Because we are the church we are often times approached and sought out for help from near and far.

Because we are the church we are often times approached and sought out for help from near and far.

We are attractive to wolves who sometimes put on sheep’s clothing that looks remarkably genuine and some yet still hardly even try to speak the language of the Word, just repeatedly saying blessings and love and copying and pasting christian themed memes.

The internet has opened up the flood gates for these, providing access to a global address book of sorts.

They come in long winded words of love and blessings, saying they are seeking friendship and to introduce themselves and their ministry. Some are real that is a fact. The saddest part is when they are real and one has to take stock of the plight and suffering they and those they are called to look after are going through. I know I am not alone in feeling sorrow for them, and shame, sometimes anger as well because one is not in a position to take what ever action is asked of you.

Some of them bring all manner of vile schemes to emotionally hold us hostage over what are real crimes against real souls. They come to us because we are of The Lord our God, and like all of us since the beginning of time are called to and with love and faith compelled to give even to the point that it may hurt. We are a people moved by and towards compassion. Some seek to use this love for their own gain and can at times be relentless.

I call it them “Playing our heart strings as if we where Harps from Hell”.

What prompts me to write this today is due to a man in Pakistan who may well be a true believer and may well be doing the work they claim to be doing.

His story is that he is a pastor shepherding a christian orphanage (A “Brick School House”) Short of doing more research in vetting this man and orphanage, which could well be inconclusive as it has proven to be so far, I only have what he says to me and others, a boatload of sad pictures, as well as firstly, lastly and truly not least is the Holy Spirit.

All I can do is ask qualifying questions, to test the spirit. So I did. I heard what I needed confirm what I know or was given by the holy spirit.

This is a complicated only because I had to look under the rug on this encounter.

He found a young lady who is connected to the church and added me as a friend on Facebook. Before you know it I am getting messages coming at me from him. Many, many attempts to voice / video call me on facebook messenger and close to 30 pictures of kids and women sitting in the dust.

Via this young lady affiliated with our church he has been blessed with some funds in an amount that in Pakistani money will go a long way in deed. He has been relentless in his communications with her as result.

Even after writing him a quick message after another one of his attempts to call telling him that my workstation computer that I was using does not have a microphone or video camera attached to it he initiated a call two more times within 15 minutes.

Is he that desperate? Yes he is, for the children’s sake… is that the motivation for his desperation?

It is a vile thing to use the phrase “It is for the sake of God” and or “It is for the children’s sake” when it is not. Like a moth to the flame people of continuous let alone faith are drawn in to legitimate pleas for help and sadly into the the greed, the self serving pleasure of others with those words.

Like I said I asked him some questions and he insisted I answer him immediately. I pointed out that he was in my experience and what I know via the Holy Spirit is that he is used to being in control and calling people to action, to give to him our time, attention, and godly consideration and of course money / support.

Within minutes I had my sister on the phone, unknown to me was that she was led to get off of social media for at least a week becuase of this.

At last Fridays meeting I kind of insisted we pray for her and I am so glad we did.

This fellow had advanced the Christian grooming, love bombing through kind words and talks of blessings, and the playing up the children’s plight to the point of asking her for a letter of invitation to Canada saying He cannot get out of the country (Pakistan) with out it… I am told he says his brother and his brothers wife will carry on with the orphanage…

I then get on messenger again and sent this message:

Please refrain from soliciting us here in British Colombia.
If your situation is as you say it is you have my respect and admiration.

As it is what you have received is a blessing from a well meaning young lady.
Let that be enough from us and with respect trust in the The Lord to lead you to other wells so that the children can have their cups filled.

Again, refrain from soliciting us here in British Colombia.

If you are in Gods will then this decision is part of it for you and the answer to genuine prayer and need he will provide.

Now, go in peace.”

Then this morning I sent a message to further be clear when I learned of it afterwards.

Another thing, _BANKED OUT NAME_ will not be providing you a letter of invitation to Canada. Take care.

Then he ups the drama…

He says his life is in danger

I reply with :

“What I am is not angry it is leadership and concern and it is me simply telling you is to stop soliciting us and that Heavenly is not the answer to your needs. BLANK is taking a break from facebook / social media. Please be full of courage and grace and let her be. She is a married woman and you should respect that fact. As for your situation it is unfortunate that so many of your country men are thieves, liars, and full of wickedness, they stalk Christians with fake stories of them being Christians, crippled, in danger or running orphanages, charities, housing widows etc. We as a church are called to be where we are and serve where we are. We already support an over seas group. We are not going to abandon them to favor you for some reason. Take care.”

 

Some how the children became not so important in his dialogue , and he is not just looking for a letter of immigration to visit Canada now, he is seeking to flee Pakistan for his life…

 

 

He goes on to tell me what I am to him and what I must do.

 

 

This is all coming from some one I do not really know, not even his real name. I had to look at the URL of his facebook profile to see that it belongs to a “Manni Jarry”. his bio names him ” Evangelist Nomi Joseph”. It is not unusual for those called to minister to have a New name. The Lord told Simon that he was Peter and that he was to be know as and called, Simon Peter or simply Peter (The combined name Σίμων Πέτρος (Símon Pétros, Simon Peter). How I had to come to know him as Manni is for me is another layer of information that looking at it from here in Canada with out the benefit of verifying this informatuon it further muddies the waters as it where matter.

