Sunday Prepper Bible Study-Needful Things
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
James 2:15-16
Last week we talked about honoring God with your substance. I pointed to some examples of churches who squandered the resources given to them. One of the examples I used was a church that was washing clothes for homeless addicts. In doing something that seems good, they were actually enabling the addictive behavior, and short-circuiting the natural pain level that God has instituted for that sin. By making the addict comfortable in their disease, that church is actually doing more to damn the souls of those addicts to burning in hell than to spread the love of Christ.
So, what are we to do? Should we let them rot? Doesn’t the Bible teach about second chances, compassion, and forgiveness? Yes it does, thank God! Because, I am a recipient of a second chance, forgiveness and the compassion of some very dedicated, godly people. You see, I was addicted to alcohol, benzodiazepine, and weed. While my rant to not make addicts comfortable in their sin may sound heartless, I actually know a thing or two about this subject.
What the addict on the corner needs is to get hungry. He needs people to quit feeding him and giving him money. If you’re doing that, you’re literally buying him a ticket to hell. Once the food stops coming, he’ll have to spend the money he panhandles on buying groceries, which means no drugs or alcohol. And if the money quits coming in, praise God! He’ll have to check into one of the thousands of faith-based addiction recovery programs around the country. Once he is there, he’ll have to abide by their code of conduct, stay sober and attend church services. Once he’s completed the program, he’ll be sober, used to following rules and ready to reintegrate with society, and, he’ll have a relationship with the one who can keep him from stumbling back into his sin. That doesn’t sound so heartless does it?
So,the next time you want to give a bum a five-dollar bill or buy him a chicken dinner, go home and make a donation to a place that will actually provide him with the help he needs.
A few of the establishments I recommend are, Faith Farm, Teen Challenge, and The Salvation Army. It takes a little more time and effort than throwing a few bucks at the bum, but I know you’d rather please God than simply alleviate your guilt.
Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war, or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.
Have a blessed day and happy prepping!
Mark
So very true. I once was homeless, not for lack of trying, while I had an infant. During that time I was one of the ones begging on the street asking for enough just to buy diapers. I was looking for work and trying to get help from some of those assistance programs you mentioned, but the ones in California aren’t as helpful as they appear on paper. Single teenaged mothers tend to get looked down upon. Instead of asking people for cash I would ask them to buy diapers instead. So that there was no chance of the money being used for drugs or alcohol. Being homeless sucks. But before my daughter came, there was a certain freedom in it. Once she came along, finding a home became a need, not just a want, but a necessity.