People Matter Most

Four to hang

Three sent up for stealing

Woman found guilty or drug charge

Two on sex charges

Crime and violence are pervading our society leaving in its wake, weeping mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends. Those who crime does affect, vehicular accidents are affecting, and for those are not affected by either of these, AIDS, covid-19 and other types of diseases are having they toll.

In almost every community there are people who need comforting;

People who need words of cheer;

People who need a listening ear or a shoulder to rest on.

Who will comfort these people?

If not you or I, then who?

Who will provide the listening ear?

If not you or I, who?

Who will carry the words of cheer?

If not you or I, then who?

Who will provide the shoulder for them to lean on?

If not you or I, then who?

There is no one else!! It is you and I, we who have been given the commission to stem the tide of evil, to lessen its impact and bring relief for the suffering.

God provided our instructions in Isaiah 58: 6,7, 10

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?5 6 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

To fast is important

To praise God is important

To keep the sabbath Day holy is very important

But caring for people is most important of all.

Jesus reiterated it in Matt. 25:40 when he said… Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Jesus gave all that he had and we will be judged on how we give. The entire gospel is about redemption and reconciliation of people to God. The saving of people is the of the utmost importance to God and it must be the same for us.

Matt. 5: 13,14

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Ye are the salts of the earth.

We are the salt of the earth, we are not LIKE salt, we ARE the salt. We are the preservative. In a world which Paul describes as having men who are

Lovers of self and money

Boasters

Arrogant

Rivilers

Unholy

Unloving

Haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited

Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God ..

We must have men women and children who

Are Lovers of God

Are Humble

put others before themselves

Are holy, and righteous in Jesus Christ

Men who are haters of evil,

Men who will not be corrupted, whose word is their bond

Men of integrity and honesty.

The salt preserves hearts from sinking into the cesspool of bitterness and hatred. It keeps hearts from succumbing to depression because of the ever-increasing tide of evil. In a world going insane we must maintain a level of sanity.

We ARE the light of the world. We are NOT like the light. We are the light, and our job is to shine in the darkness.

To bring hope into a hopeless situation:

To bring one from the brink of death to the Hustle and bustle of life. As men look for ways of escape out of the darkness we must be there to show them the way, by our daily acts of kindness and love.

The keeper of the spring was hirer to make sure the spring remained clean. So daily he would remove debris, dead leaves and the silk, which would otherwise choke spring and contaminate the fresh flow of water.

Years passed and the man became old. He however kept doing his job faithfully. A flourishing town developed around the spring. Tourist came and relaxed beside the quiet clean waters while swans glided on its crystal-clear surface.

One day the town council who knew not the man decided to remove the old man from their wage bill. A few months after, the stream began to choke, the birds disappeared, and the tourist found another place to visit. Disease and sickness took over the village until the council had the common sense to rehire the old man.