My rant for the day:
Okay don't take what I am about to say wrong as I know many
will, but read through what I have to say first.
First, anyone doubting or not knowing of my love, passion, desire to help the down and out, the homeless, abused, hurting of this world, obviously knows nothing about me, or my past.
Yesterday I saw a post from a friend talking about giving a pan-handler money. Don't get me wrong, I have given to them as well in the past, but very seldom and to this day, very seldom do because I know, more times than not that money goes to support an alcohol and or drug habit, even if buying food, it allows them to use other monies to support habits. I seriously question the actions of some that allow one to continue in their addictions. I also know how much money pan-handlers can make, far more than I and or other working people. I also know, that in many cases, it is a scam and frankly, also in most communities, illegal.
Again, don't get me wrong I have given but I have to feel very strongly in my gut (for the non Christian reading) and strongly in my Spirit, (for other reading who are followers of Jesus.)
Here is my concern, when we give in ways we don't know of how the gift will benefit the person, there is a high risk that we are doing two things, one is helping the addiction which keeps the person in need, and the other is taking away possible funding for agencies and people who are there to help people and frankly, need the finances.I challenge, if giving, find an agency making a difference and give to them so they can help in the best ways possible, but even here, check the agency out. I can name two specific agencies in my town who are themselves not using the money for the purposes they state and have areas of concern that would have me not ever giving to them. I also know of individuals, both Christian and not, doing a great job who could use the money, I would recommend to even give money to those individuals and private groups if having issues with larger agencies. Just remember, there are smaller agencies, like The Virtual Pew and Mosaic, along with many churches and others who are doing great jobs.
This hit home hard recently because the organizations I run, The Virtual Pew and
Mosaic helps house individuals in need of housing, either the abused, the
hurting, the homeless, or those seeking to come together to help grow
spiritually with a focus, on helping with the above mentioned areas. This week I had
applications for 3 persons to come into our program, one of them a couple who
happens to be homeless. Yet, we had to
go on line again, to ask for money. We get very little from the church
organizations, or Christians, or for that matter, even many of the providers
who see benefit in a number of things, as opposed to actually helping some,
obtain housing. My wife and I have
literally emptied our retirement and savings accounts to keep this program
going, don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about that, but wonder, have we
as a society gotten to the place that we see more value in helping people stay
homeless as opposed to helping them get back on their feet and accomplish their
hopes and dreams.
Matthew 25: 1 - 42 is a great chapter of scripture. Many who want to help others choose to identify with this passage, especially the 31 - 42 part, unfortunately we seem to all but ignore the 1 - 30 part. The part which speaks about the responsibility of the giver and receiver. I challenge folks to read that, with the understanding that 1 - 30 speaks specifically about the one receiving the gift, and 31 - 42 about the responsibility of the one giving th Read it, again, think about it, and then, think about how you can best use your gift to help others who really need it, and will do with it what God would expect for them to do with it.
Matthew 25
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
First, anyone doubting or not knowing of my love, passion, desire to help the down and out, the homeless, abused, hurting of this world, obviously knows nothing about me, or my past.
Yesterday I saw a post from a friend talking about giving a pan-handler money. Don't get me wrong, I have given to them as well in the past, but very seldom and to this day, very seldom do because I know, more times than not that money goes to support an alcohol and or drug habit, even if buying food, it allows them to use other monies to support habits. I seriously question the actions of some that allow one to continue in their addictions. I also know how much money pan-handlers can make, far more than I and or other working people. I also know, that in many cases, it is a scam and frankly, also in most communities, illegal.
Again, don't get me wrong I have given but I have to feel very strongly in my gut (for the non Christian reading) and strongly in my Spirit, (for other reading who are followers of Jesus.)
Here is my concern, when we give in ways we don't know of how the gift will benefit the person, there is a high risk that we are doing two things, one is helping the addiction which keeps the person in need, and the other is taking away possible funding for agencies and people who are there to help people and frankly, need the finances.I challenge, if giving, find an agency making a difference and give to them so they can help in the best ways possible, but even here, check the agency out. I can name two specific agencies in my town who are themselves not using the money for the purposes they state and have areas of concern that would have me not ever giving to them. I also know of individuals, both Christian and not, doing a great job who could use the money, I would recommend to even give money to those individuals and private groups if having issues with larger agencies. Just remember, there are smaller agencies, like The Virtual Pew and Mosaic, along with many churches and others who are doing great jobs.
