Please Pray

As you pray today, please pray for those who are contemplating suicide because they are “tired of living” due to poverty, love rejection, family rejection, medical issues, terminal medical issues, peer pressure, demonic voices telling them to kill themselves, depression, hate, and mental disturbances.
Please pray and ask GOD to intervene for the ones who are seeking to KNOW HIM.
Please pray for the homeless, the mentally challenged.
Please pray for the ones who are contemplating murder, rape, robbery, that GOD would intervene.
Please pray for the backslider…those who have been hurt by “the church”.
Please pray for the child molester that GOD will intervene
Please pray for those imprisoned, that they will seek GOD and be saved.
This I ask in the name of JESUS’ AMEN.

Related articles

• The Gift of Prayer (ourgiftedfamily.wordpress.com)

 

What Would You Do?

Shared James Hulett‘sphoto.

This post was shared on Facebook by Javier Levy

 

 

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek (pictured below) transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service….only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food….NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him. 

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation……..”We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek”….The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation…..The homeless man sitting in the back stood up…..and started walking down the aisle…..the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him….he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment….then he recited

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning…many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame…. he then said….Today I see a gathering of people……not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples…when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week…….Being a Christian is more than something you claim. I’ts something you live by and share with others.

 

Compassion and Love

Some times love is spoken but not shown. At Out of A Pure Heart Ministries, we like to walk the talk. In other words, we like to DO love more than just talk about love.
In JESUS’ public ministry, HE had compassion on the people who were following HIM. When he was teaching the multitudes, HE had compassion on them ~ See Matthew 9:36-38, Matthew 20:30-34, Matthew 14:14-21, and Luke 7:11-16.  In these 
Scriptures, we see that JESUS had “intense feelings of Divine Love” for the people whom HE was preaching and teaching. Not only did JESUS give them the Word, HE SHOWED them the WORD in action by feeding, healing, and forgiving sin.
I’m writing this article because I can feel an amazing change in my heart. It is a heart of compassion. According to Wikipedia.com, compassion means “Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others”. I am beginning to feel that more strongly, every day. That’s why I can sit and make gift bags to give to those in shelters. This is why I can sit, even thought I may not physically feel like doing it, and make things to give out to people to offer them hope. Now I know that it is Compassion.

I go to bed thinking how can I bless somebody who is less fortunate. I dream about doing things for people who can’t do for themselves. I cry sometimes because I don’t have the financial means to do more. Ah, the feeling of compassion and love.

Beloved’s, GOD was so compassionate and loving towards us in that HE saw our need for a Savior that HE sent JESUS to give of HIMSELF for us so that we might live eternally with HIM in the new heaven and new earth. Shouldn’t we feel compassion and love for those whom are not able to help themselves?

I know not everybody is called or appointed to do what Out of A Pure Heart Ministries does, but we all are called to LOVE and to serve one another. 

I remember the days when I would walk past homeless people and think bad thoughts about them. Thoughts like “they need to get themselves together and get a job and stop asking me for MY hard earned money” or “the only reason why they are asking for money is to support their drug habit”. What a bad heart that was. No compassion. No love. Just judgment. No pity. No desire to help. Just an uncaring heart, never thinking that that person could be me.

I believe GOD’s Word, and in HIS Word, JESUS tells us that when we do or do not help those who are hungry, homeless, sick and imprisoned, we are or are not helping HIM ~ See Matthew 25:31-46. It is a compelling story which makes me think that every time I help someone, I’m helping JESUS. I love that feeling. I love it so.
JESUS didn’t tell us to have compassion on people based on whether or not they could ever pay us back. JESUS didn’t tell us to love people who only love us. No. HE told us to love the Lord our GOD with all our heart, soul, mind and spirit, and our neighbors as ourselves ~ Mark 12:30-31.

Luke 6:35 says, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil”. 

So

Some peoples’ hearts are so broken, a simple smile may be all they need, but if one is not compassionate, they won’t even offer something as simple as a smile. Some just need a kind word, while others actually need things which we take for granted. I never, in my wildest dreams, would think of toilet paper as a hot commodity. Never.

