Christmas and Charity: Just WHO is a "snake",a "cheat", a "thief"?

When John the FORERUNNER to Christ was teaching and PREPARING the WAY for the Lord He called many gatehred there "YOU BROOD OF VIPERS". Here is a sample of John's preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God's coming judgment? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, 'We're safe --we're the descendants of Abraham.' Were SAFE WE are CHRISTIANS. That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham. 9 Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots.

Yes, EVERY tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." Many of the "learned" will say John was speaking ONLY to the Kenites (the LITERAL "offspring" of Satan)...but I beg the differ and John makes it CLEAR in the underlined passage above. The SPIRIT that came December 25th to dwell amongst human-kind CAN "change" those WHO BELIEVE in Christ. A Kenite (by dna) CAN "become" A Son of The Most High LORD God IF He or she "repents & CHANGES their ways". In like manner a Son of God , an ADAMIC (by dna) soul CAN become so "against" The SPIRIT of God andlose that relationship and closeness to Christ.

It is for this reason EVEN Christ Himself speaks to those "who CLAIM to be His children" regarding "a Tree and its Fruit"…21"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.

'Now the READER as well as the crowd gathered listening to Johns preaching speak "What should we do?" 11 John replied, "If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, SHARE it with those who are hungry." “You with a second coat in your closet, it does not belong to you. You have stolen it from the poor man who is shivering in the cold.” In all honesty IF THE CHRISTIAN were TRULY being a GOOD STEWARD with the Riches bestowed upon them THEN THERE WOULD BE NO ROOM FOR OBAMA to BRING IN SOCIALISM "taking from the rich and RE-DISTRIBUTING to the needy."

We DONT NEED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION...WE NEED The Spirit of God to MOVE ACROSS OUR LAND and MOVE IN and through our HEARTS. To move us from our place of complacency and indifference and "GREED"...from a place of BLINDNESS to a newly restored SIGHT!

I've really been thinking on the season of Christmas and its REAL meaning seeing all the "commercialization of it. Thinking about my post earlier on CHARITY, and the many "businesses" whose CEO's KEEP MOST of the monies "donated" and we miss the mark in what CHARITY Christ attempted to teach and expose our self-centeredness. I know I haven’t blogged in a while, and as I mentioned with friends earlier this evening – its because I want to be someone who doesn’tJUST talk about "stuff", but actually DOES it. The world doesn’t need my blog posts or my musings. It needs my ACTIONS. That’s if anything is to change, of course. A few days ago at work, I was told I am "working too hard". slow down and delegate MORE. that is a hard thing for me. I SEE so much that needs attention, and feel a "personal responsibility" to be a MOVER and A SHAKER not a "delegater". Being DISCIPLINED I seek to DO more than TELL or advise to do in the HOPES that I may SET THE STANDARD and BE The Example in ALL I DO.

But, as a disciple of Jesus, I also want to be very sure of the reason I do things. No, I don’t do “good things” to earn God’s approval. And I’m so glad I’ve grown up knowing this. But I can’t help but wonder, what next? What comes after salvation? Surely the Bible doesn’t stop having things to say to me once I’m a Christian?

What is this Day we CELEBRATE called Christmas? What does it actually mean to follow Jesus? To take up my cross, deny myself, and follow Him? Being a disciple of Jesus requires me sacrificing every aspect of my life to his Lordship. Could this possibly mean Jesus has something to say about the way I transport myself around? About the amount of clothes I have sprawled across my floor and piled up in my wardrobe? About the food I eat and where it comes from? The bread which you hold back belongs to the hungry (and I once had a person tell me that the homeless WANT to live that way and this is why they can't donate food and had rather throw it away!); the coat, which you guard in your locked storage-chests, belongs to the naked; the footwear mouldering in your closet belongs to those without shoes.

Naked did you not drop from the womb? Shall you not return again naked to the earth? Where have the things you now possess come from? If you say they just spontaneously appeared, then you are an atheist, not acknowledging the Creator, nor showing any gratitude towards the one who gave them. But if you say that they are from God, declare to us the REASON why you received them. Is God unjust, who divided to us the things of this life unequally? Why are you wealthy while that other man is poor? Is it, perhaps, in order that you may receive wages for "kindheartedness and faithful" STEWARDSHIP, and in order that he may be honored with great prizes for his endurance? But, as for you, when you hoard all these things in the insatiable bosom of GREED, do you truly suppose you do no wrong in "cheating" so many people?

