Food for thought

Something came to mind today. I prayed on this, and even fought the idea for a time. Then I thought about Jonah, and so it is that I am going to go down this path. I do pray that for what ever reason it came to mind it does reach any that are in need of hearing.

Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

I do pray you will always look up any passage, and read the full chapter. as with this one, I am going to cover a lot of ground, so buckle up it may be a bumpy.
If you read the full chapter, you find a lot not posted here, though we will talk it over. It is a topic dear to my heart, and one I can give some in-sight on that comes from living it.
Does your church have any kind of out reach in place. That leads you to go into the hospitals, seek out people that are home bound with no one ever stopping by to see how they are? I know it sounds like a funny thing to ask, yet it needs to be put out there. You see, I live it almost everyday of my life. I am blessed to have 1 person that cares enough to call, they live in another town, yet care enough to ask how I am doing. Even when family can't be bothered to do so. I pray for blessing on that person daily, and they are blessed in ways most people would never think could be possible.
In return, I do what I can to pay it forward. If I see someone short on paying for something in the store, I make it up for them. If I see a person having trouble loading something in their car, I help. Yes even a broke down old fool like me can help do that.
The little acts of kindness can change a person's day, if not their life. In a thread I called what happened to us, I never said a word about this. For that I am ashamed of my self.
Now some may ask why I bring this up. I love Word studies, they bring things to mind that may other wise be over looked and forgotten. When I was doing this one, I came across this passage, and it made me think of just selfish many people are with their time.

Eze 34:4You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.

I know, life gets in the way. Working 112-14 hours a day for some. or the kids have to get to their what ever the kids are doing. I have to get to church, or Bible study, and besides I don't know anyone that I could stop by and see how their doing. Trust me, I been their. Funny though, now that I can't get a round to do it, I have a hunger to do it anyway.
Our world is looking just as the above passage describes. many times I have seen to ridicule from others over how I walk, or need a little help. We can change the world with simple acts of kindness. Love can, and does repel hate. So when you look at the sate of this world, ask your self, have you done anything to change it? Or are you the one that once out of ear-shoot, makes fun of others for their lake of strength, because they walk funny, or have a hard time with speech? Would you steep up to help a person order, when they can't read? Or to simply steeep to one side when some one is going through a door, even if their is room for both of you to go through?

“And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:30-37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the two preists might have said they love thier neighbor but they didn’t because you don’t just walk on by people you care about that are in need

“But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:17-19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

There is saying we love others and then there’s loving others.

While the Ezekiel passage is addressed to leaders, it behooves all believers in Christ to love others ‘actively’. What you describe is common practice in my world. There’s a verse that says, He who knows the good he should do and doesn’t do it sins’. That is etched on my conscience.

As we know, in time power can corrupt, just take look at government. We can look almost anywhere in The Word and find evidence of this. Whoever that doesn't change what the perist were charged with. It is also not an excuse for them perverting Biblical law. As one can see from looking at the answers Yeshua gave to the Pharisees.

Many times when we look at scripture we find our selves. Even when a passage may seem to be point at others. Sadly rather than ask, "Is that me?" It is pushed off as, "That is talking to them not me, so I am good." Even when we really are not.
It is good to see that some are willing to look past what is written, and seek out truth. Why would I say it that way? Once a person places scripture in context with the whole of the Word, we find that unless we fall out side a law, it still applies to us. So how does one fall out side of a law?
Well placeing the laws for women on a man would never work. We don't give birth, or have that time of the month. A gentile isn't born Jewish, and an average Jewish person, doesn't work in the temple.

As has been made clear at lest in my mind, is that we simply wish to go about our lives, and not get involved in another persons problems. We have became a people that think more of our selves that we really should. Always seeing what we what to see, and blind ourselves to everything out side of that wish.
The sad thing is, when we read the Word, (though study is better) we only look at the words, not their intent. When we give our lives over to HaShem, we become adopted into the Hebrew family. Please read Heb. chapter 10 and 11 on that.
Yet we so wish the Word didn't apply to us, why? Is it that we know we can't live up to the way it gives us to live? Not to worry, salvation has not changed from creation to now. It is not earned, and can't be earned. It has always been a free gift, given by the grace of HaShem.
Although we might try to show more love, and help when we can. There is more to come, so be ready. Next we will change the topic. I have no idea what it may end up being, HaShem will show me when He is ready.

How many think salvation is only a New Testament thing? I bring this, as I just had this discussion with my sister. Even my mom was shocked by what was shown to them. So it looks like we have a new topic for here. I do hope it goes well, and everyone gets something new. I love getting to look any new ideas on scripture. Even if I look them over, and find I disagree, I still learn from it. Well I need to do my stretching now, Enjoy your days a young one, getting old is not for the faint hearted.

Let's hope no one thinks that. Salvation since the time of Abel has always been by grace through faith. Abel was deemed righteous through faith. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Heb 11:4).

