By Steve Zollos
Today the Lord taught me that ‘A Church Without Walls’ is not about a ministry, it is His Children loving a hurt and broken world through the grace of Jesus Christ.
I couldn’t go out to the streets tonight with Jimmy and the others. I had to work today. My job had me out in the community and my day turned out to be too long and too demanding to get home in time to meet up with the others, but the Lord had plans for me to minister any way.
Today I was leading a team that is building a community garden in a disadvantaged neighborhood. The work was labor intensive and we had community volunteers coming out to help build the garden. As it turns out a homeless man came out to help. He had a torn coat, straggly beard and a weather-worn face. He told me he was a carpenter and that he would like to help. Imagine that, the often maligned homeless coming out to help make the community a nicer place to live.
I told him I had a number of things to build and that his skills would be welcomed. He disappeared for a little while and reappeared with a tool belt secured neatly around his waist. He worked hard all day and when it came time for lunch he ate at a distance from the others. He built a raised garden box for us and took on the intricate job of raising our ‘pizza garden’ box off the ground. He did a great job, had a great attitude, and worked well with the other volunteers. I believe he was the most skilled person on the site.
As we were packing things up I asked him where he would be staying tonight. He told me on
19th street
19th street
19th street
19th street
The Lord put on my heart that ‘a worker is worthy of his hire.’ So I offered him 2 nights at a hotel which he humbly accepted. My daughter Sophia and I checked him into the hotel of his choice (a far too humble selection) and I gave him a few dollars to help him enjoy the super-bowl with.
The cool thing about ‘A Church Without Walls’ is that it goes where you go and God holds your hand as He shows you how to love your neighbor as yourself. It really has nothing to do with us, it’s 100% about knowing God and being known by Him.
Humbly in His service,
Steve Zollos
By Jimmy Foster:
The Lord is good! His mercy and love endure forever! His name is above all names, He's the Holy one, the Risen Son, the spotless Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world and all who put their hope in Him, will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. The Lord is birthing a new thing in the earth and He's preparing his bride for His ready return. May the Lord be exalted! Lord let your glory be over the earth!
Tonight, the Lord met us in a fresh way. As we go each week, with no real agenda and we seek to allow the Holy Spirit to move, we are not disappointed. Tonight, we crossed new territories in the ministry to the homeless. I'm eager to share how the Lord moved.
This afternoon, Laura, the kids and I prepared little tote bags with toothpaste, toothbrushes, and bar soap for our homeless friends. We decided that we wouldn't take food tonight as I wanted to go back to the bus stop this week and I wasn't sure what to expect from the City of Norfolk. We thought we were just bringing coffee, cookies, bibles, and the tote bags, when I received a call from Clay Vanryckeghem informing me that he had collected many coats, sweatshirts, gloves, hats, etc. Again, I'm amazed at God's faithfulness to provide for my friends. I never know where the provision comes from, but I do know that God has not yet disappointed us, as we go. He's remains faithful!
Tonight, was a cold, dreary, rainy night. I had planned to go alone tonight, as my friend Steve spent most of his day working on a garden in the Ocean View community and didn't get home until later this evening. He has a pretty amazing story to share from today and how the Lord moved even where he was today.
I served coffee, passed out bibles, jackets, gloves and the other things that the Lord provided. I unexpectantly received a text from Clay saying, "I'm coming, where are you?" To my surprise he showed up not long after I had arrived and he brought Lyle Dowling with him as well. It was a normal night and we were just serving, getting to know our new friends. After, we had passed things out for a little while, I was moved to go inside the Social Service building. I wasn't real sure what to expect from the city workers or the security guards, but I decided to go in and see what the Lord had for me tonight. I approached the counter and greeted the guards, there were two of them. I said, "Excuse me, would it be ok if I prayed for some of these folks and do you mind if I pass out bibles. One of them looked at me and said, "not at all, you go right ahead." There's nothing quite like walking in the favor of the Lord!
I went back out to the van to get my bible and Clay approached me. He said, "Wow...I just got shook up in the men's bathroom. One of the men had been drinking and grabbed Clay by the coat. I knew the guy he was speaking of, as I encountered him earlier in the night. I knew he had been drinking and he definitely was not in his right frame of mind. Anyway...I came back in the Social Service building and made the announcement that we were going to pray for anyone who desired prayer. Immediately, we had a line of people.
