What would you do?
Here are two homeless men who have just eaten dinner at Jesus House at our homeless feed. These men come every day for something to eat. Many times the one meal is their only meal of the day.
Today they went outside the gate and sat down talking. One decided to lay down and put his backpack for a pillow and went to sleep. In his fist he is grasping my last Sunday lesson "The Love of Sin". I am not sure what held his attention with what he read, but he fell asleep in a ditch along side this fence. Just a few feet from him, his friend laid down in the ditch and went to sleep. These men are alcoholics. Their lives are a wreck. And winter is coming. They have no place to lay down when the north winter winds come howling down from Canada.
Last year, we at Jesus House showed our charity to these addicted and lost souls. Pastor Reckart opened the Tampa Angels dining room and to let several homeless men come in out of the cold. He sent out a request of financial help and many of you responded. With your help we were able to feed them a hot supper with hot coffee and hot chocolate. We provided them with sleeping bags. And they slept on the floor. The next morning at 6am Pastor Reckart was there to fix them a nice breakfast. And allowed them to stay as long as they wanted. Some of you provided the $500 for the hot water heater and the shower for them. This year we want to add a shower for the women. This past year we added a washer and a dryer so the homeless could wash their clothes.
What would you do? I see this as the same thing as the beggar at the gate. The rich man would do nothing, not even give the crumbs so the beggar could eat. I observe these men and women living behind empty buildings. Some sleeping in trash dumpsters. Some sleep wrapped up in several blankets on a bus bench with their backs facing away from the direction of the wind.
Last year we could not take in any women because we did not have a separate bathroom or a room separate from the men. This year, Pastor Reckart plans to open up another part of the Tampa Angels building where we have things stored. Church members will move things around and we will try to make places for homeless women to come in out of the freezing cold. Pastor Reckart wants to make some beds out of 2 x 4s and plywood. Then find some mattresses and blankets.
Just to let you know, on Thanksgiving day at our Award Service, Pastor Reckart will be baptizing two homeless men and two homeless women. All of them now have a place to stay except for one homeless woman. Would it be right to baptize these and then tell them to go back and live in vacant building? Or go back and sleep in a garbage dumpster? Or should we try to find a way to help those who have turned to God?
What would you do? Doing nothing is not an option.
Pastor Reckart takes a lot of hits every day from enemies of all kinds. Although he is strong. He is bold. He is unmovable and unshaken in faith. He is still a man of great charity and love for the lost. An although he stands strong on doctrine and the Word of God, he loves lost souls and reaches out to them every day.
Some of you have your own programs to support. Many of you do your best to show love for the outcast, the downcast, and the souls in the gutter. Maybe you are doing all you can do. I read something yesterday that shook me:
"We hate selfishness in others but all of us are guilty of it when we see someone in need and we shut up our bowels of compassion against them. We turn so many over to the grace of God and give them no grace from our own hearts."
Jesus said: "the poor you will have with you always."
Pastor Reckart is going to do something. You can count on that.
And some of you are going to do something.
Where ever you are go out and find some homeless man or woman and give them a brown bag lunch with a sandwich, some snack food, some fruit, and a drink. Just try it and see how much better you will feel.
Bishop Reckart
A Man God Loves
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PS, if you have an extra million dollars give it.
Feet to faith. You are doing great work in Tampa with the homeless. May not 100% agree with you doctrinally, but your work is indeed an Apostolic work. Please keep up the good work making the doctrine come alive through good works.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a doer of the word bishop.Many apostolic churches brag on having the truth.but have no missions work at all,they have no over seas missions,No out reach in there communities.The bible says the truth set us free.If we beleive this why arn;t Apostolic churches reaching out?There are many saints who have this same visionof what youre doing Bishop.but there pastor or church will not share this vision.And therework is very little or it just never gets off the ground because there alone in there vision and work.I was like these men,i was bound up on Crack cokcain used heroin aanything else i could get my hands on.I was a drunk a lier and a theif.mItwas some one like you who reached out to me.My change was not over night but there was a seed planted and that seed started growing .I WISH WE HAD MORE APOSTOLICS DOING WHAT YOURE DOING BISHOP..i have always had a vision of residential holmes that would house these men and take them out of the evrioment there in and they can be taught the word and a work ethic andbe productive men and women,iam living proof that these men chan change and jesus can change lives.iam living proof that Bishop Reckarts work is not in vain.!Thanks you jesus !Brother S.Sparks
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