As I am typing this, I can see homeless people walking around with soiled clothing on, yet I can go to my closet or drawers and pull out some clean clothes and go out looking ok. These people wear the same clothing day in and day out, oftentimes wreaking of urine and feces. Compassion will cause one to stop at a store and get them a pair of pants or at the very least, give them some money to purchase something new.

I am having a hard time dealing with the reality that people just don’t want to help this cause. I cry when I get on my broadcast to talk about the horrors of these hurting people. I am feeling trying to be patient, but each and every day, I go to bed with the knowledge that because I don’t have the proper funding, somebody in my community is out on the street, hungry or somebody in a shelter is lacking the basic daily necessities to get by. 

My heart is aching but I believe GOD is going to provide the financial help, and volunteers Out of A Pure Heart Ministries need in order to show compassion to those less fortunate. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please pray that GOD will send people to help physically and financially. And please don’t forget to pray for all those who are living on the streets and for those who are in shelters. Don’t forget, please, to pray for the abused, abandoned, and rejected.

Thank you GOD bless you.

 

 

Going To The Women’s Shelter

This is Evangelist Theresa Scott talking about taking donations to a woman’s shelter.

2012 – 2013 Out Of A Pure Heart

2012 – 2013

 Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries

 Help For The Homeless

 Outreach Program

 

The Instrument:

Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries believes it has obtained and is in the process of implementing a simple (Notice the term used here is “simple” and not “easy”.) hybrid of Servant Evangelism and “Needs Based” Outreach to serve as an introduction to reach a large cross culture population that maintains the state of the person’s relationship with Christ as the primary focus.  It is suggested that beginning immediately we will begin to collect articles and make up both “Bible/Blanket” Bags and Baskets to be used as introduction tools to reach the homeless, street culture, battered women and poor of Philadelphia, PA. This is a perpetual effort. Each bag or basket should consist of: 1 waterproof bag (to be used with the homeless backpacks/duffel bags and battered women duffel bags), 1 blanket, a personal hygiene kit consisting of male/female specific items and a Bible as well as a credit card size plastic magnifying lens in case the person receiving the bag has vision problems.

There should be stamped into the inter-cover of the Bible the name and contact information of someone who represents the Church so that the receiving person can get in touch with us should they want to speak, come to Church or to simply have someone to pray with them. A book mark designed for this purpose and inserted into the Bible would also suffice. The purpose of the bag is this: The bag uses the needs of warmth and hygiene to put the Bible in the hands of the person in need. It is also designed to allow us through meeting the need of warmth and hygiene to verbally and relationally say in a moment of compassion that “Christ loves you and we care about your physical and spiritual condition”. It is simply an introduction tool. A way for Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries and those working in the ministry to introduce themselves to the person in need and to encourage the development of relationships. It is through these relationships that the Spirit will be better enabled to work more than anything we could say or do in a 5 minute gorilla evangelism speech.

Bags are to be distributed by hand to homeless people outside of shelters when they are on the street and in need of warmth and hygiene items. Bags should also be distributed by hand if possible to battered women placed in Shelters.

(It must be noted that a relationship should be developed by someone in the Church with area shelters so that we can have someone approved for visitation.)

Bags for young children should also be developed for this purpose as well as homeless families who have children. (Yes, it does happen.)  It is suggested that the same items used to make up the duffel bags and back packs can also make up baskets for delivery to shut-ins. These baskets should be hand delivered shortly after realizing the person is shut-in. This gives those making the deliveries the opportunity to begin to develop a relationship in a joyfully surprising and compassionate moment to the person receiving the basket and enables the minister to possibly identify additional needs that may be met by other ministries and organizations in the community.

Again, these are only introduction tools to enable relationships to be begin.

Each relationship requires care and attention. Only those who have a desire to witness Christ to the hopeless and the helpless need participate. This ministry is to be done in an in person, relational nature. We should not assemble bags and then deliver them to other facilities for distribution. The shelters have soap and blankets but they do sometimes run out before the end of the month!  It is the people on the street who do not, the women and children in battered women’s shelters who usually have nothing at all when they arrive and it is the shut-in who feels deserted and is often cold. It is these that Christ loves and is these that we should be serving.

