A Skeleton Crew Serving in Florida


A Skeleton Crew1

The Florida Panhandle was hit particularly hard

 

By Dave Daubenmire

 

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.  Matt. 9:38

 

It seems as if there are churches on every street corner in America’s cities.  Yet, with all of the churchianity that exists it is hard to believe that so little of the Gospel really goes forth.

 

It is, for the most part, a “different Gospel” that is being shared from America’s pulpits.  A Gospel that glorifies “self” with a Savior that died to give us a “better life.”

 

Unfortunately, that is not “the Gospel” that you will find in the Bible.  Oh, it is part of it…but the “best life now” thing is a small branch of the “living water” that is supposed to flow out of the belly of Believers.  The True Gospel is not only life changing, it is life altering.

 

The “Gospel of the Kingdom” does not call us to a “better” life, but to a sacrificial death.  Jesus loved us so much that He called us to die daily.  He told us to “pick up our cross” and follow Him.  He exhorted us that to lose our life is to find it…that to die is gain and that “greater love has no man than this that he would lay down his life for his friends.”

 

Being a true disciple of Jesus is a sacrificial call to a life of service.  Most Christians have no idea what that even means.

 

I’ve often found it remarkable that of all of the things Our Lord could have asked us to pray for “laborers” willing to expand His Kingdom would be at the top of His list.  Most Christians have no idea what it means to “labor” for the harvest.  It is hard to think of others when we spend so much time thinking about ourselves.  Please bear with me and permit me a few sentences to rant.

 

A Skeleton Crew

A woman looks for valuables in the devastation that was her house

America, the once great “shining city sitting upon a hill” is merely a shadow of her once-great self.  Our nation is adrift in a cesspool of immorality and debauchery to the point that our “government” is going broke trying to repair a broken nation.  So much of the troubles in America are self-inflicted…a result of the church dropping a righteous standard and co-existing with a people who “do what is right within their own eyes.”

 

We are a morally broken people and only Christ can pull us up out of the gutter we find ourselves lying in.  But Christians don’t seem to care.  We pray for ourselves and for those we love, but ignore the reality that our salvation demands that we become workers in HIS field.  Unfortunately, “works” has become a dirty word in this greasy-gracie church world in which we operate.  Works are nothing more than evidence of what we say we believe. No works no faith.

 

Most Christians have nothing to show for all of their years in church. Trust me, I know.  Our ministry is focused on getting men and women to engage their faith with the society in which we live.  Right now we are working with a skeleton crew.  Very few want to get their hands dirty.

 

Jesus told us that “the fields are white unto harvest.”  The church is not the field. The church is the barn into which the workers carry the harvest. The job of the church is to bring in the harvest so that more workers can be trained to go out in the fields and bring in a greater harvest.

 

We must stop spending our time harvesting those that are already in the barn.  Our command is to “GO YE THEREFORE!”  Simply attending church is not “going.”

 

If you speak with the average church-goer they will agree that the only answer to America’s problems is the Gospel, yet they are so unwilling to apply it.  Abortion is a Gospel issue, not a “health” issue.  Homosexuality is a Gospel issue, not a lifestyle choice.  Divorce is a Gospel issue, not a marital one.  Addiction is a Gospel issue, not simply a sickness.  Government debt is a Gospel issue not merely a spending problem.  Every problem America faces is a GOSPEL issue and it is time we stopped looking for the Government to solve Gospel failures.

 

Pass The Salt Ministries is a boots-on-the-ground ministry, We fight darkness on the streets of America with the life-giving Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  We are not Christians who think that they are better than anyone else; it is just that we think it is important to walk out what we claim to believe.

 

A Skeleton Crew2We are actively involved in hurricane relief in the Panhandle of Florida.  We have established a beachhead in the area from which we are going to attempt to meet the physical and SPIRITUAL needs of those whose lives have been ravaged by the storm.  We would love for you to join our efforts.

 

If you are interested in putting boots to your faith by getting involved with our relief efforts simply contact me and we will make arrangements for you to join us.  We have housing, showers, food…now we need workers. If you can’t come but would like to support our efforts you can donate.  Our overhead is next to nothing so your dollars go straight to those who need it.

 

Plus, we share the Gospel.  FEMA doesn’t do that. The Red Cross doesn’t do that. Sadly, the Salvation Army no longer shares the Gospel because of the Federal funding they receive.

 

Dave and his crew had been directed to this address to clear debris. Little did they know when they left Ohio they’d be helping the Lords ministers to get back on their feet.

We have many great testimonies from those whose faith came alive when they stepped out of their comfort zone and put their faith into action.  If you want your faith to be alive you simply have to live it…not study it.  Experience is life’s greatest teacher.

 

We are set up to host volunteers at least through Thanksgiving.  If you can drag a branch, work a chain saw, or rip out drywall we can use you. There is something fulfilling about helping those who can never repay you.

 

We are operating with a skeleton crew.  Help us put some meat on the bones!!  Join our efforts.

 

Donate or learn more at www.coachdavelive.com or email coach@coachdavelive.com. You can mail the Coach at Pass the Salt Ministries, P.O. Box 744, Hebron, OH 43025




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