My name is Mark, with my wife Esther,
Where to start, How to start. Well, my wife was working for an aluminum plant for 14 years, I was a Wal-mart Associate for 10 years. At the end of Oct 2005 I was led by faith, a prayer, hopefully answered, to purchase a small gas and convenient store. So we did, At the time we owned our home with a 20K improvement loan attached. So we remortgaged our 90K home to buy the ‘Harp Pit Stop’ 15K, the name of our store. Not knowing what the past of the store was. We stepped in with faith. My wife
stayed at her job till Feb 2007. I became Pop of a “Mom and Pop” store, It was more like both. My wife and I thought there would be some grants. We also thought we would get more help from lenders, Faith only
covers so much. “I hope I am giving enough info”. The store gas sales are about $120K and the inside sales are about $105K. Not bad after finding out what this store has not done in the last 10 years. I suppose your
probably wondering why am I writing to you, I wondering too. I’m looking for help, I suppose.. . .
I am a Christian, This store is in a dry county, Thank God, gas dose not make any money. For example: If we
buy gas at $2.63 a gallon we are selling it at $2.72 a gallon. Some say wow, a 9 cent/gal; No So, it cost 3 cent/gal on electric, 2 cent/gal on tank checks and about 2 cent/gal processing. So you now your 9 cents
is now 2 cents so on gas for 120K you may have made 24K, Oh goody. Let me continue, Don’t give up on me please. See, We need gas to get them
in, ” They will come…” But you can see my problem. 600 gallons of gas @ $2.63 cost $1578 with no cash flow, no gas flow, no customers, no grocery store. We need Help, Where do I find grants, where do find financial help with cash flow. Our credit is maxed because we were buying
inventory that we thought would sell, What I’m learning, I hope not to late, Is that I must get them in the store first. That takes gas. Now 2 years later about 25K in inventory, 1K a month interest payments “that’s where the cash is, in the pockets of the bankers”. “They got there
money”. Now it seems like there just waiting for me to fail or fall, I don’t know. I suppose I am asking for help from you or from God in this long letter, or who ever listens. I really don’t want to fail. It seems to
be working, slowly, I know it is tight everywhere, But I am looking for a help; from someone who cares, there’s got be be someway where big companies help very small ones. Is there? Are we alone in this. Is there no hope for a “Mom and Pop” store any more. Any way, Now that I gave you some of my prayer request and real
need, If you can help, or just support, Or any advice, If there is any to give. I do ask that you would pray. I also ask please write back, evan to tell me that there is no hope, except from GOD.
We are at the end of our rope.
Please Pray for us
Thank you
in tears,
Mark

If there is any way you can help Please Help.
God be with us all.
Harp_Pit_Stop@Yahoo.com
15036 Hwy #9
Malvern, AR 72104

PS: Can you please on exchange buy a keyword for a friend that will lose his house on January 2009 or before…? if you he will appreciate it a lot , here is the link to PAY A KEYWORD http://www.payakeyword.com , as he lost his job and can not find anything actually as he is over billing… and can not pay his mortgage and will lose the house forever before 2009 …. Thanks in advance !

Cheers ,

Mike Freije

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

2 Co. 8:9

While it’s true that someone could be poor and devout at the same time, poverty of man is certainly not the will of God, and Jesus certainly didn’t become poor so that you can suffer poverty.

I’ve discussed with a few brothers and sisters that believe otherwise. Each time I quote the the above scripture, they would say that the Bible really doesn’t say what it means or mean what it says. Therefore “that ye through his poverty might be rich” actually means that “ye through his poverty might be SPIRITUALLY rich”, according to them.
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Afterwards I showed them another scripture:

“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

Pro. 10:22

Again they said the Bible doesn’t mean what it says and doesn’t say what it means. Thus “the blessing of the Lord maketh rich” actually means “the blessing of the Lord maketh SPIRITUALLY rich”.

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What about John 10:10?

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

They said, Jesus really didn’t mean “have it more abundantly “, he meant “SPIRITUALLY more abundantly”.

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What about 2 Peter 1:3?

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue”

They said, it actually means “given unto us all SPIRITAUL things”. Things pertaining unto godliness, of course, are spiritual in nature. Why are “things pertaining to life” also spiritual? Why would the Bible distinguish between things “pertaining unto life” and those “pertaining
to godliness” if both are spiritual?

To add emphasis, they said.

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It seems that everytime the words “riches”, “abundance”, “wealth”, appear in the Bible, the word “spiritual” is automatically missing. By contrast, “poverty” and “lack” literally mean “poverty” and “lack”. If the Bible was written that way, how would a simple minded person understand its true intent? How would a guy without a college degree grasp its real meaning? Jesus said little children are the best candidates for the kingdom of God. How could they come up with a complicated, tortuous way to interpret the Bible?

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What about Deut. 8:1-6?

“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.”

What is a spiritual cattle? What is a spiritual sheep? What are spritual stores and baskets?

That’s irrelevant, they say. You are quote the Old Testament, which doesn’t apply any more. Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant.

But the Bible says (Gal. 13:13-14)

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

The Bible says Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law (which are poverty, sickess and spiritual death, according to Deut chapter 28). It didn’t say Jesus deprived us from the blessing of the law. In fact, it says the blessing of Abraham has come to the come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ.

The blessing of Abraham is both spiritual and material. The prosperity of Abraham was both spiritual and material. The abundance of Abraham was both spiritual and materials. We can see in Deu 8:18

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

As we see in Deu 28, here the Bible is not talking about “giveth thee power to get SPIRITUAL wealth”.

Moreover, as Christians, we have inherited Abrahams blessings and promises – Gal 3:29

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

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I think the interpretation of the Scripture should be balanced. Not everything should be spiritualized. Certainly God needs to be loved above anyone and anything else. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who believe God want them to be poor, and there’s no scriptural basis for that.

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What about the “camel go through the eye of a needel passage”?

Both Matthew (19:16-30) and Mark (10:17-31) give an account to the same incident, the latter account is detailed.

Mar 10:23 “And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”

I have heard a lot of (often conflicting) interpretations of this passage. Instead of trying to figure out the meaning by ourselves, what don’t we hear who Jesus explain himself in the next verse?

Mar 10:24 “And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!”

The young man couldn’t enter into the Kingdom, not because he was rich, but because he “trust in riches”.

Can a rich man enter heaven if he doesn’t trust in riches? Certainly he can – that’s what Jesus says in the next verse:

Mar 10:26 “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

Is a poor man better off in this regard? I don’t think so! A poor man who trusts in riches would still be unable to enter the Kingdom. Without God, it’s still impossible for a poor man to enter the Kingdom.

Finally, did Jesus want the young man to be poor? Absolutely not! Jesus wanted him to give his possessions to the poor and follow him. Jesus didn’t say the young man ought to be poor. Wouldn’t he become poor if he gives everything he has to the poor? Instead of speculation, what don’t we seek the answer in Jesus’ own word? Just look at the next verse:

Mar 10:28 “Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.”

“And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

Apparently, if that rich young man had obeyed Jesus and given away all he had, he would have received 100 times what he gave!

Again, you can receive spiritual brethren, sisters, mothers, fathers, children. But there’s no such thing as spiritual “houses” and “lands”. Moreover, had he given everything he owned, he wouldn’t have lived the rest of his life in poverty and received his reward in heaven. Why?
Because Jesus said

“But he shall receive a hundredfold now in THIS TIME, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

If i have a lot of money,a lot of valuable things, then that takes a lot of my time and energy to “keep them shiny and like new, and in good repair” this takes time that i could have away from what is the most important, and that is God. God tells us to live simple lives, this is so we can keep our focus on Him. He made us to worship Him, and to tell others about Him. He did not make us to worship our fancy Cars and Castles.

Where ever our minds are,there you will find our Hearts also.That is where our worship is…..

We recently had a similar discussion in a small group. We were trying to reconcile being a servant with having great faith. How do we take Christ’s words?

“Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

” I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Why do we doubt so much? To me it’s because so many Christian leaders deal in the currency of fear and doubt. It would be interesting to see how many church going people suffer from depression….too bad the church can’t bring them out of that funk. In the end, I’m advocating attitude and perspective. Living with a positive attitude and an optimistic perspective may not make you rich, but most successful people (in life) can’t live without them. And it sure beats living with the alternative.

Gabe