to the church in North America

Eric Fleming, a student of the living God:
To the church in North America. May righteousness flood your hearts while justice overflows from your lives into the streets.

For as the Christ surely came and lived a perfect, holy life so we have been called to imitate Him in our very existence. I tell you while sometimes it is hard to be holy in a land where it is much easier to grasp an idol be that sex, money, music, cars, television, or any of the numerous things this world has to offer you, that through Christ who gives us strength we can do all things (my translation Phil. 4:13). I thank the Lord that we are so blessed in a land where prosperity is so abundant, but I fear it is also a test of our faith presented to us by the Father. Where there is much wealth faith can become stunted and die, yet it does not have to be the case when we realize that we have much only because the Father has blessed us with much to serve more. It is because of your many blessings that I call you into action. There are many who are hurting and the hands and feet of the Christ are sitting comfortably in great halls doing nothing. Its time these hands and feet get dirty and go about healing the hurts we have allowed to happen.

I first want to call your attention to the persecution faced by our brothers and sisters who are being oppressed because they are "illegal aliens" in our midst. Are we not all aliens in this world or was Peter not clear enough when he wrote, "Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you." (1 Peter 2:11, Holman Christian Standard). We are like them, we do not belong to these countries anymore our allegiance is to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have no nationality we are citizens of another place where there is no more pain or suffering. I pray that the Lord would show to you the need to stand together on behalf of these brothers and sisters who face persecutions because they 'don't belong in this country or that country'. You probably ask how can we change this we can change this by standing in solidarity against these forces, pray for your nations leaders that God might convict them of this atrocity. We can rally on the behalf of the illegal aliens who cannot stand for themselves and we can be for them what Christ was for the woman caught in adultery. Are we not all immigrants to our nations anyways? Forcefully removing those who were here first and placing ourselves where they lived and taking it for our own.

I second want to call your attention to our brothers and sisters who suffer in silence on the streets. Many of you have taken notice of these and have given them food, water, clothing, and sometimes shelter for the evening. For those who still ignore these needy people and pass by them on the other side may I remind you that we are called not to be like the priest or the Levite but rather the Samaritan. Do you not know that in the scriptures the Lord said, "I assure you: Whatever you did for one of least of these brothers of Mine, you did for me."(Matthew 25:40, Holman Christian Standard) and also saying "I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either." (Matthew 25:45, Holman Christian Standard). I call you to take action for these who are needy. Like Lot who entertained angels before being instructed to leave from Sodom and Gomorrah we never know when we could be doing for the Christ as He is found in the homeless man living under the overpass in a cardboard box, and can be found in the man who is sleeping next to your favorite Italian restaurant and ask only for a little food to sustain himself one more day.

Finally brothers and sisters I want to call you to a life set apart. The scriptures are littered with this but yet we seem to overlook it so easily. How often I myself have given in and taken the easy path when I am confronted with a choice which would set me apart but I urge you to consider our father Abraham. When the Lord called him from out of Ur Abraham dropped what he was doing and followed. Because of his obedience we are told in Hebrews that Abraham was deemed holy in the sight of the Lord. Further more consider Joseph who's faith made him holy in the eyes of the Lord when he was faithful to follow God even though he landed in slavery for a time after his family betrayed him. Brothers and sisters live life in love and learn from the life of the Christ. Be holy as the Lord is holy. God did not ask what is impossible He only asked what is impossible on our own and because of this He sent His Son to die, and then His Holy Spirit to be with us and make it possible for us to live that holy life He requires. If God in the person of Jesus could forgive the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery surely His grace will not fall short in forgiving His bride for being as a whore in response to His great love for her. May God our Father bless you as you walk with Him.

In closing I ask of you my brothers and sisters, let he who has ears hear, let the Spirit guide your lives into obedience to the Lord who has purchased you for a price of infinite value. Stay strong in the faith and when we eat with the Lord in paradise and partake of the fruit of the vine with Him I hope to see you sitting there so we can share stories of how God blessed us when we submitted to His will and followed Him even when the cross was far to heavy to bear alone and He took it on for us in place of His lighter yoke. Grace and peace in the Christ our Lord who died in our place.