Prayer- Community, Nation and World
It’s been said- There are three ways to get something done:
1. Do it yourself. 2. Hire someone to do it for you. 3. Forbid your kids to do it.
But there is another way- the way of prayer- people given the presence of God in their life and a calling by Jesus Christ to go to the ends of the world loving people- the Spirit of God in us gets Jesus’ mission done
Let’s Pray
Month of Prayer- Self, Family, Church-Prayer community nation world-
foundational belief- love is life as it is meant to be lived
working definition- getting honest with God and letting God get honest with you
houses of prayer for all nations- God’s idea of prayer for the Church is big- every- one, thing, body
Prayer is a way of life- of breathing
It is not just for an individual- it is for US- the Lord’s prayer is all plural. We are to pray and love our enemies, we are to pray and love our community, nation, world
Act Local- Think/Pray Global- Glocal- all people are God’s children- no matter whey they live, what they do, they are a child of God
We are little “christs” Luther says- Christians are little Christs
Luke 6:20-36, Looking at his disciples, he said:
[BLESSINGS]"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. [The first verses tell us that God is just and is looking out for those who suffer]
[WOES]24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. [watch out Jabez- Jabez prayed for an increase in territory and a pain free life. His prayer was answered, but was He asking for what God desires? God gave Israel a King- though it was not His will. Sometimes prayer is answered to teach us a bigger lesson- but we celebrate the answer and miss the lesson. Most Americans are far away the richest people in the world- our territory has increased, our life expectancy has skyrocketed, our infant mortality has plumeted- middle class Americans and above are wealthy by the world’s standard.]
[STARTING AGAIN WITH VERSE 27] 27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic [this would mean you were naked- both your outer garment and under garment would be gone]. 30 Give to everyone who asks you,(It doesn’t say we give them what they ask- we don’t give an addict drugs- we give blessing, prayer and hope. We give food to the starving, drink to the thirsty. We are saved to serve, saved to be givers, saved to pray for even our enemies) and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
God is saying I have a different set of rules, a different economy- how do we stay in check with God’s values?
Prayer. For me to “be merciful, just as [my] Father is merciful” is impossible for me to do on my own. It is impossible for us to do it as a church on our own. We need God to do it for us- We need the Spirit of God to do this work- we need the love of Jesus to come into us and flow out of us?
So how do we really do that?
Prayer. You have trouble forgivng? Loving enemies? Pray to Jesus- look to the cross- Listen to God’s Spirit
Lets look at some local, national and global Statistics:
Community Demographics:- census- info. Factfinder.census.gov- 99161 zip code
27.2% of our 2000 population was age 19 and under- are we praying for these folks- are we committing time and resources to serve them and reach them? Are we doing our best for them? 4-14 window- I estimate that on any given Sunday there are about 150-200 people in our zip code who go to church- lets say 25% of those are children, but they aren’t because churchgoers tend to be older, so at minimum 220 of folks 19 and under, probably much more, from our zip code- are not regularly in worship. Church attendance does not save you- I am just asking the question, why? Is it all their fault? Or are we partly to blame? Doesn’t God want them to become disciples? Maybe God hasn’t sent them our way because we aren’t ready.
I’ll move on before I get in too much trouble.
Palouse 17.4 % of families below poverty level as of 2000, 17.5 % of people over the age 65 live below poverty
Nation: poverty: The official poverty rate in 2004 was 12.7 percent, up from 12.5 percent 2003. In 2004, 37.0 million people were in poverty, up 1.1 million from 2003.
The poverty rate in 2004 (12.7 percent) was 9.7 percentage points lower than in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available (Figure 3). From the most recent trough in 2000 both the number and rate have risen for four consecutive years, from 31.6 million and 11.3 percent in 2000, to 37.0 million and 12.7 percent in 2004 respectively. We are getting poorer
For children under 18 years old, both the 2004 poverty rate (17.8 percent) and the number in poverty (13.0 million) remained unchanged from 2003. The poverty rate for children under 18 remained higher than that of 18-to-64-year olds (11.3 percent) and that of people aged 65 and over (9.8 percent). Our Palouse poverty rate for seniors is almost double the national average.
As a group we are the richest nation in the world- but its not equally spread out.
