Do You Really Care?
Here we are in church again this Sunday just like so many Sundays before.
Waiting for services to start and end. So many times we sit in God's house
and say, "Lord I'm here, bless me but not more than an hour." I need to
drive to the mall for lunch and shop or to the lake for boating or some
other activity. Too many times we will say this is the Lord's day. But yet
we are only willing to give him a couple hours of our time each week.

Most of us will show up at 10:30 a.m. just in time to get a good seat,
preferably on the back row, which is the best place to sit if you want to
be the first to leave. We will shake hands with our fellow servants and
tell them how nice it is to see them. In the back of our mind we are
thinking I wish they would just sit down and leave me alone so we could get
started.

Services start at 10:45 a.m. We begin to sing and make a joyful noise unto
the Lord. We stand and sing for a while then we sit and sing for a while.
The choir also will sing a couple of songs. Time passes rapidly and soon it
is 11:00 a.m. The ushers begin to take up the tithes and offerings. Next we
have the announcements. The preacher usually asks someone in the crowd to
pray. Most them hope he doesn't call on them to pray.

At 11:25 a.m. the preacher starts his sermon. We'll stand and read Gods
word along with the pastor and then another prayer. Many have brought their
Bibles, and many didn't. As you look around you'll will find some people
very attentive to the sermon and some who still think they are home in bed.
And some are hoping the pastor is not too long winded today.

At 11:55 the invitation usually starts. If nobody goes forward we will be
out of here very soon and beat the crowd to the restaurants. Some make a
quick trip to altar and return to their seat. Someone has gone forward with
a special need. They want the pastor and elders to pray for them. Some
people just can't wait to leave, so you will always see someone try and
slip out early.

Have you ever found yourself in this situation? Couldn't wait to get to
God's house and couldn't wait to leave it. The answer is we all are
sometimes guilty of this. So we must ask ourselves, Do You Really Care?
Have we forgotten just whom the audience is when we go to Gods house? Have
we forgotten what God's only son did for us? When people go forward do we
really pray for them and ask God to sincerely meet their need? Or do we
just stand at the invitation and wish they would just hurry up.

Jesus made time for people throughout his ministry because he cared. He not
only taught and healed the people but he taught them to help others, to
really care for their fellow brethren. In Mark 2 we find a man sick with
palsy unable to do anything for himself. But his fellow brethren had enough
love and compassion for this man and knew Jesus could heal him. They
uncovered the roof of the house and lowered him in so Jesus might heal him
because the crowd was too large for them to bring him through the door.

In Mark 2-5 the bible says. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the
sick with palsy, "Son thy sins are forgiven." And the man was immediately
healed. Not only did Jesus see their faith, but I believe he also saw their
love and compassion towards this man and was pleased to see brethren really
caring for one another. He healed many people and even raised the dead.
Jesus is a person who really cares for mankind. We shouldn't think that
Sunday is just the Lords' day but everyday is the Lords' day. We should
start each day off with a prayer, not only thanking God for another day but
also how our time might best be used for him.

Do we put Christ first in our daily lives? Is Christ our first love? The
bible tells us exactly what our first love is. This is also a commandment,
Mark 12, 30-31 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment." 31, "And second is like, namely this, thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandments greater
than these."

If someone ask you to pray for them or a situation do you? We are commanded
by our Lord to help our fellow brethren. The Bible says in Galatians 6-2,
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Do we
put them on our prayer list and then go our own way? Why not take a moment
and pray for them when they ask you.Would do something for someone out of
love without expecting anything in return? In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said,
"verily I say unto you, Insomuch as you done it unto one of the least of
these brethren, you have done it unto me.

Jesus proved how much he cared for man when he made the ultimate
sacrifice, shedding his holy precious blood on Calvary that we might have
eternal life with him. Jesus loves us and cares for us. If you are saved
you will care for our Lord and his precious word and how we are to live our
lives according to it.

You may say today, "I'm a good person I help others." But do you really
know Jesus? The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God." Romans 3:10 says, "There is none righteous no
not one." Our Lord really cares for you; do you really care for him?

In John 14: 6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me." And Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." So it is my prayer
today that you will ask yourself do I really care for Christ and our fellow
mankind? And do you really care about yourself and your eternal destiny?
May God bless you and keep you.

Inspired by: My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him I give all the Glory
and Praise
By: GLF
Ephesians 2-8:9