Charity Above All

Kristine Cucinotta Murphy

So, most of y’all know we live in a camper. Every plan that was made where we were going to stay even before we got here has fallen through for one reason or another. Which is fine, makes things harder and activates our faith more each hour.

We stay on the move from parking lot to parking lot. Some times we are blessed to stay at a campground but funds are limited and we can’t afford to stay long term and most campgrounds here don’t offer long term.

Anyhow, it just makes my heart sad that we call a church to ask permission to stay in their parking lot for the night until 3am, when we have to head toward mine husband’s work. And, the man at the church said he wasn’t at liberty to say, he doesn’t have the authority and call back tomorrow. That’s when scripture was coming at me but mine husband was doing the calling and I was already on the search for another place to call.

A business was the next call and when mine husband asked, she joyfully said “Sure, I don’t see a problem with that!”

Mine husband reminds me in my verse spewing, the man at the church said he didn’t have the authority and I said “A believer in Christ has all authority!”

John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Respectfully, I ain’t here to call out names but we seriously need to remind ourselves who we are in Christ and what we have and are called to do.

I know we must follow rules and the law, and we do with all humility.

1 Peter 2:13-17
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

A church to deny someone asking for help is never a good thing, not even asked if he could pray for us right then and there. There was no going out of his way to even help us, a repeated, “Just call back tomorrow.”

Proverbs 3:28
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

That truly doesn’t help us now and is pitiful. Saddens my heart. And, I been through this sort of thing before asking for help from churches. And many brethren and sisters I have had contact with ask me for help because they first asked a church organization and are told they can’t help them. So, not a big surprise but sure is a reminder and one I hope to remind us all of Scripture and to become it.

And thank God for a business to let us park in their lot until 3am.

Colossians 3:14-15
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Colossians 2:8 – Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

James 2:24 – Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2 Peter 1:3-9
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.