One of our teams was finally able to reach a particular neighborhood in Pasig City last night which we have not been able to get to because of the water levels and also because the streets there are very narrow with deep open sewer drainage. For those of you familiar with Manila, it is a stones throw from the Pasig River. Our family knows the neighborhood well because we have close to 100 relatives who live there, mostly on the same street. Many of these relatives attend our TFI Pasig Church which is currently being cleaned up. All of the chairs are covered in oil, mud and well, poop. But most everything in the building is salvageable.
When the vehicles got near, they could not make it all the way through... not because of water, but because of hills and hills of garbage. We had to switch to using motorcycles with small side-cars which could make it through with all the goods. When the places which the water lingers get cleared out, that is where we find the waters deposited the most debris. The smell is enough to knock you off of your feet and it is wise to wear a mask mostly to keep the flies off of your lips.
Almost every child is sick, but that isn't keeping the kids and the teenagers from going through the trash looking for whatever useful they can find. We were the first to go there. No agency or government worker has been there yet. It has been a long time for them, wondering if anyone cares, not knowing even what has happened because they don't have access to news.
Thank you people of God, for sending the funds so that we could go there and to the dozens of other locations we are supplying.
We continue to reach into the neighborhoods where our Church members are, giving them the supplies which they distribute to their neighbors all in the name of Jesus Christ. God is doing amazing things!
The rains did not come as predicted yesterday. We believe that prayer is holding them back! It did just start to shower minutes ago, but it is nothing compared to what came down which caused these floods. Let us continue to enforce God's victory in prayer!
It is hard to believe that there are 3 tragedies going on in the world right now at the same time, 2 in countries Joy and I have lived and minister and 1 in a country we have spent much time. We cannot get hold of our friends in Samoa but we are praying for them! We know that many Churches are mobilized to assist the earthquake victims in Indonesia and we are also praying for them! Oddly enough, our former home Church in Washington State got flooded this past week and experienced tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage and even made the news! http://www.seattlepi.com/local/410654_flood30.html We're praying for Cedar Park Church as well!
On a personal note, would you pray for me as I prepare to deliver a message of healing and hope this week-end? And not only me but every Pastor of every Church who will stand in front of seas of faces asking the question, "why do bad things happen to good people?" Or the reverse, "why do good things happen to bad people?" I will stand at the front of a Cinema which was not flooded. Others of my colleagues will stand at the front of buildings which are damaged and in need of serious repairs.
May Jesus bless you greatly as you continue to stand in the gap for others!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A Funeral Procession
From just a few minutes ago and near our housing subdivision in Pasig City, Steve followed a small funeral procession through streets that just a couple of days ago were waist deep but are now ankle deep. Normally, people like these who are following the funeral car would be dressed up. Either these folks have lost most of their clothes or they are simply dressed in shorts in preparation for more possible flooding as the next storm hits in the next few hours or they may be taking a route where they will wade even deeper. Passing me on the other side of the street at around the same time was a Unicef and Military convoy heading into the area this funeral procession just left.I bought more supplies to send in to harder hit areas of Pasig because we received some more funds, but about half of what I was going for was sold out. No candles, no flash lights or batteries, no sardines... etc. But I was able to get some medicine and other non-perishable canned meats and vegetables.
The people of our Churches, Tabernacle of Faith International are on missions all over the city as you are reading. Mostly during the day but even at night because believe it or not, traffic is an issue getting to some areas and they are more accessable at night. We are praying with hurting people, nursing wounds and providing food and medicine. Thank you so much for your prayers and help!
You Can Send Boxes to Manila
Hi Everyone! Many stores are running out of supplies. Especially medicine. We need any kind of antibiotic cream or ointment we can get. We need Lysol. We need cleaning products of any and all kinds... especially anitibacterial ones. We can use canned foods, and any kind of instant nutritional food. Then wrap it all in blankets or childrens clothing which we can also distribute.
In most major cities in America, you can find a service that sends boxes to the Philippines either by air or by sea, but by air would be the best right now because the clock is ticking. We have many cases of sick people that we are having a hard time keeping up with right now. The key words to look for on the internet or in your phone book are "door-to-door." What this means is that the shipper picks up from your door and sends to our door and they take care of all the formalities. If you only send as far as the airport here, then it will take someone basically a whole day and dealing with possible corruption (bribes) to try and get the package out.
If you want to help us in that way, please send to the following address:
Tabernacle of Faith International
Attention: Leah Llarena
Directions: Leave with Security Guards 24 Hours
151 J. Ruiz St.
San Juan, Metro Manila
1500 Philippines
+6327237761 office
+639209203305 cellular
A local shipper is best, but if you cannot find one, you can go to this web-site which is an option that I know for a fact is tried, tested and good: http://www.manilaforwarder.com/
It is important when you send a box that you inform us of it with the numbers and particulars for the sake of verification and accountability. This is also true with donations.
Funds. We could use about $50,000 in order to effectively finish this particular race with our size of volunteer force and at our three Metro Manila Church locations. But don't let this size hinder you because even a $50 donation accomplishes much. This is not a 3 day mission, but about a 3 month mission. It is going to take this amount of time in order to see this through. It is likely that the larger death toll from this crisis will come from people who get sick and don't get a chance to recover because they don't have access to simple Over the Counter medication. Those numbers will not be reported by the media.
Our families new mission right now is that we are desperately trying to reach a neighborhood near our house where we have just learned that kids and babies are rapidly becoming sick and the Red Cross and Government agencies have not yet "gotten to." The water is still waist and neck deep there and so we are either going to find a boat or will wade in. Please pray as we continue to make every possible effort to make a difference in this hour.
I am re-posting our funding options for your information:
--- our normal way of funding
Global Evangelistic Ministries
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
(checks only, made out to “GEM”)
--- for speedy transactions:
deposit or wire to...
Steven J. McKinney
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
JPMorgan Chase Bank
Chicago, Illinois 60670
routing number: 071000013
account number: 1110030802156
Western Union
Steven McKinney
Pasig City, Philippines
payout in US$’s (because we get a more favorable exchange rate)
provide MTCN number
provide amount sent
--- another for folks who want an A/G option:
Harvest Christian Center Chicago (Assemblies of God)
contact: Valerie Davis
(773) 878-7104
4554 N. Broadway St.
Chicago IL 60640
- Please specify that this is for TFI for Flood Relief. They can quickly get it to us...
