Called Out

Each of us desperately needs to encounter the love of God and be saved, and once we are saved, He ushers us into a relationship in which we can know we are loved and that we have a Savior who walks with us. Romans 5 contains these words:
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Once we've experienced the love of God, as Jesus teaches us, we are to abide in that love - meaning that we can fellowship with Him, we can call upon the Lord in prayer, and we can extend the love to those around us.  We can learn how to be a loving person. God is drawing us near to Himself and we can be encouraged in His presence.  To know that we are loved by the Creator of the Universe can give us a sense of identity and confidence for our lives. 

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Because of His incredible love for us, God is reaching out to all humanity, so the world has the opportunity to receive Jesus as Savior. 1st John 3 says this:
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

As we speak today, there are still more than 100 people who are being held hostage by the terrorist group, Hamas, dating back to its invasion of Israel on October 7.  That is way too long, and Christian leaders have been devoted to speaking out about it.

You may be familiar with Skip Heitzig, well-known Senior Pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Recently, he appeared on the cover of Decision Magazine from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. 

His wife, Lenya, is doing amazing work as well - she leads a ministry called, Reload Love, and she is appealing to the mother of the current emir of Qatar - her husband once served in that position.  She is asking this influential woman to use her influence to free the hostages held by Hamas. That's according to a Christian Post story, relating information from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. 

The Christian Post says that Lenya Heitzig's organization "seeks to bring healing to children whose lives have been impacted by terrorism through relief packages and kid-friendly programs."  The article goes on to say:

The global philanthropist stated that there are prayer vigils in America, with people holding up images of Moza that read, "It's in your hands." Heitzig believes Moza has the ability to remedy the situation.

"We need you to use your unique influence now," Heitzig added.

"Your Highness, your role in promoting humanitarian causes is deeply respected. Your actions can bring immense relief and serve as a testament to peaceful conflict resolution," the letter continued. "Honestly, this act alone may prevent our world from careening further towards a potential regional, if not global, war."

Kathie Lee Gifford has joined Heitzig in appealing to Moza; the article says that she "also urged Moza in a social media video to use her 'beautiful voice and heart' to help secure the freedom of the hostages Hamas is still holding captive in Gaza." Gifford added: "I will pray for you and for your family as I do for all the hostages in Gaza that God will bring them home and God will bless us all and peace will come to this world. Thank you..."

One of the initiatives of Reload Love is the annual event known as "Love Bomb," which is coming up this weekend.  The ministry website notes:

Love Bomb weekend is just around the corner, February 10-11. This year’s highlighted project will work with partners to provide relief supplies and other essentials for children in Israel who are caught in the crossfire. The terror attacks of October 7, 2023, and the war on Israel have caused overwhelming trauma for these innocent children. Many have lost a loved one, and most of those living near the Gaza border were forced to flee their homes. But the conflict is not over, and these precious little ones need support to face the challenges of ongoing disruption and loss.

The ministry is known for figuratively trading violence and trauma for the love of Christ. Its site says, "Reload Love helps heal the lives of little ones around the world who have suffered from the violence of terrorism. By transforming spent bullet casings into brass charms and donating their proceeds, as well as raising public awareness of their tragedy, we arm children with hope."

She has consistently been a strong voice for sharing God's love in the midst of desperate circumstances. According to the website, "After September 11, 2001, she launched Mercy B.A.N.D.s (Bearing Another’s Name Daily), silver bracelets inscribed with the names of individual casualties of terror."

The experience of encountering the love of God is related by Lenya Heitzig's husband Skip, in that Decision Magazine article, called, "The New Revolution;" he writes:

Psalm 34:8 reminds us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Notice two key words: taste and see. They describe the twofold experience of the Christian life: objective and subjective, reasonable and relational. And both are rooted in God’s truth. Subjectively, people experience the love of God through emotions and the will. And objectively, people discover God through reason and careful study of His two “books”: the Word (Bible) and the world (creation). People “taste” and “see” God in both spheres. One can feel and understand at the same time. God’s truth is found in both experience and knowledge.

Let me underscore this: the Christian faith is both reasonable and relational. It can be tasted—experienced like the sweetness of honey on one’s tongue; and tested—through historical evidence, fulfilled prophecy and miracles.

He declares, "A war is being waged against the truth. Make sure you are on the winning side. Let’s start a revolution—a new revolution, in which we stand on the solid foundation of the Word of God."

God calls us to a radical, revolutionary walk. Not, I am not saying, "reactionary," or angry or out of control - but under the Spirit's control.  Skip Heitzig is calling for that "new revolution," based on the knowledge and experience of the love of God.  His wife, Lenya, is doing works that reflect the abundant love of Christ in ministering to children who have been victimized by war and terror and even reaching out to a Middle East leader's mother in the hopes that Israeli hostages can come home. 

We, of course, are called to abide in Christ daily, but from time to time, He will call us outside of our comfort zones in order to demonstrate the incredible love of God - we have to make sure that our hearts are right before Him and that we are attuned to His direction. This comes through careful prayer and Bible study - building on our daily fellowship with our Savior.