The poor, the broken, the marginalized and the dispossessed have God's attention, do they have yours?

Caring for the poor, the broken, the marginalized and the dispossessed is our mandate as Christians! The quantity of this is the 2nd most common topic in the Old Testament is about what we do with our money and our possessions in light of the poor and the broken, the marginalized and the dispossessed. The only topic to be talked about more is idolatry. Often when idolatry is mentioned this subject is linked to it. The New Testament  has over 300 verses of direct teaching on this subject, that's 1 verse in every 16. in the Matthew, Mark and Luke its 1 in every 12. in Luke its 1 in every 10 verse on how we husband our possession in the light of the poor.  In James letter its 1 in ever 7. To ignore this you would have a bible full of holes, we cant afford to have a bible full of holes. in the NT there is more on how we care about the poor than there is about prayer, 2nd coming, heaven and health, sexual morality - there is more on this than those subject. God still cares about those subject but he cares passionately about the poor.

Hear not the words but the heart of God behind these words:

Isaiah 58 (AMP):
3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor.
4 [The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?
7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking,

God is saying if you want answers to your prayers, if you want me to hear you then feed the hungry, you want more healing then care for the homeless, if you want more healing and power then find me in the poor and care for them and love them.

The scripture continuse ...

10 And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday.

it is often said that the one thing the poor need that they havent got is friends. If you have friends , real friends, you are not homeless, sold into slavery or go hungry.

Amos 6:21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream.

God is saying if you can come together, sing songs to him but ignore the poor then God will put his fingers in his ears and not hear your worship. He loves our singing and he loves our worship but when we sing to him and we let the hungry go hungry and the homeless go homeless when we allow people to stay in slavery when we could fight for them or stand up for them - then he says there is something wrong with this and i hate it. i can not stand your assemblies.

Micah 6:
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?

What does the lord require of you?
to act justly
to have mercy
to walk humbly.

This is God's chosen fast and God's way of life for us, his followers, this is the other part of worship - not only in corporate worship but also to serve to have the full gospel. In the end of time we will be judged on our work and help with the poor!!

Matt 25
34 Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you [g]favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you [h]brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and [i]lodged Me,
36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me [j]with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.
37 Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?
38 And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?
39 And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?
40 And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [[k]in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me. 

That's not all though, there is a verse that has been reeling in my mind the past week. *Psa 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.* This is a earth shattering theory here, he that GIVES shall not have an issue with their lacking. God's kingdom has always flipped man's theory upside down - in secular world we horde, invest and keep getting more to build and to not lack but in God's kingdom we give it all to him, we surrender everything and help those in need God will be on your side!

I do not want to try to post everything in one post, most of this was from soul survivor night 2 on Godtv! MORE POST TO COME!!


NOTE: because i always give honor where honor is due:
Mike Pilavachi (soul survivor 2012 night 2)
Matt Maddix

Proper Baptismal Mode

i am limiting this post on the mode of baptism. This is not a post on HOW but not WHY you should be baptized.

There are generally two camps in this great debate...

1) Baptism in the Titles .. (in the name of .. Father, Son, Holy Ghost)
2) Baptism in the Name (In the name of .. Jesus)


The two most popular scriptures for each side are as follows;

1) Mat 28:19-20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

2) Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Time to go to the scriptures ... 

Jesus is identified with the titles Father, Son & Holy Ghost

Son: Joh 5:43  I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Father: Mat 1:21-23  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  (22)  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  (23)  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Holy Ghost:  Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

To Harmonize Matthew 28 we must look at similar scripture .. 


Mar 16:15-18  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  (16)  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  (17)  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  (18)  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Luk 24:45-48  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.

We must establish Peter's authority to speak for the church... 

Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Now to Acts chapter two .. 

Act 2:37-42  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  (38)  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  (39)  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  (40)  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.  (41)  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  (42)  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Post  Acts 2 mentions of baptism ... 

Act 8:14-17  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:  (15)  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:  (16)  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  (17)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Act 10:44-48  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.  (45)  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.  (46)  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,  (47)  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  (48)  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Act 19:3-5  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.  (4)  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.  (5)  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Act 22:16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

There is only 1 saving name under heaven .. 

