P.O. Box 53055    
Los Angeles, CA 90053   

CONNIE: Is life supposed to be fair? What can you do to be sure you get your fair share of blessings? Join us today as we look at biblical counsel for getting the good things God has promised.

Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for 75 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I’m Lonnie Melashenko. We’re glad you’ve joined us today as we continue our series of programs looking at simple biblical principles that can help make our lives better.

CONNIE: Today our focus is on making sure you get your fair share in life. Lonnie, what exactly does that mean? I mean, how can we know when we’re getting our fair share?

LONNIE: A good question. Is Donald Trump getting his fare share? How about Bill Gates or Richard Branson? How do you know when you have enough? Is it just possible that God’s definition of “enough” might be different from ours? We’ll turn to the Bible for answers.

CONNIE: I think one of the principles to keep in mind is that no matter how much we have, somehow we will find a way to want more, and so the ability to be content, and to trust God to supply what we really need, is an important part of getting our fair share.

LONNIE: That, and being willing to share with others from what we have. I spoke recently with Jamie and Jacque Spence of the Canvasback Missions about how they’ve seen God’s blessings, and how they’ve helped others find greater blessings through the principles of stewardship and sharing.

CONNIE: Let’s listen in to that conversation.

LONNIE: Jamie and Jacque Spence of the Canvasback Missions, welcome to the Voice of Prophecy…

JAMIE: Thank you!

JACQUE: It’s good to be here!!!

LONNIE: Well, tell us a little bit about the ministry of Canvasback, it’s so different from the average street ministry.

JACQUE: Well, Canvasback takes free medical and dental, and health education to the very isolated people of Micronesia, who have so little. They live on coral atolls, which are like gravel pits…Very little grows on the island and we have the privilege of being God’s hands and taking healing and care to these wonderful people.

LONNIE: I mean, we’re talking high adventure…This is the real “Survivors” …

JAMIE: Sometimes it’s a little bit more adventure then we’d like Lonnie.

LONNIE: What is the...Well what has this done for you and you’re spiritual journey, Jamie.

JAMIE: Lonnie, helping other people is absolutely the best way to improve your own life. I saw that when we we’re building the Canvasback medical ship. All of the volunteers were excited and happy because they knew what they were doing was going to help other people. In the 7 years that Jacque and I spent sailing our personal yacht around the Pacific, we led what some people think is an ideal life, and yeah it was fun…But we we’re nomads, with no circle of friends, no sphere of influence…But when we started to become Christians…And in 1981, we founded Canvasback Missions. We had a church family; we had a sphere of influence. We associated with people who shared our views. Now God spoke to us… and blessed us in material ways, but the most important blessing, is the people. And Lonnie, you’re one of those people who has come into my life and helped me.

LONNIE: I helped christen it once when it left out of Sacramento. You’ve started a ministry though, where you’ve invited volunteers to…Doctors, dentists, nurses, health practioners, they come out there to the South Pacific and when they see the dearth and the lack of medical facilities…in fact it’s not always high tech for them.

JAMIE: No! It’s not high tech at all. I remember an entomologist, you know, they’re usually very serious detailed people, and they operate on you’re eye through a microscope…I asked Dr. Shakland when he came back, how his experience was, and he said, well, I had to get used to some conditions, like nurses suddenly squealing when the rats would run across their feet, I don’t think that would happen in a regular hospital…

LONNIE: Now, many of these doctors and nurses, they go out there and what is their reaction, when there purpose is to give back to these people that which they don’t have. What are some of the responses from some of these high tech people?

JACQUE: Well, you know Lonnie; I’ve never seen a group of people work so hard as our Canvasback volunteers. We go out and see hundreds and hundreds of people and on the last trip we went out and in 8 days of work we did 70 surgeries and gave out 100 pairs of eye glasses…

JAMIE: We actually gave sight to 70 blind people…That’s exciting, when blind people can finally see.

LONNIE: Tell us about that Jacque…Tell us about one particulare man who got his sight back…

JACQUE: Well, Al Penny came to our clinic and he had been blind for three years. He had been praying daily for God to givde him his eyesight, and the Canvasback team finally came to his island. Al told me, that he was on the operating table, and the doctors leaned over and said, let’s ask the Lord for…well to be with us. And Al said, my heart just leapt, and I knew that this was the day that God would give me my eyesight. He was right, because Al was able to see the very next day. It was very exciting, but not only for him, but for the whole team.

LONNIE: Now tell us about the youth programs.

