TOO poor to care?? (… a Blog Action Day Post)
Posted by Chilly | Posted in Current Affairs, Missiology, Weblogs | Posted on 15-10-2008
12
Today is “Blog Action Day 2008″… people around the world are uniting to post blogs about ‘Poverty’. Hopefully, today will be more than provocative words & detailed statistics. IF we don’t act upon this need, it’s because we don’t care. And, IF we don’t care, could it be because we’re not truly Christian? Do you dare read on? Sure? Ok, check this out…
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? James 2:14-17 msg.
It’s crazy to say we’re Christians IF we’re nothing but TALK! Jesus cared, for REAL! He hung out with the poor, sick, dying & contagious… He risked being judged, ridiculed, and avoided by loving the unloveable. He redeemed our bankrupt souls too!
This month, we’ve all been confronted by the FEARS of our nation as they watched their money become vulnerable & at risk… people are panicking at the thought of losing some of their loot. How freakin’ self-centered are we?! People are dying of starvation & extreme poverty and we’re stressin’ about how big our 401K is… that’s beyond wrong. It’s SIN.
Perhaps we’re too poor to care about poor people. Because selfishness is poverty of the soul. It robs us of compassion, concern, love & action. How much of your heart does God really have? Are you living for ’stuff’ that you can’t take to heaven or living for others that you CAN take? Hmmm… Think about it…
Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. Matthew 6:19-21 msg.
Let’s DO something TODAY!
And, in doing so, BE something EVERYDAY!
That something is called: REAL!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
Rich because I’m poor, Chilly
“…. selfishness is poverty of the soul.”
…I do need to think about it!
Christ is my treasure and I am going where He goes – to the poor.
Thanks, Pastor Chilly!
Good Challange Chilly
Poor in things that don’t matter.
Rich in things that do. (or striving to get there.)
I’m grateful.
Jesus came as a sign of contradiction and was welcomed by many who this world would likely look down on.
I think I’m in good company.
Dear Jesus, help me to appreciate the many blessing I do have and to see in all others, YOU.
Right on my friend! Why do we so often think that it is either/or: social justice or evangelism, acting as if God’s Reign is present now or waiting for his return? Lord help us to be yours completely now and forever!
[...] by dturn on October 15, 2008 My man Chilly let me know that today is Blog Action Day, where people are posting about [...]
I feel you on this, bro.
this is what I think…
http://dturn.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/whos-really-poor/
Pastor,
Good word! I have been a member at churches that had teachings slanting so heavily in favor of prosperity and abundance that you were considered weak if you were poor. I always wondered if everyone was living in such prosperity in the kingdom…..whose door would a poor person knock on at night when in need? I also always wondered why that other than leadership that most of the congregation did not live so high on the hog! Was God mad at them? Were they not doing it right? Why were they not living such financially abundant lives? I do believe God wants you to have enough to take care of your own and some not your own. And if He gets it to ya……..He wants to get it through ya (not just money)! Here is prosperity: “We get to live with God for eternity…….and we get to help bring as many as we can to do the same” AMEN
[...] here is another great post for Blog Action Day, by iChilly, talking about the action responsibility we have. So, take these thoughts and act on them! [...]
investing in people
“People are dying of starvation & extreme poverty and we’re stressin’ about how big our 401K is… that’s beyond wrong. It’s SIN.”
Wow… that really hit me.
It is only because they are so hard to come by that they are worth so much. ,