Act 4:11-13  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  (13)  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

God was manifested in flesh, that being Jesus Christ! 

1Ti 3:15-16  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.  (16)  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Baptism is taking upon our selves the name of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ”.

Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus”.

2 Timothy 2:19, “Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart for iniquity”.

James 2:7, “That worthy name by the which ye are called”.

See Acts 4:12, “There is none other name”!!!

FINAL WORDS ...

We must also remember Paul besought Timothy to abide still at Ephesus and he might "charge some that they teach no other doctrine" (1 tim 1:3)Scripture evidence points to one and only one way to really be immersed and that is clearly under the name of Jesus. He alone died on the cross, atoned for your sins and is the only name salvation comes through. I hope this post helped you and clarified the topic a little better.  

-BILL

Link to a similiar study i have done earlier: http://wcooley.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-2008-jesus-name.html

Book of Ruth

This is seven parts, although on one big post. 

• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Summary

The following quote is from a friend's Facebook status which caused this study.

Hey Brothers, if all she does is come to church looking pretty and has no worship life in her; she can't be your Ruth. 

Ladies if he's too cool to shout and praise God; he can't be your Boaz.

Here is some of the stuff i have found.

INTRO ~
This book can be divided out into four main parts by chapters:

1. Ruth Deciding      or Love's Resolve
2. Ruth Serving        or Love's Response 
3. Ruth Resting        or love's Requests
4. Ruth Rewarded    or Love's Reward

There are always many ways you can go with this. Four chapters are proven so much stuff, to the story of the kinsmen redeemer which is a foreshadow of our Savior Jesus Christ to the the power to serve. So many aspects in just four chapters i will try to share a few of them because to do all of them would take super long time.  One way to start a study is to look at the main people and the main places then go form there, while this is not exciting this helps see the people.

Our Main People (grandparents to King David):
Ruth -  "friendship" - originally wife of Mahlon, later married to Boaz.
Boaz - "Fleetness" -

Supporting (lesser) Roles:
Naomi - "pleasant"
Mara (Naomi) - "Bitter" - This is how Naomi felt after her husband and sons died.
Elimelech - "God is my king"
Mahlon - "sick" Husband of Ruth, son of Naomi & Elimelch
Chilion - "pining"  Husband of Orpah, son of Naomi & Elimelch

SIDE NOTE - both of her son's names are relating to having an illness 

Orpah - "hind"  Wife of Chilion

Places spoken of:
Bethlehem - "House of Bread". A town in Judah located about six miles southwest of Jerusalem  The birthplace of King David and Jesus Christ.

Moab - "progeny of a father" The region outside of Israel, located south of the Arnon River and east of the Dead Sea. Moab was the son of Lot and was the product of a incestuous relationship between a father and a daughter (Gen 19:31-37). These people were marked because of that.

Into the story we go . . .

CHAPTER 1 ~
This story can not be talked about until the fact that they left God's lands and entered a land full of pagans and idolatry just because of physical circumstance.

Before we get to the main scene there are some leading up events ... Naomi took her husband's and son's death as a personal trouble from God. She tried to discourage the girls from going back into Bethlehem. Chapter one verses 8 - 12 is all about Ruth being discouraged from her mother-in-law to ever enter the place where she will receive her great blessing.  Naomi was being Mara and was working in the flesh! It is important to note while she was being bitter she blessed them (1:8,9) and asked that the Lord deal kindly with them and find rest with their new husband. When she did this, they all wept.

Naomi's discouragement to go with her only worked on Orpah but not Ruth. This section could be called "A Tale of Two Women",  This is interesting in 1:14 where it says "Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her". The word clave means "clung to". This is the equivalent  to touching something versus holding it.  Right after this she is told once again to return to her people. This opens up one of the best loyal comments and the best confessions with Ruth's reply.

1. Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee:
2. for whither thou goest, I will go; and
3. where thou lodgest, I will lodge:
4. thy people shall be my people, and
5. thy God my God:
6. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried:
7. the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 

Wow! What a  seven fold consecration of Ruth! When Naomi decided she was not going to sway Ruth into going to back to Bethlehem then she decided to have Ruth go with her.  Naomi changes her name to Mara ("bitter") and is the second time she has claimed God's judgement on her personally (verse 13 and 20). Modern day terms for verse 20: "call me not pleasant but bitter".

