Poverty And Love

2 Corinthians 8:9 LEB “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.”

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Though He was rich He became poor so that we may become rich? Wow! And He died so that we may live? Wow again! Isn’t it interesting how God works? For the greater good of others? No wonder we are commanded to follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21) Following Jesus is a difficult road because it involves becoming unselfish. This is why Jesus says only a few ever find it. (Matthew 7:14) 

How many folks will allow themselves to become poor so that others may become rich? The apostles did it. The early church did as well. They gave up everything to follow Jesus. (Matthew 19:27-30) The apostle Paul was a well-to-do Pharisee. He left that life. His new life of self-sacrifice in Christ led him to become homeless. (1 Corinthians 4:9-11) How many people do you know would do that? (1 Corinthians 11:1) How many people would die so that others may live, like Jesus and the early church did? It’s recorded that a few Christians throughout time have been willing to pay the ultimate price. Again, Paul and the other apostles gave their lives for Christ. (Revelation 12:11) It’s documented that all except the apostle John were killed for the gospel. They boiled John in water but he wouldn’t die. He was also exiled and separated from society for his witness about Jesus. (Revelation 1:9) What kind of person would willingly go through so much pain and suffering for God? Only those who appreciate the pain and suffering God went through for them. Only those who learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ. Only those who love Him. (John 15:12-13)

THE POOR SUFFERING CHURCH OF SMYRNA

Revelation 2:8-11 LEB “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “This is what the first and the last says, who was dead and came to life: ‘I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those who call themselves Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.”

Ahh Smyrna, the poor suffering church. This is one of the churches Jesus was proud of. How poor was the church of Smyrna? The Greek word for poor or poverty in Revelation 2:9, “ptōcheia,” means beggary. It doesn’t mean having little or no money. This word denotes the destitution of being unable to work and begging for help to live. It’s interesting how brethren around the world are facing this today. And why? Because of economic persecution for refusing to take the DNA editing so-called vaccine. (Revelation 13:16-17) Did you know that the same Greek word, “ptōcheia,”  is used in 2 Corinthians 8:9. That’s the passage that describes the destitution of Jesus Christ when He was on earth? You mean Jesus allowed Himself to be that poor so that we could become rich? He sure did. And the Smyrna Christians also shared in the poverty and sufferings of Christ. 

You do know that the church of Smyrna is not just a church that existed in Asia Minor about 2000 years ago. The book of Revelation applies to our day. There are (few) modern-day Smyrna-like Christians. Their life of self-sacrifice for the cause of Christ means they too are deprived. They are ostracized, vilified, and criticized because of Jesus’ name. (Matthew 10:22) Hatred for the truth is the main reason why they are poor. But Jesus says they are rich! (Revelation 2:9) How different they are from worldly Christians. Carnal believers only care about their materialistic lifestyles. Carnal Christians want to fit in with the world, at all costs. 

James 1:9-11 LEB “Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position, but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass. For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is lost. So also the rich person in his pursuits will wither away.”

The world hates real followers of Jesus. They are shunned by family, friends, and society in general. Real believers lose their social networks. Not having support from family, friends, etcetera also contributes to poverty. It can even cause, “ptōcheia;” destitution to the point of beggary. This Satanic system hates Jesus hence it must hate us too. (John 15:18-21) But the world loves a phony Christian. It loves people who tell them how blessed they are and flatter them all the time. People tolerate Christians who don’t step on their toes by telling them the truth. They enjoy Christians who agree with their wicked behavior. Hence they are not persecuted and are allowed to function normally in society. It’s like a reward for toning it down or keeping quiet about God altogether. Which Christian are we? Are we like the self-sacrificing church of Smyrna? The church that Jesus was pleased with? Or are we like the fakers; the synagogue of Satan? If the latter we need to repent while there is still time. 

“SELL WHAT YOU HAVE AND GIVE TO THE POOR”

Did you know that Jesus taught all His disciples to sell what they have and give to the poor? Not just the rich man who went away sad we often hear about? Again, the early church was obedient: 

Acts 4:32-35 LEB “Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. For there was not even anyone needy among them, because all those who were owners of plots of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds of the things that were sold and placing them at the feet of the apostles. And it was being distributed to each as anyone had need.”

No wonder the early church was growing and busting out at the seams. They were obedient:

Acts 2:44-47 NLT “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. [45] They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. [46] They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity- [47] all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

Wow! They sold their houses, fields, and other possessions, and gave the money to the poor as Jesus commanded. How many church folks you know do that? A better question is: Will you and I obey Jesus’ command to, ‘Sell what we have and give to the poor?’ Yes, the road to following Jesus Christ is difficult indeed. Do you see why only a few ever find it? (Matthew 7:13-14)

Luke 12:33-34 HCSB “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I hope you have seen everything I shared with you is from God’s word. And if you think I’m a weirdo encouraging poverty check out this next passage:

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 ERV “And now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you what God’s grace has done in the churches in Macedonia. These believers have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But their great joy caused them to be very generous in their giving. I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do this. It was their idea. But they asked us again and again—they begged us to let them share in this service for God’s people. And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They gave themselves to the Lord and to us before they gave their money. This is what God wants.”