JAMIE: Well, we send those young people out to do all of the hard work, building schools and churches.

LONNIE: Any great stories come to mind?

JAMIE: Yes. We sent a group to Yap, and they built a concrete computer building, and one month later a massive and major typhoon hit the island but the building we made stood still, and people were actually saved because they came their for shelter and comfort.

CONNIE: Amen! That was Charles Haugabrooks with one of our favorite songs, “Reach Out and Touch.” If you enjoyed that song as much as we did, and you’d like to hear more of the songs on the album, be sure to check out our web page at VOP.COM. That’s where we post information about the recording artists you hear on our broadcast, including the word about where to purchase their CDs.

LONNIE: And of course there are a lot more good reasons to visit us at VOP.COM as well. You’ll find sermon transcripts there, and streaming audio where you can listen to previous broadcasts.

CONNIE: And don’t forget the Discover Bible study guides. These colorful, interesting guides will lead you on a study of many of the Bible’s major themes. Our listeners often report that they’ve learned more from these guides than they learned in Bible school, or in courses they paid top dollar for.

LONNIE: But we’ve chosen to make the Discover guides available free online—and that means that anyone, anywhere in the world, who has Internet access, can study them at no charge. Why not become one of the thousands who’ve graduated from the Discover Bible School?

CONNIE: If you don’t have Internet access, please just give us a call from anywhere in the US or Canada, and request the print version of the lessons. They’ll come in the mail. The number to call is 1-800-872-0055. And we’ll have that information again a bit later, along with our mailing address, because we love to get mail from people like you. But right now, let’s listen to Pastor Lonnie as he shares today’s message, “How to Get Your Fair Share.”

How to Get Your Fair Share

The 71-foot seagoing catamaran Canvasback lay at anchor in Likiep [Lick-ee-up] Lagoon in the Marshall Islands, ready to receive a delegation of islanders on a very special mission—one that had never been witnessed before in the history of that place.

Canvasback is a sailing ship dedicated to bringing medical help to South Pacific islands where the people would otherwise be without any sort of medical care. Staffed by volunteer doctors and dentists, and funded by donations, the ship provides much-needed services to thousands of people.

But just a day earlier, she had been about to lift her anchors and sail away, even though the lines at the medical clinic on shore still snaked far down the street. Not all the needs had been met on Likiep Island. But Captain Jamie Spence insisted it was time to weigh anchor and high-sail it back to Majuro Island to refill her fresh water tanks.

As the physicians and dentists who had spent the day pulling abscessed teeth and treating severe infections came aboard, they were distressed to learn that their mission to Likiep was about to end prematurely. “What’s the problem?” one of them asked.

“Water maker’s broken down, and we’ll soon be out of fresh water,” Captain Spence replied.

“Well, isn’t this a problem God can handle?” someone asked. “Why don’t we pray about it?”

Now, you know after listening to our interview earlier today, that Captain Spence is a man of faith. There’s no doubt about that. But on this particular day, the ever-practical ship’s captain was taking his responsibilities seriously. He couldn’t risk running out of fresh water out on the high seas. They simply had to leave tonight, he said.

“Can’t we just pray that the Lord will fix our water making equipment?” a physician suggested.

Of course prayers had already ascended, asking for that to happen, but for some reason they hadn’t been answered in the affirmative.

“Then why don’t we pray for rain,” someone else said.

“It’s the dry season. It just doesn’t rain during this time of year,” Captain Spence reminded them.

It wouldn’t hurt to pray for rain, though, would it?

Of course not. So, pray they did.

Now, on the morning of the very next day, Canvasback was receiving this very special delegation of islanders—on a mission to present a request no one had ever made before: “Will the captain of the Canvasback please stop praying for rain?” they asked.

You see, even though it was the dry season, a time when it never rains, a real gully-washer had blown in overnight. All the cisterns and water barrels on the island were overflowing. Canvasback’s fresh water tanks were full, and it was still raining. “Enough!” the people cried. “Turn off the spigot. Close up the windows of heaven. We’ve had enough rain for today!”

And wouldn’t you know it? Within minutes of that request, the rain had stopped falling.

But what was even more important than an obvious answer to prayer was the fact that the mission boat, with its staff doctors, dentists, and nurses, was able to stay at Likiep and help the people who so desperately needed medical attention.

I love a story like that—a story of answered prayer. And I particularly like this story, because it illustrates a fundamental principle of life. When you give of yourself to help others, there are blessings to be found.

