Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- August 18, 2012
“‘If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.’” Leviticus 5:1
When you speak up, it means you care. We love the person too much to allow them to hurt themselves and others with self-inflicted attitudes and inappropriate actions. This is especially hard for men. Pride and ego keep us from being vulnerable to rejection or relational controversy, but we owe it to God, to others, and ourselves to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Love compels you to take a relational risk and say something. Be faithful to speak the words, and trust God with the results.
Furthermore, make sure to speak up and defend those who are defenseless. Rise to the defense of widows, orphans, and the poor who are crushed under the weight of the world’s injustice. You may not have to look very far. There may be family members who need your attention. Second, third, and fourth chances are called for to model Christ’s attitude of acceptance. Your reputation may become soiled because you choose to speak up on behalf of a seedy soul, but trust God. We can relate best to sinners because we suffer from the same temptations and sorrows. Christians are sinners saved by the grace of God, no one is beyond God’s reach.
Lastly, speak up for and serve the poor. The poor need a person they can trust. The poor need us to give them a voice against the greedy souls who seek to take advantage of them. They need financial training; they need medical supplies and education; they need nutrition; they need jobs; they need indoor plumbing; they need shoes on their feet and clothes on their backs. Mostly, they need a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. The poor are drawn to Jesus when they see God’s people stand up for them. They are attracted to those who care enough to sit in their homes and drink coffee, create jobs, and speak up on their behalf. It may be building Christian schools so that the poor can receive a quality education in a loving environment. It is time some of us break out of our bubble of affluence and expose ourselves to the sufferings of the poor.
You sin if you remain silent over those who are defenseless. The Bible says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).
Taken from August 19th reading in the 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God”… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
Post/Tweet this today: When we speak up in love, it means we care. #speak #love
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Yes it is true that we should reach the poor because help the least then are insight is on God. But anyway they have to life there hands and feet as well and with this government what do we focus on and do. We go take are vacations in the other lands, Because we focus on the on scripture that says go and make disciple’s of all nations and we wrap are little arms and say we are doing what God called us to do. Sorry but go live in there life style not for a week but oh the rest of the days you are down here. Once again if it is so hard to take care of the kiddo then don’t do what makes the kiddo in God’s image. Sorry but don’t feel sorry for the aborted babies because they don’t have to see this messed up place that could change and just not put In God we trust on the money but actually start doing some changing. But I do cry for the ones who do the aborting because you are killing just to kill not because you are protecting yourself. You are protecting your pocket book until you go to a bar and start kissing and make another that you kill and then it sadly keeps going and going and when does it stop oh there are so many single mothers here in the states and it is kisssing that has lead to those births and well there are kiddos that need a God fearing God loving home here in the states but we need to look at what Arizona is doing and maybe we could um wakeup America don’t see Canada trying to come flee across the border. God loves Hollywood to but He is getting tired of the boob tube and are we going back to the fig leaf.
Boyd, as a fellow Atlanta brother I want you to look at this excellent appeal to the church in another light.
While I agree that we as the church need to look after the poor, let’s face it under the excessive entitlement rich government we now in the US where the poor have free cell phones, free health care, they now do not need to work in order to receive welfare, etc., and the hard working men and women of this country are told they are not paying enough! While I believe the church should take care of the poor, in the US the poor are becoming pawns in the political war to buy votes by encouraging them to take the free and easy hand outs and let the other half work harder to keep then in the system.
I would encourage you to also remember that the wealthy are just as lost. The Lord brought this to my attention when I was just 20 yrs old (35 yrs ago) as I was traveling in a poor area of AZ and praying for the street people I was seeing. The Lord said to me, The wealthy and influential of this nation are just as lost and more deceived. Pray for them as well and allow to myself to prosper and enter their courts of influence so I can be a light to the truly lost and depraved among us as the wealthy and influential need salvation just as much. I hope you see this, the entire church is trying to help the poor. The wealthy and influential are just as lost if not more as they think they are OK but we both know without Christ to gain the whole world is a loss compared to Christ.
Blessings my brother, I read your words of wisdom every day and they speak to me in ways beyond words. Yours is an “idea” whose time has come. Well done my faithful brother. In Christ, Scott from Atlanta.
Scott you are right, very well said. Let’s pray for and serve the rich as well as the poor. Jesus and Paul say it best:
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich(X) to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:23-26
17 Command those who are rich(AM) in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,(AN) which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,(AO) who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.(AP) 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,(AQ) and to be generous and willing to share.(AR) 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves(AS) as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of(AT) the life that is truly life.” 1 Tiomthy 6:17-19
A servant for Jesus,
Boyd
My Bible states that 2 Cor 5:17 – therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And 2 Cor 5:21 – for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So with that being said, Christians are no longer considered “sinners saved by grace”, but are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Sinners practice sin….we as Christians don’t practice or make it a habit to sin. Or at least shouldn’t. There is power in the tongue…whatever you are confessing is what you’re possessing. If you confess you’re a “sinner saved by grace”, you nullify what Jesus accomplished on the cross in your life. He saved you and made you a co-heir with Him. Be blessed.