A lesson is frustration.

Brick School Houses in Pakistan (as well as India, Africa, Middle East etc.) are in deed full of orphaned children and often time widows or other woman that for various reasons are outcasts and deemed “societal rejects / burdens on society”. This was also a feature of Western society, the UK for example had the work houses and orphanages. The orphanages predominantly where missions by the church and numerous numbers of Orders of the church made up of Brothers and Sisters in those orders.

What some will not tell you is that the pictures they share of little children and widows inside of these bricked walled “missions” are actually child labour shops where they are making bricks in the blazing hot sun and mud.

It is heart wrenching and I am incensed that men exploit these children and the imagery of the despair to fundraiser for what they call an “orphanage”.

Yes it is a kind of orphanage, that is not in dispute, and yes there are some people who run these brick house schools using child labour and with out it the children would not have a source of income or means of support. Some of these places are in deed real missions and the only way to be a christian mission in some regions is to be a “dumping ground” for the orphans and widows and give them a brick walled court yard and if they are fortunate enough mats to sleep on and blankets. In their vernacular the children if left alone to run the streets are considered thieving bastards by many as they must steal to have everything they need if begging for it does not do it. Be-case they are alone, in the streets and often times are stealing bread to eat, a pair of sandals for their feet etc., that they are reviled and abused. A brick school house if the school master/s are are kindly and motivated by the duty and love needed is one of the better fates for these children. The best of these orphanages will (not with out struggle) meet the basic needs of the children as best as is possible and yes the children might be working there as well as being given a real education / schooling. The brick school houses do not all make bricks. Pottery, weaving, garment making, arts, crafts and jewellery making, metal smithing etc., are some of the life long skills they will be receiving for the time when they come of age.

It is the vicious cycle of poverty. In predominately Muslim / Islamic countries it is especially hard for Christian (truly Christian) ministers and the faithful to be Christian and openly and outwardly.

Weather his claims and motivations be true or not his modus operandi (M.O.) is persistence overcomes resistance. That in of it’s self is not a bad thing. In the scriptures we are told that persistence in our petitions (what we ask and seek of The Lord our God in prayer) is sometimes what is needed.

We find this in Ephesians 6:18-20 and here Jesus gave it to us in the parable as found in Luke 18:1-8

It is also what Telemarketers do, what email spammers do, what Nigerian Scammers do and yes what wolves in sheep’s clothing do.
They do it over seas and they do it here. We see it every day. Some of them even have a network of TV satellites bought and paid for by you so they they can reach evermore people like you, and to keep on giving people a reason to give to them by relentlessness messaging you to give.

It is some times just a guy, on his cell phone, in his underwear juggling multiple scam chats on facebook / social media, or in a small call center. It is his job to get moneygrams, Western Union payments, crypto currency, paypal donations, etc.,from you. Some times it is the same guy and his multiple wives that pretend to be him.

I hope this sheds light on what you might actually be in good faith giving to with all your soul doing it to be a genuine blessing.

The good news is that The Lord knows from where you good nature, and charity comes from, it is him and the gift of him to us, in us. He knows, how can he not 🙂 You are of God, continue to be a blessing, simply be blessed and think upon His word.

Matthew 10:16 KJV – “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

To those who have been despitefully used by the advisory and for those who are unknowingly being deceived…

You are not alone.

Matthew 10:16 says it will happen and who will be the right side of it. For what we do truly in love, compassion, charity, and in his name, for his names sake even unto the littlest and the least of us we have done unto him and there is no shame nor condemnation for doing so.

How we navigate them is through gentle wisdom. It is in part the fear of you being wise to them that repels them so much so that they are blinded to the fact we as doves are gentle and not prone to strike at them as does the serpent. Have you ever seen a wolf with a dove / pigeon in it’s mouth or a pack of wolves preying on snakes in the wild? Food for thought and word to the wise. What blessing The Lord considered us worthy enough to give us the Word and the ability to be that which he has called us to be, gentle and wise are two important aspects of our foundation in Christ The Lord God Almighty.

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask for it. Just do it, pray for it and see what happens, with out doubt receive it through faith and in faith 🙂

James 1:5-6
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

I hope the above of me sharing one of our recent experiences will be of benefit to those who find they face similar situations and circumstances.

Every Blessing,

Rev. John

 

As aside note:

Pakistan… Now this is not just Pakistan and this is not just Muslim thing. Not unlike the African romance scammers predominantly Muslim men target western women. The lure could be one of a relationship of true love or being “romanced” by men grabbing some pictures off the internet or going to a work house with some candy, trinkets, maybe even some real food or clothing and getting their pictures taken with them. It is at the heart of some of the Islamic faith to pray upon what for them are infidels and for certain the soft and prized target is western christian. They work in rings together. Some of them immigrate and carry on the countries the move to and “groom” not just woman but girls as well, all with the blessing of their Muslim sects and community. What ever brings home the “bacon” while he strikes a blow at those who do not bow down to their Allah is a revered way to live. Many of course just do it in the name of their god because it is given a pass and that is how they make money and prey upon and use females of any age in many ungodly ways.