October 14, 2021 – Click here to listen
Yesterday I attended a virtual board meeting for the Jesus Alliance. I heard of all the wonderful things being accomplished such as disaster relief efforts, incubator for helping new ministries get up and running, and my personal favorite, distributing evangelical and teaching materials to persecuted churches all over the world via a streaming device that we smuggle in that can be shared by cell phone to home church pastors. Most of the churches are secret due to ruthless governments who would severely punish and/or kill them if exposed. The reports of people being converted to Christianity by the thousands in these countries like Communist China, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria, Indonesia, and others are encouraging beyond the pale. My heart has always been one of an evangelist and I love this part of the ministry.
I’m so glad God allowed me the honor of receiving the vision for The Jesus Alliance and that I didn’t just dream about it but actually spent over five years working hard day and night to get other believers involved so we could get it firmly established.
I believe God chose me for this task because I am an entrepreneur at heart and am good at it. When it reached the point of needing a CEO who had the special abilities of running the day to day and being detail oriented, (traits I am not good at and dislike), I decided to step down as CEO and find someone younger and better suited for this phase of the organization’s journey. God provided Michael Phillips as the one of His choosing and he has done an excellent job in building the organization with dedicated volunteers as we make progress towards taking it to the next level.
After the board meeting, I went and picked up my boat after it was serviced and was driving it back to my house by myself. My phone rang and one of my dear friends who had been in the board meeting was touching base with me. One of the subjects discussed at the meeting was finance. It is absolutely amazing at how little money the Jesus Alliance receives and yet accomplishes so much. I told my buddy that I wished we had more money because we could do so much more. He has built huge nonprofit organizations and told me just to be patient. (Ugh . . . There is that pesky word again.) He told me it took him almost two decades of financial struggle to finally break through and get the proper funding.
When I was CEO, I often referred to our finances as being like receiving manna from heaven. We received no excess and just as we were scratching our heads wondering what we would do a check would come in to cover our needs. But like manna we didn’t receive excess. I heard someone say at the board meeting that perhaps that was the way God wanted the Jesus Alliance to operate, with no reserves and a “just in time” approach to meeting out needs. I suppose when one does all they know to do and still no results that might be the case.
As I thought about this, I related it to so many friends and acquaintances who seem to always wish for more and worry constantly as though there is no God who loves and cares for them. I have learned that we cannot gain anything through worry. I adopted the phrase “Work don’t Worry” as CEO of my various businesses and the Jesus Alliance. As I said when I began this post, I was amazed at all the Jesus Alliance has accomplished. Worry didn’t get it to that point, rather faith and trusting in God, prayer, and hard work (the unbeatable combo) did that . . . God loves you and He loves me and He will do whatever He deems best for us. So don’t be discouraged if there is no instant gratification to your every request. Allow time for His perfect plan to unfold.
1 Peter 5:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”