Remembering the Poor

Gal 2:10
10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
(NIV)


Having been homeless and working as a chaplain in two rescue missions, am always reminded of those who are poor, destitute, and homeless. With this New Year we all have been very busy just as the disciples in the church in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas were being sent to Antioch and the Gentiles and the other disciples were to remain in Jerusalem to help build up the church to the Jews. Even though they had been very busy they did not neglect the poor, the very thing that was on their heart that they were eager to do. The apostle Paul is saying here that despite the great work of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles that he was still eager to help the poor.

Paul had already done this on a previous occasion (Ac 11:27-30) and continued to do so in his future missionary journeys (1Co 16:1-3; Ro 15:26-27; 1Co 11:22). As stated by Jesus, the poor are always among us (Mt 26:11), and blessings are promised to those that consider them (Ps 41:1 and 112:9). Jesus' concern for the poor (Ac 20:35) carried down through the apostles (Ga 2:9-10) to the early church as they cared for the poor, the widows (Ac 2:45; 4:34; 6:1, and 8), and promoted special collections for the needy saints (Ro 15:26).

In the Old Testament, the Law of Moses protected the needy by supplying special legislation that gave a portion of the tithes to the poor (De 14:28-29 and 26:12-13), supplied them with the right to glean the fields (Le 19:9-10 and De 24:19-21), restored their land in the Year of Jubilee (Le 25:25-28), gave daily payment of wages rather than weekly or monthly (Le 19:13), and provided justice for them and freedom from oppression (Ex 23:6 and De 7:19).

God also promised to hear their prayers (Ps 69:33) and to help, shelter, and provide for them (Ps 72:12-13, 132:15; and Isa 41:17).

We are told in Scripture that to have pity upon the poor is to lend to the Lord (Pr 19:17), to oppress the poor is to reproach our Maker (Pr 14:31), a special blessing of healing and deliverance in time of trouble will be granted to those considering the poor (Ps 41:1-3), and those who have mercy on the poor will be happy (Pr 14:21).

Even though we are busy and some of us due to the economic downturn are struggling, we also should not neglect the poor. There are many ways that we can help out. There are Rescue Missions all across this country that are not just taking care of the needs of the poor and homeless but also supply the life giving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

All I ask for is that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I am eager to do. Are you eager also?

What Reflection are We Radiating as a Church and as a Christian?

James 1:23-25
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

You have never seen your face. You have seen a reflection of your face, maybe a video of your face, or maybe a photo (picture) of your face. Not unless you can take your eyeballs out with the nerves attached have you been able to see your face with your physical eyes. It can’t be done. What this passage though is referring to is looking into the Word of God is like looking into a spiritual mirror. If we want to see what our physical face looks like, we have to look in a physical mirror. Likewise, we can't see our spiritual self, but we can look in the mirror of God's Word and see who we are in Christ. God's Word is spiritual and reveals our spiritual self (John 6:63). We need to become as sure of our spiritual image as we are of our physical image. After all, we can't directly see either one; we look at something else and take what we see by faith.

A man who doesn't do what he has heard in God's Word (Jas 1:22) is like a man who looks in the mirror but doesn't take any action. He goes on his way and forgets what he has seen. Likewise, we have to keep in front of us the image God's Word paints of our spiritual self and act accordingly. Notice God's Word is called "the perfect law of liberty." This is specifically referring to the New Covenant and all the liberty brought to us through the atonement of Christ. It is only through the grace given to us by the finished work of Christ that we can truly see our new selves and be blessed.

Very often the Church hold’s up a mirror reflecting back the society that surrounds it rather than the Word or the life of Jesus Christ that is our true mirror. If the world despises a sinner the Church should love them. If the world cuts off aid to the poor and suffering than the church should provide healing, food, and shelter. If the world oppresses than the Church should take the hand of the oppressed and lift them up. If the world shames and creates an outcast than the church should proclaim God’s reconciling love and show the way of forgiveness. If the world seeks profit and self-fulfillment the Church seeks sacrifice and service. If the world demands retribution than the Church dispenses grace. If the world has factions that bring dissension, than the Church should join in unity. If the world is destroying its enemy, the Church loves them both.

What mirror or reflection are you bringing the world today, does it reflect the Word and Jesus Christ or does it reflect the world?

Soylent Green, coming to a theater of Earth near you or maybe it’s already here?

In the film Soylent Green the police procedural and science fiction it depicts is an investigation into the brutal murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution, overpopulation, depleted resources, poverty, dying oceans and a hot climate due to the greenhouse effect and climate change. Much of the population survives on processed food rations, including "soylent green" which is processed food (small green wafers) made from humans who were euthanized at a designated early age.

Even though this film is science fiction it has some truth in our reality today. The earth is suffering from pollution, overpopulation, depleted resources, poverty, and climate change. Even though these are the categories most known they are not the least. As in the film we are also coming to the place of genocide where the earth and its resources are more important than human life. With the advent of terrorism, risk of nuclear war, and conventional war our hubris on handling such proves how naive we really are. We are already heading towards the brink of denying human life not just by the depleted resources which lessens availability to each person but we are already eating other human beings as in Soylent Green.

How so you ask? It is our sexual appetite that has caused a Soylent Green type situation. Since January 22, 1973 we as Americans have had over 50 million abortions. If that date sounds familiar it is the landmark decision of Roe vs. Wade. It is legal euthanasia and no matter what words that someone wants to put to this, it is still killing babies. Some say they are not babies, for they have not been fully conceived. However you want to call it, it is still not allowing life to continue. It does not matter if the person is 1 month old in the womb or 95 years old out of the womb it is still not allowing a life to continue.

This way of life, which has continued for almost 40 years, has now been accepted and imbedded in our psyche, what is our next step as we look at pollution, overpopulation, depleted resources, poverty, and climate change? Will we be more interested in saving our planet and less interested in saving life. Are animals more important than humans, are the oceans more important than humans, is our climate more important than humans? If we think that sex is more important than humans then why not these other things. Wars and terrorism is already denying humanity of others and killing them, why not climate control.

Soylent Green is already taking place, like anything when it is done in small ways it will always be a precursor to larger events. Never underestimate what a small band of committed people can do. Do you know why? It is because it is the only thing that has worked. It is the small group of people who were dedicated with our new government in 1776, it is the small group of disciples of Jesus Christ that turned the world upside down. But just as much as these were two positive instances, the same applies to negative ways. These precursors of eliminating life has grown into 50 million with abortions, now add wars, terrorism, and ecological disasters and we have the making of genocide on a major scale. Put into our psyche that your own carbon dioxide, and depletion of resources footprint can be the precursor to global genocide. That is when Roe vs. Wade will be a minor law in comparison to euthanasia to save our planet.


btw - The movie Soylent Green was released in 1973