For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:35-40)
Obey God, and leave the consequences to Him. Possessing the spirit of God is the greatest joy and strength of any believer. How can anyone claim to be a Christian and not be concerned, even alarmed, by those in the world who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or imprisoned? This very day I heard a Christian say that he visits a man he knew from his youth who went wrong and is now in prison. Not one of his children or one of his family members ever visit him in prison, but this man visits him because he had been his friend and wants him to know he still has a friend.
This totally blind, 100% disabled, service-connected medical officer of the Korean war has asked the question many times: “I wonder how my family would have treated me if I had gone to prison?” I know how they have ignored me, avoided me, treated me as if I am complete stranger because I am disabled, even though I have done the best I could with my life, and have never done anything to shame anyone. The only thing I can say, these “normal” friends and family members do not know what lies down the road for them.
We are all victims. Recently, a man I have known since I was young, came to my house, and like every other time I have seen him, about every 25 years, always asking for financial help. He deserved the respect I showed him, if for no other reason than I knew his mother, who lost her husband when he was only 7; she had raised him the best she could.
It had been 25 years since I talked with him, and another 25 years before that. Each time, a victim of something; this time, a victim of the recession, poor health, having been cheated by relatives. He told me, like so many, that he was about to lose his house. I recorded the conversation, and if he had the intelligence he had as a young child, he would understand how he has become a victim of himself.
You are either victor over or victim of yourself. We can all find circumstance or someone else to blame for our present situation. It is so important to psychologically prepare, physically prepare and know that the unexpecteds of life will either defeat us or make us stronger. I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give, and I'll survive. I will survive. (1978 - Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive)
Only someone who has traveled the world, who has seen the many and various means of worship all over the world can understand the human nature of seeking help in life's survival. From the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the net-covered Jains in India, to the self-flagellation in Opus Dei of the Catholic Church (and to a greater extent in some tribes), to the sophisticates, perfumed and postured at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California and everything in between...from the snake handlers, to the episcopalian blessing of pets, man engenders some type relationship with a greater power.
In Southern Russian, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has become the ultimate object of veneration for an all-female religious sect whose members believe the premier is the reincarnation of St. Paul the Apostle. The sect was founded by a woman calling herself Mother Fotina, who teaches her followers that Putin was St. Paul in his past life and that his political career follows in the early Christian missionary's footsteps. “According to the Bible, Paul the Apostle was a military commander at first,” she is quoted as saying. “In his days in the KGB, Putin also did some rather unrighteous things. But once he became president, he was imbued with the Holy Spirit, and just like the apostle, he started heading his flock."
In Godless communism, such as is found in China and North Korea, the state is God and you depend on the state for everything. To a lesser extent, in socialist countries, the state controls everything. You move into an area of God-state dependency, totalitarianism.
In America, our ancestors wanted to worship God on God's terms. They claimed opportunity through their own responsible work and living. Today, a family of five (parents and three children) living in Section-8 housing, receiving food stamps and other supplementary-nutrition, meals for their children at school, after school care, medicaid and other health controls; receive government benefits equaling about $75,000 a year.
Most people who go to work every day, pay their own (and their children's) way, do not make $75,000 a year. We have fed the dragon of self-enslavement to the extent that we have several generations depending on government handouts. About 50% of all Americans are subsidized in some way, about 59% depend entirely on government entitlements. Who needs God when you have such a generous government?
This has all happened in my lifetime...social security, college grants, WIC and other nutrition programs, two or more meals at the public school, government housing, a “negative income tax” amount sent to you if report income below a certain level, meals-on-wheels for the poor and disabled, etc.
This hungry dragon will never be satisfied, all control is already gone. Empathy, compassion for the individual is a thing of the past. Many of today's pastors no longer believe in miracles in the servant opportunity of God. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Does injustice bother you? Does the blood of murdered babies, the blood of fallen warriors who gave all to give you opportunity, bother you as the cry comes from the earth. (Genesis 4:10)
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