One final note for those who don't know us and are just browsing the internet. If you are a Great Commission Disciple of Jesus Christ, then please do not give directly to government agencies or to a non-Gospel oriented NGO's. If you want to give only through a major organization, I would suggest Convoy of Hope. They are great! http://www.convoyofhope.org/ You can "earmark" your donation specifically for flood relief in the Philippines. It is important that we conduct charity only through agencies who are committed to enlarge the Kingdom of God and provide the opportunity for recipients to receive everlasting help... everlasting life. Thanks for your consideration on this topic.
In most major cities in America, you can find a service that sends boxes to the Philippines either by air or by sea, but by air would be the best right now because the clock is ticking. We have many cases of sick people that we are having a hard time keeping up with right now. The key words to look for on the internet or in your phone book are "door-to-door." What this means is that the shipper picks up from your door and sends to our door and they take care of all the formalities. If you only send as far as the airport here, then it will take someone basically a whole day and dealing with possible corruption (bribes) to try and get the package out.
If you want to help us in that way, please send to the following address:
Tabernacle of Faith International
Attention: Leah Llarena
Directions: Leave with Security Guards 24 Hours
151 J. Ruiz St.
San Juan, Metro Manila
1500 Philippines
+6327237761 office
+639209203305 cellular
A local shipper is best, but if you cannot find one, you can go to this web-site which is an option that I know for a fact is tried, tested and good: http://www.manilaforwarder.com/
It is important when you send a box that you inform us of it with the numbers and particulars for the sake of verification and accountability. This is also true with donations.
Funds. We could use about $50,000 in order to effectively finish this particular race with our size of volunteer force and at our three Metro Manila Church locations. But don't let this size hinder you because even a $50 donation accomplishes much. This is not a 3 day mission, but about a 3 month mission. It is going to take this amount of time in order to see this through. It is likely that the larger death toll from this crisis will come from people who get sick and don't get a chance to recover because they don't have access to simple Over the Counter medication. Those numbers will not be reported by the media.
Our families new mission right now is that we are desperately trying to reach a neighborhood near our house where we have just learned that kids and babies are rapidly becoming sick and the Red Cross and Government agencies have not yet "gotten to." The water is still waist and neck deep there and so we are either going to find a boat or will wade in. Please pray as we continue to make every possible effort to make a difference in this hour.
I am re-posting our funding options for your information:
--- our normal way of funding
Global Evangelistic Ministries
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
(checks only, made out to “GEM”)
--- for speedy transactions:
deposit or wire to...
Steven J. McKinney
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
JPMorgan Chase Bank
Chicago, Illinois 60670
routing number: 071000013
account number: 1110030802156
Western Union
Steven McKinney
Pasig City, Philippines
payout in US$’s (because we get a more favorable exchange rate)
provide MTCN number
provide amount sent
--- another for folks who want an A/G option:
Harvest Christian Center Chicago (Assemblies of God)
contact: Valerie Davis
(773) 878-7104
4554 N. Broadway St.
Chicago IL 60640
- Please specify that this is for TFI for Flood Relief. They can quickly get it to us...
One final note for those who don't know us and are just browsing the internet. If you are a Great Commission Disciple of Jesus Christ, then please do not give directly to government agencies or to a non-Gospel oriented NGO's. If you want to give only through a major organization, I would suggest Convoy of Hope. They are great! http://www.convoyofhope.org/ You can "earmark" your donation specifically for flood relief in the Philippines. It is important that we conduct charity only through agencies who are committed to enlarge the Kingdom of God and provide the opportunity for recipients to receive everlasting help... everlasting life. Thanks for your consideration on this topic.
Youth Mobilized --- Pray! Possible New Storm Coming.
It has been another amazing day of seeing volunteers come out mostly from our youth who have no school until next Monday! The majority of the workers are victims themselves who are focused on helping others! Our Church building in San Juan, a section of Metro Manila is now a center for assimilating food, clothes and other items for distribution to flood victims. Our members then make deliveries into the neighborhoods either by car, morcycle, bicycle or wading into some of the areas still dealing with stubborn water. There are no more refugees at our buildings because people have gone back to their homes to clean while protecting from possible looters... it's amazing that even damaged things can be stolen in this kind of environment. When I say clean, in many cases I mean shovel dirt mixed with "you know what" from the sewers out of their homes.
Stores have tripled up on security. When I left one grocery store yesterday, they checked every item in my bags against the receipt and asked to see my ID for my credit card purchase. They had never done that before in this particular store. You can imagine the number of lost wallets and purses in the city and how this has spiked credit card fraud.
All of our people are experiencing fantastic results as those they have been witnessing to for years are responding with grateful attitudes for the help. I can't even keep up with all of the powerful praise reports but I can report that the Kingdom of Light is enlarging by the minute! Praise God!
I want to thank all of you who have been sending the Western Union and bank transfers. I keep getting messages from people apologizing that "it's not much" or "we wish we could do more." Guys, even the $40 amounts are of great help and are being used mightily to touch lives! May God bless you amazingly as you are making these enormous sacrifices and contributions!
If you look up the 10 day weather forecast on line for Manila, you will see that starting now, the prediction is for scattered thunder storms all the way through. The local weather stations are saying that it could be another tropical storm. Have you ever tried to pour water into a full sponge? That is what would happen right now if the skies were to burst open. This city is a full sponge with much of it below sea level. For those of you who remember your science classes on the matter, that means that excess water has no natural place to go. It wouldn't take rains as bad as we had to make things worse then they were.
Prayer changes weather and prayer saves lives! Please pray and if you have been praying, please pray some more! Thank you for your tireless effort!
Stores have tripled up on security. When I left one grocery store yesterday, they checked every item in my bags against the receipt and asked to see my ID for my credit card purchase. They had never done that before in this particular store. You can imagine the number of lost wallets and purses in the city and how this has spiked credit card fraud.
All of our people are experiencing fantastic results as those they have been witnessing to for years are responding with grateful attitudes for the help. I can't even keep up with all of the powerful praise reports but I can report that the Kingdom of Light is enlarging by the minute! Praise God!
