This week's ongoing Bible study series will be part 3 of Acts chapter 16

Paul and Silas Convert Their Captors,

Winning Their Own Release

[Acts chapter 16, verses 29-40]

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Last week when we left off at verse 28 of chapter 16, Paul and Silas were in a bad way. After driving an evil spirit out of a young slave girl, it turned out that spirit gave her the power to foretell the future. This rare, and unnatural, ability was Satanic in nature. Paul and Silas clearly perceived this. The slave girl's captors – I won't call them 'owners' since I think humans owning other humans is sinfully immoral – were milking her for all she was worth, and they were undoubtedly making a hefty profit from her strange and unnatural abilities. But the salvation of her soul had an additional price tag – the slave girl's “owners” pressed charges against the two apostles. And so Paul and Silas had been thrown in jail and severely flogged.

Late that night there was a severe earthquake that damaged the jail in which Paul and Silas were being held. The doors were thrown open and the shackles Paul and Silas were chained to miraculously came undone. As the story is told in verse 27, next “The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.” Fortunately, Paul immediately spoke up because he was a Roman citizen and was well versed in the ways of the Roman Empire. He knew the jailer would have fallen on his sword, and stopped him from doing so, saving his captor's life. And so this week, as we move on to part 3 of Acts chapter 16, we find Paul and Silas' formerly authoritative jailer coming to verify what Paul has told him, and the jailer is now a nervous wreck. So let's take up where we last left off, beginning at verse 29.

“29) The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30) He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' 31) They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.' 32) Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33) At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34) The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole household. 35) When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: 'Release those men.' 36) The jailer told Paul, 'The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.'” (Acts 16, verses 29-36)

This jailer has been thoroughly shaken from top to bottom by what he had just experienced. Although the earthquake was an unusual occurrence, it was much more than just that. Anybody else would have taken advantage of the situation, including the other prisoners in there with Paul and Silas. But thanks to them, the remainder of the prisoners had stayed put when the quake struck. Evidently this was something outside the jailer's scope of experience, and so he found himself totally blown away by the surprising (for the jailer) behavior of the two apostles. So compelling was that particular experience that the jailer “....rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30) He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'”

The jailer was keenly aware that something supernatural had just taken place. From his viewpoint, it must have seemed like the earthquake had occurred so the shackles could fall off the two men (the remainder of the prisoners' shackles had apparently not come off), and the jailer must have seen it as some kind of supernatural sign directed at himself. Why else, he may have thought, could this have occurred? But Paul answered his question directly and to the point: “31) They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.' 32) Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33) At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.”

The Power behind the quake, Paul told the jailer and his household, is indeed the same Power that caused our chains to fall off while they were in custody, in our equivalent of maximum security. It is also, Paul explained to them all, the Power that caused he and Silas to stay law-abiding citizens by remaining in their places after the quake occurred. And, Paul further taught, it was that same Power that had raised Jesus Christ from the dead on the morning of the third day after he died on the cross for us all. We can also see here that the jailer was a compassionate man at heart. As the Word says, before Paul and Silas baptized them, the jailer personally washed their wounds to lessen the shock of the cold water they were about to be immersed in. Only then would the jailer allow the two men to baptize himself and his entire household. Like the young slave girl's owners, the jailer also had slaves. He likely reasoned that if the young slave girl could be delivered of demonic possession, then his slaves could be saved too. This was the opposite reaction of the slave girl's owner at the beginning of this story, who had Paul and Silas prosecuted and beaten for ruining their source of income. Afterwards, the slave girl's owner likely either sold her off or killed her.

“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole household.” And so they all had themselves a nice little feast in the middle of the night, and it was an event thanks to the saving power of the risen Lord. The next morning the magistrate ordered the two apostles to be released. “Now you can leave. Go in peace,” the jailer told them. But in the following verses, the jailer gets a surprise he hadn't counted on, starting at verse 37: “But Paul said to the officers: 'They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out. 38) The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39) They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40) After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.”

Paul and Silas were both citizens of the Roman Empire. The people who had pressed charges against them were not. Those who had pressed charges against the two apostles and had had them severely flogged, likely weren't citizens either. They feared prosecution by the Romans because it could mean an end to their lives. The magistrates were employees of the Empire, like a civilian contractor for the military in modern times. Paul and Silas wanted to be protected on their way out of town, and understandably so. They feared being attacked again by the same people who had them flogged and jailed previously. So, “They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them.”

So Paul and Silas got a security detail to escort them safely to Lydia's house prior to leaving town. Under any other circumstances, the outcome of their adventure in Philippi could have been much different. But within minutes the two apostles were back at Lydia's house. Without a doubt, everyone there had been quite worried about Paul and Silas, having only second-hand information as to their fate. But the two apostles, unmindful of their painful wounds, reassured them all with words of encouragement and exhortation. Then, says verse 40, they left. Where did Paul and Silas go next in their quest to spread the Gospel? The answer can be found in part one of chapter 17, which is where we'll move on to for next week's teaching. Be sure and come back then, everyone. Thanks to all of you for reading these weekly postings, you are all very much appreciated.

