If anyone follows my twitter account it has been  no secret about my struggles to find a job. While I have been searching for a Job, I have kept myself busy doing evangelism and ministry work. However, a major concern recently was not having medical care. Recently it became serious when I began to have severe headaches every other day, leaving me useless to even fill out applications or sit up straight. Without a job I was unable to even go to a urgent care clinic.

Then my Mom discovered the Lackey Free Clinic.

The Lackey Free Clinic is unbelievable. It is a Hospital that is dominated by a Christian worldview. It is run off of donations from local churches, individuals and doctors.

Upon walking into the Lackey Free Clinic one is bombarded with Bible verses painted on the walls. Good Bible verses, not prosperity driven verses but verses such as John 11:25-26.

They do not hide the fact they Christ centered. It’s not a behind the scenes thing. It’s the foundation of the clinic that extends to every level, not just paint on walls.

After I got approved to be seen I was told to come on  a walk-in day. Twice a week they serve the first fifteen visitors. I was number fourteen. I came expecting a long wait with a fully charged blackberry and iPod touch. I prepared for a long wait and that’s what I got. A really long wait.

I got there at 8:30 and was not seen until 12:30.

I know what your thinking. See, long waits, universal health care. Bad Idea.

Well long waits are not a good thing,  that is unless there is a good reason for your long wait.

There was a good reason. At 11:45 when my name was called I was seen by the nurse who took my blood pressure, took my weight, and temperature. Afterwords I was sent out  to go sit and wait in  the waiting room again. This time for only a few minutes until they had a room available for me and then I waited some more.

Finally around 12:30, the doctor came in. She greeted me and apologized for the wait. For the past several minutes while I was waiting she was reviewing in detail, all of my medical history. She went through everything, past heart surgeries, recent medical complications, everything.

Then she talked about my headaches and for one hour she asked me every fathomable question about them including giving me a simple neurological exam.

The reason my wait was so long was not because of the multitude of people swarming the clinic because there was not a lot of staff in an attempt to keep the budget down. The reason I had to wait so long was because the doctors actually cared about the patients enough to spend time with them, to look into their history and question their lifestyle. They are there to practice medicine, not just write prescriptions as soon  as possible so they can move on to the next patient. That’s where Christ comes into play.

When we run an organization or business with Christ as the focus it permeates every layer of that business. It seems as if so often we Christians cry out to the Government for help. I think this was a fatal error of the Religious right, all though they tried to make the Government moral they still saw the Government as the source of hope for the nation and not Christ.

Maybe instead of looking to the Government to save us, we should just go ahead and do the work ourselves. Remember, the Gospel doesn’t just change lives as the postmodern worldview would like you to think. The Gospel changes every single fiber of society.

Below is a promotional video from the Lackey Free Clinic. Please watch it and let it challenge you no matter what business your in to devote every area of it to the Gospel.

“And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” Acts 2:45

I think in America we have truly lost the idea of what it means to be a part of your church. This verse is so incredibly contrary to anyone in America. In fact its so  far away from any Church plan, that it may seem kool-aid drinking cultish and by all accounts crazy, but we must remember that just because a principal is used for heretical, cult like and socialist things does not make the principal itself invalid.

We have here in Acts 2:45 on first impression, what appears to be scriptural support for socialism. Selling all you have, and giving it to others. Distributing proceeds to all. Yep, there are a lot of socialist keywords in that verse.

However, it’s not socialist. Whereas socialism insists that men are required by force to give out of pocket, these were Christians who did it willingly out of love for the Body of Christ. Also looking at the context of the verse “all” does not mean every single person, throughout all of time and history but it means all those within the Church. All of those who have truly been born again. I also gather from this passage that the collections were given on an individual basis from the words “as any had need” and were not decided upon by a hierarchy system within the Church.

So the question is what does this look like? How does this work?

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a preacher exposit this verse and say something along the lines of “this was a different time and place, our culture is not suited for that, don’t worry.”

Let me stop here and ask, when in any culture throughout all of time, was it seen as the norm to Ssell all things and give to one another? Never. The principal here is not just for those guys in Acts. We can’t devote ourselves “to the apostles teaching and fellowship” and then ignore this verse. So the question must be asked. What would this look like?

Joe is an active member of Middle Baptist Church. A small church, but an active Church. Fully devoted for the Gospel. Joe is one of the most prominent members. He is an elder and shares the Gospel with as many people as possible. In fact he just quit his Job with great benefits to get a part time job to spend more time devoting to the Gospel. He is a true example in that Church.

But Joe gets Cancer. Joe’s family has no health insurance.

It’s treatable. It can be cured, but will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses. Joe might have to sell his house.

What does the modern church member do here? They usually say something like “Ill be praying for you, say some sympathetic words” Go home and think, “Wow, that’s awful, glad thats not my problem.”

Well I want to add that it is your problem. If you are a devoted member of that Church, it is every member of Middle Baptist Churches problem. It is not the problem of the government not providing health care. It is not Joe’s fault for leaving his fulltime job. It is a problem of the entire Church body of believers. Why? Because the Church loves Joe…and those in the Church would gladly take on the cancer for Joe if the Lord allowed.

So what does Joe’s church do?

I would like to suggest that they do exactly what it says in Acts. “sell their possessions and belongings and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need” in this case Joe has need.

A true body of believers is not concerned with their possessions, their wealth, their own health as much as they are concerned with one another for the sake of the Gospel.

Based on what I gather from this short verse in Acts. This is how I believe this situation should take place within the confines of the local Church.

Joe stands before the Church explaining the news, He discusses how he plans to sell his house to cover the expenses. Dr. Luke an active member of the Church for twenty years stands up and says to him “I am taking over all of your Doctor visits. Send me the Medical Records Monday…All visits and expenses within my office, I will cover”

At that moment Mr. Rich, a long time wealthy member of the church stands up and says “Sell your house and use the expenses to cover the rest of the treatment. I will begin the process of selling my mansion by the river and get two smaller and affordable houses for your family and myself.”

Joe goes through treatment, is healed and is able to devote the rest of his life to the preaching of the Gospel debt free.

Man…that’s unique. You might even say, “That will never happen!” but why not?

Maybe that won’t work in most cases, but how about churches setting up medical expense funds for its members? How about the church stepping up and saying “if any member leaves his Job to pursue full time ministry, all medical expenses will be on us”

I am not saying this is the way it has to be done…but what do you think? Am I crazy? Comment below and tell me what you think.

For the discussion lets keep in mind some points.

Keep in mind were talking about members here. Not Mr. Homeless walking off the street looking for a handout, there should be funds set aside for homeless non-members as well. This
is only for active members, devoted to the Gospel, who have lives reflective of Christ.

Were not talking about common churches here. So whether or not something like that will happen in your church filled with goats is not the point. Just because it won’t happen in a certain Church doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t happen.

Also keep in mind that all the giving is voluntary and no pressure is being placed on any member. They do it out of the cheerful overflow of their heart and love for each other and the Gospel.

Ok. Let the discussion begin. I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say.