Fighting the Four Evils

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth (Ephesians 4:28). The Bible has much to say about helping the needy. One sure way as to how to determine whether a person is filled with the love of God in him is whether he has concern for the needy: But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John 3:17). Apostle John makes it very clear. If a person does sees a needy person, and has no compassion for him, the love of God does not dwell in Him. He has no love. The spirit behind this verse is that how can a person say that he loves if he cares not for the needy. Such love is one that manifests in compassion, and is not stingy, or begrudging, nor proud.  While 1 John 3:17 especially refers to loving a needy brother or sister in Christ, it spirit is of the agap...

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). The Bible warns that riches are deceitful, not the love of riches, but riches itself. Jesus had much to say about riches. He rebukes his disciples that no one can serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), not being anxious about basic earthly needs (Matthew 6:25-34). He rebuke the rich young ruler who was not willing to lay all things down to follow Christ for not doing so, and turned to his disciples and warned them that they must also do so (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-27). He rebuked the man who demanded his 'fair share' of his inheritance to not seek the abundance of possession, with the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21). Many Christians try to construe Jesus' teachings on mammon as that which only relates to money, and not other things which are sourced by money ...

It is embedded in western psyche that one should be full of sympathy towards the needy, and side them , just because they are the underdog. I call it the "underdog sympathy complex". Australia is a country with such a complex, as Australians love to side with the underdog, and love to despise those who are elite. This may seem like compassion, empathy and fairness, which is what Australians love to think of themselves to be, and think they are entitled to. However, the underdog sympathy complex is not compassion, empathy, fairness or justice. It is nothing but favouritism towards the poor and needy, from selfish fear that one will be in that position oneself. This leads to what many Christians in the west call 'socialistic' thinking.  The socialistic thinking that many in the west have towards the poor and needy is earthly thinking, as it thinks that what people ultimately need is to have the basic human needs, instead of that Jesus is not only what people need, bu...

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour (Leviticus 19:15). It is important to help the needy and poor as the Bible commands (Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 15:7, 11; Jeremiah 22:3; Matthew 5:42; Acts 20:35). Why does the Bible tell us to help the poor and the needy? Because they are those in the world who are bullied, oppressed, and hatred by the world out of its sinful, wicked, evil love of self and hatred of God.  What the Bible means by the 'needy' and 'poor' are exactly those people, those whom the world hates, mocks, scorned, despises, and looks down on out of its proud wicked, evil heart. For the needy and poor are those who do not have any worldly things, no power, money or possessions, respect, status or anything else the world esteems (See Matthew 19:16-26, Luke 12:33-34; 14:12-14).  That is the true Biblical definition ...

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). The Bible tells followers of Christ to help the needy and, indeed, there are many followers of Christ who do good works to serve the needy. However, what many often to do realise is that helping the needy people of the world can taint oneself. This is because many needy people are people of the world, who do not know God. They are wicked sinners like any other wicked sinner, rich or poor, powerful or lowly, famous or unknown. Needy people can be even more mammonised than those who are rich in the earthly sense of being rich. Their heart can and is full of wickedness and vile evil (Jeremiah 17:9). This is all too easy to forget as one is thinking about their earthly plight and how less "fortunate" they may be compared to oneself.  Such thinking is a manifestation of earthliness, that feels humanist...

Many people generally think that a poor person could not be materialistic, greedy and prepared to commit all kinds of evil in the quest to satisfy their desires for earthly comfort. Nothing could be further from the truth. A poor person can be as mammonised as a rich person. Both can be equally mammonised, let's get that fair and square.  It is all too easy to feel sympathy for the poor, just because they are poor. This is exactly why the Bible has to tell us to not show partiality the poor:  Do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit (Exodus 23:3). Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly (Leviticus 19:15)  Feeling sympathy for the poor because they are poor is not righteousness or kindness at all. It is partiality. Such sympathy is humanistic sympathy, sympathy of the flesh, because it sympathises with the poor because it is thinking of how one's own earthly security might b...

