Faith and Values; Pray for this Nation

 

Remember Your First Love; Whose God is he?                 

By John R. Hernandez, Jr. 6/11 © http://www.newdawnmedia.wordpress.com http://www.newdawncommunications.blogspot.com         

As I look around this world I see so much hatred, scoffing, and apathy. People living one way on church day and another the rest of the week. I see parents spending little time with their children when they should be there to help them with their homework; making sure it gets done right the first time. Helping them to become productive citizens. Helping them to learn to play and instrument or become better linguists. I see children ignoring the needs of their parents now that they are grown and on their own. Because, the parents that helped to raise them are way too easily abandoned and caged in private care facilities; forgotten to their eyes. I hear the cries of those who live in homeless shelters with no hope; but, to just get through another night in what seems more like a living hell to them. I see warriors come back home broken and crippled, living desperate lives, shunned from the public eye and left to wallow in them muck and mire of confusion and pain. I see the eyes of mothers abandoned, forced to seek out an existence; when we should be there. We turn our faces and walk away. How much pain and terror must we face before our hearts break from the suffering and torment of this human family? We are called to recognize and comfort the afflicted, the aggrieved, those who suffer persecution and those who as a result natural phenomenon or as a result of human interaction; human failure, or mechanical error are heart broken. Inadvertent, accidents happen all the time. But, when we as a church; as those called out by Almighty God to come together and pray for those in the congregation, to admonish (to rebuke, to educate the flock in God’s way’s, to instruct, to edify, to lift up, to feed the hungry, to open the eyes of those blindly living their lives..). It is because of these, that his great love is poured out unto us as a congregation and those we send out. That is our great commission, our first love, as brothers and sisters in faith. But, when we begin to go out on our own and put God sort of in a box and sit ourselves up high and pretend we are in control. This is a great mistake! That many churches make. When Christ speaks to the church at Ephesus he castigates it for its failure to recognize who is in control and the reason why they took the oath of Faith. And the admonition goes to all congregants; because it may sound strange to you but all of us in the body are stewards of that body and partakers of the responsibility to edify and to rebuke as necessary each and every member –regardless- of position or tile. Whenever we ignore the needs of those less fortunate we ignore the love of God. Whenever, we pretend the poor around us don’t exist, we deny the love of God exists. Whenever we fail to offer a helping hand to someone we otherwise would rather not bother with, we act as if the love of God didn’t exist in us. This is what Christ is saying to Ephesus, you have lost your first love. Often times we replace that Love we the love for fornication, for alcohol, for gambling, for money, for everything that our weak and helpless flesh wrongfully allows. “Don’t forget” Jesus says to us! And remember that if Jesus be with us who can be against us! For we are more than conquerors in Christ who strengthens us. There are some that are called to comfort and instruct, others to edify and build, some to be disciples, others deacons, some to the mission fields of life; But all of us are called equally for one purpose as was Ephesus. To bring the love and joy of our faith and our way of life to those whose lives have been shattered; to help free the captives (addicted), bring site to the blind (in faith) and to proclaim the coming day of our Lord and Savior (His return to Rule and to Judge). Some people treat God as if he was one of their buddies. Like the friend at work, or the one they hunt with or just anybody. Some people fail to recognize who they are addressing. Who they are talking to and before whose presence they stand. The biggest mistake the church at Ephesus made and the main reason Christ himself had to have a face to face with them was and is because they began to take God for granted! Of course we all have read the Bible; we all know by the countless examples of fire and brimstone God raising his hand and slaughtering Israel’s enemies by the millions. And we also have first and second hand accounts of the times Almighty God had to step in and rebuke sinners. He even tearfully at times after long lamentations and great callings; had to punish and even exterminate many Jews. Convicting them of worshipping idols; of not following his rules of engagement, of becoming haughty and arrogant and -oh yes- for that seemingly innocent offense of taking him for granted. We are not forced to be perfect but we are asked to cleanse our minds, wash our garments clean; in order that we may present ourselves a just and perfect sacrifice. Go out into the world and make disciples of men. Why? Because, we live in a lost and dying world. Behold I stand and knock, if anyone should listen and open unto me I will come in and sit with him and fellowship with him or her or them and teach them my ways. I am the way the truth and the life; no one come to the father but through me. He who believes in me I will give him to drink from the rivers of living water. For the day will come that you will not worship in flesh but in spirit and in truth; and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and take away all of their sorrows and be their God.

 

 Have a Blessed Day!

 

 

Links to Social Activism: Petition to get help for rural poor;

 

 

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

 

 

Petition to get help for unemployed workers;

 

http://www.change.org/petitions/include-long-term-unemployed-into-the-federally-mandated-guidelines-of-workforce-initiatives?share_id=uRIRkyYShZ&pe=pce