Poor Thoughts

I want to share an letter that was sent to the Kansas City Star Newspaper and hopefully you will share with me what it stirs in you. As you read it consider what thoughts you have when you encounter the homeless or poor. At the end of this post I will share my thoughts.

What's next for the poor

Mr. Mike Hendricks
Kansas City Star Newspaper

I read your report on the raided homeless encampment with great interest.

My name Richard G. Tripp, and I'm the director of an organization here in Kansas City Missouri, Care Of Poor People, alias{ COPP INC}.

I personally have visited that homeless encampment and met with its residents on several occasions over the past couple years. And yes we have supplied materials to help them survive, and would do it again, I myself years ago lived in a camp on Cliff drive years ago.

I am appalled that the Kansas City Police Department would take the time to harass and destroy an encampment were no proof of illegal activity is apparent. And why technically they were on city property, I personally do not believe that it warranted the actions that was taken, I might add it is questionable whether or not in this case the police acted lawfully.

Fresno, California had to pay out a $2.35 million judgment for destroying the property of homeless people in a similar raid on an encampment. I do not know if this issue has been adjudicated yet in the courts in Kansas City. But the simple fact are I do not believe it's time for our city fathers to have an open season on homeless people. Even the illegal campers have rights, and there is no indication that the rights of the campers were respected by the police.

Unsheltered homeless people have a shockingly high mortality rate. Bulldozing an encampment in the middle of winter is a form of life-threatening assault that should be prosecuted not condoned. Speculation about whether these homeless people would've been better off at city Union mission or any other shelter is simply speculation, you have to walk a mile in their shoes to understand why they would rather stay in a camp or go to the shelter. In the Kansas City metro area we have approximately 15,000 homeless brothers and sisters in that same metro area we have approximately 3,040 beds, Mr. Hendricks would you please do the math.

The question of whether or not a Meth Lab was found at another homeless encampment is needlessly inflammatory. I can absolutely guarantee you that meth labs are not common among the homeless, and no one tares down private homes willy-nilly just because that's were meth Labs are frequently found.

There is a broader moral question here. Our Declaration of Independence speaks of the unalienable right to life. This is something that most American soldiers have died for and countless others have worked and organized and fought for. Should the Kansas city Police Department be empowered to callously deprive people of the very right that is at the core of our nation's founding, and for no better reason than that maybe somebody complained.

On the Times when I visited this homeless encampment I was impressed by the mutually supportive spirit of the people who live there. No evidence has been brought forward that they were harming anyone. I am alternately applauded at the police action and I feel that, at the very least the KC police chief should be questioned as to why he allows his officers to terrorize vulnerable and defenseless homeless people. Of course, that won't happen, but unless some other facts come to light-- and I will keep an open mind, I believe this action at the homeless encampment by the Kansas City Police Department was morally repugnant police misconduct that should not be tolerated in the city that boasts one of America's most livable cities.

Richard G Tripp
Director COPP INC

The homeless stir different thoughts in different people. My thoughts turn to considering how Jesus would react to encountering a homeless person. Would He focus on their need or their sin? Let's look at a couple of examples from the Bible and we will get an idea of what He would want us to do as well.

Matthew 23-25 From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme—that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the "Ten Towns" across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.

John 5: 1-6 Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem.

Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, "Do you want to get well?"

7 The sick man said, "Sir, when the water is stirred, I don't have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in."

8-9 Jesus said, "Get up, take your bedroll, start walking." The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off.

9-10 That day happened to be the Sabbath. The Jews stopped the healed man and said, "It's the Sabbath. You can't carry your bedroll around. It's against the rules."

11 But he told them, "The man who made me well told me to. He said, 'Take your bedroll and start walking.'"

12-13 They asked, "Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?" But the healed man didn't know, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd.

14 A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, "You look wonderful! You're well! Don't return to a sinning life or something worse might happen."

15-16 The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. That is why the Jews were out to get Jesus—because he did this kind of thing on the Sabbath.

So what should our response be? I will leave you with the following words of Jesus and you decide.

Matthew 25: 34-36 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

37-40 "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

To be honest there have been times I was fearful or disgusted when encountering the homeless but then I considered the above scriptures and was convicted that I was fearing out of a lack of understanding and I was disgusted because I lack compassion.

