Our Christianity is about to be tested.....

[JohnD]

A hard test indeed. To fight not only the tendency to look the other way (for good reasons as well as selfish... there's a lot of fraud and

laziness / entitlement -mentality in the world)... but there is also the tendency to over do it (giving everything away to the detriment of

your own family). And there's the superstitious compulsion to give or we'll get smited... 

The Apostle Paul spoke of giving with the heart, with joy, not begrudging... 

He was the Apostle of contentment (how to abase / how to abound).

Then there's this next part which I have difficulty even mentioning because it sounds so pathetically pious  for me to even say...

yuck...

We have to be sure we are not being enablers... and seeking the Holy Spirit's will in each case is the only way to be certain of this.

I know I know... it sounds like "let 'em eat cake..." or "God bless you be well, clothed and fed..." but doing nothing about their needs.

Most all of us have had those near homeless / actual homeless experiences. With no one coming to our rescue... 

But God always came through. 

He has always taken care of us and he always will.

These may be times God is using to gain our trust. To get folks who do not believe in him a situation that will drive them to their best

opportunity to believe.

I am reminded of the Great Tribulation the purpose of which is to drive the surviving remnant of Jewish people to cry out to Jesus Christ

for deliverance / salvation.

There is a way that seems right to mankind but the end thereof is the way of death.

Again, I hate how this sounds for me to say this.

And there is nothing wrong (IMHO) to pray that it never comes to these things that the Jews and the rest of the people will come to a

saving faith in Christ... etc.

But can we risk interfering with the Lord's work trying to do "the right thing" at the wrong time / in the wrong way?

Lord Jesus I pray for all who struggle in this life. The homeless, the fatherless, motherless, widow, orphan... those who have lost their livelihoods or

their limbs fighting in war... those who lay down their lives to defend and protect us only to have rocks thrown at them and their wages taken from them...

for those who do not know you as Savior, or who believe in some man-made up version of you...  for the sick and dying...

heal them, provide for them, protect them, bring truth to prevail in all our lives, bring us peace that passes understanding

help us to discern and to give

thank you for your blessings but keep them from becoming

our primary goal in life

rather to serve you and to be your servants as well as children of God

adopted sons and daughters.

Help us to give fish and to teach others how to fish.

I pray for the lost to come to faith in Christ.

Please heal us and put down this and any other pandemics

bring about full recovery in health and prosperity and social order.

And protect us from all evil including those who will stop at nothing to

disrupt our way of life from the hijacked otherwise peaceful protest

to the ballot box. Bless our government with more and more statesmen and women

and rid us of the satanic infiltrators that have long infested what our Godly founding

fathers sought your inspiration to manifest in this dark sinful world...

in the name of Jesus the Christ

Yeshua HaMoshiakh

Amen.