Missionary To Greeneville?

Missionary to Greeneville?  But don't you live there, you ask.

Yes, yes I do.  Let me explain:

Yesterday was September 9th.  Let me back up a little further to Wednesday the 8th. There is a new family that has been coming to church.  The LORD nudged me and I knew I needed to talk to them. I encouraged them to grab me after the service so we could swap phone numbers. We talked for a while after church and swapped phone numbers. There was a need there, a monetary need.

I thought to myself, "Well, I don't have any money, so I can't help them there. I'll visit with them and pray and let GOD take care of their needs."

See, I'm virtually unemployed.  I say "virtually" because I do work ONE day a week. This is all of the LORD's leading. I had asked GOD about this many times initially. Many jobs made themselves available and I asked GOD which one should I take. HE was silent. I spend my days praying and reading my Bible, but wondering what the LORD has in store for me. I begged GOD one day to PLEASE let me know what job I need to pursue.

HIS reply was, "Don't you enjoy the time we spend together each day?"

What? Of course I do! But don't I need to work?

GOD did let me know that I will have a job at a specific place as soon as a position is open.

But as time goes on, it appears that I am moving into a FULL TIME ministry...

Back to the topic at hand.

So, I am as poor as poor can be, but I'm not.  I draw a measly unemployment check, and work one day a week. I drew up a budget and there is not enough money coming in to pay the bills.
But,
ALL the bills are paid.
But, there's more.
Not only are the bills paid, but there is always money to give when someone is in need; ALWAYS.

That's what happened yesterday. See, these people that are coming to church just moved to this area. They didn't have enough money to get their electricity turned on. I was planning on going to the power company to pay my bill, and I thought it would be nice if I had "some" money to put toward their deposit. I sat down with the checkbook, receipts, and slips. I started adding and was shocked!

WHERE DID ALL THIS MONEY COME FROM?!

I mean, I know every check, every deposit, but the bills should have the account sucked dry, including sucking the ink off the pages. I checked, rechecked, and asked my wife if she had receipts that she forgot. She brought me a DEPOSIT slip; there was even more money!

It was real obvious that I was going to do something new today. I ran to the bedroom and went to my prayer "spot".  I said, "GOD, do you want me to pay these people's deposit? Is this money for something else? I don't want to be hasty and..."

Then a flood of scriptures came to mind.

I got up and asked the LORD to slow down; HE was going too fast!

"...Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:8

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer..."Philippians 4:6

"...but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." Psalm 34:10

"...no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Then I went back and started reading Matthew 10, the whole chapter, verses 7-42 in particular.
Then I heard GOD say my full name, followed by "Missionary to Greeneville".

I cried.

It had been bothering me for a little while that I didn't have a specific title or ministry.  You know, like pastor, deacon, chaplain, soup kitchen worker, whatever. I didn't have a "focus" or an outline for what I was supposed to be doing. Of course, I always do what GOD puts before me whether it's driving the church van, putting gas in somebody's car, buying someone some food, going with the ministers to the jail, praying with someone in need, or what ever. I just didn't have a specific "thing" to do or to be called.

But now I do. GOD said I am a "Missionary to Greeneville"!

PRAISE GOD!!!

Then after all of this, GOD confirmed HIS word with HIS word and what I was supposed to do yesterday.

Proverbs 3:27-28
" Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."


Yep, I had it by me. Time to go to the power company.


It came with a certain amount of resistance. If we doubt, then our faith falters. If our faith falters, then fear creeps in. If there is fear, then the enemy can have his way with us. I was not afraid; I was on a mission.


The lady at the power company was not necessarily joyful of what I wanted to do. I explained that I had a name, and I wanted to pay the deposit. She had a similar name listed, but I didn't have their address. She didn't want me to just pay for "a" account and turn on the wrong person's power. I gave her the phone number I had and asked if it was the same she had. The numbers matched. She quit resisting and gave me a total.


I'm not bragging on me; I'm bragging on GOD.  One plants, another waters it, but GOD makes it work!

1 Corinthians 3:7-9 KJV
(7)  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
(8)  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
(9)  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

Ya, that's what I was trying to say.

So here it is the 10th. The family called me. I left no name at the power company because I wanted anonymity. She called and thanked me. She was crying and praising GOD. She said "they" turned on the electricity today and she knew it had to be the church. I didn't tell her any different. I read the 2 verses from Proverbs 3 and said that's what we're supposed to do. See a need, fill a need. I told her to praise GOD. She informed me she had been calling her friends, praising GOD and running around the house.

I love it.

GOD is so worthy of our praise.

We don't praise HIM nearly enough for HIS bountiful, and manifold blessings.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31
"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!'


Halelujah!


GospelGunTom, Missionary to Greeneville

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