19 Apr The Best Citizenship
In these uncertain times and where many doors are closed, Redemption Bible Chapel keeps The Market doors open. Serving in the market is a great opportunity to bless individuals and families in our community by sharing the love of God in a very practical way, by providing food to families in need.
One of the things I enjoy the most is volunteering at The Market on Sundays and Mondays, is the special time to meet people from different nationalities. The majority of the people that come to the market are Latin immigrants – families from Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, etc. There are different stories, cultures, and needs, but all of them starting a new life in a new country, with a new culture and a new language, but always in need of a helping hand and/or a wise advice.
God has always moved my heart to speak to and help all the Hispanic immigrants. These are people like me that come to a new country full of illusions and hope to start a new life and have access to new opportunities. This is something that touches and moves my heart. I’m an immigrant myself and I understand what they are going through. Talking to the people in The Market, knowing their stories, learning about their families, their fears, their dreams, their struggles and victories, etc., and being able to pray for them is such a blessing that God has allowed me to have.
What is an immigrant looking for? If you ask them, each one will give you something different, but at the end of the day the answer is the same, the citizenship of the country where they migrated to. This citizenship, which could offer security and new life options for him/her and their families, but even in spite of the great effort it takes each immigrant to get here, there is no guarantee of being able to obtain it.
1 Chronicles 29:15 says: “For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.” Psalms 39:12 says: “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my father.” Something that we often forget, but that is an indisputable truth, is that all human beings are pilgrims on this earth, an earth that we believe is ours but it is not. However, we all have the wonderful opportunity to obtain an eternal citizenship, which can guarantee complete happiness. A citizenship that already had its trial process, with the best lawyer of all, without having to suffer or do anything to achieve it. A citizenship that is offered for love, that is given by grace and maintained by faith. A citizenship that the human mind cannot begin to understand, but our heart jumps with joy when we open our hands to receive it. A citizenship that had the highest price, but was already paid for through the blood of Jesus. An invaluable citizenship that is available to you today.
That is why I truly enjoy it and wait for every Sunday and Monday to come to be able to share with the people who come to The Market, to give them a word of hope that possibly they “had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now their eyes see you.” (Job 42:5). It has been a true blessing to see how hearts are being restored, marriages restored, families restored, to see those who were pilgrims in this world, already have the seal in their hearts of a heavenly citizenship. Sharing the citizenship of the kingdom is a delight when I see how lives can be transformed and how a new journey begins by holding the hand of our creator and Lord Jesus Christ.
The Market is a special place to meet new people, to serve, to give a word of encouragement, tell them that we also lived the same situations as them, to pray for them, to talk about our experiences, to bear witness to God’s faithfulness and to share with those who are immigrants today in this world but who can access the citizenship of the kingdom of heaven. If they accept the citizenship of the kingdom of heaven, they will have assurance of the best citizenship, no matter where they live on this planet. What a great opportunity to be able to come to The Market on Sundays and Mondays, adopt an immigrant family, share the gospel, pray for them each week, be able to call them, be able to help them and bring them to the feet of Our Lord. We must live our Christianity in an active way, that faith leads us to works, that leads us to share about the best citizenship to each person, so that they become our friends, but also our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus as made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the examples you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. – Philippians 3:12-20
I want to end with these two invitations.
The first one is for those who want to know about that heavenly citizenship. Please email me at hmedina@redemptionlondon.ca. I would love to talk to you or your family or friends about the best citizenship and how to obtain it.
The second one is for those who already have that heavenly citizenship. Help others by serving at The Market. Let us not forget that faith without works is dead. Come and adopt a family, know their needs, help them, pray for them. Be that helping hand and give them that wise advice that they need. Do not forget that someone reached out to us and helped us when we first arrived in this country. Remember where we were rescued from. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 says: “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
The Market is a great opportunity to share about the best citizenship, and at the same time show the love of Christ. Join the team today!
