HOMECOMING

                             
                                                                  HOMECOMING

    Sometimes your real values in life don't become apparent until you have to make a very difficult choice. In the process you also learn things about the manner in which our society works. It may be that you only know you made the correct decision when you have the feeling of peace that Jesus spoke about. Did you ever notice in scripture that Christ and the disciples often used "peace" as a greeting?

    The subject of this message, "homecoming", is the update on this ministry's ongoing problem with the tax sale and cattle drive. The title is appropriate because we had to deal with both subjects, and a determination had to be made on priority. The learning I mentioned concerns the tricky new ways our legal experts and businesses have
changed the meaning of our legal system. I'll go over that after you get just the basic detail of homecoming.

    Last week some of our foundation breeding cattle came home. Not all were there because the veterans' organization lost one of the cows to pneumonia over the winter. The other four are okay, but in need of groceries. The two cows and the heifer are bred, so it is extremely important they receive extra care immediately. More details will follow, but the story of getting our priorities straight deals with how we consider our personal values.

    When the county notified us by letter that our contract with Project Eden Prattsburgh had been cancelled, we were jolted to reality that our taxes wouldn't be paid and our cattle were gone. We were never kept in the loop concerning payments to the county or welfare of the cattle. The county told us the last payment they received was in March, and
it was for the month of January. The Project Eden Prattsburgh never  kept us informed, so we assumed everything was okay. Get used to that word "assumed". Try to never use it. The county treasurer told us the contract was not only cancelled, but could not be replaced by a similar contract for a period of three years. Now the full taxes for the current year would have to be paid before we could work on trying to settle the cancelled contract. The cost for taxes was now beyond the total price of the cattle.

    Since we couldn't do anything about the taxes, our attention immediately focused on the well-being of the cattle. They could be shipped to market; a distinct possibility because the price of beef has gone sharply up. They would not bring anywhere near their breeding value, but the money would  still be a bonus since the contract was already voided. We called the state police to see if we could get a safety escort to bring the cattle home. We were surprised to learn we not only could not get the cattle, but we could be kicked off the property as trespassers. Although we had the registration papers proving ownership, we did not have the legal right to possess the cattle because they were in the vets' possession. When I studied some law to be able to do paralegal work for disadvantaged people who came to the ministry for assistance, procedures were somewhat changed. That is why it's so easy for the car repossession workers to take back cars. It must now be written into contracts that the person possessing the car can't prevent the real owner (bank, car dealer, etc.) from taking the car back. The same holds true for just about anything. You must have a signed statement or clause in the original contract GIVING YOU PERMISSION to reclaim property you own.

    Fortunately none of the legal cases we worked on were of the property type, and we were able to obtain satisfactory results. Our legal system has become as mixed up as our religious system. The lesson and warning here is that nothing in any agreement is "fail safe". Please note your contract for salvation with Christ is not written on paper and involves the condition of your heart, not necessarily your mouth. The spiritual realm deals in total truth and honesty. A second lesson is that in most states, you actually only rent your property from the government, because if you don't pay your taxes they sell it out from under you. Your local officials are the ones doing this most of the time. The people you elect on the local level take many more properties than the state or federal governments.

    The State Policeman was very helpful in explaining the manner in which the laws have changed. He also telephoned the vet organization and spoke with the founder who signed the contract. We could not contact anyone at Project Eden by phone or email. The policeman was told the vets had just made a payment. There was absolutely no truth in that statement. The January payment didn't arrive at the county until mid-March, and nothing was sent after that. We have always supported veteran organizations, but I guess we have been too trusting. There will be a message later on how some of these organizations work. For some people, this is a way to make a living, much like some of the ministries. And, it's a pretty good living.

    Now we knew we would have to obtain an attorney to chart how to  proceed and determine the costs. Obviously we couldn't afford an attorney if we couldn't pay the taxes. Here was another learning experience. Do not make the mistake of blaming the secular world for all our (your) troubles. It was the secular world that provided the help we needed at this point. The Services to the Aging steered us to an attorney for consultation at no cost. We had agreed before meeting with him that our top priority was the return and welfare of the cattle. The tax sale was months away, but the cattle could be gone already. 

    The attorney was very helpful and agreed to send a letter to the vets releasing them from the tax contract if they returned the cattle. If this didn't work, we would face filing and attorney expenses to take the organization to court. The Veterans Administrations refused to do anything because it was a veteran (me) versus a veterans' organization.
That was similar to the help I received from a VA hospital, and why I was a survivor thanks to God and His direction to a wonderful hospital. More on that later, too.

