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COMPASSION
CHRISTIANITY OASIS
HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS COMPASSION STUDY. MOST HAVE
HEARD OF COMPASSION BUT MANY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE COMPASSION
TRULY IS. LET US
SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF COMPASSION TOGETHER, SHALL WE?
We
all have our own problems. Right?
Some problems are bigger than others…
We have enough problems to deal with in our own lives
rather than deal with other's problems.
In fact… sometimes we feel that we don’t get enough pity
and help from other people so why should we help THEM?
That seems to be the mindset of the majority of the
world today.
Take a look at this true story with me that happened in
Hartford, Connecticut:
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A 78-year-old man is tossed like a rag doll by a
hit-and-run driver, and cars zoom by as he lies
motionless on the busy city street. Pedestrians
gawk, but do nothing. One driver stops briefly, but
then pulls back into traffic. A man on a scooter
slowly circles the victim before zipping away. The
story and scene caught on tape has outraged
Hartford's police chief and is causing some to
question the humanity of Connecticut's capital city.
"At the end of the day, we've got to look at
ourselves and understand that our moral values have
now changed." Police Chief Daryl Roberts said after
releasing the video in hopes of making an arrest.
"We have no regard for each other."
The video shocked the city. The Hartford Courant
blared "SO INHUMANE" in a front-page headline, and
debate about the bystanders' callousness dominated
radio talk shows.
The video shows the victim, Angel Arce Torres, being
struck by a dark Honda that was chasing a tan
Toyota. Several cars pass, as a few people stare
from the sidewalk. Some approach Torres, but most
stay put until a police cruiser responding to an
unrelated call arrives on the scene. Torres was
hospitalized in critical condition.
"They hit a man, drive away and people walk by like
nothing happened," Roberts (a police officer) said.
"It's incredible how people could be so inhumane."
Roberts said he still isn't sure that anyone called
911. A patrol car heading east on Park Street came
upon Angel Arce Torres as the officer was responding
to another call.
One bystander said, "It was as if he was a dog left
in the street to die."
"Everybody knew him, but nobody helped," said
another man. "I guess everybody is different. Some
people are just out for themselves."
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"I guess ....... Some people are just out for
themselves."
Ya think?
Unbelievable huh?
Yet… it's true. It really happened.
And everyone is guilty of this type of failure to show
compassion for others.
How many times a day do we seek out pity from people and
IGNORE the pleas from souls that REALLY need our help?
Do we realize how much time we use reliving our bad days
or moments or experiences seeking out PITY instead of
using that time to HELP someone else who is WORSE than
us?
WE want to be in the spotlight, right?
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“Spotlight”
All eyes are on you
It's just what you crave
You need only seem blue
Or to pout, rant and rave
Seeking sympathy and pity
It is always the goal
Violins play your ditty
It soothes the vain soul
When you hear cries from others
Your envy grows strong
Though our sisters and brothers
Have been done very wrong
So you add to your plight
And speak words of woe
To be back in the spot light
The only place you know |
What about all of the souls that you come across every day?
How many are needing the HOPE that you have, but keep it
to yourself?
How many of their tears have we let fall?
How many of the screams have we ignored?
How many of their questions have we silenced because we
were too focused on our own pity?
We are supposed to be there for one another as
Christians. We are supposed to take on each other’s
burdens.
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Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ.
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If Jesus had to remind us to love and feed and clothe
even our enemies, how do you think He expects us to
treat strangers that are dying… whether it be physically
or spiritually?
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Romans 12:9-21
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which
is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly
affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in
honour preferring one another; Not slothful in
business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the
necessity of Saints; given to hospitality. Bless
them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with
them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward
another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men
of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things
honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible,
as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all
men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but
rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he
thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt
heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of
evil, but overcome evil with good.
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What about the strangers that are crying out?
The strangers that have never done anything wrong to us
but ask for help.
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Luke 6:27-38
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do
good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek
offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy
cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to
every man that asketh of thee; and of him that
taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye
would that men should do to you, do ye also to them
likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what
thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love
them. And if ye do good to them which do good to
you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even
the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to
receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend
to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye
your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for
nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and
ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is
kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye
therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not,
and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall
be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For
with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall
be measured to you again.
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In short…
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW
If you sow love and compassion for others, you will
receive it in return.
If you lack giving love and compassion….
Well….
You get the picture.
Have you ever shut down because no one would listen
anymore? Ever felt like no one cared anymore? No one
would ask you how you were… and if they did… you knew
they really didn’t want to know your problems.
But, deep
inside, you just wanted someone to really ask,
“How are
you?”… AND MEAN IT.
So, we shut
down, keep it to ourselves, and the anger, anguish, and
hurt slowly builds every single day. Until you break.
You just wanted ONE person to care. To REALLY care. Not
just be polite.
But ...
CARE.
There was boy who felt the same way. And he finally shut
down.
He continued
to go to class, but cried out for help in his poetry and
writing. He wanted someone to listen.
And no one did.
So he did something about it.
And killed 33 people at Virginia Tech, including
himself, on April 16, 2007.
Here are some comments left about him:
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Cho, of Centreville, the son of immigrants who run a
dry cleaning business and the brother of a State
Department contractor who graduated from Princeton,
was described by those who encountered him over the
years as at times angry, menacing, disturbed and so
depressed that he seemed near tears.
He often spoke in a whisper, if at all, refused to
open up to teachers and classmates, and kept himself
locked behind a facade of a hat, sunglasses and
silence.
