Tag Archives: Homeless

Faux Report

Pope Francis Caught On Security Camera Stealing Food Placed Out For Homeless

pope

VATICAN CITY – 

Pope Francis was caught stealing food that had been placed behind the Vatican for homeless last night, causing many to decry him as “evil.”

According to Vatican Police, the footage was retrieved from a security camera system on March 18th, and showed the Pontiff stealing a plate of food that had been donated by local restaurants and left for the city’s homeless. The Pope, when questioned about this act, seemed very shaken.

“I was not stealing it. I have much food available to me. I was merely, um…I wanted them to have a good, hot meal,” said Pope Francis. “I was going to heat it in the holy microwave to make sure that any homeless that ate it would be happy.”

Police are not buying the explanation, but are forced by law, to ignore it completely.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do here,” said Vatican Police Captain Leonardo DiSuza. “His Holiness is definitely lying, but he is the end-all, be-all here in the city. It’s not like he is going to jail or anything. He won’t even get a slap on the wrist.”

Public opinion of the Pope has so far not been damaged, as most people don’t care at all about the homeless, especially homeless in Rome.

Standard
Faux Report

Pope Francis Caught On Security Camera Stealing Food Placed Out For Homeless

pope

VATICAN CITY – 

Pope Francis was caught stealing food that had been placed behind the Vatican for homeless last night, causing many to decry him as “evil.”

According to Vatican Police, the footage was retrieved from a security camera system on March 18th, and showed the Pontiff stealing a plate of food that had been donated by local restaurants and left for the city’s homeless. The Pope, when questioned about this act, seemed very shaken.

“I was not stealing it. I have much food available to me. I was merely, um…I wanted them to have a good, hot meal,” said Pope Francis. “I was going to heat it in the holy microwave to make sure that any homeless that ate it would be happy.”

Police are not buying the explanation, but are forced by law, to ignore it completely.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do here,” said Vatican Police Captain Leonardo DiSuza. “His Holiness is definitely lying, but he is the end-all, be-all here in the city. It’s not like he is going to jail or anything. He won’t even get a slap on the wrist.”

Public opinion of the Pope has so far not been damaged, as most people don’t care at all about the homeless, especially homeless in Rome.

Standard
Faux Report

Melania Trump Talks About Cause She Plans To Take On During Donald’s Presidency

melania

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 

Move over Michelle Obama with your useless childhood obesity campaign – Melania Trump, future first lady, has announced her “mighty cause” that she plans to take on during Donald’s time as president.

“I know that we have plenty of fat kids in the world, and that’s pretty bad,” said Melania. “But, another problem that is faced that is also pretty bad is the homeless people. They are so sad and they are so bad to look at, and I want to help.”

Melania says that her campaign will be to give designer bags to needy homeless people throughout the country.

“It is very important that people look nice, and the best way to look nice is to start with a nice bag,” said Melania, smiling. “I have many, many friends in designer industries, and they can all make pretty bags to give to these homeless. Maybe, with a nice bag, these people will find the strength to get a home, something that I’m sure most of them would like to have.”

 

Standard
Faux Report

Trump Says When He Wins Election He’ll Continue Living In Trump Tower, Open White House To Area Homeless

trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 

Donald Trump says that ‘when’ he wins the election next week, he plans to not move into the White House, and instead will reside at Trump Tower in New York, and allow D.C. area homeless to occupy the White House.

“This is a huge deal for them, and will guarantee a safe place for these people to live for the next four years,” said Trump. “And, considering how much time I will need to fix the mistakes of the current President, it’s likely that the people chosen can live in the White House for 8 years.”

Trump says that of the 156 rooms in the White House, he will have 150 of them “transformed” into full, tiny studio apartments – at his own expense.

“There is plenty of room in most of these massive rooms at the White House to make small studio apartments. A toilet, a sink, a refrigerator, and a bed – I’ll pay for all the remodels, and we can really start to clean up the D.C. homeless problem.”

Standard
Faux Report

Beer Drinkers More Likely To Die Young, Have Miserable Lives, Says Study

empire-news-US-regulators-Looking-To-Lower-Drinking-Age-From-21-to-12

BOSTON, Massachusetts – 

Researchers at the prestigious Harvard School Of Study in Boston have recently released their findings about beer drinkers, something that the team says they have been working on for many years.

