Mark McKeown spoke last night about a vision the Lord gave him just before the Women’s World Day of Prayer in March, on a theme he has been pondering for two years. The question he has been pondering has been ‘Who are the poor and needy?’ and from there he has wanted to know what he can do to help them.
The vision he received involved twelve boxes on the stage of the community hall, full of tinned food, cakes, crisps and biscuits, along with fleece blankets and hot water bottles. When the church got involved with the local Salvation Army church for the Women’s World Day of Prayer and part of this involved providing tinned food for the local community, he realised that this could be part of the vision he had seen.
Since then, he has been involved in talks with our church leadership and with the leaders of the Goldthorpe Salvation Army and the result will be a collection point at church each month where we can bring these items in and which will then be taken to the Salvation Army for distribution among the poor and needy in the local area on the 1st of each month, starting on 1st May.
The box is already in church:
The Salvation Army are involved in a Government scheme to ‘keep warm and well’ in winter. Imagine Mark’s surprise when he saw these fleece blankets and hot water bottles… just like in the vision!
Our response to help those in need is simply a reflection of the Father-heart of God. God is the greatest giver of all. He gave His only Son (John 3:16) and we are urged not to become weary in doing good to all in need (Gal 6:9-10). Similarly, John reminds us that love has to be seen in practical ways if it is to be real (1 John 3:16-18). Let’s mirror God’s heart and reach out to the poor and needy in practical ways, starting now! After all, our generosity is simply a result of God’s generosity to us:
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?
Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
(1 Chronicles 29:14)