December 2005
As my wife and I go out to the shelters this season, beginning our third year, donations of clothing have exceeded our expectations. Praise God!
I give many thanks to the Warming Center that is a light to many homeless.
Zechariah 4:6-10 (NLT) - 6Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. 7Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will flatten out before him! Then Zerubbabel will set the final stone of the Temple in place, and the people will shout: `May God bless it! May God bless it!'"
8Then another message came to me from the LORD: 9"Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. 10Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand. For these seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world."
The beginning of these verses 6 and 7 tell us Zerubbabel wanted to rebuild the Temple and nothing would stand in his way, Not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heavens Armies. There is a plan to stop chronic homelessness in Macomb County. For this to happen, we must be as determined as Zerubbabel. Pray for a building that can be used as a permanent place for homeless to get their needs met. We will shout 'May God bless it! May God bless it!!'
Verse 10 says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." For the eyes of the Lord search all around the whole world. God has given us all a desire to begin so He can rejoice with us. He is always searching. BE READY!
July 2005
Ezekiel 3:15 - 15Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, who sat and dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat and remained there among them seven days, overwhelmed with astonishment and silent.
I look at homelessness as a form of captivity. They're captive to the streets. They sit and dwell under bridges, in doorways, anywhere they can find. I was led to a young man that became homeless two days earlier living under a bridge. Scared and feeling alone, this young man could barley talk. As he sat where they sat, (the homeless people) he was truly overwhelmed with astonishment and silent. The next time I saw him, (two weeks later) he had his routine, very thin, looking for cans & now Full-Time Homeless. Pray for this man.
Ezekiel 3:10-11 (paraphrased) - All my words that I speak to you, receive in your heart and hear with your ears then speak them to someone else whether they hear or refuse to hear.
April 2005
Matthew 11 tells us about John the Baptist sending messengers to Jesus.
Starting in verse 2 it says John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are You the coming One, or do we look for another?"
Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me."
These verses are exciting to me. I'm focusing on the line, "The poor have the gospel preached to them." This verse tells us that it's just as important to reach the poor as it is to see healings and the dead raised up. Praise God. Go tell John the things which you hear and see. These healings were something that they could see. The preaching to the poor was something they could hear and see. When you preach and pray to the poor and homeless others can hear and see it. We have had people watch and hear us then stand in line to get prayer. Bless them...
Matthew 11:6 - and blessed is he who is not offended or (entice or stumble to sin) because of Me. This was an encouragement to John to keep on preaching the good news. Don't stumble now is a message for all of us to learn.
February 2005
Doesn't it seem that every year the newscasts say to bring in your plants and your pets because of the weather? When they talk about the homeless it's to say there aren't enough shelters or they are full. Are we doing things backward by paying more attention to plants and pets than to people?
In Mark 7:27 (NKJ) Jesus says, "...Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs."
In Luke 16:19 (NKJ) Jesus tells the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus, a beggar, was laid at the gate of the rich man. Lazarus was full of sores that the dogs came to lick. He desired to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table.
On Monday January 24th a man, I'll call him Jim, entered a soup kitchen. Jim limped in with his wife, I'll call her Judy, to warm up and to eat. Jim and Judy live under a bridge. On January 26th or 27th he was scheduled to get his frost bitten toes amputated. All we could do was warm him, feed him, pray with him and send him back out in the cold.
We need to do more. We need a building that can be used to train, counsel and make these people employable.
We need dentists and doctors that are willing to help.
Joel 2:28 says "...Your old men shall dream dreams..."
Big dreams...Bigger God
January 2005:
Isaiah 32: 7-8 says:
7The schemes of the schemer are evil; he devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice 8but a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.
As I chose these verses to add to our website, I thought the schemer was satan. Having looked it up, I found that although satan is a schemer, Isaiah is talking about people that withhold food, supplies, provisions and nourishment.
Like a baker that allows you to smell the bread but never allows you to eat it, a withholder.
The word "devises" in both verses means carefully thought out.
A schemer carefully or painstakingly thinks of ways to destroy the poor and needy even when they speak what is just and right (and most do that).
In 2005 we will stand. We can be generous and we will ask God to strengthen us.
