The following is a statement by a patron of my ministry. My response follows as I thought it would be good information for a blog and sort of share how I see the way I do ministry………
From a Patron of my Ministry:
I looked at your site. I did need to see this. Thank you.! Why have you never preached to me when you came to visit? I would like to have heard you do so and it would have helped a lot.
Hello there:
Thank you for your genuine comment about my Blog Site. My response is that I am reacting to the many folks out there that dwell on telling people how to live their lives and base their comments on vile judgment. I have always been troubled by people who see themselves as strict Christians and fast to point out the errors in others. We are all sinners and to have someone criticize aimlessly in the name of Christianity is not my idea of doing the Lord’s work. There are many issues of my life that well intending folks have found cause to criticize, some based on truth and some on untruth. No one likes to be constantly bashed by others in the name of the Church, the Lord , God, or Christianity. I don’t know about you, but I can learn my greatest lessons when I am approached with a positive demeanor, giving me some spiritual and character building hope. I need to know folks see the good in me and love me enough to help me through the hard times with love. If I were to approach a starving begger on the streets…..ragged and smelling from life’s hard times with very little shelter, and if I were to preach at that begger, telling him how lazy he is, how he needs to find a job, how he needs to clean up, to seek the Lord and repent of his sins. . It would be almost like beating him over the head with the Bible, religion, Jesus and Christianity. On the other hand, if I were to respond to his human condition and to share a few sandwiches, some fresh socks, a Moonpie or so, he might be more willing to hear what I have to say about the Lord. I honestly believe I can show my genuine love by seeking to give a positive response to the human need. That need may in fact be taking a positive attitude and demonstrating with my life what it means to be faithful to the Spirit. It may be taking time with that person to respond to his or her world of loneliness and dejection by simply “hanging out”. There is an old saying that goes “you can catch more flies with a drop of honey than you can with a cup of vinegar” (or something like that.). I truly believe that is why Jesus came …….to give us life more Abundantly……and HE did it with unconditional love. Many are the folks who begin to feel comfortable enough with me and the love I share that they begin to ask the more probing spiritual questions. Questions that respond to their search for inner peace and salvation. I am never put off by telling about the Life of Jesus and the Bible stories. There are also those who feel comfortable to talk with me about their anger with God. Anger about issues that seem to be out of one’s control. Whats important here is a dialog between two or more people and not just me preaching AT someone for the sake of making me feel I have done my Christian duty. Take care of yourself, and remember you are loved always. Also remember, “where there are two or more gathered in HIS NAME, there He will be also” JOE
Redeeming Servant Ministries 