THE OHANA OF THE LORD

(An article I wrote several years ago)

Sometimes we get enlightenment from the strangest of places, even an animated movie about a strange little alien dude called Stitch and his equally little Hawaiian friend Lilo. It has been some time since I enjoyed watching Lilo and Stitch but something I will never forget about it is little Lilo’s explanation to Stitch of the Hawaiian word OHANA. To quote Lilo:-

“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind ... or forgotten.”

I had call to remember it a little while ago when I was talking to a brother and friend about a new interchurch men’s group and an elderly brother and friend came to mind. A brother who has not been in the best of health in recent times. What about him and those like him I asked, are they not also brothers in Christ? Our plans must include them. They need to be as much a part of any men's group as we are, we cannot leave them behind. - They too are the "Ohana" of the Lord.

It is so easy to get ourselves tied up in programs and "leadership" the way the world does it. We prepare the programs, the planned activities and the schedules, the goals and the mission statements, etc.. We decide the way, raise the standard, and set the pace and having fulfilled our "leadership" role we hand responsibility over to the followers themselves to keep up with us. But many cannot keep up for many different reasons, and sadly all too often they just disappear from our radar screens and get left behind. They fall through the cracks in OUR organisations (but never from the hand of the Lord Himself).

BUT we are not called to leadership as the world considers “leadership”. We have but one leader, the Lord Himself. Even Jesus did not call Himself “the good leader” but rather, “the good shepherd”. Likewise He exhorts those of us who would take on the responsibility, not to be “leaders” of His people but shepherds of His people, like Him. For a shepherd is much more than a leader, he is a caretaker who lovingly tends the needs of every single sheep in his care – ALL of them! Jesus did not say to Peter if you love me lead my sheep, rather He said to Peter if you love me feed my sheep. It is not the responsibility of the sheep to keep up, it is the responsibility of the shepherd to ensure none get left behind. Moses was raised by Pharoah in Egypt and no doubt taught in the ways of being a great leader of a nation. But the Lord first took Moses to the desert for many years to learn the ways of the humble shepherd before asking him to shepherd His people to the Promised Land.

The truth is we who are in Christ are not people of the world that we should follow the ways of the world - we are the family of the Lord, who follow the ways of Christ Jesus Himself. WE ARE OHANA! The ohana of the Lord! Ohana means family – and family means nobody gets forgotten – nobody gets left behind.

John 6:37-40  "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

Provided it is done freely and without charge

"The Ohana of The Lord" may be copied, used and distributed

(in its entirety only including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright  2012.

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa

MAKING ROOM IN THE CHURCH FOR THE MULTITUDE

(An article I wrote for my local church bulletin)

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands" (Revelation 7:9 NIV)

I was reading this passage the other day again and, as often happens, the Lord showed me something else that had never occurred to me. How did John know they were from many nations, tribes, peoples, languages etc. - just by looking at them?

Then it occurred to me that they may all have been in white robes and holding palm branches - BUT .... they were not necessarily all the same. I kinda like that they may have been all different sizes, different complexions and facial features. Perhaps different hairstyles, singing styles, etc. Maybe some were swaying and tapping feet, and some I know of, probably "air-guitaring" with their palm branches. Some maybe looked a bit like you and some a bit like me and a whole lot who thankfully looked like neither of us :-). Some may be were playing drums and upturned bins, others flutes, tambourines and bells. Others may be clapping sticks and boomerangs and playing didgeridoos as together they make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

To think of "Christians" simply as people like ourselves is such an easy trap to fall into. But it was a very, very long time before ANY Christians were English speaking, western cultured, suited and tied, Summer dressed, middle classed people.

But the Lord does not call us to liken ourselves to each other, but to Christ Jesus. A lower classed, cloaked, tunic and sandal wearing, Jew from the Middle East who never spoke a word of English in His entire time on Earth. But equally clearly we are to liken ourselves in the spirit and not in the flesh / clothes / eating habits / housing styles / income bracket / age group / way of speaking / etc.

 Therefore, next time you warmly welcome to your fellowship those multitudes whom the Lord has drawn from  "every nation, tribe, people and language" just as they are, remember that the only thing the Lord has asked them to give up from their multitude of cultures and lifestyles is that which is sinful, not that which is different. And do not forget to welcome also those brothers and sisters in Christ He has drawn from out of those other oft forgotten foreign, and not so foreign places from which the Lord rescues His people. Those He has redeemed from the tribes of the gangs of the streets, the peoples of addiction, the nations of the disabled, the people of poverty, the children of abuse, etc.. Welcome equally, ALL who have washed themselves in the blood of the Lamb and been redeemed by the same God who redeemed even us. Let there be no distinction among those in Christ.

Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise"

Provided it is done freely and without charge

"Making Room In The Church For The Multitude" 

may be copied, used and distributed

(in its entirety only including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright 2013.

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa

Why The Name?

OK, finally found my way back here. Still have not the foggiest of how Blogger and Google+ works. I log in and get columns of snippets of goodness knows what from goodness knows who with no rhyme or reason to it all and no explanation as to what to do with it. I am sure there is an explanation somewhere but a big shiny "getting started" button might be nice, especially if it is connected to some good tutorials and a step by step setup guide that explains how it all fits together. I'll keep puttering around but not exactly what I would call an intuitive look and feel to the whole thing at the moment. OK that felt good. Moving on now ...

In case anybody is actually seeing this blog yet and may perchance be wondering about the name of it (Views From an Island Place) those who have visited my IslandBard YouTube Channel will know that I have been a victim of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) since 1996. MCS isolates you from the modern world and restricts you to a few safe islands in a vast chemical "sea" of polluted places. If you want to know more about MCS type "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" into your search engine. Skip all the old "it is all in your head" sites and check out some of the more recent research articles where doctors and scientists are discovering that it is a very real physical injury and disability.

In the meantime my videoed poem "An Island Place" will help add a little more insight.

IB