Old School “Passing It Forward”
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Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27
Sometimes I wonder if what the modern church is attempting to be is in line with what the early church was attempting to be.
The following commentary is helpful; it was written by a philosopher of an earlier time, about early Christians…
"They are remarkable people. They walk in humility and kindness and falsehood is not found among them and they love one another. They despise not the widow and they grieve not the orphan. He that hath distributed liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger they bring him under their roof and they rejoice over him as if he were their brother. For they call themselves brethren not after the flesh, but after the Spirit and in God. But when one of their poor passes away from the world and any of them seem him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability. And if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs. And if it's possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and they have not an abundance of necessity, they will fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with his necessary food.”
-- Aristides, A.D. 125
Father in Heaven, I want to share your love for the poor and the needy and the oppressed. I thank you that you've given me a pattern in Jesus who was rich but became poor. Help me to be faithful. May it be so that Your spirit convicts each believer’s heart in a specific way to give generously and without reservation. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' – Matthew 25:40
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Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27
Sometimes I wonder if what the modern church is attempting to be is in line with what the early church was attempting to be.
The following commentary is helpful; it was written by a philosopher of an earlier time, about early Christians…
"They are remarkable people. They walk in humility and kindness and falsehood is not found among them and they love one another. They despise not the widow and they grieve not the orphan. He that hath distributed liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger they bring him under their roof and they rejoice over him as if he were their brother. For they call themselves brethren not after the flesh, but after the Spirit and in God. But when one of their poor passes away from the world and any of them seem him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability. And if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs. And if it's possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and they have not an abundance of necessity, they will fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with his necessary food.”
-- Aristides, A.D. 125
Father in Heaven, I want to share your love for the poor and the needy and the oppressed. I thank you that you've given me a pattern in Jesus who was rich but became poor. Help me to be faithful. May it be so that Your spirit convicts each believer’s heart in a specific way to give generously and without reservation. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' – Matthew 25:40