My Reasons for Boycotting Black Friday

The Holidays In America: Blind Consumerism

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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The psychopathology of consumerism and the subtle brain washing of mind control: We have become programmed like robots to spend more than we can afford on things we don't really need. Like sheep headed to the trimmers, we dutifully spend our meager incomes at the bidding of a myriad of shop-till-you-drop gimmicks while our highly vaunted capitalist economic system fleeces us all. The worst part is that the useless junk we buy doesn't benefit the US economy, it benefits mainly Red China's. Those who control America's shadow government – the real movers and shakers from behind the scenes, not their puppets in Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court – have sold out our country to the opposing side and have thus committed treason.

The reason most people don't care about, or won't even consider, this glaring reality is because they can “live so much cheaper” buying the very inexpensively made garbage that China has been dumping on America's shores since the 1980's. Cheaper at first, yes, but due to shoddy manufacturing and poor quality, Chinese and many other Pacific Rim products are notoriously short-lived and invariably cheap imitations of much better quality merchandise that used to be made here in the US. But that, of course, was before corporate America and Wall Street shipped all those middle class American jobs overseas for pennies on the dollar. And so we fight and claw for the thriftiest deal at the various suburban big box stores, purchasing with our meager earnings from our multiple part time jobs (because there are no other jobs available), shopping at other chain stores who offer pathetically and similarly low wages and zero benefits to their staff. Just like your employer treats you.

So, how much can we save on all these wonderful items (LOL)? That depends on whether one can afford to pay cash while doing their shopping or not. If one uses plastic instead of paper, that person always ends up paying far more in interest, fees and hidden charges than they would have had they bought a similar higher quality item at the finest store in town and paid cash. How much could we save now? Let's ask some more pertinent questions and explore some far more evident realities about this issue. For example, what about the Chinese workers slaving in dangerous non-union factories for 1-2 dollars a day? What does the company make off the deal? Who is actually winning? Is it really the mesmerized consumer, all teary-eyed with joy while giggling gleefully at 30, 40, and 50% off deals? Or could it be that the whole stinking thing is rigged from beginning to end?

Of course it is! Just look at what is being sold and calculate how much it costs to make it. If I look at a can of pork and beans on the grocery shelf and it's priced at 75 cents, it doesn't take a marketing genius to figure out that 75 cents is an outrageous markup. The cans are made by the millions, so they cost just a couple of pennies each to manufacture at most. The contents of the can usually cost even less, and ditto for the label. So we're looking at 2 cents for the can, 1-2 cents more for the contents, and maybe an extra penny or two for the label. Add another penny or two as margin for error and we have 7 cents. Seven cents, and the retail price is 75 cents? So the gross profit is more than ten times the cost, or a markup in excess of 1,000%! Or, consider a far more expensive item such as the latest I-phone. They sell for about $700-1,000 dollars and up plus tax, but there was a posting on the Internet just recently to the effect that it only costs Apple, Inc. about $120-$180 to manufacture I-phones, depending on the model. That's because they were made in China, resulting in a 450-600% markup. So how do you like capitalism now?

"Oh," the politicians and talking heads say to us on TV, "it's the American workers. They don't want to work menial jobs like canning pork and beans. And we can't assemble I-phones in America because its workers aren't qualified." Never mind that there are many thousands of recent college graduates who are living with their parents because they are unable to support themselves. There simply are no jobs for these poor young adults, and yet they are expected to repay predatory and exorbitant student loans. The careers for which they have been training have already been out-sourced to the third world during the last 4+ years that these hapless individuals have spent earning their degrees. They have all been robbed of their educations, which have been rendered worthless by the multinational corporations and the US military-industrial complex who are running the whole show.

Yet we are expected to perform our patriotic duty as well as appropriately celebrate the “feast of capitalism” as we shop till we drop looking for that most fantastic deal. We are in the process of being programmed to slave at multiple part time jobs working for starvation wages and with no health benefits while being expected to buy $300,000.00 houses, $50,000.00 cars and trucks, plus big screen TV's and $1,000.00 I-phones. While all this is occurring, certain employees of multiple multinational corporations are being well paid to line the pockets of senators, congressmen and supreme-court justices in Washington D.C., while sitting on presidential cabinets making decisions regarding our planet's future, our future, and our children's future. Is it any wonder that the entire world seems to be coming unglued? Is it any wonder that the American population is increasingly enraged?

Meanwhile our consumerism is devouring the planet into what might soon become more lifeless than the moon or a Wall Street tycoon's conscience. Yet, mesmerized by commercials with intelligence levels less than a jackass after having a brain amputation, we roll blindly into the gates of the shopping centers turned shopping malls turned humongous big box stores. To share more with you about that which I'm writing, consider the following 2011 release from the Associated Press (republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 26, 2011):

"A shopper in Los Angeles pepper-sprayed her competition for an X-box and scuffles broke out elsewhere around the United States as bargain-hunters crowded malls and big-box stores in an earlier-than-usual start to the greed-fueled madness known as Black Friday. For the first time, chains such as Target, Best Buy and Kohl's opened their doors before midnight on the most anticipated shopping day of the year. Toys R Us opened for the second straight year on Thanksgiving itself. And some shoppers arrived with sharp elbows. On Thanksgiving night, a Walmart in Los Angeles brought out a crate of discounted X-boxes, and as a crowd waited for the video game players to be unwrapped, a woman fired pepper spray at the other shoppers 'in order to get an advantage,' police said. Ten people suffered cuts and bruises in the chaos, and 10 others had minor injuries from the spray, authorities said. The woman got away in the confusion, and it was not immediately clear whether she got an X-box. On Friday morning, police said, two women were injured and a man was charged after a fight broke out at an upstate New York Walmart. And a man was arrested in a scuffle at a jewelry counter at a Walmart in Kissimmee, Fla. In the U.S., Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, has taken steps in recent years to control its Black Friday crowds following the 2008 death of one of its workers in a stampede of shoppers. This year, it staggered its door-buster deals instead of offering them all at once."

