Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these

The Greene County Daily ran a great article Friday on another organization that seems to have their act together! The article “Backpack Bonanza helped 885 students prepare for the start of school” can be found at http://www.gcdailyworld.com/story/1994517.html

Family Life Center (http://www.flcminis.org/) in Bloomfield this year assisted 885 students with backpacks, school supplies and other items. Their mission statement is, “The mission of Family Life Center of Greene County Indiana Incorporated is to assist all the members of a family with the support required to enhance the emotional, social, mental, Spiritual, and Physical balance in their lives. In doing this we support our community by teaching, training, and supporting them.”

WOW! The part I like best is “…we support our community…”.

Remember the parable that Jesus told about the sheep and the goats? It was in Matthew 25:31-46 (KJV):

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

See when the Day of Judgment comes, the proof of our faith in Christ is tied to our actions. Now don’t think I’m saying you’re saved by acts, because you’re not. I’m saying that if you are saved then the actions of your life will prove it.

So the sheep are true believers and they because of their actions enter into heaven.

Meanwhile the goats are those who professed but were not sincere. They claimed the kingdom but did nothing to acquire it. They get the one way ticket to hell.

The two interesting parts of this are first neither group felt that their actions or inactions were directly tied to the Master. The sheep did good because they felt that was what was right (not because the Master was involved). Their hearts were filled with love and compassion. While the goats did nothing because in their mind the Master wasn’t tied to the needy.

The second part is the thought that is expressed by the goats that had we seen the Master in need we surely would of taken action.

So Family Life Center sees a need, someone hurting in their community and reaches out to them because they have the Spirit’s guidance in their lives. They have compassion and love for those around them.

In addition they have posted a very foreword thinking financial statement (http://www.flcminis.org/about_financial.htm). I believe from this statement that they are dedicated in doing the Lord’s work. They are not into it for their glory but rather His. What an example for the local church! It is time that we stop building shrines for our creature comfort and attend to the hungry. It is time that we walk away from the fellowship table and minster to the sick and dying. It is time that we look beyond our comfort zone and take the Word into the world!