Anytime I hear someone say their church is the friendliest around, I smile. When they say their church is full of love, I smile even more. In fact, I have not met a Christian yet who has said their church is not full of friendly people and love.
But ... who are they friendly towards? One another? Who do they love? One another?
This may be hard to digest, but ... do they love the abortion doctor two streets down that is killing dozens of unborn babies each year? Do they love the prostitutes who walk down Sullivant Avenue selling their bodies for sex? Do they love that awkward teenager who walked into their church wearing Satanic clothing? How about this ... do they love that IRS agent who just sent them a message telling them their records for the past 12 years are being audited? Do they really love that gas station owner who just raised the price of gas by 40 cents a gallon? Do they love that college football player who just shared with the world that he's living a homosexual lifestyle?
In John 13:34, Jesus teaches us to love one another as He has loved us. Arguments can be made that He was referring to loving other Christians in this passage. But Matthew 5:44 tells us to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Romans 13:10 states that love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.Galatians 5:14 reminds us that for the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
The majority of Christian churches in America are declining in membership and attendance. We are not seeing as many people "won to Jesus Christ" as we used to. But ... what would happen if we truly started to love one another. I am not talking about loving the sweet lady who made that awesome cake at the last potluck dinner! I am talking about, what would happen if we started loving those OUTSIDE the church walls? What would happen if, instead of standing outside an abortion doctor's home picketing, you sent the doctor a dozen cookies (and if you're not the best cook, McDonald's chocolate chip cookies are truly awesome!) What if, instead of stopping a prostitute in the street and preaching at her, you actually told her she is loved by God and you want to invite her to a bible study? How about sending that IRS agent a thank you note for performing a thankless job! How about sharing with that homosexual that even though the Bible teaches that homosexual behavior is a sin, you still love the person no matter what, and they are still welcome in your church! And that gas station owner ... keep in mind, they own the local station, not the price of oil worldwide, so how about inviting him/her out to lunch and let them know you feel their pain!
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN if Christians started treating those outside the walls of the church with love? I'll tell you what would happen! Your church will need to start a new building fund campaign because their current house of worship will no longer be able to hold the influx of people! Your church, depending on property size, may want to consider larger parking lot, a parking deck, or do whatever it takes to be able to handle the floods of people wanting to walk through the doors. Because Church, if we go out and truly love the world, they are going to take notice .... they are going to start jumping up and down screaming ... they are gonna start yelling, "Hey You! Jesus Freaks! I want what you have! I want Jesus!"
Don't believe me? Then prove me wrong. Give it a try! Make a commitment to go out once a day outside of your comfort zone, and show one person some genuine Christian love! Get your fellow church members to do the same! Watch what happens!
Many, many, many years ago, our family went to a Halloween Party at the Fire Hall in Jefferson, MD. When it was over, it was raining, and lightning pretty bad. My parents decided to take a back route home. Carroll Boyer Road. To this day, I refuse to drive on that road. We were going through a very narrow portion of the road, in the middle of a very wooded area, when my parents started yelling that there was a cow's head, hanging from a noose, in the woods very close to the road. They sped away very quickly, and it was never brought up again. But yet, I still can't drive on that road. It's amazing what impacts us as small kids that linger with us the rest of our lives. Today, I have absolutely no idea if there was really a cow's head or not hanging from a noose in the woods. It doesn't matter.
What impressions are you leaving your children with that will linger in their minds for a lifetime?
How about this ... I have an uncle who lives in Greeneville, Tennessee. We would go visit him, my aunt, and my grandparents once or twice a year. During each visit, my uncle would strongly encourage us kids to go to a Baptist Church that he was a member at. He drove an old bus, and would drive around the city picking up kids to take to church as well. Growing up in farm country, I had never really been exposed to inner cities much as a child, except for on his bus route.
I had very little contact with kids of other races before. But one thing I will remember my uncle saying during one of those bus rides. He turned to me, smiled, and said:
Jesus Loves the little children All the children of the world Red and yellow black and white They're all precious in his sight Jesus loves the little children of the world
I did not start going to church on a regular basis until I was 18 years old. I never asked Jesus into my heart until the end of Basic Training in the Air Force. But what my uncle said to me as a small child resonates with me to this day. He planted seeds. Although his full time profession at that time was working in a factory for Magnavox tv, he was also a farmer, planting seeds that would one day come to fruition!
Thank you, Uncle Ralph! Thank you for giving to the Lord!
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." ... Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
So often, while scrolling people's profiles on social networks, I see that bible verse listed under people's favorite quotations. I have known these verses for many years, but really never stopped to examine them closely, and how to apply it to my own life.
Many of us, including myself often want to claim these verses as a promise within our own lives, particularly verse 6. "He will make your paths straight!" How awesome is that! No more winding around roads getting lost. No more scary curves in the road afraid we're going to fall off a cliff! I remember driving a U-Haul from Columbus, OH to Tempe, Arizona, in order to help a close friend make a move out there a number of years ago. Crossing the Rocky Mountains is no fun. Up and down, back and forth. No emergency lanes on the side of the road, only extremely deep cliffs. But God promises to make our paths straight!
However, we are very quick to ignore the first parts of these two verses! TRUST in the LORD will all your heart! Lean NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, in all ways ACKNOWLEDGE (or TRUST) Him!
TRUST IN THE LORD. Why is that so difficult for so many of us? I think back to a recent challenge in my life trusting God in the area of finances, when He was telling me to TITHE! He wanted me to give back to Him 10% of any income. Truth is, if it weren't for Him, I never would have had the income to begin with! But a month into tithing, my pickup truck broke down, non-repairable. I came home devastated, but still made my weekly tithe that evening. The next day, I received a check in the mail for $1000.00, from a friend I have not seen in just over 30 years (former high school classmate.) It was said in a letter with this check that God had led him to write the check, but didn't know who to write it to, or why, until he read on social networking about my truck situation. He went on to thank me for my encouraging posts over the previous few years, and said they had actually help him grow stronger through some difficult situations on his family. All glory to God!
So, next day, I spend $1100.00 on a used soccer mommy type of van. Let me say this perfectly clear, I am NOT a mechanic. I should have prayed about this purchase, and I should have taken a mechanically inclined person with me before I made this purchase from an individual. But I didn't. Three days later, the front passenger tire goes flying off the van as I'm driving 65 miles per hour down the Interstate going to work. Long story short, it was taken to a mechanic, and $1200.00 worth of repairs later, it was safe to drive again. But ... I checked my checking account when I got home, and saw that yet another friend had sent $1000.00 to help out, as a loan. God really does provide to those who obey Him!
LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING ... yes, sometimes we have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting. We have to have faith in God, and that His plan will work out, maybe not quite how we had things planned, but trusting that God knows best!