Lennon and McCartney of the Beatles wrote in the song "Revolution", "You say you want a revolution, well you know, we'd all love to change your head." Yes, it is more than changing Wall Street or who resides in the White House. It is, ultimately, about changing ourselves. If we all really want some serious change, then change must start from within. We must reject materialism collectively as a people in order to save the world from ourselves. Speak from your heart to your kids about consumerism, greed and how they are affecting the planet as well as our behavior. Become an environmentalist and make your kids proud. Help them to understand that it's not about how much we have, but rather how much we contribute. Life is not about how much we own or the value of our possessions. Life is all about making a stand for good things like faith, mercy, kindness, and above all, love.

Instead of buying your wife a new car and maybe going into debt, take her up on the highest place around where you live, or to some favorite romantic spot, and renew your vows to her. Instead of buying your husband a new bag of golf clubs, give him a night he will never forget. Enjoy each other and be loving to each other. To enjoy is to enjoin, to enjoin is to unite. Everything else, particularly material wealth, takes a back seat to love.

Consumerism, capitalism and the vain pursuit of worldly goods keeps us isolated by gimmicks of sensationalist advertising of strikingly beautiful women, absolutely perfect children and gorgeous, flaming hunks of men that are created off the corporate mold. To put it simply, the corporate mold is a load of BS. And who is being molded in all these advertising gimmicks? You are! For what purpose? To make others rich at your expense. The blue chip corporations have a very good reason for doing all this. As long as they can keep us isolated, we can never be united. Don't go there, never isolate yourself. Keep your money for the hard times ahead. Find richness in your heart, your spirit and your character and share that this year instead.

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 16

Locked Up for the Gospel Again

[Acts chapter 16, verses 16-28]

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When we left off last week at verse 15, Paul and Silas had been invited to stay – and were staying by the time this week's study takes place – at the house of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth and a business owner. This was just after her conversion at Philippi, having been baptized by Paul and Silas in the river at the place where they had met. This week we will move on starting at verse 16, where Paul and Silas run into trouble on the way to that same place of prayer where they had met Lydia before.

“16) Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17) She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.' 18) She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her. 19) When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, 'These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.' 22) The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23) After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24) When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

First of all, let's just set aside for the moment all religious pretense and theology. The Bible is clearly telling us two things about predicting the future and those claiming to possess the ability to do so. First, we can't and we were never meant to, at least not in our natural state. Second, those who can, as we are about to find out, are demon-possessed people – literally – because otherwise that individual would have no such ability. Paul and Silas ignored her for a long time even though she followed them wherever they went. But even Paul and Silas had their breaking point. “Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.” And so Paul rebuked the evil spirit that had seized control of the young slave girl and drove it out with only the spoken words, “Come out of her!”. Only the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ has that kind of instant and formidable power.

Driving out that evil spirit had unintended consequences for Paul and Silas, as we find out in the very next verse. “19) When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, 'These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.'” These men were furious because Paul and Silas had ruined their cash cow, and it is evident that the young woman was nothing more than a cash cow to her captors. We would call her a victim of human trafficking victim today. If they were standing before the throne of God at Judgment Day, I suspect the slave girl would be allowed to enter heaven, but her captors wouldn't be so fortunate.

“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.” This just goes to show you that being a Christian can get you singled out by the authorities in a hurry, especially if what you're teaching and preaching goes against the status quo. Being a Christian – and by that I mean living your faith as opposed to merely professing idle belief – is no cakewalk, and anyone who implies otherwise is trying to mislead you into joining their congregation so they can milk you for money. Stay away from those churches, they are filled with vultures in human form. But to get back to our lesson, one byproduct of serving Christ is that whenever we drive demons out, their demon friends are sure to come around looking to stir up trouble – with ourselves. And so Paul and Silas found themselves getting “severely flogged” before being put into a maximum security cell. And so now let's move on to part two of this week's study, beginning at verse 25.

“25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27) The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28) But Paul shouted, 'Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!'” (Acts 16, verses 25-28)

As we can see there in verse 25, it didn't matter where Paul and Silas went – they either preached and taught the Word of God and the Way of salvation, or they were in a mode of prayer and praise, full time 24x7. There was no other way to get the Word of God out to the people, since there was no mass media as we know today. The other prisoners, wrote the apostle Luke, sat up and listened to them, having never heard such prayers being spoken or such prayers being uttered as those of Paul and Silas. I wonder how many of them gave their hearts to the Lord, either while still in jail or after being released? Someday we will all know for sure, as we meet one another in heaven.

