Good day dear friends.
I apologize for not having ConCafes during the last couple of mornings. Tuesday morning found me early on the road to Kerrville for our "spring" board meeting of ordained ministry for our conference. Wednesday more of the same, home by evening.
I trust everyone had a nice Day of Love yesterday and you were able to show love and appreciation for those in your life. I hope you understood it is better to focus on the giving and serving aspect of love rather than just on the romance part. One of the morning papers, I believe it was USA Today had a great article on that, focusing on two couples who because of some medical and aging difficulties know that because of the romance that led to their marriage now the emphasis has shifted to giving and serving. One of the couples is old, she in a care home, he with her for all dinners during which time he feeds her. She no longer can communicate other than with some groans and moans that he knows exactly what she means; the other couple, he with a debilitating disease for which she must do more than her usual share of work and care for the household, but again a focus on giving and service.
We should live our Christian lives in the same way. Jesus mentions the Final Judgement as a decision God will make based on OUR decisions. We sometimes fail to understand we do have a loving God that wants all to be with Him for all eternity, it is us who make decisions to please ourselves that lead us away from Him. Jesus' statement about that decision comes from Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, "You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
"When you do it (feed, quench, welcome, clothe, visit, and care) for the least of these, you did it for me." Powerful words based on powerful decisions. To withhold from someone is to withhold from Christ Jesus Himself. What will you decide today?
PRAYER: Loving God, master of all creation, help me today to care for the least of these. Open my eyes, ears, heart and hands to care and share as I should. Not just to the ones I love but for everyone. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
I apologize for not having ConCafes during the last couple of mornings. Tuesday morning found me early on the road to Kerrville for our "spring" board meeting of ordained ministry for our conference. Wednesday more of the same, home by evening.
I trust everyone had a nice Day of Love yesterday and you were able to show love and appreciation for those in your life. I hope you understood it is better to focus on the giving and serving aspect of love rather than just on the romance part. One of the morning papers, I believe it was USA Today had a great article on that, focusing on two couples who because of some medical and aging difficulties know that because of the romance that led to their marriage now the emphasis has shifted to giving and serving. One of the couples is old, she in a care home, he with her for all dinners during which time he feeds her. She no longer can communicate other than with some groans and moans that he knows exactly what she means; the other couple, he with a debilitating disease for which she must do more than her usual share of work and care for the household, but again a focus on giving and service.
We should live our Christian lives in the same way. Jesus mentions the Final Judgement as a decision God will make based on OUR decisions. We sometimes fail to understand we do have a loving God that wants all to be with Him for all eternity, it is us who make decisions to please ourselves that lead us away from Him. Jesus' statement about that decision comes from Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, "You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
"When you do it (feed, quench, welcome, clothe, visit, and care) for the least of these, you did it for me." Powerful words based on powerful decisions. To withhold from someone is to withhold from Christ Jesus Himself. What will you decide today?
PRAYER: Loving God, master of all creation, help me today to care for the least of these. Open my eyes, ears, heart and hands to care and share as I should. Not just to the ones I love but for everyone. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
