When a friend said on face book the other day he had to go to work and be a zombie i had no idea what he meant. It seems there is some kind of Zombie theme in Brad Pitts' movie he is filming in Glasgow. Zane is playing a homeless man. All i know is, Brad's films do ok, and so one day Zane will be in every ones home and local theatre. Maybe he will be discovered as he is a brilliant man and a scientific thinker. He i s so much more of a package than you might see as he walked by you on the street. But never mistake his kind eyes for a marshmallow, he can drop you where you stand.
We all get labels based on what we do or say, or the people we hang out with. If you say you are a christian, people who don't even believe in God judge you. During the riots last week a christian man friend called those youth scumbags. Not a nice word. Perhaps spoken in anger. He got as much grief as the people who did all the fires and looting. How can you, a Christian call a person a scumbag. As if loving God makes you a perfect person. No mistakes ever. Set to a higher standard.It is almost laughable if it were not so true.
And lets not stop there. Who does this God think he is? Create a world and then just step back and watch? Why does he allow pain, and death, and divorce, and child abuse, and looting? Where is he? Why doesn't he clean up this mess? Why do good people suffer? It just is not fair. Why doesn't he send help?
Sometimes when we are so far down and downtrodden we forget to look up. My answer is in the cross. ALl that I ever need happened there. Yes sin will reign for a time, but when God decideds it is time he will come back. Every knee will bow. Every one. Yes even yours as you sit there laughing at what seems like my fairy stories. All lies and deception will be revealed. ALl that you think is hidden will be shouted for all to hear. We will be told we had free will, but he felt too overwhelmed at the size of the world poverty that we clenched our money tighter. There are so many homeless(some dangerous) that instead of trusting God to send us someone to help we cross the streetnot to see them. I once was quite proudof myself that i gave a man named Thomas soup tickets when i had a spare room in my house. I was worried in the drenching rain he might get sick. But i did not take him home. I did not open my sanctuary to someone in need. I gave love from extended arms as a barrier between Thomas and myself. Luckily a church in Glasgow took him in and helped him get a bedsit and a new life. God bless them.
Or say you find abortion offensive. That is easy. It is murder being used for birth control. But as you sit on your chairs, mr couch potato, talk is cheap. Do you have a spare rom you could let a scared young pregnant woman use whilst she sorts out her life? Does it have diapers and onesies? Have you stashed some money for the extra groceries a prenant woman eats? Do you really hate abortion? Or doyou hate that they dare come to us for help? Does sexual sin embarass you?Would someone homeless embarass you in your social group? Would you worry if you took in a gay teen that was being bullied that people might associate you with their sin? If so change churches. Jesus hated religious people who had no heart for the man on the street. He had no home to take them to, so he healed them right then and there. One does what they can. I can do more. Come help me. If you are afraid then give old still good clothes to a charity shop. If you get new furniture consider giving the old furniture to a place that gets people started when they come out of rehab or the hospital and need to set up a new flat.
The teen unemployment is shocking, Hire a good kid to do yardworks and chores for you. Show that despite the meedia showing us all the worlds evils are started from angry youth, that you know times are tough and it is discouraging to be sent away from so many job interviews.
Pray. Pray. Pray. Ask where you are needed. Besides church groups there ar emany civilian programmes. Cab you bake cookies for your youth group? I know kids still love to eat. Can you send someone a card to encourage them, to sday you love them in their struggle?
Ok this turned into a sermon, sorry.
i am mostly speaking to me. As I attempt to joi this new church there is so much to do, so many choices for ministry i am almost overwhelmed. The field are white unto harvest the Bible says. Lets go glean.
Blessings.
We all get labels based on what we do or say, or the people we hang out with. If you say you are a christian, people who don't even believe in God judge you. During the riots last week a christian man friend called those youth scumbags. Not a nice word. Perhaps spoken in anger. He got as much grief as the people who did all the fires and looting. How can you, a Christian call a person a scumbag. As if loving God makes you a perfect person. No mistakes ever. Set to a higher standard.It is almost laughable if it were not so true.
And lets not stop there. Who does this God think he is? Create a world and then just step back and watch? Why does he allow pain, and death, and divorce, and child abuse, and looting? Where is he? Why doesn't he clean up this mess? Why do good people suffer? It just is not fair. Why doesn't he send help?
Sometimes when we are so far down and downtrodden we forget to look up. My answer is in the cross. ALl that I ever need happened there. Yes sin will reign for a time, but when God decideds it is time he will come back. Every knee will bow. Every one. Yes even yours as you sit there laughing at what seems like my fairy stories. All lies and deception will be revealed. ALl that you think is hidden will be shouted for all to hear. We will be told we had free will, but he felt too overwhelmed at the size of the world poverty that we clenched our money tighter. There are so many homeless(some dangerous) that instead of trusting God to send us someone to help we cross the streetnot to see them. I once was quite proudof myself that i gave a man named Thomas soup tickets when i had a spare room in my house. I was worried in the drenching rain he might get sick. But i did not take him home. I did not open my sanctuary to someone in need. I gave love from extended arms as a barrier between Thomas and myself. Luckily a church in Glasgow took him in and helped him get a bedsit and a new life. God bless them.
Or say you find abortion offensive. That is easy. It is murder being used for birth control. But as you sit on your chairs, mr couch potato, talk is cheap. Do you have a spare rom you could let a scared young pregnant woman use whilst she sorts out her life? Does it have diapers and onesies? Have you stashed some money for the extra groceries a prenant woman eats? Do you really hate abortion? Or doyou hate that they dare come to us for help? Does sexual sin embarass you?Would someone homeless embarass you in your social group? Would you worry if you took in a gay teen that was being bullied that people might associate you with their sin? If so change churches. Jesus hated religious people who had no heart for the man on the street. He had no home to take them to, so he healed them right then and there. One does what they can. I can do more. Come help me. If you are afraid then give old still good clothes to a charity shop. If you get new furniture consider giving the old furniture to a place that gets people started when they come out of rehab or the hospital and need to set up a new flat.
The teen unemployment is shocking, Hire a good kid to do yardworks and chores for you. Show that despite the meedia showing us all the worlds evils are started from angry youth, that you know times are tough and it is discouraging to be sent away from so many job interviews.
Pray. Pray. Pray. Ask where you are needed. Besides church groups there ar emany civilian programmes. Cab you bake cookies for your youth group? I know kids still love to eat. Can you send someone a card to encourage them, to sday you love them in their struggle?
Ok this turned into a sermon, sorry.
i am mostly speaking to me. As I attempt to joi this new church there is so much to do, so many choices for ministry i am almost overwhelmed. The field are white unto harvest the Bible says. Lets go glean.
Blessings.
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