MY FRIENDS, DOES THE ROAD TO THE KINGDOM GO THROUGH THE POOR?

Nov. 10, 2016

MY FRIENDS, DOES THE ROAD TO THE KINGDOM GO THROUGH THE POOR?

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” (Martin Luther King Jr.) A much greater poverty than hunger, Mother Teresa says are the unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and those forgotten by everybody. My friends, how will we explain to God our neglect to those we should love as He loved. “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Proverbs 14:31 (KJV)

My friends, if the kingdom of God is our destination we must begin to individualized our stance on our compassion for others as Christ did and hope it will catch own as we spread Gods word. “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me.

Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen.” Ezekiel 16:49-50 (KJV) The bible maintains a clear position on the poor throughout its pages, and, interestingly, it has less to do with the poor than it has to do with you and I and how we treat the poor. Proverbs 21:13 (KJV) is among the most powerful calls from God to help others. It tells us, “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

1 John 3:17 (KJV) states that “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? In addition, our desire to be like Christ must be shaped in the likeness of how we treat the poor and needy. We must love as Christ loved, For [we will] have the poor with [us] always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good” Mark 14:7 (KJV)

Even when this is not spiritually motivated, by our churches, or those around us. It must be an individual passion and A heartfelt concern that only comes about by walking with God daily and with that walk comes a daily transformation into the image of Christ which determines our eternal destination. But to the “fool who says in his heart, “There is no God.” who only cares about self, he has set his own destination, perdition, for He is corrupt, and his deeds are vile…”Ps. 14:1. But God speaks to the Christian whose destiny is His pure and holy kingdom.

Therefore, “the Spirit of the Lord [must be upon you], because God has anointed us to bring good news to the poor…. ” (Luke 4:18) And once we as Christians have taken care of one’s physically needs it will be easier to lead them to the love of Christ, because they have already seen Christ in us. So as the world moves farther and farther away from Gods will and responsibility to others.

We must ask ourselves daily, how can we keep from “conforming to the pattern of this world while transforming our mind, and character to be like Christ. And once we have done Gods will here on this earth, the Master will say to all who followed in His footsteps, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things…..Come and share in your master’s happiness!’