But then came a violent earthquake, and the prison doors were flung open, undoubtedly at the direction of the Lord Almighty. Next, “The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.” The jailer, who would have faced the death penalty because he failed his mission, thought it fitting to end his own life on his terms, rather than face a Roman court. The world was a very harsh place back then, and the death penalty was handed down by the Roman Empire with alarming regularity. Joining the Roman legions back then was like joining the Mafia – you served until death, and if one's death was a bit premature, well, that's too bad because that's life. Those Romans were not nice people to work for.

But Paul, knowing all this, prevented the jailer from doing so in verse 28. “But Paul shouted, 'Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!'” In true Christ-like fashion, Paul showed compassion for his captors, even though he and Silas had been beaten severely just hours before. How did the jailer react when he realized Paul and Silas had saved his life? To get the answer to this probing question, you'll have to come back next week for part three of Acts chapter 16. See you then!

Is America Imploding? You Be the Judge

A Symptom of American Implosion:

Our Broken and Rigged Voting System

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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Now that the mid-term elections have come and gone, we the people – the voting electorate – have been reminded once again of two inescapable facts about America's voting system. These two facts have existed for longer than I have been alive, and I can assure you all that 63 years is plenty long enough. The first fact I'd like to state is that nearly half the country simply never makes it to the polls. In spite of the fact that there was record voter turnout for a mid-term election this time around – and that's always a good thing – still in all, only 61% of eligible voters cast ballots. Thirty-nine percent of eligible voters either didn't bother, or couldn't.

First, let me give an honorable mention to those who couldn't vote because they had to work. The vast majority of these individuals would have voted if they could, but their employment kept them from doing so. That's the nicest way I can think of to put that at the moment, but let's be realistic. The reason these workers can't take time off to go and vote is because they'd lose their jobs, or, because they make so little money as it is that losing as little as one hour's pay is more than they can bear. That, my dear readers, is an economic barrier to voting imposed on the masses by the wealthy business owners, most of whom tend to vote conservative. Working class folks, by and large, are independent or 'blue' voters who vote for 'blue' or progressive candidates. What better way for the wealthy to keep their congressional reps in Washington than to keep their employees from voting for the opposition?

On the other hand, we have those voters, the rest of the 39%, who simply don't bother. They think their vote doesn't matter, that it won't make any difference as far as fixing a broken government is concerned. So they either stay at home and play games on their computers or gaming consoles, hang out with friends and family, and a few just sit home and party all night long. I guess they must think their stupid games and their equally stupid buddies are more important than the broken world that everyone should be devoting all our time to fixing. I guess they must think it feels better to get drunk and stoned than it does to be a part of the solution, to be a part of humanity that's on the rise instead of settling for being victims of their circumstances. America is a country that's in serious trouble from a number of standpoints, and people who won't help fix America's problems make themselves little more than dead weight to the rest of us who really care. People who don't care leave holes in time.

The second fact of life that America must reconcile herself with is our election system is being gamed by the candidates on both sides, and there are many candidates who cheat and get away with it. This is nothing new – stories like this have circulated for as long as I've been alive. It is now an established fact, for example, that Bernie Sanders got cheated out of the Democratic nomination back in 2016. The local elections can be even worse. Here in Atlanta where I live, we had a case back in 2004 where a man who got elected sheriff of DeKalb county, Georgia was assassinated by a hit man hired by the opposing candidate. The loser of that election got life without parole. And just days ago, again here in Georgia, Democrat Stacy Abrams lost the governor's race to Brian Kemp, Georgia's Republican Secretary of State who waited until after the election to resign his post. That's because the Secretary of State is responsible for Georgia's elections. So Brian Kemp used his position as Georgia Secretary of State to ensure his election to the governor's mansion. Nicely done, Governor Kemp, way to shoe-horn your way into the top job in the state! Bravo (not).

To call this disheartening simply doesn't do it justice. Brian Kemp's former opponent, Stacy Abrams, has called off her campaign, but understandably refuses to concede. Accusing the governor-elect of cheating his way into office, Abrams has vowed to file a federal lawsuit charging “gross mismanagement of the entire election”. The apostle Paul wrote about circumstances similar to this during his own time. “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God?....” (1^st Corinthians 6: 7-9) In this instance, Paul wrote about lawsuits among believers, but the same logic still applies. Why not rather be the loser than to cheat and win? Why not rather be defeated in the eyes of men and women while being victorious in the presence of the Lord?

But cheating during the elections is exactly what's been going on in America for at least the last six decades or more, and the Georgia governor's race is only the latest example. If our elections are broken, the people no longer have a voice. That's the ugly truth facing Americans today. The voice of the people is being silenced, and I offer the following excerpt from Yahoo Money News, Saturday November 17th, 2018 as proof: “Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) appeared to endorse voter suppression during a campaign stop this month, saying efforts to undermine voting among liberals at certain colleges would be a “great idea.” “And then they remind me that there’s a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who maybe we don’t want to vote,” Hyde-Smith can be heard telling a small crowd of young people outside her campaign bus in a video taken Nov. 3 and posted on online Thursday. “Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that’s a great idea.” Hyde-Smith, who was appointed to the Senate in April following the retirement of Thad Cochran, faces Democrat Mike Espy in a Nov. 27 runoff election. The Trump-backed Republican also came under fire last weekend for apparent racist remarks, joking with a crowd about attending a public hanging.....”

If recently-elected, or appointed, public officials are saying things like this, it makes me wonder what those who are well-established might be saying among themselves. With talk like I just documented above, there's no telling what's being said, but you can be sure it's contemptuous of working people. That's us. Because of this, the American people have a big problem on their hands. They are no longer in control of their country. The government has been in the hands of the Shadow Government, a.k.a. the Deep State, ever since the assassination of president Kennedy back in 1963. I was 8 years old when Kennedy was killed, and I still remember his assassination quite clearly even to this day. It was as traumatic back then as 9/11 was when it occurred. And the country hasn't been the same since.

We have got to figure out a way to take our country back from these Deep State operators. The prophet Zechariah mentioned this in his prophecy for Judah, one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. “The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like a sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.” (Zechariah 10: 2-3) Those words were written nearly 2,600 years ago. Today, the 'lost tribes of Israel' are generally viewed by many theologians as the United States, which has the world's largest population of Jewish people. So these words can be just as easily applied to the USA today as they were to the ancient Kingdom of Israel back in Zechariah's day.

“The idols speak deceit” could be considered our televisions and computers (and let's not forget all those phones), and “diviners that see visions that lie”, could be all the phony preachers and bogus televangelists who preach the Word of God for profit. We also are stuck with a crop of leaders who lead for profit, putting their own self interests ahead of the country, as well as their own constituents. “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock....” I warn you all solemnly as I have before, the United States of America is coming under judgment. The outrageous mistreatment of America's citizens by our leadership in politics, business and the clergy has infuriated Almighty God. The cries of those who just barely live from paycheck to paycheck have reached his ears, and He has, I am certain, much compassion for his people who work so diligently for so little. This situation cannot continue indefinitely. At some point, something's got to give. The only question remains, will our country survive what's coming? It won't take very long to find out. Pray for America!

This week's BIble study will move on to part 1 of Acts chapter 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

[Acts chapter 16, verses 1-15]

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This week, in our ongoing study of the chronology of the writings of the apostle Luke, we'll be moving on to Acts chapter 16. When we concluded Acts 15 last week, Paul and Barnabas had split into two teams after having a considerable disagreement about whether the apostle Mark should come with them. But this breakup over what amounted to a personnel issue was exactly what God had planned, since the two men who had been working together for several previous years were now split up into two teams. Barnabas took Mark, who was rejoining the apostles after a hiatus of undetermined length, and sailed for Cyprus. Paul took Silas and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches”. So today, as we begin part one of Acts 16, Paul and Silas have departed Antioch and are in the process of moving from town to town – which is where we will begin at verse one.

“1) Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2) The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3) Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8) So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9) During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16, verses 1-10)

So Paul and Silas go back to where he and Barnabas had been before, to the churches they had planted together in Derbe and Lystra. The apostle Paul wanted to introduce Silas to these churches as his new coworker, as well as to further build these churches up in the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at Lystra, where Timothy lived, that he was introduced to Paul and Silas, and who ultimately had 2 books in the New Testament named after him. But then in verse 3, we encounter something a bit unexpected – as a condition to entering the ministry and being co-workers with Paul and Silas, Paul has him circumcised. The Bible's reason is clearly stated: “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

I'm sure you remember from last week's study that this very topic was debated at length at the Council at Jerusalem, and that the decision had been handed down that Jewish believers in Jesus should not compel, not was it necessary to require, new Gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised. And yet, the first thing Paul did with Timothy was to have him circumcised! The apostle Paul was an orthodox Jew, and a former member of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, so Jewish customs meant a great deal to him. Granted, all those who knew Timothy knew his father was Gentile and his mother Jewish. Paul did not have Timothy circumcised to honor his mother, he did so in the name of 'peaceful coexistence' between Jews and Greeks there at Lystra, and as a Jewish man. As I wrote in last week's study, Paul was one of those people who were set in their ways, even if it meant going against the grain of the new faith in which he believed so strongly and taught so fervently. For that reason, I think he also circumcised Timothy as a condition of being his co-worker. Remember, this was the same man who said gay people can't be saved, who said that the apostle Mark should be banned from the ministry, and who said women should not be allowed to preach or teach, but should “remain silent”.

“4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” With this being done, the old requirement of male circumcision was done away with for good – except for certain churches that insist on continuing with this apostasy to this day. We went over that in part 2 of Acts 15. This decision strengthened the faith of the believers immeasurably, because the burden of of Old Law had been lifted for good. At last they were free to practice their faiths without feeling like they had Moses and the prophets constantly looking over their shoulders.

“6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” The geographic locations Luke was referring to here make up the area around the Black Sea, in what would be the southwestern Russian provinces today. After around the eight century, this area became predominantly Muslim, and it remains so to this day. And so they ended up going to Macedonia. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study, beginning at verse eleven.

“11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12) From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.”

