Recently I had the privilege of visiting a church in a really tough and deprived area of Scotland. When I was going some of my friends from college said, "oh you don't want to go there it's rough." This church was really in a tough area, social housing problems, crime and drugs. Yet the church was awesome they are reaching refugee's with the gospel, these refugees are finding refuge in Jesus. One of them was an orphan who grew up in an Orphanage, she said at her baptism "I grew up in an orphanage without a mother and father but now I have a Father and I have a family. The church has a lot of middle class people but they are seeking ways to communicate the love of Jesus in practical ways to their neighbours. I found it a wonderful experience as I look forward to where God calls me I want to seek to serve those who are broken and unloved and show them both in word and deed the God of love.
I think quite often we Christians miss this, we have developed what Luther called a church of glory rather than a church of the cross. We need to remember that a church 10 yards from hell is a slice of heaven on earth.
May God Bless you
Stephen
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