And He said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.’ Mark 16:15
Before Jesus went up into Heaven He gave his disciples His final instruction that still stands for us in this day and time. Notice in this scripture Jesus only said. GO! He did not say He already had calculated the cost, created a budget and found ways to fundraise to pay for the disciples to go on their Mission trips. He did not explain how or where their provision would come from.
Like the disciples, Missionaries need funds to cover food, shelter, transportation and the many other costs involved in travel. For some years now our ministry has faced what at first looks like an impossible financial need. Our Mission trips are planned and arranged without the financial provision already available in our hands. And yet every year we have found creative ways of raising the funds. We have also been blessed with a growing list of private and corporate donators that contribute to James Miklos Ministries which helps us cover the costs of the Mission trips plus blessing a local Church in Kenya with many of their financial and material needs.
This brings to mind the story of Elisha and the Widow Oil found in 2 Kings 4:1-7 NKJV.
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” 2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?
I liken this scripture to the financial giant we face every year. This woman perceives she is facing an impossible situation. Her husband is dead and creditors are there to take her two sons away as slaves to work off a debt he left behind. With the threat of losing the financial support of her two sons she cries out to Elisha for help. Instead of just bailing her out, Elisha answers with “What do you have in your house?” Either dazed or desperate she perceives she has only a little oil.
Elisha now has her cornered by forcing her to realize she already had something in her house that God could work with to bring about her miracle. This put the woman in the position of having to trust God for the provision. However, it would not just appear out of thin air. She had to obey the command of her man of God by physically going out to her neighbors and ask if she could borrow many vessels. Through her being humble and obedient the miraculous happened.
OUR JARS OF OIL
At first when we heard the cost of each Mission trip, like the widow woman who looked at the lack in her house, we too may have perceived it to be an impossible situation. Over the years we have learned to draw on the faith that we do have and believe for God’s provision.
By obeying what the Holy Spirit reveals to each of us as to what to do, where to go and who to speak with, our ministry has experienced financial miracles. We had to put action to our faith by baking and selling hundreds of loaves of banana bread, holding garage sales every weekend from May to September and like the widow woman who had to humble herself by going out to borrow many vessels, we go knocking on doors to get monetary and material donations for our yearly Auction/Dinner Fundraiser.
When the widow’s vessels were finally filled she sold the oil, paid off the debt, and they all lived off the overflow. We have been very blessed every year by the generosity of donators for our yearly Auction as well as monetary donations that are poured into our ministry.
The more we seek God, trust Him for the provision and are obedient to the vision of our Pastor for Missions, our vessels will increase with oil and we will have more than enough to fulfill the work of the Great Commission.
Diane Whitworth – team member at James Miklos Ministries
