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

VALLEY TREK

                                                                  VALLEY TREK

    How about we take a trek through a life expanding valley as another Summer has finally arrived? I've been told this trip is quite difficult, and it has to be on foot. Preparations must be carefully made, and since some of the trip may be dangerous, we will need a rock-solid guide. Others who have traveled this route tell me I'll learn a great deal about myself by the journey's end. So...come along with me.

    I have in hand the traveler's guide, a complete volume of directions, including pitfalls to expect along the way. As you probably have easily guessed, a pastor/preacher's guidebook is the bible. That means our guide is non other than Jesus
Christ. He has outlined the minimum requirements to be able to complete the journey. Very carefully consider the three major steps needed to conquer this walk.

    The first step is belief. Almost every person in the physical world has some kind of belief. Every religion has a god, idol, or something on which they believe. Satan is also a believer, and can quote scripture. As a Christian, belief gets you nothing that other believers don't have, except you have accepted Christ's  gift of salvation with a commitment by heart and mouth. This is  the introduction to the "real thing." You can pray and expect answers and miracles. However, unless you are fine tuned to the next step, you may not get the result you desire. The path of belief narrows to the direction Christ sends us.

    Belief in Christ is on the path that passes right by a pit that will claim those who have chosen to follow some other supreme being or object. Christ sacrificed Himself to cover our sins, and opened the door to eternal life. No one or nothing else has done that. He rose from the dead and will return to preside over the world. 

    Now the path gets more narrow, as be approach a very  complex intersection. This is the crossroad of faiths. Nearly everyone who believes is quick to tell us they have "faith."
This seems to be a favorite claim by people who desire to easily convince you they are part of a special group. Faith is a term that is much overused. People say they have faith they will win a game, or complete a puzzle or problem. They also say they have faith to go with belief. Christian faith requires more than words. Let's examine how Christ explains faith and the manner to "weigh" it.

    Matt. 17:20 gives us a measuring standard, "if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you." A mustard seed is very tiny. That means a small amount of faith must be pretty powerful, right? There is a "trick" here, because it is extremely difficult to concentrate and focus on something of consequence. Any doubt in your mind cancels out your faith. Prayers may not be answered because you have some degree of doubt in your mind. Faith is not just a word; it is a spiritual condition.

    We've come this far on our walk through the valley, and now we need to listen to how we are prepared by our guide for the remainder of our walk. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not  want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake." (Psalm 23, verses 1-3)

    After this encouragement, Christ prepares us and guides us on our walk. (Palm 23: 4 through 6) "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare 
a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever."

    Friends, if you follow these steps in sincerity, you can expect not only safety, but prayers to be answered and miracles to occur. Belief and faith are validated through a full commitment to Christ through heart and soul. The spiritual world does not operate on
words alone, because that is for the physical world. The condition of your heart when you say the words determines your spiritual commitment.

    Faith Walk Ministry is nondescript in size, but scripture has delivered miracles. Size of a congregation or individual oratory do not necessarily bring success. Your mouth may not always tell the truth, but you can't misrepresent your heart. When the Holy Spirit gives you a message or "nudges" you, God is telling you something. What you do about His message is His measure of your faith. James 2:20 warns us, "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

    There are many people, including church leaders and preachers, who profess they have seen or been part of miracles. Many people actually don't believe in miracles. There is good reason, because so many miracle claims are false. Claims of healing are sometimes
difficult to prove. If you practice Christianity as Christ teaches in the Four Gospels, you have probably discovered that generosity and compassion are frequently missing in the recipient of your good intentions. 

    This has happened many times to Faith Walk, but you should know that your generosity and help to others is recorded by God. You may feel betrayed and hurt when this happens. Take heart, friends, because if you are really committed to Christ, you have a blessing reserved in heaven for your effort. Some of these blessings may even come to you on earth. Herein we again see belief and faith right before our eyes. Matt. 10:16 says, in part,
"Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

Rev. Walbear

TAX SALE

                                                                       TAX SALE              

    This message could provide a copy of the Faith Walk property tax sale in the list of county properties to be auctioned off at the delinquent tax sale. The current taxes also must be paid, so it is really a sale that requires payment for three years' taxes. I could
give you the sale list, but I won't right now. When you begin a serious meeting, the host generally tells a humorous story to set the people more at ease. They say when a person is born, he/she is given an allotment of words to be used in a lifetime. Women are
believed to talk more than men, so they are given a larger  allotment of words. The conclusion is that women usually live longer than men so they can use up their allotment of words. Yes, friends, I'm supposed to be a bible teacher, not a comedian. But at least I try.