We are the 6th largest mission field in the world- the largest english speaking one.
Now lets look at the whole of God’s World:- hunger:
In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food. 1
Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness. 1
Countries in which a large portion of the population battles hunger daily are usually poor and often lack the social safety nets we enjoy, such as soup kitchens, food stamps, and job training programs. When a family that lives in a poor country cannot grow enough food or earn enough money to buy food, there is nowhere to turn for help. 1
Facts and Figures on Population
Today our world houses 6.47 billion people. 2
The United States is a part of the developed or industrialized world, which consists of about 57 countries with a combined population of only 0.9 billion, less than one sixth of the world’s population. 4
In contrast, approximately 5 billion people live in the developing world. This world is made up of about 125 low and middle-income countries in which people generally have a lower standard of living with access to fewer goods and services than people in high-income countries. 4
The remaining 0.4 billion live in countries in transition, which include the Baltic states, eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. 4
Facts and Figures on Hunger and Poverty
In the developing world, more than 1.2 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day. 9 Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.
Among this group of poor people, many have problems obtaining adequate, nutritious food for themselves and their families. As a result, 815 million people in the developing world are undernourished. They consume less than the minimum amount of calories essential for sound health and growth. 3
Every year, nearly 11 million children die before they reach their fifth birthday. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries, 3/4 of them in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two regions that also suffer from the highest rates of hunger and malnutrition. 3
Undernourishment negatively affects people’s health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation. 1
Economically, the constant securing of food consumes valuable time and energy of poor people, allowing less time for work and earning income. 1
1Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn't happen. Most places in the world families have to pay for education because the state does not have or does not allocate resources to educate children.
Facts and Figures on HIV/AIDS
The spreading HIV/AIDS epidemic has quickly become a major obstacle in the fight against hunger and poverty in developing countries. 3
Because the majority of those falling sick with AIDS are young adults who normally harvest crops, food production has dropped dramatically in countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. 3
In half of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, per capita economic growth is estimated to be falling by between 0.5 and 1.2 percent each year as a direct result of AIDS. 3
Infected adults also leave behind children and elderly relatives, who have little means to provide for themselves. In 2003, 12 million children were newly orphaned in southern Africa, a number expected to rise to 18 million in 2010. 3
Since the epidemic began, 25 million people have died from AIDS, which has caused more than 15 million children to lose at least one parent. For its analysis, UNICEF uses a term that illustrates the gravity of the situation; child-headed households, or minors orphaned by HIV/AIDS who are raising their siblings. 10,
Approximately 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Of this figure, 60 percent live in Sub-Saharan Africa. 3
Each year, another 5 million people become infected with HIV and more than 3 million people die of AIDS
ABC’s top 3 priorities- Slavery, AIDs, Islam
And billions don’t know of the salvation in Jesus Christ.
God can handle Big prayers
Luke 12:47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
ILLUSTRATION: Spiritual HealthTom Barnard writes: For nearly a hundred years a beech tree stood in the center of a college campus in Massachusetts. It was a sapling when Henry Ford marketed his first "motorcar" to the American public -- the Model T. When the Wright Brothers experimented successfully with their motorized bicycle with wings, the tree was barely tall enough to be seen among other trees growing on that campus green. For most of the twentieth century it grew and grew, until the tips of its upper branches were seven stories high! At ground level its trunk was massive, more than six feet across. Generations of college students carved their initials into the trunk of that tree. Lovers gathered there on moonlit evenings. Marriage proposals were given and received under its wide branches. For years it defined the Campus Mall. Concrete walkways were created to surround it. From all appearances it looked like it would last forever. Hurricanes blew by it; snowfalls caused its lower branches to dip to the ground. But still it stood -- tall, serene, almost eternal.
Then one day a few years ago professional tree surgeons were called to examine the tree. Although it looked healthy, it was dying. A large cavity was discovered in one of the main trunks. Lightning may have caused a split to occur -- fifty or so years earlier. Moisture, bugs, birds, and even raccoons found their way into the cavity. The infrastructure of the tree had disintegrated to the point that the tree was a safety hazard and had to be removed.