“College is a place of learning, but mostly, it’s a place to party, drink beers, and get laid,” said research head Joey Goldsmith. “We decided to study the effects of drinking beer on people’s lives, and follow the same study group over the course of 20 years.”

Goldsmith says that the study proved conclusively that beer drinkers die younger than non-beer drinkers, and that most of them go on to lead miserable, messy lives.

“We followed 50 party kids who spent most of their nights drinking, and 50 nerds, who spent their college careers working towards their goals,” said Goldsmith. “After 20 years with these people, 42 of our 50 beer drinkers were dead, and the other 8 were in rehab, prison, or homeless. Of the 50 studious people we followed, every single one had good jobs, good families, and 4 of them became millionaires in business.”

According to Goldsmith, the more beer someone drinks, the more likely they are to die young or become a “complete and total wreck.”

“I strongly suggest that if you’re going to college and you want to party, then stick to smoking weed,” said Goldsmith. “I mean, really, isn’t that the better option anyway?”

Standard
Faux Report

Statue Of Virgin Mary Falls From Roof, Kills Church Member; Church Refuses To Pay For Funeral

church

PORTERVILLE, Arkansas – 

A statue of the virgin Mary fell from the roof of the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, killing Margaret Whineburg, 57, instantly. Her husband, Jacob Whineburg, is demanding restitution for her death. The church claims the accident was an act of God and refuses to submit the claim to their insurance.

“My wife was everything to me,” says Whineburg. “We’d do everything together. Begging for change, dumpster diving, finding cans to return. Maggy had my back, and I had hers for over 30 years. It would have been me who died had she not pushed me out of the way. God is dead to me.”

The church says that they are not responsible, and that the statue was repaired only a scant 15 years ago, and should have held just fine.

“What happened to the woman is unfortunate, but it is all part of God’s plan. Furthermore, her husband is homeless. If we give the money to him, he will just use it on drugs and alcohol,” says Rev. Daniel Comboni. “He is welcome to come to our food kitchen at any time if he is in need of a meal, but I’m afraid that’s the best we will do.”

Standard
Faux Report

Habitat For Humanities Funding Cut; Charity To Begin Building Trailers Instead of Houses

trailer

ATLANTA, Georgia – 

Habitat For Humanities, who have been building houses for needy families for years announced today that their funding has been cut by over 70%, and that donations have slowed to a trickle in the last 6 months.

“We’re not sure if we’re going to be able to continue at this rate, but so far, what we’ve decided is that we cannot let families go without a home,” said Habitat president Joanne Miller. “With that in mind, we’ve come up with a cheap alternative, and we have started building modular trailers for our families in need. They’re smaller, and probably a little trashier, but at least it has four walls and a roof.”

Miller says that she hopes that at some point donations start coming back in, but she’s not hopeful.

“It’s very hard to get people to want to donate money to have a house built for someone,” said Miller. “I mean, in all seriousness, I don’t even have my own house, you know? People don’t see it as a real need, because they’re struggling to pay their rent or mortgage, and here we are asking for money to give someone else a free house. It’s hard.”

So far, since funding was cut, Habitat for Humanities has built 3 new trailers in the Atlanta region, with plans on having at least 2 more done by year’s end.

Standard
Faux Report

College Student Pays Tuition By Begging On Streets

homeless

PHOENIX, Arizona – 

19-year-old college Sophomore Ben James says that he has paid off his entire college tuition in less than two years after he discovered street begging.

“I kept seeing the same homeless guy outside my dorm begging, every single day,” said James, who is earning his degree in business. “One day I just asked him. I said ‘hey man, how much are you actually making out here every day? Wouldn’t it be easier to just get a job?’ And he tells me that he’s making almost $400 a day, every day. I couldn’t believe it.”

James says that the next day he went to the thrift store, bought some ratty clothes, and rubbed them in dirt and cut them up. He found a corner near a busy intersection, and says he took in nearly $300 on his first day out.

“People feel sorry for you when you’re homeless, and they like to give. They especially like to give if you’re young, and they like to give if you have a funny sign,” said James. “I’ve even had other homeless guys throw me a couple bucks. Of course, I let them in on my secret that I’m not homeless, and just trying to pay for college. They actually thought it was a great idea.”

