Runaway Samaritans

1
Runaway Samaritans a Biblical
Compassion
2
Runaway Samaritans

• Pauls appeal for compassion for a runaway
  slave.
• for love's sake I ratherappeal to youPhilemon
  19

Immigration Compassion
3
Reaching and Exercising Compassion with
Undocumented Aliens

• Not Sociology
• Not Politics
• Not EFCA Policy
• Not a Conservative/Liberal bias
• Not Obama, Clinton, or McCain stand
• Not points of immigration law per se.
• We must be Biblical in our Compassion

4
"Immigration to this country is increasing and is
making its greatest relative increase from races
most alien to the body of the American people and
from the lowest and most illiterate classes among
those races . . . half of whom have no occupation
and most of whom represent the rudest form of
labor.   The immigrants who come to the United
States reduce the rate of wages by ruinous
competition, and then take their savings out of
the country. Home as a foreign country. . . .
They have no interest or stake in country and
never become American citizens. Many, "he went
on, are genetically prone to crime, insanity and
disease."

• In 1891 - Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts.
  His undesirables were Jews, Italians, Poles
  and Hungarians....

5
Americas History was and is Immigrant

• In 1800s Swedes, Norwegians, Danes immigrated
  here and started churches Free from state
  control
• In 1850-1900s the same group came because of
  political strife, social upheaval, regional wars
  and agricultural disasters.
• Norwegian Independence Day celebration, Chicago
  1907
• In 1924, Congress passed the Immigration Act, set
  strict quotas on immigration to the U.S. and
  brought Scandinavian immigration to a standstill
• Immigrants were relegated to low-paying unskilled
  jobs that did not require English-language
  skills, such as factory work and manual labor.

Sound Familiar?
http//memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/scandin
avian2.htm
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Changing face of America

• In 2000 Census predicted Hispanic Majority
  minority by 2010
• Census predicts 2050 Minorities helped by
  immigration (legal illegal) will be
  Majority
• In 2008 they changed the date twice (2047 2042)
• 17 if the 20 largest cities are majority
  minority.
• Half of all children under 5 years are Ethnic
• Many of largest cities have Hispanic majority
• Statistically, demographers generally agreed, the
  person who pushed the national population to 300
  million was most likely a Hispanic boy in the
  Southwest.

Welcome to Samaria
C\Documents and Settings\alex.mandes.EFCA\My
Documents\ DTS\DM102 Research Methodology\Hispani
c Research\A 300 Millionth American_ Dont Ask
Who_ - New York Times.htm
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Biblical Theology of Compassion

• Biblical Compassion is not salvific Gal 216
• Biblical Compassion is not optional Jam 127
• Biblical Compassion is not negated by Law
• Biblical Compassion is not devoid of Biblical
  Accountability (No Social
  Gospel)
• Biblical Compassion is the heart of God
• Biblical Compassion is by nature costly messy
• Biblical Compassion is evangelistic

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Example of Woman caught in Adultery

• Caught in the very acts of adultery
• What should be done?
• The Law says stone them!
• Jesus, the Word of God, exercises compassion.
• Only the perfect can judge.
• Jesus then turns to her and says, sin no more!
• Give people time to get their act together
  without you looking over their shoulder

John 81-11
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Example ofPaul and Onesimus
yet for love's sake I rather appeal to
you--being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now
also a prisoner of Jesus Christ-- Philemon
110-13 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,
whom I have begotten while in my chains, 11 who
once was unprofitable to you, but now is
profitable to you and to me. 12 I am sending
him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my
own heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me,
that on your behalf he might minister to me in my
chains for the gospel. Philemon 19 -13

• Love them like Paul loved Onesimus
• All kinds of help no pay or legal docs
• They must deal with the immigration issue before
  the Lord
• Lead them to the Lord
• Disciple them
• Urge them to become legal or return
• Most return in two years to family
• Help them do that

Pauls Policy with "Undocumented Guests"
Col. 49 Philemon 18 10-1115
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Principles of Compassion

• Love above judgment
• Remember, you are not perfect
• Understanding of peoples pain comes first
• Repentance is given precedence over punitive
  measures
• Compassion trumps law
• Law ultimately upheld
• Sometimes the only difference between the
  execution of the law and compassion is patience.

Col. 49 Philemon 18 10-1115
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How can we help?

•  What you cant do.
• Cant hire cant provide false paperwork
• Not required by law to turn in anyone!
• Educate ourselves on immigration matters
• Be compassionate
• Be a friend, listen
• Giving food, money, help is always legal
• Transportation for help is OK, to job is not OK
• Help them download and fill out papers
• Provide English classes
• Find local resources to help people
• Most important, show them the way to Christ

12
I often say, says Bishop Bart Pierce, a white
Pentecostal minister from Baltimore, that the
African (I would add Latin American) is the
midwife for next great move of God in America.1
A Proper Response to Immigration helps us!

• Helps bring new converts.
• Helps keeps our ministries relevant.
• Keeps down our materialism.
• Improves the vitality our spiritual of life.
• It is the best way to retake our American Samaria
  
• They will save America
• Samaritans are the best ones able to reach
  Samaritans
•  
•  

http//www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/magazine/12churc
hes-t.html?pagewanted6_r1themcth
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Eastern District Haven for Immigrants of All
kinds
1st Free in Brooklyn
Chinese EFCRussian Messianic Fellowship Arabic
Evangelical Free Church Albanian
Fellowship Norwegian Fellowship English Fellowship
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Project Esperanza
1,000,000 , 100,000, 100, 10
Serve 1 Million, Save 100,000, Plant 100
Churches, 10 Training Centers

• Select 24 GATEWAY Churches (See handout )
• BIA Training (or work with World Relief)
• Offer 4 GC
• Great Companion
• Great Commandment Love
• Great Compassion In Kind
• Great Commandment 1st Gen will reach 1st
• Elizabeths Story

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Why Care?
We are never stronger, more spiritually vital,
than when we are on mission with God! God is
doing something! Open your eyes and see that the
harvest is Red and Yellow, Black and White! and
Brown! Why should we help these new Americans?
For our sake!
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Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or
a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and
did not take care of You? Then He will answer
them, saying, Truly I say to you, to the extent
that you did not do it to one of the least of
these, you did not do it to Me. Matthew 2544-45
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Good Resources

• BOOK Christians at the Border by Daniel Carroll
• Good Bible Approach
• BOOK Welcoming the Stranger
• Debunks myths and misconceptions about
  immigration
• Explains current immigration policy and systems,
  at both the local and federal levels
• Article Blessed is the LawUp to a Point
• A gentle challengeand invitationto the critics
  of our recent immigration editorial. Mark Galli,
  managing editor of Christianity Today posted
  4/07/2006 1200AM
• Denominational Positions
• EFCA - A Stranger at Our Gates A CHRISTIAN
  PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION. Resolution adopted at
  Gen Conference, 1996
• The Evangelical Covenant Church - Resolution on
  Immigration 2006

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QUESTIONS

• What about Rom 13?