When the tree surgeons cut into one of the huge trunks, they discovered that the tree was being held together at points by only an inch or so of growing wood around the circumference of the trunk, and the rest of the interior of the trunk was just a vacant cavity. Had the damage been discovered and treated a generation earlier, the tree might have been saved.
Nations like ours are like the giant trees -- strong and tall, for all to see and admire. They can stand against nearly any foe. Wars cannot destroy them, and terrorists cannot bring them down. But they can experience decay from within and suffer the same fate as the old beech tree. Families can deteriorate in the same way. Even churches can die from within. (Tuesday Mornings, May 16,2006)
We must seek God earnestly in prayer- that our nation may be healed- that we may be a blessing to the world for generations to come.
Give to OGHS- but its not enough just to give money or a token prayer. That is only part of what Jesus called us to do. He called us to love. I encourage you to look at some of the ways you can serve locally or give nationally or internationally. We have been given much- and God is expecting and excited and waiting to do much through us.
There are lots of excuses not to do anything- “they deserve it” “they don’t work hard enough” “their governments are corrupt, its no use trying”- huh- I am always interested if people say these excuses to me because they don’t want to say them in prayer to God. I wonder if we were born to a mother with AIDs in sub-saharan Africa- if we would have the same attitude: I deserve this, I am 7 I should work harder- its my fault my government doesn’t feed me.
Let the little children come to me- Jesus says- and all those who had excuses for not coming to his banquet- he said- go to hell- if you you have better things to do than love me and my children- you won’t enjoy heavenly banquet anyway- so you might as well go the other way.
The good news is that Christians are out there and in here- making a difference- there are so many good things happening in the world- but did you know it would cost 70-80 billion to provide basic health care and education to every person on earth- sounds impossible- but here is another fact- only 2.6 % of American Christians give 10% of their money away- if every American Christian gave 10% of their money away- we would have 143 billion dollar surplus- that is my prayer for my generation= that by the time we die- we are close to reaching that goal- which is only our minimum responsibility anyway.
May we be a people of blessing and not of woe. May we pray and hear God’s heartbeat- God’s love for the world and may we use our lives to serve Him in whatever he asks. May we be a people of God’s Grace- God’s generous grace.
1. Do it yourself. 2. Hire someone to do it for you. 3. Forbid your kids to do it.
But there is another way- the way of prayer- people given the presence of God in their life and a calling by Jesus Christ to go to the ends of the world loving people- the Spirit of God in us gets Jesus’ mission done
Let’s Pray
Month of Prayer- Self, Family, Church-Prayer community nation world-
foundational belief- love is life as it is meant to be lived
working definition- getting honest with God and letting God get honest with you
houses of prayer for all nations- God’s idea of prayer for the Church is big- every- one, thing, body
Prayer is a way of life- of breathing
It is not just for an individual- it is for US- the Lord’s prayer is all plural. We are to pray and love our enemies, we are to pray and love our community, nation, world
Act Local- Think/Pray Global- Glocal- all people are God’s children- no matter whey they live, what they do, they are a child of God
We are little “christs” Luther says- Christians are little Christs
Luke 6:20-36, Looking at his disciples, he said:
[BLESSINGS]"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. [The first verses tell us that God is just and is looking out for those who suffer]
[WOES]24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. [watch out Jabez- Jabez prayed for an increase in territory and a pain free life. His prayer was answered, but was He asking for what God desires? God gave Israel a King- though it was not His will. Sometimes prayer is answered to teach us a bigger lesson- but we celebrate the answer and miss the lesson. Most Americans are far away the richest people in the world- our territory has increased, our life expectancy has skyrocketed, our infant mortality has plumeted- middle class Americans and above are wealthy by the world’s standard.]
[STARTING AGAIN WITH VERSE 27] 27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic [this would mean you were naked- both your outer garment and under garment would be gone]. 30 Give to everyone who asks you,(It doesn’t say we give them what they ask- we don’t give an addict drugs- we give blessing, prayer and hope. We give food to the starving, drink to the thirsty. We are saved to serve, saved to be givers, saved to pray for even our enemies) and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
God is saying I have a different set of rules, a different economy- how do we stay in check with God’s values?