So far, James has brought in over $85,000 from begging, enough to pay for his entire four years as a student at the University of Phoenix.

Standard
Faux Report

Casualties of Blizzard 2016 Still Being Found Buried In Snow

snow

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania –

Four days after the record breaking blizzard, cleanup throughout the Northeast is ongoing. Dump trucks unloading on the city island in Pittsburgh have turned up a record-breaking amount of homeless people.

So far 11 have been found in the snow during removal. During the storm, emergency shelters quickly filled to capacity, and workers had to turn many away who were left to fend for themselves in the storm.

City worker Tim McManus explains, “The homeless get confused and disoriented when there is this much snow. Unable to find shelter they may dig out ‘igloos.’ This attempt at taking shelter actually puts them at higher risk. Some do not even hear the plows coming because they have to drink themselves into a stupor to fall asleep on the streets.”

City officials ask residents to please continue to be patient as the snow and homeless removal continues.

Standard
Faux Report

‘Hobo-ing,’ Pretending To Be Homeless, Latest Trend Among Privileged Youth

hoboing

BEVERLY HILLS, California – 

An odd new trend has been started in high-end and rich cities across the country, and it seems to have started with a group of teens in Beverly Hills. “Hobo-ing,” or sometimes “hoboing,” is what the kids are calling it when they leave their extremely nice homes and mansions, and spend a night on the street begging for change.

“It started out as a mockery of the homeless, because they’re a disgusting, shitty people,” said Brian Jones, 16. “A few of us were out in LA one night, and we saw a homeless man dead on the street. It was sad and pathetic. But, he had a cup full of change, and we realized that pretending to be a bum was an easy way to supplement our incomes.”

Although Jones’ family owns one of the largest construction companies in the United States, worth an estimated $3.9 billion dollars, he says he gets a huge thrill out of pretending to be a bum.

“It’s kind of cool. I don’t shave for a few days, I throw on some old, torn jeans, and I get to hang out in extremely seedy parts of the city,” said Jones. “It’s hilarious, really, because the old jeans I wear when I go out are designer; they cost about $600. It makes me laugh a little whenever I slip them on to go out into the alleys.”

Teens across the country have begun dressing like homeless people and going out, late at night, to pretend to be poor and filthy.

“I have a little bit of a heroin problem now, like a lot of the other homeless people out there, but it’s all good,” said Jones. “I mean, the great thing about pretending to be homeless is that I still have a real bed to go sleep in, and my family can send me to the best rehab. I feel bad for those homeless fucks out there. But hey, I made almost $30 bucks begging the other day. What a damn hoot!”

Standard
Faux Report

Homeless Man Found In Walmart Storage Room With Over 50 Dead Bodies, Many Of Them Skinned

homeless

DECATUR, Alabama – 

A homeless man, who has yet to be identified, was arrested on Friday after a Walmart store employee found him hiding in the store’s old storage room. Police found over 50 bodies in various states of decomposition in the storage room as well, many of them fully skinned.

“We believe that this man, who will not give us his name and who does not appear to be in our systems, moved into the storage room of the local Walmart almost 2 years ago, after the store was remodeled,” said police captain Joe Goldsmith. “So far, we have identified several of the victims, but will not be releasing names until the families are notified.”

The homeless man, who local papers are calling The Skinner, reportedly had been living in the Walmart for years, but went unnoticed as a remodel of the building had boarded up a segment of the old warehouse and storage room.

“There was no way into the storage room from the inside of the store, and the outside was covered by brush and trees that had been planted or grown wild over time,” said the store manager, Jim Carson. “It appears this man was able to move in and out of the building without being seen by using this door, which was not connected to our alarm systems.”

According to police, they are charging the man with first degree murder, in a total count of 56 cases, although they are still determining the total number of bodies discovered. Medical examiners say that most of the victims were between 14 and 25 years old.

