As a follower of Jesus, I’ve been given an assignment. A charge. A commission. An order. A task. If you are a follower of Jesus, you’ve been given the same assignment. He told us to go into all of the world and make disciples. He said we should baptize them and teach them to observe all that he commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20). It’s an incredibly large task. It seems impossible. How can I reach nearly 7 BILLION people? I cannot [...] Read more »
Are You a Spiritual Hoarder?
Hoarders are popular these days. They are people who can’t resist keeping nearly everything that they own whether it’s trash or treasure. There are TV shows about hoarders. One show is simply called Hoarders. American Pickers is all about two guys who search for valuables in hoarder’s homes and outbuildings. Hoarders love to receive but they don’t like to give. Hoarders like to surround themselves with possessions. They receive comfort from their stuff. They like to save everything that comes [...] Read more »
The Mafia Outshines the Church
There is a homeless man that pops in and out of my life that I try to help when I can. When the cold air made its way to our neck of the woods a few months ago, he asked me if I had a coat he could have. I told him that I would get him a coat and some new clothes. We went shopping at one of the local “Marts” and he stocked up on underwear, shirts, and [...] Read more »
The Boy and the 100 Firefighters
A young boy was walking to school early one morning when he saw smoke coming from a building. He panicked at the thought that a raging fire would consume the building at any minute. He scampered around until he found a water hose and began to douse the building with water. But then it dawned on him. The city fire department headquarters was only a block away. There were 100 firefighters sleeping in the building. Should he continue to fight [...] Read more »
Will The Poor Always Be With Us?
Note from Gene: This is a repost of an article written by Scott Todd of 58: on www.qideas.org It’s the difference between duty and opportunity; between wishful thinking and resolved action; between should and get to. It is expectation. Expectations drive our action–and explain our inaction. What are your expectations for the future of the poor? Few people expect to end extreme poverty. Many think poverty is an intractable condition of our fallen world–unsolvable until Jesus returns. Did you expect [...] Read more »