Some thoughts burdening me on Feb. 3, 2012 by Pastor-Len Paxton

People all over the world are broken hearted and in despair. Can we, as Christians, present the answer to them, ie…. Jesus Christ and Him Crucified????

You know maybe we can…….. If we would smile instead of snarl……. If we could somehow put ourselves in their place (we all have been) instead of looking down on them and making them feel like second class humans…… If perhaps we could give a little more than we take; fix a few more than we break; and realize that in their eternity, we have a stake…..

If only you and I could learn to take the words of Jesus seriously when He said to love your neighbor as yourself…. Maybe therein lies part of the problem; maybe you do not see how greatly valuable YOU are in His eyes and His heart… He died on the Cross for you and would have if you were to be the only one…. But you weren’t the only one… Jesus died for every sinful, twisted, warped, perverted, depressed soul in the world; you and I included. Should that not cause us to look at people differently? Tell me…

Sin has done and is doing its deal level best to destroy this world and all of us in it… I can only hope and believe that Jesus will mature His church and teach us the true meaning of His awesome and great love…

They are out there; those who by dust of the Earth are a part of us. They are hurting. They are crying; believe me. And you and I often pass by them every day and seldom offer so much as a friendly smile let alone the message of Jesus… Help me o God… I repent for failing you. Please give me your Mercy and Grace to make a difference somehow, in this world of sin, today…

I LOVE YOU JESUS…. please forgive me for not often showing it……..

New Series on 1 and 2 Thessalonians coming soon…………. by Pastor-Len Paxton

The Thessalonian church held a tender place in the heart of the Apostle Paul. In this expositional study of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, we see a paradigm for pastoral ministry, emphasizing the life-changing content of the gospel and concerns of Paul’s heart for their healthy spiritual growth. Having established the believers in good Biblical theology, Paul clearly addresses issues of practical Christian behavior — sexual morality, work, honest living With the doctrinal foundations of the believers’ hope, namely,the Cross, the resurrection and return of Christ established, we will discuss the principles of healthy corporate life and worship within the local Church…

EXAMPLES:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
English Standard Version (ESV)
Final Instructions and Benediction
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,[a] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Footnotes:
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined
Notice that Paul made Pastors promise to read and teach these letters……

1 Thessalonians 4
A Life Pleasing to God
1 Finally, then, brothers,[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[b] that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body[c] in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Footnotes:
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 10, 13
1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or your holiness
1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel
There is a whole lot of action words in these texts. So we see that the believer has responsibility to work at their conduct, with the Holy Spirit helping them and providing the power of course…… Through Paul’s letter to the first-century church, we see practical actions and attributes that should mark the life of every Christian, no matter the circumstance.

Lets not forget these verses in the book of Romans…… by Pastor-Len Paxton

Lets not forget these verses in the book of Romans……
Romans 12:9-21 ESV
Marks of the True Christian
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal,be fervent in spirit,serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope,be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another.Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you,live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved,never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

AND……….

Romans 13:8-14 ESV
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments,“You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

AND……….

ROMANS 14:13-23 ESV
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Everyone of these directives from the Word of God will, in addition to faith, require some type of action and activity from the child of God. We put our faith in Christ crucified and that brings us the help of the Holy Spirit to DO what we must DO in order to walk in this way…….Relationships in general involve work and those in the body of Jesus are no different. Proper faith will bring us the power of the Holy Spirit. We must continue to choose to do the right things and then trust His power to help us. Anything short of giving your best is to be irresponsible with the Grace of God……. The Victory comes through the Blood and empowers Holy living…….

More to come on this topic later…………………

Intro to IS 47 Message. (full message coming soon) by Len Paxton

This is part of a message God has given me so far during our 21 days of fasting and prayer… What He is showing me is breaking my heart but a Word of deliverance is coming for all who will receive…..
While studying Is. 47 today, the Lord gave me this verse (and several around it) that perfectly describes alot of the battle going on today among brethren. IS 47:10 NKJV “10 “ For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘ I am, and there is no one else besides me.’ “………….. If you think you are exclusive and elite you are deceived. Your ‘wisdom and knowledge’ has warped you.