Standard
Columns, Devotionals

What Would Jesus Do? – Helping the Homeless

There's been something on my mind for several  months - actually for a couple of years - and I would really like to hear your prayerful thoughts on the subject.  Your prayerful thoughts.  Not what you've always thought but I'd like for you to pray about it, let God guide you, and then tell me what you get.                                                ___________________________________

I was getting involved in our nearby homeless shelter.  I was involved a few years ago when a group was getting it started and then got a call, this past September, from one of the founders, asking me to get further involved. So I began attending the board meetings and working for the board members to raise money, etc.

The board members have a real variety of beliefs.  The founder who asked me to get involved has the same beliefs as I do.  She is born-again, Spirit-filled, trusting God and relying on His leading.  But the other board members are not born-again and seem to believe in a government that 'supplies all our needs.'  I found this very troubling.

I also began to volunteer at the shelter with a heart to get to know the 'guests' and share Jesus.

I did not feel convicted by God to do any of this - I felt personally convicted - and I was not quite sure why God wasn't convicting me.  And I knew I was uncomfortable working at the shelter.

I'm a small, 50+ year old woman and there are plenty of rough men at the shelter but there were other women who were volunteering.  In fact, every one of the board members are women and most of the volunteers are women.  So that did not seem to be a valid reason but I was uncomfortable.  My family and close friend also did not witness to me doing this.

The policy of the shelter was that a guest could stay for 45 days while looking for other alternatives. At the end of the 45 days, if they were complying with authorities to get housing but it hadn't come through yet, they could apply for an extension.  The longest a guest could stay was 90 days.

I was there one day when I became aware that a guest's 90 days was up on Friday.  The lady in charge of carrying out the Board's decisions in this matter had informed this guest he had to leave on Friday. One of the board members, the lady who's beliefs are the same as mine, interceded and said he would not be asked to leave.  There was a disagreement and the lady, who was following the board's directions, resigned.

In the middle of all this uproar, the guest who was being evicted (not) told me very rudely that "all you Christians need to read your Bible."  He rudely made his opinion known that we should continue to supply him with food and shelter.

I had already noticed an attitude from most of the guests.  There were a few who were polite and thankful, but most had an attitude of entitlement.  And some were just downright rude, foul-mouthed and demanding.  I would leave everyday after volunteering and have to literally cleanse myself in the Holy Spirit and God's Word.  I could sense the demonic trying to attach to me and shadow my thinking.  I always felt very aware of the filth and the mocking of the enemy.

I am not saying that I am not without great compassion.  I am very aware that the Word tells us that "Jesus was moved by compassion and healed the sick."  Jesus aligned Himself with the poor and homeless and chose to be homeless Himself.  In this world, we Believers in Christ are homeless as we wait to be reunited with our God.  That's why I was there.  And I prayed for people and got involved with their lives.

The guests were required to do 'chores' at the shelter to keep it clean and functioning but there wasn't much to do and when I was there most of them sat around all day on their laptops or phones or just talking.  I realize that if you don't have a job to go to or a house to maintain there's not much else to do, but...

There's another principle of God that I believe we have to balance with our mercy and grace and that's that if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat.  The shelter was appealing to the nearby churches to raise money to keep the shelter open.  People were coming by every day with clothing and food and I could tell they felt guilty that they weren't doing more.  I feel that some of my motivation was guilt and God does not motivate with guilt.  He  motivates with a pure love and conviction.

I realized that a lot of the guests had been 'in the system' for most of their lives.  This was just another way for them to continue in their life style.  When they left, the government would supply them with money to pay their rent.

I understand that a few of them were physically impaired but most them were not.  I was shocked, and I mean shocked, to see the amount of pharmaceuticals each guest had.  We kept them locked in a cabinet and the guests were required to ask when they needed to take something.  Most guests had between 3 and 8 large bottles of prescription drugs - antidepressants, pain killers, blood pressure medicine - all that indicate a very wounded soul.

Illegal drugs were not allowed in the shelter, of course, and some guests who had attempted to hide them in the parking lot outside or sneak them into the shelter were permanently evicted.  In summary, most of the guests were drug addicts, whether it was prescription or illegal drugs.  Very many times I have gone to God and said, "Where do I start, LORD?"

Almost every one of them smoked.  The shelter allowed them to step outside every hour on the hour, for a total of 15 minutes to smoke.  I asked someone how much a pack of cigarettes cost and did the math.  Most of them were spending $400 a month on cigarettes - money that could be applied to rent - and might even be enough to afford an apartment.