I want to thank all of you who have been sending the Western Union and bank transfers. I keep getting messages from people apologizing that "it's not much" or "we wish we could do more." Guys, even the $40 amounts are of great help and are being used mightily to touch lives! May God bless you amazingly as you are making these enormous sacrifices and contributions!
If you look up the 10 day weather forecast on line for Manila, you will see that starting now, the prediction is for scattered thunder storms all the way through. The local weather stations are saying that it could be another tropical storm. Have you ever tried to pour water into a full sponge? That is what would happen right now if the skies were to burst open. This city is a full sponge with much of it below sea level. For those of you who remember your science classes on the matter, that means that excess water has no natural place to go. It wouldn't take rains as bad as we had to make things worse then they were.
Prayer changes weather and prayer saves lives! Please pray and if you have been praying, please pray some more! Thank you for your tireless effort!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Donation Information for the Flood
In this flood crisis, the harder work is happening now that the waters have receded and we can access the worst hit communities. Our Church buildings in the Metro Manila have been refugee and feeding centers. What is happening now is that as we get relief supplies to our members, they’re individual homes are now becoming the help centers. They are now able to help people as we help them, people who they have been witnessing to for years. It is harvest time! I was in a home last night where we delivered a car load of food that is now conducting Bible studies by candle light. The neighbors come now who have never come before.
For about $70 dollars per delivery, we can load up a vehicle and feed a small community with non-perishable staples. If you want to help us to keep this going, the fastest way to donate is to send directly via Western Union or to our personal Bank Account which both give us instant access. For our American donors, we can provide you with a tax deductible receipt from Global Evangelistic Ministries.
We and our Church members are all spending money that we don’t have, i.e. next months household expenses, to capitalize on this evangelistic opportunity. I don’t normally share things like this, but this is a time I will. We are here on missions support of $200 US$’s per month and no salary. God is providing for us in miraculous ways. Every day is a miracle. I say this to say that we need more miracles, like I said to keep this going. Thank you for your interest and your help!
The following is our information:
Global Evangelistic Ministries
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
(checks only, made out to “GEM”)
For speedy transactions:
deposit or wire to...
Steven J. McKinney
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
JPMorgan Chase Bank
Chicago, Illinois 60670
routing number: 071000013
account number: 1110030802156
Western Union
Steven McKinney
Pasig City, Philippines
payout in US$’s (because we get a more favorable exchange rate)
provide MTCN number
provide amount sent
For about $70 dollars per delivery, we can load up a vehicle and feed a small community with non-perishable staples. If you want to help us to keep this going, the fastest way to donate is to send directly via Western Union or to our personal Bank Account which both give us instant access. For our American donors, we can provide you with a tax deductible receipt from Global Evangelistic Ministries.
We and our Church members are all spending money that we don’t have, i.e. next months household expenses, to capitalize on this evangelistic opportunity. I don’t normally share things like this, but this is a time I will. We are here on missions support of $200 US$’s per month and no salary. God is providing for us in miraculous ways. Every day is a miracle. I say this to say that we need more miracles, like I said to keep this going. Thank you for your interest and your help!
The following is our information:
Global Evangelistic Ministries
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
(checks only, made out to “GEM”)
For speedy transactions:
deposit or wire to...
Steven J. McKinney
2319 Westview Drive
Des Plaines IL 60018
USA
JPMorgan Chase Bank
Chicago, Illinois 60670
routing number: 071000013
account number: 1110030802156
Western Union
Steven McKinney
Pasig City, Philippines
payout in US$’s (because we get a more favorable exchange rate)
provide MTCN number
provide amount sent
Flood Update
Cellular is difficult to work with as of yet as you can imagine the sheer number of calls being made as people try to locate one another who have been separated by the waters in the neighborhoods of Manila. It is the only hope we have of getting on-line and we will keep trying until I get this post and a bunch of E-mails waiting in my outbox through.
If you have been watching the worldwide news, you have seen some glimpses of what the people of Manila have been living with. Some of the more unusual images include rivers in the streets filled with cars literally floating along like logs. Sometimes you could see people on the cars riding them, holding on for dear life trying not to fall off when they would collide with buildings and other cars. Now that the waters are receding, cars are piled on top of one another sometimes three deep as they have landed.
We have found that the floods are “no respecter of persons” this time. Normally in a city like Manila, the mid and upper class are not affected as much by the floods as the poor are who cannot afford homes on high ground. Generally speaking, higher ground means higher price. This time, the limits were tested and we have seen beautiful, expensive homes destroyed along with BMW’s and Mercedes Benz vehicles trapped in the driveways. One house we know about had a 20 seat private movie theater filled with water and mud. That family stayed in their attic as literally 100’s of thousands of dollars worth of equipment was destroyed below them. God protected them and the waters did not reach the attic. If they had, they would not have been able to swim out in mud and debris filled water. Many attic type spaces became watery graves.
But of course for every one family like that, there are literally hundreds of poor who don’t have money in the bank. They don’t even have bank accounts. Everything they own has been swept away and all they have left is what is on their person. Many were like me when I had to wade to get home at the beginning of this. Wallets and cell phones wrapped in plastic in our pockets.
The body count isn’t quite at 100 yet, but they haven’t even yet reached the worst parts of the city which are full of collapsed houses filled with mud. One man this morning watched as crews uncovered the bodies of his wife and kids. They were clinging to each other with their arms and legs intertwined. Joy and I were wondering what they must have said to each other in those final seconds. We maintain hope that they had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and entered into eternal life together.
Our house though it is not in an upper scale area is in a subdivision that the flood waters did not enter. The waves lapped at the gate and came within ½ of a foot of coming in. But just meters away, we could see neighborhoods that were waist deep. Some of our friends, many of them Pastors, wept inside of their homes as they could hear cries of help from neighboring roof tops... helpless.
We received messages non-stop from Church members who were stranded either at home or at some public location, trying to get home... wondering what they would find when they could get home later. Many of the refugees in our Church buildings in the Metro Manila area could not sleep and wept through the night wondering if their babies and elderly family members would survive. The kitchens in our Churches that weren’t submerged cooked non-stop, whatever food we could find. Mostly rice and sardines. Even though we have no power, stoves here are run by gas tank.
