When a sick or tormented man sends his best friend to inquire of us, "Are you the sons of God, the servants of Jesus Christ, or should I look for someone else?"

We should look that man squarely in the eyes and without flinching say, "Go tell your friend that here, it is increasingly common that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor have good news preached to them. Go bring your friend that he may know the salvation of Jesus Christ by experience?"

The hallmarks of believing Christians are these:
- they love one another
- they do the works that Jesus himself did

Apart from the works themselves, the effects of our words and our love are no more than that which mere men can offer. When we tell people of God's almighty power and goodness in Christ, and leave them in their miserable state, we bring reproach to the Gospel.

No question most churches and we who wear the name of Jesus the King display a different hallmark. “Go tell your friend,” we say, “we’ll feed and clothe him, we’ll befriend him and tell him the awesome story. But if he’s desperately sick or shackled by despair, we’ll invite him to look elsewhere.”

This can no longer be permitted.

God, in Your mercy, grant us repentance to a contrite, faith-filled heart. Jesus, open into us the fire of your compassion and boldness.