SCRIPTURE: “Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain [them] to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 (AMPC)
QUOTE: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” “Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.” “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – Anonymous.
NOTE:
If we really want the church to become a church that influences the world, we must use our mind more; we cannot be too narrow-minded; we must be big-hearted. When a church has too many `no’s’- cannot, may not, must not, should not – this church is closing its own doors. In the Garden of Eden, only the fruit of one tree was forbidden for consumption, that is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruits from every other tree can be eaten. However, some churches have slowly changed this rule, forbidding the eating of fruits from all trees except one; they have narrowed down the truth more and more, and curtailed the freedom of Christians more and more. We have forgotten that Jesus said, “The truth will ‘make’ you free indeed.” Church! We must have a generous heart to become an influential church. Rules are guides not yokes. Sometimes dogmas can be dangerous! What we do is like standing at the door and selecting those that should enter, meanwhile Jesus said, “forbid them not….”; “Come unto me all ye that are heavily laden…” We must make our environment and attitude towards the unchurched more inviting and welcoming by expressing the unconditional love of Jesus. With love we can take more territories for our God before the curtain of this generation is closed.
ILLUSTRATION:
Jesus said:” The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with your entire mind and with all your strength.” King Solomon said: “Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” Solomon was of course not referring the heart as an organ. Asians usually refer to the whole being when they say heart, while Westerners usually say the brain or mind to refer to a person’s being.
REFLECTION:
What are the innovative methods you are applying to reach the unreached with the Gospel?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING: Nehemiah 8, Psalm 86