One of the things that really makes me mad at times is how the writers of the New Testament keep telling me how to live my life. That just goes all over me, ya’ know?

Throughout the NT there are just ‘way too many verses that make me responsible to do something, and usually something that’s going to cost me something. Like this one:

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” - 1 Jn 3.16-18

Now, John didn’t put the boldface in there; I did. But that’s one of those passages that ticks me off: it’s a measurable, visibile, verifiable lifestyle that someone can see and measure my spirituality by. I’d much rather they ask me what I know about God and the Bible.

Here’s another one. The application of this one is usually lost in theological debates, which is just fine with me.

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” - Jas 2.14-17

My response is to think of another verse, one from the Old Testament: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” which, of course, is from Gen 4.9. The only problem is that it’s Cain that’s saying this after he’s killed his brother. Paying attention to context can ruin a verse sometimes, I think.

Well, here’s my dilemma. Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost is facing a cash-flow, underemployment problem right now. He’s let us know and has posted a “tip jar” on his blog.

I don’t think Joe would do this unless he needed to and, when I read about it here, those two stupid passages cited above popped into my head. He’s asking for “subscriptions” to his blog (completely voluntary) at a rate of 25 cents a week.

Joe has a lot of readers. He’s helped a lot of us get noticed. He has a pretty broad ministry to a whole lot of different folks, both in and out of the kingdom. Now he needs some help.

I’ve been reading comments on his post and there are a lot of encouraging words and promises to pray. I’m all for encouraging words and certainly would never discourage anybody from praying. But he needs people who will be involved in their prayers.

I’m thinking this: what if each of us put our money where our mouths are and helped him out financially? Why not “subscribe” to his blog for a year or two? That would set you back $13 for one or $26 for two. Better yet, subscribe for many years as you can. And if you can only manage a subscription for a couple of months or so, then do that.

What was it that James said? Oh, yeah, it was “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”

And then John chimed in with “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

Do what you think is loving.


2 Cor 1.13