T.J.I.F.A.

THANK JESUS IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN!
PASS IT ONтАж& ONтАж& ONтАж& ON.
FEBRUARY 25, 2005

SUBJECT: "ARE YOU POOR?"

YOU'VE SEEN THE PEOPLE THAT WE CALL тАШPOOR'. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED ABOUT THEM? HAVE YOU EVER MUSED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THEIR SOUL? THIS WEEK, TJIFA VENTURES TO LOOK AT A PART OF OUR SOCIETY THAT JESUS SAID WOULD ALWAYS BE WITH US . . . THE POOR.

NOTEWORTHY: JAMES TWO тА" JAMES COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE POOR.

TJIFA'S BOOKSHELF: A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE BIBLE (WHICH OUR READERS ARE VERY FAMILIAR). FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS-A MUST READ FOR SERIOUS CHRISTIANS.

FRIDAY'S WORD: THE POOR IN SPIRIT

IN THE MIRROR: GOD NEVER MADE BIRDCAGES

O TASTE AND SEE! CONGRADULATIONS! YOU NEVER TOLD US THAT WE PUBLISHED THE WRONG, OR DUPLICATE RECIPE, THIS WEEK. SO, HERE IS THE FORDHOOK LIMA BEANS, AND ANOTHER FOR THE ASKING CALLED LENTIL SOUP. ENJOY!

LOOKING FORWARD

SEE YA NEXT TIME!

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ARE YOU POOR?Luke 16:19-23;
19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
What is your reaction to the poor beggar in the street? Do you grudgingly toss him a dollar and resentfully mumble, "You should get a job." Do you attempt to hold a conversation with him? Have you ever offered a poor man Salvation? Are you afraid of him or her? What about the poor who have to depend on welfare or social security to stay alive? Do you wonder why they are allowed to find refuge on the street where everyone can see? Do you feel that they are just a drain on the tax payer's budget? Let's see what the Bible has to say about the poor.

(Read Noteworthy тА" JAMES 2.)
The Poor are usually deemed to be humble, oppressed, needy, weak, dependent, and those who have been wrongfully oppressed and impoverished. With these adjectives come interjected feelings of pity, supportive assistance or disdain. The Poor boost the ego of the prideful spirit swelling its alleged performance far above and beyond its capabilities. This results in abuse of the Poor just to maintain an imagined societal position.
Jesus is very compassionate to the obviously poor. There are laws in place that encompass the poor, and give them a fair share of participation in civilization.

Was Jesus poor?

The Poor are referred to as: "righteous." (Ps.14:4,5,6;) God is often referred to as the refuge of the poor. (Ps. 12:5; 14:6; 70:5.)

In this week's foundational scripture, there is a distinct line of demarcation between the rich man and Lazarus, who is very poor. Let us draw an imaginary line and place The Rich Man on the left side of the paper and Lazarus on the right side. We will contrast some traits and parallel others belonging to these two men:

The Rich Man тА" wore purple and fine linen. (v.19)
Lazarus тА" is identified by the sores that covered his body. No clothing is mentioned.(v.20)

Was Jesus rich? He wore a seamless, white robe.
The Rich Man dined or fared sumptuously every day. He didn't worry about where he would eat or live. (v.19)
Lazarus тА" was laid outside of the gate HOPING to just get a crumb from the sumptuous table.

The Rich Man's occupation is unknown.
Lazarus тА" was a beggar. (v.21) (we can assume that he was poor.)

The Rich Man owned gated property. (v.21)
Lazarus тА" property, on this earth, wasn't mentioned.
Did Jesus own a home on earth?

The Rich Man had no name . . .
Lazarus тА" was the beggar's name. Lazarus means . . ."Belongs to GOD."
Jesus has the Name above all names.

SIMILARITIES:
Both men died.
Jesus also died . . . BUT . . . rose on the third day with all power!

Lazarus was carried into Abraham's bosom by the angels.
The Rich Man died; and was buried; and in hell lifted up his eyes; and in torment he recognized Father Abraham, and Lazarus.(v.23)

ACCORDING TO FATHER ABRAHAM:
The Rich Man, in his lifetime received good things. (V.25)
Lazarus received evil in his lifetime.
The Rich Man is now in torment.
Lazarus is comforted.
Jesus ever sits on the right hand of GOD, the Father Almighty ever making intercession for the Saints.

