07 October 2024
One of the biggest things we struggle against is people caring about the wrong things. Alongside that is people not caring about the right things. Those are two different problems. God's Word is pretty clear on this, but social and cultural influences are in-your-face about all the wrong answers.
The Word says stop caring so much about the things of this world; caring too much about the material is the meaning of the biblical term "woldly". The concept shows up in things like the Parable of Sower. It's not a mystery, but it's a damned idiocy that is so deeply embedded in the fallen consciousness that we struggle at every step. Worse, but it keeps dragging us backwards after we start to make progress.
People who understand biblical mysticism knew that I was not trying to stir up anger against FEMA and local government officials. I was telling you to distrust them, to expect them to get it all wrong. Their first instinct is control, a satanic obsession that is just the opposite of the biblical shepherding instinct. The proper shepherding attitude is something like this: "Here's what I can do right now. You can get involved or you can stay out of the way." That's not the same as the "I'll tell you what you need" attitude of this world.
We know that it is utterly impossible to avoid politics, especially when resources are limited. People are naturally going to fight about how to use what they consider shared resources. The truly nasty part of this is that Americans in particular have a hellish notion that people are resources that can be controlled like property. Like it or not, our government agencies, from the smallest to the biggest federal monstrosity, operate on the principle that you and I are property at their command. You will be fighting this every step of the way.
Some of the craziest nonsense comes from government officials who are operating on that assumption. They assume they have a duty to manipulate or force you to do their bidding. Denying the free exchange between private individuals is based on this. This is why you have officials threatening volunteers and refusing to let them bring in private aid.
Keep in mind: What kind of people are drawn to government offices? What kind of people will put up with the bureaucracy and abuse? I can tell you that it's rarely the shepherd instinct that keeps folks involved in human government. It simply cannot be redeemed; it belongs to the Devil.
Regarding the disaster surrounding the hurricane, the worst is past. It's time now to assess what's next. We know what to expect from government officials. You can count on most folks on the ground doing the best they know, with highly variable results. Eventually, most things will be put back into usable condition, but it will take a very long time.
Meanwhile, there's already another hurricane chugging toward Florida, currently plotted to sweep right across the middle of the peninsula west to east. Get ready for it.
Indeed, get ready for a lot of natural disasters. This is the other thing that most people ignore from the Word of God: empires that ignore His Covenant will come under wrath. Wrath generally comes right about the time everyone seems to think the empire has reached the zenith of its power. That's what we are facing now. There have already been serious political disasters, but honest prophets will tell you we are in for a lot more natural disasters.
Worse, it's compounded by a general trend of wrath being poured out on the entire world.
It is not futile to plan for disaster response. There is a point to it, though that point has nothing to do with efficiency of material resources. We should be careful stewards of whatever God provides, but that's not the point. The point is exposing people to various influences that help them see the ultimate truth of the gospel message. That message is to stop getting all wrapped up in human concerns and material pursuits. Stop caring so much about this life! If this world is all you have, then you have nothing.
What we are doing is showing that we care, that any relief we offer is not the answer to their needs, but a symbol of a far better answer to their real needs. The people are the treasure here, not their stuff. What we value most is their participation in the Covenant. They cannot be herded from behind; they must recognize the voice of the Savior calling them like sheep. You and I must learn to echo His call.
God is shaking His Body, which means the world gets all shook up, as well. God is shaking them loose from material concerns. Great losses will be followed by massive waste and fraud; that's the way it works in this world. We need to offer symbols of His shepherd's care, to show that we don't get worked up about government stupidity, and sometimes even downright wickedness. That belongs to this world; it is what this world produces and how it is governed.
And it cannot stop us from showing people the Cross.
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