Servants Entrance

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

I was at a funeral today and noticed a sign over the front door of the church that you would see as you were leaving the building. It said Servants Entrance.  Get it, we go out from our churches to serve others. We don't wait for them to come to us. Jesus stepped out of heaven and into our world. As His servant we need to be willing to leave our churches and go out into the world around us to be His hands and feet.
We are after all His servants. 

Mark 16:15

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

 

I think sometimes we get to focused on our own needs. We come seeking God's healing or blessing. We come to be set free or delivered. Sometimes to feel his presence. 

I think this sign is a good reminder. Certainly we come in and we do experience God's healing and presence. We do get set free but it is easy to then forget to go back to serve a confused and hurting world with his love.  

The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luke 14

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁶ Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ²² “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ ²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

You may find as you go out like the servant in this parable that the folks you invite are too busy. Our master want's his house to bee filled. I believe that many of us are now being sent out to the streets to bring in the homeless, the broken, the addicted. The handicapped, the outcast, the sex offender, the criminals.....


http://video.kxly.com/watch.php?id=33488


I've been writing a lot for the need for mission churches in the inner city. The three homeless people and their dog, in the news story, have been attending our church for a while. We have been able to help JoJo go to Las Vegas to live with his dad. We are also working with Bonnie and Justin to get back to her father in Alaska. Mission churches are not likely to become mega churches. The people we minister too are with us for varied lengths of time. We rejoice when they get a place to live or are able to get to family in other places for a fresh start. We accept and love them and do what we can to help them put their lives back together. Theres a lot more we could do but the workers are few. In most places you take the time to disciple people and they stick around and become part of the ministry and help reach out to others. In this environment one has to be willing to give without expectations of getting something in return.  There is an eternal reward - God sees and he knows. Anyway we are excited for these three getting a fresh start. They will move on and God will send us others. Please be praying for Bonnie, Justin and JoJo. They all three have come faithfully to help clean the church on Mondays. They gave when they had nothing to give and God is blessing them each with fresh starts. 

If you would like to help please visit our web site at http://www.fccspokane.org.  If you want to help this mission church to be there for folks like Bonnie, Justin and JoJo click the ABOUT tab and use Tithes and Offering link at the bottom to get to a secure paypal donation page.  
If you would like to help provide meals for the homeless and poor use the StreetWise Tab 

You can also just send a check if that's easier. 
First Covenant Church
212 S Division
Spokane Wa 99202

My blog has grown far beyond my original friend circle. I would love to send you a personal thank you for helping. It helps if you will let us know that you are a "Devotional Mosaic" Blog Reader, or just put "Margot's blog" - that would work too.   Thanks to those of you who have already helped. 

Prayer:
Lord help us to remember as we go out of our homes and our churches that we are passing through the servants entrance out into the world. Lead us to people that we can love until they ask us why.