"How's A Work To Survive?"

OING through tough times seems to have been a hallmark of this work, in order to bring you an ongoing publication of wisdom and truth unequaled in this hedonistic, war-bent age of self-righteous rebellion against the Creator's laws of peace and lasting prosperity.

    If this were a profit-oriented work, there would be no difficulty recruiting workers to help with the tasks at hand.   All it would require is paying them a share of the business profits, which in turn would bring in more profits (assuming their work was at least satisfactory), which would fund additional workers to grow the business.

    Today one of the lowest professions on the pay scale appears to be the common field laborer, whose work is seasonal and itinerant (causing the workers to travel from place to place).   Yet the analogy the Savior used to describe those He calls to work in the field of this world, toward the spiritual harvest of His soon-coming Kingdom, is that of the common day laborer (Matthew 20:1).

    It is not without cause that, for several decades now, I have characterized myself as an "itinerant minister" of the "scattered Congregation of Yahvsave" by way of a sign posted on the front door of wherever our family has lived over the years, as we struggled to survive without income -- or with practically no income -- as I went about seeking to do our Father's business.

    Perhaps the only other line of work that would compare, today, is that of the proverbial starving artist who works to fulfill their passion in spite of the poverty of little or no income.   Since I first sought to be employed in the business of being a fine, then graphic, and finally a commercial and animation artist, my failed business endeavors in that direction in my early years (1968-1974), and later as an unpaid radio DJ briefly, and then a struggling radio, TV, stage and computer programming performer (1975-1985) was good training for the path in life I was chosen to follow.

    Putting my life into print is certainly a form of public spectacle, and it is one that rarely pays well, in the effort to teach others the less traveled, persecuted ("narrow," Strong's Concordance Greek Dictionary listing #2346, thlibo) path strewn with obstacles ("strait," Strong's Greek Dictionary listing #4728, stenos) that leads to life, which few dare to travel (Matthew 7:14).

    Though this is the type of work for which I have experienced a great deal of zeal and earnest devotion (from the Latin devovere, to descend from a vow) over the years, it has nevertheless been a difficult choice to devote or give the precious resource of the time which is my life over to something that does not always help put food on the table or clothing on our children.

    That's due to the simple fact that it takes truly rare individuals, who are willing to devote (sacrifice) their worldly resources on a regular basis to support and fund such a work, and these type of people are, today, almost as rare as hen's teeth it seems.

    Of course, the same people who wouldn't devote any ongoing portion of "their" salaries (given to them by the very Creator they thus spurn) to support such a ministry, complain the loudest about the confusing glut of nonsense and religious heresy that abounds today.   The old saying "you get back what you give" comes immediately to mind in relation to this situation.

    If you give nothing, how much will you cherish the truly valuable spiritual pearls that are freely given, yet at great cost to the laborer whose pay awaits the end of the harvest day (Matthew 10:8; 13:44-46; 20:8)?

    (Here's an example of that wisdom: Did you ever notice how many valuable pearls -- such as these particular parables of the Messiah Yahvsave -- are found only in this first book of the so-called "new testament" scripture, for which we owe a great deal of thanks to the Apostle MattithYahv, whose name means: "Gift of Yahveh" appropriately enough?)

    Over the years I had hoped that some of my eight children would heed the Spirit's call to join in this work, and lend a helping hand.   I suppose the oldest, who have left home already, cannot be blamed for seeking some of the world's luring but fleeting treasure instead.

    Where they have fallen short of the Kingdom's glory, promised to those who will devote themselves to this spiritual work, is in also failing to give back that portion of "their" income that belongs to Creator Yahveh, and is intended to fund His ministry on this earth, and have thereby robbed Creator Yahveh by forsaking His chosen servant (Malachi 3:8).

    It is apparent that only spiritually converted individuals are capable of obedience in this difficult age in which government taxation and corporate greed take so much and leave us with so little of our hard work and efforts on which to live.   But the rapacious nature of these forces only exists due to the hardness of our hearts toward obeying the commandment to bring His tithe into His house, so that there will be meat on the table of His servants, who labor in His service today.

    As several of the Apostles, and Paul's faithful companion and fellow-laborer Luke, conveyed the Messiah's message: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.   Ask the Sovereign of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2) and: "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!   They are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35).

    This last verse brings tears to my eyes, when I read the account of the Samaritan woman at the well, with whom Messiah Yahvsave had just had a conversation (John 4:7-26), who then hurriedly told the people in her town and encouraged them to come and learn from Him (verses 28-29), who -- even as He spoke these remarkable words to His astonished disciples -- doubtless pointed to the Samaritan towns folk then crossing the field, hurrying toward them (verse 30).

    How I long and pray for such a harvest to be prepared in this age!

    Continuing with this incredible account, the Savior's disciples (students, pupils) urged Him to eat something.   And Yahvsave's reply was: "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (John 4:31-32).

    When the disciples wondered aloud if anyone else had brought Him food, He continued to teach them a valuable spiritual lesson in sacrificing to accomplish the spiritual harvest before us: "'My food' said Yahvsave, 'is to do the will of Him who sent me and to do His work'" (verse 33-34).

    Is this your most important "food" in this otherwise senseless age of insatiable appetites?

    Do you seek to do the Father's work, in the fields that are growing ripe toward the harvest?   How many lives will be saved from destruction by your efforts of support on behalf of that work?

    The Savior sent His disciples to reap what others -- the patriarchs and prophets of old -- had worked hard to provide (John 4:36-38).   And the result was that: "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did'" (verse 39), and when the Samaritans coming to meet Him across the field urged Him to stay with them, He remained and taught them for two days, "And because of His words many more became believers" (verses 40-41).

    "They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world'" (verse 42).

    My life would be complete, meaningful and well-lived if I could have a hand in bringing about just such a harvest in this day and age.   But I may only be commissioned to water the seeds our Father plants, while others will reap the benefits of the harvest from my labor.

    It may not seem like much to look at, from afar, but the harvest of this age could be substantially larger than any achieved in the first century, just as the fall harvest is by far more substantial than the spring or summer harvests (although this may actually be the "summer harvest" upcoming, with the "fall harvest" coming at the end of the thousand-year millennial Kingdom on earth).

    You are invited to join my efforts to reach out and touch the hearts of those who must be prepared for the stressful time of tribulation and winnowing of the harvest that lie immediately ahead of us.

    Your regular contributions will also help bring joy to the hearts of those of us who have struggled through poverty and adversity to make this work possible.   And in so doing you will be storing up your treasure in heaven, toward the coming Kingdom, where your kindness and generosity will be well rewarded (Matthew 6:20-21, 13:44-46, 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 12:32-34, 18:22).

    This may seem like a hard, or difficult, thing to do.   But there are far worse things the ungenerous and stingy will be forced to endure when our wrathful and vengeful Sovereign returns to demand the fruits of His vineyard from the servants to whom He has entrusted it (Matthew 21:38-44; Mark 12:7-11; Luke 20:14-18).

    Your generous, regular and dependable tithes and offerings are necessary for this work to grow and thrive.   They are like the nutrients from the fertile soil needed to grow a bumper harvest, for they help us reach out to others with the timely, urgent and much-needed message of The Pure Truth Restored.

    Even a "widow's mite," regularly given, would go a long way toward helping us in this difficult service and work of the Spirit, when you join those precious few who are our fellow-servants in the Messiah today.

    You can use the handy PayPal donate link on the front page to send your donations, or you can mail a check or money order to: The PURE TRUTH Restored, c/o Lock Box 126, Hamilton, Texas [76531].

    Why not do it today, while it's fresh on your mind?