I talked to one Church member who had lost all of his computer equipment, his livelihood. He was at home trying to stay ahead of the rising waters, standing on a table on the second story of the house as he spoke to me on his cellular phone. His wife had made her way to the Church in order to cook and help people in more need then herself. These are amazing people of God!
As we would hear from our members who ware needing rescue or provision, we would alert the authorities and organizations like the red cross who were running boats through the streets and using helicopters to reach roof tops with lines and rope ladders. But the number of people needing help were too many and we would only hear of a few cases here and there who actually received the help. Most of those wading out of those hard hit areas are now buying food and going back in to feed those left behind who haven’t eaten in two days. There was one diabetic girl they were trying to get to who had run out of insulin and was in a desperate state. I don’t know if she made it.
Close to our main Church locations, we got our own rafts and boats out, mostly improvised to reach the people in the neighborhoods that we could get to. Many dozens were reached from their roof-tops. Some made it to safety by pulling themselves along on power wires through the swirls of water which were as high as 11 feet. One of our elderly members made it through by sitting in a laundry tub, paddling with her hands. It has been much like that movie, “Saving Private Ryan.” Even though we were on specific missions to reach certain people, we saved many others along the way.
One of the main prayer points is that there are many now who have weakened immune systems and people could potentially die for weeks from pneumonia or severe flu’s.
We are praying for resources so that as a Church group, we can not only take care of our members but also take care of those who our members know... the ones we have been witnessing to over the years and now have an opportunity to help.
This morning, we sent bags of clothes and food out of our house to a Church where many young families are holed up... But it wasn’t nearly enough. We can clothe a child for just a little more then $5. We can put enough food on a families table to get them through this week for $10. Every $50 or $100 makes a huge difference.
You could give to an NGO, the Red Cross or to the Philippine government. Even to the TV stations and all of them are doing a good job. But I am asking those who know us to please give through our Church group, Tabernacle of Faith International. The reason for this is to not only save and touch lives, but to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. Charity plus the gospel will accomplish so much more.
For those of you are in the United States, we can get you tax deductible receipts, but we are asking for funds to come very quickly. Western Union is very effective or funds sent to our Chicago based Chase Bank account which we can access immediately.
Please contact me at pastorstevemckinney@gmail.com for details on how to get funds to us through bank transfer. For Western Union, just place the name Steven J. McKinney, Pasig City, Philippines and then E-mail me the MTCN number. It is instant.
But more then funds, please pray! The reports say there is another storm on the way. There is nothing quite as bad as being hit again when you are already down. Pray for God’s mercy to avert another disaster and for God’s favor as we minister His love.
Thank you so much!
If you have been watching the worldwide news, you have seen some glimpses of what the people of Manila have been living with. Some of the more unusual images include rivers in the streets filled with cars literally floating along like logs. Sometimes you could see people on the cars riding them, holding on for dear life trying not to fall off when they would collide with buildings and other cars. Now that the waters are receding, cars are piled on top of one another sometimes three deep as they have landed.
We have found that the floods are “no respecter of persons” this time. Normally in a city like Manila, the mid and upper class are not affected as much by the floods as the poor are who cannot afford homes on high ground. Generally speaking, higher ground means higher price. This time, the limits were tested and we have seen beautiful, expensive homes destroyed along with BMW’s and Mercedes Benz vehicles trapped in the driveways. One house we know about had a 20 seat private movie theater filled with water and mud. That family stayed in their attic as literally 100’s of thousands of dollars worth of equipment was destroyed below them. God protected them and the waters did not reach the attic. If they had, they would not have been able to swim out in mud and debris filled water. Many attic type spaces became watery graves.
But of course for every one family like that, there are literally hundreds of poor who don’t have money in the bank. They don’t even have bank accounts. Everything they own has been swept away and all they have left is what is on their person. Many were like me when I had to wade to get home at the beginning of this. Wallets and cell phones wrapped in plastic in our pockets.
The body count isn’t quite at 100 yet, but they haven’t even yet reached the worst parts of the city which are full of collapsed houses filled with mud. One man this morning watched as crews uncovered the bodies of his wife and kids. They were clinging to each other with their arms and legs intertwined. Joy and I were wondering what they must have said to each other in those final seconds. We maintain hope that they had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and entered into eternal life together.
Our house though it is not in an upper scale area is in a subdivision that the flood waters did not enter. The waves lapped at the gate and came within ½ of a foot of coming in. But just meters away, we could see neighborhoods that were waist deep. Some of our friends, many of them Pastors, wept inside of their homes as they could hear cries of help from neighboring roof tops... helpless.
We received messages non-stop from Church members who were stranded either at home or at some public location, trying to get home... wondering what they would find when they could get home later. Many of the refugees in our Church buildings in the Metro Manila area could not sleep and wept through the night wondering if their babies and elderly family members would survive. The kitchens in our Churches that weren’t submerged cooked non-stop, whatever food we could find. Mostly rice and sardines. Even though we have no power, stoves here are run by gas tank.
I talked to one Church member who had lost all of his computer equipment, his livelihood. He was at home trying to stay ahead of the rising waters, standing on a table on the second story of the house as he spoke to me on his cellular phone. His wife had made her way to the Church in order to cook and help people in more need then herself. These are amazing people of God!
As we would hear from our members who ware needing rescue or provision, we would alert the authorities and organizations like the red cross who were running boats through the streets and using helicopters to reach roof tops with lines and rope ladders. But the number of people needing help were too many and we would only hear of a few cases here and there who actually received the help. Most of those wading out of those hard hit areas are now buying food and going back in to feed those left behind who haven’t eaten in two days. There was one diabetic girl they were trying to get to who had run out of insulin and was in a desperate state. I don’t know if she made it.
Close to our main Church locations, we got our own rafts and boats out, mostly improvised to reach the people in the neighborhoods that we could get to. Many dozens were reached from their roof-tops. Some made it to safety by pulling themselves along on power wires through the swirls of water which were as high as 11 feet. One of our elderly members made it through by sitting in a laundry tub, paddling with her hands. It has been much like that movie, “Saving Private Ryan.” Even though we were on specific missions to reach certain people, we saved many others along the way.
