Studying God’s Word ping
I have always liked this verse. You should have seen this guy look at me when I walked into a church years ago with my super-long hair (most of it cut now) and my blue jeans, LOL.
And the funny thing was, the sermon that day was on Bible Prophecy and the speaker was Dr. Ed Hindson who I finally was able to meet and speak with the day before.
He probably thought I was some old hippie from Berkeley, LOL.
I wonder what Jesus’ attitude would have been toward our modern bums.
At least the money changers in the Temple had been working.
Our pastor never gets to see how much anyone has donated. Others handle the offering. He gets to see the final total. He doesn’t want anyone to think his sermons or counseling is based on $$$.
Good policy, I think.
I think that some Churches, though, have it backwards. They are very conscious about ministering to the needs of the unsaved community, so as to draw them into the Church, but they ignore or forget their own members. We are to prefer one another. We are to take care of our own even before we give our resources, energy and attention to the lost. They shall know we are Christians by our love for each other first, and then our love for others. Our love for each other will draw them in, when they see it.
We also must, of course, love the lost and draw them in. The way it primarily pleases God to save the lost is through the foolishness of our preaching the Gospel to them. The Word of God is sharp and powerful and does a mighty work, when mixed with faith.