[SIGN] Power for 2017 "Closing the Divide" - Morris Ruddick

[SIGN] Power for 2017 Closing the Divide  By Morris Ruddick on Sep 29, 2017  Self-sufficiency is the strategy necessary for the community of God’s people to survive as a culture within a culture. The temptation over the years has been to “be like everyone else” and to assimilate. Self-sufficiency within the household of faith is what protects us from being like everyone else and as a people of God, losing our identity by being absorbed and assimilated. To accomplish this goal requires big thinking and unity and maturity within the community of believers. It calls for the full biblical practice of righteousness, of tz’dakah, which is operational community generosity and responsibility. It goes back to the practice of not just feeding the poor but giving a helping hand to the poor -- teaching them to fish so to speak rather than just feeding them and making them dependent on you. That is why independent businesses among God’s people is so important. Click to read full article »     Recent Articles: Beyond Ourselves Materialism Antidote Entanglements Guard the Gates Appointed Authority

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Sharing Love From Sweden - HEART FOR THE POOR - Eva Haglund

HEART FOR THE POOR

Eva Haglund

Today there are many people who are poor. There are many who do not have food. Some do not care about the poor and we can find egoism and lack of love. Some look down at the poor. This happens also in some churches.

This is not what God wants. Jesus identifies with the poor. He came as newborn baby unto a stable.  He did not come to a castle or a palace but to a simple stable. He did not just think about Himself. He was a giver and He gave everything, including His life for us at the cross because of His love for us. Jesus has love and compassion.

Jesus took the two bread and the seven fish as the boy gave Him and blessed them. It multiplied and it was a help for many. People were listening to His teaching and then they needed to eat.  We can see here that Jesus also thought about the poor.

He taught a parable in Luke 10 that a man was robbed and was wounded and did not have money, but the Samaritan by showing compassion in his big trouble. Jesus wants us to show compassion and help people. In Philippians 4:10 -14 we read when Paul had lack and Christians helped him. We also read in Acts 3:6 "Silver and gold I do not have but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." He did not have any money here either.

In James 2:1 is written "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ , the Lord of glory with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel and there should also come in a man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place" and say to the poor man, "You stand here or sit at my footstool," have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

Sometimes people who are begging and other people who are poor are looked down at. The value of a human being is not in the clothes. Jesus did not look down at the poor. He said in Matt 25:40, "Assuredly I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it to Me." Here we see that He cares about the poor,too.

Sometimes among Christians there is little care about the poor . Some are not interested in helping them. There can be people sometimes who hardly have any food and people do not think it is important to help. There are other Christians who have a warm heart and have a heart of caring for the poor. In Acts we can see how they cared about each other when some did not have food. We read in Acts 2:44, "Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need." 

I do not think we all need to sell our possessions and divide them but I think that you can understand the heart they had for each other. When anyone was in a need, lacking food, they helped each other. When Christians live closer to each with more fellowship and friendship, it is easier to see if anybody is poor. We read in Acts 2:46 that they had fellowship in houses and shared the bread. It needs to be restored more of this fellowship among Christians. The Bible also teach us to show hospitality. In 1 Peter 4:9 "Be hospitable to each other without grumbling."

To care about the poor we read James 2:15 where it is written, "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one says them "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you not give them the things which are needed for the body what does it profit?" Our faith ought to be shown in works. Love is to show practical care and love is greatest.

When Jesus was with His disciples near the sea in John 21 He made bread and gave to His friends. He gave them fish as He had prepared and fixed a warm fire when they came from the sea. It could be cold and He talked with them. He showed care and love and shared His bread with others.

Sometimes today there are Christian conferences which cost money but the poor cannot come because they cannot afford it. I think that these conferences ought to be for all, also for the poor. Church is also meant for the poor - not just for them who have enough money. If the poor are welcome to conferences it is also a testimony to relatives around. 

This is agape love and is a testimony to the world. The Gospel is also for the poor and church ought to be a welcoming church for the poor.

I  think about Jesus who had to stay in a stable and was not welcome into a house. There are also prophets who are left out from meetings because they are poor. The heavenly Daddy has a heart of love and compassion and we see in the parable of the lost son His heart of caring and He rushed towards the son. He cares for all people and He cares about the poor.

