“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  I do not remember how young I was when I first heard those words of truth.  Little did I know then the degree to which they would later define my life.  When you take away all the church dogma and denominational doctrine, the one simple truth that underpins everything else is that Jesus’ love for you and me drove him to the cross to atone for our sins.

 

I’m at a crossroad right now.  I flew to Taiwan at the end of last year, spoke at Christ’s College in Taipei, and watched as thirty students came to Christ.  I wish like anything that I could concentrate full time on evangelism.  Whether it be sitting down and talking to someone while sipping on a coke, teaching a class, or speaking at a church, I have a story to tell of a loving God who sacrificed his son on my behalf.  But I have two things standing in the way.

 

First, my kidneys are going downhill fast.  I used to have all the energy I needed to keep going at full throttle throughout the day and then some.  Not so much anymore.  As I told a close friend recently, I can either take a shower on Sunday mornings or I can attend church.  I simply do not have the energy for both.  The good news is that I, along with someone wanting to give me her kidney, will meet with a transplant team in Indianapolis on February 11^th.  If everything checks out, surgery will be scheduled for sometime after that, and I should be as good as new.  Or, at least as good as any 51-year-old man can be who has cerebral palsy and never shaves or combs his hair.

 

Second, for the past 22 years, I have been raising my own ministry support and with the downturn in the economy has come a downturn in donations. 

 

I want to evangelize!  As soon as possible, I want to get back to leading people to Christ both here and abroad.  Jay Kesler recently told me, “Steve, when you get up in front of students who worry about every little pimple showing, and they see you with your cerebral palsy praising God instead of cursing him, they listen.”  That was awfully nice of Jay to say.  I do want to evangelize.  However, evangelism, traveling to different churches and schools, takes money, and right now, that’s money that I don’t have.

 

I want to raise $10,000 in monthly pledges.  That would not only pay for my salary but also pay for a much needed assistant.  It would cover the rising cost of health insurance, postage, and other overhead.  It would also help offset the cost of traveling to and from churches and schools, many of which simply do not have the financial resources available to bring me to their church or school.

 

Can you help?  Will you help?  It doesn’t have to be much . . . $10, perhaps $20 per month, maybe more if you can afford it.  It all adds up and will be put to good use that will bring eternal rewards.  Please visit our website at: http://www.goldenclay.org/donate.htm and consider becoming a member of our support team.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you!