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They will know we are Christians
Published Friday, November 14, 2008
The Rev. Matthew Martin
When I was growing up, we sang a song in church that made it clear that the rest of the world would not even know that we knew our savior unless we loved one another.
James 2 gives us an example of living out our faith in action — "For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, 'Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!' and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup — where does that get you?"
So when we love our sisters and brothers in Christ, we ought to do it in a practical way. What about the rest of the world?
Jesus talks about loving our neighbors and tells us a poignant story in Luke 10 about a "good" Samaritan, who treats someone who would hate him (were he conscious) kindly. So we can't just love God and the people who go to our church — who are like us — who we're comfortable with. We have to love everybody, because Jesus does and we're representing him on earth.
Which leads me to two areas of concern that have the potential to be exciting adventures:
1. Our youth and young adults are leaving the church at an alarming rate. Fifteen to 35-year-olds are basically looking for three things: worship that engages them, service opportunities that make a difference in the world, and a place where they belong, where they can develop meaningful relationships across the generations.
The old standby that teens will return to church once they grow up and have kids of their own not only doesn't work anymore, but is very offensive to those who never get married and/or have children.
It also pushes away people who get divorced, because they no longer fit the profile. We may be unintentionally saying, "There's no place for you here. Come back when you look like us."
2. In early March of 2007, we held our first community-wide 30-Hour Famine. During the year between mass meal packaging events, a dream began to emerge among some youth and adults from eight churches (there are now 13 on board). What if we launched a store where we could feed the world (and many in our own community) year-round?
As of Nov. 2 (when the store temporarily closed), Kids Against Hunger had packaged 561,546 meals or enough to feed 925 kids in Tanzania, Honduras, the Gulf Coast, and Fergus Falls one meal a day for the past 20 months. Can we help our kids keep this dream to change the world alive by donating $6,200? Checks payable to KAH can be dropped off at American Federal Bank.
Many of these teens would like to see another dream become reality. Could we bring a mission trip (and 450 people from eight to10 different states) to the Fergus Falls area and transform our community? It's called TeenServe and we're on their schedule for the end of July 2010. We've got permission to use the new Kennedy secondary school for a week.
Now we just need to assemble a team, pooling from nine churches or service groups and raise $25,000, which will have the impact of a quarter million dollars in free labor — and all of the materials will be purchased locally. If you would like to be in on this, let me know.
JoEllen Thacker, Darcy Koeckeritz and Jordan Rasmusson are eager to work with you.
The Rev. Matthew Martin is the youth pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by chirocorlin (anonymous) on November 14, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone know if the store closed as the story implies due to the lack of funds and if it gets the $6200 how long is it that it can remain open?
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 14, 2008 at 6:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is it love to tell people that an all-good God exists which is to say that people should not be valued above all but he should for he is all-good and better than us? That is putting belief before people and if that is right then how could hurting people in the name of God be wrong? The doctrine that God is king and sees the full picture means we must do his commands even if they are morally abhorrent to us for he knows best – is this not the reason why we see religious inspired violence and peoples’ lives wrecked by listening to God’s ministers? Oh what power it gives them! Religion has sinister implications – therefore it is dangerous and no child should be exposed to its seductions.
Posted by watermelon (anonymous) on November 14, 2008 at 7:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seriously, you should consider writing your own material instead of stealing from others.
http://www.religionislies.com/religionis...