A preacher can start out in The Anointing of the Holy Spirit but if they allow pride and superiority into their walk with God, the Holy Spirit leaves and a ‘spirit of enchantment’ can come in and take the place where the Holy Spirit was. This is how often times ministries ad preachers can retain a hold on people almost like a magical spell. It even looks like the anointing but its not. Check the fruit. Check the attitudes of the people. Folks, follow only those manifesting the heart of God… See IS 47

Charging 2012 Part 1 by Len Paxton

The Bible says that everything that can be shaken; will be shaken. Everything that can’t be shaken will remain. Let’s read from the book of Hebrews chapter 12, verses 26 through 29. “Whose voice that shook the earth; but now He has promised saying, “yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

I believe with all my heart we have reached a time where some of the behavior and attitudes exhibited by Christians, God can no longer tolerate. As we enter the year 2012 the whole world has been focusing on the Mayan calendar, anticipating a great cosmic shaking. Man is fearful of total destruction. My concern as a Christian is not the Mayan calendar, nor the shaking of the earth, neither the total destruction of mankind; my concern are those areas in my life which are not pleasing to the Lord. The Bible clearly tells us the events that will take place in the end times. So I do not look for mystical answers. But my heart is what God wants to deal with as a Christian.

So while there are many things, terrible things, that will indeed take place upon planet Earth in the last days, God is looking for a people that will wholeheartedly follow after Him; seeking His face and allowing Him to change their hearts and lives.

Recently I heard an awesome message by Sis. Teresa Conlon. It was called “small things are big things”. One tremendous point she brought out in this message is found in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 10 verse 1. The Scripture tells us this “dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so does a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.” The ointment here represents our Christian testimony and the message of the cross. The dead flies that are in the ointment represents hidden sins and sinful attitudes that so many hold onto, even while preaching a good message; the truth; and testify of their faith to others. There are many today in the body of Christ that have excellent reputations as men and women of wisdom and honor but attitudes and conduct that are sinful, even where no one can see it, cause the sweet smell of their message and their testimony to stink in the nostrils of a hurting world. When the world in its lost condition observes the church arguing and fighting, bickering over who is the best, they are hard-pressed to want to accept the message even though it is the message that will change their lives and save their souls. These sins; these attitudes, that are not pleasing to the Lord in the life of a Christian must be exposed and the believer challenged to repentance. The trouble is that most who are showing forth the attitudes of exclusiveness, spiritual pride, an elitist mindset, so on and so forth; are so convinced that they are right it is very difficult to reach them. We must pray for them because the Holy Spirit can bring them to their knees. It is these “little foxes” that will spoil the harvest that God intends to come forth from the message of the cross. ( Song of Solomon 2:15)

In Matthew 24 verse 6 we read “and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Among all the other problems of the last days Jesus seems to be saying here that the misuse of the mouth are real problems to watch out for. Notice he said you shall hear of and there will be rumors. There seems to be among ministers of the cross a large emphasis placed on rumor and hearsay. Dear friends, do not base your walk with God on rumors and hearsay. Please I beg of you, do not join the rank’s of those who major on slandering other ministers. It is very difficult today to do anything in the ministry for Jesus–without somebody speaking against it. Gossip and sinning with the mouth are very popular today. In many Christians lives, tale bearing and rumormongering are common everyday experiences. This type of activity causes the sweet smelling ointment to stink. It is a rank and disgusting odor. I personally believe this behavior stinks so bad that it makes God sick especially when it comes from the lives of his children. The infighting and the bickering and the wars between Christians such as we have been witnessing God will not long tolerate. We are living in a time where people have no fear to openly gossip and slander each other as well as the ministry gifts. Among many, it will get worse as the day approaches. But among God’s remnant, those who are serious about serving Him and giving Him their lives, we must allow the Holy Spirit to shake these behaviors and attitudes completely and totally out of us.

As we prepare to charge the year 2012 in order to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world, we must understand that God is not the author of the competitive spirit. It is not God that is causing or promoting men and women to stand up and say “I am the only one with the word of the hour” or “God is using us and us alone.” Friends, do not get caught up with those who claim themselves to be great leaders or to have important anointings. Beware especially of those who always put others down. Beware of those who isolate themselves from the rest of the body of Christ. Beware of individual ministers, believers, churches, and ministerial groups that politic and woo you to uproot your base, demanding that you support only them. These things are not of God. Lawlessness is not of God. Preaching one thing while living another is one of the surest ways to bring the judgment of God.

In 2012 as the shaking continues, you and I dear friends must decide whether to be sheep or to be goats. This could in fact be the greatest time of harvest the world has ever known in all of its history. The message of the cross is right. The message of the cross is the Bible. The message of the cross will set captives free. So it is imperative that we do not allow the dead flies of stinking sin and arrogant attitudes to cause others to recoil from the foul odor of sin in our lives as we try to give our testimony of this life-changing message. As we charge the year 2012 do not forget the biblical principle that we do not wrestle with people ( Ephesians 6:12–13) we need to learn now that it is not permissible to live an argumentative life. It is a violation of holy Scriptures for you and I to continually be in strife with others. If you live in strife, you will begin to invite in every evil work.See James 3:14–17. The last thing that we need is every evil work manifesting itself in our lives, our marriages, our homes, and our ministries. We must seek to never allow any dark spirit to infest itself within our souls; robbing us of the beauty and the powerful impact of our testimony to the grace of God through the message of the cross.

