The Poor and the Christian

  The Poor and the Christian

In the book of James we read,

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?...  

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead"James 2:14-20, 26.

The Jews have a concept known as “Tzedakah”. It is something I believe Christians need to at least consider. 

I got the following definition of Tzedakah from a Jewish website it states, 

"Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word "charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.

The word "tzedakah" is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due."

According to Jewish scholars there are various levels of Tzedakah,

Giving begrudgingly

Giving less than you should, but giving cheerfully,

Giving after being asked

Giving before being asked

Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows yours

Giving when you know and the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know yours.

Giving when neither party knows the other's identity.

Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant. 

Another Jewish website, My Jewish learning 101 states,

Biblical prophets castigated the Israelites for neglecting and even exploiting the poor, insisting that God has particular concern for those in need. The rabbis of classical Judaism praised tzedakah, calling it, for example, "equal in value to all the other mitzvot [commandments] combined." They also praised those who practice it, saying that they attain the level of holiness of someone who brought sacrifices in the ancient Temple. The Rosh Hashanah liturgy lists tzedakah alongside repentance and prayer as a human act capable of averting a negative divine decree.

Jesus said,

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, 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, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 

"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,     I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 

"They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 

"He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:34-36.

Please think about it.

Where do you rank?

  Where do you rank?

In the gospel of Mark we read,

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35.

Do you have a servants heart?

If you consider yourself a Christian, a true believer in Christ Jesus do you truly have a servants heart? Do you do your best to help those around you to the extent you are able?

How about the ministries, pastors, evangelist and even politicians you support, do they truly serve others?

One of the many ways a person shows they are a true believer in Christ Jesus is by being a servant. 

There are many in our world today who believe the greatest person is the wealthiest, or most successful in business or in politics. 

Jesus however makes it clear that,

"If anyone wants to be first, 

he must be the very last, 

and the servant of all." 

                                           Mark 9:35.

So are you first or last?

Please think about it.

I Will

I Will

Because... “...He (God first loved us.”)
       1 John 4:19

I will... love God

Because... “...God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

I will... love God

Because... Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this shall all know that you are My disciples.  If you have love for one another.  John 13:34,35

I will... love my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Because... Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”   Luke 6:27,28

I will... love my enemies.

Because... The Bible says, “Love suffers long and is kind: love does not envy; loves does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things; believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  I Corinthians 13:4-8a

I will... I will love.

Because... The Bible says, “Now abides faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:13

I will... love God and my fellow man

 Because..      according to Ephesians 2:8,9:
“...by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works; lest anyone should boast.”

I Have hope in Christ...
For according to Romans 5:1,2: “...having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace which we stand, and rejoice in hope of glory of God.”

Because... For Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40:
“...you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


I will love all mankind...
Because of this and much more
I will love.

Two Masters

 Two Masters

Jesus said,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also....

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 16:19-21,24.

From my perch here in Canada I see many who call themselves Christians wanting to have their feet in both worlds. They want to be wealthy and they want to serve God.

Now there’s nothing wrong with being wealthy. Many wealthy people throughout the centuries have helped fund church growth. 

The problem becomes when acquiring wealth and all that it can buy you becomes more important than God.

Our service to God should be paramount in our life. And we don’t need to be rich to serve God. We just need to be willing to serve Him.

So my questions to you dear reader is;

Who is your master? 

Where is your treasure?

Are you willing to put God and service to Him over your earthly wealth?

Please think about it.

A Servants heart

  A servants heart

Jesus said,

“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45.

This is the key to a true Christian life. To serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and those around us. Sadly many Christian leaders, pastors, teachers and evangelist, even men and women in the pew don’t follow this principle.

To many pastors, teachers and evangelist want to have big houses, fancy private jets instead of serving. They like to be the centre of attention.

“...Jesus told this parable:  

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9b-14.

As believers we need to remember we are called to be servants of God. Men and women who have the responsibility in word and deed to spread the gospel message and help whoever we can.

Francis of Assis wrote this prayer,

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." 

                                                                       Francis of Assisi.

Is this your prayer? Do you believe this is the prayer of the pastor, teacher or evangelist you follow?

Please think about it.

What?

  What?

Jesus said,

“Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  

He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 

"Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  

And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 

"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:15-21.

Now let me say there is nothing wrong with being wealthy. It’s the value you put on your wealth and what you do with it that can cause problems.

The apostle Paul tells us,

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.

We must never put our money our earthly possessions ahead of our faith in God. Anything that is put ahead of God is an idol.

We must also remember that the Christian life is one of service. Service to God and to our fellow man.

Francis of Assisi wrote,

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received--only what you have given.”  Francis of Assisi.

So what have you given to God? Your time and talents? Your money? Your love? 

What have you done for your fellow man? Shown your love? Helped someone in need? What?

When you stand before God what will he say about your life here on this earth?

Please think about it.

Who's your friend?

 Who’s your friend?

In the book of James we read,

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  James 4:4.

