Friday, October 22, 2010

Don't Forget Your Neighbors

"The second [commandment] is this:  Love your neighbor as yourself.''' (Mark 12:31)


As I have still been thinking about the article from last week on the Puritan pastor, Richard Baxter, I was convicted of his challenge about neighbors. He says:  "Christians must also recognize their responsibility to their neighbors.  Believers should speak to their neighbors about Christ, and not stop, 'till death hath stopped your mouths, or stopped their ears.'"  Christians need to go to their neighbors' houses to converse with them concerning spiritual things.  'Take all the opportunities that you possibly you can.' Baxter exhorted, 'to confer with them privately about their states, and to instruct and help them to the attaining of salvation.'" (Beougher, Tim.  "Richard Baxter and Puritan Evangelism")

My husband and I need to make a plan--set a date-- to get the neighbors on our cul-de-sac together (we have a lot of new neighbors within the past year).  We talk about it.  We think about it.  But we need to PLAN it--just a simple dessert fellowship.  Baxter has given me the little "push" I needed to do more than just think about it!