Troas, Samothrace and Neapolis were 3 towns within a couple days walk from each other. All these towns were on or near the Mediterranean coast, in the northeast corner of that body of water, where modern-day Turkey shares a border with Macedonia. From there they went on to Philippi, the capital, where they founded the church whose name would inspire the Book of Philippians. “13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

The reason they had to go outside the city gate to pray is because there was evidently no synagogue where they could go. Or at least, not there in Philippi. So they went down to the river to pray, and presumably to bathe, although the Bible leaves out little details like that. So they encountered a group of women there, who were presumably getting their daily washing done, and they convert Lydia to the faith. So moved by the experience is Lydia that she insists on giving Paul and Silas lodging for the duration of their stay. “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.” And so Paul and Silas stayed there at Lydia's house for the duration of their stay there. And next week, when we move on to part 2 of Acts 16, we'll see what happens next, as Paul and Silas find themselves in the same bad situation that Peter had found himself in Acts chapter 12 – in jail for the sake of the Gospel. See you next week!

Stopping Gun Violence Involves Changing More Minds, Not Passing More Laws

To Stop Gun Violence in America,

We Must Acquire “the Mind of Christ”

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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I could start by writing at length how sick and tired people have become of America's gun violence problem. I'm skipping all that. The news media is already filled with the opinions of those who, in the long run, matter little if at all. I'm skipping the psychoanalysis too. Don't hand me all the utterances of the do-nothings who spend their days pointing out problems without making any effort at coming up with any solutions. You all know the ones I'm talking about, and I don't mean everyone reading this, either – not by a long shot. I'm talking about all the TV and radio pundits who make their living by agitating and provoking people. I know the gunman in the Thousand Oaks, California mass shooting had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I suffer from PTSD myself, but the source of my disorder is from growing up in an abusive foster-care situation rather than from the battlefield. There are a lot of people who have PTSD, but none of the rest of us has arbitrarily decided to go out and mow down a dozen or more people. I can't imagine doing such a thing myself. I find the very thought revolting.

They can call whatever they do whatever they want. I call it 'violently anti-social behavior'. And yet the majority of these agitators on radio and TV are church goers. That's the part that drives me nuts – from the vantage point of the pulpit, that's what I'm seeing – that people today would rather fight each other than help each other. Soon after, the acquisition of such argumentative mindsets devolves into violence because intolerance devalues others to the point that simply killing a few is somehow OK. Taking a life – any life – just because one has deemed it to be necessary, is never OK. We have lost sight of the fact that life is sacred because it comes from sacred origins, whose name is the Almighty God.

The Bible does have some things to say about this. The apostle Paul wrote about this in his letters to the Corinthian churches, and I quote: “6) We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7) No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8) None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9) However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love him' — 10) these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” (1^st Corinthians 2: 6-10)

The first thing we can derive from verse 6 is that we should not wait on the government to fix our problems because the government lacks the wisdom to fix anything as it currently stands. There it is, right there in the Bible. God holds the solutions we seek, not government. As for the rest of us, it's not so much that we lack the wisdom, it's that we can't seem to agree on how to go about ending gun violence in America. We cannot reach a consensus because many of us refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Higher Power. Never mind the Christian concepts of a risen Christ and an Almighty God for just a minute – and all my Christian brethren please bear with me for a moment, because I'm seriously going somewhere with this today. It is an indisputable fact that there are sources of Higher Power in the universe. A refusal to acknowledge or remain in touch with this Higher Power – the forces of Light that we call “God” – leaves a vacuum in the human heart that causes the forces of darkness to take its place. You are either from the Light, as I am, or from the Darkness, which is all that is negative. It is evil, which is the power of Darkness that never penetrates the Light unless it is allowed to, that is the motivator for America's gun violence problem.

But the evil I'm writing about isn't psychological, it's not mental illness, nor is it pathological at all. The source of this evil is spiritual. People who give in to evil and so carry out horrible evil such as this epidemic of mass shootings do so because they have made a conscious effort to put their Higher Power – just in case they profess disbelief in the existence of God – out of their lives. When you put the Light out of your life, the Darkness inevitably takes its place. Those who do not believe in Spiritual forces make themselves all the more vulnerable to it. “9) However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love him' — 10) these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” The apostle Paul was quoting Isaiah 64: 4 as if to say, if only you will stick with God, his reward for you will be greater than anyone can imagine. Never give up on God, and He'll never give up on you. And even if you do give up, God sticks with us anyway because that's how much he loves each of us. Even if we're in sin, God will still stick with us – but only for so long, if you get my drift.

Paul clarified this still further further down in this same passage when he wrote: “13) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14) The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15) The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16) for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ.” (1^st Corinthians 2: 13-16) Now I ask you, how can we continue to have the “mind of Christ” when we have our minds focused on who we can take vengeance upon and kill? Never mind whether we think they “deserve it” or not. I am simply trying to emulate Paul by “explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”

America's mass shooting epidemic is a symptom of a country that is turning to the forces of Darkness. If America was still attuned to the forces of the Light like she used to be, there would have been no more than a handful of these mass shootings before they would have been brought to an abrupt halt. Granted, when it comes to all these shootings, America's gun laws clearly need to be strengthened, that is true. But the ultimate responsibility lies with the individual, as Paul wrote, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments....” OK, so if any given person systematically rejects the things of God, or of their Higher Power, and/or refuses to recognize the authority thereof, then is it any wonder that such people wind up doing such ungodly things as mass murder? It should come as no surprise at all.

