Week 3: From Despised to Deeply Loved (March 1)

He empowered the unlikely
 

The religious leaders were shocked! “Follow me,” Jesus had said to Matthew. They wondered how this rabbi could choose a tax collector as an apprentice. Jesus clarified his decision:

“Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.” - Luke 5:31-32 (The Message)

From the onset of Jesus' ministry his goal was not to empower the world by himself. On the contrary, his master plan was to equip people from all backgrounds to show the world what true power and freedom are all about. When the marginalized are empowered and equipped to empower others, everyone can embrace that the Kingdom is for all people! Fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, the disabled, the overlooked, and the unwanted . . . those of little (or even bad) reputation were drawn to his message of love and then called into a life they could not have imagined possible. 
 
His dream-team? A rag-tag group who would be picked last by those in power to ever do anything “special.” Yet this band of men and women literally changed the world, and we’re invited as well!

Elizabeth, who lives in Kenya, knows what it is to feel broken. Her illegal alcohol business and addiction to drinking darkened her mind to the point that she forgot to take her ailing son to the hospital. His death should have been a wake-up call but instead she drowned her sorrows deeper in the bottle.
 
You’ll be amazed to read Elizabeth’s full story (keep scrolling) but understand for now that God’s love transformed this unlikely, broken brewer into an admired beacon of hope!
 
She gained skills during an ELI training. Then, when her heart met Christ, everything changed—which miraculously led to a new church being built on her property! She now says, "I have changed from the inside out!"

The calling to follow Jesus is as real today as when Matthew first heard it 2,000 years ago. And Jesus still calls unlikely people to become World Changers for his Kingdom! Christ commissioned emerging leaders (just like his early followers) to receive and release his spirit in order to help set free those trapped in physical, emotional, social, and spiritual bondage. 

Do you hear it? That is the sound of the Spirit of Christ calling each of us to an adventure that impacts all eternity.

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• How have you responded to the love and calling of Jesus? What's one way you can allow yourself to receive it today?

• When have you been compelled by Jesus to act in a way that demonstrated to the people around you what the Kingdom is all about?

• Do you feel like an unlikely person to make a difference for Jesus? What unlikely people around you could God be calling you to reach out to?

Elizabeth's illegal brewing business and her addiction to the same drink became so all-consuming that, when one of her sons became sick, she completely forgot about taking him to the hospital. Tragically, he died. Her devastated heart grew in self-hatred. It could have been a turning point but instead she drowned her feelings with more alcohol. The business she had operated for 40 years continued until . . .

She was arrested and sentenced to 6 months in jail. Instead of feeling compassion for her, the community celebrated because they finally had peace from the toxic environment she brought to their village. Elizabeth's husband found a new place to drink as neighbors stepped in to care for her children, who missed their mom but not the chaos of living in a brewing den. For the first time in their young lives they had a taste of what peace felt like. 

When no one visited her while she was in jail, Elizabeth began to realize how truly rejected she was. The only light she began to see came from the Bible devotions that the prison chaplain would give from time to time. Then, by some miracle, the government released her from jail after only 1 month. 

Although she was now free from prison, she still felt like she was still serving a life sentence of darkness without hope. Upon returning home, she found that her oldest son had smashed her brewing pots and poured out any alcohol he could find. Then the neighbors gathered and told her they would no longer allow her to brew. So Elizabeth packed a few possessions and set out to restart her business in a neighboring village—one more place for her to spread the darkness of alcoholism. 

But instead of perpetuating this vicious cycle, Elizabeth encountered light to guide her out of her own darkness. One of the first visitors to her new home was Selina, a woman with her own past of pain, rejection, and problems. Selina shared how she had grown desperate for a change when she was an illegal brewer. Elizabeth listened with rapt attention and within a week found herself traveling with two other brewers to the same training center where Selina had found both hope and the skills to change. Elizabeth also chose to participate in a 3-month rehabilitation program because of her addiction. Leaving her addiction and brewing was a battle she was determined to win—and she did! 

When she returned to her home village and family, she declared, “I have changed from the inside out and am no longer interested in brewing or drinking!” Her children and community were so thrilled they organized a big party to celebrate her transformation. She had gone from despised and shunned to loved and accepted!

Elizabeth’s inspiring story does not end there. One night she had a dream: “I heard a voice saying that I should donate part of my land so a local church could have a proper building.” For a full year, she ignored this repeated dream. She finally decided to listen: she donated a half-acre for them to build on. The church wanted to quickly erect a semi-permanent structure. Still, Elizabeth was adamant about what she had seen in her vision. They needed a permanent sanctuary that would honor God. So it was built!

Elizabeth's once-divisive life now centers on bringing her family and community together. Today her family is overjoyed to support her in her old age. The community loves getting to worship with her at the new church by her home. She counsels young couples at the church, and her joy is to reach out to alcoholics and brewers. She encourages everyone to meet the God who can bring lasting transformation to any life that is willing. Elizabeth has become a unifying figure, someone everyone appreciates and respects. After years of being feared and despised, she has now become a beacon of hope to everyone she knows!