BBD 11.04.09 The Grinch
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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11.04.09
The Grinch
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man
with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man
in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man,
"You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," have you not shown
partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen,
my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in
faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But
you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you
into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are
called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You
shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; but if you show
partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. -
James 2:1-9.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to
preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those
who are bound. - Isaiah 61:1.
The president of a homeowners' association in the Chicago suburb of Oak
Brook does not like having poor people around. His home is in a gated
community so you would assume that would prevent most poor people from being
able to knock on his door. However, that is not enough for Constantine
"Connie" Xinos, he was concerned that a home for the elderly nearby would
result in more poor people being in Oak Brook, so he was able to block the
permit the home needed. Xinos says, "I don't want to live next to poor
people. I don't want poor people in my town." Xinos has not stopped and
continues to try to keep the poor out of his town. His current campaign is
to try to close the local library which he apparently believes brings poor
kids into Oak Brook. The librarians are now trying to unionize to protect
their jobs and Xinos has told them to "stop whining."
It sounds like the Grinch is alive and well and he would probably steal
Christmas too if he could. (Grinch is defined by dictionary.com as "a person
or thing that spoils or dampens the pleasure of others.")
Thankfully, our God is not a respecter of persons as Peter says in Acts
10:34-35, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every
nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." When
Jesus says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son," He did not say God so loved the rich people in the world, or
God so loved the property owners in the world, or God so loved the Jewish
people, or white people, or black people, or any other special select group
of people. Jesus died so that all peoples could have a Savior if they would
believe in Him.
Knowing that our Lord loves all people equally should we not follow His
example? Jesus died for those who were at the time His enemies (Romans 5:8).
Instead of being a grinch, love others according to the "royal law" and
"love your neighbor as yourself."
Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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