I firmly believe with all my heart that in the year 2012 God is going to do some miraculous things. Many prayers once thought impossible will be answered because of the mercy of our great God. Because of the blood of Jesus we will see things take place that will be so mind-boggling that we may not even believe it as we see it. A harvest of souls will be gathered in to the kingdom of God. Let’s you and I allow the Holy Spirit to work within our hearts. Let the Holy Spirit accomplish anything and everything that he desires within us. Together, you and I can rend our hearts before him and allow the sweet smelling savour of the message of the cross from a pure heart to penetrate all who come in contact with us in 2012.

This is part 1 of this message that God is given me. Stay tuned for part 2 coming in a few days. God bless you my friends. Remember, we are going to charge the year 2012 and win souls to Jesus.

Part 2 of this message will deal with the dangers associated with marginalizing the poor and needy and the false “revelation” that all we need to do is preach to them….

In spite of the false innuendos: we go forward……….. by Len Paxton

In spite of the false innuendos: we go forward………..
by Pastor-Len Paxton on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 11:50pm

Leaving any particular church doesn’t always mean the person has left the Lord. Many fine, saved, Christians attend a variety of churches. No one has a corner on the salvation of souls except Jesus… Jesus is the only way to be saved… Beware of any church that accuses you of being lost or backslidden simply because you change churches……. There is truth where we are too… Those who automatically equate leaving a church or ministry with leaving the truth of Jesus and His Cross are to be avoided… Its dangerous.

True Pharisees: When they can’t shake you and break you, they feed you to the wolves and call you unsaved and on your way to hell…. IGNORE THEM…. Who is the one who tells believers they are not saved???? Satan….. Do not do his work for him nor imitate him…

God is still God and He is on the move calling out those who have a heart that hungers for Him, His presence, His voice and His victory. This last days holy army is one that is dedicated and diligent, devoted and fearless, haters of sin and compromise and passionate lovers of God. They are misunderstood and continuously misrepresented, but will never be mistaken for those who have a form of godliness, but lack any power. They are full of joy and looking to the reward of an eternity in the presence of God. They are mendicant to the things of this world, but are wealthy in the riches of His grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. They have an unwavering hope and steadfast faith to see the impossible manifested in the worst of times.

Do not allow in fighting among believers to steal your focus; your time; and your energy in the coming new year.. God wants us to be about the business of souls…….

Many things will happen in the world around us to divert our focus to circumstances around us.. Our faith challenge is to keep our focus on Christ and Him Crucified; knowing that He holds us in the palm of His hands… Its gonna be alright child of God… Trust Him…

We will be going into 2012 seeking His harvest…..

Sermon Outline: Put Away Childish Things (Very early rough draft.) by Len Paxton

Sermon Outline: Put Away Childish Things (Very early rough draft.)

Put Away Childish Things:

Scripture Text: 1 Cor. 13: 1-13

1 Corinthians 13

New King James Version (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 13

The Greatest Gift

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 13:3 NU-Text reads so I may boast.

The Word in the KJV for Love is translated “Charity” This is good for 3 reasons:

It conveys to us:

1- The giving aspect of Love

2- Love in tangible ways

3- Love in action

In 1 Cor.14:1 the Bibles tells us to pursue love….. To seek the activity of love……

1 Corinthians 14

1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Do not give your own definition for love, the Bible tells us what it is in 1 Cor 13:1-13

also see John 15:13

The verses always describe love in the terms of action and never simply feelings, thoughts, or even conceptually.

Love cannot be measured by actions alone; motives must be assessed to determine what is loving (see 1 Cor. 4:4–5).

1 Cor 13:4-7 from the ESV

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it his not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We must put away the childishness of any mentality that does not fit in the description God has given us of Love. It is so childish to feel that we must always be right or that we are the best church; having the best revelations, etc…..

It is pure childishness to feel that we should be at a certain status in the Body of Christ and then resent other leaders and ministries when they do not afford us that status. It is childish to expect everyone to be at the top level of understanding the first time they hear our message. It is childish to call people idiots because they see things differently than we do even if they are truly wrong.

It is childish to tell a hungry person that all we will give them is a Bible and a sermon without offering them a life saving meal.

It is childish to automatically assume that everyone does the good works of Jesus in order to earn righteousness..Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures….. We should believe the best about another believer.

(Use more examples as the Holy Spirit gives them.)

1 Cor. 13:7 The terms believes and hopes are sandwiched between bears and endures and, like them, refers to relationships between people rather than to faith and hope in God. Love believes the best of others and hopes the best for them.

The Blood of Jesus can deliver us from childishness……………

The love of God is the greatest thing we should exhibit as a church… It doesn’t matter if we are a big church or a small church. It doesn’t matter if the world knows our name or not. It is not imperative that everyone agree with us on matters not related to salvation. It is not important if we are not thought of as important.

