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.

Jimmy Cliff: "The Harder They Come"

This reggae artist had a hit in North America in 1969 called "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" but no other hits that I can recall. Even so, this song from 1981 showed his talent wasn't a fluke.

Listen to the song here:

This song certainly portrays the attitude of worldly people. They figure we only live once so why not grab all the gusto while we can?

We who follow Christ know better. He said in Mark 8:36 (Bible in Basic English) in regard to eternity, "What profit has a man if he gets all the world with the loss of his life?"

Many non Christians figure we'll only have God's provision of our needs in eternity. But we know what our Lord said in Mark 10:29 and 30 (BBE). "Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, There is no man who has given up house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, because of me and the good news, Who will not get a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though with great troubles; and, in the world to come, eternal life.'"

Furthermore, the alms we give to the poor aren't wasted. As Proverbs 19:17 (BBE) reminds us, "He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward."

Non Christians also figure we're depriving ourselves of fun. In fact, we're much better off being sober and prudent with our lives and money. As 1 Peter 4:3-5 (BBE) reminds us, "Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images; And they are wondering that you no longer go with them in this violent wasting of life, and are saying evil things of you: But they will have to give an account of themselves to him who is ready to be the judge of the living and the dead."

This even helps us in our walk with the Lord. Ephesians 5:18 (BBE) advises, "And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;"

If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to feature one of those social comment songs about society.

The More You Give, The More God Gives

Please understand, I know that this sounds like a wrong doctrine. After all, we aren't supposed to give so we can get. Even so, God will bless our sacrificial giving but in ways we could never dream of.

Proverbs 19:17 (BBE) reads, "He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward."

We see the same principle in Luke 6:38 (BBE) which says, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, crushed down, full and running over, they will give to you. For in the same measure as you give, it will be given to you again."

Now some folks might think they'll get a lot of praise for drawing attention to how much they give. But Jesus warned in Matthew 6:1-4 (BBE) not to do that. "Take care not to do your good works before men, to be seen by them; or you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When then you give money to the poor, do not make a noise about it, as the false-hearted men do in the Synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly, I say to you, They have their reward. But when you give money, let not your left hand see what your right hand does: So that your giving may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward."

This is one reason I despise tithing. People become inordinately proud of their own accomplishment in giving ten percent of their income.

Such people should remember Ananias and Sapphira and how they tried to get praise for giving so much to the church. Peter said to them in Acts 5:3 and 4 (BBE), "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has the Evil One put it into your heart to be false to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God." In short, both he and his wife died that day.

Churches also gave money to other congregations, as we read in Romans 15:26 (BBE), "For it has been the good pleasure of those of Macedonia and Achaia to send a certain amount of money for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem."

So we note that giving to the Lord's work brings benefits even in this world. How wonderful that we can help our poor Christian siblings when we are blessed of God.

On Saturday, I hope to post about a day when we'll be with the Lord, never to be parted again.

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