Aaron Ransom's testimony

Greetings Friends,

I'm sorry for the delay on the blog this week.  It's been a very busy weekend.  This week I asked Aaron Ransom to share his testimony of his interaction with the men in downtown Norfolk. 

Aaron and I have become good friends, as the Lord has given us a similar heart and the mission has united us together.  I'll never forget the first night Aaron went with us.  He looked at me with all seriousness and said, "These guys need to hear the gospel and I'm willing to go with you into the roughest, darkest parts of the city so that men might know Him, even if I get shot doing it." 

From that moment on I've had a lot of respect for Aaron, because I realized, here's a young man who loves the Lord and he's picking up his cross in tangible ways.  Aaron comes with us every week now and is someone I feel like the Lord has brought to Steve and I to help us accomplish this good work.  Aaron was saved in a Church in downtown Norfolk, where he and his family lived. 

Aaron has a powerful testimony and is a young man who the Lord has changed.  He was involved in "gang banging" and the inner city lifestyle from a young age.  He is 23 years old and on Saturday night when most young people his age are at the clubs, or hanging with friends, Aaron is risking it all for the cause and sake of Christ.  This is not common in our culture.  This is why I'm so excited that Aaron has partnered with us.  Here's his story of Saturday night.  Enjoy and be blessed.

By Aaron Ransom:

The truth is until Christ comes back, the gospel still needs to be preached. There are people truly dying and as the hands and feet of Jesus we are called to go to the darkest areas and share the good news with people. This Saturday, I realized where God has called me. The Holy Spirit can truly arrive anywhere and at anytime. You don’t have to be in a church with a great sound system and everyone dressed nice. The Spirit surely showed up in one of the grimiest areas in Norfolk, VA.

The night was going well as we were feeding and ministering to the homeless. But there was one homeless man that God drew me to. The man began to confess every sin to me for some odd reason. It was at that time that I took him aside and prayed for him. That’s when he decided to hand me the very batteries that he had stolen earlier that day. The man had such a rough past he didn’t know if God could ever forgive him for his many mistakes. But thank Jesus for His precious blood that washed every one of our sins away.

The Spirit truly showed up as I began praying for this man and it wasn’t in a church building or some church event, but in one of the dirtiest areas in Norfolk. I continue to pray that the Gospel saturates Hampton Roads and the light of Christ shines in the darkest areas of our city.

No one will get saved if we sit on our couches watching TV or head to the movies. From Norfolk to Hampton, there are people that still have not heard the gospel and they need to. There is no power in hell that can stop what Christ is doing.

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” – Philippians 3:8

Aaron Ransom

Three men saved!

Greetings Friends,

I hope that you are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit today.  Last night, was one of my favorite nights since we've been going down to the inner city.  I sensed the Lord's presence and power in tangible ways.  I am grateful for the work the Lord is doing not only in the life of those we minister to, but also in the lives of those who serve with us.  I've seen a clear picture of what the Body of Christ looks like and I'm thankful for this revelation.

Make them one:

One of the things the Lord has been showing me as we minister in the inner city, is his view on unity.  In John 17, he prays to the Father that we would be "one."

Over the course of the last six months, I have had an opportunity to work along side of many people.  Some come to the streets, some faithfully pray, some make food, donate clothes, finances, etc.  The Lord has allowed me to labor alongside of men and women from different ethnic backgrounds, churches, age, gender, doctrinal beliefs, etc.  Although, we may be different in many ways, God has united us as we've sought to discover and follow the will of God.  Even to those who don't go out to the streets, but send finances or pray for our ministry, there is just something in my heart for those who labor with us.  

Something is weird though...I realized that I have served alongside many, for several years and have never felt the oneness, that I now feel.  Often times, I've felt like I didn't fit in or wasn't cool enough to hang with the popular church crowd.  The weird thing is...in the past I've served alongside men and women in my local church.  Now, I'm serving with many different people.  What's different?  Shouldn't I feel more connected to those I go to Church with?

Last night, there were seven of us who went to the streets.  Although, we went to different churches, had different ethnic backgrounds, age groups, etc the Lord made us one.  I mean when I say, I have a genuine sincere love for those I minister with.  The Lord showed me the difference...

We were all there for one reason!  We were there to take the gospel of Jesus Christ, to a lost and dying world.  Every one's gift was important and each person there was by a divine appointment from God. We weren't concerned with how our service would go, song selection, how the preaching would be, if we'd have visitors, if the ministry teams would show up and do their part, how much the tithe would be, etc.  We were able to let the Lord do what he wanted to do with no agenda, no plans, no pre-invented service. 

