Max Coates, an Aussie colleague, wrote: “The humidity here encourages protein growth in the bread flour – we have a choice of whole meal with weevils or plain with weevils. As good Christians we always choose the lesser of the two weevils.”
He was working overseas and light heartedly referred to the bliss of back-home comforts. I know the feeling. There is no place like home! I ask lots of people to come on trips with me, but most decline … choosing what they consider to be the lesser of two weevils.
This week, along with a chap from India, we face one of the weevils by heading off to South Africa and Zambia for a winter month.
BUT, I want you to know that I am convinced there are some individuals (maybe you are occasionally one of them?) that are asking for Father’s Hand of guidance on me. I really don’t like all the travel but I REALLY enjoy the time with the people in these training events. It makes all the research, preparation and effort worthwhile. And then at the end of each excursion when I just want to go home to collapse – it feels great to have invested so much in people. The weevil isn’t so overwhelming!
One person said: “This training has brought transformation to my life. It has given me a revelation of the wholeness of “who I am” and merged it with “what I do”. Knowing this gives me the freedom to “be” what my Father created me to be.
On this trip my training subject is “Bible Basis of Personal Money Management”. Did you know that in the four Gospels, one out of every seven verses deals with money? Prayer is referred to in about 500 verses; ‘faith’ in about 500 verses; but ‘material possessions’ are discussed in about 2,350 verses. I have a lot of Bible translation to do for these folk. Not only is the love of money the root of all kinds of evil, it’s also the root of lots of confusion.
Money has an effective spiritual side. During the First Century AD freewill offerings were the only model for financing ministry. During the Dark Ages church taxes and levies were the way. After the Reformation, pew rent and charity giving became the norm. Then in our Modern Era freewill offerings came back but with separated giving toward mission work. Included in this era was the concept of the Mission Model where missionaries provided for the churches they planted. That has resulted in a huge dependence by many of them on western resources. I’m attempting to translate the Bible perspective. Please pray for us as we tackle that weevil!
Paul, told us to “entrust the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others”. (2 Tim 2:2). That is the essence of what I do. And YOUR role in this? The resources you invest in missions makes you part of the entrusting process around the world … in others … and them to faithful others … and on …! Thank you and may God bless you more!
(original e-newsletter post – July 2012)
