Phone: (727) 545-8282
Fax: (727) 541-6305

09-01-11

COMING TO AMERICA: FAMINE

Dear brothers and sisters, God bless you. It is that time again for our neighborly monthly chat. May we talk in general about food for a bit? What about food? Well, food is an essential element of life, and the unveiling threat of hunger, and its ultimate consequences embedded within the chaos of starvation and death is very much like an ancient, terribly fearsome, but long dormant volcano inexorably springing up into our lives. The searing consuming heat of hunger’s deadly wrath is already prevalent in most third-world countries throughout the world, and is beginning to ooze forth into our country, becoming each day more and more apparent, more substantively real.

Holding the latter imagery in the background of our minds, please allow me to present to you a couple of related existing circumstances at our Rescue Mission. Our heretofore ample and normal supply of food donated from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has recently experienced a drastic curtailment, and we know not but can only speculate as to why. And our annual monetary grant application submitted to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) which has previously provided thousands of desperately needful dollars to our Rescue Mission, specifically to purchase food for the hungry, was grant denied due to the lack of our timely notification, according to established protocol, of inherent but correctable clerical errors within our application; errors which therefore remained uncorrected, and thus the application was denied. In conjunction with these two extreme setbacks, our staff and volunteers are observing the unwelcome phenomenon of a goodly number of other churches and civilian food pantries calling us, plaintively asking for food because their cupboards are bare.

FAMINE

(Rev 6:5,6)  And when he [the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ] had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see [this vision is intended to be visible to all believers who willingly obey the command to “Come”]. And I beheld, and lo a black horse [a powerful famine]; and he that sat on him [the Antichrist having in his hands the reins of famine control; whosoever controls food controls the world] had a pair of balances [scales, for weighing] in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure [“a quart” Amplified Bible] of wheat for a penny [Gk: a denarius] [a whole day’s wages], and three measures [“three quarts” Amplified Bible] of barley [a much less nutritious grain than wheat; barley was also used as fodder for animals] for a penny [a whole day’s wages]; and see thou hurt not [Gk: take not] the oil and the wine.

Nevertheless, over the years, in anticipation and preparation for the prophesied (Rev 6:5,6) biblical declaration of great famine to come (part and parcel of the Great Tribulation), our staff and volunteers have worked very hard to seek and maintain stable sources of donated foods rather than becoming dependent upon the Federal government. Staff crews in our two trucks traveled 62,000 miles last year in Pinellas County, spending many thousands of dollars on gas and repairs. And they continue to pick-up and deliver food donated by 41 Pinellas County businesses, primarily “fast-food” businesses and a few restaurants and grocery supermarkets. Frankly, we are spiritually compelled to do this (Mat 25:31-40) in a compassionate response to the rapidly increasing number of hungry patrons who “need” ever larger quantities of food necessary to nourish a burgeoning out-of-work homeless population of families of men, women, and little children. In the year 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 39.8 million American people (13.2%) were living in poverty. Those statistics have not gotten better to this present, but only worse. The public “need” it seems, is in fact quite dramatically increasing. Please allow me to give you an actual up-to-date statistical example from our records of what we consider to be “quite dramatically increasing:”

In the full year of 2007, the staff and volunteers of our Rescue Mission freely provided, with your loving help, the hungry residents of Pinellas County with 344,207 pounds (172 tons) of food that was converted into 229,471 meals. We are open 365 days of the year (we never close). Thus if we divide the number of days (365) in the year into the number of meals, we arrive at an average of 628 meals per day that our Rescue Mission was responsible for providing to poor and needy poverty stricken adults and children of Pinellas County in 2007.

In the current half year of 2011, from January through June, the staff and volunteers of our Rescue Mission have already freely provided, with your loving help, the hungry residents of Pinellas County with 472,743 pounds (236 tons) of food that was converted into 315,162 meals. We are open 365 days of the year (we never close). Thus if we divide the number of days (183) in this half year into the number of meals, we arrive at an average of 1,722 meals per day that our Rescue Mission is responsible for providing to poor and needy poverty stricken adults and children of Pinellas County so far in 2011. 

Expanding our meal productivity (meeting the hunger need) from 628 meals per day upward into 1,722 meals per day equals a 274% increase and is an example of “quite dramatically increasing” in a very short period of time, wouldn’t you agree? How many of you would like to receive a similar 274% increase on your investments? You can’t do it in gold, or oil, or stocks, or bonds, or real estate, and after all, who benefits the most from those risky investments, even if they do result in a positive return, but you? However, you can sacrificially invest in the Lord’s work here at this Rescue Mission and lay up for yourselves eternal treasures in heaven. May we note that a sacrificial investment in the Lord’s work is an absolutely guaranteed (no risk) positive return investment, guaranteed by Father God Himself (can’t beat that), and the benefits will not only be distributed eternally to you, but to thousands upon thousands of hungry poor and needy poverty stricken men, women, and little children.

REAL TREASURES

(Mat 6:19-21)  Lay not up for yourselves [material] treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt [Gk: consume; destroy], and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves [spiritual] treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart [the focus of your attention, and your reward] be also.

Speaking of eternal treasures, thanks be to God, and thanks be to our staff and volunteers and speakers and prayer warriors and donors. During the past month of August, the Word of God was preached and broadcast live streaming video 35 times over the international Internet to the people of every country in the world. 36 persons (that we know of) received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior at our Rescue Mission and at The Wagon Wheel Outreach and at Pinellas Safe Harbor. These 36 formerly lost persons have embarked upon a new life, a life of change filled with a new character and a new eternal joy, a life having a new and bright and gloriously shining outcome. 4 persons were publicly water baptized in rough weather waves at Madeira Beach, Florida and 1 person was water baptized at The Pinellas County Jail. Because of your prayers and financial support, you have an eternal part and an eternal reward in all of this. Is this not treasure?? Thank you dear brothers and sisters. God bless you.

Sincerely,

Rev. Lionel

                                                                                J

Imagine a really huge smile here just for you.

He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?

He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:16)