IS THE ROAD TO THE KINGDOM, THROUGH THE POOR ?

July 18, 2013

IS THE ROAD TO THE KINGDOM, THROUGH THE POOR ?

“To accept passively an unjust system is to cooperate with that system; thereby the oppressed become as evil as the oppressor”. Martin Luther King Jr. “It takes a village originated with the teachings of Jesus. But the village must be an environment in which families and individuals are supported and strengthened by each of us whose goal it is to walk the same path as Christ walked to Calvary.

With the current cuts in federal programs, more and more people are being turned away from shelters, and government programs. And at a time when the economy is bad, the unemployment rate is high, and people keep losing their homes. But of course the foolish rhetoric of our country is a total cover up of the basic rights of all, and will eventually leave only To two classes, the rich, and the poor. not the Black and White

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Martin Luther King Jr.. In the days of Amos, God accuses the rich of even making “the poor of the land to fail.” By bringing them down to such a low poverty level that they never could escape from it.

So what this tells me is that the poor will always suffer more severely in a godless nation. As the majority of the One per center’s, throughout the world we live in, believe only in the god of money. But If I am not mistaken, In God We Trust is still on our currency, but whose god.

Not the God I serve, who died on the cross for all, which includes the rich and the poor. As we get closer to Christ return many of our church doors are even being locked to the poor. When someone phone’s a church asking for help, they are usually sent  to a shelter, or an agency which the government funds, which most on the religious right wants to cut the funding for.

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. In Proverbs it also states “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Proverbs 14:31.

As Christians we must individualized our stance on our compassion for others as Christ did and hope it will catch own to others as we spread Gods word. For “He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth, and he who gives gifts to the rich both come to poverty.” Proverbs 22:16

Ezekiel says it best in Ezekiel 16:49-50 “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.”

God states clearly that he destroyed Sodom’s sins because of their pride, and their excess of food while the poor and needy suffered. The bible maintains a clear position on the poor throughout its pages, and, interestingly, it has less to do with them than it has to do with us and how we treat the poor.

In Deuteronomy 15:11 it says There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Christians are commanded to help one another but we are also called to help those who are less fortunate than we are.

Proverbs 21:13 is among the most powerful calls from God to help those who are hungry because “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 states that, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him ?” As a nation, when we allow the poor to suffer. One day soon.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. He will sit on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people, one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will say………

“I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:31-40 As Christians We must not forget our eternal destiny is shaped by how we treat the poor and needy. We don’t get into heaven, by going to church, or by being moral. We don’t even get  into heaven by being good.

No! we only get into heaven by loving as Christ loved, and Caring as Christ cared, especially for the vulnerable and needy. Even when this is not spiritually motivated, by our churches, or those around us. It must be an individual heartfelt concern. That only comes about by walking with God each and every day. And as we make this walk it determines our eternal destiny. For everyone who takes a daily walk with God, has within themselves the capacity to love everyone, as Christ loved.

Dr. King, always a believer in nonviolent civil disobedience, spent his last months organizing the national Poor People’s Campaign, which sought to bring low-income Americans from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. As he focused on poverty he also dramatize the pressing need for jobs, income, healthcare, and housing; as he also raise essential questions about the gap between the rich and poor in America.

But forty five years later, America still has not gotten it, even though we are at a crossroad in history, as we move further into the 21 century, and  Christ soon return. “All too many of those who live in affluent America ignore those who exist in poor America ”Martin Luther King, Jr.

And today my friends I don’t speak to the world or to the “fool who says in his heart, “There is no God.” For They are corrupt, their deeds are vile…”Ps. 14:1. But I speak to the Christian whose destiny is Gods pure and holy kingdom. Jesus says “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Luke says “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me 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 easy to lead them to the love of Christ, because they already see Christ in us. So as the world moves farther and farther away  from Gods will and responsibility to the poor. Ask yourself  how can I as a Christian keep from “conforming to the pattern of this world, as I transform my mind, and character as I carry out Gods will in my life.

And in the end, the Master will say to me, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY