As we reflect on God’s power the last 61 years, one thing that often comes to mind for us is His provision. His mighty provision to His people. Many times, people who come and see how He provides for us, they ask “How?” or “Why?”. We know that His provision is never ours to keep alone, but to share with us. That sharing creates a door of opportunity, a heart that is open, in a person who may otherwise not understand. In this message, Agnes reflects on His provision, how it came about and how it affects others. God bless!
“The Way God Provides”
As I was talking to Geri we became aware that something must be done with our children. We are aware that the anti-Christ and the new age have taken over our schools. There has to be a counter attack by God’s people or our children will be pulled down by the anti-Christ.
God has a plan; but Satan also has a plan. Satan’s plan is to starve to death two and one half billion people by the year 2000. We are now almost into the year 1992 if we are going to do anything we need to start now. We know in many countries of Africa there are thousands starving to death; this is a planned starvation. In Sudan, Ethiopia and into other areas; Uganda is so very bad.
I had a call from my friend who is the private secretary of Uganda. There is no food! Over one million children are like animals on the street with no clothes, no food or homes and there is no way to get it. We have been trying to get a container over there for months but we do not have the finances and we cannot get people to help us; they have no burden to help.
We sent a check for two hundred dollars but it did not get there and they do not know what happened. They are so desperately in need that we know people are starving to death.
In Peru they have cholera and other diseases that the president of that country is sending ships into San Diego to see if they can get medical supplies and food for their people. We realize the whole situation is very critical; but God is putting it into the hands of His people. It costs ten thousand dollars to send one container into Uganda; that is not what is inside, it is just the container. We were able to send a container and it arrived just before Christmas Gertrude cried for three days, thankful for what God had done. We need to get something to them quickly. We do not know how to do it but to pray, for there are people that have money; but we do not have time before Christmas.
We need to get something there and God has placed this burden on us. He does not ask us how many souls have been saved or how many buildings you have. He said, “I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” The thing that is on our heart is our children and the great need for the gospel to go to the world.
I was in the Philippines, which is the only Christian country and God wants to use it. The rest of the world is either heathen or Muslim. I have a book that shows how many Christians there are in each country who pray for the lost. I was shocked when I read it. We Christians say the whole world has been reached and it is time for the Lord to come but it is not true. The whole world needs to know Jesus; we need to go and preach the gospel to all of it. How will they know except by the love of God? We see the destruction of children and adults by the drugs they are bringing in.
God gave us the responsibility of this world and we can just shrug it off, “America needs help! Why should you bother with any other country?” We have to give light to other countries. The Lord gave us the revelation of Isaiah 58 and that is the responsibility of the church. He said, “Cry aloud, spare not; tell my people of their sin and their transgression.”
We talk about a gospel and if it is not centered in Him it is not laid very well. The whole gospel is to the whole man; it is not just to the spiritual man only. We are held accountable for what we do. God gave Adam the world and told him to take care of it. He created everything after its kind; how mighty it is! We see how God created everything and nothing is the same; no two animals are alike. Only God can do this!
I have had people say, “Just look at the sick people and the starving people.” Be not deceived God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows he will reap. We have to give an account to God of what we do. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal; but they are mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds of the enemy. God is asking us to take the responsibility of what God has given to us. We have to realize what God has given us to do.
We cannot say we don’t have much, for God has given us much if our heart desires to do it. If we do not care He will not hear us. We know the great need of people; but what does God want us to do about it? In every country they don’t think of God. We are facing a crisis for there are many with no food. What are we going to do about it? We can think about them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have to do something!
I am not sure how many people the Lord has us helping. We help them every week and I pray that they may have a grateful heart, for this food comes from the Lord. He supplies to us that we may be able to give it to others. We give God the glory for it.
When we started this ministry God called us to follow Isaiah 58. We will meet the needs of the people and we know that we must let the people know that the blessing comes from the Lord. It is not a handout, it is His love! We must do it. If we are giving food, we must stress that what we give you comes from God and that He loves you. When you are hungry it is hard to know that anyone loves you.
As we are learning about the food we must have a grateful heart. We must handle the food with thanksgiving. Remember when we started we had 7 people with no income. You may be wondering how you are going to do it. The Lord will do it and you will see it grow in a mighty way.
Some months back one of our distributors gave food to the poor. That is amazing! There are those that do not need it that come and get it for others. I do not know if they are Christians. This is our busiest time of the year because we are busy with the children. We gave seven thousand candies. We do not believe in Santa Claus.
I was wondering because we did not have apples and oranges and I was troubled in my spirit. I came home and I saw what the Lord had provided: one hundred fruit baskets on the table with the paper that goes with it. The boxes are up to the ceiling with gifts of women’s blouses that the manufacturer sent from Los Angeles that were sixty nine dollars each. We need to trust him!
When we started we had nothing; but I never went hungry in my life. My family went hungry and the Lord put me in another part of the country. They did not have food but the Lord took good care of me. Teresa was with me and some others were with me from the beginning. Sometimes there are empty pallets. We paid thirty dollars and part of them had trash in them so we were trained by it. We had to dig some hole and bury it for even the animals could not eat it. We threw most of it away. The Lord gave us good smellers; we try to give it out as fresh as possible. We do not throw dented cans away; we check them and use them if they are good.
When Gertrude was here they wept when they saw us throwing things away because it had bugs in it. They said they would eat it. They do not have the provision we have. We are careful that there is no food poisoning. Be careful! You do not give them any bad food. We give to the people but the people must not let it set they must use it quickly.
It was many months the Lord told me to stop getting the food. So the Lord said go to the markets and tell them; do not beg, just present it. They do help us; it is wonderful how God has opened the doors. We have gotten kiwi by the tons when we went to check it out they said, “We do not have any for all are culls; but we will still give to you the big bins.” We have a great task in front of us. God is in command and we believe that He will meet the needs of the people and that they will be blessed.
I am going to turn it over to Teresa now and once you start working do so with great joy and thanksgiving for we want to see Him the way He is. God bless you. Teresa has been with me 16 years and Terry has been with me since she was 11 years old. The Lord has trained them.
Rev. Agnes I. Numer
November, 21 1991
