-------- Forwarded Message ---------   
   Original: DATE..... 14 Aug 2016,  03:12p   
   Original: FROM..... mark lewis   
   Original: TO....... all   
   Original: SUBJECT.. the homeless, hungry and poor...   
   Original: FORUM.... Fidonews   
   Original: NETWORK.. FIDONET  ECHO: FIDONEWS   
      
   A pastor dressed himself as a homeless person and went to the church where he   
   was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his   
   soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service.   
   Only three people said hello to him, most looked the other way. He asked   
   people   
   for change to buy food because he was hungry. Not one gave him anything.   
      
   He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church. He was told   
   by the ushers that he would need to get up and go sit in the back of the   
   church. He said hello to people as they walked in but was greeted with cold   
   stares and dirty looks from people looking down on him and judging him.   
      
   He sat in the back of the church and listened to the church announcements for   
   the week. He listened as new visitors were welcomed into the church that   
   morning but no one acknowledged that he was new. He watched people around him   
   continue to look his way with stares that said you are not welcome here.   
      
   Then the elders of the church went to the podium to make the announcement.   
   They   
   said they were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the   
   congregation. "We would like to introduce you to our new Pastor." The   
   congregation stood up and looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.   
   The   
   homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking down the aisle.   
      
   That's when all the clapping stopped and the church went totally silent. With   
   all eyes on him, he walked up the altar and reached for the microphone. He   
   stood there for a moment and then recited, so elegantly, this verse from the   
   bible.   
      
   "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 the least of my   
   brothers and sisters, you did for me.'"   
      
   After he recited this, he introduced himself as their new pastor and told the   
   congregation what he had experienced that morning. Many began to cry and bow   
   their heads in shame. "Today I see a gathering of people here but I do not see   
   a church of Jesus. The world has enough people that look the other way. What   
   the world needs is disciples of Jesus that can follow his teachings and live   
   as   
   he did. When will YOU decide to become disciples?"   
      
   He then dismissed service until the following Sunday as his sermon had been   
   given.   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... If you're not making waves, you're not rowing the boat.   
   -!-   
    # Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)   
                        ----- End of Forwarded Message -----   
      
   ... Opportunist: Someone finding himself in hot water, decides to bathe.   
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    * Origin: LiveWire -=* Louisville, KY USA *=- LiveWireBBS.Com (1:2320/100)