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The proof is in the pudding…

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The proof is in the pudding…

I wanted to share a quick daily devotion from the book Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel. It is called “Heart Speaks To Heart” and it reminds us that what really matters is what we do each and every day with the people that we come into contact. Here is what it says…

“The Rabbi implores, “Don’t you understand that discipleship is not about being right or being perfect or being efficient? It’s all about the way you live with one another.” The success or failure of a given day is measured by the quality of our interest and compassion toward those around us. We define ourselves by our response to human need. The question is not how we feel about our neighbor but what we have done for him or her. We reveal our heart in the way we listen to a child, speak to the person who delivers the mail, bear an injury, and share our resources with the indigent.

But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Jonah 2:9”

Everyday we each have opportunities to touch the lives of those around us. What we do in those moments is what matters. What we actually do in those opportunities trumps any fleeting feeling that we have or belief that we have or standard that we hold. What we do defines who we really are…

talk, talk, talk…

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I am going to begin regularly posting some things that I come across in my personal journey of Faith. Sometimes they will be encouraging, fun and uplifting. Other times they may be more serious, challenging and thought provoking. My hope and prayer is that they will always be insightful and helpful. Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, etc. I would love to discuss.

To kick things off, I would like to share a short section from a book that I read almost every day. It is one I have read through many times over the last 5 or 6yrs. It is called Reflections for Ragamuffins and it is daily devotions taken from the writings of Brennan Manning, author of one of my all-time favorite books, The Ragamuffin Gospel.

I chose a section called “Compassion in Action” because today when I read it, it stopped me in my tracks. It reminded me of why I moved to Las Vegas and why I started FIGHT CHURCH… to do something amazing! For so long I was frustrated that people were always talking about all the things that are wrong in the world, but very few ever did anything to help the situation. It seems everyone has some cause they like to talk about or something they speak passionately about, but very few ever actually do anything.

Jesus was not like that and this is what Manning had to say about it. “Every time the Gospels mention that Jesus was moved by the deepest emotions or felt sorry for people, it led to his doing something… The Good Samaritan was commended precisely because he acted. The priest and Levite, paragons of Jewish virtue, flunked the test because they didn’t do anything. ‘Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the man who fell in with the robbers?’ The answer came, ‘The one who treated him with compassion.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Then go and do the same.’”

I John 3:17-18 says “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

This is an tough challenge. It is so easy to talk a big talk about things. It is an entirely different thing to put yourself out there and actually do something. There are so many needs out there. Let’s try to be more like the Good Samaritan and do everything we can to help out those around us!