Who is a man of greed? SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT REST CONTENT WITH WHAT IS SUFFICIENT! Who is a "snake" AND A "THIEF"? SOMEONE WHO TAKES AWAY WHAT BELONGS TO OTHERS! And are you not a man of greed? are you not a cheat, a snake a thief? In taking those things which you received for THE SAKE OF STEWARDSHIP, and making "them" YOUR very own? Now, someone who takes a man who is clothed and renders him naked would be termed a robber; but when someone fails to clothe the naked, while he is able to do this, is such a man deserving of any other appellation?

This is where Christianity becomes more than hypothetical chit chat, and push comes to shove.

God has been shaking things up in my life, and I gotta say – its not coming easy. Its not comfortable. As I write this post I’ve got a few main texts buzzing around in my head at the moment –Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5 – 7), and James 5, Romans 2 along with Leviticus.

While we might label Phil Robertsons GQ interview quotes as radical and extremist, you won’t get through much of the Bible without encountering similar sentiments. In Luke 3, John the Baptist tells us that “If we have two tunics, we should share with him who has none”. Jesus has more to say on the subject. He tells us “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth”… “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”, and of course, the infamous convo with the rich young man in Matt 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18 (quickly becoming the most frustrating passages in the Bible at the moment for me !)

I have done nowhere near enough reading or research to talk about at deep Jesus and the rich young man’s interaction. But there are a few things that strike me – namely our reaction to passages like this. We talk ourselves out of it. Our first reactions, as middle (upper, really) class Westerners is extremely defensive. “You need to remember context” “But Jesus didn’t tell everyone to give their stuff away to the poor” “This just means we need to make sure Jesus is more important to us than our stuff… and maybe be prepared to make a few sacrifices along the way”

And yes, its true. We do need to remember context when reading the Bible!!!! As my high school bible study leader Lisa always reminded me, the Old Testament contains some very specific rules about mildew and cleaning mildew out of our houses… that Christians obviously aren’t following today and this is a good and fine thing! And yes, its true, not everyone Jesus interacts with gets told to give away all their stuff.

But why are our first reactions defensive? Why do we try and rationalize what Jesus says? Are we happy settling for the watered down version of Christianity? I like my stuff. And its just awkward that Jesus isn’t so keen on it. And as quickly we can, we talk ourselves out of the passage holding any meaning to our lives, and move onto the next chapter of the Bible that might not be as hard to swallow. Or like the young man, we may walk away sad, because we are people of great wealth.

But, friends – I don’t want to live my life like this anymore. Why? Because Jesus offers better. After instructing the rich young man to sell his possessions and give all he has to the poor — its important to remember what he says next. He says “then you will have treasures in heaven”. Treasures that don’t fade, rust … treasures that no one can steal from us. Oh friends, if only we knew deep down that Jesus isn’t calling us to an impoverished life but the richest life possible – now and forever – freed from our possessions and free to follow Jesus with all of who we are, whatever that may mean.

Read James 5 lately? I read it a few weeks ago and haven’t been able to shake it from my mind. Check it out –

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”

Now, I still have a long way to go on the journey of obedience and simplicity – although allow to share with you where I’m currently at. This passage embarrasses me. I have lived my life in luxury and self indulgence. Have any of you worked out your ecological footprint? It would take two worlds to support the world’s population if everyone lived like I did. I’ve taken more than my share, more than what has been given to me.

I also own many possessions that have not been properly paid for – the makers of my sweat shop clothing have gone hungry and been treated inhumanely. Sure, I got it cheap but at what expense? I’ve started to take a few small steps –

This year, I’m not going to buy any clothing unless its fair trade, or second hand. As well as this, for every item of clothing I buy, I will need to give an item away.

Reckon you could join me? Who’s keen to start being a disciple of Jesus and allowing Him to rule over every aspect of our lives? Who’s ready to show the world our faith, by what we do? (James 2)

My head hurts – think thats gonna have to be it for tonight!

Would love to continue the conversation, either through comments or in real life…

(learning to be) simply, Tee.