It is ironic how many western Christians take no issue with referring to the Old Testament when speaking about not oppressing the orphans, widows and the poor (Exodus 22:22; Proverbs 14:31, 22:16, 22; Jeremiah 7:6; Zechariah 7:10; Micah 2), but take issue with referring to the Old Testament when speaking about usury (Ezekiel 18:13).  Such hypocrisy is really very very clear.  They are all too happy with referring to the Old Testament when talking about not oppressing orphans, widows and the poor. They use it extensively to justify their stance. Yet, when it comes to the issue of usury, they snarl up, and attack aggressively, all under a false guise of politeness and gentleness. They seem very deceptively gentle when making their rebuke of those who referring to the Old Testament verses about usury (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-37; Deuteronomy 23:19-20; Ezekiel 18: 8, 13, 22:12, Psalm 15:5; Jeremiah 15:10; Proverbs 22:7; 28:8). However, their lips and manner of spirit are fu...

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth (Psalm 37:21). The Bible makes it very clear that it is sin to borrow and not repay. Psalm 37:21 makes it clear: The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. You may argue that it is an Old Testament verse. That a verse is found in the Old Testament does not mean it does not apply today. This verse describes the heart of a wicked person. It says that wicked borrow and do not repay. What this means is that if one borrows money, and does not repay, one sins. It concerns the heart itself, and therefore, this requirement to repay all money that one borrows is part of the Moral Law of God, not the Old Testament civil or ceremonial law. To repay all of one's debts is binding to all people today. There is no such thing as an exception to sin, which makes it not sinful. For example, there is no exception to lying, or murder which renders such things to no ...

The prosperity "gospel" is a truly evil doctrine. Many people who attend false apostate "churches" do not realise that they do because they cannot discern it. Many contemporary local churches which are Biblical, orthodox and evangelical, sometimes lean towards it in the way they preach or think about God's provision, wealth and abundance.  Many in the modern Church, that is 21st century Christendom as a whole, often speak about how God has "blessed" them with material things, happily and smugly receiving what God has given to them out of His grace and His grace alone, whether it be a house, car, job, holiday or leisure time. Little do they realise that this thinking, although not what is called the prosperity "gospel" itself, are adopting exactly the same mindset as those who espouse and preach what so many in the modern "Church" denounce" as the prosperity "gospel".  They denounce it, but yet have a mindset that is...

Hath oppressed the poor and needy , hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,   Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him (Ezekiel 18:12-13). It is very tempting to think that the Biblical prohibition on usury is merely a civil law of Israel, which God gave to stop oppression of the poor and needy. This is precisely the logic which many in the modern Church are leaning towards, by arguing that the prohibition on usury only applied to loans made to the poor. This line of reasoning leads to the conclusion that the prohibition on usury in the Bible is was only part of the civil law, not the Moral Law of God, on the grounds that usury in those days oppressed the poor. Such a line of reasoning is a very dangerous one. It makes out a Moral Law of God, prohibiti...

Many western Christians think the usury is only a sin when charged against the poor owing to Exodus 22:25.  This, however, is a misinterpretation. The Bible makes it very clear that usury is a sin, and not only a sin but an abomination (Ezekiel 18:13). To think that usury is a sin only when charged against the poor is to favour the poor. Such people are siding with the poor. While the Bible does command the follower of Christ to care for the poor and needy (Deuteronomy 15:10-11; Proverbs 29:7; Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 20:35; 1 John 3:17-18), it also commands him not to show partiality towards the poor: Nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit (Exodus 23:3) You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor (Leviticus 19:15). These verses concern treatment of the poor, not just in lawsuits but how to treat the poor. Thus, the same applies to the usury prohibition. ...

 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him (E zekiel 18:13). Many in the modern western Church, including conservative orthodox evangelical theologians think that the Bible permits usury when not charged against a poor person. They think that the Bible does not prohibit usury between business persons. This, however, is a faulty understanding of the Biblical prohibition against usury.  Simply because the Bible is explicit about not charging usury against the poor (Exodus 22:25) does not mean that the Bible permits usury being charged against one who is not poor.  Usury is that which encourages a person to stay in debt, ensnaring him to serve debt. It is a sin to borrow and not repay (Psalm 37:21). Usury encourages a person to borrow and not repay by ensnaring him to debt. It is a sin under the New Covenant as much as it was a si...