Good morning here in Uganda, but goodnight to most of you back home. Yesterday was an amazing day as I was able to witness and be apart of the first feeding for some of the "at risk" kids in Wera, Uganda. This feeding was made possible because of Childrens HopeChest, a Church in Holyoke, Colorado, and Harrah Church, in Harrah Oklahoma. It was an amazing sight to see and I was so blessed to have been able to witness this occasion. Thank you all for being faithful with what God has blessed you with.
Please allow me to ramble here for a bit. As I sat there yesterday thinking about just what was happening and how the lives of these kids was changing right before my very eyes, I just kept asking myself.......... who is more fortunate.......... these kids....... or the kids back home? These parents....... or the parents back home? The question that keeps popping into my head is do we really know how rich we are? Do we? And what really scares me is that the Bible says that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Its hard to put thread through the eye of a needle. How do you get a camel through there? I'm no Theologian, maybe that means something else. I hope it does! But I'm telling you....... we are rich! You are rich! Does that scare you? Because it really scares me.
In the end there is nothing I can ever do to earn my way into Heaven. It truly is a gift. But.....
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my[b] works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[d]And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
I told you I was going to ramble here, but I guess here is what I am saying, We live in the richest country that has ever existed. I know that there are times when we may get behind on the rent, the car payment, the cable bill, or whatever else. The list is long. I know we want to provide for our families. I know we want to dress nice. Heck, I remember being laughed at because my shoes weren't the latest and greatest. (If it wasn't the shoes, it would have been something else. Kids are mean, I was mean) So here is the question.... Have we obligated ourselves to the point that we can't help? Or do we just choose not to? Do we think that the ten percent we tithe is enough? Or do we love our neighbor as our self?
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Do I, Do we........ love ourselves just 10 percent? Is it 20 percent? Is it 30? I don't know what the answer here is. But I do know that we can't ignore the poor.
Thank you for letting me ramble. If you read this far...... I'm talking to you.
Thank you for your prayers!
Tom Cox
Please allow me to ramble here for a bit. As I sat there yesterday thinking about just what was happening and how the lives of these kids was changing right before my very eyes, I just kept asking myself.......... who is more fortunate.......... these kids....... or the kids back home? These parents....... or the parents back home? The question that keeps popping into my head is do we really know how rich we are? Do we? And what really scares me is that the Bible says that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Its hard to put thread through the eye of a needle. How do you get a camel through there? I'm no Theologian, maybe that means something else. I hope it does! But I'm telling you....... we are rich! You are rich! Does that scare you? Because it really scares me.
In the end there is nothing I can ever do to earn my way into Heaven. It truly is a gift. But.....
James 2:14-26
New King James Version (NKJV)
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my[b] works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[d]And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
I told you I was going to ramble here, but I guess here is what I am saying, We live in the richest country that has ever existed. I know that there are times when we may get behind on the rent, the car payment, the cable bill, or whatever else. The list is long. I know we want to provide for our families. I know we want to dress nice. Heck, I remember being laughed at because my shoes weren't the latest and greatest. (If it wasn't the shoes, it would have been something else. Kids are mean, I was mean) So here is the question.... Have we obligated ourselves to the point that we can't help? Or do we just choose not to? Do we think that the ten percent we tithe is enough? Or do we love our neighbor as our self?
Matthew 22:36-40
New King James Version (NKJV)
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Do I, Do we........ love ourselves just 10 percent? Is it 20 percent? Is it 30? I don't know what the answer here is. But I do know that we can't ignore the poor.
Thank you for letting me ramble. If you read this far...... I'm talking to you.
Thank you for your prayers!
Tom Cox
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