One of the main prayer points is that there are many now who have weakened immune systems and people could potentially die for weeks from pneumonia or severe flu’s.
We are praying for resources so that as a Church group, we can not only take care of our members but also take care of those who our members know... the ones we have been witnessing to over the years and now have an opportunity to help.
This morning, we sent bags of clothes and food out of our house to a Church where many young families are holed up... But it wasn’t nearly enough. We can clothe a child for just a little more then $5. We can put enough food on a families table to get them through this week for $10. Every $50 or $100 makes a huge difference.
You could give to an NGO, the Red Cross or to the Philippine government. Even to the TV stations and all of them are doing a good job. But I am asking those who know us to please give through our Church group, Tabernacle of Faith International. The reason for this is to not only save and touch lives, but to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. Charity plus the gospel will accomplish so much more.
For those of you are in the United States, we can get you tax deductible receipts, but we are asking for funds to come very quickly. Western Union is very effective or funds sent to our Chicago based Chase Bank account which we can access immediately.
Please contact me at pastorstevemckinney@gmail.com for details on how to get funds to us through bank transfer. For Western Union, just place the name Steven J. McKinney, Pasig City, Philippines and then E-mail me the MTCN number. It is instant.
But more then funds, please pray! The reports say there is another storm on the way. There is nothing quite as bad as being hit again when you are already down. Pray for God’s mercy to avert another disaster and for God’s favor as we minister His love.
Thank you so much!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
This Rain is No Joke --- Please Pray
It has been raining non-stop in Manila for almost 24 hours now... It is not a typhoon and the storm signal has still not come to a level that would normally close businesses and schools... but they are all closed now anyway. Just the sheer amount of rain has devastated the city. If people left this morning for school or work, most of them are now stuck and cannot get home.
I went to the grocery store down the street this morning, staying in the store for about 45 minutes. When I left the parking garage, I realized that the tail-pipe of my car would be under water and I turned around and re-parked. The only vehicles going down that street by this time were trucks and large SUV’s. After waiting for an hour, I took the essential groceries and walked. The water came up to well over my knee’s as I made sure to walk in the more shallow areas... down the middle of the street unless a vehicle was coming. The waves from the vehicles would about knock us over as the water was violently swirling anyway.
Plastic bags and debris wrapped around my legs and I would shake free. I was watching out for potholes which might cause a sprained ankle or worse yet, for open sewerage holes or drains in which if you dropped into you would likely be killed by drowning. A father and his 4 year old were on the opposite side of the street of me making their way through the water. The kid slipped and the father lost his grip and the kid got caught in the current and went down the river in the street faster then his father could catch up to. Two men were able to catch him and return him to his father before he was lost him the drainage system of the city forever.
I made it home with only a scratch on my leg from floating debris but of course I smelled like “you know what...” I showered for 30 minutes carefully disinfecting every inch of my legs including my toe nails. You don’t want that kind of an infection.
Word is coming in now. Our Church building has turned into a mini refugee center. Many families have been rescued by raft. Some of our Church members have had to move from 2nd floor to roof top. Their belongings are destroyed and they are just happy to make it out with their lives by this point.
We don’t know what he death toll is in Manila yet but the news said at least 10 kids have been killed so far that we know about. There is great concern for the elderly as well who may not be able to make it to high ground.
In the province, people are calling in to the government who in turn are alerting the media that they are the lone survivors from their families. The story usually goes that they return home from work and find their house and family gone or maybe a body.
Imagine the “latch-key kids” whose Mom’s went to work this morning and can’t get home... The little 7 year old girl taking care of her 3 year old brother and they are scared and don’t know what to do. And since they don’t want the neighbors to know what they are doing that, the neighbors may not know to rescue them.
I’m asking for prayer! Our family is safe and we only lost our electricity 20 minutes ago. We have been fortunate. Our housing division is on high ground and we are in no danger now that we are all home. I’m using a cell phone and battery power to get on line right now. I don’t know how long before power will come back on. I am asking for prayer for those we don’t know about, can’t get a hold of and even for those we will never meet. Please pray that God will save, protect and make Himself known through this rain storm.
I went to the grocery store down the street this morning, staying in the store for about 45 minutes. When I left the parking garage, I realized that the tail-pipe of my car would be under water and I turned around and re-parked. The only vehicles going down that street by this time were trucks and large SUV’s. After waiting for an hour, I took the essential groceries and walked. The water came up to well over my knee’s as I made sure to walk in the more shallow areas... down the middle of the street unless a vehicle was coming. The waves from the vehicles would about knock us over as the water was violently swirling anyway.
Plastic bags and debris wrapped around my legs and I would shake free. I was watching out for potholes which might cause a sprained ankle or worse yet, for open sewerage holes or drains in which if you dropped into you would likely be killed by drowning. A father and his 4 year old were on the opposite side of the street of me making their way through the water. The kid slipped and the father lost his grip and the kid got caught in the current and went down the river in the street faster then his father could catch up to. Two men were able to catch him and return him to his father before he was lost him the drainage system of the city forever.
I made it home with only a scratch on my leg from floating debris but of course I smelled like “you know what...” I showered for 30 minutes carefully disinfecting every inch of my legs including my toe nails. You don’t want that kind of an infection.
Word is coming in now. Our Church building has turned into a mini refugee center. Many families have been rescued by raft. Some of our Church members have had to move from 2nd floor to roof top. Their belongings are destroyed and they are just happy to make it out with their lives by this point.
We don’t know what he death toll is in Manila yet but the news said at least 10 kids have been killed so far that we know about. There is great concern for the elderly as well who may not be able to make it to high ground.
In the province, people are calling in to the government who in turn are alerting the media that they are the lone survivors from their families. The story usually goes that they return home from work and find their house and family gone or maybe a body.
Imagine the “latch-key kids” whose Mom’s went to work this morning and can’t get home... The little 7 year old girl taking care of her 3 year old brother and they are scared and don’t know what to do. And since they don’t want the neighbors to know what they are doing that, the neighbors may not know to rescue them.
