How fitting that on the same night which I planned to start my first blog site we should lose power. On my first call to the power company they said that it would be back on by seven-thirty (pm) and when I called at nine o’clock they said three-thirty (am). So I’ll now have to do this as if I were in the field.
We’ve been State-side since April after having had to return from West Africa to work on paperwork for residency permits. That now being done, the only thing which is holding us here is $3,000 (or $2,850 since gifts from this past weekend) for our plane tickets and baggage. It seems that the L-rd has some reason for us still being here; however, I was ready to return in spirit a month ago. His will be done...
It is hard at times to live by faith. What this means is we never solicit funds of any kind and only speak of our needs upon request. In this blog, however, we will be quite open, as Lord willing, we can remain anonymous. For example, when we go without food or are stranded for lack of gas, so on. The hard part for me is not in trusting that the Lord will give what is needed, but that people will disobey His call to do so.
Many have told us, “We can’t give unless we know what / when you need...” I am reminded here of Matthew chapter 2531-46—you know when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. Would the goats have given to those in need if they had simply asked for what they needed? No way! The test which the goats seemed to have failed is simple, “Do you have enough love to show a little commonsense?”
Every person must eat, wear some kind of clothing (other then leaves), have a place to live, and deserves fellowship. So are the poor and needy to send out newsletters, run ads in the paper, commercials on TV listing their needs? We never ask for money in our newsletters, but I do know from my own personal experience that you can’t send out a newsletter without money. And, of all the ones which we have sent out, only two mailings have been followed by gifts which covered their cost.
Now we are in no way poor, but at the same time we currently have only a little over $200 cash and bank account together. But we do have food, a paid for house, and car; how rich we are compared to so many throughout the world. The people of the church have a duty to care for those like us who stand on the front lines, just as any nation must take care of their solders. How do you feel when you hear that the troops are going with out ammunition, proper clothing. Or what if they went without their pay?
Since 1999 we have had no salary, would you be willing to live such a way for the Gospel of Christ? Or would you be willing to take a cut just so those in the field would be free to do the work of the Lord? We were homebound our last three weeks in Africa due to a lack of funds to buy gas.
The poor of this world, when pushed to do so, do come asking for help. Are you annoyed when you see a beggar on the street or at the end of the off ramp? If so do you ignore them or throw money at them so they’ll just go away. Some at times will say, “I offered to take them to a fast food place to eat but they just turned me down. I knew they were just in it for the money.” I say no! They may have been thinking, “...in the time I am gone I will miss the money I need to buy my bus ticket, pay the power bill, or feed my family.”
Sure, many of the beggars you see are on drugs, or addicted to something but they still deserve our love (the love Jesus has given to us to pour out to others). And then there is the war veteran who is out on the street; whatever happened to “support the troops.” Well that’s all good and well till he returns all crazy from the guilt of what has taken place on the battle field. You want to help the troops? Good, then bring them HOME!
We are out there, on the frontlines, helping all kinds of people. But how can we get there if no one will even help us to buy a plane ticket?
A friend asked me the other day about some money which had been given to us over a month ago... I know, he was thinking... “Did you spend it already? It could have helped to buy your tickets...” But how would we have paid for the gas we used, the food we ate, or the Gospel tracts we bought, and ok the books we bought?
Well, I guess this was a rather long first Blog, but I have so much to say!
We’ve been State-side since April after having had to return from West Africa to work on paperwork for residency permits. That now being done, the only thing which is holding us here is $3,000 (or $2,850 since gifts from this past weekend) for our plane tickets and baggage. It seems that the L-rd has some reason for us still being here; however, I was ready to return in spirit a month ago. His will be done...
It is hard at times to live by faith. What this means is we never solicit funds of any kind and only speak of our needs upon request. In this blog, however, we will be quite open, as Lord willing, we can remain anonymous. For example, when we go without food or are stranded for lack of gas, so on. The hard part for me is not in trusting that the Lord will give what is needed, but that people will disobey His call to do so.
Many have told us, “We can’t give unless we know what / when you need...” I am reminded here of Matthew chapter 2531-46—you know when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. Would the goats have given to those in need if they had simply asked for what they needed? No way! The test which the goats seemed to have failed is simple, “Do you have enough love to show a little commonsense?”
Every person must eat, wear some kind of clothing (other then leaves), have a place to live, and deserves fellowship. So are the poor and needy to send out newsletters, run ads in the paper, commercials on TV listing their needs? We never ask for money in our newsletters, but I do know from my own personal experience that you can’t send out a newsletter without money. And, of all the ones which we have sent out, only two mailings have been followed by gifts which covered their cost.
Now we are in no way poor, but at the same time we currently have only a little over $200 cash and bank account together. But we do have food, a paid for house, and car; how rich we are compared to so many throughout the world. The people of the church have a duty to care for those like us who stand on the front lines, just as any nation must take care of their solders. How do you feel when you hear that the troops are going with out ammunition, proper clothing. Or what if they went without their pay?
Since 1999 we have had no salary, would you be willing to live such a way for the Gospel of Christ? Or would you be willing to take a cut just so those in the field would be free to do the work of the Lord? We were homebound our last three weeks in Africa due to a lack of funds to buy gas.
The poor of this world, when pushed to do so, do come asking for help. Are you annoyed when you see a beggar on the street or at the end of the off ramp? If so do you ignore them or throw money at them so they’ll just go away. Some at times will say, “I offered to take them to a fast food place to eat but they just turned me down. I knew they were just in it for the money.” I say no! They may have been thinking, “...in the time I am gone I will miss the money I need to buy my bus ticket, pay the power bill, or feed my family.”
Sure, many of the beggars you see are on drugs, or addicted to something but they still deserve our love (the love Jesus has given to us to pour out to others). And then there is the war veteran who is out on the street; whatever happened to “support the troops.” Well that’s all good and well till he returns all crazy from the guilt of what has taken place on the battle field. You want to help the troops? Good, then bring them HOME!
We are out there, on the frontlines, helping all kinds of people. But how can we get there if no one will even help us to buy a plane ticket?
A friend asked me the other day about some money which had been given to us over a month ago... I know, he was thinking... “Did you spend it already? It could have helped to buy your tickets...” But how would we have paid for the gas we used, the food we ate, or the Gospel tracts we bought, and ok the books we bought?
Well, I guess this was a rather long first Blog, but I have so much to say!
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1 comment:
oh dear lord.
i found it.
so... leaves around your waists? where's them pictures????
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