We Are the Body of Christ?
I've bween reading The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken (if you haven't read it you NEED to!). The book is about Nik's journey of ministry throughout the world; while he is in China interviewing believers there he hears a message from God saying this:
"If ten million believers in your movement cannot take care of four hundrd families, do you have the right to call yourselves the Body of Christ, the Church, or even followers of Jesus?"
It really struck me. It does not just apply to the Chinese believers, but it applies here, in the United states or wherever you may be, as well. I have always thought that the Church should play a big role in taking care of families, specifically women and children.
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..."
However, it never hit me that by not taking care of the widows and orphans that we are not truly being God's church until I read this book. If we as the Church of the one true God cannot take care of "the least of these"(Matthew 25:40), and do not even try how can we claim to be Christ's body?!
Jesus would not only tend to the needs of the women and children, but he would build relationships with them and care for their hearts.
We cannot claim to be the body of Christ until we take on the heart and actions of Jesus Christ our Lord.
"If ten million believers in your movement cannot take care of four hundrd families, do you have the right to call yourselves the Body of Christ, the Church, or even followers of Jesus?"
It really struck me. It does not just apply to the Chinese believers, but it applies here, in the United states or wherever you may be, as well. I have always thought that the Church should play a big role in taking care of families, specifically women and children.
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..."
However, it never hit me that by not taking care of the widows and orphans that we are not truly being God's church until I read this book. If we as the Church of the one true God cannot take care of "the least of these"(Matthew 25:40), and do not even try how can we claim to be Christ's body?!
Jesus would not only tend to the needs of the women and children, but he would build relationships with them and care for their hearts.
We cannot claim to be the body of Christ until we take on the heart and actions of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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