Have a Little Compassion
By, Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
Sheep are thought to be stupid, defenseless creatures that mope aimlessly on hillsides but actually sheep are surprisingly intelligent with impressive memory and recognition skills. Sounds like two different animals. Maybe that’s the difference a good shepherd makes. A shepherd like Jesus! That’s a good analogy of those that don’t know Jesus and those that do. The Good Shepherd has compassion and cares for His sheep. Jesus’ compassion drove Him to action, always meeting needs. He was always teaching His sheep, but teaching and leading His disciples first. The constant throng of people would tire anyone, but even when He tried to get away into the wilderness for some peace and rest, the crowds still followed Him. So what did He do? He had compassion on them! First He taught them, meeting their spiritual need and then He feed them, meeting their physical need. Five thousand men plus women and children! He led by example, encouraging His disciples to do more, to meet people’s needs where they were at, to take care of the crowds in their lives. So, how are you doing with the crowds in your life? Do you have compassion for them? Do you make time for them or blow them off? Do you try to meet their spiritual needs and then their physical needs? Crowds can come in all sizes from families to neighbors, two or more can be a crowd. Jesus set the bar pretty high. He doesn’t expect us to raise it but at least be trying to meet it. So, are you?
Can you imagine strolling down 5th Avenue, looking at all the overpriced shops and restaurants, and suddenly there is a lion crouching on the sidewalk in front of you lettting out a heart piercing roar? Seems implausible huh? Well, according to Peter, it happens all the time. He warned us, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour,” and you look pretty tasty! So, how do you defeat your adversary? Know him, know his ways, his tricks. The devil is a liar, the father of lies, and he loves to deceive people, especially by telling them they are worthless. Yet God puts so much worth on you He let Jesus die for you! How else can we defeat our enemy? Take advice from those who already have! When the devil tried to tempt Jesus with his lies, Jesus calmly and correctly quoted Scripture back at him until he fled. Get in the Word daily, know what it says so you can stand firm in its truth. The Bible isn’t called the sword of the Spirit for nothing! Peter and James tell us to be sober, vigilant, and resist the devil and he will flee from you. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches … without Me you can do nothing.” Call on His strength, not your own, this is an adversary you don’t want to take on by yourself. Keep your guard up, let it down and you will be attacked, he is always looking for an opening. So stay strong in Him, and know, even though you may have some skirmishes, the battle is already won!
By: Tim Irving – Evangelis Team 
“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” Man has an amazing ability to take something and twist it to fit his needs and have it lose its original purpose. The Sabbath (Sunday for us, Saturday for the Jewish culture) was meant to be a day of rest, a time to worship, a day to spend with family. For many of us, Sunday was a day when stores didn’t open, restaurants were closed, and liquor stores were locked. Families looked forward to Sunday dinners, houses were filled with the aroma of cooking roasts and hams, time was spent together. Then the states started abolishing the blue laws and slowly the importance of the Sabbath ebbed away. The best attack of the enemy is the slow subtle one and this was one of his most successful and destructive attacks to our culture and families. We became like a frog in a pot of slowly heating water, not knowing it is being cooked, until it is! Yet, nothing really has changed. The Sabbath is still meant to be observed. We still need a day of rest, we still need to spend time together as a family, and we definitely need to spend time worshipping with fellow believers, now there are just more obstacles to do so. We can’t turn back the clock but we can get out of the pot of water and do whatever we can to observe the gift of the Sabbath and help others to understand its importance. Not an easy task to do in our fast paced society with families spread all over the country, but it’s worth the effort to honor the Lord of the Sabbath and the day He gave us!
By, Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
By: Tim Irving – Evangelism Team