"I don't want to be accusatory or blaming other
people," Roy (a teacher) said. "I do just want to
say, though, it's such a shame if people don't
listen very carefully and if the law constricts them
so that they can't do what is best for the student." |
We are supposed to do something when we see others
hurting so bad.
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Hebrews 13:3
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them;
and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves
also in the body. |
How can you say that you have the love of God, but see
someone in need and ignore it?
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1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his
brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in
him? |
How many times have we allowed their faith to be tainted
because we didn’t take the time to share Truth?
How many hearts did we leave shattered?
How many souls did we leave scarred?
How many lives did we leave broken?
Why do we choose to blind ourselves with our own circus
of drama and helplessness?
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1Corinthians 12:25-26
That there should be no schism in the body; but that
the members should have the same care one for
another. And whether one member suffer, all the
members suffer with it; or one member be honoured,
all the members rejoice with it.
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Another story:
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A man and woman fall in love and FINALLY have a
child. She is the most beautiful, precious child
anyone has seen. They spend as much as time as they
can with her teaching her everything. They KNOW she
is going to be smart. She is lively, energetic, and
FULL of spirit. You can’t help but smile around her.
Her laughter is so contagious.
One day, the dad went outside to work in the yard.
They lived on a farm. Preparing to do some
shoveling, he got on one of the machines they owned
that had a huge shovel on the end on it. When
working, it dug down 2 feet underground with ease.
Out of excitement and curiosity the little girl
followed the dad outside and started playing under
the machine. The dad, not knowing the little girl
was even outside, turned on the machine. Under the
pressure of the shovel, the little girl was beaten
and torn.
The dad never heard her screaming, until he finished
and turned the machine off.
Under the machine, the little girl’s bloody body was
crying out for her dad.
He rushed her to her hospital, listening to her
pleas of help the entire ride.
“Daddy help. Daddy I don’t feel good.” Cries of pain
echoed the entire way.
When they arrived at the hospital, the little girl
died.
Now, I want you to take a minute to think and FEEL
what the dad must be going through.
Hearing the little girl’s precious voice calling out
HIS name for help. Dreaming EVERY SINGLE NIGHT of
her and her bloody body. Having flashbacks all day
long of the vision he saw. Blaming himself for what
happened, not hearing the girl, not knowing where
she is, blaming the wife for not keeping the
daughter in the house, blaming God for taking away
his innocent child.
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And we think WE had a bad day.
When these thoughts start running through your head,
remember this man. Remember the girl. Imagine the
thoughts that run through his head every single second.
Imagine wanting to take your life just to bring back
your baby girl.
FEEL his pain.
Like Jesus does.
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Romans 12:15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with
them that weep. |
Where is the compassion that Jesus wants us to have for
one another?
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Compassion - Todd Rundgren
You want more, and still more,
Until you get more than you ever bargained for.
Now it's plain, clear as rain,
I've seen your symptoms many times before.
Lying on your bed of pain
What will you have now?
What of riches are told in a life without
compassion?
For there's no winter as cold
As a life without compassion.
There's no prescription that's sold
That can heal you like compassion.
Well you tried and you cried,
Don't let your disappointment make you hard inside.
You have doubt, you reach out,
Still you're the only one you care about.
Hiding in your sack of woe
What do you need now?
For there is nothing so sad
As a life without compassion.
And even love has turned bad,
It was love without compassion.
And you don't need what you had
'Cause you did not have compassion.
Dying on your bed of pain
What will you have now?
You'll get no judgment from me,
I can only feel compassion.
And if that's what you need,
I will give you my compassion.
Just don't forget about me
'Cause we all need some compassion.
Open up your heart
So you can start to feel compassion.
Get down on your knees,
Pray to heaven for compassion.
Everybody needs compassion.
If you want to be healed
Then you know you got to feel compassion.
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He left us a simple commandment, and we seem to struggle
with it.
Love thy
neighbor as thyself.
We should be
spending as much time, love and compassion as we do for
ourselves on people around us.
The lost
souls, the hurting souls, the shamed souls, the empty
souls, the angry souls, the lonely, souls, the crying
souls, the dying souls...
So, when you decide to take the time and change and
start focusing on others rather than yourself, let this
song be a prayer in your heart.
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Give me your eyes- Brandon Heath
Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere,
Why have I never cared?
Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah
Yeah
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Chorus
I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along
Chorus (x2) |
We forget so easily how much Jesus did for us. WE know
the Truth about Jesus. So many others don’t and NEED to
hear it from US. They have closed off God, but still
desperately seek that Hope that we know and have.
We need to take our eyes off of OURSELVES and focus them
on OTHERS. How can God ever use us when all we think
about is ourselves? Then we drag OTHERS into our world
to think even more about US.
We need to stop and change our thoughts. We need to
change our focus.
If you are
STILL not convinced and convicted...
Consider
this:
What if...
what you do or not do is THE test?
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Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for
thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
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What if the stranger you see hurting is an angel and it
was a test to see if you would help?
What if it
was JESUS?
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Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all
the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory: And before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from
the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right
hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King
say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked,
and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee
an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee
drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee
in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee
sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King
shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto
you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and
ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took
me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and
in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they
also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or
sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto
you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least
of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go
away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal. |
Let’s focus on OTHERS and let God use us.
It is
amazing how quickly our problems will fade when we focus
on others and share the Hope and Truth we know and have.
Take
care and have a SON-derful day.
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DID YOU ENJOY THIS STUDY AND FIND THE TRUTH WITHIN? WOULD YOU
LIKE TO ASSIST US IN SEEING THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER THIS
TRUTH?
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MEMBER OF THE MOST AWESOME CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY ON THE INTERNET? |
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