Let's Get Real, Feeding the Hungry

Feeding the hungry. 

Hello. Welcome, today. Today we are going to start our quest to "get real." to stop playing church. Pretending to be a Christian, or at least saying we are, without really knowing what that actually means. We are going to look more in-depth at this passage of the Bible. Remember, this is Jesus talking to people that thought they were Christians.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21

In another passage, Jesus speaks clearly.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46

So for the next few weeks, we are going to examine Jesus's list of things He will bless us for, and hold against those who do not do them. Today we will start with the first. Jesus said this.

"I was hungry and you gave me food."

To those, He did not allow entrance into heaven.

"For I was hungry and you gave me no food"

Today we will discuss, feeding the hungry 

Now, of course, we can gather together some food, and go down to the inner city, or to places where there are those less fortunate than us and give them food. We can give it to a food pantry or a soup kitchen. Or? We can tithe. Yup. Tithe our ten percent so why?

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:10

Did you know that is one of the main reasons that we should be working, to begin with? Not just to pay bills and or get rich, but read this with me.

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Ephesians 4:28

It is not about you. First, God did not create our financial system. We did. We, humans, decided that this and that rock was worth this and that dollar. This paper once printed is worth this much or that. We created work for money. We created ways to exchange goods, Electric, Water, Food, for money. Since we did, God must operate in our system if He wants to bless us and or help us financially.

Used to be, God required Goats, Sheep, Grains, and Oils as tithes. Whatever it was you did, have a Vineyard? You tithed ten percent of your Grape harvest. If Wheat? Ten percent of the Wheat. Animals? You get the point. Now, in today's day and age, we tithe ten percent of our income. Why? So the church can buy food and help people with their daily needs which most times requires money.

Whenever you think you cannot afford to tithe? Read Malachi 3:6-12. Read Ephesians 4:28. Read what Jesus said in Matthew 19:24

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:24

I know, I can hear you now. "I'm not rich. So this does not apply to me." Really? Actually, You ARE a VERY rich person. Yes, I am talking to you. Did you know this fact? If you make only $10,000 dollars a year, you are one percent of the richest people on the earth. Yup. Ten thousand dollars a year. That is roughly $800 a month Not a paycheck. A month. How much do you make?

Think about this. Most poor around the world have no home, no running water, no electricity. They do not have a ready source of food. They eat garbage, bugs, and dirt. Whatever they can find, or they DIE. Our poor? American poor? Here is the legal and actual definition of the American poor. People that make less than the following.

$12,486 for a single individual under age 65,

$14,507 a household of two people with a householder 65 years or older with no children,

$24,339 for a family of four with two children under age 18,

American poor, have a home, running water, and a ready source of food. We have a car, sometimes two, cell phones, laptops, access to the Internet. No one is walking around naked. No one is starving to death. In this country, if you do not work, the government will take care of you and your family. Other places around the world? They follow what the Bible says.

"For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10

So let's stop saying how poor we are. Let's start looking at ways to feed God's people. However, God is not only concerned with food that goes in the mouth. He is also concerned with you, yes you, imparting Spiritual food into the lives of others. Remember, Jesus told us this.

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:27-40

Now that is some good food. Seriously. Yes, of course, we all need to eat to sustain our natural bodies. But imagine this. If we fail to eat, we may die. But if we eat of the bread of heaven, or feed others of the knowledge of Jesus and His sacrifice, then they, like us will never die. We will live forever. Remember what Jesus told the devil when the devil was tempting Him?

" But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”" Matthew 4:4

He was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3

"And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

Here is a tip for you though. Trust me on this. If you are going to start giving out? You first have to fill up. Read the Word of God for yourself. Go to church and get fed the Word. Grow into a mature child of God. Eat the meat of the gospel and not just the milk only. Then, when you are ready, and God calls you to, you can go feed His people as Jesus repeatedly told Peter to do.

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. "John 21:15-17

God wants you to take care of the poor of course. But He also whats you to feed people with His words as well. Share the gospel. Share the heavenly bread that God gives to you. Be His vessel. Be His child. Are you ready to get real? Feed the hungry. There are many hungry people out there. Some do not even know how hungry they are. Be kind and feed them with bread they never even knew before.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!!