paraphrase what Jesus said in the Gospel books about the rich young ruler and ask him to give up everything to the poor ...
yesterday i got a chance to serve at the community center down at SE ABQ with some people from churches in the area - we went out and served the people by giving them food, clothings, health check-up, hair cuts and such. The gospel was being shared as well, and we see kids and adults come to know Christ, the seed of gospel was being planted as well ...
couple thoughts really struck me hard yesterday ....
first it's that poverty doesn't discriminate,
meaning poverty doesn't say if you are certain race than you'll be fine,
or if you are single or married,
or put in anything that you would see on a EOE statement like race, gender, nationality, and in these days sexual orientation , veteran status and such ...
poverty doesn't discriminate -
i saw many people last night - i heard that was over 800 -
kids, adults, lining up for food and clothing -
there were all kinds of people - Asian, white, African American, Hispanics, immigrants, local folks, guys with caps, babies in stroller - they were all in need of help -
and the people who helped out - were across the spectrum as well - all kind of races - and some of them has just barely enough - but they were helping out - giving their time to tend their neighbors who are more in need than they are -
there's another thing in this world that doesn't discriminate -
that's sin and its consequences -
sin that doesn't discriminate because a person is the prime minister or president,
it doesn't discriminate because a person is poor or invented operating systems,
it doesn't and its punishment is universal as well - death to anyone with sin - but unlike poverty it's very absolute - it's black and white -
couple verses that hit me really last couple weeks can be found in John 16:8-11 ...
where it lays out 3 truths ...
1) regard to sin , b/c men do not believe in Christ
2) regard to righteousness, Christ is going to the Father
3) regard to judgment, prince of this world (devil) stands condemn ...
so ...
it's as black and white as it seems -
the gospel does not discriminates as well -
it's open to everyone because Christ is going to the Father -
the righteousness is open to anyone who receives it -
thus -
i hope that we will take up the invitation of Christ - because He's going to the Father - and we can take on His righteousness - and that dealt with the problem of sin - as for the problem of poverty - we as the body of Christ should continue to reach out to our community wherever we are - because we know we will also have the poor with us - and we should go and serve and bless the nations and people - poverty doesn't discriminate - well - so should the body of Christ.
(note : again - remember to be in the world, but not of it ;-) )
~ daniel
No comments:
Post a Comment