Most of them had families nearby.  Why weren't they staying with their families, I wondered.  But then I realized that they most likely were a 'product' of their families and things probably were the same there.

There's a government subsidized apartment complex in our town.  The rent is adjusted to income and I know that the rent for some is less than $400.  However, the people in the shelter could not qualify for this housing because of their criminal records or history of not paying on time.

It's kind of like the story of giving a person a fishing pole and teaching them to fish rather than giving them a fish every day.  I understand that each one of these people need Jesus to heal their hearts and we are dependent on Him for the answers.  I understand that people's wounded hearts and wrong thinking cannot be changed without Him and their whole lives need to change.  I also understand that God gives each of us a free will but many times our free will is held in bondage by the enemy with great deception.
Did you know that a large percentage of people who win the lottery end up bankrupt?  You can give people money, but you can't expect that they know how to manage it wisely and most times they will end up back where they started. Some people don't believe they deserve any better.

But in the meantime, we need to figure out a way to help them while still demanding that they be accountable for their lives.  We need to be careful to not treat them like children, which is what I felt like was being done.  They are adults and are responsible for their own lives.

And I want to make note that in our economy, there are those who have done everything 'right', lost their jobs and their homes and just need a step up.  I firmly believe that we are to help them!  These are the people in the shelter who spent their time looking for jobs, driving their children back and forth to school, and working on their vehicles in the parking lot.  We need to assess each person's situation independently.

So, my thought was to develop a system of work and credits.  In other words, if a church donates money and food, the people in the shelter work for the church - cleaning the building, shoveling the snow, working for the community.  I like everything about this idea.

The problem is that I saw in the news shortly after I quit volunteering that one of the former guests, a young woman who was particularly rude, was arrested for breaking and entering and theft.

So I realize that some of the people cannot be trusted.  And then what do we do?  The young woman had a 4 month old baby at the time.

So please give me your thoughts.  I initially went to the shelter thinking that we should all open our homes and invite people in.  I realize now how foolish that would be.  But "The Church" is called to be Jesus' hands and feet here on this earth.  I believe we are to 'seek the lost' - not hide in the church building. I believe we are to live sacrificially.  I believe we are to feed the poor, heal the sick and house the homeless.  How are we to do this - balancing God's mercy with all the principles He teaches?


I need to have peace that I'm doing all that I can do to change the world - Big Rapids, Michigan. This is where I'm called to serve.

love and blessings~


"Go to the ant, O sluggard.  Observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.  How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like a armed man."  Proverbs 6:6-11






Standard
Columns, Devotionals

What Would Jesus Do? – Helping the Homeless

There's been something on my mind for several  months - actually for a couple of years - and I would really like to hear your prayerful thoughts on the subject.  Your prayerful thoughts.  Not what you've always thought but I'd like for you to pray about it, let God guide you, and then tell me what you get.                                                ___________________________________

I was getting involved in our nearby homeless shelter.  I was involved a few years ago when a group was getting it started and then got a call, this past September, from one of the founders, asking me to get further involved. So I began attending the board meetings and working for the board members to raise money, etc.

The board members have a real variety of beliefs.  The founder who asked me to get involved has the same beliefs as I do.  She is born-again, Spirit-filled, trusting God and relying on His leading.  But the other board members are not born-again and seem to believe in a government that 'supplies all our needs.'  I found this very troubling.

I also began to volunteer at the shelter with a heart to get to know the 'guests' and share Jesus.

I did not feel convicted by God to do any of this - I felt personally convicted - and I was not quite sure why God wasn't convicting me.  And I knew I was uncomfortable working at the shelter.

I'm a small, 50+ year old woman and there are plenty of rough men at the shelter but there were other women who were volunteering.  In fact, every one of the board members are women and most of the volunteers are women.  So that did not seem to be a valid reason but I was uncomfortable.  My family and close friend also did not witness to me doing this.

The policy of the shelter was that a guest could stay for 45 days while looking for other alternatives. At the end of the 45 days, if they were complying with authorities to get housing but it hadn't come through yet, they could apply for an extension.  The longest a guest could stay was 90 days.

I was there one day when I became aware that a guest's 90 days was up on Friday.  The lady in charge of carrying out the Board's decisions in this matter had informed this guest he had to leave on Friday. One of the board members, the lady who's beliefs are the same as mine, interceded and said he would not be asked to leave.  There was a disagreement and the lady, who was following the board's directions, resigned.

In the middle of all this uproar, the guest who was being evicted (not) told me very rudely that "all you Christians need to read your Bible."  He rudely made his opinion known that we should continue to supply him with food and shelter.

I had already noticed an attitude from most of the guests.  There were a few who were polite and thankful, but most had an attitude of entitlement.  And some were just downright rude, foul-mouthed and demanding.  I would leave everyday after volunteering and have to literally cleanse myself in the Holy Spirit and God's Word.  I could sense the demonic trying to attach to me and shadow my thinking.  I always felt very aware of the filth and the mocking of the enemy.

I am not saying that I am not without great compassion.  I am very aware that the Word tells us that "Jesus was moved by compassion and healed the sick."  Jesus aligned Himself with the poor and homeless and chose to be homeless Himself.  In this world, we Believers in Christ are homeless as we wait to be reunited with our God.  That's why I was there.  And I prayed for people and got involved with their lives.

The guests were required to do 'chores' at the shelter to keep it clean and functioning but there wasn't much to do and when I was there most of them sat around all day on their laptops or phones or just talking.  I realize that if you don't have a job to go to or a house to maintain there's not much else to do, but...

There's another principle of God that I believe we have to balance with our mercy and grace and that's that if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat.  The shelter was appealing to the nearby churches to raise money to keep the shelter open.  People were coming by every day with clothing and food and I could tell they felt guilty that they weren't doing more.  I feel that some of my motivation was guilt and God does not motivate with guilt.  He  motivates with a pure love and conviction.

I realized that a lot of the guests had been 'in the system' for most of their lives.  This was just another way for them to continue in their life style.  When they left, the government would supply them with money to pay their rent.

I understand that a few of them were physically impaired but most them were not.  I was shocked, and I mean shocked, to see the amount of pharmaceuticals each guest had.  We kept them locked in a cabinet and the guests were required to ask when they needed to take something.  Most guests had between 3 and 8 large bottles of prescription drugs - antidepressants, pain killers, blood pressure medicine - all that indicate a very wounded soul.

Illegal drugs were not allowed in the shelter, of course, and some guests who had attempted to hide them in the parking lot outside or sneak them into the shelter were permanently evicted.  In summary, most of the guests were drug addicts, whether it was prescription or illegal drugs.  Very many times I have gone to God and said, "Where do I start, LORD?"

Almost every one of them smoked.  The shelter allowed them to step outside every hour on the hour, for a total of 15 minutes to smoke.  I asked someone how much a pack of cigarettes cost and did the math.  Most of them were spending $400 a month on cigarettes - money that could be applied to rent - and might even be enough to afford an apartment.

Most of them had families nearby.  Why weren't they staying with their families, I wondered.  But then I realized that they most likely were a 'product' of their families and things probably were the same there.

There's a government subsidized apartment complex in our town.  The rent is adjusted to income and I know that the rent for some is less than $400.  However, the people in the shelter could not qualify for this housing because of their criminal records or history of not paying on time.

It's kind of like the story of giving a person a fishing pole and teaching them to fish rather than giving them a fish every day.  I understand that each one of these people need Jesus to heal their hearts and we are dependent on Him for the answers.  I understand that people's wounded hearts and wrong thinking cannot be changed without Him and their whole lives need to change.  I also understand that God gives each of us a free will but many times our free will is held in bondage by the enemy with great deception.
Did you know that a large percentage of people who win the lottery end up bankrupt?  You can give people money, but you can't expect that they know how to manage it wisely and most times they will end up back where they started. Some people don't believe they deserve any better.

But in the meantime, we need to figure out a way to help them while still demanding that they be accountable for their lives.  We need to be careful to not treat them like children, which is what I felt like was being done.  They are adults and are responsible for their own lives.

And I want to make note that in our economy, there are those who have done everything 'right', lost their jobs and their homes and just need a step up.  I firmly believe that we are to help them!  These are the people in the shelter who spent their time looking for jobs, driving their children back and forth to school, and working on their vehicles in the parking lot.  We need to assess each person's situation independently.

