My studies

Thursday, November 01, 2012



1939 THE MORE IMPORTANT STUFF

Today we are going to do an ‘all nighter’.

A few months ago I started a new thing- I invited a few of the homeless guys over to the house [actually that’s not new].

But I cooked a good meal for them and let them crash out on the floor for the night.



Over the years I have had a few friends spend the night- but not on a weekly basis.


So- I fixed up a room for them- and tonight they will use it.


Before the weeks out [I guess that means in the morning?] I will try and write a post on Luke chapter 15.


I at least want to cover one bible chapter a week.

But let me just make a few notes today.

For those of you who are not familiar with ‘our ministry’- the whole basis of what I do could be summed up from Isaiah chapter 58.


In a way it’s an encapsulation of the whole intent of the Judaic law.


Actually that will fit in with tomorrows post.


In the Old Testament prophets we read many times where God rebukes the Jewish people [called the People of God under the old covenant].

And he says time after time ‘I don’t want your religious ritual- I want your heart- I don’t want to know how good your are at making animal sacrifice- I want you to sacrifice by loving your neighbor’.


These themes are found all thru out the prophets.



Now- in the New Testament we see the same thing with Jesus.

He says ‘you tithe and do all types of religious stuff- yet you have left out the more important matters- love and mercy’.

Jesus truly fulfills his prophetic role by defending the poor and speaking ‘truth to power’.

I see the role of the church- the main job of Christians- as one where we are not building religious empires- where we are not all about getting a lot of money to ‘reach the world’.


But where we are to live- as best as possible- the new command that Jesus left us.

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart- soul- mind and might- and your neighbor as yourself’.


That’s the crux of the matter.


So- today I will go down to the mission and invite about 5 or so friends.


We will pick up some food for the ‘party’ [I got paid last night!]

We will come back to the house- hang out- share what’s been happening- eat- and then crash for the night.


Now- don’t be fooled- we will talk much about Gods will- the guys always wind up bringing it up- it’s a natural part of fellowship.


There will be no drinking or smoking [pot].

Yeah- the guys will smoke cig’s.


But all in all they know the rules- and they abide by them.


Last week Michael- the street artist I have written about over the years.


Mike is a great painter- and right now he works as a cook at one of the local buffets.


He came over just for a few hours with some brothers- and later he told me that was one of the best times he has ever had.


We did nothing- but hung out.



Many street people live lives of quiet desperation.


I see them every day- they go thru their routines- they know each other by name- but yet they rarely interact this way- that is just getting together without it being a drug induced party.

And when they do get together like this- it helps them.


The other day I was talking to Joe- a friend I have known for 20 years.


Somehow he brought up the name Tom.


I asked him ‘do you mean the Tom that hit the 100 thousand dollar lotto ticket a few months ago’?

Yeah- one of my good friends hit the Texas lotto thing- a scratch off- and won big.


He bought 2 Harleys and a bunch of stuff.


I posted the pic on my site- you probably would find it under the Photo album named ‘homeless 2012’ [Face book site].

As I mentioned Tom- the Harley guy.

Joe told me ‘no- not him- he’s my biological brother’.

Huh?


I have known both of these guys for 20 years- have seen them on the streets- at the mission- all over.

Yet I never knew they were related- actual brothers.



It’s easy for the guys to live their lives- to pass by each other- and never really have fellowship- a good time where they all get together and have fun- without getting drunk- without getting high- just eating good food and knowing that we are doing it as a ministry/friendship thing.



I simply spend my money on the stuff- I take no offerings for it- imagine if we all did stuff like this? [I know many others do- but most Christians don’t see this as a regular part of the Christian experience].

If people all over the world did this on a regular basis.


Then if you had all the church people doing it- then you wouldn’t need to raise a million to do ‘Gods work’.

It would be getting done thru the small sacrifices that each of us make on a daily basis.



The Apostle Paul wrote the Ephesians and said ‘he that is not working- get a job- so you can have to give to those in need’.

What?

No tithe here?

Not pouring it into a huge ministry budget?

No red tape?

Yeah- the New Testament [and old- Isaiah 58] teach us to actually use our resources to reach out- directly- to the poor and hurting.


Read the epistle of James- or the letter’s of John.



This teaching is not a side issue- it’s one of the main things.



As a matter of fact- that’s why the prophets of the Old Testament- and Jesus in the New- kept rebuking the religious people of their day- because they knew how to keep the religious rituals.

But they forgot the ‘more important stuff’.


Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Facebook] - I have posted lots.







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