Colossians 2:6-7, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
My bodily afflictions have changed my life and how I look at everything. Life
isn't fun like it used to be. I don't enjoy playing music and getting out like I
used to. My body is in constant neck pain and stiffness, with burning and sharp
pain down my limbs, et cetera. My afflictions have caused me to care about the
afflicted, to side with the underdog and to have compassion on the oppressed
like never before.
I am afflicted and want to help the afflicted. I put myself into other people's shoes. It has always bothered me that well-to-do Americans give 50 cents or a dollar to the poor. I give $20 often. I gave one man $20 and then he asked if he could get into my car. I always deny and tell them that for safety I don't let strangers into my car.
Another homeless man to whom I gave $50 in Hilo, Hawaii said, “I'll do anything for this money.” He was already holding the money. I told him he could keep it freely and went my way. The world is a wicked place today and you have to be careful. The Bible defines religion in James 1:27 as helping the afflicted and yet remain unspotted from the world. In other words, help others without partaking of sins.
While walking in West Hollywood after my 1st surgery, I saw an elderly homeless woman sitting in the shade wearing dark clothes. I didn't even see her until I came closer, because she faded into the shade of a big tree. I gave her $5 and it bothered me all day that I didn't give her $20.
The next day I took a bus down to Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles and waded in the cold ocean water. California has cold water from the north. Wherever I go I have to wade my feet in the water. As I was leaving a guy asked me for some money and I gave him my pocket change. Something told me not to give him too much, so I gave him a couple dollars in change. But when the bus came I didn't have any change, because I gave it away. I only had bigger bills and had to walk quite a distance to find a place that could provide some change. My right leg was killing me and I was so mad at myself for giving my bus fare away. I wasn't thinking. After that I determined to always give away dollars instead of change.
I'm not rich but I choose to drive a 1993 old car and stay out of debt. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but Lord willing, as long as I have something to give and share, I will. I was reading that in Japan people rarely use credit cards. The Japanese pay with cash. Americans could learn a lot of good from the Asian cultures.
I had a really horrible day while in San Diego, weeks after my 2nd neck surgery in 2010. I saw a middle-aged man holding a sign that said, “Every little but helps.” It didn't say he was poor. For all I knew he had an expensive Porsche parked around the corner. But my heart was touched and God said to give him $100, so I did with a Gospel of John. I figured he's probably paying alimony and child support, or maybe he was just a conman looking to escape paying taxes. Who knows, but my consuming thought was that he was some mother's son and a man for whom Jesus died. The driver in the car behind me was laying on the horn and mad that I gave him money. I loved it. I'm telling you friend, you don't know what fun is until you go around giving away money and Bibles to people. I NEVER give money without a Gospel tract or Bible booklet. I gave that man $100 because the Gospel of John alongside told him that a Christian cared about him, that God loved him and I knew that he would never forget that moment.
I came out of a Mexican fast food place in San Diego and saw a guy looking through some garbage pails. I handed him $20 and a Gospel of John. He said, “I'm glad you're a doer of the Word and not just a hearer.” That made me feel happy. I'm not boasting, God knows my heart. I'm only sharing this with others in hopes that it will catch-on. If you can't give money, then give prepared foods bought from the store. Give something to every poor person who asks of you and whom you cross in your path!!! If I smell even the slightest bit of alcohol I plainly tell them, “No, you've been drinking.” One man wanted money in a store parking lot and I politely said, “No, you've been drinking.” I still handed him a Gospel of John and he cursed me with every name he could think of. I hope he kept the Bible and read it when he sobered up.
I gave one man $100 because I was having a sad day and wanted to make somebody happy with kindness. The man had raggedy clothes and asked if I could spare a dollar and I handed him a Gospel of John with $100 in it. When he opened it I could see the happiness on his face. He was reading the Bible like he was really interested, but I knew he was startled. I said, “This is from the Lord and went my way.” I had a great day. You ought to try it sometime, it's awesome. The Bible says that everything you give to the poor you are lending to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17).
A fool and his money are soon parted, so be careful how you spend God's money. Every penny you have is God's money. Did you know that the day you got saved you went to work for Jesus Christ? The day you got saved the Lord superseded your secular employer. Colossians 3:23-25, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” Since we are God's child (if you've been born-again), we serve Jesus Christ and will answer directly to God in Heaven.
It matters not if you collect garbage for a living
or are U.S. President, you work for God if you are saved. If you're not
saved, then you serve Satan. Some Christians have the errant idea that one
is not serving God unless they're in full-time Christian work. My friend,
you are serving God even if you work as a heart surgeon if you have been
born again by the Spirit of God.
The Importance Of Little Things
God is keeping track of everything that we do. When I go shopping and use a cart to transport the groceries to my car, I ALWAYS roll the cart back into the store. I'll bring two if I see an idle cart in the parking lot. I usually grab a stray cart in the parking lot when I first arrive, and bring it back into the store to use. But I watch other people and everyone walks into the store without bringing a cart with them from the parking lot. They don't care. I watch them leave their carts in the parking lot. They only think about themselves. I care. I think about what I can do to help my neighbor. The different mindsets are night and day my friend. We are living in a selfish generation.
The Bible commands us to look upon the things of others, just as Jesus did (Philippians 2:4-5). I feel lonely always being considerate in an inconsiderate world, but I know I am doing the right thing. Just because everyone else leaves their cart in the parking lot doesn't mean that I have to. It bothers me so much that people are selfish, not caring about LITTLE THINGS. Every store I go to has DOZENS of empty carts sitting around the parking lot. Their attitude is to let someone else earn their pay and retrieve the carts. Yet, what's so hard about bringing a shopping cart with you from the parking lot? It's a matter of caring.
The matter goes far beyond shopping carts. I just used that as an example. There are THOUSANDS of little things that people don't care about, that over time lead to much pollution—beer cans all along the sea shore, people scattering their garbage in public parks, defecating on the floor of public bathrooms instead of using the toilet, not flushing after themselves, the stench of urine in public places, et cetera. If a person doesn't care about little things, then they can't be trusted with big things either. God tells us that even the very hairs of our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30), and our steps are numbered as well. In fact, Job said in Job 14:16, “For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?” Job realized that if God knows the very number of our steps, then do you think He overlooks the smallest sins in our heart?
When I use to work as a truck mechanic many years ago, I used to follow the church buses home every Sunday night just in case one broke down. The ride was a good 45-minutes. I could have zoomed home to be with my family, but I wanted to be helpful if the bus broke down. I carried a complete tool set and extra parts that I knew commonly went defective. Perhaps that's why God gave me this ministry, because He knew that little things are important to me. I care if the word “begotten” is removed from John 3:16. I once has a Lutheran pastor shout at me, “You and that King James heresy!” I replied, “Any Bible that removes the word begotten from John 3:16 is going into my garbage pail.”
I care about the 2,745 victims of 911. I care about those 200 people who leaped to their death from the 100th floor of the Trade Towers. 911 WAS AN INSIDE JOB! I care about the small percentage of alcohol drinkers who die because of the evils of booze every year. Actually alcohol has become a major problem in our nation. It's not just a small percentage anymore. 10% of parents are now considered drunks! I care about those few failing students. I care about that homeless man on the street. I care about that one missing sheep!!! God cares and so should we (1st Peter 5:7).
