Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Odds and Ends

Is it just me or is it cold everywhere? I've been trying to get used to the idea of frostbite, but I guess growing up in California ruined me for life.
The new teaching on Revelation, in fact the second part of the message to Sardis, should be up on the hand of help website sometime next week. Just Philadelphia to go, and then we get to Laodicea, can't wait since I have allot to say on the matter.
I was reading an article on some website the other day, wherein the head of a 'Christian' television channel was bemoaning and lamenting the fact that since the economic downturn in this country his net worth has gone down considerably. Within the article they also gave the man's yearly salary which was a bit shy of two million dollars. Now, I am telling this story with a point in mind.
Hand of help's entire yearly income, was a little less than half of what this one man paid himself, yet we are able to keep an orphanage with close to one hundred children going, feeding them three times a day, providing tutors and nurses, doctors and cooks, and by association are able to put food on the table for sixty or so of the families who have members working as orphanage staff. Besides the orphanage, we are also able to do outreach and benevolence toward the neighboring villages, buying food, firewood, providing clothes, home repairs and whatever else their need might be. All this, on half of what one man made.
The point I'm trying to make, and believe me when I say this is apropos to nothing, is that even though we do not see the physical multiplication of the loaves and fishes as they did in Christ's day, we still experience God's supernatural provision. I am often at a loss as to how we made it another month, and the only explanation that is valid and applicable is that God made a way when there was no earthly way.
I write this for those who are struggling, because I know many of you are, in the hopes that this short testimony will be an encouragement for you. God provides, and supernaturally so. Have faith, be strong, pursue Him, and He will make a way. Now I'm not referring to abundance, excess or opulence, I am referring to having our basic needs met, for that was His promise to us. That He would provide for our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
God has already set apart those who are His, that no plague might touch them. It matters not where you are, for it was not the land of Goshen that was special in the eyes of God, it was the fact that His people resided there that caused Him to spare it. What is of paramount importance today, is that we know we are His, that we are walking in the light of truth, and rooted in the Word of God.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your posting is interesting, as it resonates a conversation we had earlier today, remembering events that had occurred at the Mission.

Monthly I am invited to a governmental program to end homelessness. Government organizations and church programs at this time compete for governmental money's to help end this problem. The Mission does not ask for or receive any of these funds, but only attends the meeting because we’re asked.

One time, they were going around the table and were stating how much money they each needed annually to keep running and how much it had cost them the previous year to function.

When it came my turn, they asked how we could run on $8,000 year overall annually and I said "God, we work by faith"

One time, someone at the meeting from one of the other ministries asked, "Why aren't all these programs working?" I said, "If you leave God out of it, then it can't work."

Anyway, today’s discussion was about the fishes and loaves and what happened 4 years ago. There was a food sale and we gathered all the money we had and went shopping. We knew how many cases of food we had purchased, but in time the people's needs exceeded what we had available.

By the following spring, we would tell people that we didn't have much, but would give what we had. We'd go to get them the food and to our amazement there was always enough when we went and got it for them, then the next family would come in and the same thing would be said and the same results occurred. This happened over and over again.

One day when the weather turned warmer, we went to clean out the food storage and see what if anything we had left, to make out a prayer-shopping list. We also decided to count the empty cases that we had stacked in a corner of the room and to our amazement, we had over 140 cases more than we had purchased.

In the days that lay ahead, I truly believe that we will see more of this kind of blessing from our Lord.

At this time I am reminded of the word of the Lord from 4/7/04
I Will Save The Church-
“As the widow spared not from My servant and gave her all to him, so it was that she and her son hungered not and was saved in their day of trouble. So shall it be for My people in your day of trouble. My people and all theirs shall not lack, if they continue to abide in Me.”

Praise be to God!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your thoughts Michael. You are right on the money again.

Bonny said...

We are having heatwaves here in Australia, and serious bushfires. So true that many of these megachurches and their leaders are living in the lap of luxury. What a far cry from the life of the early church as described in the book of Acts. The way of Balaam......
I am thankful that even though at the moment I am enjoying comfortable times, the Lord has proved His faithfulness and provision time and time again in the past, and I never forget these miracles. He promises to provide our needs - food and clothing, and I know that He does.
Thanks Michael.