CHAPTER 2 ~
This chapter introduces Boaz! This chapter shows something very interesting about their culture, the tradition was let the harvesters go through once and what ever was left unharvested as a form of welfare for the poor and the widows. They wanted a hand up, not a hand out! I suspect that Naomi directed Ruth to this particular field knowing it belongs to Boaz. Ruth was given very special treatment harvesting. Boaz even told his young men not to touch her, and not to rebuke her. She had the eye of the land owner! She followed what Boaz said and what Naomi said and stayed there the rest of harvest season. Ruth had to spend her time in the field during the harvest! Verse 23 said she stayed loyal and faithful to his field until the harvest was finished.

CHAPTER 3 ~ 
This chapter introduces the kinsmen redeemer custom. Ruth followed a custom and started talking to Boaz about him being able to redeem the land, he takes her up on the offer. Naomi sets this up and Ruth obediently obeys! Boaz reconizes Rtuh's claim to kinsmen redemption.


CHAPTER 4 ~ 
The final chapter has an interesting scene. Boaz calls the elders to the gates of the city, and talks with the anonymous person who is a closer kindsman redeemer than Boaz is. This anonymous redeemer wanted the land but not to fulfill the place of the kinsman (v. 4-6), but Boaz wanted to do it. The reason why the anonymous redeemer refused to mary Ruth is not completely evident but it is thought that he had a wife already and did not want to mar the inheritance, it was not worth more land. Old testament rules state that the child would be counted as the offspring of Mahlon. The old testament rule of the loosed shoe is intersting too, he took a shoe off his foot (both singular) to indicate he was passing on the land.


SUMMARY ~ 
While this study is not too in depth, thats for later,  it gives the characteristics of the people in this little 4 chapter book.  This book shows the grandma of David - who was the least likely candidate through obedience and favor came into her destiny. Chapter one 7 fold decree reveals the heart of Ruth. We cant forget Orpah, who wanted to come over too however she didnt cling like Ruth did.  Ruth declared and decreed she is going!

Back to the original quote ....

Hey Brothers, if all she does is come to church looking pretty and has no worship life in her; she can't be your Ruth. 

Ladies if he's too cool to shout and praise God; he can't be your Boaz.

Ruth  was no doubt dedicated to all she did, the decree she gave Naomi proves this.  Boaz being a righteous man followed through all he should have through out the book of Ruth. This quote is very profound for men and women alike. Ruth quote matches better to the book than the Boaz quote does, however the nature of Boaz is shown, he followed the law of gleaning to the poor, Boaz was for sure more about his commitments than his image.  We can all learn from both of them. 

Kenneth Copeland retells Smith Wigglesworth raising a man from the dead

I love this!

Analyzing the story of Lot (part 4, final post)

Four parts & post dates 
Sept. 7th Intro - Before
Sept. 14th During
Sept. 21st After  
Sept. 28th Summary (this one)

MISC scriptures

2Pe 2:5-8 KJV  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;  (6)  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;  (7)  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:  (8)  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

Eze 16:49-50 KJV  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  (50)  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Summary

     The story of Lot is a very dynamic one, and we can take much from this story. I fully believe that it was Abraham's prayers that saved lot, to me its all over the story.  The act committed by his daughters against him is two fold, for one i believe it warns against alcohol on any level and two it shows that either the daughters did not trust the men of Zoar or the corruption in Sodom was so bad it was etched into their mind and caused them to create such an act. It is important to note that the particular act was not a sin until the law though.  Lot entered into Sodom with many things, then left with pretty much nothing.  This is an important concept because as the quote goes "Sin will take you longer further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. It will cost you more than you want to pay" which is evident inside the story of Lot.

  Something very important to remind yourself when dealing with this is that while the church continuously concentrates on only one sin, it was no one thing it was many. While the city was full of sin, it was full of many different types. Ezekiel tells us that "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good." We must never let those sins come into our life - Help the poor, the needy and never become idle. I believe idleness breeds sin which will only snow ball until it takes over, the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

Finally, the take away from this is to not go near wicked (sinful) areas, and stay diligent at seeking God.


Thank you for reading this series!! 

As always if you liked it, share it or comment!