Prayer. For me to “be merciful, just as [my] Father is merciful” is impossible for me to do on my own. It is impossible for us to do it as a church on our own. We need God to do it for us- We need the Spirit of God to do this work- we need the love of Jesus to come into us and flow out of us?
So how do we really do that?
Prayer. You have trouble forgivng? Loving enemies? Pray to Jesus- look to the cross- Listen to God’s Spirit
Lets look at some local, national and global Statistics:
Community Demographics:- census- info. Factfinder.census.gov- 99161 zip code
27.2% of our 2000 population was age 19 and under- are we praying for these folks- are we committing time and resources to serve them and reach them? Are we doing our best for them? 4-14 window- I estimate that on any given Sunday there are about 150-200 people in our zip code who go to church- lets say 25% of those are children, but they aren’t because churchgoers tend to be older, so at minimum 220 of folks 19 and under, probably much more, from our zip code- are not regularly in worship. Church attendance does not save you- I am just asking the question, why? Is it all their fault? Or are we partly to blame? Doesn’t God want them to become disciples? Maybe God hasn’t sent them our way because we aren’t ready.
I’ll move on before I get in too much trouble.
Palouse 17.4 % of families below poverty level as of 2000, 17.5 % of people over the age 65 live below poverty
Nation: poverty: The official poverty rate in 2004 was 12.7 percent, up from 12.5 percent 2003. In 2004, 37.0 million people were in poverty, up 1.1 million from 2003.
The poverty rate in 2004 (12.7 percent) was 9.7 percentage points lower than in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available (Figure 3). From the most recent trough in 2000 both the number and rate have risen for four consecutive years, from 31.6 million and 11.3 percent in 2000, to 37.0 million and 12.7 percent in 2004 respectively. We are getting poorer
For children under 18 years old, both the 2004 poverty rate (17.8 percent) and the number in poverty (13.0 million) remained unchanged from 2003. The poverty rate for children under 18 remained higher than that of 18-to-64-year olds (11.3 percent) and that of people aged 65 and over (9.8 percent). Our Palouse poverty rate for seniors is almost double the national average.
As a group we are the richest nation in the world- but its not equally spread out.
We are the 6th largest mission field in the world- the largest english speaking one.
Now lets look at the whole of God’s World:- hunger:
In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food. 1
Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness. 1
Countries in which a large portion of the population battles hunger daily are usually poor and often lack the social safety nets we enjoy, such as soup kitchens, food stamps, and job training programs. When a family that lives in a poor country cannot grow enough food or earn enough money to buy food, there is nowhere to turn for help. 1
Facts and Figures on Population
Today our world houses 6.47 billion people. 2
The United States is a part of the developed or industrialized world, which consists of about 57 countries with a combined population of only 0.9 billion, less than one sixth of the world’s population. 4
In contrast, approximately 5 billion people live in the developing world. This world is made up of about 125 low and middle-income countries in which people generally have a lower standard of living with access to fewer goods and services than people in high-income countries. 4
The remaining 0.4 billion live in countries in transition, which include the Baltic states, eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. 4
Facts and Figures on Hunger and Poverty
In the developing world, more than 1.2 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day. 9 Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.
Among this group of poor people, many have problems obtaining adequate, nutritious food for themselves and their families. As a result, 815 million people in the developing world are undernourished. They consume less than the minimum amount of calories essential for sound health and growth. 3
Every year, nearly 11 million children die before they reach their fifth birthday. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries, 3/4 of them in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two regions that also suffer from the highest rates of hunger and malnutrition. 3
Undernourishment negatively affects people’s health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation. 1
Economically, the constant securing of food consumes valuable time and energy of poor people, allowing less time for work and earning income. 1
1Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn't happen. Most places in the world families have to pay for education because the state does not have or does not allocate resources to educate children.