Posted by LoisMustDie (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 12:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mr lincoln, a few points that you will hate to hear: Christians aren't any better than non-Christians. We are just forgiven for our sins because we asked Christ to forgive us. We all sin every day. We are made that way. Christ forgives, and wants us to share that information and also to live as purely as He did. We strive to do that although we ultimately fail due to our sin nature. We are in bondage to sin, and cannot free ourselves. We will be free of this sin nature once we are changed by Christ at the Rapture. 1 Thess 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. The problem is, those who do not ask Christ for forgiveness are NOT forgiven, and therefore judged a sinner. This is why Christians want the world to follow Christ: for God so loved the WORLD he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him SHALL NOT PERISH but have eternal life. This is GOOD NEWS! But, there IS a catch, if you are tainted with sin, you send yourself to hell, where there is no hope, no relief. The only way to remove sin is through the precious shed blood of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, it is my hope, and my OBLIGATION to share this message so that as many people as possible will be spared eternal torment. And, yes, God IS better than us - he created us. To paraphrase Proverbs: the FOOL has said in his heart, "there is no God." True, some Christian leaders are wolves in sheep's clothing, but because the messenger is faulty, don't blame the message itself. I'm curious to see if the Journal removes this post.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Angels are aleins.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A few of his examples: Abraham and the “smoking firepot and a flaming torch” that appeared in the sky as a sign of acceptance of his sacrifice (Genesis 15:17), the “pillar of cloud” by day and the “pillar of fire” by night that led Moses and the Israelites (Exodus 13:22), God landing on Mount Sinai in smoke, with a sound of a trumpet before them (Exodus 19:18-19), Elijah being “carried up to heaven” in a “chariot of fire” which created a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11), and of course, Ezekiel’s famous psychedelic close encounter (Ezekiel 1:1-28).
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The New Testament likewise contains many familiar-sounding sightings. Foremost is the famous “Star of Bethlehem” which Matthew records that the “Wise Men” — probably Zoroastrian astronomer-priests — followed “till it came to rest over the place where the child was” (Matt. 2:9) — most unusual behavior for a supernova, comet, or planetary conjunction! The birth itself had been immediately announced by the appearance of a messenger shining with “the glory of the Lord” to shepherds in the fields at night. (Luke 2:9)
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Downing, himself a minister, argues that many of the terms describing such glorious and shining lights could be descriptions of UFOs. Even the shape believed to be the Holy Spirit that was seen to “descend like a dove” at Christ’s baptism and the “bright cloud” at the Transfiguration, (Matt. 17:1-8) might have been extraterrestrial craft. The men in shining clothes, such as those the disciples believed were Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, would then have been their occupants.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
After the Crucifixion, yet another of these fellows came out of the sky, rolled the stone away from the tomb and announced the Resurrection. And of course, at the end of Jesus mission on Earth, he rose into the air and “a cloud took him out of their sight” while two of those mysterious Men in White consoled the disciples (Acts 1:6-11).
Posted by LoisMustDie (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Go to youtube and check out a series called "23 minutes in hell." And, Lincoln, how DARE you have the temerity to "protect" children from God's love? You are a dangerous individual and I really hope you see the truth of Jesus before it's too late. I know saying that I'll pray for you will only make you angry, and for that I apologize to your sensibilities, but I WILL pray for you because God loves you as much as anyone! Peace, Joy, Love - yeah, these are dangerous. No, my friend, you are wrong. I sincerely hope you will see the Light, not for me, but for you! Praise Jesus!
Posted by schw0759 (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Kids Against Hunger store is cloesed until the money cn be raised. Once the debt is covered it will reopen with a new setup. From now on groups will only be able to package what they can pay for to ensure the store does not have the same problem in the future. If people or groups donate more than what they package or if they don't package at all the money will go to other groups that come into package,
Posted by LoisMustDie (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
... and you have it backward, UFO's and aliens are really DEMONS, fallen angels - Satan's army, the great liar trying to keep as many people out of Heaven as possible.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 6:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Multiple Gods and Religious Traditions:
It is difficult to credit any one religion as being True or any one god as being True when there have been so many throughout human history. None appears to have any greater claim to being more credible or reliable than any other. Why Christianity and not Judaism? Why Islam and not Hinduism? Why monotheism and not polytheism? Every position has had its defenders, all as ardent as those in other traditions. They can't all be right, but they can all be wrong.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
KEEP USEING HELL AS A THREAT TO BRAINWASH MORE PEPOLE LOOKING FOR HELP.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 15, 2008 at 7 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Im sure you are right but if know one had the courage to think we always would have thought the world was flat and you could sail of it.Come on dont be scared its okay religion is for the weak you can say it god dont want you to be brainwashed.Maybe the bible and every thing in it have nothing to do with god wow could that be.Maybe you dont have to do nothing maybe life gose on.Maybe you live and die.
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