I am definitely not a "social gospel" advocate (and neither is Pastor Parsley). There is no doubt that we must begin with John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." However, those of us who claim to be saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Spirit should display the fruit of love for our neighbor and we seem to forget that often that includes basic physical needs. I remember working at a homeless shelter years ago. We were overcome with calls to give and volunteer on Thanksgiving and Christmas but the need was still there when there was no holiday and no one was calling. My Prayer: "Heavenly Father, help me to not just get MY blessing, and not just to think of others on certain occasions, but make me a vessel through which the Holy Spirit may and does minister to others in Jesus' Name the whole year through. In the Name of Jesus. Amen."
Merry Christmas,
Rev. Randy
My Neighbor
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Luke 10:29There is a crisis erupting in America’s streets. The need is desperate and
overwhelming, and pastors are sounding the alarm for help.
It’s a sad but true fact that many who were once among the middle class are now
among the poor and the homeless. People are losing jobs and homes. Sadder
still is that shelters are starting to shut down at a time when they’re most
needed, leaving thousands of families out on the street.
The Bible tells us repeatedly to show kindness to those less fortunate and to
love our neighbors as ourselves. Mark 12:33 says that the two most important
commandments are “To love [God] with all your heart, with all your
understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as
yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When the pilgrims first arrived in this country, they formed communities like
the first churches. Without each other and the communities they formed and the
help of their neighbors, these brave pilgrims would not have survived. Today
we must follow this same idea of community and help the needy.Further Reading
- Deuteronomy 15:11
- Job 22:5-11
- James 2:8
ARMENT-RENDERING and other outward signs of religious emotion, are easily manifested and are frequently hypocritical; but to feel true repentance is far more difficult, and consequently far less common. Men will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations—for such things are pleasing to the flesh—but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven.
HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.
