James 2: 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
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“Wow, this neighborhood sure is going downhill” I thought to myself. The riff raff were steadily moving in and things were getting torn up and worn down. “I know what ‘they’ need… ‘They’ need to come to our revival.” We walked around and passed out hundreds of flyers to our event.
On the day of the event I could hear crickets chirping and see tumbleweed rolling down the street. In other words nobody came. Maybe we should give away hotdogs next time we thought.
- When I have an attitude that my church program is more important than the people I am serving I am blind.
- When I am not seeing spiritual growth from others around me then maybe I’m blind not them.
- When I am not part of the community and I see it as “them” then I am blind.
Communities see right through me. They can see my surface love and phony smile. They can also sense when I really want them to attend my program instead of loving them and meeting their need. They stand back and watch my shallow attempts to be holy and see that in reality I really don’t get along with a person I supposedly call my brother or sister.
- GOD wants me to have deeds that mean something to HIM.
- GOD wants me to have deeds that aren’t just going through the motions.
- GOD wants me to have deeds that meet the needs of those who are down no matter how different they are from me.
Please excuse my graphic words “my righteousness is like a used tampon.” Unless I make “them” “us” really quickly my actions are worthless.
- Have you been serving in church for a while and think “they” have a problem?
- Do you believe “they” won’t come to know the LORD because “they” are too far gone?
- Have you ever considered maybe you need to meet “them” at their base need to belong rather than giving them stuff as a surface attempt to serve?
- Won’t you reach out to understand “them” and try to make “them” “us” while remaining in the LORD?
Church is filled with the postmodern that have destroyed it institutionally and spiritually. Then if they really are 'on the ball' they establish an official Emergent church. Thankfully the Church is spiritual.
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