Two nights ago I had the opportunity to go to a Tenth Avenue North concert; my first ever concert, actually. Though excited, I had this old feeling come back from years ago. The old judging heart was back. Even as I was walking into the building I was looking around at some of the teenagers thinking to myself "to these kids this is just like a Justin Bieber concert; just watch, they'll be screaming and treating them like some kind of movie star." As the night went on and I continued watching the people, I was smacked right in the face.
Not only was the crowd there specifically to worship God, but the band members were there to praise God and encourage those who came. I was moved to tears multiple times, and challenged even more.
One of the band members started telling us about a ministry (Compassion International) and one of the things he said was very thought provoking.
"When I learned that having food, clothes, a bed to sleep in and "extra" money to buy things that I want put me in the top 10 most wealthy people in the world, it made me mad. I shook my fist at God, asking Him why He didn't get off of His throne and come help these people who so obviously needed Him. You know what He said back? "I did. I came down to earth and was born to a carpenter. I walked the earth as a servant; walked among the needy, sick and hurt. I loved, then gave my life for those people, for YOU, so that this love could be given to all who needed it." "
Wow.
"I gave my life for you, so that you would have love and life more abundantly, overflowing, to give to those who need it."
God did His job. He DID come down to the earth. He did this so that we could have something to live for. I've heard people say it before, and have thought it a time or two myself; "why doesn't God help these starving, sick people? Is He just sitting in heaven watching them die?" The truth is, the world is filled to the brim with sin and it is not God's place to make everyone into a perfect little angel.
He came, lived a lowly life and died for US, the least, so that we could have life more abundantly; which means we have PLENTY to share with others. Holding it all to ourselves would be cruel, like keeping a cure for a deadly, spreading disease, all to ourselves. Those starving, hurting, sick people you and I want God to help? Those are "the lease of these" and it is OUR job to help them. We are to pour ourselves out to people even if we get nothing in return.
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' " -Matthew 25:41-45
"To the weary you have given no water to drink, and from the hungry you have withheld bread. But the earth belongs to the almighty man, and the honorable man dwells in it.You have sent widows away empty, and the strength of the orphans has been crushed." -Job 22:7-9
Loving on other people really isn't that hard when you think about it. How? We have the perfect example of what it looks like. We shake our fists at, complain, and turn away from God, and He shows us nothing but love and mercy in return. We should be reminded of the state we were in before we came to know Christ. We were naked in our sins, we were destitute; on our way to hell. God covered our sins with His blood, redeeming us from the road we were on.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:7-11
Loving people is a command by God, but it is also a choice; one WE must make for ourselves. The poor and needy NEED us to be there for them. They need our love and to be shown God's love.
This is our calling.
Not only was the crowd there specifically to worship God, but the band members were there to praise God and encourage those who came. I was moved to tears multiple times, and challenged even more.
One of the band members started telling us about a ministry (Compassion International) and one of the things he said was very thought provoking.
"When I learned that having food, clothes, a bed to sleep in and "extra" money to buy things that I want put me in the top 10 most wealthy people in the world, it made me mad. I shook my fist at God, asking Him why He didn't get off of His throne and come help these people who so obviously needed Him. You know what He said back? "I did. I came down to earth and was born to a carpenter. I walked the earth as a servant; walked among the needy, sick and hurt. I loved, then gave my life for those people, for YOU, so that this love could be given to all who needed it." "
Wow.
"I gave my life for you, so that you would have love and life more abundantly, overflowing, to give to those who need it."
God did His job. He DID come down to the earth. He did this so that we could have something to live for. I've heard people say it before, and have thought it a time or two myself; "why doesn't God help these starving, sick people? Is He just sitting in heaven watching them die?" The truth is, the world is filled to the brim with sin and it is not God's place to make everyone into a perfect little angel.
He came, lived a lowly life and died for US, the least, so that we could have life more abundantly; which means we have PLENTY to share with others. Holding it all to ourselves would be cruel, like keeping a cure for a deadly, spreading disease, all to ourselves. Those starving, hurting, sick people you and I want God to help? Those are "the lease of these" and it is OUR job to help them. We are to pour ourselves out to people even if we get nothing in return.
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' " -Matthew 25:41-45
"To the weary you have given no water to drink, and from the hungry you have withheld bread. But the earth belongs to the almighty man, and the honorable man dwells in it.You have sent widows away empty, and the strength of the orphans has been crushed." -Job 22:7-9
Loving on other people really isn't that hard when you think about it. How? We have the perfect example of what it looks like. We shake our fists at, complain, and turn away from God, and He shows us nothing but love and mercy in return. We should be reminded of the state we were in before we came to know Christ. We were naked in our sins, we were destitute; on our way to hell. God covered our sins with His blood, redeeming us from the road we were on.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:7-11
Loving people is a command by God, but it is also a choice; one WE must make for ourselves. The poor and needy NEED us to be there for them. They need our love and to be shown God's love.
This is our calling.
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