Max Romeo: "Uptown Babies Don't Cry

We North Americans certainly are blessed. We take for granted that our young children won't have to work to help us survive. Every child can attend public school too.

This song by reggae artist Max Romeo highlights the problem of poor children and how hard life is for them. Check it out here.

God cares much for the poor. We see it in verses such as Exodus 23:11 (Bible in Basic English). Israelites were allowed to harvest their land for six years, "But in the seventh year let the land have a rest and be unplanted; so that the poor may have food from it: and let the beasts of the field take the rest. Do the same with your vine-gardens and your olive-trees."

Were the poor forgotten during the six years of harvest? Leviticus 23:22 (BBE)urged Israelite farmers,  "And when you get in the grain from your land, do not let all the grain at the edges of the field be cut, and do not take up the grain which has been dropped in the field; let that be for the poor, and for the man from another country: I am the Lord your God."

Furthermore, Deuteronomy 15:11 (BBE) commanded, "For there will never be a time when there are no poor in the land; and so I give orders to you, Let your hand be open to your countrymen, to those who are poor and in need in your land."

God even blesses those who help impoverished people. Proverbs 19:17 (BBE) show us that, "He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward."

We Christians aren't exempt from giving, even if our governments tax the stuffing out of us. Luke 14:13 and 14 (BBE) plainly says, "But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead."

It need not be money we donate. We can give clothing or even rides to those who lack those things.

In the event our Master hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to publish about cooperation in spreading the gospel.

The Social Justice Error

Is social justice wrong? It sounds like a good thing since we are supposed to do good works. But, as I've written before, doing works to impress God won't work. Just look what happened to the Pharisees.

Of course we followers of Christ should be helping the less fortunate out of compassion for them. Even in ancient Israel, provisions were made for impoverished folks. Exodus 23:11 (KJV) instructed, "But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard."

Moses also exhorted the people, not the government,  to be generous. Deuteronomy 15:11 (KJV) says, "For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, 'Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.'"

God also blesses those who help the less fortunate. Proverbs 19:17 (KJV) states, "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."

Sadly, socialists have co opted social justice. It once was the responsibility of Christians to defend the disadvantaged but our governments are taking more and more opportunities away from us. Furthermore, we have no say on whom they lavish our tax money.

Additionally, secular social justice warriors approve and praise that which God forbids. For example, they covet the money which hard-working citizens have earned for their families. But their real motive in redistributing wealth is selfish since increasing numbers of civil servants need to be hired to police the population. As it says in Exodus 20:17 (KJV) "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." Socialism is based on class envy, not freedom to generate wealth.

While we are to help those who can't help themselves, we must also be free to preach the good news. We can't save ourselves from hell but Christ offers salvation and eternal life. All government do gooders offer is temporary relief.

I'll be writing more about how good works, laudable though they appear, can't save a person in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many good deeds are done so that the doer of them will look more noble to others and God.

On Saturday, I'll post about a beautiful song by a seventies band called Bread. I'm sure you'll enjoy that song.12