What I do for the LORD

[FaithMarie]

I am new here to this forum.  My screen-name is FaithMarie.  I live in Maine.  I attend the United Pentecostal Church in  Fort Fairfield, ME, Pastor Rick Vincent.  I do the church bulletins each week, and also run the church library.  I have felt lately like I "need" to do more for the LORD.  I am looking into helping clean the church and things like that.  Maybe helping before and after our church dinners.

[nChrist]

I am new here to this forum.  My screen-name is FaithMarie.  I live in Maine.  I attend the United Pentecostal Church in  Fort Fairfield, ME, Pastor Rick Vincent.  I do the church bulletins each week, and also run the church library.  I have felt lately like I "need" to do more for the LORD.  I am looking into helping clean the church and things like that.  Maybe helping before and after our church dinners.

Oklahoma Howdy to FaithMarie,

I'm sorry it took so long for me to find your post. There are all kinds of work to do in the Lord's Name, and it is all important. We all need to do more and yield whenever God gives us an idea of service to HIM. We should simply give thanks for HIS leading us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Willowbirch]

I heard a radio broadcast this morning on this general subject...I can't tell you who the speaker was, but he gave a sermon on ministering.

He once watched a missionary program that showed a long line of impoverished children of Africa, each with an empty bowl. They were passing by a pot of cereal that had been provided by missionaries. As each one came, he received a bowl of nutritious food, something to fill stomachs that had been empty for days. There was a look of such relief and hope on each child's face when they got their cereal.

But while there was still a line of children, the food ran out, and the next little boy was left holding his empty bowl, and his face was desolate.

In America, we have so much food and money that we throw it away, while this line of children is left holding empty bowls.

The pastor was overcome; he wept, and knew that something was not right. He wanted to help. But how can one person help millions of people, who starve both for food and the gospel?

And then he had a thought, which he said must have come from Holy Spirit: I cannot help all these people. That is beyond my strength. But I can help the Next Child In Line. The next little boy, with his eyes pleading, holding out his bowl.

All around us, there is The Next Child. They may not be in impoverished countries; they may be in this land of plenty. But always there is a need, and while we can't help everyone, surely we can help a Next Child. It may be as simple as providing a bowl of food, or some equal expression of care. We can be Christ to them, even if we don't have much ourselves, even if we can only do a little.
Keep in touch with someone. Remind them that they are loved. Welcome a new family to the neighborhood. Smile at a stranger. If you can help financially, by all means, do so; to whom much is given, much will be expected. If you can't, help some other way. Give glory to God in all you do, and people will see Christ in you.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Willowbirch,

Amen Sister!

I know for a fact there are hungry children right here in America on our own streets. Some of the reasons for their hunger really makes me angry and sad. Some of the parents have addictions to dope and alcohol that are more important than feeding the children. For these and other reasons, the parents many times make no effort to use our food banks, get the clothes we have waiting for them, and take advantage of the many other services we have waiting for their children and themselves. They don't want the drug and alcohol counseling we have provided, and they don't care about the medical attention we have provided. Drugs and alcohol are two of the most evil substances known to man.

Now, here comes the worst of it. Hopefully, sooner or later the help will come to them. They fight it and delay the children being taken away. Can you guess why? The children represent most of the money they must have for the alcohol and drugs. The system is slow and awkward. The children may be taken away temporarily, and the parents are ordered into drug and alcohol treatment programs. They get the children back, and the vicious cycle starts again. The most horrible outcome is the children living most of their young lives in these conditions and growing up to do the same things.

We must pray for them and try to make the system work faster in whatever way we can. Filing reports and making demands of the system is the only way I know of making it work to any degree of efficiency. Now, here's the last piece of bad news. When the neighbors become determined to make the system work, the family moves and the process begins again. Drugs and alcohol are favorite tools of the devil that he uses with great success and destruction.

We must sincerely pray that Almighty God help us in fighting the devil and trying to help the innocent children.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[sincereheart]

I heard a radio broadcast this morning on this general subject...I can't tell you who the speaker was, but he gave a sermon on ministering.

He once watched a missionary program that showed a long line of impoverished children of Africa, each with an empty bowl. They were passing by a pot of cereal that had been provided by missionaries. As each one came, he received a bowl of nutritious food, something to fill stomachs that had been empty for days. There was a look of such relief and hope on each child's face when they got their cereal.

But while there was still a line of children, the food ran out, and the next little boy was left holding his empty bowl, and his face was desolate.

In America, we have so much food and money that we throw it away, while this line of children is left holding empty bowls.

The pastor was overcome; he wept, and knew that something was not right. He wanted to help. But how can one person help millions of people, who starve both for food and the gospel?

And then he had a thought, which he said must have come from Holy Spirit: I cannot help all these people. That is beyond my strength. But I can help the Next Child In Line. The next little boy, with his eyes pleading, holding out his bowl.

All around us, there is The Next Child. They may not be in impoverished countries; they may be in this land of plenty. But always there is a need, and while we can't help everyone, surely we can help a Next Child. It may be as simple as providing a bowl of food, or some equal expression of care. We can be Christ to them, even if we don't have much ourselves, even if we can only do a little.
Keep in touch with someone. Remind them that they are loved. Welcome a new family to the neighborhood. Smile at a stranger. If you can help financially, by all means, do so; to whom much is given, much will be expected. If you can't, help some other way. Give glory to God in all you do, and people will see Christ in you.

Amen!
That's the kind of thing that frustrates me with organized religion in a lot of churches.... They want to send out a check to buy shoes for Russian kids (or whatever) and there is so much need LOCALLY! Now I am NOT saying that helping overseas is bad. Not at all. But I personally think we should be seeing the mission field where we live, too!