Where's the body?

Yesterday was a rough day for me, I worked Midnight to eight and since I had church and other activities I had to do I decided to stay up all day and then finally get to bed later in the evening. While I was at work though there was something that was heavy on my heart that I just couldn't shake. We have a homeless guy with his friend traveling across the United States pulling by hand a huge trailer. I acknowledge his existance the very first day I saw him on the side of the road, however to my shame I didn't stop and ask if he needed any help. I was largely convicted by this not because I past him the one time but infact about 4 times and never stopped. I was like the pharisee or the levite in the story of the Good Samaritan. I went to church and everything was peachy keen as usual and normal but this guy was still resting on my heart and then the amazing thing happened. As I was getting ready to ask my dad if he wanted to help that guy with me he asked me the very same thing. The Lord had laid the same guy on our heart. So needless to say we helped the guy after church buying him various things we believed would help.

Please understand that the heart behind this is not to boast of good works for your applaud or approval but to say the following... Where's the BODY? We are the body of Christ and we are to be doing the same things that Jesus did which is helped people in this kind of state to the fullest of our abilities and in times of need the body is absent (including myself). My dad and I repented of not helping this guy and became disgusting at our actions of complency. We called our pastor to see if we could somehow further assist this guy (he requested some tracfone cards for his phone to call family) our head pastor said he would be the word out to see if anyone wanted to buy the guy a card which is about 19.99. My dad and I thought this was strange since you know it would just be easier to go and buy the guy a card. We went to the prayer meeting schedule for the night at the church and we started to share what the Lord was saying to us, I shared this exact sentament to which I was told don't beat myself up for not stopping because others had past him many times and "hadn't felt the Spirit lead them to stop" and then commenced to tell me that those kind of people can get assistance from the government if they wanted to and its their responsibility and if they don't fulfill their responsibility then we aren't to help them. Needless to say I walked out of that prayer service greatly grieved and heartbroken for the body. Our head pastor said that he felt there was a spirit of complency over the church that sunday morning. When a body is sperate from the head it is already dead, and this is what we are seeing.

Sorrowfully,

Matthew

Matthew, we have "all" done this, I am pretty sure. The only thing I feel you might have done wrong, was to get the Church involved,I feel that is why God used "you" because he already knew how your Church would respond. Don't beat yourself up, Remember, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. This is the great part about walking in the spirit, sometimes we don't understand why, but it does strengthen us spiritually, maybe you were not supposed to stop, maybe it was to strengthen your Spirit, I don't know how God leads others, just some personal thoughts.

I don't feel any condemnation about it now nor did it when I first didn't stop but the guy was on my heart with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We originally called the church to see if we couldn't get this guy moving right along since he pulls his trailer that is about 500 to 700 pounds+. I was just disappointed I suppose at the justification for not helping, I guess I am just glad Jesus didn't do this to me.

Matthew, you said "but the guy was on my heart with the conviction of the Holy Spirit".

I am still learning, so I am just asking a question here, when we feel this conviction, is this a sign we are supposed to take action?

The least of these;
whose cries are heard
The least of these;
whose hearts are known
The least of these;
whose cause will be remembered
Before the Cross and before the Throne ??

Certainly are, I believe we should strive to take action even if this conviction isn't there. Why? because we are to follow Christ in ever possible aspect we can. Also Christ says in Matthew 25:31-41

31"But when (C)the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then (D)He will sit on His glorious throne.
32"All the nations will be (E)gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, (F)as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

33and He will put the sheep (G)on His right, and the goats (H)on the left.

34"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, (I)inherit the kingdom prepared for you (J)from the foundation of the world.

35'For (K)I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; (L)I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

36(M)naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you (N)visited Me; (O)I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

38'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

40"(P)The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, (Q)to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

41"Then He will also say to those on His left, '(R)Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the (S)eternal fire which has been prepared for (T)the devil and his angels;

God Bless,
Matthew

I have to agree with you Matthew, the last thing we need is for Him to say He doesn't know us. We are given opporutities almost daily to give as He would. Will we? Unfortunately most won't. We need to pray that will change.

Psa 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

Mic 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

AMEN! I have always loved that Micah 6:8 passage one of my favorites!

AMEN! I have always loved that Micah 6:8 passage one of my favorites!

You can download the wallpaper here:

http://lacy.obeyingthetruth.com/twf/tag/kjv-christian-wallpapers/

The wallpapers are authored by two young christian girls.

Thanks I added it as my wallpaper now! It will be a helpful reminder.