SERVE OTHERS AND SERVE GOD

It’s a “Serve Others and Serve God” Monday

The story is told of an old woman who was told by God that He was coming to visit. She cleaned, baked and prepared the best feast for Him. She got a knock at the door and eagerly opened the door only to find a beggar asking for just a crumb to eat. She cursed him and told him the food she prepared was for God, not a beggar and shooed him away. She waited patiently for half the day for God’s arrival and then there was another knock at the door. Finally, she thought, God is here and can partake of this wonderful food and can see how immaculate my house is for Him. At the door appeared a traveler, tired and weary from days on the road. Can I please come in to rest? How dare you ask to be in the home the Lord will visit, she says. You are not worthy and she shooed him away. Impatiently now she waited and was somewhat angered that God Himself had her wait most of the day. She got another knock at the door. Finally, she thought He has arrived! With excitement she threw open the door only to find a tattered sobbing old woman who asked if she had the time to listen and help with some worries she had. Furiously she cursed her and told her I don’t have time to hear your pitiful story, the Lord will be here shortly and I dare not have someone like you in His presence. Then she slammed the door in the woman’s face. Now midnight is fast approached and the woman is thinking about all the preparations and cooking she did earlier and the time and efforts she made for the Lord. She thought of the unworthy people bothering her, begging for her time and food. They had the nerve to want to sit in her immaculate house! Most of all He had her waiting on Him! She thought of all the things she could have done that day…. but no, not even a call or text to say He would be late! Deeply angered now, she cursed God and asked Him how He had the nerve to not show up. I took one day out of my life to show you how much I love you and this is how you repay me? The Lord simply answered her: “I showed up at your door 3 times today and 3 times today you turned me away.” The moral of the story is found in Matthew 25: 35-41,“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for

one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Beloved, remember the next person you help or turn away could be God!

This is Rev Dr Wm Rocky Brown, 3rd letting you know that GOD and I Love you and we approve this message because we want to motivate your mind, body & soul.