Gods plan has always been with the poor- and and for restoration.
The law of God was never supposed to be erased or replaced; but fulfilled with Christ. He redeemed us from the curse of the law- having been made a curse for us on the cross ( Galatians 3:13).
Gods purpose has always been the same. Yet many of today’s believers have drifted away from it-
Restoration.
Redistribution of HIS wealth so all could live and dwell.
In Deuteronomy, Gods reveals His plan further.
Every seven years, all debts were to be cancelled.
Everybody would start over, unburdened by accumulated indebtedness.
God says “There need be no poor people among you.” (Deuteronomy 15:4)
His intention is to build an economy that is so prosperous, poverty can be eliminated.
In fact- read Deuteronomy 15:1-11. Wow! Why has the church veered away from this???
We think wealth we earn is for us ourself and no one else.
This is where the deepest part of sin and selfishness is rooted-
It’s not ours, folks.
It’s God’s.
‘The earth is the Lords and the fullness therein.’
(1 Corinthians 10:26)
Everything belongs to God, entrusted to us. He gave us stewardship.
If we see our neighbors in need and have the ability to help with what we have, we are commanded to give to them.
“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1John 3:17)
The Bible has plenty to say about this. Don’t take my word for it- read it yourself!
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10)
Deuteronomy 15:11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
Matthew 5:42 “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Luke 12:33-34 “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
1 John 3:17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
We can’t continue to ignore the need all around us. God has called us to act.
James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.“
And when we give, we are to give cheerfully.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, prompt to do it) giver [whose heart is in his giving].”
See- the Lord gave this word to me:
“The purpose of wealth is not to hoard it to ourself.”
The blessing of Abraham was given for ALL in covenant with God.
This was an eternal everlasting blessing for those who entered an eternal everlasting covenant with God.
“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring (seed) ALL peoples on the earth will be blessed’.” (Acts 3:25)
Blessing people is the heart of God.
Today- majority of people have drifted away from God’s principle of wealth distribution. They turn a blind eye to the poor, whether in their own city, or even within their own church. Most definitely have permitted their hearts to harden towards the impoverished living in other countries.
It’s sad.
It breaks my heart, and must grieve the heart of God.
There should not be any lack in our world.
There should not be people dying of starvation, hydration.
There should not be people dying in the heat, or freezing to death in the cold.
If God has given you two shirts-why can’t you give to one without?
This too is scriptural.
Luke 3:10-11 “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
It is GOD who gave the ability to have wealth- but NOT to hoard to yourself.
The day of reckoning will come.
Remember the scripture earlier Matthews 25:35-40 I shared about helping those in need is helping the Lord?
Many people read and know of this scripture, but seldom talk about the 6 verses that follow-the consequences of NOT obeying God.
Here-read this in the Amplified:
Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons); 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; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me [with help and ministering care].’ Then they also [in their turn] will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.’ Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”
Either we believe God’s Word is true, or we don’t.
I KNOW it’s true. I know HIM. He is my Shepherd. I hear His voice, and I follow Him.
So if we know and believe it’s true- should we not be doing what God has said to do?
There is a solution to homelessness and poverty., for all the world. The name is Jesus. The Word of God.
Let’s start a revolution of God’s restoration!
It’s time for a spiritual jubilee!
Here’s a snapshot of what true believers did about this, as recorded in the Bible:
Acts 4:32-35 “All the believers were in one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, AND IT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO ANYONE AS HE HAD NEED.”
Do you ever wonder why this principle of sharing and wealth distribution has faded away?
I do.
I believe this spirit of giving and sharing is God’s desire. I believe it’s God’s heart.
I surely have read and reread this in multiple translations over multiple times- and haven’t seen once where God said it was only for a one time deal. I haven’t read yet where God said to stop giving and sharing.
I’m sharing an excerpt of a devotion I read this morning from The Bible App that reinforces the message the Holy Spirit gave me to share.
Yes, this is a long read above, and remainder- but it’s key for all believers and followers of Jesus to ‘see’ this!!!
To ‘get‘ this revelation that the seed reproduces after its own kind- and if we are the seed of Christ, God’s Son, and God GAVE, with a spirit of giving and sharing His best, all He has, He freely gave, and continually gives, to us- then we should be doing the same.
“The law sets up a process to ensure that no family will ever permanently lose its land.
They may become poor—perhaps through tragedy, perhaps through their own failings—and sell their land.
But the rest of the family is commanded to buy it back for them.
Furthermore, if no one has the money to buy it back, the next generation will be given it back.
Every 50 years is the Jubilee, when all land is returned to its original owners.
Everybody starts over.
There can be no permanent separation between the rich and the poor, no rich landowners and poor peasants.
Every fifty years they will go back to having the same resources.
With our current economic mindset, we might think this was a very unfair way to treat the well-off.
Why should they just give back what they got fair and square?
But the Bible introduces a very different point of view.
“The land is mine!” God says. (Leviticus 25:23)
“It never belonged to any of you in the first place.
It’s mine to use as I see fit, and my choice is to ensure that no family ever permanently loses its share in the economy.”
It’s hard to say how exactly this might be applied in a modern situation.
Our economic setting is very different, starting out with the observation that farming is not the whole economy.
What is not different is God’s concern for the poor, and His ownership of everything…
He has made a world where no one need be poor, and He gives laws to His people that are meant to stop poverty in its tracks.
Is His remedy fair to those who loaned the money?
Again, as with the land laws in Leviticus, it’s God’s money!
Not ours! According to Him, it’s not right that any one of His creatures should be permanently poor.”
Prayer:
“Lord, keep me from gripping money so tightly. It’s your money, not mine—you have merely loaned it to me. Show me how to put it to work for your good purposes of justice. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
while Wendy was busy stretching the donated $289 shopping the clearances at multiple locations that purchased 5 insulated coveralls, tons of socks, gloves, hats, scarves and hand warmers, 4 huge boxes of hot chocolate mix- and picking up donated winter THICK coats (shout out to Doug and Kim Hibbs @ The Courthouse Restaurant who loaded us up with boots, nice Carhart heavy coats and thermal padded flannels, and all the other amazing donations you all sent.
IAMJESUSGAL 