MINISTERING TO THE SICK IN THE HOSPITAL

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).  The Greek word for "visit" means, "to inspect, to relieve."  What James is saying to us today is that we are to inspect and relieve the troubles of those in need.  We as Christians are to be a minister.  Paul extends this to everyone he wrote, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).

How do I go about this ministry?  Well, I have some suggestions to help you as you minister to the sick and needy.  This first article will be about visiting the hospitals.  The following is not exhaustive by any means but will give you a starting point as to the how.

Before You Go...

• Cooperate with the hospital staff
• Avoid visiting between 8-10:30am due to doctor's rounds and tests.  Also, the patient is very worn out in the early morning hours.
• Honor "No Visiting" signs and leave a note for the patient at the nurse's station.
• Always knock before entering - especially if the door is closed.

During the Visit...

• Be cheerful but not fake.
• Do not let your face or voice show alarm at what you see.
• Bring a little something for the patient if you can.
• Stand or sit where the patient can see you without straining.
• Do not stand with a bright light behind you.
• Do not sit on the bed and be very careful not to bump the bed.
• Speak to everyone in the room but place your focus on the patient.
• Speak in a normal tone never raise your voice or yell.
• Never talk about the patient as if he/she is not present.
• Remember that the patient is not himself/herself. He/She may be cranky or irritable because of pain.
• Listen to them.  Don't do all the talking.
• Do not talk about depressing subjects.
• Do not talk about yourself unless asked by the patient.
• Do not give a false hope. 
• Be optimistic.
• Do not play the part of the doctor or criticize treatment
• If a nurse or doctor walks in the room offer to step out
• Do not stay longer then 5-15 minutes unless the patient is lonely and asks you to stay.
• Do not promise what you cannot deliver
• Always offer to say a prayer with him/her.
• If appropriate, leave with a smile and let the patient and family know that you are praying for him/her.
• Offer the patient's family a phone number so they can give you updates on the patient's condition or needs that the family and/or patient might have.

Let us continue to be a Minister with a Message...

What Does That Bible Verse Really Mean?

How many times have you read someone's post on social media about a verse in the Bible?  The posts sounds wonderful and so very thought provoking.  But is what you are reading truly what the Bible verse meant to convey?  Or did the well meaning person just take that favorite verse out of context?  The posts or internet articles that your friends share sound so beautiful and many times are given to us in times of true despair.  But as of late, I have read many posts from those that have not fully understood the passage.

Before we get into one of the most abused verses in the Bible, we must all come to the same conclusion: The Bible is the final authority from God.  We all must be willing to submit to it and it alone.  Paul wrote, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).  We cannot deny one verse and lift up another part just to prove what we believe.  The real issue is this; Don't go into the Bible with a preconceived belief system and try to prove what you think is true.  Go into the Bible with the understanding that it is God's Word and that I will let it guide my thoughts. 

It was hard to choose just one verse in the Bible that is abused by the masses so this will not be the only article on the topic.  The first passage that I would like to address is Ephesians 2:8-9.  This has been so twisted by those in the denominational world and for so long that even those in the church have started to accept the error of interpretation.  God breathed out these words to Paul, "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:8-9 ESV). 

So what is the problem?  The masses on social media and countless websites try to assert that this passage means that "works" is talking about baptism.  This is very interesting because the word baptism is not in this passage.  But what are the "works" that Paul is discussing?  Well if we stop at the end of verse 9 we can put anything that we want into the passage to fit our belief system.  But let's read on further in the passage to get the true understanding of Paul's message to the church at Ephesus. 

"Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called 'the uncircumcision' by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands - remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace," (Eph. 2:11-15 ESV). 

What is the "law of commandments?"  This is the law of Moses, the ten commandments.  This is the "works" that Paul says you are not saved by.  Remember that the Jews converted to Christ continued to pressure the Gentiles into certain laws or works of the old system.  One of those laws being circumcision.  This was the same conflict going on in the churches of Galatia.  "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.  Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.  I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.  You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace"   (Galatians 5:1-4 ESV).  The work of circumcision could not save any of the Gentiles nor could doing any other work of the old law.  Trying to be justified by the old law would cause the Christian to fall from the grace of God. 

Another verse in the letter to the Galatians, really opens up the meaning behind the question, "what are the works."  "Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16 ESV emphasis jer).  Paul really helps us understand what he was talking about to Christians in Ephesus.  Paul encourages the Gentiles to have faith.  But not a faith working in the works of the old law but that of an obedient faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us all continue to minister the message of God's Word correctly.

NOW IS THE TIME...

“Show up an hour late in Brazil, and no one bats an eyelash.  But keep someone in Switzerland waiting for five or 10 minutes, and you have some explaining to do”

(“Clocking Cultures”, by the Editors of Scientific American. Volume 23, No. 4 Autumn 2014, p. 48). 

How do you view time?  Do you rule time or does time rule you?  The world does not view time the same way that you or I might.  You might not think that time is all that important and are late to most events.  I on the other hand hate to be late to any event.  I would rather arrive an hour before anyone else than be just a few minutes late. 

In a book entitled, “A Geography of Time,” Robert V. Levine writes that based on the variables of “walking speed on urban sidewalks, how quickly postal clerks could fulfill a request for a common stamp, and the accuracy of public clocks” not every country views time the same.   Levine’s conclusion was that the five fastest-paced countries in the world are, “Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Japan and Italy; the five slowest are Syria, El Salvador, Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico.  The U.S., at 16^th, ranks near the middle” (ibid. p. 49). 

Does God view time the same as we do?  As time is relative to the world, God is not bound by time.   God’s not being bound by time, in its broad meaning, is best summed up in 2 Peter 3:8, “but, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”  Peter means that God does not hold to time like we do.  Time will cease to exist at the Judgment Day.  There is a “longsuffering toward us” at the present but it will end in God's time.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For He says; ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).  Paul is telling us that God has not guaranteed us a lot of time to do whatever we want.  Time as we know it could end at any moment in time.  “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1). 

You must think about your salvation at this time.  Not tomorrow!!!  God is in control of time and has promised us that it will cease at the end of His longsuffering.  Now how will you minister this message?