My plans upon returning home from attending the Church at Brookhills were to go straight to bed. I was not to pass "Go," and I was to not collect two-hundred dollars. However, I got fired up talking to my dear friend Leslie about politics, economics and the functions of the Body of Christ as we made our way back to Tuscaloosa.
How do all those relate to each other? Well, I'm sure everyone can see how politics and economics relate to each other, but how do they relate to The Church? I mean, aren't we supposed to separate Church and State? No, we are not to separate Church and State in that sense. The term Jefferson coined is not written anywhere in the Constitution. It's only found in a letter he wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association. But that's another lesson for another day.
When a person is consumed by Jesus and follows him daily, his "religion" cannot be separated from any other part of his life. It is his life. Jesus' words and teachings should be the number one factor in determining a Christian's political stance. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourself. He commands us to give to the poor.
So why are there so many Christians who oppose the government taking from the rich and giving to the poor?
Because Jesus didn't command the government to do the giving. He gave that commandment to His people. It is not the government's job to make sure everyone gets to go to college. It's not the government's job to make sure everyone gets to utilize their master's degree. It's not the government's job to make sure everyone has a telephone line in his house.
It is up to the church to see that everyone has enough food to keep him alive. It's up to the church to make sure everyone has a place to get out of the elements. It's up to the church to make sure everyone has clothes on his back.
In God's eyes, you are not oppressed just because you don't have a car. You are not oppressed just because you can't find a "career" in your field of study. You are not oppressed just because you can't afford internet service.
Tonight, at the Church of Brookhills, David Platt explained what real oppression looks like. He explained what it really means to be poor and less fortunate.
FACTS:
*OVER 1 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE LIVING ON LESS THAN $1 A DAY.
*HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS LIVE IN SLUMS
*HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS ARE STARVING
*HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF CHILDREN ARE EXPLOITED
*HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF CHILDREN ARE ORPHANED
WHAT DOES POVERTY LOOK LIKE?
*LACK OF FOOD AND WATER
*LACK OF EDUCATION (WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT HIGHER, UNIVERSITY-TYPE EDUCATION HERE)
*INADEQUATE MEDICAL CARE
*DISEASES THAT CAN BE PREVENTED
*BRAIN DAMAGE (80% of brain development happens during the first 2 years of life. Without enough protein during those years, a child can face brain damage.) Did you read that? BRAIN DAMAGE!
If you have any mode of transportation and a roof over your head, you are in the top 10% of the RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD! So almost every American is rich. How did we get this way? It's not by any socialist program people are trying to implement. What is going to happen to this country if we keep moving further and further away from capitalism? I see a cycle like this:
The government takes more money from the rich to fund socialist programs.
The rich see no benefit in working harder because the more money they make, the more that is taken from them.
The rich slow down their work.
More jobs are lost and less money the government gets.
The government is not able to provide for the "poor."
The "poor" get poorer.
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