Do the Right Thing!

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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    People like to fight.

    That's the etiology of complaining and controlling that the last KD was all about (go to the right column and click it on for a review).

    Yes, there/Jesus is an/the antidote.

    Buuuuuuut if people still wanna act more like Cain than Jesus, we're in the Psalmist's conundrum: "I am for peace; buuuuuuut they are for war."

    Bummer.

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    What to do?

    Spike Lee: "Do the right thing!"

    Are we willing to do the right thing if it means cross-bearing?

    Do we believe enough in Jesus to sacrifice temporal pleasures/securities for eternal graces?

    Let Him speak for Himself: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and lose her/his soul?"

    It's a choice.

    We do the right thing regardless in confession/consciousness of eternity lasting a lot longer than time and space or we choose time and space over eternity.

    This KD offers some counsel and a personal opportunity that will...

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    Counsel.

    Princeton's dynamic duo of pastoral care professors back in the 70s: "When anything you say or do will make things worse, shut up and sit down!"

    Corporate shrink for North Carolina's triad region: "You are not responsible for what others say and do; but you are responsible for what you say and do and how you respond to what others say and do."

    Elder Bob Imm (RIP) formerly of New Kensington, Pennsylvania: "Don't get into a _____ contest with a skunk!"

    From the non-best-selling Fifteen Secrets for Life and Ministry: "I advocate creative neglect as the best approach to irregular, irascible, irrational, and irreconcilable people...proactive advancement of the Gospel in church and society unencumbered and undeterred by those who are not with Him...cultural dissent to Jesus is irrelevant to our evangelistic, discipling, and mission responsibilities...don't waste time or energy engaging the spiritually dark anti-God forces in church and society...Look up, stand up, speak up, and act up for Jesus without reference to response..."

    In short, ignore 'em!

    Back to Lee: "Do the right thing!"

    Annnnnnnd to quote Jesus: "Stick with Me and I'll stick with you...forever!"

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    Personal opportunity.

    I was just told the local health department is sniffing around food pantries like ours; looking for reasons to...

    Here's what I said to our staff member assigned to manage it while asking him to repeat my decision to all of our partners in feeding the poor for Jesus: "You tell 'em that we're going to feed the poor with or without their consent as graced by God.  But make it clear that the decision is mine; so they don't hassle you.  Annnnnnnd if they come in and ask who is responsible for feeding the poor without their consent and apart from their control, tell 'em to come see me so I can say, 'Yes, I am your problem.  Please feel free to arrest me right now.  I look forward to the privilege of telling everyone how you'd rather keep control of us than feed the poor.  I'd rather listen to Jesus than you.  I love you, friends.  I will do my best to conform to your rules.  But if I have to make a choice between your rules and feeding the hungry... I'm sorry, and I really mean this, but Jesus has eternally more authority over me than you.  So, please, arrest me.  If that will assuage you, please... It's a privilege to be arrested for Jesus instead of...'"

    I really believe in Jesus as my Lord as well as Savior.

    I really believe I'm going to be with Him a lot longer than anybody else.

    I'm really trying to behave like it/Him.

    God knows I've made and make and will make so many mistakes; sooooooo any chance that I've got to do the right thing in spite of my past, repeated, and future sins...

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    Again, doing the right thing as personified in Jesus and prescribed in Holy Scripture is a personal existential choice with personal eternal consequences.

    If we choose Him, it sounds heavenly in the end.

    For those who do not choose Him, they can go to...

    It's our/their/everyone's choice.

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Blessings and Love!