I mentioned to our church home group that the older I get, the fewer youth events I do. One guy asked if I still occasionally do any. I replied that I do, to which he chuckled and said, "Good, then you aren't totally 'youth-less'!" Say that with a lisp!
As I was preparing for our annual Board of Directors meeting back in December, it dawned on me that it was the 25th time I had done so. Larry Bubb Ministries was formed back in 1985 with a hope that I could last more than 25 days! I had this wild and crazy dream that I would love to be able to travel doing concerts and sharing about my best friend, Jesus. There was, however, this small problem ….. namely, how do I pay for rent and food? I prayed and told God that if He would be gracious enough to put grilled cheese sandwiches on the table and open up doors, I would be happy to do this as long as He wanted me to. I wonder how many of you have had the same job for 25 years? Most of you teenagers have not even been alive for 25 years! It just dawned on me that my father faithfully supported our family working for Delta Airlines for 25 years before he passed away.
I am not naïve enough to think that I have been able to survive this long because of any skill or talent I have. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that I've only been able to do this because God has graciously allowed me to. For instance, He has opened doors for me to host an Emmy-award winning TV show as well as perform before crowds as large as 4,000, which humanly speaking, just between you & me, I have no business doing. God has proved to be a better booking agent than any I could have hired! I have been humbled to see literally thousand's make decisions to follow Jesus.
In my busiest stretches, I have led 13 camps or retreats in a row. Because of the recession, as well as my aforementioned lack of youth events, last year was as slow as a sled on a slab of concrete. Even the demand for Groundhog Day Banquet speakers is virtually nonexistent these days! As I have mentioned in previous prayer updates on the back page, it seems that God may be leading me and/or this ministry in a new direction. What that is, I don't know. I still love to preach, even though most churches do not have revival type meetings these days, especially in California. So please let me know if your church needs a supply preacher or someone to preach in the interim when you do not have a pastor. I also have some possibilities to do some part-time online teaching at Christian colleges; so if you have any connections in those areas, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Over the years, I have been convicted to never ask for money because quite frankly I believe that if God wants this ministry to continue, He is able to do it without any begging on my part. One of the lines I added to the ever popular Faith-O-Matic, which many of you have seen me do live, says that if you make donations of $100 or more, you will receive the free gift of an amazing miracle wallet, which will never run out of money! It has Jesus' words inscribed right on the side: "Do not store up treasures on earth." The response is, "If these miracle wallets really work, why don't you get one of your own so you don't have to keep begging us for money?!" The satirical point is that God may not even endorse the "ministry" of a certain televangelist, TV preacher, etc., but it ends up continuing because of their sobbing pleas for more money.
I have certainly been humbled by those who have decided to make a donation to this ministry because God put it on their heart. I have occasionally had an event cancel on short notice, which means in effect, I am laid off for 2 weeks with no pay. In such instances, my faith has been strengthened beyond words when I have, for example, received a check in the mail for the exact amount the camp would have paid me, to the exact penny! Did I mention the check came from someone I didn't know who knew nothing about the canceled camp? Situations like that have assured me that God is taking care of us as He promised. (Phil. 4:19)
Over the years, I have been blessed with a phenomenal Board of Directors whose desire is to help this ministry continue to let a hurting world know there is hope in Jesus. They also have a sincere desire that someday I will actually receive my total budgeted salary ….. or, lately, that I will even get a salary! They suggested I put a donation link on the front home page of my website (www.LarryBubb.com) to make it easy for someone (if God so led them) to click on the PayPal link to donate to this non-profit ministry. Once again, I'm not asking for anyone to send money, unless God leads that way, but I would sincerely ask you to pray for wisdom to know if He wants to keep this ministry going or if He wants to lead me into something new.
As I mentioned last newsletter, God has opened some doors for me to write for the online publication "Wrecked", which reaches some 20,000 people. (It’s like I have a mega-church as I get to preach to 20,000 people each month!) Unfortunately I do not get paid for it. This newsletter also reaches close to 4,000 people, which I not only do not get paid for, I actually lose a little over $1,000 out of my pocket every time it goes out. And I am totally fine with that as long as it encourages people to grow closer to God and He keeps putting grilled cheese sandwiches on the table!
My blog (www.larrybubb.wordpress.com) includes inspiring stories I have shared at state conferences, churches, retreats, etc. (like paramedics giving me 48 hours to live after my wreck). I also recently posted the powerful testimony of a friend, Hattie Newell. She lost most of her family in the Jonestown massacre that took 918 lives, but God graciously spared her.