Honduras Ministry
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Scroll Publishing Co. is more than a book, cd, and tape publisher. It does no good to learn about the radical, spirit-infused lives of the early Christians if its only for academic interest. Academic knowledge may enrich us intellectually—but that’s all. The whole reason we publish works about the early Christians is to challenge today’s Christians to return to the uncompromising, radical Christianity of the early centuries. One aspect of early Christianity that is often overlooked by Bible-believing Christians today is its commitment to the poor. Many of us have been conditioned to think that helping the poor is not really a central part of the Gospel. However, helping the poor was a high priority of Jesus and His apostles. A central part of the gospel of the Kingdom is helping the poor, as Jesus made clear many times. For example, in describing how He would separate the sheep from the goats on Judgment Day, Jesus said this: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” (Matt. 25:31-36). In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus said: Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. (Luke 12:33). Following in Jesus’ footsteps, the apostles also placed great emphasis on helping the poor. For example, Paul said this about his meeting with James, Peter, and John: “When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.” (Gal.2:9,10). James wrote: This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress. ...If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (Jas. 1:27; 2:15,16). John added: But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17,18). The early Christians likewise viewed helping the poor as a central part of the Gospel. As Tertullian told the Romans, “Our compassion spends more in the streets than yours does in the temples!” We firmly believe that, in helping the poor, Christians should use their funds wisely—so that the most people are helped with each dollar they give. Trial and error has repeatedly demonstrated that making micro-loans to the poor to enable them to expand their small businesses is the most efficient way to help them. There are several reasons why: In most developing countries, the poor are trapped in a downward spiral. As the saying goes, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” The reason for this can be summed up in one word: capital. The rich have it. The poor don’t. It takes capital to reverse the downward spiral of poverty and to begin an upward spiral. A micro-loan makes that capital available to the poor. Although the income derived from microbusinesses is small, the cost of living for those running such businesses is also small. As a result, just a small amount of credit can provide a significant percentage increase in earnings and make a major difference in these peoples’ lives. Microcredit enables the poor to build a decent life. It enables them to shed the old hand-out mentality the revolving cycle of poverty that goes with it. Micro-loans enable the poor, with God’s help, to stand on their own feet through their own hard work. Unlike one-time gifts, the funds used for micro-loans are not exhausted once made. Instead, the same money is recycled and used to make indefinite micro-loans to others. We at Scroll Publishing Co., through our parent ministry, the Society of the Good Shepherd, are active in making micro-loans to Christians and other needy persons in Honduras. This work has primarily been made possible through the donations of our readers. A percentage of Scroll Publishing’s profits also help fund this ministry in Honduras. To read our current newsletter about our Honduras ministry, click here. Or click on the following link to read our Past Newsletters. If you are not already actively involved in helping the poor, we would welcome your prayers and support for this work in Honduras. Click on the following link if you would care to make a donation to the work in Honduras: Donations
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