They Won't Let Me In

FROM GODVINE SITE IS HERE
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. People were filling the church to its full capacity! As they entered, each were given a bulletin filled with announcements, topic of today's sermon, what songs they would sing and who to pray for.

At the end of the line stood an older man. His clothes were filthy and you could tell that he had not bathed in days. His face was covered with whiskers, for he had not shaved for a very long time. When he reached the usher, he removed his tattered old brown hat in respect. His hair was long, dirty, and a tangled mess.
He had no shoes on his feet, and wore only soiled black socks to cover the sores upon his feet. The Usher looked at him turning up his nose at the old man and said, "Uh, I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid we can't let you in. You will distract the congregation and we don't allow anyone to disrupt our service. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

The old man looked down at himself and with a puzzled look on his face, he placed his old brown hat back upon his head and turned to leave. He was sad as he loved to hear the choir sing praises to the Lord. He loved to watch the little children get up in front of the church to sing their little songs. He carried in his pocket a small worn out Bible and loved to see if the minister preached a passage from the Bible that he had underlined. But he was respectful, and didn't want to cause any commotion, so he hung down his head and walked back down the steps of the big brick church.

He sat down on the brick wall near the edge of the church yard and strained to listen through closed doors and windows to the singing going on in the church. Oh how he wished he could be inside with all the others.

A few minutes had passed by when all of a sudden a younger man came up behind him and sat down near him. He asked the old man what he was doing?
He answered, "I was going to go to church today, but they thought I was to filthy, my clothes to old and worn, and they were afraid I would disrupt their service.

Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is George." The two men shook hands, and George couldn't help but notice that this man had long hair like his. He wore a piece of cloth draped over his body tied with a royal purple sash. He had sandals on his feet, now covered with dust and dirt.

The stranger touched George's shoulder, and said: "George, don't feel bad because they won't let you in. My name is Jesus, and I've been trying to get into this same church for years -- they won't let me in either."

"Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:2

Comments from the "Pastor"
While this is just a story much of it is based in real time, the poor and the homeless are looked down on when they come into so many churches as they are not dressed right.
 Some churches in fact bus them in on Sunday's and place them in a certain place separate from their congregation's.
Read James Chapter 2 for more on why this is wrong.
 The Gospel is for all not just for those that can afford it. Like a friend of mine who lives in another city than our Mission Church, was talking to a pastor of a church in his city to see about coming to his church, within the first minutes the pastor wanted to know how much money he made...yes really, more concerned with the size of the monthly tithe than my friends' spiritual growth.
 So many Churches look at you like well a Dummy wallet!
In fact our family had decided to go to a Feast of Tabernacles gathering in Missouri for their Feast of Tabernacles and I was told not to wear t-shirts etc and that I should go to the second hand store and buy better clothing for my boys and I, wow....people who are like this must not read their Bibles as "Yeshua" looks' at the heart and not the out ward man.
 Yes we should be as clean as possible when coming to the Father's house but we should never let out outward appearance stop us from going to a gathering of the believers nor should we even make anyone feel looked down on for coming in dressed the best way they can.....and yes Yeshua and His apostles traveled the roads so if they were to show up to modern churches just as in the story I bet they would be turned away...If you have a story or thoughts on this send them to me please @ elcm@messiahsbranch.org
In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin
 

Overflow and other blessings

Greetings,

 The family, with the two children, a newborn a baby boy, which would now be 5 weeks old and a baby girl is 16 months old, well almost 17 months now. Prayers worked for this family as we helped them to not go to the street. Yesterday we paid the deposit on a apartment that they will be able to afford when his disability kicks back in, so no street for this family a praise report.

 The people started staying over with us on Friday night which meant that they got Sabbath service. Many who had never heard me minister were very blessed by the scriptures I taught with and the lead in scriptures. My 17 year old (turns 18 next week) was able to help me explain the keys to salvation which we call R-RAT, meaning Realization that you are a sinner and in need of help, Repentance from your worldly sinful ways, Acceptance of the sacrifice Yeshua made for us (includes indwelling of the Holy Spirit) and one many churches to not teach Turning away from sin, learning what the WORD says about sin.     

These two scriptures we read each week as part of a lead in with then two of my sons giving the simple meaning.

ROMANS 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the Torah there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the Torah is the knowledge of sin.

This scripture clearly tells us that we find out what sin is by looking at the Torah, of course KJV use the word law but if you look that word up and go to the root it says Torah which is the first 5 books of the Bible.

Joshua my 17 year old “ We cannot earn our way to heaven and by looking at the Bible/Torah we know what sin is.”

HEBREWS 10:26-27 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  This scripture contains all of what we call R-RAT, remember Yeshua is the sacrifice for your sins..

Elijah my 11 year old “If you keep on doing what you know is wrong you are not going to heaven but going to the lake of fire!” very simple words that speak the truth from a child who has said this for years….if a child can understand this then clearly we can right?

I ministered to them the book of James chapter 2 about Faith and Faith without works as well as how the poor should be treated as equals with everyone. The Word tell us over and over not to have respect for persons but look at everyone the same and how it is sinful to do otherwise…Also that while we do not try and earn our way to heaven so to speak we are to have action with our faith as faith is an action word: James 2: ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Below is the whole on what I taught..
James 2
King James Version (KJV)

2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. ² For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; ³ And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: ⁴ Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? ⁶ But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? ⁷ Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

⁸ If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: ⁹ But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. ¹¹ For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

¹² So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. ¹³ For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. ¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. ²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 The people during the overflow time were always very thankful that we would stay with them and keep them safe from the below 32% temperatures at night. They were all so very thankful to have just a place on the hard floor, love real love from the sprit is a wonderful thing it can comfort the brokenhearted and tame the wild beast all though real love from HIM on high. When you help you help without-judgment a concept that man or even most just do not understand…..nor will I attempt to explain at least not right now.

 We were able to give out socks and needed cold medications though a couple of sources some came in the mail and we had a donation where I was able to go and buy some more. All in all “doing overflow” has been a success.

 Our cooler again sprung a leak and is down, the people whom fixed it before are again going to have a look at it but really even if they “fix” the leak I see the wisdom by the repair man who said “ really you just need to replace the system as it is so old” I can clearly see that now but we do not have $3,500 for that.

 We are all looking toward Thanksgiving and praying that support comes in for it, we have a couple of fears one is that the cooler will not be fixed and two that enough blankets come some way. You see for the last couple of years we have been getting blankets freely from the local emergency supply that finally after years of doing the work they realized that we deserved to get the blankets that they get freely from the government.

 When I went an got this last batch they said I could have no more until they resupplied and who knows when that will be…so we ether need to find another source for blankets this winter or pray the US government comes through…..okay which do you think will work?

 We do need your help with Mission Bills and to restock as it is a new month and last months’ electric, gas, water etc need to be paid before they double….We are entering into the Holiday season which is generally mostly the slowest donation months of the year, last year the donations dropped and have stayed pretty low due to the economy.

 Well I have much to do so I will cut this off for now, please lift us in prayer and help if you can, Oh yes this is posted online at the Pastor here

 

In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin

www.wichitahomeless.com

You can help by donatiing online or send a check or money order to Messiah's Branch, 230 west 4th street, Florence, KS 66851