The Circuit Rider
Many of you may not know what a circuit rider was/is, or what role circuit riders had/have in performing the Lord's work. February is an important month in the Lord's long term plan. We enjoy Valentines Day, which is all about love. That's what John tells us in 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." February marks the birthdays of George Washington, father of our country, and Abraham Lincoln, who guided the nation in freeing slaves. Let's forget the shameful fact that our pious leaders took almost 100
years from adopting the Constitution to actually freeing slaves, and many "equal" citizens were freed by a civil war.
In the early years of our nation we were a rural dominated nation, with much of our population living far from each other in the wide open spaces, especially in the Midwest and west. There were churches and ministers in the villages, towns and cities, but the
isolated rural folk frequently were not able to attend a church. Riding to fill this gap were circuit riders--men who could teach the Word of God and perform services such as baptisms, marriages and funerals. They had no home church, and their method of transportation was a sturdy horse. They traveled a vast distance through lonely country
to reach pioneer families. Most families he visited would not see any other minister until this circuit rider would return on his route.
Most families he visited were poor, and could not afford to pay him with money. They paid him with some good hot meals, by fixing his equipment, giving his horse some serious care, and, most importantly, by treating him with deep respect. In some places, this riding minister was known as the "sky pilot", recognizing his mission to lead people to salvation and faith.
This history lesson fits right in with the 30th anniversary of Faith Walk Ministry. February marks our 30th year in the service of our Lord. We have been modern day circuit riders, although we did not plan it that way. If we listen and obey, God uses us to accomplish his plan. We do have a choice, and we can either follow His direction or choose our own path. Our dreams have to be His dreams, not necessarily our desire or preference.
My family's experiences as "insiders" in the organized church gave us some understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the church world. Some churches and congregations are very active in taking care of social issues, but frequently in rural and poor areas, the needs are much greater and can't be met. Finances and lack of
man/woman power prevent assistance for the needy. This was/is the situation in our area. We're not talking about people who are lazy or on the dole. Most of these people are really trying to lift themselves up. Job losses, illness, age and physical problems were/are the
major reasons for the problems. Sometimes these situations resulted in depression, compounding the problem.
We knew of the healing possibilities of pet influence, and opened up our farm to enable troubled people to bond with an animal or two. All animals on our farm are people friendly--we don't have to chase them to catch them, they come to us for treats and petting. That
includes small animals as well as horses and cows. We do not have regular help, so taking care of the livestock is both a labor and financial challenge. We've had schools and church groups visit the animals and make new friends.
From the beginning, we realized our work would not be a financial success. From my experiences in denominational colleges and churches, I needed to make a hard choice. To receive support from an organized church, we would have to follow some man-made rules of that denomination. Many of the people we wound up helping had bad experiences with the organized churches and it was difficult to separate their experience from the real teaching of scripture. This reinforced our mission--a faith walk leaves faith tracks. If you're on a troubled path, just find and follow the faith tracks.
Before Anita (my wife) went back to work to support our ministry, we had served as a temporary "hotel" for people needing an emergency place to stay. It was not unusual to get a knock at the door at midnight from someone "stranded" out in the country. We
even housed a missionary for a time who had lost the financial support of his denomination. At times a situation could prove humorous, as when a deliveryman driving a tanker truck ran out of gas by our barn, He was embarrassed to tell us he had emptied
the tanker, but forgot his own tank. We always had gasoline on hand, because the need by travelers was more often than you would think. There were instances when people had battery or tire problems, and we are located 10 miles in each direction from any business to help.
There never was any charge for this help, because like the Good Samaritan in the Gospels, we are here to serve, not charge. Farming is not an easy occupation to turn a profit, and without Anita's income, we could not have continued. My major help came from our daughter, Helga, who is a whiz with animals. She has been deeply involved with
animal rescue and emergency training. She has a degree in health administration, but does not work in that field. She uses her knowledge to counsel people on how to get medical help through the maze of paperwork. There is never any fee or charge.
