This is part of an email I sent to a local pastor a couple of days ago:
I was glad to see that ---Church--- is focusing outwardly and attempting to minister to the community.
Often this is not done in Apostolic/Pentecostal/Charismatic (or however we categorize ourselves) churches.
I personally think this is an important part of serving the Lord.
I think of something the Apostle Paul said in Galatians where he talked about the message he preached.
He mentioned how he had received it by revelation and when he was checked out by the big guys at Jerusalem, they emphasized to him that he should "remember the poor" (
Gal 2:10).
The way he mentioned that in there in its context it's like he's saying remembering the poor is about on the same level of importance as being doctrinally correct.
There's a verse in
Proverbs 19:17 that says, "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."
I have a note in my Bible there that says:
"If you help a poor person in the name of the Lord, you are making a gift and at the same time granting a loan.
You are making a gift because you have no expectation of being reimbursed by that poor person.
You are granting a loan because the Lord will settle the account."
St. Basil the Great (329-379)
Other verses which talk about helping people in need are:
James 1:26-27; 2:14-17
1 John 3:16-18
at verse 18, I have a note that says:
"stop parroting and start practicing,
turn rhetoric into reality"
verse 18 in the Living Bible says:
"Little children, let us stop just saying we love people;
let us really love them, and show it by our actions."
Sounds like this is what y'all are trying to do in ---------------
Jim Ellis
Below is an email I sent out a while ago. I don't know if you were on distribution for it or not.
"I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and you discussed my hunger. Thank you.
I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel to pray for my release.
I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seem so holy; so close to God.
But I’m still very hungry and lonely and cold.
So where have your prayers gone? What have they done? What does it profit a man to page through his book of prayers when the rest of the world is crying for help?"
- By M. Lunn (1,500 Inspirational Quotes and Illustrations)
Father, May we work and pray, never neglecting one or the other… Through Jesus, Amen
The above is so different from a story Jesus told as recorded in the 25th chapter of Matthew
31-33"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
41-43"Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'
44"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
45"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'
46"Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."
Matthew 25:31-46 from The Message
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