For Christmas 2010 Do An Act of Kindness

Last year the way we celebrated Christmas with our grandkids was to give each of them one gift. Then we took the money we would have spent on them and we purchased gifts for two young girls who would not have gotten much. The looks on our grandkids' faces and the girls who received the gifts were the best gifts we could have received.

What we are planning to do this year is make up 8 boxes filled with new gloves, socks, various personal supplies and food that we will give to the homeless in downtown Kansas City.

No one can prove that Jesus was born on December 25th but that does not mean we cannot prove He lived. The example of giving at this time of year was provided by the men who visited Jesus sometime after He was born see Matthew 2:1-12. Now granted they were bringing gifts to the King of kings but the example is we give to others out of honor of that King.

Pinning down exactly when Jesus was born is not as important as having the heart of the Magi and of the child who grew to be the Messiah. We celebrate His birth because without that having taken place His death on the cross would not have meant what it did.

In 15 days we will celebrate Christmas and we will gather with friends and family to exchange gifts. I want to encourage you to take the time to find just one person who you can give something to that they would not have had unless you had given it to them.

I can promise you two things will happen: 1. The person will be blessed and 2. You will be blessed by what you do. Every time I have helped with Angel Tree or have given to another person and most of the time I do so anonymously God has blessed me.

I would like to hear about the times you have blessed others or when others have blessed you. By doing so you will be acting in Jesus place in the life of another and it would not be wrong to share with them why you are doing what you are doing.

Rasin Oatmeal Cookies

I pulled up to work the other day and saw the blue tent type awning in front of the store.  As I approached the front door I recognized the group that was there.  It was "Food For Life Supreme" which is an inner city organization that teachs young inner city kids how to become chefs who create great, healthy food!  I whipped out my wallet and handed the young pre-teen boy a $10 bill and asked him for a package of "Rasin Oatmeal" Cookies.  

I enjoy purchasing these cookies from this organization for two reasons: 

1. The cookies taste YUMMY!

2. More importantly the organization behind the cookies are teaching young people to believe in themselves and to reach for their dreams.  

I encourage you to go to their website and read about the organization.  Food For Life Supreme

Food For Life Supreme commitment

God wants us to help others to reach for their potential and to serve them as they move in that direction.  I am glad to promote this organization to you my readers.  

Now I am going to go and have another rasin oatmeal cookie.  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Why and how you give reveals your heart.

Last week I had the opportunity to talk about giving just before the offering at New Life Family Church was collected.  I based my talk on 2 Corinthians 9: 7  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I spoke of how God looks more at your heart than what you give.  Why are you giving and how are you giving is more important than what you give.

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey and one of his favorite sayings was, "Now for the rest of the story".  Well now I want to share the rest of the story concerning giving.

If we look at verse, 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. and then verse 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work., we find that God indeed does looks at our heart as we give and although He tells us that we should decide what to give instead of feeling forced to give and we should give with a happy heart He also says we will reap according to what we sow.  If we give sparingly we will receive sparingly and if generously we will receive generously.  

So is God telling us we have to give 10%, 12%, 15% in order to be blessed? NO! He is telling us that we are to decide according to how we have been blessed what to give and for us to give it  with a happy heart.

For example: I could write a check for $1,000 and drop it into the offering and it would be pretty much worthless if I gave because I wanted to get something, or if I felt I had to, or if I wanted to make an impression on the Pastor and I did so with a frown on my face.  If I write a check for $100 and did so because I felt God had blessed me and I thankfully placed it in the offering, God would look upon that as more valuable than the $1,000 the person that I mentioned first.

God does not judge your offering by it's size but by your motive and attitude you give it in.  See if Jesus can take a few fish and some loaves of bread and feed 4,000 men with them He can take your $100 and make it do what $1,000 can.

The bottom line is this, "If God has blessed you abundantly shouldn't you give abundantly?" and if at this point in your life you have a small amount of income shouldn't you gladly give something just to express your thankfulness for what you have?

If God walked into your house and asked to see your checkbook and calendar would He see that you spent more on soda pop, junk food and entertainment than you did contributing to the building of His Kingdom?  If He watched you drop your offering into the collection plate would He see you doing so with joy or with regret?

It is your choice what you give and how you give it.  What does your giving reveal about you?

