CALLED OUT

Marty died of leukemia. 28 years old. A follower of Jesus. Now in heaven.

Church members visited even when hospital treatments were hours away. They called, sent cards, brought meals, babysat, helped financially, provided transportation to doctors, prayed and fasted.

Andrew died of leukemia. 26 years old. A follower of Jesus. Now in heaven.

Visits by family were few. Two friends made it. Transportation to a distant hospital was difficult. Finances ran out; a few Christians prayed. Andrew never joined a church.

The Bible tells us in the book of Acts: the believer, the church: “were together .....praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being (born again) saved.

As soon as a person acknowledges Jesus Christ as their Savior, that person is added to God’s church. In the sight of God, both Andrew and Marty had been added to the church. Yet to most Christians, Marty was added to a church by becoming a member…Andrew was not.

The Greek translation for the word “church” is “ecclesia.” Simply meaning: “an assembly-- gathering of the called out ones.” God has only one church on earth--every follower of Jesus Christ.

Are we acknowledging other Christians, but only really loving and caring for those attending the same place Sunday mornings? Are there called-out-ones not in “your church” who need other Christians to love them? Hospitals, nursing homes, jails, those home-bound; come to mind as very lonely for the born again souls who never joined a church. Yet joined God’s church.

“That you love one another, just like I have loved you”, Jesus said. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Who should we love? One another. No qualifiers. One another.