Contrasts

There is the president in the white house, and kings of the earth living amidst wasted luxury. There is the judge and the lawyer with all their years of knowledge. There is the doctor and nurse, educated and dressed in white. There is the business man with his briefcase and expensive suit. There is the cook, robust and full faced, preparing various dishes for hungry people. There is the engineer with small neat hand writing and a vast understanding of mechanisms.  And there you are, -owning a vehicle, a bank account, a wardrobe of clothes, shoes and socks, a job, a refrigerator, and houseful of belongings. . .

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MoPo in our house that day, asking if we would help him for the second time to quit the opium habit.

. . . In contrast there is MoPo.  He lives in BYT in a broken down hut with a leaf roof that is full of holes. His few torn and tattered shirts hang over the broken bamboo wall.  His one cooking pot, only cooks his rice.  He gets chilies to eat with it.  He is just a frail, wrinkled, shriveled up, and worn-out old man who has used opium for well over 20 years.  For the people in the upper class society, this man would be ignored, detestable and unfit company for them.  It is hard for my mind to take in the contrast. Some have so much and others – nothing.

“Caste is hateful to God.  He ignors everything of this character.  In His sight all men are of equal value.  “He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.”       (Acts 17:26)  DA 403

MoPo has struggled once to quit the opium habit, but was not successful.  Today he is sitting in our house asking for help to try again. My entire heart goes out to this poor sufferer. Oh dear Lord, teach me how to reach him!  His wife has no desire to quit, so this makes things extremely difficult for him.  He will not go anywhere else to live while struggling to lose the habit.  He will not use our steam tent treatment or hot and cold therapy, etc. He only wants to quit because he feels too weak to continue the work it takes to grow the poppies to support his addiction!  He does not know anything about God.  However he did sit and listen intently as BletJaw and I explained to him the love of Jesus, and how to pray.  I long for him to know the living Lord. In his poverty and life in the mountains he has never heard this story.  He simply said he once heard the name of Jesus somewhere a long time ago, yet I sensed he almost wished to say a prayer himself after our prayer was finished.  MoPo is just one of many out here in the jungles of Thailand who unknowingly are reaching out for something better.  This is a vast mission project, but I am encouraged by knowing that the great need of these people vibrates to the Father’s heart of love!

Now, I contrast the love in my heart for this soul, to Jesus love!  Here is yet a greater contrast!

“The value of a soul, who can estimate? Would you know its worth? Go to Gethsemane, and there watch with Christ through those hours of anguish, when He sweat as it were great drops of blood. Look upon the Saviour uplifted on the cross. Hear that despairing cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34. Look upon the wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet. Remember that Christ risked all.  For our redemption, heaven itself was imperiled. At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sinner Christ would have laid down His life, you may estimate the value of a soul.

 If you are in communion with Christ, you will place His estimate upon every human being. You will feel for others the same deep love that Christ has felt for you.”

I cry out in anguish:  “Oh dear Lord Jesus, please give me this love!”

 

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