"Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth". -Luke 12:38
Part of my job as the administrator of this global outreach organization named Nazareth House Apostolate is to raise funds. That is what I am required to do. Quite frankly, my job is to beg. I am a beggar. I do not beg for myself or for the organization—I beg for the people of Sierra Leone living in destitution.
It takes money to do the work. It takes money to feed, clothe, shelter, provide medical assistance and to visit the poor. Without the funding - it is impossible to grant them their needs.
Those of you who know me, know begging is not something I like to do. Yet, God has seen fit to place me in this position. (I love His sense of humor) The greater the needs become, the less I am embarrassed to beg. Besides that, the embarrassment is only my pride peeking out. There is no room for pride/ego in this work.
The poverty and hardship of these people is staring us right in the face, no way to hide from it. When we look at the photos that James takes of the people of Sierra Leone, the eyes ...the eyes in those photos are piercing right into our souls, begging for help.
Sure, any one of us would like to be in the position to fund this operation on our own without having to ask for a dime. But that’s not the case and its not the way it should be. We are called to help our brothers and sisters in need. All of us, not just a few.
The Bible tells us “It is more blessed to give than to receive” therefore the beggar allows a blessing upon the giver.
Acts 20:35
The first tax stimulus bonuses will be arriving this week, (for most automatically in your banking account). Understandably some people need it to pay past due bills. Others have not planned how to use it. So, quite boldly I ask you... - Have you considered giving it to Nazareth House? ... Or at least a portion of it? Think about it. Look at the faces of the people, think about their daily lives, think about how their whole day is spent struggling to produce at least one meal a day for their families.
The above photo is of James distributing alms to the needy as they stand waiting with their “begging bowls” extended.
Deuteronomy 15:7—"If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother”
Luke 6:38- “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, crushed down, full and running over, they will give to you. For in the same measure as you give, it will be given to you again”.