We read in Matt:14:14, "And when Jesus went out He saw a  great great multitude and He was moved with compassion for them. "He took the five loaves and the two fish as He got from the boy and blessed them, broke the bread and gave them and the fish to the disciples to give it to people. I think He also thought of the poor among the people here. He had a heart for them and cared about them.

There are people who are poor around us and we cannot help all but we can help some if we have anything to give who we meet in our way. We need to share our bread and in Isaiah 58:6 - 8 we read, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every joke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out, when you see the naked that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then you light shall break forth like the morning. Your healing shall spring forth speedily. And your righteousness shall go before you and. The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard."

God also gives back when we help the poor. We can bless also Jews who are poor. Sometimes there also poor Jews in Body of Christ - Messianic Jews. Anyone who blesses Israel God will bless. We read in Genesis 12:3 it is good to bless Israel and the Jewish people.

We need to share our bread and Jesus shared His bread. Jesus also showed the greatest love to us at Calvary.  

In  John 3:16 is written "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Yeshua/Jesus gave His Bread. He gave His life for us because of His love.

Favor Verses Entitlement by Paulette Reed

Favor Verses Entitlement 

by Paulette Reed

Identity Network

 

Living Epistles

 

One thing I love about growing older is how the Word of God becomes more alive to me with each and every passing day. As a living epistle, I've had the honor of experiencing the Scriptures in deeper and more unique ways. One verse that jumped off the page as I was reading my Bible recently was Psalm 37:25: "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

 

As I pondered this word in my heart, I reflected on the fact that I have never had to beg God for the necessities of life. Strong's Concordance defines begging as "to seek, require, demand, or request." Does that mean if someone seems to be consistently asking for money, goods, or reduced prices, they are lacking in righteousness? Does it mean they are not righteous in the way God defined it? It is something to certainly think about.

 

Confusion in the Camp

 

I am deeply concerned when I see Christians living a life that does not line up with the plumb line of God - Psalm 37:25 included. When people beg, living as entitled Christians, they are giving the devil a foothold as deception leads them into believing that a demonic spirit of entitlement is really the favor of God. But they are not the same at all! In fact, they are the complete opposite of each other.

 

If indeed the righteous do not beg, then why do we hear so many believers asking or begging for special treatment and favor? Why do we constantly hear the innuendoes that are in opposition to Psalm 37:25? For example, when someone is standing with a group of believers and says, "Oh dear, my back is stiff and I need a massage so badly but I just can't afford one," knowing that a massage therapist is in the group, is that person exuding favor or entitlement? Did that really have to be announced to the group? Would that person have said the same thing had not a massage therapist been part of the group?

 

Psalm 33:13 reminds us, "When the Lord looks down from heaven, He observes every human being." God knows every sparrow that falls to the ground, He knows every hair that is upon our head, so certainly no one has to share their plight with a group of people in order to manipulate others to have mercy on them and give them something for free. It is God who supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory.

 

Or what about when people who use the calling on their life as their business card to achieve their needs? Someone may say, "We're missionaries, so we're hoping you would serve us for free." How in the world does that glorify God? Should Christians have to "beg" a dentist to provide services for free to fix their teeth? Our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so certainly He can sell a couple of those cattle to meet our needs.

 

Being a Christian does not give anyone the right to pull too hard on someone's mercy gift or compassion, demanding or manipulating them to give us something for free. In fact, pulling too hard is a sign of entitlement, not a sign of God's favor upon our lives. These are just two of many examples I'm witnessing frequently in the Church today. Begging grieves the Holy Spirit.

 

There is a Season for Everything

 

I understand that to everything there is a season, and a time for everything under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3). So I don't have a problem with people using government assistance or church food banks or an offering to supplement health insurance needs for a season when it is truly needed. Ultimately, however, insurance is truly our responsibility for us and our children, as we are taught in the Word to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13:1). I'm speaking from experience here knowing that he Lord truly is my Maker, my Husband, and my Provider.

 

I know there are reasons the government is looking at limiting some assistance programs to one year. I agree with some of those reasons while disagreeing with others. Perhaps this is a good place to say, "Alleluia!" because, sometimes - and I mean sometimes - assistance can give the enemy legal rights to release a spirit of entitlement on a person. And no one wants those evil hitchhikers attached to them.

 

Since 1 Corinthians 15:46 teaches us that things in the natural realm often take place before things in the spiritual realm, could it be that the Lord is showing us something in allowing the government to cut back assistance? Is God trying to set people free and empower them to rise up and believe what they believe - that the government truly does rest on His shoulders?  Perhaps God wants to show Himself mighty as His Kingdom has everything we need and we need everything His Kingdom has.

