Having Trouble Digesting This...Help Me Out,Please.

We cannot go out to solve the world's social and economic problems through direct intervention. We are not called to social and political activism. I question whether we are called to solve those problems by any means. Let the world mess around with their economic and social problems. Let them march under the banner of democracy, Marxism or fascism. Let them trumpet the utopias of capitalism or redistribution of wealth. Political empires, economic systems and social philosophies will surge and wane...and through it all, the poor will always be among us (Deuteronomy 15:11; Mark 14:7). God calls His people to avoid getting caught in temporary tinkering on the world's systems. God wants His people to be instruments in His hands for effecting eternal changes in *people*.


http://www.anabaptists.org/thotweek.html

What are my responsibilities to the needy in the church? What does God want *me* to do about the hungry, sick, disabled or unemployed in the church? I believe the answers which follow underscore two basic facts concerning the church as a body: (1) to help a member of the body is to help the Head of the body, and (2) to help a member of the body is to benefit the body as a whole (thus, helping another is helping myself).

This devotion goes onto say we should help people in the congregation. As a Christian, I thought we were to reach out to those in need period, whether they are a Christian or not. Can you folks help me understand this better?..

The scriptures Bro. Roth is bringing out simply point to the fact that we do have responsibilities to our household of faith first. My thought is that frankly there aren't many needy in my congregation compared to elsewhere in the world. And even then, who is my brother-I've got them where ever the church is in the world.

I can assure you that Mark Roth doesn't advocate ignoring the needy elsewhere.

Oh my goodness. Where does this idea that the church should stand by and watch the world go to hell come from?

It certainly doesn't come from the Bible. Jesus was out meeting people's needs all the time. He didn't stand back and say, "Only those who are born again shall eat these fishes and loaves," or "Those who are born again should take care of number 1 and leave everyone else to fend for themsevles."

I have never seen in the Bible where it says "Every man for himself" or anything remotely like it.

Instead, it says, "make sure you consider others better than yourself," and "take care not only of your own interests, but the best interests of others, too."

Can anyone tell me what verse (besides the oft misquoted, "be ye separate" and "do not be unequally yoked" and "do not conform to this world" says that we shouldn't look out for other people??

menno said:

I can assure you that Mark Roth doesn't advocate ignoring the needy elsewhere.

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Good.

WalkInHisFootsteps said:

Oh my goodness. Where does this idea that the church should stand by and watch the world go to hell come from?

It certainly doesn't come from the Bible. Jesus was out meeting people's needs all the time. He didn't stand back and say, "Only those who are born again shall eat these fishes and loaves," or "Those who are born again should take care of number 1 and leave everyone else to fend for themsevles."

I have never seen in the Bible where it says "Every man for himself" or anything remotely like it.

Instead, it says, "make sure you consider others better than yourself," and "take care not only of your own interests, but the best interests of others, too."

Can anyone tell me what verse (besides the oft misquoted, "be ye separate" and "do not be unequally yoked" and "do not conform to this world" says that we shouldn't look out for other people??

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I assume ya read the entire thing and saw the context. I've seen other devos he's written that were directed toward the needy that weren't Christians.

menno said:

I assume ya read the entire thing and saw the context. I've seen other devos he's written that were directed toward the needy that weren't Christians.

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I was reacting to what cat said, not to the devotional in the link.

I too can vouch for Mark Roth. His website played a very important role in our early days of seeking what it meant to be Anabaptist.

I guess we all read things from our own slant, so I will share mine. It is easy to sit by and complain that the government isn't meeting the needs of the children that go to bed hungry or the elderly that choose between medicine and food. It is much more productive for us to help those around us rather than complain about the government not doing it.

Maybe what he was getting at is that we do a poor job meeting the needs of those in the church let alone those outside it. How many churches are there that have some doing without while others are living in prosperity. I believe this is discraseful, but it is easy for me to say when I attend church with only one other family in a living room. Just my two cents.

Thanks for the input folks. I signed up to get some Bible studies through the mail, from that web site.

http://www.anabaptists.org

lamplight@emypeople.net

catlover said:

Thanks for the input folks. I signed up to get some Bible studies through the mail, from that web site.

http://www.anabaptists.org

lamplight@emypeople.net

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Lamp and Light is a good source for information. Another is Christian Light Publications. They have thier own website now. We used them for homeschool materials for about 5 years.

catlover said:

Thanks for the input folks. I signed up to get some Bible studies through the mail, from that web site.

http://www.anabaptists.org

lamplight@emypeople.net

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I did some bible studies through them too many years ago.

I also did some bible studies through the Knights of Columbus regarding the Catholic church at about the same time.

Learned a great deal from both, and it was an easier way to do studies. But it would have been more helpful if I'd been able to come here or OBOB to ask questions (didn't have computer back then).