I’m asking for prayer! Our family is safe and we only lost our electricity 20 minutes ago. We have been fortunate. Our housing division is on high ground and we are in no danger now that we are all home. I’m using a cell phone and battery power to get on line right now. I don’t know how long before power will come back on. I am asking for prayer for those we don’t know about, can’t get a hold of and even for those we will never meet. Please pray that God will save, protect and make Himself known through this rain storm.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Kingdom Expansion in this Season
Some of the more popular scriptures which we use to describe the building of the worldwide Church include Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall, anything pertaining to Joshua and the advancement into the promised land and of course references to Gideon the Judge. To post something fresh from any of these examples would likely be impossible since it has all been taught and re-taught before, but they do continue to be great, timely and good constant reminders.
In our study as a Pastoral Staff at TFI this week, there were a couple of points which caught my eye that I wan to share from Gideon. This scripture comes as the 300 "finalists" make their move on the enemy...
Judges 7: 22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan. (NIV)
The two significant enemy leaders who they were able to capture and kill, they executed in their own places, places that were named after them. The rock of Oreb and the winepress of Zeeb. There is much that could be said and everything can be symbolized, but without getting too far down the road, let me just share the one big thing about it for me at this time.
13 years ago, Tabernacle of Faith International moved into a beautiful new building in San Juan, a major section of Metro Manila. There is no doubt that it was a blessing from the Lord. Literally, generations of people have been saved, delivered, taught, married and spent much of their lives together in the school and the Church. Hundreds of people who have been transformed on the premises are now influencers in society.
BUT, the Church has not increased in numbers or in influence in that 13 years. It has not fulfilled the command of the Lord found in scripture to "Increase and do not diminish." We have all watched the Church diminish like a withering tree even though there has been real success and fruitfulness all along. If you looked at it as a 13 year graph, even though there have been times when there are rises, the overall picture is a dramatic and consistent drop. Now we find ourselves having to "Strengthen that which remains." Thankfully, there are many hundreds of faithful who remain and are eager to Increase in this new season.
BTW, I know that there are those who will be offended when they read this, but that is not my intention. I simply want to be real...
It was because of this that Pastor Ray Llarena answered the call of God to come back after a 13 year absence Pastoring in Chicago and others are currently flocking to TFI as well. Many new and many returning. Joy and I are among them. And there is an awareness, an urgency that things must be done differently. One of the biggest changes is a realization that a Church building is a tool and nothing more. It cannot and should not be a monument or an indicator of success. This is why we decided to launch our new services into a shopping mall and why we are targeting other malls in the near future. My personal take on it is that we should not even consider a location that Starbucks would not consider...
We have scattered the enemy, we have initiated changes, we have blown the trumpets and the enemy is on the run. Now we must put the enemy to death on his own territory, taking the Church out from our own territory into their territory where we will send a clear message. The city belongs to God and the enemies of God are going down. I launched a new Life group just last night at the Eastwood City McDonald's, another local shopping mall. We could have done it in somebodies home or at the Church facility, but we did it out in the open, in territory that we have marked for expansion. There were many people at tables around us who knew what we were doing and when we closed our session in prayer, I saw out of the corner of my eye that one particular person prayed with us. Of course this can be done in a predominantly Catholic nation where you might not be able to do such a thing for instance in a Muslim or Hindu nation. But there are other ways in those places which apply...
We will continue to have services at our San Juan building, but they will be catering more towards the immediate community. But where we are going for the boat load of fish is at our events in the shopping malls, restaurants and other public venues. Going fishing in a Church building is kind of like going fishing in an aquarium. Why would we want to do that?
There is one more item that hit me from the passage listed above. Gideon commanded that the enemy be cut off from the waters of the Jordan. Those familiar with war strategy know that whoever controls the water supply controls the battle. I wish I could say that there was some deeply spiritual meaning here... Well I can and there is. But the water does not represent the Holy Spirit or the Presence of God... It represents resources. Money. Hello?
And this is the battle that is raging around the world right now in these times economically speaking. I receive correspondence from Missionaries and Pastors that I know on a weekly basis who have initiated strategies and have scattered the enemy but they are not able to sustain the victory because they are running low on resources. I'm telling you that the enemy is after the water and he is trying to get there and it is our responsibility if we are going to win in this season, to cut him off!
I think the application is a simple one on a personal level and even on a Church/Ministry level. Don't stop spending on the things which enlarge the Kingdom. Keep planting Churches, keep missionaries on the field, keep the funds flowing to outreach programs, keep Christian multi-media well funded, etc. It's time to tighten the belt on everything else in the Church except the war. Just as in the days of WWI and WWII when America's factories were converted into bomb and munitions making operations, the time is now that America's (and the world's) Churches change their production lines over to exclusively and intentionally become operations which fund expansion and route the enemy from the water. We have the power to control this battle and we must sound the call to take the appropriate measures to enforce the victory!
I spoke for a large Church not long ago which was becoming serious about their outreach commitment. The leadership had a vision to raise US$100,000 for their missions budget. I prayed and I prayed for the Lord's guidance on how to preach in a way that would yield the offerings and the faith pledges which would accomplish this seemingly impossible amount. When the moment came, I remembered eating at the Pizza Hut across the street and seeing the crowds of familiar faces from that Church in that Pizza Hut. I challenged the people on that day that when they get to heaven and God opens the accounts of our lives, that each and every person will be able to say that they gave more to God's work, above and beyond the basic tithes, then they spent on Sunday lunches at Pizza Hut and other places. We not only got the budget in those 4 services, but we doubled it. The analogy had evidently hit a nerve?? We cut off the water from the enemy on that day.
On a side note, I can tell you that as a Missionary guest speaker at Churches in America, that a good offering runs about $3 per person in attendance and that a weak offering runs between $1-2. You could argue a good job on the part of the speaker or good generosity on the part of the congregation depending on who you wanted to win the argument... It is seldom that we see miracle offerings of more then $10 per person. How much is lunch after Church per person? Could it be that even a miracle offering runs less then what is being spent on lunch? Are we tipping God?
"Pastor Steve, are you saying that spiritual warfare involves pushing back the plate at a restaurant so that you can put more in the offering plate?" Yes! That is exactly what I am saying!
