CRCF\u201d\u201d7-18-10<\/p>\n
I\u201d\u2122ve never NOT been in church. From the time I could be carried, I was in the church nursery. I\u201d\u2122ve seen a little of everything in the church\u201d\u201da lot of good, and a lot of bad. I\u201d\u2122ve played all the church games, and I\u201d\u2122ve gone to church for the right reasons. I\u201d\u2122ve been a hypocrite and I\u201d\u2122ve been sincerely trying to follow Jesus. And through the years, one of the major struggles I see for all us as Christ-followers is making sure that we don\u201d\u2122t just talk about loving Jesus and try to look like we love Jesus, but, as proven in our actions, we truly do love Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Oliver Crowell\u201d\u2122s day, the British government ran out of silver for coins. Cromwell sent his men to the cathedral to see if they could find any there. They reported, \u201d\u02dcThe only silver we can find is in the statues of the saints standing in the corners.\u201d\u2122 To which the great soldier and statesman of England replied, \u201d\u02dcGood. We\u201d\u2122ll melt down the saints and put them in circulation.\u201d\u2122\u201d (Swindoll, 480)<\/p>\n
The church in America today needs a massive meltdown of silver spoon saints that can be circulated to take the healing love of Christ to our sin-enslaved world\u201d\u201dwhich is out there, NOT in here!<\/p>\n
Saints that don\u201d\u2122t circulate are just dead weight!<\/p>\n
The Real Deal<\/p>\n
James 1:26-27<\/p>\n
Acting like Jesus is the proof that we love Jesus.
\nJames 1:22-27 (The Message)
\n22-24Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
\n25But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God\u201d\u201dthe free life!\u201d\u201deven out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
\n26-27Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
\nActing like Jesus is the proof that we love Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Real Deal\u201d means . . .<\/p>\n
1) Serving the Needy (27a)<\/p>\n
2) Staying Close and Clean (27b)
\nServing the Needy (27a)<\/p>\n
Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight
\nPsalm 146:9<\/p>\n
The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
\nMatthew 25:36, 40<\/p>\n
I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me . . . Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.
\nMark 10:42-45<\/p>\n
Jesus called them together and said, \u201cYou know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.\u201d
\nJames 2:15-17<\/p>\n
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, \u201cGo, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
17 (Message)
\nIsn\u201d\u2122t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
\nActing like Jesus is the proof that we love Jesus
\nThere are over 1 billion chronically hungry people in the world! Last year, over 30 million Americans did not have sufficient food for their family at some time during a given month.
\nThat\u201d\u2122s why we support the Gilmer Food Pantry. That\u201d\u2122s why we\u201d\u2122re starting \u201cThere\u201d\u2122s Hope for the Hungry\u201d tomorrow morning!
\nTrue religion serves those who need help the most!
\nActing like Jesus is the proof that we love Jesus
\nStaying Close and Clean (27b)<\/p>\n
and guard against corruption from the godless world<\/p>\n
27b (NLT)
\nand refuse to let the world corrupt us
\nRomans 12:9<\/p>\n
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.<\/p>\n
James 4:4<\/p>\n
Adulterers and adultresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
\nActing like Jesus is the proof that we love Jesus
\nThe Tell-Tale Sign=THE TONGUE<\/p>\n
(Another is YOUR CHECKBOOK)<\/p>\n
James 1:26<\/p>\n
Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.
\nMatthew 12:34-35<\/p>\n
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
\nJames 1:19<\/p>\n
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
\nActing like Jesus is the proof that we love Jesus
\nScrewtape to Wormwood: \u201cIf you can obscure these facts, there\u201d\u2122s a good chance that he will embrace what hell considers to be the perfect synonym for true religion\u201d\u201dchurchianity. In this marvelous imitation of the Enemy\u201d\u2122s church everything looks and sounds right and good, but the Enemy\u201d\u2122s Spirit is conspicuously absent. You must arrange to make him a devout Methodist or Anglican or Baptist or Presbyterian or what have you. Make him that. He must come to accept the church as a type of religious social club where people congregate. Nothing more. In a word, Wormwood, help him to become more religious, but for hell\u201d\u2122s sake, not more Christian!\u201d (Martin, Swindoll, 481).
\nTrue religion has dirty hands and a clean heart! True religion gets your hands dirty by serving the needy while keeping your heart clean as you worship Jesus alone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CRCF\u201d\u201d7-18-10 I\u201d\u2122ve never NOT been in church. From the time I could be carried, I was in the church nursery. I\u201d\u2122ve seen a little of everything in the church\u201d\u201da lot of good, and a lot of bad. I\u201d\u2122ve played all … Continue reading