Homeless person went to the 10,000 member church

[Bumper64]

 

 

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek (pictured) transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that 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 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food....NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation........"We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek".... The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up..... and started walking down the aisle.....the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him....he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment....then he recited

“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.’

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning...many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame.... he then said....Today I see a gathering of people...... not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week....... Being a Christian is more than something you claim. It's something you live by and share with others.

[MillieChatham]

I also heard this story, and a moving one it is, it I read that he was fully dressed in a suit and tie under his 'homeless' clothes.

It is sad to see so many announced Christians who fail to grasp the following:

The first and greatest commandment is

Thou shalt love thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind

And the second is like unto it

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

I see so many posts here that condemn others who don't believe as they do. Have they forgotten the above?

[Bumper64]

I agree MillieChatham, that is one reason why I posted this!!  

[Tripphood]

WOW! Good Stuff. I'm ashamed to say I might have been guilty of the same reaction. I will do some soul searching. Thanks for sharing.

[FlintNPebbles]

I can say with all honesty that no matter who takes the time to speak to me I will acknowledge them and treat them with the respect and dignity that is derserving of all God's children. My father lived that every day of his life and I will continue to do so no matter how many times people tell me that the "homeless" guy on the street probably has more money than I do...I will still give him a dollar or two. It is not my place to judge a person and I will take them at their word until or unless they are proven to be someone who is scamming me. I will stop to help the elderly when they need someone to hold the door, I will help them load something into their car if it looks like they are struggling, I will ask them if they need help when they are trying to reach something on an upper shelf (same does for disabled). I try to never turn my back on someone just because they may be dirty or unkempt.

 

We have a guy who comes into our place of business that stinks....really really stinks. I believe he heats his home with kerosene and then does not take a bath. It will honestly make you gag when you are in his presence. I will breathe through my mouth and take the time to assist him. Yup...he should take a bath....but who am I do decide if he has a mental illness or if he is just lazy.

 

Now there is a difference when it comes to feeling safe. If I get that gut feeling that this person may be dangerous I may still say hello in answer to them but I will not take the time to speak with them. That doesn't happen very often but once in awhile I will get that little niggling feeling and will pay attention to it.

[dog53]

+1 Bump

Great post

[hoosier1470]

Today..a lot off churches are ran by regulations and rules set by elders...not by what the word of God says. I know a man who's family was a member of a church in Louisville Kentucky that had 4 locations...and a combined congregation of approx 30,000 members. About 6 months ago, hard times hit this man's family. They were on the verge of becoming homeless..so they went to their church to ask for help. The man had found a very small apartment for his 6 member family to live in...it was only 2 bedroom and 700 sq.ft, but they were going to make it work out...they only needed help paying a deposit of a few hundred dollars ( nothing at all when you look at the average weekly tithes and offerings the church took in of approx one million dollars). The church agreed to help with the deposit. One week later...just prior to signing a lease for the small apartment, they were offer a four bedroom home for the exact same amount as the apartment...since the church had already made the deposit check out to the apartment complex..the man took the check back to the church and explained the great thing that had taken place...and asked if they could please rewrite the check payable to the owner of the much larger, and more suitable house...the church refused!! Their reasoning was that the house was out of the area of the church..and if the man was to move his family there...they would no longer be considered member of the congregation!! As of this day...the mans family are living in the house...but are going without food and other essential needs because of the broken promise of a church that cares more about politics and regulations than it does the members of its congregation. The man has contacted the pastor on two different occasions, hoping that he may have compassion enough to help them...He gave them the same answer!! If that is what being a Christian is...then I am not one. I am a child of God! Be Blessed!

[waterman13]

On a similar note, I saw, through the eyes of God one day when I went to "a mega Church" in the area that I was attending for years. It was a time years ago when God actually spoke to me in an audible voice in contemporary worship service. I was worshiping Him, and He spoke to me and said: "Open your eyes". I said no Lord I am worshiping You. He said "OPEN YOUR EYES!" So, I did, and He said: "What do you see?" And, what I saw, whether it was a vision or what I actually saw I do not know til this day, but I responded: I see dead people. Because all I saw was people standing there as if they were dead. No hands raised, no signing, no praising, just standing corpses. He replied to me: "GET OUT!"

 

I never went back to the services, but I did attend a Wednesday night "disciple" class I was involved in. I went for a few more weeks, and kept trying to show everyone what God was revealing to me through my intense study of His Word. The "teacher" kept rebuking me, but I know what God was revealing to me was Truth, always found back-up for it in two or three other places in scripture. Finally after a couple of weeks, I quit after the "teacher" yelled at me angrily telling me I was taking it out of context, because it didn't fir his interpretation of scripture, but God showed me through the Word it was Truth.

 

Never went back. Went to a smaller more Biblical gathering of believers for a year or two, until I was sure I didn't need to be their either. Too much of the "prosperity" doctrine being taught. I now only meeting with a handful of friends, true brothers in Christ and their families. It's amazing because we don't talk all that much until we get together, then find out God is teaching us all the same things, sometimes in different ways, but it all lines up and meshes together with what He is teaching us. I truly believe it is about small groups really seeking God's face, eager to hear from "The Only Teacher" - Christ. Meeting in people's houses, discussing the Word, and sharing what God is showing each one individually.

 

Wm13

Edited September 24, 2013 by waterman13

[waterman13]

God allowed me to see the hypocrisy there, and how they were not really following God's Word, but man's traditions, but only after I left.

[FlintNPebbles]

waterman...unfortunately there are many congregations just like that out there pretending to be Christians. I belonged to a church in ND that refused to believe me, even with proof, that the church secretary was having an affair with her husbands brother. I couldn't continue going to the church with the hyprocisy and have that woman teach my children Sunday school. It bothered me because this woman sat up front as a shining example of a true Christian and beneath it all she was cheating and lying to her husband and all of her friends. She loved to gossip and spread rumors to make herself look better. And the church looked the other way and said "that is just how she is, she doesn't mean anything by it"....ummmm yeah I think she does and she should not be in a position to influence our children.

[Kaduku]

Bump, I had read and seen this one before and to this day this has always touched me personally and deeply, all because we know that this type of behavior(s) happen every day in our lives. God Bless YOU and YOURS my brother!

 

 

 

"GOD BLESS AMERICA"!