You are right. Yet many do teach there was no salvation in O.T. times. Not in so many words, yet to teach that sacrifices only covered sin, (though that is true) therefore there was no forgiveness. As we should all know forgiveness of sin is at the heat of salvation.
Going just one steep further, it is often said that with the sacrifice of Yeshua, and faith in Him, salvation isn't afforded us. So how do we rectify this in a way that remains in context with the whole of scripture?
I love word studies, they bring out the truth, even if they don't back what one may think.

We find the word salvation 119 times in the Old Testament, and 45 times in the N.T. Some may be shocked to find that one of the points made by some, that teach salvation is only for any that have faith in Yeshua, come from the O.T. Just to point out one. Ps. 103:12 reads,
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
With that in mind, how can we say forgiveness of sin didn't come until the N.T.?

Oh my dear precious friend the absolute warmth in my heart as I read all of this the absolute joy in spirit I felt I just kept stuttering as I was reading. This is exactly what I am wanting to do as soon as I am able I like how you said pay it forward as that is exactly what I told God to do today for blessing the body with his spirit he has been saying over and over he doesn't need more scholars he needs more workers and this right here this is the spreading of the kingdom he desires this is what he wants from us
I declare unmeasurable riches in the spirit over you because I can see his borad smile his pride in you the honor you being him in just having this heart of yours that activates you let alone all you do for him.

I can't wait to see you before his throne recieving what he has stored up for you I am so ecited you just wait my friend it is going to knock your socks off

Then you will love this word study of salvation in the OT, since it is the name of Jesus Himself:
יְשׁוּעָה
Transliteration
yᵊšûʿâ
Pronunciation
yesh-oo'-aw

Part of Speech
feminine noun
Root Word (Etymology)
Passive participle of יָשַׁע (H3467)
Dictionary Aids
TWOT Reference: 929b
KJV Translation Count — Total: 78x
The KJV translates Strong's H3444 in the following manner: salvation (65x), help (4x), deliverance (3x), health (3x), save (1x), saving (1x), welfare (1x).
Outline of Biblical Usage [?]

1. salvation, deliverance
   1. welfare, prosperity
   2. deliverance
   3. salvation (by God)
   4. victory

JESUS = YESHUA = YAHSHUA = GOD IS [OUR] SALVATION

LOL

Very good post.... you have stated what, to me, is THE most important "job" or "calling" of being a follower of Christ.
Helping others... you cannot share the love of Jesus with someone that is starving, and asking you for help... until you help them first. Your actions, living like Jesus taught us, preach the gospel more loudly than any televangelist....

I thank you for the encouragement. Although I seek no rewords for what I do for HaShem, He has already paid the ultimate price for me, what more can we ask? The only thing we can do, is follow Him, and work to better the lives of others. Though we have no power to change a persons heart, we can at lest show them the way. After that it s up to them.

I simply walk as best I can in His example, like everyone I come up short at times. Thats when we pick ourselves up, dust off, and move foreword. The hardest thing we can do, is nothing more than to show the world His love by our own action.
I under stand this in a way most can only dream of. We are after all only human, and as such, our hearts are evil. Gen. 6:5.
A little of my testimony may help explain my statement. I gave my life over when I was about 10, after a time, things happened I didn't understand. I didn't fall away, I ran. My life became drugs, sex, and violence. Then came Vicky. The most kind, and loving person this world has ever seen. At lest in my mind anyway. She showed me that life can be much more fulfilling if we slow down and ask, Why? be fore we act. That one word became my never ending prayer. After giving my self back to HaShem, it was hard to help others. The same people that I once seen as a target of opportunity, were still just that. Only now I seen that opportunity change. It wasn't easy to help the ones I once terrorized. Yet I simply couldn't let Vicky down. She was my angle in many respects. What I didn't understand at the age of 25 is simple now. HaShem needed a strong worrier for some reason. I was that man, though I still don't understand why. I had done nothing but go in and out of jail. I had walked the darkest roads in life. All knew about love was that it was for other people, not me.

On the heels of the last post. Vicky was, is, and always will be the love of my life. One day she asked me a question I have never found an answer to, she asked me why I live the way I did. Well it was all I had ever really known. yet that wasn't an answer, it was an excuse. Vicky aksed me to do one thing, gave me the tools I would need to do it right, and left me to it. The tool she gave me was Red Letter bible. So she gave me the word Love. Asked me to read every passage in the Word that held that word. From that became my way of study. A word study is more that just what does a word mean, it is about what does the word DO. A word can hold no meaning, if it does nothing. So love never hides, it does drag us down, it lifts us up. It shows by action, as words can never show us love. I will return to the word salvation in my next post. I just had this hit me like a ton of bricks, and had to put it foreword for everyone to see.

Why would one laugh at a blessing being placed into words?

I guess you'd have to have a sense of humor.