PTM WEEKLY UPDATE --NOVEMBER 9, 2009
What our readers and listeners say
The money tree
Your cry for help touched me. I wish that I could just get online and send you money, but because I live outside US, the money situation is very frail for me and my husband. The value of the dollar has gone down and continues to go down -- so we, once we convert his pension, are left with less and less, it seems. In a sincere way, I want to tell you that giving for the work of PTM was always in my mind. Please understand I will send you $30 or more, at the first opportunity. Having said that, I understand that you don't need explanations but donations. You have our prayers. In Christ's eternal love. -- Portugal
• Thank you for your kind thoughts -- we appreciate your prayers. We understand that many who we serve cannot support us financially -- that's why we ask those who can afford to do so to be generous! Please don't give another thought to supporting us -- you and your husband have needs. May God bless you and may he enable you to find ways to make that pension stretch!Got your money tree message in the PTM e-Update today. It was pretty timely, I must say, as I just sent you 100 dollars yesterday. It should get there sometime soon.
I know we're not religiously obligated to take a tenth, but I am attempting to take a tenth of whatever I make and make it available to people who need it, and that includes Plain Truth Ministries. I don't subscribe to a health and wealth gospel, but I do remember that when I sent a tenth of my earnings to the church in which I was involved at the time, I thought I would feel as if I might suffer from a scarcity of money, but that was never the case. I always felt like I had plenty of cash.
When I stopped giving some of my income to things I believed in, it always felt like money was scarce in my life; up until this summer when I started helping people with what I had again. I think there is a psychological law in effect that makes you short of money if you feel you don't have the means to help others (Wouldn't that be ironic? My Grandfather used to say: "Money is made round to go round!" ie: to help others.) I help out a lot of people who are looking for work. I loan them money, but I never loan more than I can afford to lose (just in case they can't repay me and I don't mind if they can't). So I guess God makes it available to me when I try to do good things with it -- which includes PTM of course. I believe in what you guys at PTM are doing.
I believe we need more teaching like the teaching PTM proclaims and publishes. Someone needs to speak up for Christianity and say what is right and what is wrong without compromising core Christian values. The values in this nation are under tremendous attack every day! Its really discouraging. I know very few "Christians" where I live. A girl I like thinks we all evolved from nothing. Its very hard to convince her that believing in evolution also requires faith, just as Christianity does. If there is no God and no Christ, what hope do we have in this lifetime? I am convinced that God exists just from the viewpoint of how much is done to discredit Christianity; how everything is such an attack on our values; how, if we let our guard down, it seems like the natural inclination of the human heart is a spiral to decay and ruin.
Anyway, keep up the good work, Mr. Albrecht. And I'll try and help you out from time to time as well. I'll actually be sending you more soon, as I have been doing better financially and it is time to share it with some who could use it! It is very little to make up for the years that PTM and CWR have benefited me, but it's a start. This Money Tree message from you was very timely, but the horse was already out of the barn and running!!! -- Massachusetts
• Thank you! What a joy to hear that the horse was already out of the barn! We deeply appreciate your donation -- you will receive a receipt that will verify that your "gift horse" actually arrived!
As long as we realize there is no specific percentage that God "requires" there is nothing wrong, as I understand the Bible, with voluntarily choosing to dedicate any portion of our income to help others -- with the specific manner in which we choose to help others being our choice. I believe that's what Matthew 25:34-40 is all about. Thank you, on behalf of those who may never say "thank you" for the selfless way in which you help others.
And, I agree with you -- I believe giving has an inertia all its own. Your grandfather, referring to coinage that is round of course, was correct -- it is made round so that it may go round. Hoarding our resources does little good. Sharing and giving is an important part of our spiritual life with God -- he is the great giver, the great lover, our great servant (as hard as it may seem to us, Jesus did come to be one of us to serve us, not to served by us!).
By the way, PTM wants to do all we can to reach the mindset of the young lady to whom you have reference. God willing, within about three months we will launch another ministry, offering a more contemporary website ( still without a specific name ) but we will announce it, so you'll hear about it. We plan for the site to include a blog, videos and other resources that might be more attractive to the mindset which this friend of yours appears to have. Perhaps, after you visit our new site you can recommend it to her.
Thank you so much for your support of PTM! We rely on people like you, and we thank God for you. -- In Christ, Greg AlbrechtWho Jesus Is
Pastor Albrecht, what an uplifting sermon this week! It makes us so blessed to truly understand who Jesus Christ is. I sometimes feel so lost for some of my friends, but I know I will run to Jesus Christ and CWR. Please pray that my friends might see and understand,the wisdom that I am receiving from CWR. God bless you. -- DelawareDead prophet and 2012
I sure enjoyed Monte's write-up about the "prophet" in the recent e-Update. I wasn't aware of that particular cult, but, having been a part of a cult myself, it's sad to hear that followers continue to make choices to seek darkness rather than light. Of course, I realize their gnostic viewpoint seems like "truth" to them -- and that everyone else is wrong and deluded. But Monte hit the nail on the head as he encouraged our focus to be squarely on Jesus. Thanks for the needed reminder. -- Texas
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