October 14 Being a Good Neighbor Proverbs 11:25
**Please Pray for the victims of the senseless shootings, and their families, that occurred, last evening, in Raleigh. Please Pray for our Communities, Cities, State, and our Nation! Evil abounds and continues to express itself in unspeakable violent acts! This is a “Heart” problem, and Jesus IS the ANSWER to this SITUATION! **
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25)
There was a lady, in our neighborhood, that had a “bad” reputation and most of the community avoided her. It came to my mother’s ears that this woman was very sick and had no one to help her. Mama went into action! She made her famous “Chicken Noodle Soup,” and homemade crackers and away she went to this lady’s house. She knocked on the door and when the woman opened the door, mama found a pitiful and sad sight. This lady was dirty, and her house smelled, and it was a mess. Mama took over and instructed her to eat and mama (oh yeah, I was along for the labor to come), and I began the “seek and cleanse” operation. Within an hour, the house was clean and straight, and it smelled good. This lady resisted, at first, yet finally relented, and mama gave her a bath! When she emerged from the bathroom, she had undergone an amazing transformation. Mama instructed me to pull back the covers on the bed and this renewed lady climbed into her clean bed. When we finally left, mama had instructed her to call when she had any needs, and we would be right there. Over the next few days, we visited her and kept her house straight and provided food until she was able to take care of herself. The sad and shocking reality, at least for me, was the reaction from mama’s church group (the Ladies Mission Group). Many of the ladies were shocked to find out that mama had been in this woman’s house, much less, cleaned and fed her. As I reflected on the reactions of these ladies and the way that they treated Mama, I was hurt and confused! In Luke’s Gospel, the Good Samaritan had found a man, robbed, stripped of his clothes, beaten, and left for dead. Many of the “religious” folks, ignored the injured man, yet this Samaritan, had compassion on this man’s condition, and his compassion was not defined by his status or ethnicity or his religious beliefs, and he put him on his donkey and took him to the closest Inn and told the Innkeeper, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back (Luke 10:29-35)!” I asked Mama about the reactions of her friends, and she told me that she was responsible for her own actions and that they would have to account for their actions. She went on to explain that we are called to love and minister to everyone, regardless of their position or condition, in this life! Reflecting on the world’s conditions, and the anointing of God on my life, I recognize that “EVERYONE” is my “NEIGHBOR,” and I have a responsibility, under the saving Blood of Jesus,” to be a “Good Neighbor” to all! So, who should we be “Neighborly” to? Who is it that we should be generous to? The command to “Love our Neighbor” is a solid and firm instruction! Why don’t we give it a try? Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!