Poor People: God's Identity
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of 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 took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.
Matthew 25:31-36 (NKJV)*
If Jesus became the world’s poorest Man, if He chose life without rank, wealth or “stuff”...
'But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the Cross' (Philippians 2:7-8).
Then the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus, identifies with poor people.*
‘Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker’ (Proverbs 14:31).
‘He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting,” he replied’ (Acts 9:4-5).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Your commitment to Jesus is a vow! Think of it this way:
“I, (your name), take You, Jesus, to be my wedded Husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance, I pledge my faith to You.”
And in this union, death does not divide, but further unites.
'I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy' (Hosea 2:19). 'For your Maker is your Husband, the Lord of hosts is His Name' (Isaiah 54:5).
'I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine' (Song of Solomon 6:3).
Consider a sobering reminder:
When Saul hunted followers of The Way, although Jesus was living in Heaven...
When Jesus detailed His Father’s judgment criteria in Matthew 25…
Jesus is quite (uncomfortably) clear: How we treat the poor is how we treat Him.**
Poor People: God's Identity (Part 5)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.
* Matthew 25:31-46 NKJV - The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations