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#62 What God Says About Refugees -9 Shocking Truths

They’re just looking for a handout.
They will ruin our economy.
They’re dirty.
They don’t belong here!

Whether it’s Syrian refugees in Europe, Donbas refugees in Ukraine or even Mexicans who have fled to the US, I’ve heard all the above and more from people who claim to be Christians!

Those who make these kinds of claims are woefully ignorant of what God says about refugees. That’s why I decided to focus this podcast on some basic truths from God’s Word about refugees.

In this episode of Now Is the Time you’ll find 9 shocking truths from  God’s Word about refugees!

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In the News

  • If you haven’t joined our month-long prayer for Ukraine you’re missing out on a big blessing! There’s still time left so sign up!
  • Next week we are hosting a special dinner for disabled refugees and we need your prayers.
  • This month we start a brand new online course and we could use your support!

Nine Shocking Truths About Refugees

Refugees are people who have fled their homes and native lands because of natural disaster, war, persecution, or some other great hardship. These people are foreigners and are often mistreated by their new host culture.

Refugees are a group of people who are in desperate need and have few if any options to turn to. They need help finding the basic thing of life like food, water and shelter.

This category of people in the Bible is referred to as “strangers, aliens,” and/or “sojourners.”

The Bible is not silent about how we should treat these people.

1. God kills people who oppress refugees

More than anything this shows us how serious God is about our treatment of refugees. Exo 22:21-24

2. God loves refugees and he tells us to love them

“And you shall love the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” Deu 10:19

3. God tells us to be generous to refugees

“When you beat your olive tree, you shall not search the branch behind you. It shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.” Deu 24:20

4. God tells us to not have a double standard with refugees

“One judgment shall be for you whether an alien or a native; for I am Jehovah your God.” Lev 24:22 

5. God uses refugees to change the world

Abraham, the Israelites, Ruth, David, Daniel, Esther,  and Jesus were all refugees at one time or another.

6. Some refugees are sent by God

Do not forget hospitality, for by this some unknowingly took in angels as guests.” Heb 13:2

7. Church leaders are required to help refugees

“Then it behooves the overseer to be blameless, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching.” 1 Tim 3:2

 8. We should never complain about refugees

“Be hospitable to one another without murmurings.” 1Pet 4:9

9. How we treat refugees is how we treat God.

“For I hungered, and you gave Me food to eat; I thirsted, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. …Truly I say to you, In so far as you did it to one of these, the least of My brothers, you did it to Me.” Mat 25:35-36, 40
6 Responses
  • rlsix
    November 18, 2015

    It sounds like the audio file has been truncated… Both the in-page player and the file in the RSS feed cut off in middle of a sentence at around 24:45.

    • Caleb
      November 18, 2015

      Thanks for catching that, I just uploaded the audio file again but it appears that it might take awhile for the servers to catch up.

    • Caleb
      November 18, 2015

      In the mean time if you want to hear the last bit of the podcast you can catch it here. https://sukofamily.org/audio/NIST_E_62.mp3

  • TCAvey
    January 4, 2016

    Amen!
    I haven’t listened yet, but I read through it. God is calling His people to love others. We are not to love just when it is convenient or is ‘safe’. We are called to love, period. love in word and deed.

  • karph63
    March 3, 2016

    I’m going to speaking to a group of children in children’s church in a few weeks and this sounds like something I might do. Any tips you can give me will be appreciated!

    • Caleb
      March 4, 2016

      I downloaded some pictures from the war zone to share with them and tried to get them to think what it would be like if their houses where bombed or if there was no food in the stores.