Tag Archives: the poor

The Summation of Charitable Giving

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The mantra of today is “Compassion to everyone”.  But compassion delivered without wisdom is no compassion at all.  How should someone know what to do and when?  The answer is to be wise.

If you want to understand charity, then understand this, Jesus is the answer folks.

People will think that they can listen to government and to social movements and know how to deliver compassion.  They will give their goods, money and time, to these organized establishments, thinking that someone else will do what is best.  “They are educated and devoted to delivering compassion.  Surely I can trust them.  Their advertisements are compelling, thus they must be right.”  So a great many say and do.  I will tell you by personal experience, there’s a lot of money to be made on the backs of the poor.

How many people see some apparent need and give without thinking?  Have they truly done God’s will?  Or have they just massage their conscience?  Have they truly understood the situation?  Or have they just wasted their resources on something false?  “I felt in my heart, it was a good thing to do.”

People will think they can read philosophy (That body of literature designed to teach social wisdom, the keeping of social order by logical restraint.)  and know what to do.  People will think that all kinds of charity is good, sound and best.  So they give and give without regard to wisdom. 

You cannot find the wisdom of God in the government, social movements, your own errant heart, or the philosophy of Man.

People will think they can look at history and know how to deliver what is pure and good today.  They look at how the poor and lame of yesterday were treated.  “We have created hospitals and charitable organizations we are far better than our ancestors!”  Really?

People may even read the words of the Bible and think that by these words they can decipher their own way through life.  “How much more the simple act of giving?”  What did the Lord say?  39 “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5)

When will we learn that we can do nothing without him?  When will we understand that to deliver one aspect of God is not delivering the fullness of the Lord?  No, compassion without the wisdom of God is no compassion at all.  Such Things fall under the heading, “The works of Man’s hands”.  The good of Man it’s not the same as the Good of God.

Such attempts at Compassion actually deliver more damage than if we had done nothing at all.  But we feel good, don’t we? 

When will we stop being lazy?  When will we decide to reach out to the Living God, and remain his True servant?  When will we spend more time on our knees than praising ourselves for the good things we do?  A lot of activity is done, but uselessness is its fruit.  Look around.  With all the busyness of charity done today, is the world in any better position?  If you say yes, I suggest you look again.

We do some “good thing” and wander off into time thinking we are good people.  With a smile on our face we forget the one to whom we have shown compassion.  But we don’t see what happens when we leave.

But the good things that are done by a servant of the Living God’s Holy Son do not have that same affect.  If we ask him, wait patiently for the answer, then diligently deliver the things he gives, we can be sure that a true good has been done.

But Man is in a hurry to change his world.  He thinks that God moves too slowly.  He doubts that God will listen to his request.  Worse yet, comes the common understanding that man is expected to do all things good by himself.  (This is what you will find the Mormon Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, often the Catholic Church, and more and more many branches of the Christian church, saying.)  Even so, the good he thinks he has delivered is no more than a javelin through the heart.

People follow the examples of other people.  But are their charitable heroes servants of the Living God’s Holy Son?

So when will people consider what he has said to us?  “You can do nothing without me.”  I will tell you when.  They will serve the Living God when they stop trying to drag him down to their level, and ask to be raised to His.

Ungodly, Unholy Homeless

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With my wife and two children, we walked down the sidewalks of Salem Oregon, suitcases in hand.  My irresponsible behavior had driven my family to homelessness.  We were not victims of the economy.  We were victims of my hatred for righteousness.

Even then I did not turn to God for help.  I turned to the system of men that we could find shelter.  We found some shelter for our bones, but we did not find shelter from my behavior.

Regardless how the bleeding hearts want to paint the homeless as helpless and pathetic little people, there are many of them who are unholy, ungodly, and unworthy of anything good.

Just like every other man, they had opportunity, but they squandered it for the sake of selfish gain. 

I will not hide that fact, for I have known many who were just like me.  We take advantage of the bleeding hearts and consume all their energy and money.  We are a thankless brood; for while we say “Thank you”, we do not use their gifts to do what is right.  And why should we?  They are as foolish men, who walk into a band of thieves, knowingly holding out their hands full of money.  What do they think is going to happen?

You may look at the things I write and substantiate your liberal gifts to the poor.  “See how he has finally gotten out.  See what glorious thing we have accomplished!”  My friend you have done nothing but give me a few days more before I died!

It was God who gave me understanding.  It was God who opened my eyes to my own irresponsible behavior.  It was God who counseled me to be responsible in poverty.  And from there the steps up were clear.

I read God’s Holy Word and saw the condemnation that waited for me.  And as he has spoken it was true, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.  Man did nothing but prolong my personal agony of irresponsible and unholy doings.

There are unholy and ungodly homeless men and women, yes.  And there are unholy and ungodly responsible and rich men and women, yes. 

I have been told that pointing out the condemnation of everyone of us, will save no one.  Well how can that be true when that is precisely what turned this wayward soul?

There is a passage that, if you believe it, will shake your soul to the ground.  The more you believe it, the more you will desire the better things of God. 

If you want to make change in others.  If you want to see change in yourself.  Believe the following words.

“. . . and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face” (Deuteronomy 7:10)

Can you imagine the Holy One getting right down into your face, and accusing you rightly of the things you have done?  If a man does this to us, we may fight back.  But when God does this, you will be utterly helpless.  You will know that your destruction is imminent.  And fear like you have never felt, will consume you.

Allow yourself to believe this and you will start to desire Life.  There will be no bleeding hearts to come and save you.  There will be no hand out that you might pick up to offer God.

You are like wayward bums, who settled on the land of the king.  You did as you pleased and trashed his beautiful meadow.  You called the land by your own name.  And there you made a unrighteous home for yourself.

The righteous King will appear with his vast army.  He will see what you have done without asking.  He will see that you disrespect his authority.  He will not consider your personal excuses.  He will order his men to thrust you through.

He will tear down all that you have built, toss it into a pile, and with great discompassion, he will set it on fire to clear his land.

No one will come to your aid.  No one will remember your name.  Your plight belongs to you.  And at the last effort of your silent scream, you will be obliterated for eternity.

These words are written in a place that is conspicuous.  I do not fear you, and I would be glad to say these things to your face.  But would you listen to me there?  Or would you turn your face like you do when you see me at a distance?

These things are true.  Do with them as seems best to you.

By His Grace