What matters is Do we love God and Do we love people?

Bibles I Use……. by Len Paxton

Many people have been emailing and asking about the Bible versions I use in my study times and message preparation. I will do my best to answer that for you here. Please understand that I simply do not have time in the day to personally answer each email and I do apologize. Also please understand that my list here can be considered incomplete. I will deal here briefly with my most used versions and study tools.

I prefer to use a word for word translation in my study. For that reason, among others, I really like the KJV Bible. I also use the KJV Expositors Study Bible. I find both of these very valuable in my walk with Lord and could not do without them.

Before I list other versions that I do use let me state that I do not look at various versions due to a lack of understanding as it regards the KJV. With a little study and good Bible dictionaries, it is my belief that anyone could use and learn from the KJV.

I also use the following word for word translations in my study and sometimes I will preach from them.

1- NASB Hebrew, Greek Key Word Study Bible

2- ESV Study Bible

3- Various NKJV Editions

As I said this listing is not intended to be complete. But these are the most valuable to my life and study.

In addition, I also like Youngs, and Wuests translations.

Many of my KJV Bibles are Scofield and I also have a Ryrie.

As far as study tools go; there are too many to list but I will try and name a few.

I enjoy the Kenneth Wuest set of word studies as well as Spiros Zodhaites dictionaries from AMG.

I like my Adam Clarke commentary as well as Jon Coursons Application commentary; Everyman commentaries (now out of print) and commentaries by Jimmy Swaggart.

There are many reference works I read including many from the classic writers of the Reformation.

Again, this list is by no means complete. I am a voracious reader, reading anywhere from 60 to 125 books per year.

Hope this helps and again, sorry I can not respond to each one individually. Please realize the incompleteness of this list. I encourage diligent study on all topics and prefer for no one to limit themselves to a handful of sources. But with that said, it is so important that every Christian know the Word of God for themselves and maintain faith in the proper object (the Cross) so as to avoid deception.

God bless you friends.

New Feature: Len Paxton Videos Playlist

http://www.youtube.com/p/68E03EAE3C0E4F4B?version=3&hl=en_US&fs=1

Looking to the reward of Christ: by Len Paxton

Looking to the reward of Christ

Heb. 11:26

26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

In other words he was looking to the Heavenly reward……..

Now is the time to once again start ‘looking to the reward’ and lay aside all other pursuits. In the original Greek the word apoblepo is translated ‘looking’. What apoblepo literally means is to ‘look away from everything else’. What are you looking for today? As for me by the grace of God I am ‘looking to the reward’ that is being laid up for me. It will be greater than all the riches this world has to offer.

I rarely find anyone in the Church in the West willing to suffer or sacrifice in this life as a follower of Christ. Instead we have our gaze set upon all God wants to give us and are blind to the millions and millions of souls right outside our doors who will die without ever knowing Him as their Savior.

Multitudes in the Church today I fear have settled for the ease, comfort and securities of this present world system rather than ‘looking to the reward’ of all God has promised us. Let us live for HIM..

I can only imagine what awesome and mighty things God might do with a few who would willingly choose to suffer rejection and insult from this modern self-consumed Church because they ‘refuse’ to be identified with this world. Moses refused to be identified as the son of Pharoah’s daughter, but rather chose to endure the afflictions of the righteous than be named with the godless. Where are those who have had such a radical encounter with God they cannot continue to live the same? Where are those who refuse to accept and partake of the delicacies of this world, but hunger and thirst for righteousness? God is calling out His remnant…..

it is easier to just not get involved…. It is cheaper to not pay attention to the needy… It cost less to look the other way…. But for Heavens sake STOP using your Theology to justify your apathy… No where does the Bible absolve us from responsibility to those around us….. Blessings friends…

The most important thing is to get people saved and that is why at every feeding program or other need we do, we give the people the message of the cross and an invitation to receive Christ. At the same time, I do not know any starving 4 yr old child who has made the choice to be lost… So it is imperative we continue reaching out and feeding them also. Both aspects are needed.

It is not wrong but rather right to help the poor. Just do not trust in your works for righteousness. But we all need to be doing what the Holy Spirit lays on our hearts to do. If you say the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead you to help feed hungry people; I have to believe you just can’t hear His voice. True faith will work… Thats all there is too it….

In the weeks and months to come I am going to be dealing with this alot more.. God is calling His chosen remnant to rise up and make a difference in this world and win souls to Christ; and that will also include caring for the physical needs of the poor..

James 2: 14-17 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

The kind of faith that saves is the faith that will produce good works through the life of the believer..

God bless friends…..

Matthew 25:34-46

34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.