I’ve entered my fifteenth year of writing Words for the Day five days per week. Some of you faithful readers have been with me since the beginning and have received nearly two million words.
Yikes!
Those who’ve read it for any length of time know by now that I consistently say whatever I believe to be true, and most would admit that I hold nothing back regardless of the consequences. I don’t gauge the truth by whether or not someone agrees with my interpretation of the Bible, and don’t give a whit about anything being politically correct. I read the Bible in context and feel I can interpret its meaning. I don’t have a preconceived belief system or a personal agenda. I just take the Bible verses to mean what they say, because I believe the Holy Bible to be the inerrant truth and the living word of God.
There are those who get mad about what I’ve written to the point of their unsubscribing, and there are those who curse me in nasty e-mails, and there are even those who disagree so vehemently that they make death threats.
I’m not worried about any of the former including the latter and take it all in stride and keep on writing Words for the Day. People are entitled to their opinions and so am I. If they don’t agree with me that’s okay; I don’t agree with them either. As for the nuts who threaten me, well I’m pretty nutty myself and I don’t know about them but I don’t fear death one iota. In fact we all have to die from something and I think to die in a shootout with an infidel would be a pretty interesting way to go out. If nothing else it would give my grandkids something really cool to tell their grandkids concerning their old Papaw (the Great!)
I was really thankful this weekend for the opportunity to worship and attend the Easter Sunday service at Honey Lake Church and Worldwide Ministries. This holy day commemorates the incomprehensible sacrifice of our Lord and Savior and to my way of thinking is one day for sure that people should be thankful for what the Lord endured on the cross on our behalves.
Our music minister Terry Warren showed a video of the bloody horrific reenactment of Jesus Christ being crucified while he sang “The Blood” on Sunday. It was difficult to watch and as I sat there viewing it I thought back to the many dark sins of my life both past and present and shook my head as I realized that Jesus willingly took my punishment. It brought tears of gratitude to my eyes and furthered my desire to serve and sacrifice for Him all the more.
I’ve never been involved with a behind the scenes look at a church and haven’t been privy to the finances until now. We take up an offering for the Lord at our service and then two different leaders in our church go to my house and count the money in front of each other and prepare the deposit.
I was pretty amazed to learn from them that in spite of the fact that the church was full to the brim with people on Sunday, and even though we don’t owe any money on the church, or pay utilities, or pay any of our volunteer staff, or pay for room or meals for our guest speakers and music ministry, that after paying small love offerings to our guests on Easter Sunday, we did not even take up enough money in our offering to break even.
I mean come on, can anyone squeeze onto those nickels any tighter! I bet vise grip pliers couldn’t rip one out of that grip!
I’ve been told by many people that asking for money is the biggest deterrent to having people attend church. Most including me think that many churches have become too commercialized and indeed big businesses intent upon becoming bigger as their primary goal. I get that, but giving is not about those instances of abuse; it is about good churches that have bills to pay and giving back to God a small portion of what He has given to you pays those bills and furthers spreads the word of God to every nation around the world.
Our goal at Honey Lake Church and Worldwide Ministry is to evangelize the world. I received the following e-mail from a guy in Rwanda who wants me to help establish and lead his church:
Dear Bob
First of all we greet you in Jesus name and I hope you are well in Jesus name
Now I would like to Invite you in Pastors Seminar and open air which will take place here in Rwanda Kigali City on 15 -17th August 2013, this Seminar will gathered many Pastors from the different churches of Rwanda Kigali with other pastors from Burundi and Congo.
Also I would like to inform you that you will be our Guest honor and speaker within all that days of SEMINAR and the Theme will be Leadership. I hope that this will be a big blessing to us and even to you. Sure after visiting your website and read your Biography the holy spirit guided me to invited you here in Rwanda, and I hope the holy Spirit will Explain more to you about this Seminars, and will be a blessing to our Pastors and Country so you are welcome in Rwanda any question concerning these contact me, we are waiting for you for his God’s Glory
Pastor John Ruramutswa
New Hope Ministries
I’ve recently received similar letters from Hong Kong, Algeria, Ethiopia, India, and other faraway places and while I cannot personally go to all of them, we can stream our worldwide ministry over the Internet to pastors like John Ruramutswa whose flock desperately needs to hear the word of God. And we can stream it around the United States for those who need to hear it right here at home!
But in order to pull it off we need money.
OOOOHHHH . . . That hurts . . . eh?
A friend told me the other day that folks would not give unless they got something tangible in return such as a book, CD, special Bible, or even maybe a building named after them.
Hmmm . . . I would rather have the tiniest of God’s blessings than if they changed New York City’s name to Bob Williamson City.
Jesus sent His disciples out to witness to the world and equipped them with nothing tangible. He made it clear that there would be those who helped spread the Gospel and those who would not. Both will “reap what they sow”. Many have told me not to worry about it that God will provide. In fact I’m being told, “Just chill out and don’t worry about it”.
Naw . . . Can’t do it . . .
I feel I should say something about it and I have. So if you don’t like it, unsubscribe, send me a nasty e-mail filled with curse words, and/or meet me under the live oak tree by the church at 10 a.m. (after my morning turkey hunt) and we’ll duel.
Giving is not an option with God. It is a COMMAND and He wants to bless you for obeying it and not curse you for refusing it. Just like salvation though the choice is yours. I urge you to choose wisely, obey the Lord, and enjoy the blessings that are His good pleasure to shower upon you . . .
Luke 9:5
Then he called the twelve together and gave them power over all evil spirits and the ability to heal disease. He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick, with these words, “Take nothing for your journey—neither a stick nor a purse nor food nor money, nor even extra clothes! When you come to stay at a house, remain there until you go on your way again. And where they will not welcome you, leave that town, and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them!”