daily java

Daily Java:

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! (Psalm 41:1)

There are two kinds of people: those who are kind to the poor and those who are not. It really is that simple.

Those who are kind to the poor are those who are generous. They are kind to people who can do nothing in return for them.

The others take advantage of their position in life.

When John the Baptizer was in prison, he got just a little worried. He knew his job was that of Elijah in Malachi 4, pointing out the Messiah. He wanted to know for sure that Jesus was the Messiah and that he was not in prison in vain. Things were heating up for him and he just wanted to make sure.

So, in Matthew 1:1-6, he sent his apostles to Jesus to ask him, Are you the Messiah? Jesus told them to go back to John and tell him that the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk and the gospel is preached to the poor.

Jesus said, in essence, by my fruits you will know me. all of the miracles were happening, yes, but above all, those who could give Jesus nothing were being ministered to.

It is always interesting when the media releases how much the presidential candidates give to charity and charity causes. Usually the richest give the least.

I believe that is primarily because they do not care. I have mine, so you go get yours. It is a life greed of sorts, a refusal to help those in need.

Now I do not believe in a wholesale give-away. I think that giving poor people things all the time just makes life-long poor people.

We gave away food on Monday nights in Tulsa and had a number of people come. But when I went to visit a neighboring church’s food program on another night, there were the same people. And I found out that their job was to go from free food give-away to free food give-away. They never bought anything.

And on the days they didn’t get food, they were visiting other places that paid their electricity and other utilities. They called each other on free cell phones and wore free clothing.

There was no reason for them to work. They got everything they needed. Everything, that is, except pride and self-respect.

But it is not the government’s job to feed the poor. It is ours. When the government does it, it just engenders a class of people who are constantly needy.

Help is good on a temporary basis, or if some calamity has befallen someone. It is never good n a permanent basis.

Oh, and I do not believe Social Security payments are help. For the most part, those have been paid in by the people who receive them. They are paid back, not given. There is a difference.

But those who give are marked by one thing: they are generous. There is a love and joy in their lives that is totally absent from those who do not.

daily java

Daily Java:

The rich and poor have this in common: the Lord made them both. (Proverbs 22:2)

You look at people that have everything. They have cars and houses, they travel on their own jets, they go where they want when they want and always have plenty of money to do so.

And many times because of it, they are vain and arrogant, feeling a sense of entitlement, they are captains of their own industry and masters of their own universe. Or so they seem.

Then there are people who have serious trouble just making ends meet. They work hard, yet never have the money to even pay doctor bills. Their idea of travel is to go to a neighboring city to go to the mall or maybe to the beach.

Two more different people there could not be, yet God made both of them.

And you wonder, why didn’t he make me like the rich ones?

Many times they are rich through no real effort of their own. Maybe they are actors who just happened to be in a hit movie. Even though they are no better than any other actor, they got a big break and it made them rich. Other, more talented actors still struggle on.

Maybe they inherited a lot of money. Their parents worked hard and achieved the American dream and then left all their money to a little spoiled girl who thinks it is her right to be wealthy, who spends her days in absolute waste, almost mocking the parents who made her rich by their endowment.

Maybe it is a politician who got rich off the people he was supposed to serve. And maybe it is someone who truly worked hard and earned their riches through both talent and tenacity.

And maybe the poor person is poor through no fault of their own. They are just as hard a worker as the rich person. They may be as talented or more so than the actor or musician, but were not in the right place at the right time.

Maybe they had their money taken from them by someone who was wealthy.

But the hard thing to notice is that God made them both. Both came from the hand of God.

God did not make the greed or the oppressive spirit, but God made the person.

And it is hard to realize that they both are the same down deep. Both want happiness, both want fulfillment, both want love.

It is really sad to see famous movie stars, men and women who are loved and adored by millions who cannot keep a relationship. There are millions who would give anything just to spend a little while in their presence, yet they cannot stay married and are, according to the tabloids, of course, constantly in pain from betrayal and desertion by others who are equally famous and adored.

Both are children of God. But the only ones, rich or poor, who are happy, are those who have locked their lives into God, who have allowed him control. When they do this, both display the love and mercy of God.

Without it, both are also similar in that they are miserable. No matter how rich you are, without God you are miserable. And no matter how poor you are,. With God you are happy.

I read an article recently that said that the rich and the poor share an attribute. The poorer you are, the less likely you are to go to church. And the richer you are, the same.

Both come from God and both react basically the same. Both tend to be wrapped up in themselves.

And both desperately need God.