Showing posts with label 2000 verses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2000 verses. Show all posts

Wednesday 5 June 2019

You Foolish Man

You Foolish Man?
You foolish man, 
do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” 
                                                        James 2:14-20
I was talking to a man the other day that claimed to be a Christian. Yet he went on and on about refugees trying to enter Canada illegally. Telling me that they should be sent back to where they came from.
This man reflects what is happening in the United States also. Many calling themselves Christians are speaking against the refugees that are coming to the border.
As I look on this I am saddened. Christians should be the first at the border to minister to these people. And while there are some Christian groups extending the hand of mercy to the refugees, the shouts of those against the refugees is drowning them out.
Teresa of Ávila said
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which to look at Christ’s compassion to the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.” Mother Teresa of Avila
The American evangelist Tony Campolo put it this way,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.” Tony Campolo.
Christians are obligated to help those less fortunate. To quote James the half brother of Jesus,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.
Thus my question to you is. If you claim to be a Christian are you exhibiting good works? Are you doing what you can to help the needy in your community be they at the border or the homeless on the street? Or for that matter the less fortunate that are in your church congregation?
When you stand before God what will he say about what you did on this earth?
Please think about it.
Post Script
Do you know there are 2000 verses in the Bible that deal with responding to the needs of the poor?