"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping
with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or
other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are
is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your
emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are
going to be chopped down and burned." Matthew 7:15-20, (MSG) I have come across
prayer warriors online who charge people for their prayers. I have also come
across pastors who make their parishioners uncomfortable by repeating begging
the audience to give more and more money. I have seen pastors who had decided to
leave their church due to controversy, but changed their minds when they began
to think they were better and smarter than anyone else.
Where is love in all of this? After all, our Heavenly
Father desires compassion, not sacrifice: "But go and learn what this means: 'I
desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners." Matthew 9:13 (NASB) Our Father urges us: "For You do not delight
in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt
offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite
heart, O God, You will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17 (NASB) and "To do
righteousness and justice Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice." Proverbs
21:3 (NASB).
Here we have three different Bible testimonies that
reinforced the idea that our Father values compassion and a broken spirit far
more than sacrifice!
We are not here to take care of ourselves. We are here
to genuinely serve, just like Jesus did. Jesus always put others before his own
needs. His message was filled with love. Those who preach otherwise are not from
our Father: "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for
us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in
him." 1 John 4:16 (NASB) We often think that sacrifice shows how committed we
are. However, genuine love is way more important. Sacrifice is focused on one's
self while genuine love is focused on others. After all, Jesus died on a lonely
cross to show how genuine His love towards us is: "Therefore there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 (NASB) Raoul
Wallenberg was a man with genuine love. During WWII the Nazis were sending the
Hungarian Jews to concentration camps, and no one could stop them. After all,
Hitler wanted all Jews exterminated. Wallenberg, on the other hand, was
determined to save as many Jews as possible. After all, they, too, were humans.
Wallenberg succeeded in convincing the Swedish embassy
to negotiate with the Germans that anyone who had protective passes would be
treated like Swedish citizens and would be exempt from wearing the yellow star
of David. He used unconventional methods to accomplish his purpose, including
bribes and extortion threats. The Swedish diplomats were initially hesitant
because they did not approve of his tactics, but in the end they gave their
candid support.
Wallenberg was initially given only 1,500 passes. When
that wasn't enough, he negotiated for more and more, even stooping to promises
and empty threats. In the end, the Hungarian foreign ministry ended up granting
him 4,500 protective passes. Then he had a new idea. He built 30 safe houses
under the protection of the Swedish embassy. These became safe havens for the
Jews.
Eventually, the Nazis, led by Eichmann, started the
brutal death marches, forced more and more Jews to leave Hungary by foot. When
Eichmann started to transport the Jews by trains, Wallenberg came to the rescue.
He courageously climbed into the train wagons, he walked along the wagon roofs,
and he even stood on the tracks in front of the trains...Anything to stop the
deportations. The officers were ordered to shoot him; however, the soldiers
admired his courage, and they purposely aimed their fire above his head.
When the Russians arrived in Budapest, they found
120,000 Jews who survived, most of them thanks to Wallenberg. Eventually
Wallenberg was seen being forced into a Russian car. No one ever saw him after
that.
Wallenberg was driven to save as many people as
possible. Compassion was his motto. What is your motto?
Rob Chaffart
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