 

People who are deceived as to what's truly the favor of God and what's an entitlement spirit might say, "I'm living by faith." Well, that may be true, but it's not their faith they are living by - it is often someone else's faith. Every time a person gets something for free, or at a reduced price, someone somewhere is paying for it. The products and services and food weren't really free, rather someone who is paying Caesar what belongs to Caesar (Mark 12:17) just paid for those "free" services.

 

And where in the world does any believer get the idea that living by faith means not working? Even God works, for Genesis 2:2 tells us, "By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done." And He expects hard work from us as well. One of several Scriptures teaching us to have a good work ethic is Colossians 3:23, where Paul says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

 

Work is not a result of the fall, a curse that we are to endure while on this side of heaven. God established work before the fall of humanity. Before Adam and Eve ever sinned, before they ever ate of the fruit they were told not to eat from, God had given them the mandate to work and keep the Garden. It is true that after the fall work became much harder - it was by the sweat of his brow that Adam was now to till the ground. We might ask ourselves, "How am I doing in maintaining my portion of God's garden?"

 

Since God created work before the fall, and since God Himself worked in creating the heavens and the earth, we have a mandate to work and contribute to society. This is one of the ways we fight the spirit of entitlement in our lives. Paul admonished the Ephesians, "He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need" (Ephesians 4:28). 

Personally, I love working heartily for the Lord and sharing thousands of dollars with the poor every year. But what really defines those who are poor? Again, Paul tells the Thessalonians, "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either" (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

 

Exposing the Lie

 

Entitlement, according to Webster's Dictionary, is "the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something; the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges); a type of financial help provided by the government for members of a particular group." Having a spirit of entitlement goes against the gospel itself, the fact that Jesus saved us when we were dead in our sins.

 

Beloved, we have no rights when it comes to entitlement. We gave up our rights the moment we were born from above and stepped into the Kingdom of God, thus letting God rule and reign in our lives. We were not saved to be entitled people, but people who are called to walk in the favor of God.

 

Favor, on the other hand, is the Greek word charis, which means grace, favor, or kindness. The favor of God is a gift or blessing brought to us by Jesus Christ. It's both unmerited and undeserved. The fact that we have been born again is a result of the kindness of God - we didn't do anything to deserve it or be entitled to it. We weren't good enough, righteous enough, or holy enough to deserve salvation. Rather, it was a gift freely given by God when we were dead in our sins. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…" That doesn't sound like a gift given because someone was entitled to it.

 

Please know that my heart in writing about this subject is to glorify God and train, protect, and set the captive free for those who may be confusing God's favor with a spirit of entitlement. As I have said for many years, "People who are deceived don't know they are deceived because they are deceived."  Let's learn to quickly recognize when the enemy is trying to deceive us regarding a spirit of entitlement and when we are really walking in God's favor.

 

God's grace is freely given to us, so we should always seek to be a blessing to others. We should seek to be the greatest givers, the greatest tippers, the greatest employers, and the greatest employees, contributing to the betterment of humanity. Let us be people who never demand that someone else is required to take care of us. Rather, let us be people who rest in God's favor on our lives.

 

Paulette Reed

www.propheticarrow.org   

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Sharing Love From Sweden - "It Costs"

IT COSTS

by Eva Haglund 

(Stockholm, Sweden)

Counseling at breakfast,

talking about the cost;

I could not go because 

I did not have the price.

My friends could not go either,

because they could not afford to pay;

My heart was sad thinking, 

" Do people have to give 

before they get comforted?"

They without money - 

are stopped at the door?

Were they who did not have enough 

at home for breakfast

Welcome  to the  meal?

Jesus shared the breakfast 

at the sea without fee.

The Samaritan comforted too 

without a price for he.

Was not the gospel for the poor?

Or just for them with money?

In the church would be agape,

To share our bread and honey.

Will the Bread of life -

the Word from heaven cost?

The Bread came to Bethlehem (House of Bread)

For you, and I, and all lost.

Would  He be welcome today?

Or would we close the door?

He gave His life, His Bread, 

He gave his life for the poor. 

Share His love to all,

Even as you are able.

Open the door

To the Star in a stable.

Rev.22:16, Luke 10:30-37