THE LEAST OF THESE

Howdy folks,

And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one the least of these My brethren you did it to Me (Matthew 25:40).”

Over the years, as a cowboy gospel ministry, we’ve been asked to minister in many non-traditional venues (barns, rodeo grounds, saloon patios, dance halls, outdoor stages, hotels, etc.); however, our audiences have usually been folks who love the western way of life and enjoy our cowboy style of ministry. Consequently, we expected to find a friendly and receptive audience wherever we were asked to minister.

All that changed several years ago. Our last stop on the Songs of Faith Ministries tour was supposed to be at a church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It so happened, however, that the pastor had double booked on that particular Sunday morning and he asked if we would mind taking the service at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Winnipeg. I still remember his words: “There’s about 120 homeless people who attend the service and they will love your cowboy gospel music.” After agreeing to his request, I realized that this was going to be out of our comfort zone and began to worry about our safety and how are ministry would really be received,

When we arrived at the Mission on Sunday morning, we found it was exactly as the pastor had described. As I looked around, I could see the despair on their faces that comes from living on the street. In spite of my original misgivings, the Lord really blessed our ministry. From their smiles as they sang along, you could see that the old hymns and gospel songs touched many hearts.

I learned a valuable lesson that morning. We can’t always expect to minister in our comfort zone. When you tell God you’ll preach His Word, you don’t get to choose the place or the audience, He does! I’m reminded of Jesus’ words: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick (Matthew 9:12).”

So send I you to blind the bruised and broken,
O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake.
To bear the burdens of a world aweary
So send I you to suffer for My sake. ---Clarkson

On the trail for Him
Mike and Suzann