in helping many churches in the area, and in evangelizing both Indians and Mexicans. In fact, this is the orphanage that brought a team of King’s Kids to our SOS outreach last summer.
The Christians of Mexico, though they are poor in material things, are very rich spiritually. They are simple, humble people who love Jesus. They are not too busy for the things of God. Yet there is resistance to the gospel in Mexico as there is in the U.S. In Mexico, people are caught up in false religion, superstition, and occultism. They can face persecution from family and friends if they become evangelical Christians. There as here, Satan has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. There is a price to pay in becoming a believer. In order for a person to be saved, he must first see that he is a sinner who cannot save himself by his works, and must cry out to Jesus for salvation. The Mexican church, like our own, has been weakened by the “American” gospel–“salvation” without repentance. They need teaching in how to use the law of God to bring true conversion.
Ministry Needs
We were very happy to have 15 people join us for our second monthly prayer meeting in February. One prayer got answered immediately after the prayer meeting. Our gas oven has not been working for over a year, so we prayed it would be fixed. After the prayer meeting, a brother looked at it. After checking several things, he pulled it out and noticed it wasn’t plugged in! We didn’t realize the thermostat on the oven requires electricity.
As you can tell, we aren’t very mechanically adept. I managed to fix our washing machine with duct tape–which I use to fix everything. It seems to be working for now. And we got a brand new gas dryer for $130! While picking it up, I saw a new $650 sofa on sale for $70 and bought that as well. I like buying things at 90% off.
Here is a list of some things to pray for concerning this ministry:
1. Pray for this summer’s SOS-San Francisco outreach (June 28-July 6) that God would guide us in every area of planning, that He would cause many local churches to get involved, and that He would bring many workers.
2. Pray that many hearts in San Francisco and Berkeley would be opened to the gospel that we would see true converts.
3. Pray that God would show us clearly His strategy to reach people with the gospel.
4. Pray that God would raise us many prayer warriors to intercede for San Francisco and the Bay Area as well as laborers to evangelize on a weekly and monthly basis.
5. Pray for a meeting of church evangelism leaders that we are organizing to help local churches establish outreaches to their communities.
6. Pray for open doors in local churches to share about evangelism.
7. Pray for more discipleship homes to be opened to take in new believers.
8. Pray for a worship leader for us for our Saturday outreach, and for some Christians to make food to bring on the streets during our outreaches.
9. Pray for two more people to be added to our house–that God would bring us the right people.
10. Pray for good jobs for two people in our house. Ray Flores needs a day job and Brandon Matz needs a job, preferably as an auto mechanic.
Again I want to thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We also enjoy hearing from you. We want to know if this newsletter is ministering to you. Here is one letter we received:
“I just wanted to express my joys and happiness I received after reading your last newsletter. I wish I could give a contribution at this moment but I barely have money for food. But soon I know I will be able to give. All I can offer at this moment is my thanks and prayers. Your work in the cities sounds so powerful and moving, that you witness to so many and get through to so many. I hope to visit one day and to see the wonderful things you do. But for now I just can give you my prayers and thanks.” Please pray for Elaine that God would meet all her needs.
Our Tape of the Month is “The Gift of Inconvenience” by Phil Aguilar, Pastor of Set Free Christian Fellowship in Anaheim. Set Free is one of the few churches that is active in showing hospitality to strangers. This tape on showing hospitality is from last summer’s SOS-San Francisco outreach. I realize that this is a hard teaching, as were many of Jesus’ teachings. Many of His followers could not handle His teachings and left Him. We must be careful to change our behavior to conform to the Bible, not change the Bible to conform to our behavior.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