These Macedonian believers were like Jesus too. They allowed themselves to be made poor, so that others may be enriched. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

1 John 4:17 BSB “In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.”

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Revelation 2:9 NLT “I know about your suffering and your poverty-but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan.”

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There are people who think (and others who think) they are Christians. Unfortunately, they are serving the Devil. Like the Pharisees (a religious group) who told Jesus, “God is our father!” But Jesus rebuked them saying:

John 8:44-45 NLT “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. [45] So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!”

Wow! So we’re not all God’s children? The Devil has children too? Yep:

1 John 3:10 HCSB “This is how God’s children — and the Devil’s children — are made evident. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.”

This is true of those who claim to know God but hate believers. (1 John 4:8) We often forget that Cain too was a religious person. He and his brother Abel were offering sacrifices to God right before Cain slew his brother. (Genesis 4:3-5) Cain and his offering was not accepted by God. But God was pleased with Abel and his offering. This made Cain dejected. Then jealousy motivated Cain to murder his brother:

1 John 3:11-13 HCSB “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.”

The children of the Devil like Cain desire to harm us. They are filled with jealousy and malice. They are religious too like Cain. It’s easy for them to get close to us because they speak our lingo. Hence we need discernment. How can we recognize true Christians from false ones? 

LOVE

John 13:35 TPT “For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.”

A person who does not love the way Jesus loves is not of God, period. And the best way to be able to discern this is to live the life of love ourselves.

2 Corinthians 8:9 TPT “For you have experienced the extravagant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was infinitely rich, he impoverished himself for our sake, so that by his poverty, we become rich beyond measure.”

See how deeply Christ loves us? Self-sacrificing love is the way of the Master. We are commanded to love one another the same.

1 John 4:8 TPT “The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love.”

Be careful of people who claim to be your brother/sister but do not have this kind of love. Watch out for the synagogue of Satan. Watch out for Cain.

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2 Timothy 3:12-13 NIV “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, [13] while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

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Doesn’t this passage suggest persecution will get worse? As evildoers and impostors go from bad to worse, would not their hatred for the church do the same? But sometimes persecution isn’t easily detected.

DO YOU KNOW WHEN A SERPENT IS TALKING TO YOU?

Persecution in Greek means to follow or pursue. Eve should never have entertained the Devil. Not because a serpent was talking to her, but because it was saying something opposite of God. Notice how cleverly the serpent did this:

Genesis 3:1 LEB “Did God indeed say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The serpent didn’t come out and say, “I disagree with God!” That would have thrown Eve’s defenses up immediately. Instead, He asked Eve a question to draw her in. This was not a sincere question. The serpent knew exactly what God said about the trees in the garden. He played dumb like his servants play ignorant today. Folks devoted to the Devil ask believers questions often. It’s done to put doubts in our minds about what God says. Like their master, deceivers pretend not to know. Once you answer their false concerns they say something opposite of what God says. They always do this.

ONLY GOATS BUTT

Lying is their native tongue. (John 8:44-45) They never agree with what God says while saying they do agree with Him. It goes something like this: “Yeah, I see what you’re saying, BUT…” There’s always a, “BUT,” to what God says. They may repeat to you everything you said to them verbatim then comes that, “BUT…” Repeating everything back to you is a sales technique I taught for years. It’s done to make customers feel like you’re listening to them when in fact you’re not. No, you’re not listening in the way they think you are. When people feel you are paying attention to them they are more inclined to listen to what you have to say. A feeling of he/she cares causes them to become engaged. Then with their defenses down the salesman/witch/wizard can persuade the victim to buy anything. And believe anything. This is manipulation on another level. I’m glad God showed me I needed to get out of sales. 

Remember this, goats always butt. Sheep listen to and follow the good Shepherd’s voice. (John 10:27) Whether you quote scripture or show it to them in the Bible opposers won’t agree. They will tell you it’s what you’re saying not God. They don’t recognize the Bible as the word of God while some claim that they do. Double speech is the serpent’s vocabulary. Feelings are what they recognize not God’s word. “Well, I think,” or “I hear what you’re saying BUT I FEEL LIKE such and such,” or, “What that’s saying to me is…,” etcetera. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Once they see they’re not making headway with you they get belligerent. (Proverbs 9:7-9) If we entertain these folks and strive to convince them it can cause us to fall.

Don’t struggle with serpents. Once you discern that’s what you’re dealing with get out of that conversation. Let them think, feel, and believe whatever they want. (Revelation 22:11) May we obey God who says:

Romans 16:17 LEB “Now I exhort you, brothers, to look out for those who cause dissensions and temptations contrary to the teaching which you learned, and stay away from them.”