The Rich Man is talkingтАжbegging.
Lazarus, the one-time beggar, is silent. His spokesman is Father Abraham, the father of faith.

The Rich Man, at one time, wanted nothing to do with Lazarus. In his lifetime, he maintained a separation between himself and Lazarus.
Lazarus, in death, was protected from humiliation and all that accompanies the status of a beggar, by the gulf of separation and the spokesman, Father Abraham.(V.26)

NOTE: Even in death, the Rich Man attempted to exert his false superiority over Lazarus. Standing in torment, feeling the flames, he, The Rich Man, refuses to see Lazarus in any other position except that of a beggar. (v.24)The pity of this situation is that the roles have been drastically reversed. The Rich Man was now a beggar; and the beggar was now comforted. (v.25)

REVELATION 3:15-18"16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; . . . "
Still thinking that he had some kind of authority, the Rich Man, in a last ditch attempt, begs Father Abraham to allow Lazarus to appear unto his brothers so that they can repent. His theory was quickly refuted by Father Abraham, saying . . ."31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (v.31)
NOTE: In our present society . . . U.S.A . . .we KNOW that Jesus Christ was raised, FROM THE DEAD, by His Father, GOD, and yet there are so many who reject Him, and His goodness.
There is something about the way of GOD and mind of Christ that we can't possibly understand. The people that we call poor, homeless, and beggars are the very ones that GOD gathers under His wings. These are the same that He called Blessed. "Blessed are the poor in spirit,: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3.And Jesus commanded in John 12: ; that Judas refrain from criticizing Mary for anointing His feet with costly oil, and drying His feet with her hair. "7Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."
NOTE: You have to wonder. Which of the poor was Jesus referring to, when He said they would be with you always? Was Jesus talking about тАШPoor Lazarus' or the тАШPoor Widow' with the widow's mite; or тАШBlind Bartimaeus' the beggar? Or was Jesus referring to the Rich Man and all like him and all of his friends, who will always be hereтАжnaked, blind and POOR!
Now, you can answer the question . . . Was Jesus rich, or poor; and . . . ARE YOU POOR?
Looking Forwar See Ya Next Time!
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NOTEWORTHY:
James 2:
1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou salt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

TJIFA'S BOOK SHELF:

How are you doing with reading through the Bible in 2005? Don't give up! There are golden nuggets beneath the cover of that great book.
Questions just for fun:

How many books are there in the Bible?
Which book of the Bible has the most chapters?
Who is the writer of Genesis? Did he write any other books?
Who is the writer of Revelations? Did he write any other books?
Answers тА" LOOK IT UP "FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS"
This aged book is a must for all Believers. It reveals the history of the Church and many of its faithful martyrs. Many were hanged, drowned, crucified, boiled in oil, chocked with miserable substance, burned at the stake, and some were shot to death. There was so much hatred against the Church that it was hard for the evil doers to express themselves to their own satisfaction. Jesus warned us that there would be persecution for His Name's sake. What you will read in this small, but, informative book, only whispers of the times to come.    If you get the opportunityтАжPlease read. "Fox's Book of Martyrs."
By John Foxe: Edited By William Byron Forbush
FRIDAY'S WORD:
POOR IN SPIRIT Not those who are spiritually poor, that is, lacking in faith or love, but those who have a humble spirit and thus depend on God (Matt. 5:3). Luke's parallel speaks simply of the poor (Luke 6:20). That God has "chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom" was regarded as a well-established fact (Jas. 2:5 REB).
IN THE MIRROR:
   The Spirit of God is always the spirit of liberty; the spirit that is not of God is the spirit of bondage, the spirit of oppression and depression. The Spirit of God convicts vividly and tensely, but He is always the Spirit of liberty. God who made the birds never made birdcages; it is men who make birdcages, and after a while we become cramped and can do nothing but chirp and stand on one leg. When we get out into God's great free life, we discover that that is the way God meant us to live "the glorious liberty of the children of God."

-- Oswald Chambers in The Moral Foundations of Life. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 13.

