In the days of my youth there was visits from friends, the friends of my parents and so forth. One thing they all had it common was communication. Back then there was no cell phones just the typical old land line. Or in the case of my friends it became a case of pounding on the door and yelling, of which I don't think the adults were fond of.
I clearly remember one time I was very sick and out of school for a couple weeks. Do you know what transpired? Here is what took place:
My friends stopped by to see how I was doing otherwise known as "can he come out and play yet?"
My music teacher stopped by. Of course she lived accross the street but she came by anyway.
School teachers came by, with school work of course. All the while I was runnning a fever of 104 degrees. Nevertheless they stopped by to visit.
Do you know who also stopped by besides the doctor that is. People from church; Sunday Scool teachers, Pastors and even those who sat in the pews.
What transpired back then in the sixties is a far cry from this day and age. Dispite the invention of the cell phone it seems society has lost touch with one key factor of every day life. It seems society has forgotten how to communicate with each other. Now here is a though; if society as a whole has forgotten how to communicate does this apply to the household of faith? If so lets take a look and see if that true. In the mean time set your cellphone down and listen.
Back in the 50's and 60's you could go by a church at high noon and they would still be having service. Pass by again in at 1300 hours and they are still having church service. And if you went by even at 1400 hours there is a good chance they would be having church service.
Take that same church and go inside and what do you find? the pastor preaching, choir singing and the very people in the pews worshiping the very God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.
Sadly today a member of the household of faith has to duke it out nearly alone. No visits no phone calls from the very church they attend. Its as if a person had encountered some sort of abduction.
Go by a church today and you learn that they let out by high noon as if there was going to be some gunfight in the center of town. Think I am joking!? Look at the how packed restaurants get on Sundays between noon and two in the afternoon. Sadly, there seems to be more care for what on their plate than whats missing in the pews.
The very household of God needs to demonstrate the self same kind of mercy that God showers us with each and every day. "But God whose rich in mercy....." as it is written in Ephesians 2:4
It does not say faith nor grace. In fact it says God is rich in mercy.
Does the church, as a whole or part, really care about those who attend? Or does it care more about how much can be collected in the morning offering? And does the same church care about spending time with God or is God just something to be hung over the fireplace to look at?
Its perhaps time that the church starts really caring about its members. Allow me to explain: if you knew of a Christian going through a tough time financially would you try to help them? Well back in the days of the early church they sure would have. In fact the book of Acts proves they did. So what is so different about the church today?
In short let me say this:
its past the time for embers of the Christian society to pick up the phone and ask these questions;
#1. we miss you at church
#2. ask if there is any way the church can help.
#3. pay a visit to there home. In other words make it personal. Meeting face to face adds the persnoal touch.
#4. If a person needs a place to live or needs help with their living quarters the assist them. Even offer him or her a place to live by making use of an extra bedroom or guest house.
#5. If a person needs food then help them with filling the refrigerator and shelves with good quality food items. If you do this aspect please don't push your like and beliefs onto them. Let the person in need choose the food; this keeps it on a personal level not an institutional level.
In closing remember this:
When God sent His Son He did so out of love, concern and out of mercy.
Demonstrate the mercies of God instead of harping on the faith and grace issues. Why not the faith and grace issue? For one reason and one reason only; each human is given a measure of faith. Thus the faith of one person may be different from that of yourself.
Show mercy to others and God will demonstrate more mercy unto you and your family.
I clearly remember one time I was very sick and out of school for a couple weeks. Do you know what transpired? Here is what took place:
My friends stopped by to see how I was doing otherwise known as "can he come out and play yet?"
My music teacher stopped by. Of course she lived accross the street but she came by anyway.
School teachers came by, with school work of course. All the while I was runnning a fever of 104 degrees. Nevertheless they stopped by to visit.
Do you know who also stopped by besides the doctor that is. People from church; Sunday Scool teachers, Pastors and even those who sat in the pews.
What transpired back then in the sixties is a far cry from this day and age. Dispite the invention of the cell phone it seems society has lost touch with one key factor of every day life. It seems society has forgotten how to communicate with each other. Now here is a though; if society as a whole has forgotten how to communicate does this apply to the household of faith? If so lets take a look and see if that true. In the mean time set your cellphone down and listen.
Back in the 50's and 60's you could go by a church at high noon and they would still be having service. Pass by again in at 1300 hours and they are still having church service. And if you went by even at 1400 hours there is a good chance they would be having church service.
Take that same church and go inside and what do you find? the pastor preaching, choir singing and the very people in the pews worshiping the very God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.
Sadly today a member of the household of faith has to duke it out nearly alone. No visits no phone calls from the very church they attend. Its as if a person had encountered some sort of abduction.
Go by a church today and you learn that they let out by high noon as if there was going to be some gunfight in the center of town. Think I am joking!? Look at the how packed restaurants get on Sundays between noon and two in the afternoon. Sadly, there seems to be more care for what on their plate than whats missing in the pews.
The very household of God needs to demonstrate the self same kind of mercy that God showers us with each and every day. "But God whose rich in mercy....." as it is written in Ephesians 2:4
It does not say faith nor grace. In fact it says God is rich in mercy.
Does the church, as a whole or part, really care about those who attend? Or does it care more about how much can be collected in the morning offering? And does the same church care about spending time with God or is God just something to be hung over the fireplace to look at?
Its perhaps time that the church starts really caring about its members. Allow me to explain: if you knew of a Christian going through a tough time financially would you try to help them? Well back in the days of the early church they sure would have. In fact the book of Acts proves they did. So what is so different about the church today?
In short let me say this:
its past the time for embers of the Christian society to pick up the phone and ask these questions;
#1. we miss you at church
#2. ask if there is any way the church can help.
#3. pay a visit to there home. In other words make it personal. Meeting face to face adds the persnoal touch.
#4. If a person needs a place to live or needs help with their living quarters the assist them. Even offer him or her a place to live by making use of an extra bedroom or guest house.
#5. If a person needs food then help them with filling the refrigerator and shelves with good quality food items. If you do this aspect please don't push your like and beliefs onto them. Let the person in need choose the food; this keeps it on a personal level not an institutional level.
In closing remember this:
When God sent His Son He did so out of love, concern and out of mercy.
Demonstrate the mercies of God instead of harping on the faith and grace issues. Why not the faith and grace issue? For one reason and one reason only; each human is given a measure of faith. Thus the faith of one person may be different from that of yourself.
Show mercy to others and God will demonstrate more mercy unto you and your family.
