While finishing up our lunch, Wes Stafford, President of Compassion, complimented the staff of this site on the tremendous work they are doing. They told us that 100% of the older kids have accepted Christ as their Savior.
Tonight we got to hear from Tony Campolo.
This is me with Tony and his grandson, Roman Campolo.
Before you read my notes, you should know you can listen to the talk in full on Tony's website. The talk is entitled, "Carpe Diem! - The Last Great Idea." (It's a recording from a different event.)
My notes:
Tony opened by talking about a Francis Fukayama essay entitled "The End of History." Fukayama says that the last great idea is democratic capitalism. It brings great success, but our society has become about stuff. Couples speak less than 12 min./day, and to their kids less than 5. We have been seduced into a delicious slavery to things we don't need. Soren Kierkegaard said this society will die not from sin, but from lack of passion. There is a deadness falling on the land. That is what we should weep about most. The last great idea is that the Kingdom of God is at hand. In the Lord's prayer we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Hundreds of thousands died and continue to die from the Tsunami and more money has come in than they can handle. But 30,000 children die every day of starvation.
He cited Philipians 1:6: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (NIV) We will never make the world perfect, but at the Lord's return He will complete what we've started. World illiteracy has dropped from 80% to 20%. We can alter the course of history. It's part of the movement to bring the Kingdom of God on earth. The extreme poverty we saw today in the Compassion sites was not the result of human error. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:12, NIV). God is alive in the world. If it weren't for faith-based orgs like Compassion, America would look even more selfish in the eyes of the world: we make up 6% of world population but consume 43% of the resources. We can be the balm of Gilead and bring healing to a sin-sick world. People say they want to leave their resources to their kids. Tony said, "When I die I don't want anyone to be happy!" The beginning of the vision is small. $32/month isn't much for us, but it's the start of life transformation.
Jesus says where your treasure is your heart will be also. The great sin of our time is ignoring the poor. He referrenced Ezekiel 16:49, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." (NIV)
In Harari, Africa, a truck drives through every morning at 6 to pick up the children that die each night and burn them. One day you're going to die. They're going to drop you in a hole and throw dirt in your face, and go back inside and eat potato salad. When you're born you're the only one to cry. What are you going to do so that everyone cries when you die?
If you would like to sponsor a child click here: Compassion.
Tonight we got to hear from Tony Campolo.
This is me with Tony and his grandson, Roman Campolo.
Before you read my notes, you should know you can listen to the talk in full on Tony's website. The talk is entitled, "Carpe Diem! - The Last Great Idea." (It's a recording from a different event.)
My notes:
Tony opened by talking about a Francis Fukayama essay entitled "The End of History." Fukayama says that the last great idea is democratic capitalism. It brings great success, but our society has become about stuff. Couples speak less than 12 min./day, and to their kids less than 5. We have been seduced into a delicious slavery to things we don't need. Soren Kierkegaard said this society will die not from sin, but from lack of passion. There is a deadness falling on the land. That is what we should weep about most. The last great idea is that the Kingdom of God is at hand. In the Lord's prayer we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Hundreds of thousands died and continue to die from the Tsunami and more money has come in than they can handle. But 30,000 children die every day of starvation.
He cited Philipians 1:6: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (NIV) We will never make the world perfect, but at the Lord's return He will complete what we've started. World illiteracy has dropped from 80% to 20%. We can alter the course of history. It's part of the movement to bring the Kingdom of God on earth. The extreme poverty we saw today in the Compassion sites was not the result of human error. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:12, NIV). God is alive in the world. If it weren't for faith-based orgs like Compassion, America would look even more selfish in the eyes of the world: we make up 6% of world population but consume 43% of the resources. We can be the balm of Gilead and bring healing to a sin-sick world. People say they want to leave their resources to their kids. Tony said, "When I die I don't want anyone to be happy!" The beginning of the vision is small. $32/month isn't much for us, but it's the start of life transformation.
Jesus says where your treasure is your heart will be also. The great sin of our time is ignoring the poor. He referrenced Ezekiel 16:49, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." (NIV)
In Harari, Africa, a truck drives through every morning at 6 to pick up the children that die each night and burn them. One day you're going to die. They're going to drop you in a hole and throw dirt in your face, and go back inside and eat potato salad. When you're born you're the only one to cry. What are you going to do so that everyone cries when you die?
If you would like to sponsor a child click here: Compassion.
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