A Rabbit Trail For Inspection And Observation
God is a Master Teacher, and everything throughout life is about instruction and learning. We do not want to be negligent in sharing this story about the Olive Branch Church, because we feel it holds some valuable lessons and eternal truths that are important for all of us to embrace. There are always two sides to every story! We are portraying our side of the story as it happened and appeared to us, while we were homeless.
Pastors and church leaders, homelessness can happen to anyone, at anytime. As times get tougher in America, surely there will even be pastors and members of their congregations who will find themselves homeless. Today as we write this book, we understand that God wanted a book to address churches and Christians in how they handle their brothers and sisters that find themselves homeless. God set the stage and used our family and the Olive Branch Church as the players. Janie’s and my purpose in writing about the Olive Branch Church is not to discredit any people. We wish to draw attention by example to serious flaws in the actions of some of the leadership of the Body of Christ and some members who follow their example concerning how they respond to families in need. As the head goes, so goes the body, is a euphemism of serious importance. If the leadership does not pray, then they cannot expect the members to pray. Members look to the leadership for guidance and will often, if not always, emulate the expressions of the ones in charge. As you give they give; as you fast they fast; if you read your bible, they will read theirs. If you love others, they will love others. Our actions teach far greater depths of learning than the words that we spout each day will ever teach.
The Day of the LORD draws near; take heed to the Word of the LORD. Scripture says, “If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if we say, behold, we knew it not; does not he that ponders the heart consider it? And He that keeps your soul, does not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?”1 When confronting the same situation, people will make different decisions, and every person will address the same situation in various ways. Ultimately, each of us should seek the LORD for the best possible solution when assisting and filling the needs of others, regardless of whether or not they are registered church members. We are all members of the human race, and we will all stand before God one day to be judged for how we treated each other. God knows our hearts, and He will without doubt reveal the true reasons for our actions or our failures to react. Frankly, we all miss God’s leading at times, but do not be deceived; God searches out and knows the truth of every thought and reason behind all that we do or fail to do. Nothing will be hidden in that day! Nothing will ever be hidden from God’s visibility. If we sow, we will reap; if we fail to sow, we will fail to reap.