    This assistance assured us we had made the correct choice, because God told us the taxes would be paid anonymously. There was still time for that, but the cattle must be taken care of immediately. We had no idea how much money our appeal for help had been generated, but the vets said they were unable to raise the $436 monthly payment and buy feed. We had been able to raise the down payment to begin the contract. Either Project Eden Prattsburgh received very little if any donations, or they  used the money for other purposes. From our experiences, at least half of the donations were from un-churched people, many of whom were not saved Christians. Meanwhile, the amount of unpaid taxes increases with added penalties and interest, not to mention the current year's
taxes added to the total. At last check, it was over $13,000.

    It was not easy to set the cattle as the top priority, but they represent 30 years' work in genetics by experts to establish foundation animals, and the animals are a basic part of the ministry. We have seen broken hearts healed through the companionship of people with animals. These cattle enabled us to "buy" time to pray that people who could afford to help us raise tax money would provide support. Yet this secular legal assistance was a blessing that came after something that occurred over 40 years ago. That was when services to the aging was organizing county chapters to assist the elderly. That began with providing hot lunches for senior citizens and meals on wheels. The Montour County commissioners appointed me to a board that organized that agency chapter  and I had
the honor of giving the dedication prayer at one of the sites when it  opened. 

    Some denominations teach that doing good works will bring you material blessings, but don't warn that Satan may try to punish and discourage you. Check scripture and note what happened to Paul and many of the characters in the four Gospels. There were some people in the community who resented our work, and upon learning of my appointment to the committee, they managed to have my occupational tax assessment raised. This was a no pay, no reimbursement position. It was free community service. I "thanked" the commissioners for the appointment, and they were infuriated. The assessor was a good friend of a jealous neighbor. The commissioner chairman took care of that "error". There was no money involved, so there was no way an  occupational assessment could be raised. You need to do good works to justify your commitment and faith. Just don't be fooled into thinking a blessing won't also mean a visit from Satan. That's when you have to
stand up and resist as scripture directs. You may be wounded in the battle, but you shouldn't give up.

    We surmise many people will consider us stupid to place the  cattle as more important than our property which includes our home. If we didn't follow God's leading of the Holy Spirit, I wouldn't be here writing this today. My physical problems provided a major learning experience through many people. It brought me insight to situations and areas I would not otherwise have experienced. You don't learn this kind of stuff in college. When something seems to be a setback, it does no good to despair. God is in control and He has a plan. If we are not in tune with Him, it is our fault for not being able to communicate
with Him. We need to listen more and repress our human desires to enable God to convey His explanations and directions to us. It's not about ME, friends, it's about WE. When it's WE, it's you and God. When it's ME, you stand alone. Think about that when you need to make a decision. 

    I haven't quoted scripture in this message as I usually do, but if you read the bible at all, you'll know where the appropriate directions are from. When we prayed about the cattle/taxes problem, it was clear to us that taxes would somehow be paid. We are still praying for support, and donations should not go to Project Eden Prattsburgh or Johnnys
New Hope. We discovered that Johnnys New Hope refused to honor  the commitment (contract) with Project Eden Prattsburgh and were not involved in raising funds for them. At least that's what Joshua Watkins, the Johnnys New Hope leader said. Although his website listed Project Eden Prattsburgh as an "affiliate", that apparently is not exactly a complete story. A friend who works for a large corporation that matches charitable gifts, made a donation after Watkins told us he was not accepting donations for the cattle drive. This friend told johnnysnewhope about the matching gift possibility, but never received a response. You'd think they would be eager for a matching gift.

    As it stands, we lost a foundation cow who was with calf and have to to get the other animals in condition to deliver calves this summer. They could calve by the Fourth of July, so every day is important. We consider our loss of the cow/calf a sacrifice. We have been blessed to get the animals back. Contributions should be sent directly to Faith Walk
Ministry at 4258 County Route 14, Canisteo, NY 14823. For people who donated previously to Project Eden Prattsburgh or Johnnysnewhope, we give out thanks, even though the money probably was spent  elsewhere.

    Stay tuned for the next chapter on how the taxes are paid. They will be paid, you know. Our ministry is not affiliated with any denomination or group. We only owe allegiance to Jesus Christ and God. The Holy Spirit is our workman, and yours, too. Obedience brings blessings.

Rev. Walbear

To see how the taxes were paid, go here----  http://faithtracks.blogspot.com/2014/06/tax-sale.html