The first person I encountered was a young lady named Kathy. She asked if I could pray for her daughter who was in the foster care system. She was 5 years old and taken away from Kathy, because Kathy was unable to provide a stable living condition for her. She was very sad and yearned to hold her daughter. I quickly saw the Lord's hand and received a word for Kathy. I told Kathy that God's heart was breaking as much as hers was. I told Kathy that God yearned to hold her, like she yearns to hold her child. I told Kathy that she is in "foster care" in regards to her relationship to God. God had put her in Jimmy "Foster" care and he was using me to share His love with her. I told her that until we accept the work of Jesus on the cross we cannot have a right relationship with God. I told Kathy that the Lord desired a relationship with her - his daughter - as much as she desired a relationship with her 5 year old. She started crying and I started interceding for her.
I then had an opportunity to pray for Rikita. Rikita had lost her dad not long ago and her mother died this week. She was very sad and her face was covered with tears. I saw her hurt and I hurt for her. He mom abandoned her at a young age and she still mourned for her. We started blessing the Lord, in spite of her situation we declared that God was good and that he loves us despite our troubles. Lyle encouraged her to read a verse in 1 Corinthians that spoke on God's comfort to us. We laid hands on Rikita and started pleading with God on her behalf.
I prayed for several others, but then the Lord prompted me to pray for the man who grabbed Clay. I must confess that I was afraid and started to resist God's call. The enemy used the lie, "he's drunk anyway and won't remember the prayer, why would you risk your safety to pray for a man who won't remember it anyway." I threw that lie off, as I thought about the demon possessed boy in Mark 5. He was found sitting in his right mind when he encountered Jesus. I walked over to where he was and noticed that he was talking to Bernard, who I prayed for last week. This is the man who was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol. This was the man that repeatedly said last week, "I can't stop, I can't stop...it's too hard." I said, "Hi Bernard! How was your week?" He looked up and said in excitement, "MR. JIM!" He got up and hugged me for about 30 seconds. His friend - the drunk guy - looked at me and said, "who are you?" I said my name is Jimmy Foster, what's your name? He said, "call me Flavor" I said, "Can I lay hands on you and pray for you Flavor?" He said, "Let me pray for you!" In his harshest voice. :) I looked up and noticed that the security guards were standing close to Flavor. Flavor looked at the security guard and said, "come on, let's hold hands and pray." Before, I knew it....me, Bernard, Flavor and the security guard were standing in a circle, holding hands praying for God to meet us.
It didn't hit me until after I left that I was praying with the security guard. Wow, God was even uniting the homeless to the guards. God was stirring up a compassion in the guards for these men. Only God could do this. Simply his favor! I then knelt down and talked to Flavor for awhile. He started confessing his sin. He told me about his alcohol addiction, he shared with me that his heart hurt. I prayed for him again, I asked God to give him a new name. Not Flavor, but Favor... He then prayed for me, the Lord blessed me by this.
You don't suppose the enemy was working tonight and allowed that to happen to Clay, because he didn't want this man prayed for, do you? You don't suppose the power of God was on display to see 2 homeless men, a civilian and a guard in the Social Service building, holding hands praying for God's power to meet us. You don't suppose the Lord did big things in Flavor's life tonight, as the gospel pierced his soul. I watched anger melt off of him. Isn't it like the enemy to try to stop the work of the Lord. I'm so glad, God revealed this lie and allowed me to walk in the authority of the Spirit with this man.
For the first time I prayed for healing for a man named Mark. This is a new realm in regards to the Spiritual gifts for me. I asked Mark if he believed if God could make him well. He looked at me in all seriousness and said, "not really." I said, "Well Mark, you don't know my God. Isaiah 53 says, "He WAS bruised for our iniquities and what Christ did was enough. I told Mark that his faith would make him well. Mark has emphysema and his lungs are failing him. I knelt down as he was sitting against the wall and prayed for faith for Mark. Then, I prayed for healing. He was bruised for our sickness,it's really true! He did that for us - you and I. I'm in faith that Mark is healed. He thanked me many times for praying for him and he even said he felt better.
Another night, no plans, no agenda...just the Power of God in real life. Many people were met tonight. To Him be praise, honor and glory forever and ever.
You are the Potter, I am the clay,
Jimmy
Praying for this ministry..........
ReplyDelete