Facts and Figures on HIV/AIDS
The spreading HIV/AIDS epidemic has quickly become a major obstacle in the fight against hunger and poverty in developing countries. 3
Because the majority of those falling sick with AIDS are young adults who normally harvest crops, food production has dropped dramatically in countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. 3
In half of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, per capita economic growth is estimated to be falling by between 0.5 and 1.2 percent each year as a direct result of AIDS. 3
Infected adults also leave behind children and elderly relatives, who have little means to provide for themselves. In 2003, 12 million children were newly orphaned in southern Africa, a number expected to rise to 18 million in 2010. 3
Since the epidemic began, 25 million people have died from AIDS, which has caused more than 15 million children to lose at least one parent. For its analysis, UNICEF uses a term that illustrates the gravity of the situation; child-headed households, or minors orphaned by HIV/AIDS who are raising their siblings. 10,
Approximately 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Of this figure, 60 percent live in Sub-Saharan Africa. 3
Each year, another 5 million people become infected with HIV and more than 3 million people die of AIDS
ABC’s top 3 priorities- Slavery, AIDs, Islam
And billions don’t know of the salvation in Jesus Christ.
God can handle Big prayers
Luke 12:47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
ILLUSTRATION: Spiritual HealthTom Barnard writes: For nearly a hundred years a beech tree stood in the center of a college campus in Massachusetts. It was a sapling when Henry Ford marketed his first "motorcar" to the American public -- the Model T. When the Wright Brothers experimented successfully with their motorized bicycle with wings, the tree was barely tall enough to be seen among other trees growing on that campus green. For most of the twentieth century it grew and grew, until the tips of its upper branches were seven stories high! At ground level its trunk was massive, more than six feet across. Generations of college students carved their initials into the trunk of that tree. Lovers gathered there on moonlit evenings. Marriage proposals were given and received under its wide branches. For years it defined the Campus Mall. Concrete walkways were created to surround it. From all appearances it looked like it would last forever. Hurricanes blew by it; snowfalls caused its lower branches to dip to the ground. But still it stood -- tall, serene, almost eternal.
Then one day a few years ago professional tree surgeons were called to examine the tree. Although it looked healthy, it was dying. A large cavity was discovered in one of the main trunks. Lightning may have caused a split to occur -- fifty or so years earlier. Moisture, bugs, birds, and even raccoons found their way into the cavity. The infrastructure of the tree had disintegrated to the point that the tree was a safety hazard and had to be removed.
When the tree surgeons cut into one of the huge trunks, they discovered that the tree was being held together at points by only an inch or so of growing wood around the circumference of the trunk, and the rest of the interior of the trunk was just a vacant cavity. Had the damage been discovered and treated a generation earlier, the tree might have been saved.
Nations like ours are like the giant trees -- strong and tall, for all to see and admire. They can stand against nearly any foe. Wars cannot destroy them, and terrorists cannot bring them down. But they can experience decay from within and suffer the same fate as the old beech tree. Families can deteriorate in the same way. Even churches can die from within. (Tuesday Mornings, May 16,2006)
We must seek God earnestly in prayer- that our nation may be healed- that we may be a blessing to the world for generations to come.
Give to OGHS- but its not enough just to give money or a token prayer. That is only part of what Jesus called us to do. He called us to love. I encourage you to look at some of the ways you can serve locally or give nationally or internationally. We have been given much- and God is expecting and excited and waiting to do much through us.
There are lots of excuses not to do anything- “they deserve it” “they don’t work hard enough” “their governments are corrupt, its no use trying”- huh- I am always interested if people say these excuses to me because they don’t want to say them in prayer to God. I wonder if we were born to a mother with AIDs in sub-saharan Africa- if we would have the same attitude: I deserve this, I am 7 I should work harder- its my fault my government doesn’t feed me.
Let the little children come to me- Jesus says- and all those who had excuses for not coming to his banquet- he said- go to hell- if you you have better things to do than love me and my children- you won’t enjoy heavenly banquet anyway- so you might as well go the other way.
The good news is that Christians are out there and in here- making a difference- there are so many good things happening in the world- but did you know it would cost 70-80 billion to provide basic health care and education to every person on earth- sounds impossible- but here is another fact- only 2.6 % of American Christians give 10% of their money away- if every American Christian gave 10% of their money away- we would have 143 billion dollar surplus- that is my prayer for my generation= that by the time we die- we are close to reaching that goal- which is only our minimum responsibility anyway.
May we be a people of blessing and not of woe. May we pray and hear God’s heartbeat- God’s love for the world and may we use our lives to serve Him in whatever he asks. May we be a people of God’s Grace- God’s generous grace.
posted by Palouse Fed. Church at 8:40 AM
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