Dear Ones,
Hope you have a purpose-filled day! We have had rain but not too much wind. I never got to Aldi’s yesterday as it was raining so hard when I was to go. I put away our winter things so hope I don’t regret it! Emoji Today I plan to bake and go to Aldi’s and this afternoon we are going to friends for a time of fellowship.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How are we known as followers of Christ? Do we manifest His presence to others by sharing the Good News and showing compassion and His love to others we meet?
As I read about the Christians in the second century that were only a small minority in the Roman world, I am amazed at the difference they made. They really got what Jesus had told His followers: to love one another just as He loved them. (John 13:34) The Roman culture with its pagan values was vastly different, so Christians stood out as they cared for the sick, supported widows and orphans, welcomed the poor and people of all ranks, etc. They were in the world but not of the world and lived a servant’s life with acts of love that attracted others. They gave people a sense of belonging, whether slave or free, Jew or Gentile and there was no one-up-manship. Christians were known for their love, patience, and kindness to strangers, for they welcomed all. They were a community of love, and even cities like Antioch where around eighteen different ethnic groups lived, it became home. All were warmly received and the Christian church became family as many became followers of Christ.
What really spoke to my heart as I read Professor Gerald Sittser’s book “Water from a Deep Well” is how the church handled the plagues in A.D 165 and A.D. 250 when nearly a fourth of the population died. What a difference the response was from the Christians in contrast to the pagans! During that time, the bishops brought hope and comfort to the people as they preached on God’s sovereignty and Jesus’ suffering for all. Those who were Christians showed courage by giving care to the sick and burying the dead after washing and wrapping their bodies. They risked their own lives and some lost their lives as a result. But they knew they had a heavenly home.  How different for those who were pagans, for they left their loved ones when they were sick, and I read they even threw their bodies into the roads before they were dead.
Reading Sittser’s book helps me realize how purposeful we need to live our lives as we share the Good News, not just by words but by our actions. Our Bible study class here at Northern Lakes is just beginning to study the book of Acts, and it is our hope that we can make a difference; that each person might feel a sense of being welcomed and of belonging to a community of love.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you share His love with someone who may feel neglected and unloved. Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy