Zechariah 11 :1-16
Open your doors, O Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,
for the glorious trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forest has been felled!
3 The sound of the wail of the shepherds,
for their glory is ruined!
The sound of the roar of the lions,
for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!
4 Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. 5 Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”
7 So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. 8 In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9 So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” 10 And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. 14 Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.
The San Francisco Chronicle went further:
"SF homeless department is understaffed and unprepared to handle crisis, report says
Trisha Thadani Aug. 7, 2020 Updated: Aug. 11, 2020"
We all understand the San Francisco Homeless Hotel Experiment didn't go well.
The small Homeless Volunteer Organizations have seen Homeless moved into permanent housing go through a series of steps usually private organizations and Churches have carefully learned. With those in permanent housing encouraging their friends left homeless, to complete the steps from the Churches and organizations.
Systems of Governments can have resources, but still heart-to-heart human contact is the best motivator.
Really? Really. How different are big government and small organizations and Churches. Let's start with the Budget.............
"According to the report, the Department has a nearly 26% staff vacancy rate and high turnover, insufficient contract oversight and $26.5 million left unspent."
26% staff vacancy rate and high turnover, 26.5 Million Dollars to leave unspent!
It's fair to say, the most successful homing successes from Homeless Small Organizations and Churches don't have 26.5 Million Dollars to leave unspent. Or nice, high end freezers full of ice cream. The Budget is willing, but what is weak?
"The report, published in August, by the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office, paints a grim picture of a department tasked with handling one of San Francisco’s most vexing and visible issues."
Government Efficiency isn't being touted in a Huge Issue. It's so - - - ignored - in great heart manners, 150,000 people have moved from San Francisco during the Pandemic. Fled. Left.
Last year, with more city workers Homeless numbers went from 6,000 people in 2018 to 8,000 people in 2019. Last year, San Francisco had human solid bowel movement waste complaints about the streets of San Francisco. These reports number 14,500 times. This year, 2020, I heard one outrageous guess this year to be a population of 150,000 Homeless in San Francisco. (Sadly someone in San Francisco thought this was true in the Pelosi District.)
Why was the Trump Supporters attacked violently two days ago?
Fear of EXTREME homelessness. I personally believe this: President Reagan has a deep affection in my memories, but he made a mistake with mental illness hospitals being reduced. Homelessness increased. And now the states believing in less big government, with more Church volunteerism - vastly help Homelessness. The violent outburst was Homeless fear and fear of change.
Who is feeding the newly Homeless in New York City? The Church.
Who fed the Astrodome containing about 25,000 Katrina victims? The Church. Not the Red Cross in great depth. It was grid of Houston Churches who fed the Katrina Refugees, daily. All the way, 40 miles outside Houston to the Suburbs and packed hotels - still fed for an entire year by Church Volunteers.
When Crisis occurs, the Church steps up.
My Church works with Homeless learning the steps to Permanent Housing. The reasons for these steps are substance abuse, other types of abuse and abused abused, even apartment maintenance to not want to flee a dirty home. And the inevitable other homeless visiting shelter and how to cope. Family relationships and relationships. Bill and income management. Making a stronger person.
What Role does Government take in feeding those in need.
Let's look at Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels is only made possible through a unique mix of government funding, support from individual donors and the volunteers that deliver the meals. ... Federal funding for senior nutrition: The Federal Government provides funding for home-delivered meals through Older Americans Act nutrition programs.
The funding is bare bones.
What would the Scriptures say about bare bones?
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the body is in its blood.
Bones generate blood and Blood is Life.
Life. The Volunteers in many areas work wonders with the canned deliveries. The Challenge is to stay within strict guidelines for the elderly, in items - like salt intake - and still remain tasty for those less restricted. Grocery Stores donate day old items, like cakes, to the delight of the older clients and the joyous volunteers. Minus the Diabetic Client. Yet, Celebration Happens.
Churches frequently bring Volunteers to Meals on Wheels.
What is Pro Life?
Pro Life is absolutely terrified of being sued for abuse.
In fact, Pro Life, joins together Pro Life nationally to engage attornies to root out abuses and lawsuits before they occur. Why not give up? Being anti-abuse has been very successful for Pro Life. This is, frankly, a Victory of God Himself. You can be very assured your donation of usable goods and money to Pro Life is going to reap a Harvest as well.
The Dynamic Purpose of Pro Life and Pro Life Church Volunteers even reaches to Homelessness.
Actual Homelessness is going to be very tenderly referred, and with actual rides, to Homelessness Help Agencies. Seeing their clients overcome and being victorious over Homelessness.
How is Pro Life helping Homelessness this directly?
The USA has had 60 million abortions since the 1970s. And if there is an abortion rally - you are going to find 59.99 Million MISSING abortive moms NOT CELEBRATING abortion. Pro Life offers forgiveness counselling for the post abortive parents. (At this point you are saying - how is this helping Homelessness?) What we proclaim as doing to the least of us, is being done to all of us. The next two paragraphs will explain.
How is this for all of us? Pro Life is a gateway to Not Being Homeless.
Pro Life has all types of assistance to those who are sometimes in melt down mode.
More than ten percent of Homelessness is further caused by another form of counseling Pro Life does - parental counsel of abandonment of children ages 18 years to 24 years. This group is highly at risk for Homelessness. Post abortive parents without counseling are sometimes muddled up in concentric circles about parenting. Before you let depression sink in, realize how many abortive parents go on to have multiple, multiple children in recompense and are actually Wonderful Parents.
Ah, you might be thinking only Pregnant Young People. No. Nope. Nada.
Pro Life Church Volunteers assist. Preventing Gateway Homelessness.
- Counsel the abandoned in crisis.
- Counsel the Pregnant.
- Counsel Young Parents
- Aid Babies, Young Children and Parents in counsel and goods.
- Aid sexual crisis.
- Aid STD recovery emotionally and with testing.
- Aid the unloved.
- Great Help.
In fact, Pro Life counsels people with Sexually Transmitted Diseases. A lot of STDs. (Oh no, my gosh, horrors the use of the word disease near Sex?!! Disease - a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.) A disease can kill you. In fact there are 4 STDs that will kill you. And in 2016, there were 28 well known STD in the USA. STDs are a mental injury of some impact and not only a physical disease.
STD.
This can lead to Homelessness.
People generally Cry when they find out they have an STD. Especially those seeking only to be loved in loveless lives.
Pro Life counsels young people who need to talk to someone kindly about sex and relationships. Counseling to fortify and forgive the cruel mind games people play on each other who thought James Bond had it all together. Think again about Homelessness. And the role of Love and lack thereof. Sexual relationships and self esteem - a huge bond between Spirit and soul and strength.
The Homeless are homeless for many reasons.
What Role does Government take in helping those in need.
Funding. And not overstepping morality. Morality like STD can be used in anger games.
We need our Jesus Compass to keep games unplayed.
Jesus is our Strength. Because Jesus finds us Joy.
Our History. Our Nation was founded upon Religious Freedom.
Civil Rights Strategies took place in Churches.
We don't find we remind ourselves often enough about our Church History.
Civil Rights frequently met in Churches. Where truly peaceful protests were carefully planned. The Church is where the Civil Rights Freedoms began to be diligently and carefully given strategy to Build us - all - up. White Churches. Black Churches. Not Republicans versus Democrats. One Body of Christ. Not Greek or Jew - instead where we all Encounter the Living God - Spirit. And, actually, White Churches in the South. The North, too.
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never forget. As a reminder in the Body of Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. was indeed, indeed, indeed a Reverend of Jesus Christ.
Government isn't the point. Government is the pointer. Big problems, big government, buy buy buy isn't better.
The Crisis. The Comfort. We've learned this year fears increased insecurities. Our Comfort is from Father God. His vehicle is the Church.
Wail? Comfort. Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ.
John 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved
and will go in and out and find pasture.
His Good Creation !
Abba, Our Father,
Today, even giving Comfort is truly stressful.
Even giving Comfort involves stating 'your opinion.'
We Pray in the Name of Jesus Christ
Your Comfort is given Peace.
Let Peace Flow Down Like Water, Lord Jesus Christ!
Living Water of Jesus
fill us all.
Colossians 4:3
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the Word,
to declare the mystery of Christ.
Our Abba, we pray in unison with Jesus - to increase the Holy Spirit.
We ask Jesus to dwell in us and those we Love always,
and helping us find God First. .
We ask Jesus to dwell in us and those we Love always,
and helping us find God First. .
Jesus Son of God - Bless, Heal, Sustain, Comfort, Guide
President Donald Trump, and his family,
Vice President Pence and his family,
The White House Staff,
especially those in need of healing today
God Bless Them!
And God Bless President Trump for free Regeneron for
Us ALL.
Safety and wisdom for:
Governor Abbott
and all 50 United States Governors and our Legislatures
Praying for Elliott, Harby and their family
complete blessing of healing.
I believe Jesus is healing Elliott.
The Fringe of Your Robe placed upon all of Your Good Creation.
The Balm of Gilead - Jesus - rubbed just where we hurt.
We will
Remember our answered Prayers.
And live this Day. Looking in expectation
Abba, Delta is the mathematical symbol of Change,
we pray to end all storms for us.
Fruitful Justice for ALL.
For our families and children yet unborn
Moses asked God for Happiness,
we ask You, Father God, for this as well.
Jesus is the Lord Amen and Alleluia. Amen.