Want A Sandwich, Buddy?

I wanted to add a few comments to a recent blog of mine titled "Go In Peace". In the New Testament book of Galatians 5:19-21 it states: "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Good;"

When I got the opportunity to share with my sister and her boyfriend who, even though she confesses Christianity as her "core" belief, finds it necessary to submit to all of the above attributes of the flesh. I attempted to share with Dave (her boyfriend) about Jesus Christ and his first response was that he didn't believe in marriage. His excuse was that "it didn't work out so good for my parents so I'm not getting involved."

How cowardly is that statement and why is it that a person who claims to have Christ in her heart would stick around with that behavior and philosophy? There are a lot of lonely children from broken marriages in the world today and they don't ALL just determine "well it just cannot work out!"

I asked Dave if he died today why should God allow him in Heaven? His response startled me (not sure why, it is the world's most popular view), but he said that he was told that he would go to heaven because he was a good person. My first thought was the quoted sinful nature of the verses quoted above. And of course (as he challenged me to prove Christ), he "bolted". Just as soon as I started quoting scripture verses to dignify the claims of Christ, HE WAS OUT OF THERE! And he never came back.

He never gave me the chance to reach the continuation of that passage which is verses 22 & 23 which say "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."How is it that a person (and a Christian mate - out of wedlock) can profess the latter when they are living like "Hell" in the first part of the passage? Honestly, I am confident that it CANNOT be done. So the dilemma?!

Where is the "fruit of the Spirit" in my Christian professing sister while living in verses 19 thru 21 of Galatians 5?People all over the world believe that they have their "reservations" secured for heaven simply because they were told that they were good people. Yesterday afternoon a man sat on the sidewalk behind our travel trailer as we were cooking hamburgers. It became painstakingly obvious that he was homeless the more he carried on a conversation with himself.

So finally, my wife asked if she should make him a sandwich. I walked over to the man, asked if he was hungry to which he replied, "Yeah!" "If my wife made you a sandwich, would you take it from us?" "Yeah!" "Do you like turkey?" "Yeah!" So I went back and asked Barb to make him a sandwich. We gave it to him along with a package of Ritz Crackers, a banana, a Diet Coke and an unopened bag of tortilla chips. About a half hour later he was gone and I saw a mess on the ground which I went over to clean up. Did I mention that I shared with him that God loved him, no matter what his situation was?My point is that because of yielding to the Lord and making this man a simple sandwich, that a passerby, stopped to thank us for our good deed.

Now, because I don't feel that emotional with every situation like that, I don't always do the "good deed." So how do I pay for the "sin of not doing the good deed" if that's all I need to get into heaven?Hopefully you get my point. My heart aches over a person whose life has been a "sham" and the only reason for professing Christ was to see what you could get out of the church for yourself...God's heart must be "crushed!"

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, to which Paul responds, "I am chief of them all!" Well, Paul is dead and in heaven with Christ, so I now assume that role. But I will go to heaven because I believe in a Savior, not because I shared my meal.

DO WE NEED GOD'S HELP IN EVER SITUATION IN EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES? YOU BETTER BELIEVE I BELIEVE IT!

God bless,

Dave