See: Isa 61:1; Ro 8:2; 2 Co 3:17
2 Corinthians 3:17 (KJV) 17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
The title of the above message was, "God Never Made Birdcages." I believe the story holds true, and is especially valid in the Christian. You see so many people today, "fighting for their rights,"and I believe in so many cases, rightfully so. But how much fighting do we do to defend our rights to pray; our rights to attend as many church services and functions as possible; to tithe; to give as much offerings as possible to meet the needs of others because of how richly God has blessed us; to operate in the gifts and fruit of the Spirit God has lavished upon us. . .etc. Do you ever read the teachings of Jesus (red letters) and wonder why so much of the тАШteachings' you hear today don't really match Jesus' words . . . Because a lot of what you hear is tailored for the "natural man" and not the "re-born man" created in the image of God in Christ. Trusting in the Father, obeying Him with all our strength, and believing Him for the consequences. Maybe you saw it and didn't give it much thought under the circumstances, but I thought about when that big tidal wave came in overseas nobody decided to stand in place to see what the next step would be. Fear put every one of them on the same page. That's how I see the Christian Life. God gave us His Son, so we ALL might have FAITH in HIM. Please, Don't Live In A тАШBirdcage' When God Has Made You To Be Free! SLC

O TASTE AND SEE!

LIMA BEANS AND CORN
(SUCCATASH)

INGREDIENTS:

1 LARGE BAG FROZEN FORDHOOK LIMA BEANS
1 LARGE BAG FROZEN KERNEL CORN
1 LEVEL TSP SALT (IF DESIRED)
1 LARGE ONION - CHOPPED
PINCH GARLIC (IF DESIRED)
┬╜ GREEN PEPPER AND/OR RED PEPPER (MAY USE BOTH FOR COLOR)
┬╜ STICK BUTTER OR MARGARINE

DIRECTIONS:

IN LARGE SAUCE PAN, EMPTY LIMA BEANS , COVER BEANS WITH WATER (ADD SALT AT THIS TIME IF DESIRED)AND BRING TO ROLLING BOIL COOK AT BOILING TEMPERATURE 5 MINUTES; THEN REDUCE HEAT AND COOK ON MEDIUM APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES.
ADD ONION, GARLIC, GREEN & RED PEPPERS TO BEANS.
ADD CORN AND COOK APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL CORN AND BEANS ARE TENDER.
WHEN MIXTURE IS TENDER, ADD BUTTER OR MARGARINE.

THIS IS AN ATTRACTIVE VEGETABLE DISH WHICH GOES WELL WITH TURKEY POLISH SAUSAGE, SLICED TOMATOES AND BUTTERMILK BISCUITS. SOUNDS GREAT DOESN'T IT? ENJOY!

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O TASTE AND SEE!

LENTIL SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

  2   TBLSP. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL    ┬╜ CUPS FINELY CHOPPED ONIONS
┬╜ CUP FINELY CHOPPED CARROTS
┬╜ CUP FINELY CHOPPED CELERY
2 CLOVES MINCED GARLIC
5┬╜ CUPS WATER
1┬╜ CUPS DRIED LENTILS
2 TBLSP. TO ┬╝ CUP CHOPPED FRESH DILL DIVIDED
2 BAY LEAVES
1 TSP CRUSHED RED PEPPERS
1 8 OZ. CAN TOMATO SAUCE
1 TBLSP. BALSAMIC VINEGAR
┬╛ TSP. SALT   ┬╝ TSP. FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER
┬╛ CUP REDUCED FAT CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE (3 OZ.)

DIRECTIONS:

IN A DUTCH OVEN, HEAT OIL ON MEDIUM UNTIL HOT.
ADD ONION, CARROTS, CELERY, AND GARLIC; COOK 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL TENDER, STIRRING FREQUENTLY.
ADD WATER, LENTILS, 1 TBLSP. DILL, BAY LEAVES, RED PEPPERS AND TOMATO SAUCE.
BRING TO BOIL; REDUCE HEAT AND SIMMER 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL LENTILS ARE TENDER.
STIR IN REMAINING DILL, VINEGAR, SALT AND BLACK PEPPER; DISCARD BAY LEAVES.
SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE AND SERVE.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES; COOKING TIME IS 45 MINUTES.

SUBMITTED BY: BMC