It’s not that it always works out in so dramatic and obvious a way, but the fundamental biblical principle is that if you will be generous with God and with others, your needs will be provided for as well. The promise the prophet Malachi gave to his people is still valid today: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing” (Malachi 3:10, NRSV).

Talk about opening the windows of heaven! That story from the South Seas is a classic!

But sometimes the blessings God provides are not so obvious. In the book Over & over Again, where we found the Canvasback story, we found another story as well, written by Christof W. Kober.

Christof tells of growing up in Germany during World War II. His father was drafted into the army of the Third Reich and was interned in a Russian labor camp when the war ended, leaving his wife with four young children to provide for all on her own. Now, Christof’s mother was a woman of faith—she trusted in God, and was always faithful with her tithes, and tried to help other people whenever she could. But there came a time when the stock of potatoes on which she fed her family was running thin. She prayed about her needs, asking God to open the windows of heaven and pour out the blessings she needed.

Just about that time she heard of a farmer’s field that was open for gleaning. The very next morning she headed out, despite its being a drizzly, cold, miserable day, and dug as many potatoes as she could transport in her little hand cart. The next day was miserable and cold, too, but she brought home another cartload of potatoes.

The third day that she went out was bright and beautiful. But as soon as she began to dig, a sentry appeared and informed her that these potatoes had been claimed by the Russian army. Looking back on those cold, miserable mornings she had spent bent over, struggling in the mud, wondering why life had to be so difficult (couldn’t God have caused His sun to shine on her labors?), Christof’s mother could thank God for opening the windows of heaven and sending the cold drizzle that kept the sentries away long enough for her to provide much-needed food for her family.

You know, friend, I don’t know about you, but I do know about me. There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve wondered why life has to be so difficult—why can’t it just be easy when you’re trying to do the Lord’s work? Why can’t He make the sun shine on my efforts every day? Why so many obstacles and challenges? And this story serves as a great reminder that sometimes the things we see as troubles are actually part of God’s blessings. Looking back on them later, we may thank Him for sending us down the hard path instead of the easy one.

The important thing is to not focus on the difficulties and let them discourage you. The words of Jesus in Luke 6:38 remind us that God wants to bless us—that He wants to be generous with us as we are generous with others: “ ‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back’ ” (NRSV).

Now, sometimes it doesn’t seem like this works out immediately. We heard a story some time ago about a man who had devoted immense efforts to helping the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. While he was doing that, things went awry in his business, and he ended up facing bankruptcy. And you hear something like that and you say where the justice is? Where is God’s blessing in something like that? And we end up crying out with Jeremiah “Why does the way of the wicked prosper” while those who serve the Lord struggle?

Jesus’ dear disciple Peter had the same sort of question. You remember when the rich young ruler came to Jesus with a question about salvation. The disciples must have been somewhat wowed by the approach of this wealthy, powerful celebrity. And when he departed, they had some questions for Jesus—if such a man will find it hard to get into heaven—what about the rest of us poor blokes? This guy decides NOT to do what you suggested—give up all for the kingdom—and he gets to go home and live in his nice house with servants tending to his every need. But we, who have given up everything to follow you, end up living out of suitcases out here on the road, with no Holiday Inn in sight.

Peter’s question was right to the point: “‘look, we have left our homes and followed you.’ ” In other words, look we’ve given up everything for the cause of the kingdom—what’s in it for us? And Jesus replied, “ ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life’ ” (Luke 18:18-30, NRSV).

The heavenly reward system may not always seem to be functioning just the way we’d like it to. It’s not set up to run like a vending machine—poke your dollar in and watch your merchandise drop. It’s set up on a faith system. One that lets our relationship with God and our trust in Him grow and develop, even when we don’t see immediate rewards.

Because, you see, getting our fair share in life isn’t always a matter of living in the biggest house on the block or driving the nicest car. It’s about learning to trust and be content with the blessings that God sends our way. Always trusting that His plan is the best plan. Learning and growing in faith day by day. Because, once again in the words of Jesus, “‘Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

“‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today’ ” (Matthew 6:25-27, 34 NRSV).

You know, that’s precious counsel. It’s helped me get over many a high hurdle in my life. Handle each day’s challenges as they come, and entrust the final outcome to the Lord. He’s the One who makes it His responsibility to see to it that you and I get our fair share. And with that thought in mind, we can afford to be generous. We can afford to be giving. We can afford to forsake all for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. And leave the apportioning of fair shares to the Lord of the kingdom, who has promised to bless us, keep us, and open the windows of heaven for us.