This hit home hard recently because the organizations I run, The Virtual Pew and
Mosaic helps house individuals in need of housing, either the abused, the
hurting, the homeless, or those seeking to come together to help grow
spiritually with a focus, on helping with the above mentioned areas. This week I had
applications for 3 persons to come into our program, one of them a couple who
happens to be homeless. Yet, we had to
go on line again, to ask for money. We get very little from the church
organizations, or Christians, or for that matter, even many of the providers
who see benefit in a number of things, as opposed to actually helping some,
obtain housing. My wife and I have
literally emptied our retirement and savings accounts to keep this program
going, don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about that, but wonder, have we
as a society gotten to the place that we see more value in helping people stay
homeless as opposed to helping them get back on their feet and accomplish their
hopes and dreams. Matthew 25: 1 - 42 is a great chapter of scripture. Many who want to help others choose to identify with this passage, especially the 31 - 42 part, unfortunately we seem to all but ignore the 1 - 30 part. The part which speaks about the responsibility of the giver and receiver. I challenge folks to read that, with the understanding that 1 - 30 speaks specifically about the one receiving the gift, and 31 - 42 about the responsibility of the one giving th Read it, again, think about it, and then, think about how you can best use your gift to help others who really need it, and will do with it what God would expect for them to do with it.
Matthew 25
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
1 The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when
ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. 2 Five
of the girls were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their
lamps, but no extra oil. 4 The ones who were wise took along extra oil for
their lamps.
5 The groom was late arriving, and the girls became drowsy
and fell asleep. 6 Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, “Here’s the
groom! Come to meet him!”
7 When the girls got up and started getting their lamps
ready, 8 the foolish ones said to the others, “Let us have some of your oil!
Our lamps are going out.”
9 The girls who were wise answered, “There’s not enough oil
for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”
10 While the foolish girls were on their way to get some
oil, the groom arrived. The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the
doors were closed. 11 Later the other girls returned and shouted, “Sir, sir!
Open the door for us!”
12 But the groom replied, “I don’t even know you!”
13 So, my disciples, always be ready! You don’t know the day
or the time when all this will happen.
14 The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went
away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. 15 The man knew what
each servant could do. So he handed five thousand coins to the first servant,
two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he left the
country.
16 As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the five
thousand coins used them to earn five thousand more. 17 The servant who had two
thousand coins did the same with his money and earned two thousand more. 18 But
the servant with one thousand coins dug a hole and hid his master’s money in
the ground.
19 Some time later the master of those servants returned. He
called them in and asked what they had done with his money. 20 The servant who had
been given five thousand coins brought them in with the five thousand that he
had earned. He said, “Sir, you gave me five thousand coins, and I have earned
five thousand more.”
21 “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and
faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you
in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”
22 Next, the servant who had been given two thousand coins
came in and said, “Sir, you gave me two thousand coins, and I have earned two
thousand more.”
23 “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and
faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you
in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”
24 The servant who had been given one thousand coins then
came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest
what you don’t plant and gather crops where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 I
was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every
single coin!”
26 The master of the servant told him, “You are lazy and
good-for-nothing! You know that I harvest what I don’t plant and gather crops
where I haven’t scattered seed. 27 You could have at least put my money in the
bank, so that I could have earned interest on it.”
28 Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away
and given to the servant with ten thousand coins! 29 Everyone who has something
will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be
taken from those who don’t have anything. 30 You are a worthless servant, and
you will be thrown out into the dark where people will cry and grit their teeth
in pain.”
31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his
angels, he will sit on his royal throne. 32 The people of all nations will be
brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their
sheep from their goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his
left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed
you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world
was created. 35 When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was
thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed
me, 36 and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you
took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
37 Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we
give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or
give you clothes to wear 39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
40 The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my
people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
41 Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away
from me! You are under God’s curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for
the devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to
eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I was a
stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me
any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”
44 Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help
you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”
45 The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help
any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it
for me.”
46 Then Jesus said, “Those people will be punished forever.
But the ones who pleased God will have eternal life.”
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