All right, so we can safely conclude that those who act out on violent impulses, or who cannot or will not keep their angry feelings in check, to the point where they cannot help but hurt or even kill others – long term incarceration is the only thing that will stop such people. And that's assuming they survive being arrested, and many choose not to. Let's not forget there are some who, as the novelist John Milton put it, “....would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven.” Actually for me, it's the other way around. Keeping in mind that I would rather serve forever in heaven than roast forever in hell is what keeps the forces of Darkness out of my heart, mind and soul. In effect, I and others like me “have the mind of Christ”. Not the person, you understand, but the mindset of the man, the Savior and Redeemer. Only Christ gave his life for you and for me – Jesus Christ the Son of God and no one else. Only the forces of the demonic take lives, they never give anything.

And so in closing, it is vitally important that we all take on “the mind of Christ”. No one can be just like our Lord and Savior because only Jesus lived a sinless life – none of us even comes close to that. But we can overcome our bad natures – especially the propensity to kill – by keeping the “mind of Christ” tucked inside our brains as we go about our daily routines, and as we meet and work with all kinds of people. Some of them are good, some are evil, and still more simply don't care. As long as they're getting their usual, that's all they worry about. They couldn't care less about anyone else but themselves. Although the killers are awful enough, and dangerous enough, it's the ones who don't care who do the most damage of all. That's because the only way evil can flourish is for cold and uncaring men and women to look the other way.

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 3 of Acts chapter 15

The Council's Letter to the Gentile Believers

[Acts chapter 15, verses 23-41]

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Last week when we left off at the conclusion of part two of Acts chapter 15, the apostle James had just made some concluding remarks after Peter had finished speaking. A nearly unanimous decision had been made at that first Council at Jerusalem, which was that new Gentile converts to the Faith should not be compelled to practice Jewish customs. This teaching has served ever since as a kind of rule book on how the Gospel should be taught, as well as what not to teach. Under no circumstances should any Gentile be compelled to engage in any of the religious practices of their Jewish brethren in Christ. In fact, Peter conclusively argued that this should be the other way around, that all should adhere to the teachings of our Lord and Savior. Jesus taught us all that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled. Those were laws that had been covered over by the shed blood of Christ, and certified by his resurrection on the morning of the third day. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!

This week as we move on to part 3 of Acts 15, we find the contents of the letter sent by the council at Jerusalem back to Antioch, a city in Turkey that still exists today. In it was contained the best news of all, which is that all are equal under the New Law of Christ, including Jews and Gentiles and everyone else. So let's continue this week where we concluded last, beginning at verse 23. “23) With them they sent the following letter:

'The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24) We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25) So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul — 26) men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27) Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28) It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29) You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.'

30) So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31) The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32) Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.” (Acts 15, verses 23-32)

Right from the outset, the purpose of the letter is quite clear. The letter was to put to rest false and misleading teachings about the Word of the Lord, which is tantamount to calling God a liar. These “teachings”, which we have already discussed at length, were perpetrated by the Pharisees – and they were affiliated with those who had handed Christ over to the Romans to be crucified. “25) So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul — 26) men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27) Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.” Let's not forget that the origin of the argument about Gentiles taking on Jewish customs had originated at Antioch. When Paul and Silas first reached Jerusalem, they encountered the same assertions there, with both Christian and Pharisee waiting to greet the two missionaries, one to welcome and embrace them, but the other to accuse and misled them – as if the Holy Spirit could somehow be misled.

Next, the church at Antioch – and elsewhere since the message was hand copied and resent countless times – was reminded that the two men sent as witnesses had risked their lives for the Gospel. This was far more, the apostles and elders wrote back, than any of those who had tried to inject false teachings into the Gospel had ever done for Christ – and ever would. The letter then reiterates that we went over last week, about food sacrificed to idols, abstention of meat from strangled animals and from blood. So, “....they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31) The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32) Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.” This entire episode concerning Jew against Gentile – and the most cherished beliefs of each – was now behind them all, and everyone was quite relieved that this matter of faith had been settled. And now let's conclude this week's ongoing study, starting at verse 33.

“33) After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them there. 34) But Silas decided to remain there. 35) But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. 36) Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.' 37) Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38) but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39) They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40) but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41) He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” (Acts 15, verses 33-41)

So now we see that everyone went back to Antioch except for Silas, who presumably decided to remain and to study and learn from the apostles there in Jerusalem. But Paul and Barnabas continued to preach and teach the Gospel at Antioch, including the breaking of bread at “Shabbot”, which was celebrated daily. Interestingly enough, when we compare a Shabbot celebration with its Gentile equivalent, 'potluck dinners', we find they are fairly similar. One day Paul is feeling a bit nostalgic, so he decides it would be a good idea to revisit some of the churches they have planted. This, however, is where he and Barnabas came into quite a bit of disagreement. As you saw, their differences were over a choice of people who were to be on their team. “37) Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38) but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39) They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company....”

“John, also called Mark”, was the composer of the Gospel of Mark, as we know it today. So, for Paul to refuse to work with Mark comes as a bit of a surprise, but Paul could be a fairly rigid individual when it came to his beliefs. Evidently the apostle Mark, one of the original Twelve, had made a decision to step away from the ministry at some point in the fairly recent past. Presumably Mark was at a stage in his own walk with the Lord where he felt well enough to resume the ministry. Paul, on the other hand, felt that since Mark had left the ministry once before, he might change his mind and leave again. In fact this never did occur after Mark rejoined the rest of the apostles. He stayed with the early Church from then on, and was ultimately martyred for his faith.

