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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
How should Christian's react to a world full of self centeredness ? When Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” He replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke10:30-37). This parable has stood the test of time. It reminds us of how we should help our neighbors, who as the parable shows, is anyone around us that has a need. It is so famous, states have named laws “Good Samaritan” laws to protect those who try and help others. But while we may know of the parable, do we remember the extent of the help? Jesus chooses a Samaritan because all the Jews of Jesus day would have hated him. And yet he is the good neighbor who does good works even for his enemy as Jesus tells us to do in Luke 6:27. Yet he not only nurses all the wounds of this stranger who hates him but he goes the extra mile by paying for a place for him to rest and anything else that he might need. “Going the extra mile” is another saying that Jesus gave us in Matthew 5:41. And this is how we are to help others, even if they are our enemies. We should not just help but we should do everything we can to meet their need completely. This is the difference between giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish. The difference between us feeding the poor on holidays and feeding them every day. The difference between helping an orphan in need and making that orphan our child. We see this when Christians reach out to children through Fostering and Adoption.We see this when they want to help inner cities and move to that area in order to help every day. We even see missionaries moving to other countries and plant churches that not only spread the gospel, but also help the local people by training them in ways to provide for themselves. These are just some of the ways that Jesus told us to help our neighbors and if we love Him, we will love our neighbors by meeting their needs completely. In Philippians 2:4 Paul says to consider the interest of others as more important than our own. He demonstrates this in the next few verses by showing how Jesus, though in the form of God, did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but humbled Himself and became obedient even to the point of death, death on the cross. When God saw our need of a Savior, He responded in love. We needed a Savior and through death Jesus became that Savior. We should be thankful that like the Good Samaritan, he met our need completely. So if we love Jesus, let us show it by loving our neighbor and doing good for them as Christ did for us. For anything less is not truly loving our neighbor. Marty Hayes - Evangel Member At Evangel we offer various bible studies by our Pastors and Elders to learn further how be a good neighbor. All are welcome! (See website) Evangel Church PCA - 423 Thompson Rd. Alabaster, AL. 35007 205-664-0889 evangelchurchpca.org Movie Night at Evangel! Join us for a fun night out! Friday Night August 16th- Evangel Church GYM!8/9/2019  If someone fed you – to your heart’s content and without cost – with food produced “out of thin air,” I am thinking you would be pretty amazed, if not floored with fascination. And, rightly so!
Now, in light of this experience, what might cross your mind? For instance, would your motivation be to know how to get more of that abundant, “magical,” free food? Or, would you more so desire to get to know the person who produced that food and gave it to you? If these were your options, which would be your route? In chapter 6 of the New Testament Book of John, there is a historical record of how a huge crowd was fed by Jesus Christ in this very manner. After eating their fill, what do you think those in the crowd wanted the most? On the next day, when the same crowd tracked Jesus down and approached Him, Jesus told them directly: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (verse 27). Apparently, according to Jesus Christ, there is food that does not perish and which “endures to eternal life.” The crowd having been exceptionally well fed the day before with food that perishes (earthly, material food), Jesus refers to that very event in order to point to the real and true food that is of significantly greater worth– indeed, food that never perishes! So what is this food that endures to eternal life? Bread. Yes,bread. Bread is that eternal food! Jesus declared: “I am the bread of life” (verse 35). Stunning. Dear reader, have you yet fed upon the Bread of Life? When you and I get to eat perishable food each day, that is a great blessing. However, a full stomach can never reach into our very core: the soul. To have a “full soul,” as it were, we need the bread of life Himself. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). To believe Him, Jesus explained, is to ‘feed’ upon Him as the bread of life, the bread from heaven (John 6:32). There is everlasting satisfaction in one’s soul only when Jesus is the Person in whom that soul rests by faith. Let us delight and feast upon the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ! -Paul Moon - Evangel Member At Evangel we offer various bible studies by our Pastors and Elders to learn further how to feed on Jesus. All are welcome! Evangel Church PCA 423 Thompson Rd. Alabaster, Alabama 35007 205-664-0889 evangelchurchpca.org As a nation we have left the time where the word of God was widely understood and acknowledged. Now things are done openly that at one time where known to be evil and popular trends are violating the Bible's strictest warnings. Jesus warned of following the wide easy road that leads to eternal destruction that most people take, following the worlds popular trends that starts with willing biblical ignorance and indifference to Gods commands. It seems we hear about Gods love and the benefits of salvation through faith in Jesus but not much of the cost. In reality we are called to put off our old disobedient life and live a new obedient life following Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us. (Ephesians 4:22) Obedience to God's commands has been a non-negotiable from the start in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16-17). Mankind has certainly struggled with living in obedience to God. In Isaiah 29:13 God says of his people "They honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me" and Jesus repeats it in Matt 15:8-9. The same is true if we attend church, go through the motions of a worship service, and yet fail to take to heart our call to faithful obedience to our Lord. I wonder if we even study the Bible to know how to obey. Hosea 4:6 declares "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge". Jesus said "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36) This is but one of many verses that says true believers are those who obey. The Bible teaches that not all who believe in Jesus have a true relationship with him. James 2:19-20 tells us "even the demons believe". They believe but continue in their sin. In Luke 6:46 Jesus asks " why do you call me Lord but don't obey me". A believers obedience proves he has submitted to Jesus as Lord and his command to faithful living. Obedience is never spoken of as the means of salvation but the proof of it. Jesus said " small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it". Matt 7:14 Herein lies the answer to our question. If you have sincerely trusted that Jesus's death has paid for your sins you have entered the gate. The narrow road Jesus talks about is obedience. Narrow indicates it is the more difficult path however the Holy Spirit that brings you to trust and obey will hold you to the end to heaven and eternal life there. Matt 24:13. Colby Reeves. - Evangel Church PCA member At Evangel we offer various bible studies by our Pastors and Elders to learn how to obey. All are welcome! Evangel Church PCA 423 Thompson Rd. Alabaster, AL. 35007 205-664-0889 evangelchurchpca.org |
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