Take control of your finances

Six years ago I lost a job that paid over $30,000 and I am still working to get my total income over $22,000. My wife, Kat, and I made the decision to get out of debt and stop depending upon our credit cards. We stopped using the ATM and gave up on some adventures together although we still take day trips. One thing we did not change is what we give to our church. We gave 10% back then and we still do today.

Today we have almost totally gone to a cash bases and have only about $1,500 in credit card debt. We have a house payment under $400 and do not make large purchases unless we have the cash.

We have not totally adopted the Dave Ramsey "Total Money Makeover" but we are close. Another good product by Dave Ramsey is "Financial Peace". I believe if you purchase one of these books from ChristianBook.com or Amazon or at your local book store you can gain control of your finances too.

Although I believe our decision to control our debt helped us to gain control over our finances I believe the commitment to continue to give 10% to our church has gain us favor from our Creator. I do not believe the tithing thing is magical or legally binding on Christians but I do believe God honors trusting Him by doing so even in tough financial conditions.

Malachi 3: 8-11 "Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day.

"You ask, 'How have we robbed you?'

"The tithe and the offering—that's how! And now you're under a curse —the whole lot of you—because you're robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers."

The above is an open plead by God for you to give Him a try at His word and see how He responds.

Here are 7 things to do to gain control of your finances?
1. If you are not doing so begin to give 10% to your church.
2. Buy Dave Ramsey's book.
3. Begin to budget your money.
4. Quit using credit cards!
5. Pay off your debt, one at a time. Once you have one paid off use that extra income to pay off
the next largest bill.
6. Refuse to let what the news says to control your life.
7. Continue to have fun together.

As a result of what we have done the last six years we have decided not to participate in the 2009 recession.

I Can Tell Where Your Heart Is by.....

Several years ago I was at a business convention and a speaker said the following: "I can tell where your heart is by looking at your calendar and your checkbook." Where you spend your time and how you spend your money reflects where your heart is.

I went home and looked at my checkbook and my calendar to determine what he was talking about. Here is what I found: I was giving at least 10% of my income to my church but I was spending more time in trying to build a business and make money than I was in serving others.

I do not believe it is wrong to develop wealth or to spend time in recreational activities. Besides what I believe or think is not important but what God says about how you spend your time and money is. So let's look at a few scriptures from the Word of God to see what He commands us to do.

1 Timothy 6: 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.

Today there are those who would say that the desire to prosper is wrong but God says the love of the money produced by this drive is what is wrong.

In Malachi 3: 8-10 God challenges us in the use of the first 10% of our income. 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, "says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."

That was God speaking to the nation of Israel and although I do not believe we are bound by having to give 10% of our income I do believe that the principle of giving is still valid for the church today.

Let's look at Paul told the church at Corinth about giving: 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

In Genesis 1: 28 God told Adam and Eve to God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

In Ephesians 4: 28 Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.

God is not against Christians or anyone else creating wealth but He is against Greed! and He wants us to give out of our abundance to help others.

When I took the challenge to looked at my checkbook and calendar I found I was giving 10% of my Gross Income to my church but I was not giving of my time in service to others.

Let's look at some scriptures about helping others.

James 1: 26-27 Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

Ouch! The challenge revealed I was talking a good game but I had no action in my life. But it got worse when I read Matthew 25: 31-46 I was convicted by my lack of service. In these verses Jesus tells us when He returns some who thought they were following Him will be separated with those who did not follow Him. They will be shocked. And He will then tell them why: verses 41-43 "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

44"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

45"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'

I sank in my chair as I realized I spent more time having fun than I did serving. I cared more about my own problems than I did the problems of others. I did not hear when others hurt because I was so self focused. I decided that I would work on changing this.

I now want to challenge you to take a look at your checkbook and your calendar and consider what they reveal. I am not saying you need to give 10% to your church or to charity and I am not saying you should spend more time serving others than doing anything else. I am only challenging you to consider what your checkbook and your calendar reveal about what your priorities are. Where is your time and money being spent? It will more than likely show you where your heart is. If you are more focused on pleasing yourself then maybe, just maybe you need to do what I did and begin to make some changes. It is not important what I believe or say about how you spend your time and money but what God has to say is.

Listen to what Jesus says: Matthew 19-21"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."

Please share with me your thoughts on this subject. Did God speak to you through this post?