    Back to what I could write about the tax sale if I would, but I won't. That's because I can't. There was no tax sale of Faith Walk property. God told us the taxes would be paid, and He does what He says. The county's deputy treasurer was stunned to receive the three years' taxes anonymously. This is a secular office--a hated government facility, not a Christian organization. She had heard of things like this happening, but this was her first experience to see it actually happen. She did not see the donor, who was really
 anonymous. How was that for a Christian witness?

    We are thankful for the anonymous donor, and also to others who have contributed to help Faith Walk Ministry. Help given a ministry is a Christian's justification. The material help combines with prayer in earning a Christian reward or credit in eternity. Faith Walk usually receives very little cash, but people provide material help such as an appliance, food and physical labor. The latter was extremely vital when Anita had to assume full responsibility for the farm, livestock and ministry while I was hospitalized. My daughter was my "private nurse", even while I was in the hospital and undergoing therapy. We
are admonished to raise our children properly, and they become a treasure later in life.

    Getting the cattle home as quickly as possible and the pending tax sale gave us a double dilemma. We had some time left to raise tax money, but the cattle could be slaughtered. The money the cattle represented would not be paid to the county, so theoretically the cattle were virtually a free bonus. We began to work on getting the
cattle home, and knew we had made the right choice because God told us the taxes would be paid. That, too, was a witness to the attorney who was provided by a secular government agency. 

     We understand that some people, including Christians, will doubt our stories. Friends, if you do, and want proof, we'll provide the names and contact numbers of these people. After all, Thomas was a doubter, and he studied under Christ. In fact, none of those around Christ were able to fully understand Christ's teaching. We're not about to suggest
that God will speak to everyone. There are all sorts of people who  make strange claims about hearing from God. You have to know how to hear from Him, and not confuse your personal desires with thinking these desires meet His approval. It ain't easy. 

    Some think we were not good stewards of God's provision--the farm and cattle. We've heard many Christians say they want to be good businessmen. There's nothing wrong with that as long as Christ and His teaching come first. Unfortunately, business usually is measured by profit and loss, with little consideration or compassion for people. We also hear people say God wants you to have abundance. Here, again, abundance usually means money. There are many uses for money, and that doesn't necessarily mean tithes. If you are a well-read Christian you know we are not under a strict tithing law. This is the age of grace, not law, which took Christ to the cross. That doesn't mean tithing is wrong; it means that it alone does not satisfy your obligation to God. It also doesn't mean the Ten Commandments are no longer valid. And, don't forget Christ's Eleventh Commandment.

    God gave us the farm and registered animals, and we were to be the stewards. Then He added strays and unwanted animals, even a cow or two. They all needed care, and many became wonderful animals and/or pets. Part of our bible training included counseling,
and we soon found some hurting people could be helped through companionship with the animals. When we placed a high priority on the cattle, it was because of our responsibility to stewardship. These animals have an important role in the ministry. They are the subject
of a book we prepared a number of years ago.

    While the anonymous donor was someone familiar with our ministry's work, the attorney who helped us get the cattle back and the other government people were part of the secular world. We have to understand that God is in control of the entire world, and Christians make up only a small part of the population. Matt. 5:45 tells us "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Sometimes secular people can help you when Christians don't. This is our second experience where the veterans' organization failed to help. We're not condemning them, but we have seen some bad management and some lower level workers who are there only for a generous paycheck. Many people brag about patriotism and carry flags, but when it's time to help vets, it becomes a matter of money and their personal pocketbook. None of our modern day presidents or the current Congress have a handle on veteran care. In fact, Congress is looking to cut expenditures now, in the face of a growing number of casualties from ongoing "wars".

    There are loads of "feel good' inspirational stories in publications and in presentations by religious and motivational speakers. These have a purpose, but I fear some people are seriously hurt by outcomes that don't answer prayers. When we first began the ministry, we encountered many unchurched people who had been turned off by hypocrisy by both leaders and church members. While I am ordained, we never became affiliated with any denomination. We've found that denominational rules prove divisive. There is one Christ and one church.

    I have guest preached for many denominations, and found a common problem among them. Too much emphasis is placed on denominational doctrine, and not enough time is spent studying the very Words of Christ. There is no one denomination "better" than others. If the unadulterated Word of Christ is preached and followed, there will not be division within the denominations. I've preached before Catholics and Protestants.
The Word of God does not vary. Christ warns us about this in Luke 9:49,50. "Now John answered and said, 'Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow  with us." But Jesus said to him, 'Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.'" 

    The feel good syndrome led me to shorten a speaking engagement at a Full Gospel Businessmen's gathering. I was invited to tell about the  miracle of finding and acquiring Faith Walk farm. I was seated at the head table next to a man who was a traveling representative for a major company. During the dinner he "bent my ear" with his prowess of leading people to salvation. He would pick up hitch hikers, and when he delivered
them to the drop off point, every one was saved. His bragging to me spoiled the dinner. When I began my address, God told me to tell the gathering they were interested in "big" miracles, but they were ignoring small every-day miracles. After I had spoken for a few minutes, this man passed me a note to speed up my presentation. He wanted to hear the
"big story." My blood ran cold, because he was not admonishing me to ignore God's routine blessings; he was rejecting the presence of God in people's every day lives.