So we can see that, in this regard, Paul not only underestimated Mark and so judged him when he shouldn't have, but Paul could be pretty tough when it came to his judgment of other people in general. Don't forget that, before Paul (then known as Saul) gave his heart to Christ, his prior occupation had been an undercover operative for the Sanhedrin. On occasion, he was well known for acting as judge, jury and executioner all at once. Paul was nobody to be trifled with, and he could get extremely tough in a hurry with other men. Let's not forget that this is the same man who said all gay people are condemned no matter what, and that all women should “be silent” during church services. I do not believe either of those last two are true. Prior to his conversion, Saul also thought all Christians should be killed no matter what, too. So we see clear evidence here that the apostle Paul could be very rigid and judgmental at times.

“Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.” And so, they resolved their conflict by splitting into two teams. And thanks to all that had occurred up to this point, the early Church continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Next week as we move on to chapter 16, we will find a new member of the early church's apostolic team of leaders, a young protege by the name of Timothy. I look forward to seeing you all back at that time. Enjoy the rest of your week!

It's More Blessed to be Poor in God's Sight Than It Is To Be Rich

Those Who Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Are More Blessed Than They Realize

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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I don't have to explain what's been happening to the US Middle Class over the last 35 years or so. Many people who used to be Middle Class in America are now poor. I should know, since I used to make a whole lot more money than I do now. But that was before the bottom fell out of everything. I've been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. Everyone is lamenting because they're living paycheck to paycheck and they don't know what to do about it. Going to the ballot box, so far, has produced an exacerbation of America's political problems – exactly the opposite of what is intended. Now we have people talking about civil war, and America's citizens are emigrating at record levels. The ones who are staying are buying guns and ammo at record levels. No wonder everyone is so tense and on edge!

That's why the purpose of this week's message is to console those who are angry and hurt, to counsel those who have been pushed aside or shown the door without just cause, and to reassure the frightened and confused. It's not hard to get pretty befuddled about current events. We live in a world of mass shootings in schools, work places, grocery stores and even churches – or synagogues, as was the case recently. Things have gotten so bad that we can't even attend church or go out for a movie without having to be alert for anyone carrying a weapon. There is a good side to being poor, and a positive thing about being oppressed, according to the Word of God (or the Bible, if you prefer). Allow me to cite a few examples from Scripture.

My first example is that of the apostle James, who was a very astute individual, and so his writings are something to take very seriously regardless of one's religious beliefs – or even a lack thereof. These words can still be beneficial regardless of faith. “5) Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6) But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7) Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of Him to whom you belong? 8) If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right.” (James 2, verses 5-8)

Take heart if you are poor or otherwise financially hard pressed! Contrary to what many think and say, there is no shame in being poor. I was pretty well off at one time myself, mainly back in the 1990's through most of that decade, wrapping around to the early 2000's. I know what it's like to earn a six figure income, and to have to meet a payroll every week. But those days are gone for good, and there's little I can do about it except to keep on writing. I live on my small pension check, plus a little extra each month when I sell a book or two, and I've come to terms with that. But, what James wrote is even more true today than back then: “Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” The student loan crisis is one modern example of this, foreclosures are another, and the so-called Drug War is yet another. Over half the people in state and federal prison are there for nonviolent drug offenses. America spends entirely too much money locking up all the wrong people.

“Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” If you're poor, mentally depressed and running low on hope, then heed these words of the apostle James, the half-brother of Christ. To say this another way, it's better to be rich in faith than rich with worldly goods, and it's better to be poor in worldly goods than it is to be poor in faith. “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.” The much-beloved phrase, “Love your neighbor as yourself” is found first in Leviticus 19: 18, and it was an admonishment from the Lord Almighty to us all, that there be no hate among us – none at all! Judging by the racial tensions that simmer all across America, I'd say we have our work cut out for us as far as loving our neighbors – regardless of color.

Jesus himself was more blunt and direct than James in Luke's gospel when he said: “20) Looking at his disciples, he said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22) Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23) Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24) But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25) Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26) Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.'” (Luke 6, verses 20-26)

The world's poor, sick and disabled, Jesus was saying, will be the first through the gates of heaven. If you hunger, you will be filled by Christ, not by McDonald's – Jesus guarantees it. Weep all you want for now, Jesus was saying, because in the end He will give us life and laughter everlasting. The more people hate you because of me, Jesus was teaching them, the greater your reward will be. So, let others hate you just because you will not hesitate to make a stand for Christ. Never mind Republican or Democrat, conservative, liberal or progressive – they all pale in comparison to the Spirit of our Lord and Savior. But in verses 24 and 25, Jesus taught that anyone who enriches themselves in this life does so at the expense of another, and those wealthy individuals risk paying an eternal price for being selfish beyond reason while others went hungry. Verses 24 through 26 could also be interpreted as a prophecy against America, but that would be another message for another time.

So, I want everyone reading this who is going through a hard time financially – and that would be the majority of you – to take heart in their situation. Granted, you are suffering and miserable, I know how you feel. But take it from a guy who's been there, you can and will survive the ordeal you are currently undergoing. If you can't raise your income, then find ways to cut your expenses. The main thing is knowing that Jesus is walking beside you in every conceivable way, every step of the way.