 The Hope:

The desired result from an effort such as Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries, is that relationships will be started and cultivated to the point that we will see the people we are reaching through those relationships come to Christ and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  It is also hoped that the poor and street culture who see our witness to the homeless will be more readily accepting of our attempts to develop relationships with them. Reaching the homeless on the street will put us in many of the same locations that the areas the poor and street culture frequent.

 The Need

Based on the provided information it is estimated that Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries should assemble 200 homeless bags per month for immediate distribution.

The Collection:

The Following are only examples of the potential costs of bag and basket assembly. It should be noted that it is encouraged to seek donations of good serviceable materials from church members, friends and families of members,

co-workers, hotels and other businesses.

Duffel Bags – $3.85 per

Back Packs – $3:49 per

Children’s Back Packs – $3.47 per

Blankets – $3.49 per or $125.64 for a case of 36

Combs – $.03 per or $52.63 for a case of 2160

Hair Brushes – $.80 per or $115.20 for a case of 144

Ladies Razors – $.09 per or $68.40 for a case of 720

Soap – $.05 per or $46.49 for a case of 1000

Shampoo – $.26 per or $24.12 for a case of 96

Alcohol Free Mouthwash – $.33 per or $31.58 for a case of 96

Toothpaste – $.43 per or $61.90 for a case of 144

Toothbrushes – $.06 per or $80.70 for a case of 1440

Feminine Pads – $.06 per or $73.44 for a case of 1152

Men’s Crew Socks – $.52 pair or $193.44 for a case of 372 pairs

Women’s Crew Sock – $.69 pair or $41.40 for a case of 60 pairs

Baskets – $.95 per or 91.20 for a case or 96

Magic Gloves and Hats – $184.80

(This is an assortment of winter Knit Hats and Magic Stretch Gloves.

In this package you will receive 60 Adult Knit Hats, 60 Children’s Knit Hats, 60 pair of Full Size Gloves, and 60 pair of Children’s Gloves.)

All Items listed above are found at “Dollar Days”, or similar sites online.

NKJV Paperback Bibles – $1.49 each at Christian Book Distributors

Magnifier Reading Aid – $313 for a case of 500 available at http://www.specprom.com

 An Expectant Future

It is hoped that this ministry might one day see an Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries established in the poorest area of Philadelphia, PA with it’s own Pastor who might see to the needs of the population segments mentioned in this writing.  A place souls could call their own and know that a place of ministry and discipleship is available and prepared to meet their spiritual needs. Through this effort it is also hoped that we as members of the Body of Christ will begin to re-learn just what it is we are called to do as faithful believers and that we are all called to serve the “least of these”, as stated in St. Matthew 25:40-46.  As this ministry begins to take it’s first steps in the Philadelphia, PA area, it’s success will be an example to all ministries and outreach bodies, and will enable us to provide a model to share with them. Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries was conceived in the network model in which any church, local or abroad; could adapt it’s philosophy in ministry to their own local needs.

 A Work In Progress

As of the writing of this document, Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries is in the process of contacting other local ministries, resource agencies, companies, and individuals, here in Philadelphia, PA, seeking further assistance in the acquisition of the resources (ie.. Listed Items, Funds, Location for storage and Distribution, as well as adequate transportation); to accommodate this ongoing effort.

If you or your ministry, business, or organization would like to join in this effort, or would like further information about the activities of this ministry, please feel free to contact us at:

Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries

C/O:  Homeless & Shelter Program

mrstjscott@gmail.com

www.refugeofgodmin.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Out-of-A-Pure-Heart-Ministries-Evangelist-Theresa-Scott/326366584047560?fref=ts

Thank you for your time, patience and prayerful support.

In Christ,

Elder Theresa J. Scott
Refuge of God Church Ministries (Founder/Overseer: Bishop Gerald W. Scott)
Out Of A Pure Heart Ministries

Women Broken/Women Whole Ministries