POOR, POORER, POOREST

By Rick Mathes

Luke 5:18 And behold, some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in, and to set him down in front of Him.

When I was a kid we were so poor we would get 10 white castle hamburgers for one dollar; so two burgers and a half a glass of milk was our Sunday dinner treat. Jesus said the economically poor we will always have with us. That’s not the poor we’re talking about in this verse.

The most obvious deprived I see as a minister are those who have an anemic worship of doctrines, rituals and ceremonies is void of the Spirit of God. Shamefully, too many ministers in the pulpits are agents of Lucifer, fallen angels that want to take you with them.

My most emotional attachment to the poor is the lack of affection for our neighbors, friends and family. I’ve lived in my house for over 30 years and I don’t know the name of my neighbor right across the street from me! We isolate ourselves more so in recent years. I learned to be loved I must be loving and the only love that lasts is His as evidenced in the Holy Spirit. In short, we live at each other instead of with each other.

As greed has conquered creed we have abandoned most forms of self-control and have become very lacking in restraint. Our excesses include over-indulgence in eating, drinking and sinful pleasures. We have discarded the bridle and are running loose in an aimless stampede to destruction.

This instability make us vulnerable to sin, crime and even suicidal thoughts and tendencies that only the Word of God can harness. We become unguided missiles destined to self-destruction: a life of chaos.

The bottom of the barrel is to need and have no help. I know from personal experience that the Lord will only bless me with what I can afford to handle in godly stewardship. The closer my knees are to the ground the closer my heart and soul is to Jesus; my only help in time of need. Poverty is a state of mind. To live is Christ and to die is gain. Learn this!