Where's your Sign?

Bill Engvall is one of the redneck comedians. His signature routine is the "here's your sign" joke, which say that stupid people should be forced to carry a sign. I feel most of the time the stupid actions are enough of a sign on their own, and no real sign is needed.

And in the Bible followers of Christ are said to have a sign also, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35 NIV) As followers of Christ we are to love one another. And if you look at the early church you see this is very evident. They shared everything with their fellow believers. There was no welfare or government aid to help people in need. But if there was a need within the church, the believers helped fill that need.

My question is, where is your sign? If you are a Christian, can people watching you tell it by your actions. If someone in your congregation loses his job, do you reach out and help him and his family, and make sue all their needs are met until he is employed again? If a church member hasn't been to services in a few months, do you notice? Do you call and ask where they have been? If a homeless man comes to you church, do you greet him, do you find out his name? Or do you let him sit in the back pew, and hope he is gone before you finish "fellowshipping" with your friends.

When I was growing up, in very conservative Baptist church, we learned that Protestants (and especially Baptists) were the true followers of Christ, and Catholics, Mormans, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, etc. were all pagans, cultist or whatever, and most likely doomed to Hell. Now I am not an expert in Theology, and am certainly not one to say I know who are chosen by God; I make know claim to know anyone's heart, or their relation to Christ. But I want to make this observation, from what I have witnessed from friends and co-workers over the last several years. Take this for what its worth, but in my observation Mormans and JWs whom I know show a much greater amount of concern for each other than many of the Christians I know. They help each other out, the show deep concern for the health and spiritual well being of each other. Many Christians I know seem to try to keep their faith under cover, while these "cultist" seem to be holding the sign Jesus gave us in John 13. Again, I am not making any statements of theology, or belief...just observing. So Christians, if you haven't used it lately, break out your sign, and show some love. I Love you! --Steve