Prophecy

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Feed the Poor Among You
Shared by Patricia Backora, author of the book
Tough Love in Christ’s Millennium
Which you can order online from: http://www.publishamerica.com
Luke 3:10-11; 4:12-14; Acts 4:32-35; James Chapter Two

Certain heathen groups out in the community put My Church to shame, the way they feed poor, penniless, homeless people, even providing feasts for them free of charge in the name of their false gods. But some of My people even turn their eyes away from the needy ones in their midst, their own brothers and sisters in Christ. They just wish the poor would go away because they don’t quite match the decor. Jobless or working poor out in the congregation feel just as pressured to give, give, give into the offering fund to meet “church” expenses as the more affluent members. But they hardly have a can of beans in their own homes. Some of them have just lost their job, and have fallen out of step with the ceaseless rhythm of regular bill-paying and daily needs demanding to be met. Even conscientious working Christians who know how to budget, scrimp and scrape to get by till the next paycheck sometimes get hit with a devastating need that blows them way off course and sucks their bank account dry (if they’re rich enough to have one). It is no fault of their own that they face days or even weeks of severe need before any relief might be forthcoming.

Most times they’re just too ashamed to come to church leaders to beg for help, because they might be branded as panhandlers or mooches. It’s like going out to pick blackberries, not for fun, but survival. One misstep in what you say and you could lose your footing in the walk-on-eggs discussion, thus getting a hideful of verbal stickers as well as a few berries thrown at you. A needy saint might walk away with only this morsel of wisdom: “Go get a job”, or if they do have one, “go get a second job.” Or, the “counselor” (not loving brother in Christ) will coldly say at the troubled individual: “This problem could have a deeper need, you know. Have you examined your own heart and confessed your sin of violating Biblical principles of prosperity? Had you been more faithful in sowing seeds for your needs, and had you honored the Lord (they mean themselves!) with the firstfruits of your paltry welfare check, you wouldn’t have needed to come here in the first place.” So like a miserable Job’s comforter, shame and blame is cast upon a hungry, desperate saint who’s already been soundly trounced by satan.

I don’t see that happen nearly so often among devotees of false belief systems. They feed their hungry and reach out to others, while My people polish off their own wounded with polished rhetoric. Could it be that instead of keeping loaves and fishes in My storehouse to feed the hungry, only cold carp is stored in the Church pantry?

When will My people ever learn: Faith without works is dead?

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