Isaiah 3:15, part II…

” What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the LORD of host. ”

I’m going to start this second half out with a story of mine to attempt to illustrate, what I believe to be, God’s point. Please bear with me?

It was summer time in Arlington Texas, (2011) and I was sitting on a concrete bench outside of a huge Baptist Church, and I mean HUGE! So I start to realize that the church is opening, and it’s the first service of the day, probably 7:30 or 8:00 am. Now within a few minutes a lot of people were walking by me  sitting on the bench, and not one soul said a single word to me, no not one. Except for this one little girl about 5 or 6 years old. As soon as she saw me… She came running as fast as her little legs could get her to me! And she said, Mr. Mr. Are you ok? My eyes at this point welled up with tears, as I said to her, sweetie, I’m fine, and thank you for asking! Now go back to your Mommy and Daddy… their calling you. And as she turned to see her mom and dad motioning to her to come back to them, while saying, honey leave the poor man alone! Then she turned once again towards me and said, I gotta go Mr., Have a good day… Bye! And I choked back my tears until they passed. And I sat there and cried. And the thoughts were not for me! The tears were not for me! All that I felt at that moment was grief, and sadness for the parents of that little angel. Do you know why I felt like that? Because they had a perfect example of God’s 💓 right in front of them live, a breathing miracle, an angel in the form of a little girl! How amazing is our God to show through a little girl the 💓 of the gospel! And Jesus wept… For their lack of faith, and unbelief!?  That experience to me is actually beyond words! Now the second story happened in Oakland CA. (2017)

It was cold and windy in the tunnel I lived in in the winter, on 27th just two blocks from Telegraph Ave. This minister and a few of his friends were in the tunnel looking for people to minister to, I guess? So the minister asked to hear my conversion story from just a few months earlier. When I was knocked to my knees, yeah that story. So I told him my story, and this man raised his eyes to me and said, ” Now you know why we use to stone people like you! And him, and the people who came with him turned around, and walked away like nothing happened! Or, this was just how they saw it? I was caught off guard at the response I got from just giving my testimony of God’s love and power! His unspeakable and unsearchable grace! Oh, what a blessing that is! The protocol son… I am. God and I have chased one another, and struggled. I have completely walked away from God, all of it! And He, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and our ever Virgin Mother Mary have hunted me down… The hounds of heaven… Caught up in my sins, and my degradations… And ripped me right out of the devil’s claws once again! Now those are two examples of how the church treats the poor, and needy. Now on with Isaiah, and the poor.

I’m not the only one who has experienced this kind of treatment from the very people who claim that we’re wrong, and are in need of salvation! I actually have a few pagan friends, and honestly… their actions towards the poor, and needy is an indightment against the church!

These are serious grievance’s! Slamming God’s way of loving tender hearted mercy, which He has shown each, and every one of us! Each one bearing the image of God! And we seem to spit in His eyes, and upon His heart every single time we walk past someone who we know is in need, and we do nothing! If my memory serves me right… If I know something is a sin, like not opening your heart, love of God towards those in need, like keeping it to myself, being stingy, glutinous, lazy, and hateful. That is not the light of Christ I read about! And we wonder why our loved ones die before their time!? Paul talks about this, “taking the bread unworthily!” I’m not trying to be mean or cruel, no not at all! I’ve burried three dearly loved women in my life, and those experiences almost did me in! The first one was my sweet heart, girlfriend, who died of cervical cancer, R.I.P. (2003)                    The second one was my dear wife who helped me become Catholic, in her own way. (2007-8) those years are when I became officially Roman Catholic, and when we were married, respectfully. R.I.P. she wanted from the beginning of her journey of being Catholic to receive all the sacraments of the Church, and she got her prayer answered in 2012. God was faithful to my wife! Thank you LORD! This beautiful woman had me make a promise before her time came to meet the Lord. She asked me, ‘if I wouldn’t kill myself after her death?” I’ve kept my promise, and only with God’s grace, and Ever Virgin Mary’s help! For this I am sure! I know the feeling that Jonah had in his story, asking God to let him die! I did that for the next two years after my wife passed away. He had/has other plans for me obviously. I have heard plenty of stories similar to mine. Some are almost, if not down right unbelievable to hear!

The way we homeless, the poorest of the poor in our nation, in the richest, and most powerful nation on earth have to live is degrading enough. Yet, throw in the treatment we receive daily from people who call themselves representatives of the risen Lord, and compare that to what we all say we read, and own a copy of!? I’ve heard that because the homeless/poor are what, and who they are, the dregs of society, scum bags to be hated and despised, miss treatment is the norm! Some say, they deserve what they got!? I get it if you only look at the situation from the world’s eyes. Wasn’t it the world’s sin’s, that crucified Jesus Christ? For love of the Father, and salvation to those who would only believe in His name!? … I came not for the well, for they are not in need of a physician, but for the sick,… the lame,… the blind,… the brokenhearted,… for the poor… for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Accepting Him as our Lord and savior, our God! Is this then how we repay or is it.. betray, our loving Lord, Jesus Christ, His merciful Justice He Grace’s, and all of heaven!? God forbid!!!

The stares and glares we, as the homeless get from our own country men, from people wearing crosses, and Christian garments, priest, nuns, cleric’s of every denomination pretend to love as God loves, and their neighbor as themselves!? Really?! The weight of these looks… weigh heavy upon our hearts and souls… grinding us down below the very pavement we sit upon… into a torment you cannot escape or ignore… because it is always present… the hateful looks… the Spiritual Combat that ignites within… is as if War Broke Out In Heaven! And Jesus wept! And it’s difficult not to fall into enemy hand’s! For I am only flesh and blood, and therefore, very weak in and of myself! This I attempt to keep in the forefront of my mind every second of the day! I have to, because if I forget who I am on my own… I am doomed! Out here it’s imperative to never forget who I serve, as opposed to who I use to serve!? Also, remembering who stands next to me/us in this battle for our souls!? Our very hearts… To whom do they truly belong!? The Lord of host Himself is waiting for you to fulfill your predestination… awaiting you… From before the beginning of time He has waited for you, for this day to come! For He awaits with arms wide open for His protocol sons, and daughters to come home!? Is this you my friend?! God’s knocking on the door, let him in, and He and the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ will have supper with you every single day, and night! If you’ll only open your eyes, and your heart when you are reading Holy Scripture, and out in the world!?

There is so much more I can say about this one verse… Yet, I’ll leave it as is for now. I have 13 verses to get through the prophet Isaiah, and there is a lot of treasure in those beautiful words! I hope and pray that you got something out of these ramblings of this madman that leads you closer to God!?

A verse for thought: For requiring their blood he hath remembered them: he hath not forgotten the cry of the poor. ~ Psalm 9:13

May God bless you, and keep you all close… Under His loving, and protective wings! Love and peace to all!