by Don Emmitte |
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"If
anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge
that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on
earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven. Don't imagine
that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to bring a sword. I
have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her
mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will
be right in your own household! If you love your father or mother more
than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your
son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you
refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being
mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up
for me, you will find it. Anyone who welcomes you is welcoming me, and
anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me. If you welcome
a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will receive the same reward a
prophet gets. And if you welcome good and godly people because of their
godliness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if you give even a
cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be
rewarded."
(Matthew 10:32-42 NLV). A sick man went to the doctor's office with his wife. The doctor examined the man and ran some tests while his wife waited in the reception area. When the doctor emerged with a concerned look on his face, the wife became anxious. "Doctor, will my husband be okay?" she inquired. "I'm afraid your husband is very ill," the doctor replied. "He has a rare form of anemia, and if it is left untreated, he will most certainly die from it. However, there is a cure." "A cure?" "Yes. With rest and proper nutrition, the disease will go into remission and your husband should live for many more years. Here's what I want you to do: Take your husband home and treat him like a king. Fix him three home-cooked meals a day, and wait on him hand and foot. Bring him breakfast in bed. Don't let him do anything that you can do for him. If he needs something, you take care of it. Give him a back rub in the morning and full-body massage every evening. Oh, and one more thing. Because his immune system is weak, you'll need to keep your home spotless at all times. Do you have any questions?" The wife had none. "Do you want to break the news to your husband, or shall I?" asked the doctor. "I will," the wife replied. She
walked into the examination room. The husband, sensing that something was
wrong, said, "It's bad, isn't it? What have I got?" His wife
answered with a tear in her eye, "The doctor said you're gonna
die." Some of us are like the wife in this humorous story. We say we love others, but we bow out when it comes to putting that love into action. Jesus loved us by serving us and laying down his life for us. His love in action opens up the way for us to have an abundant life. Do you care about others the way Jesus cares about you? When we turn our backs on those who don't know Christ because we don't want to be inconvenienced, it's like we're saying to them, "Too bad. You're gonna die." True love requires action. |
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