Galatians 1:8-9 KJV “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

People who try to twist our hearts and minds away from God are accursed. God says to leave them alone. Don’t debate them, do not entertain them. It’s not flesh you’re dealing with but serpents (evil spirits), who are talking right through them. (Ephesians 6:12)

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Proverbs 26:27 HCSB “The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone — it will come back on him.”

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I wonder what was going through Haman’s mind as they were leading him to the gallows. The fear he felt must have been horrific. Imagine; you think you’re about to get rid of your enemies, only to be hung by your own trap. God’s judgment is righteous indeed! I see why God says not to set traps for people. Guess what? The whole world is falling into Haman’s trap.

Haman had a 75-foot high gallows built to hang Mordecai on it (his enemy). Why? Because Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage to him. This enraged Haman so went a step further; he mustered a plot to kill Mordecai’s people the Jews. This was Satan at work through Haman to exterminate God’s people. You can read about it in the book of Esther. It’s a short book in the Bible that has interesting lessons about faith and God’s protection. 

In Revelation chapter eleven we see something similar taking place. The beast and his subjects are gloating. They’re celebrating like it’s Christmas because they have killed the two witnesses. Then something strange happens:

Revelation 11:11-12 HCSB “But after 3 1/2 days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. So great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.”

Yes, these martyrs are resurrected like Jesus was. Their enemies see them come back from the dead. They also watch them go up into heaven. Can you imagine how these persecutors will feel then? 

Revelation 11:13‭-‬14 LEB “And at that hour a great earthquake took place, and a tenth of the city collapsed, and seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly!”

ONCE THEY FINISH THEIR TESTIMONY 

Revelation 11:7-10 HCSB “When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, conquer them, and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie in the public square of the great city, which prophetically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And representatives from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb. Those who live on the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets brought judgment to those who live on the earth.”

Once the two witnesses finish their testimony of Jesus Christ the beast kills them. (Revelation 12:17) This reminds me of the passage where Jesus says:

John 9:4 KJV “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Jesus spoke of a time when He and His disciple’s work would come to an end; nighttime, a time of total darkness, “when no man can work.” In the very next verse He says:

John 9:5 HCSB “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus is still the light of the world. He operates through His church, His body. (Matthew 5:14-16) But what will the state of the world be when the church is gone? This question reminds me of a period of darkness in human history we don’t hear much about:

Genesis 6:1-4 HCSB “When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.”

The whole world became corrupt in Noah’s day. Fallen angels (sons of God) came down to earth and procreated with human women creating a hybrid race. This was not God’s creation. These wicked genetics and their evil effects spread through time. It got so bad the only people God thought were worth saving was Noah and his family (only 8 people). They weren’t infected by this alien DNA. They were still human. They were not corrupt. Have you ever wondered what would happen if everyone gets turned into a wicked, genetic hybrid all over again like in Noah’s day? Let’s say this happens through a DNA editing shot or something. Hmmmmm. Would it be nighttime all over again? (Ecclesiastes 1:9 3:15) A time of total darkness, “When no man can work?” (John 9:4) Remember, Jesus died to redeem mankind, not demonkind. If there are no more humans left who would there be left to save? It’s reported that of the 7 billion plus people on earth about 5 and a half billion have been fully vaccinated. Hmmmmm, how interesting.

GUILTY AS CHARGED

Let’s go back to Revelation 11:7-11: “These two prophets brought judgment to those who live on the earth.” This is why the beast and his subjects want them dead. They’re tired of hearing their judgment messages from God. (Matthew 23:33-35) It’s no different from how any prophets of God were treated throughout time. God’s true servants have always been persecuted, hounded, and hunted. True servants of God speak God’s message; the good, the bad, and the ugly. The world hates the truth. It hates truth now more than ever. And Satan is seeing to it through his sorcery called a vaccine that no one is redeemable. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Revelation 18:23 14:9-11) They are changing (mutating) and becoming worse. ‘Get rid of those who speak God’s message,’ they say. This will ultimately provoke God’s anger into action as it did in Noah’s day.

The guy we first talked about in this article (Haman) wanted to be worshiped. The beast in the books of Daniel and Revelation wants worship. The dragon (Satan) who gave the beast its power wants worship. All who have taken his mark have the beast’s character and want worship too. They will be ecstatic once they feel they’ve gotten rid of God’s messengers. (Revelation 11:10) Only to find out like Haman did they fell into their own trap.

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Daniel 7:23-28 LEB “And he said, ‘The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom that will be on the earth that will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and it will trample it and it will crush it. And as for the ten horns coming from it, from this kingdom ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them. And he will be different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings. And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will wear out the holy ones of the Most High, and he will attempt to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time and two times and half a time. Then the court will sit, and his dominion will be removed, to be eradicated and to be destroyed totally. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the nation of the holy ones of the Most High; his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey him.’ This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel—my thoughts terrified me greatly and my face changed over me, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

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Isaiah 41:10-13 HCSB “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you.”

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