A time consuming part of our ministry, especially now, is spent in counseling. Much of it is done by telephone because we reach people who do not live close by. We offer neuthetic (Christian) counseling, which differs substantially from secular counseling. This has become Anita's major work. Frequently people tell us they began counseling, but had to stop because of the cost. We were surprised to learn the cost of counseling by some churches. We do not push conversion nor denomination. We offer both the plan of salvation and the obligations of a saved person. This is based on scripture, especially the Gospels and the parables as taught by Christ. Apparently few of our leaders, especially in the church, believe or follow Christ's teaching. I met and talked with many people (patients, care givers and physicians) while undergoing health treatments and surgery over a 10 month period. I consider myself blessed not to have the problems of many of these people. Our church leaders need to study scripture and understand many of these people cannot provide for their needs. I'm tired of hearing the repeated statement one pastor of a very affluent church said, "I'll teach them to fish, and they won't have to come
begging for fish (food)." He needs to spend time as I did, among people who weren't even able to fish.
Having studied some law before pursuing other fields of study, both my wife and I (she was a magistrate) have offered pro bono legal help for the poor. When charged with an offense, they may get attorney representation through a public defender. This is how that doesn't work: most public defenders usually present plea bargains. Only in rare or high profile cases do public defenders perform as depicted on television. If the plea bargain is not accepted, the district attorney will schedule a trial. Of course the public defender has already chosen to believe the plea bargain. That means the charged person actually
does not have independent counsel. It's guilty until proven innocent. In our pro bono work, we traveled many miles, and did the leg work to get the facts of these cases. Sometimes the evidence we found resulted in cases being dropped. Sometimes they went to court, and we had to retain an attorney. We have had a spotless record, and thank the Holy Spirit for providing the outcome. I served on a Grand Jury, and had the opportunity to observe the "good" cases as well as the "bad". Most of the cases I heard were quite easy to decide, but occasionally there was a bad rap. No system is perfect, but we have
placed expedience ahead of justice.
Teaching in the public school system showed me the joy that comes from watching someone experience the "light bulb" effect when the solution becomes clear. I always enjoy writing the messages we post, and the messages I pass on to other pastors and teachers. I do not use an outline, nor do I make many changes in the first writing. The Holy
Spirit is my guide, and if I err, it is my human weakness to blame. He makes writing messages enjoyable and educational for me.
We truly believe we have done God's bidding over the past 30 years, and in so doing have learned the meaning of abundance, as so many pastors and leaders don't understand. Luke 12:15 warns us of the real meaning of abundance as explained by Christ. And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for 0ne's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." When, for a time, I was not certain I would be coming home, I realized the things I had in abundance. They were my wife of 50 years, my daughter, my dog who recognized my voice on the phone, and my little black cat that also recognized my voice. Then, there are the people who have contributed to my substance and education, and the many animals who exhibited
loyalty and companionship.
Folks, do not be led astray by the common teaching that abundance is taught in scripture to mean money and the "good life". Read all the verses in Matt. 25:14-30. I stress "all the verses", because I want you to see that Christ did not teach how to gain material wealth, but that material wealth must be gained honestly. Note especially verse 26, where the lord (rich man) ADMITTED he cheated to gain his wealth. If you're still not convinced, turn to Luke 19:11-27. You may not understand the connection between Matthew's explanation of money and Luke's explanation of power or influence. Money is power, and power is money. If you have any doubt, consider the outrageous fund raising in American politics. Luke's warning tells us the nobleman sought support not with money, but rather through the influence of community and city leaders. By putting them in charge of groups, he knew they would do whatever they could to hold leadership, through money, patronage, or fear. It works. Look at North Korea or books of the Old Testament. Those
who don't fall in line suffer the consequences--Luke 19:27. In North Korea, they were executed. That is drastic, but in more civilized parts of the world, there are other ways such as job demotions, firings or being ostracized.
I know some of you will not agree with my explanation of abundance or the scriptures I quoted, but after 30 years, I understand 2 Cor. 8:13-15. "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack." When God calls, you can't take money or possessions with you. All you can take is your record and a heart that placed Him above everything else. We believe Faith Walk Ministry is fulfilling that mission.
Rev. Walbear