So, my thought was to develop a system of work and credits.  In other words, if a church donates money and food, the people in the shelter work for the church - cleaning the building, shoveling the snow, working for the community.  I like everything about this idea.

The problem is that I saw in the news shortly after I quit volunteering that one of the former guests, a young woman who was particularly rude, was arrested for breaking and entering and theft.

So I realize that some of the people cannot be trusted.  And then what do we do?  The young woman had a 4 month old baby at the time.

So please give me your thoughts.  I initially went to the shelter thinking that we should all open our homes and invite people in.  I realize now how foolish that would be.  But "The Church" is called to be Jesus' hands and feet here on this earth.  I believe we are to 'seek the lost' - not hide in the church building. I believe we are to live sacrificially.  I believe we are to feed the poor, heal the sick and house the homeless.  How are we to do this - balancing God's mercy with all the principles He teaches?


I need to have peace that I'm doing all that I can do to change the world - Big Rapids, Michigan. This is where I'm called to serve.

love and blessings~


"Go to the ant, O sluggard.  Observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.  How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like a armed man."  Proverbs 6:6-11






Standard
Columns, Devotionals

Seeing Through the Eyes of the Father

 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 

One of my heroes of faith is Shane Claiborne.  He wrote a book called, "Irresistible Revolution" that changed my life.  The Lord spoke to me in a powerful way while reading this book and confirmed many things that I had on my heart.

Shane Claiborne tells a story about being invited to speak at a church but when he arrived he was shunned by the church goers.  They thought he was a homeless man and stared at him and wouldn't speak to him. They were very surprised when they found out he was the guest speaker.

Because Shane Claiborne has dread-locks to his waist!  (I think he's recently cut his hair.)   He typically wears baggy jeans and an old work shirt.  


But I am so blessed and inspired by him because Shane Claiborne is busy 'being Jesus' to his community.  He's feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.  He's sharing Jesus to the lost.  He's 'being the Church!'  And I love him.

I spent my first twenty years of being a believer going to church and believing that I knew what it was all about.  I was preoccupied by what I wore to church and disapproved of those that didn't dress well.  I sang in the choir and led youth groups.  I gave to the building fund and never missed tithing.  

And then Jesus began to do a work in my heart and I realized I had missed the mark.  And that's sin - right?  

Our worship dance ministry had done a 'prayer walk' around our church - circling the church each week and surrounding it with prayer.  The Lord had directed us to do this. 

And then the Lord convicted my daughter, who was in college at the time, to circle Ferris campus in the same way.  About this time she met a young man I'll call Jacob who was on fire for Jesus.  The Lord had given him the same conviction so a group of them began to obey the Lord.  She would tell me about this group with joy and enthusiasm.

One day, she described Jacob - mohawk, piercings, tattoos -  and I was shocked.  Laura told me, "Mom, you have a religious spirit!" and I realized it was true.  I immediately repented and have never made the same mistake again. 

A lot of religious sects get offended by women wearing pants because of the scripture that states that women should not wear men's clothing.  You realize, of course, that when this scripture was written, everyone wore 'robes' and they now make pants for women?

So many of the things Christians stumble over are purely cultural.  And then they fall into judgment and miss God all together.  

A friend told me several years ago after sharing Christ with her son for several years he finally made the decision to visit church.  And no one spoke to him while he was there.  Because of his appearance.  The Word tells us to make the most of every opportunity but we choose to shun people even when they come to church?

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  We are called to save the lost.  Of course if we never interact with the lost, it's hard to save them.  If we are so offended by appearances, or if we expect every Christian to look the same, wear a three piece suit or a dress, we'll miss God all together.  Because God sees the heart.

Now I'm not saying that people should not dress modestly.  I believe men and women should dress modestly at all times, so please don't misunderstand that.  But I think we've got to change our religious thinking and start realizing what's important.

Where did we get the idea that serving Christ means singing in the choir and baking cookies for the congregation.  Was that Jesus' final commission to us? It means going out into the streets and meeting real people where they live.  It means helping people and sharing the love of Christ.  It means sharing your food and your money and working with your hands.

And we might have to leave our three piece suits at home or they'll get dirty. 

love and blessings~


Standard