So who’s your friend?

Jesus tells us,

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24.

We must decide whether we are on Gods side or mans side. A decision that should not be taken lightly. 

Matthews gospel tells this story,

"Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 

"Which ones?" the man inquired. 

Jesus replied, " ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,' and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.''" 

"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" 

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth." Matthew 19:16-22.

Are you this young man. Who had more faith in his wealth than in God? Or is your faith in God?

Please think about it.

Who do you serve?

Who do you serve?

            Joshua said,

“Now therefore,

 fear the LORD,

serve Him

in sincerity

and truth,

and put away the gods which your fathers served

on the other side of the river and in Egypt.  Serve the LORD!

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,

choose for

yourselves

this day

whom you

will serve, 

whether the

gods which your

fathers served

that were on the other side

of the river,

or the gods 

of the Ammorites,

in whose land you dwell.

But as for me and my house,

 we will serve the LORD.”

                                     Joshua 24:14 & 15

Like it or not there are many gods in the twenty-first century. Money, material possessions, selfish ambition, political ambition. Anything that pulls you away from God is an idol.
Sadly many claiming to be Christians and many calling themselves Christian evangelist and pastors worship those gods also.
Thus the question is do you?
Please think about it.

True Greatness

True Greatness

"Former Secretary of State James Baker once said, "Someone asked me what was the most important thing I had learned since being in Washington. I replied that it was the fact that temporal power is fleeting." Baker went on to observe that once driving through the White House gates he saw a man walking alone on Pennsylvania Avenue and recognized him as having been Secretary of State in a previous administration. "There he was alone - no reporters, no security, no adoring public, no trappings of power. Just one solitary man alone with his thoughts. And that mental picture continually serves to remind me of the impermanence of power and the impermanence of place."
What is true greatness? Throughout history there has been many great men and women. Men and women who have done noble deeds. Most are lost to history.
Jesus said,
“The greatest among you will be your servant.  
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” 
                                                                                                Matthew 23:11,12.
Ben Zion Bokser wrote,
“The man sweeping the synagogue paused for a moment.  He looked at the flowers lying about in disorder, ‘What waste!’  He said too himself.  Those roses had adorned the pulpit at a wedding aan hour before.  Now all was over and they were waiting to be discarded.
The attendant leaning on his sweeper was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a strange sound.  One of the roses replied to him.
‘Do you call this a waste?” the flower protested, ‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?  My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and when I have fulfilled it my life has not been wasted.  And what greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to her beloved, what greater privilege than to help glorify the moment when aa bride and groom seal their faith in each other by entering the covenant of marriage?’
Our little flower paused for a moment too watch the man’s face, and then continued her discourse.
‘Roses are like people.  They live in deeds, not in time.  My glory was but for a brief hour, but you should have seen the joy in the bride’s eye.  I like to believe that I had something to do with it, by creating a suitable setting for the moment of her supreme happiness.  So don’t grieve for me.  My life has been worthwhile.
Having spoken her little piece, the rose was once more silent.  The attendant, startled from his reverie and a little wiser, pushed the sweeper again and continued with his work.”
                                                                                                         Ben Zion Bokser.
True greatness is doing one’s duty no matter how humble it is. It is to give of one’s self in an unselfish way. To show love to all men, even your enemy.
The greatest people are not necessarily men and women with political, religious or military power. They are the average person on the street who see a need and meet that need in what ever way they can.
James writes,
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? "
                                                                                                               James 2:14-20.
Greatness lies in our deeds no matter how big or small. It lies in our willingness to help and serve people without expectation of recognition or remuneration.
Think about it.

Service

Service

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.  
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  
There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." 
Revelations 22:1-5

What a reward for serving the Lord. What a tragedy if people would miss such a reward because we Christians failed to show Gods love to unbelievers or they were turned off by our talk and our walk.
I for one am looking forward to that day when I will see my Lord face to face. I want to look upon my Lord and My God and say Lord thank you for your love towards me.
But while I am on this earth and serving him as a foreigner in this world. I want to show His divine Love to the world. A love that never fails.
Ann Frank a young Jewish girl who hid most of world war two from the Nazis and eventually died in one of the death camps wrote these words.
Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!”
While we are on this earth and while we are serving the Lord we must remember to do this. “Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving”
We have an infinite God who wishes to use us all. We must be willing to say yes to Him. Get off our knees, get out of our prayer closet, and go out with His love. Giving of our self for God’s glory and the salvation of our fellow man.
How much to do you Love, God and your fellow man. Is your’s a life of selfless service or are you putting restraints on what you will do or will not do for God? Are you living the life God wants you to?
Were you on trial for being a Christian today would there be enough evidence in your life to convict you.
Would your enemies be ashamed that they are condemning you because of the love you have showed to them in word and indeed.
Take a bold step and take a day alone with God. Ask Him where you stand with Him and what more you can do for Him. Then get off your knees and do what you are called to do.
Think about it.