The Least of These

SPRING CLEAN CHALLENGE!  Clean out all of your closets, all those clothes that are too small for your kids, etc., shoes, and what not and then clean out the garage and do one of two things:  Give the items to a good and honest charity, preferably one that will not charge for the items you are giving them.  Your local church may have a pantry as well as a clothes closet for just such items.  Some of them will even come and pick them up from you for free!

The idea is to help our brothers and sisters around us, and also to show the love of Christ to those who are not yet saved.  They might just find more than clothing or shoes, they might find Jesus!

God will remember how we have treated others and there are a lot of us who truly believe that His return is growing closer by the day!  So please, let's all start to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk?"  A lot of people are hurting out there, but the best trait of being an American is the love that we show to one another when there are disasters, etc., is the same love that has always gotten us through!  As an American, and a Christian, I believe what they believed.  That God would help them and protect them in their time of need and He did, or we wouldn't be here today! 

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?   When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.'"  (Matthew 25:31 - 46). 

Even if you are poorer than most, I bet there is still something you have or that you can DO to help a neighbor in need?  The measure of our character is in what you do when you see someone in need, no matter what your circumstances are.   Do you try to help or do you keep walking, ignoring the elephant standing in front of you?  That's right, you're not as poor as somebody else so stop your whining about what you don't have and start Praising Him for what you DO have and give His Love even if you have nothing else, for HIS LOVE IS PRICELESS!

 
"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.  Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41 & 42).

Don't forget to Love one another.  And remember, that whenever you put God in the center, all the rest just seems to come together!

Lean on the arm of God, rather than the flesh and what you THINK you can and cannot do, and just TRUST THE LORD!  You're Miracle is at Hand!