Christmas Dinner Outreaches Still Open
The answer to that question depends on YOU!
Our international ministry partners invite as many children as they can feed from the Mission to Children Christmas dinner donations they receive.
But just in case you’re wondering who might come, below is a gallery of guests who may be invited to our worldwide Christmas dinners this year.
India: HIV/AIDS children and their parents, villagers near our “orphanages,” blind people, children (and parents) from the leper community, street kids, Dalits, orphans and abandoned children, and mothers from the Hindu temple prostitute caste, and their children
Philippines: Children in crisis, children and adults living on the streets
Costa Rica: Extremely poor families
Uganda: HIV/AIDS children from a treatment center, and slum children
Kenya: Physically challenged children
Colombia: Poor children and sometimes their families
Romania: Homeless families
Many of our invited guests, as of yet, haven’t heard the Good News of the Gospel. They don’t know that Jesus paid the debt for their sins and if they accept His offer of pardon they will receive eternal life. With your donation you can be a conduit for God’s love to those without hope and without knowledge of God’s love.
Playground Equipment, School Supplies, and Security
What do orphanage playground equipment, daily expenses at an Indian Day Care Center, school supplies, a new water tank, and a security wall have in common? These orphanage projects were all funded through your donations to Where Most Needed during the last year’s time. Whenever you wonder how to designate your giving this designation is a good one to choose.
Character Corner: Humility
Humility: “Honoring others by drawing attention to them instead of myself.”
Why should we care about Humility?
Humility honors God. It protects us from the influence of Satan. It enables us to focus on what is best for others and it promotes peace.
How does a person demonstrate Humility?
With Honor, Attentiveness, Meekness, and Deference
An opposite word—Pride:
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
Humility Quotes:
“Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.” (Jonathan Edwards)
“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
“Always remember that there are two types of people in this world: Those who come into a room and say, ‘Well, here I am!’ and those who come in and say, ‘Ah, there you are!’” (Frederick L. Collins)
“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
“Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self.” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
Making it personal:
Is my lack of humility making me more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks?
If I improve my humility how could it make me more effective to carry out God’s plan?
If I humble myself and seek God’s face could I truly impact my country’s spiritual condition?
From My Heart, Humility: His, Hers, and Ours
I am sobered every time I read what the Scriptures say about the birth of Jesus Christ. One of its profound lessons is how highly God values humility.
Circumstances of His birth are reported in Luke 2. His mother and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem with no place to stay and no room in the inn. There must be a flock of relatives in the village. Why don’t they help? Are they shunning the young couple because of the dark cloud overshadowing Mary’s pregnancy?
And since family does not step up and care for Joseph and Mary, why doesn’t God arrange that a room be reserved for them in what apparently is the town’s only inn? Contrast that scene with the celebration surrounding the recent birth of Prince George to William and Kate in the UK. Bethlehem’s lack of welcome was not the way to treat a royal birth.
When baby Jesus is born, He is not placed in a specially prepared crib surrounded by a colorfully decorated nursery. Not even close. Almighty God, now in human flesh, allows Himself to be put into a feeding trough.
Jesus Christ’s example of humility characterized His entire life on earth:
[Jesus] made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:7–8)
In like manner, His mother Mary lived life humbly and devotedly. Visited by an angel and told she would give birth to the Son of God, Mary could have become a very conceited young woman. Why not? Who else was visited by an angel and chosen by God among all of the women on earth for this historic role? Instead, she humbly answered the angel, “I am the LORD’s servant . . . May it be to me as you have said.” Mary again honored her heavenly Father by drawing attention to Him instead of herself, singing:
My soul glorifies the LORD and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. (Luke 1:46–48a)
Blessed, yes. Idolized, no. Throughout Mary’s life, following Him even to the cross where He was crucified, she remained in the shadow of her Son.
Humility—drawing attention to others instead of to ourselves—scrapes against the grain of human nature. For centuries it has been so, and today’s celebrity-focused world is no different. But God’s call, through Paul, is that you and I make His humility a characteristic of our lives:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
How is your humility being tested these days? How are you reacting to that test? In all our living, may Jesus Christ be praised.