I mentioned earlier in this long post, that I don't want to consider a location to hold Church services that Starbucks wouldn't consider putting an outlet in. I will mention Starbucks one more time. In years past, I have been a good Starbucks customer. Not only them but other coffee chains as well. I have become accustomed to paying as much for a designer beverage as what we can pay for a full meal at a fast food restaurant. In recent months, I have had to personally come up with the funds to pay for our meetings outside of the Church. Hundreds of dollars every week. Let me just say that I walk past Starbucks now and I don't go in anymore unless it is to meet with someone for ministry. And even then, I now partake of the lesser beverages in price. We are at war! And I don't want the Lord to say on that day, you spent more on Starbucks, pizza and restaurants then you did on My Church! No way no how!!! I'm living for that day! And I know that God's accounts are perfect and I'm not going to be able to "fudge" my way out of that... which BTW, I don't buy fudge right now either...
Does this mean that I am against spending in restaurants, coffee joints and candy shops? Of course not! I'm only saying that we need to recognize the times and the seasons that we find ourselves in and adjust appropriately.
My encouragement to you from this timely word about Gideon is this. Let us spend the money to get the gospel out of the Church and into the mainstream. It will require an assessment of finances and an increased allotment of resources. Warfare sometimes requires a re-prioritization of spending. Increased blessing comes with increased sacrifice.
I am praying to hear good reports from all of my ministerial friends in the coming weeks and months that no longer are resources drying up, but there has been an increase from God's people who have made sacrifices to advance the Kingdom in this prime season!
In our study as a Pastoral Staff at TFI this week, there were a couple of points which caught my eye that I wan to share from Gideon. This scripture comes as the 300 "finalists" make their move on the enemy...
Judges 7: 22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan. (NIV)
The two significant enemy leaders who they were able to capture and kill, they executed in their own places, places that were named after them. The rock of Oreb and the winepress of Zeeb. There is much that could be said and everything can be symbolized, but without getting too far down the road, let me just share the one big thing about it for me at this time.
13 years ago, Tabernacle of Faith International moved into a beautiful new building in San Juan, a major section of Metro Manila. There is no doubt that it was a blessing from the Lord. Literally, generations of people have been saved, delivered, taught, married and spent much of their lives together in the school and the Church. Hundreds of people who have been transformed on the premises are now influencers in society.
BUT, the Church has not increased in numbers or in influence in that 13 years. It has not fulfilled the command of the Lord found in scripture to "Increase and do not diminish." We have all watched the Church diminish like a withering tree even though there has been real success and fruitfulness all along. If you looked at it as a 13 year graph, even though there have been times when there are rises, the overall picture is a dramatic and consistent drop. Now we find ourselves having to "Strengthen that which remains." Thankfully, there are many hundreds of faithful who remain and are eager to Increase in this new season.
BTW, I know that there are those who will be offended when they read this, but that is not my intention. I simply want to be real...
It was because of this that Pastor Ray Llarena answered the call of God to come back after a 13 year absence Pastoring in Chicago and others are currently flocking to TFI as well. Many new and many returning. Joy and I are among them. And there is an awareness, an urgency that things must be done differently. One of the biggest changes is a realization that a Church building is a tool and nothing more. It cannot and should not be a monument or an indicator of success. This is why we decided to launch our new services into a shopping mall and why we are targeting other malls in the near future. My personal take on it is that we should not even consider a location that Starbucks would not consider...
We have scattered the enemy, we have initiated changes, we have blown the trumpets and the enemy is on the run. Now we must put the enemy to death on his own territory, taking the Church out from our own territory into their territory where we will send a clear message. The city belongs to God and the enemies of God are going down. I launched a new Life group just last night at the Eastwood City McDonald's, another local shopping mall. We could have done it in somebodies home or at the Church facility, but we did it out in the open, in territory that we have marked for expansion. There were many people at tables around us who knew what we were doing and when we closed our session in prayer, I saw out of the corner of my eye that one particular person prayed with us. Of course this can be done in a predominantly Catholic nation where you might not be able to do such a thing for instance in a Muslim or Hindu nation. But there are other ways in those places which apply...
We will continue to have services at our San Juan building, but they will be catering more towards the immediate community. But where we are going for the boat load of fish is at our events in the shopping malls, restaurants and other public venues. Going fishing in a Church building is kind of like going fishing in an aquarium. Why would we want to do that?
There is one more item that hit me from the passage listed above. Gideon commanded that the enemy be cut off from the waters of the Jordan. Those familiar with war strategy know that whoever controls the water supply controls the battle. I wish I could say that there was some deeply spiritual meaning here... Well I can and there is. But the water does not represent the Holy Spirit or the Presence of God... It represents resources. Money. Hello?
And this is the battle that is raging around the world right now in these times economically speaking. I receive correspondence from Missionaries and Pastors that I know on a weekly basis who have initiated strategies and have scattered the enemy but they are not able to sustain the victory because they are running low on resources. I'm telling you that the enemy is after the water and he is trying to get there and it is our responsibility if we are going to win in this season, to cut him off!
I think the application is a simple one on a personal level and even on a Church/Ministry level. Don't stop spending on the things which enlarge the Kingdom. Keep planting Churches, keep missionaries on the field, keep the funds flowing to outreach programs, keep Christian multi-media well funded, etc. It's time to tighten the belt on everything else in the Church except the war. Just as in the days of WWI and WWII when America's factories were converted into bomb and munitions making operations, the time is now that America's (and the world's) Churches change their production lines over to exclusively and intentionally become operations which fund expansion and route the enemy from the water. We have the power to control this battle and we must sound the call to take the appropriate measures to enforce the victory!
I spoke for a large Church not long ago which was becoming serious about their outreach commitment. The leadership had a vision to raise US$100,000 for their missions budget. I prayed and I prayed for the Lord's guidance on how to preach in a way that would yield the offerings and the faith pledges which would accomplish this seemingly impossible amount. When the moment came, I remembered eating at the Pizza Hut across the street and seeing the crowds of familiar faces from that Church in that Pizza Hut. I challenged the people on that day that when they get to heaven and God opens the accounts of our lives, that each and every person will be able to say that they gave more to God's work, above and beyond the basic tithes, then they spent on Sunday lunches at Pizza Hut and other places. We not only got the budget in those 4 services, but we doubled it. The analogy had evidently hit a nerve?? We cut off the water from the enemy on that day.
