HIS LAST COMMAND...OUR FIRST CONCERN
The last few days have been very busy. Our church will be involved in a Marriage Enrichment seminar Saturday and then we prepare for our 14th Faith Promise Missions Conference. God blessed this past year by providing the largest amount the church has ever given to missions, at least from what I can determine. I know many times a pastor will say things like that meaning since he has been the pastor. If our church has given more in the past before I became the pastor, I apologize for any overstatement of the facts. The $75,000 for missions had to be from God, our congregation is not that large.

With the economy in the shape that it is in, the challenge will be greater this year. Faith Promise giving is not based on outward circumstances and situations. The more difficult the times, the challenge becomes greater for people to truly rely on God, but that is what Faith Promise is all about. I fully believe that God has never asked His people to do anything that He has not promised to supply what they need to accomplish the task. In Philippians 4:19, Paul states that God supplies all our needs “according to” His riches, not out of His riches. There is a difference. In providing “according to His riches,” God has no problem abundantly supplying “all” that we need to accomplish His work. Since the context of this passage is Paul thanking the Philippian church for once again helping him financially, the verse gives assurance that God’s work done God’s way will not lack God’s supply.

Some practice Faith Promise giving, others speak against it, but say what you will about the Faith Promise method of Mission giving, it has taken our church from giving $8,000 a year to missions to $75,000 and all the while our general offerings have been adequate to meet our local needs. For almost 20 years, our church has operated debt free, with the exception of a couple of years when we financed the purchase of a van. I praise God for His provision.