A Christmas on W. 19th Street

Hi again,

I'm really excited about this weeks visit to W. 19th street.  My prayer has been answered and the Lord has made it possible for my homeless friends to have a Christmas this year.  The Lord keeps amazing me with the way that He is caring for these people.  I must confess that each week, I've been tempted to doubt that God would conitnue to move the way he has in the previous weeks, but then things happen like they did this weekend and I find myself shaking my head, looking at Laura saying, "Wow, can you believe what God is doing?"  Here's my latest story:

As many of you know, this weekend, Laura, the kids and I traveled to Martinsville, Va /Eden, NC to celebrate Christmas with some of our family.  Behind the scenes, many different folks from many different cities were gathering coats, blankets, gloves, hats and bibles to be given to the homeless men and women on W. 19th Street, this weekend.  Sunday, when we left, our van was so full of coats, blankets, hooded sweatshirts, gloves, hats, bibles, etc we literally had to leave 2 boxes of cloths - that my sister gave us for Adah - at my moms house.  We couldn't fit anything else in the van and we even had one side of our seats in the "stow and go" position.  Also, my sister-in-law has items in Elkin, NC and we haven't even collected those items, yet.

Last night, as Laura and I were going through everything the Lord showed me something.  It's almost as if God was confirming the vision he gave me for "A Church Without Walls."  People from Martinsville, Va; Eden, NC; Bassett, VA; Washington DC; Lynchburg, VA; and Elkin, NC all gathered items to give to my new friends.  Here's why this struck me in such a way...It hit me that "The Body of Christ" is so HUGE!  Although, many people who helped in this effort attend various Church fellowships, in various towns and cities, we were all serving the Lord together.  Many different parts, serving in many different ways.  I thought about the ones who intiated this cause, for the many who are praying for our ministry, my lovely wife who washed cloths and blankets all day, my kids who helped me carry things in and seperate cloths, those who worked hard to gather items, deliver items, spent money buying bibles, clothing, etc.  I thought...this is how it's supposed to be Lord.  You have gifted us in so many different ways and we all need each other.  It didn't matter what denomintation we're all from, what fellowship we attend or what title or rank we hold.  We are the "Body of Christ" united in the bond of peace!   

One of the things I realized is that the Lord has a place for each of us.  We need more people to go into our jails, nursing homes, college campuses, local taverns, etc.  The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Let's turn this world upside down!  I need you, you need me and we all need Jesus!  I've spent so much of my life pursuing the things of this world and one day it's all going to end up in a pile of rubble!  God wants to use us, now!  He didn't bring us out of Egypt to leave us there to die!  He has a promise land for you and I, but we must take our journey to get there.  We have stayed at this mountain of religion too long.  Let us turn and take our Journey! (Deut 1:6-7)

Walking in His sufficient grace,

Jimmy