On a side note, I can tell you that as a Missionary guest speaker at Churches in America, that a good offering runs about $3 per person in attendance and that a weak offering runs between $1-2. You could argue a good job on the part of the speaker or good generosity on the part of the congregation depending on who you wanted to win the argument... It is seldom that we see miracle offerings of more then $10 per person. How much is lunch after Church per person? Could it be that even a miracle offering runs less then what is being spent on lunch? Are we tipping God?
"Pastor Steve, are you saying that spiritual warfare involves pushing back the plate at a restaurant so that you can put more in the offering plate?" Yes! That is exactly what I am saying!
I mentioned earlier in this long post, that I don't want to consider a location to hold Church services that Starbucks wouldn't consider putting an outlet in. I will mention Starbucks one more time. In years past, I have been a good Starbucks customer. Not only them but other coffee chains as well. I have become accustomed to paying as much for a designer beverage as what we can pay for a full meal at a fast food restaurant. In recent months, I have had to personally come up with the funds to pay for our meetings outside of the Church. Hundreds of dollars every week. Let me just say that I walk past Starbucks now and I don't go in anymore unless it is to meet with someone for ministry. And even then, I now partake of the lesser beverages in price. We are at war! And I don't want the Lord to say on that day, you spent more on Starbucks, pizza and restaurants then you did on My Church! No way no how!!! I'm living for that day! And I know that God's accounts are perfect and I'm not going to be able to "fudge" my way out of that... which BTW, I don't buy fudge right now either...
Does this mean that I am against spending in restaurants, coffee joints and candy shops? Of course not! I'm only saying that we need to recognize the times and the seasons that we find ourselves in and adjust appropriately.
My encouragement to you from this timely word about Gideon is this. Let us spend the money to get the gospel out of the Church and into the mainstream. It will require an assessment of finances and an increased allotment of resources. Warfare sometimes requires a re-prioritization of spending. Increased blessing comes with increased sacrifice.
I am praying to hear good reports from all of my ministerial friends in the coming weeks and months that no longer are resources drying up, but there has been an increase from God's people who have made sacrifices to advance the Kingdom in this prime season!
Monday, September 7, 2009
"You killed her!"
So I was driving along the other day, taking Ethan home from school. He was settled in the back seat (he likes to be chauffeured) watching Ice Age 3 on his portable DVD player, completely absorbed. I saw a bit of a commotion up ahead where a car had stopped and the female driver had come out and was yelling at 3 little girls. They must have done something terrible to get this reaction. The lady got back in her car and sped off and the girls laughed. As I approached the same spot, I noticed that these same little girls were hiding behind a parked car at the place I was going to pass them. I slowed and went carefully, not knowing what to expect. As I passed that parked car, I watched my side view mirror and saw a little girls hand slap my car making a loud "thud." She then flung her body down in the road making it appear that I had hit her and her 2 little friends, on their knees started holding their heads and screaming bloody murder. I of course, knowing that it was a prank kept driving slowly, but Ethan sat up and turned around, not being aware of the situation and started screaming, "you killed her! you killed that little girl!"
Even after I explained it to him, he wasn't believing me until a moment later when he could see that she had gotten up and the 3 of them were laughing. If he had not have seen that, he probably would have gone through life thinking that his Dad had killed some little girl. I am glad he saw the truth before we turned the corner.
On the road of life, we encounter those who love to play games... dangerous games. They are pretty good at catching those in the back seat unaware and twisting reality. There is always an end-game that they have in mind which requires capturing the attention and the hearts of those who did not see it coming. They blame, divide, dishearten, accuse, slander and they are very committed and patient in excecuting their plan.
The motive often involves trying to gain power or resources, not just after school fun as was the case with these little girls. Many years ago, I did hit a man with my car who purposefully put himself in my path while I was going slow because he was positioning himself to somehow exact money from me, either with a cash settlement on the spot or through the legal system later.
For me, the case of the 3 school girls are just another reminder to watch out and to be alert at all times. Often, the Lord will bring little funny events into life like this to remind us of what is lurking up ahead in the more serious issues. And He of course also allows these funny but serious events to occur to shed light on situations which have occured in the past.
Proberbs 18:17 (TNIV) "In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. "
This scripture is specifically about lawsuits but it applies in other cases as well. The point? Be careful when you have only heard one side of a matter. The Church is a breeding ground for slander and malice because instead of there being a legal system of governance, friends usually side with friends which makes it more like a school yard setting. Let's be more careful shall we? My experience tells me that usually after I've heard both sides, that I really can't be the judge and I need to leave it to the Lord without taking sides.
Even after I explained it to him, he wasn't believing me until a moment later when he could see that she had gotten up and the 3 of them were laughing. If he had not have seen that, he probably would have gone through life thinking that his Dad had killed some little girl. I am glad he saw the truth before we turned the corner.
On the road of life, we encounter those who love to play games... dangerous games. They are pretty good at catching those in the back seat unaware and twisting reality. There is always an end-game that they have in mind which requires capturing the attention and the hearts of those who did not see it coming. They blame, divide, dishearten, accuse, slander and they are very committed and patient in excecuting their plan.
The motive often involves trying to gain power or resources, not just after school fun as was the case with these little girls. Many years ago, I did hit a man with my car who purposefully put himself in my path while I was going slow because he was positioning himself to somehow exact money from me, either with a cash settlement on the spot or through the legal system later.
For me, the case of the 3 school girls are just another reminder to watch out and to be alert at all times. Often, the Lord will bring little funny events into life like this to remind us of what is lurking up ahead in the more serious issues. And He of course also allows these funny but serious events to occur to shed light on situations which have occured in the past.
Proberbs 18:17 (TNIV) "In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. "
This scripture is specifically about lawsuits but it applies in other cases as well. The point? Be careful when you have only heard one side of a matter. The Church is a breeding ground for slander and malice because instead of there being a legal system of governance, friends usually side with friends which makes it more like a school yard setting. Let's be more careful shall we? My experience tells me that usually after I've heard both sides, that I really can't be the judge and I need to leave it to the Lord without taking sides.
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