    1 Sam. 6:7 explains this man's attitude. "And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me." God was telling me that this man represented the gathering, and they were only interested in the bells and whistles of my story. I did speed up my address, but I did not tell them about the miracle they expected. When my wife and I left, we found the
books I mentioned above were taken (stolen) from the display. This was not a good reflection on full gospel teaching or businessmen. We have never published more copies of the book.

    I was reluctant to write about the cattle and tax sale because of experiences such as this. There are so many people who know of our problems that deserve to know the glory of God. We want Christians and others to expect answers to prayer. It must be understood that words alone frequently will not provide the solution you want. Christ  was a person of action as well as words. God expects the same from you and me. Faith and works go together. The word "Good" should always preface Works. Faith Walk Ministry will continue as long as the Lord directs and people need and heed the glory of Christ.

Rev. Walbear

AWESOME DAY--PART 2

                                                            AWESOME DAY, PART 2

    It's a terrible thing to make a historical error when you actually lived through that particular time period, but that's exactly what I did in the Awesome Day message. I'll tell you why in advance, and then get to the details. One thing that should be added is the
role of the Navajo code talkers. The last surviving member of that heroic group died this week.

    World War II began in December, 1941, and by the time D Day arrived in June of 1944, to most of us it seemed the war had been going on for years and years--forever to those of us in primary school. For more than 2.5 years, the daily newscasts and newspapers had lead stories about progress or loss in the war. By D Day in 1944, it was difficult to find a family or friend in your neighborhood who was not touched by the war. I was eight years old, not six, and in the third grade, not the first. Every one of us lived and breathed the war from day to day.

    We had practice air raid blackouts, rationing of consumer goods, no new civilian vehicles, strict gas rationing, few if any tires and all kinds of rules to support the war effort. The practice air raid preparations scared us kids, and lots of adults, too. Germany had developed the "buzz" bomb, a forerunner of jets. These bombs would be released by Germany and directed to the broad area of London. No one--not even the Germans--knew where they would fall. When they ran out of fuel, they would fall and destroy that area. People had to go to air raid shelters when the sirens went off. You never knew if you would be in the target area.

    There was a continuing search for spies, because the axis was clever in using Germans who could speak English fluently, many of whom had been educated in our colleges. Citizens of German descent were careful not to speak German, and Japanese-Americans were moved to detention camps. After all, their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor was a vicious and treacherous act. You did not criticize the government, because we all
understood that WE had to be part of the war effort or WE would be part of retraining to speak German or Japanese and work for them, not for us.

    Today, there is only a small number of citizens touched by men and women going off to war. Veterans are recognized on special occasions, but most people don't really become personally involved. Our "peerless" leaders seem to designate soldiers as cannon fodder, worrying about the cost of equipping and caring for them. Our leaders want to cut costs,
so military pay, supplies and care are a prime target. Officials don't want to recognize injuries or health problems, and banks are quick to seize homes, many illegally. 

    In World War II, young men and women had a very strong feeling of real patriotism. A draft dodger or conscientious objector was ostracized and despised. Young men quit school to volunteer, some as young as 15. It wasn't long after the war ended that the feeling of patriotism seemed to die. Young people made all kinds of excuses not to serve their country, and now it seems they're all too busy planning their careers. Decisions by our Congress and presidents appear to be based on "freedom", but when all is said and done, it's the military and industrial complex and corporate profit that rules. Human losses are only collateral damage.

     Ironically, the original American people, the American Indians, couldn't even vote during the war years. The code work by the Navajo Indian marines was a major reason we defeated the Japanese. The African Americans were not originally accepted in the military until towards the end of the war. When the white American leaders became desperate to win the war instead of losing it, these citizens made a difference.

    We are far enough removed from the days of World War II that our citizens have lost track of the real meaning of freedom. Some leaders in my age group still remember how "good" it was before discrimination was actually recognized and addressed. Many young people didn't gain any of that life and death experience, and focus on their personal wants and unbiblical principles. 

    I thank the gentlemen who pointed out my historical error. I suppose I'll forget my birthday next. The mistake did enable me to point out some things that weren't in the original message. For all those who say we're a Christian nation, I'm not holding my breath until I see evidence that our leaders are following their supposed leader and teacher, Jesus Christ.

    Meanwhile, Luke 12:48 concludes "for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required, and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." Americans set the standard during World War II. Something has happened along the way.

Rev. Walbear