The Spirit moves how he will and men and women are affected.  We experienced preaching on the street, public prophecy, individual prayer time, worship and so on...none of us had a plan and we allowed the Holy Spirit to move in and through us.  When you do this you become one.  It's not just, "oh, I have a good relationship with him or her, we workout together or watch sports together, etc.  It's a bond of love that only comes by acting in the will of God, each one using the gift that they were given to reach lost and dying souls.

Are you a Christian or a Disciple:

Many of you know that Steve and I went to a Church in Richmond, VA about a month ago.  Pastor Geronimo preached on being a disciple and not a Christian.  His main point was that 80% of the American population would say that they are Christians.  He explained in detail the difference between the two and how being a disciple would cost you something.  This I found true in my own life.

The last two weeks, I've been able to publicly share the word with our friends in the inner city.  I spoke out of the book of John.  I could tell that I had many peoples undivided attention and even saw some who often stand off in the distance come near to hear the word of God.  After the word came forth, I offered to pray for those who needed prayer.  Then, Steve Z. quickly intervened.  He didn't want to assume that each one standing there was a true disciple of Christ.  Many of them would say they are Christians, but Steve was quick to point out that not everyone who says, "I'm a Christian," really is.  He shared Pastor Geronimo's message and encouraged them to understand the decision to follow Christ.  He explained that it's not easy to be a true disciple and following Jesus would demand denying ourselves.  Three men still wanted to go through with the prayer of repentance.  We told them that we would hold them personally accountable and help them in their walk.  About ten of us gathered on the side of the street, holding hands in a large circle.  We began praying for each other right there. 

One man puts his faith into action quickly:

About thirty minutes went by and I noticed one of the men who prayed the prayer of repentance, speaking to another man.  I heard him say, "Bones, you have to let go of the past and start reading the bible.  He exhorted him to talk to me or Steve and have us pray for him.  It was awesome to see actions following his prayer of faith.  Here he was, homeless, witnessing to another man who was hurting.  This blessed me!

I also noticed another man we prayed for reading the book of John.  I observed him question Aaron (a man I met at the local gym who goes out with us) about the meaning of a certain passage of scripture.  This too blessed me to see the word of God affecting these men's hearts. 

God is raising up an army:

I am very aware of God's hand at work in our ministry.  God is raising up several people who have a heart for the inner city.  There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes that I'm very excited about.  I hope to be able to share these things with you in the near future.  God is making a presence in the heart of the inner city!  It's refreshing to see "even the least of these" connecting to the Savior!

Transferred from Darkness into His marvelous light,

"A Church Without Walls"

Ever Feel Like Skipping Church?

Ever Feel Like Skipping Church?

If you follow our blog you probably noticed that I was unable to go out to the streets with Jimmy last Saturday. Just when I thought I was going to get to ‘skip church’ the Lord reminded me that church is wherever I am  and since this church has no walls it also has no set days or personal agendas.

Sunday I had a meeting down in the neighborhood that I work in. When I arrived the 7 or 8 people I was meeting with were waiting in the parking lot for me to come with the keys to the building.

With them was a middle aged couple and when I walked up to the group they asked me if the food pantry was open as this couple had no food. Everyone had been looking to everyone else, and then, when I walked up they were all looking to me.

I let the couple know that the food pantry wouldn’t be open until Wednesday and I told them where there were two food pantries that they could check out.

The problem that spun around my heart was that they were hungry today.

I had to go to the meeting so I asked them for a phone number so I could call them after my meeting and they gave it to me. I assured them that I would call them when the meeting was over and they thanked me.

The meeting lasted about an hour longer than I had hoped. It was Orthodox Easter and Debbie was making a special meal to celebrate our life in the risen Savior. I called her first and she graciously agreed that I should get this couple something to eat before coming home, so I called them next.

To The Grocery Store

I picked them up at the corner and we proceeded to the grocery store. I had some ideas for nutritious food items that would last them a while, but those ideas flew out the window when I realized they only had a microwave and very few utensils.

They picked out a variety of microwave dinners, Crystal Lite drink mix (my recommendation), a gallon of milk, and a box of cereal. We approached the checkout and the woman asked if they might get a loaf of bread.

“Of course,” I said and encouraged them to get some peanut butter and jelly as well.

When they came back to the check out I noticed that they had chosen the least expensive peanut butter and jelly.

A Strange Thing

I took them back to the place they were staying and the strangest thing happened. The man turned to me before getting out of the car and asked me if I was ‘a prayer warrior.’

I said I try to be, and then he asked if I would pray for him and his wife.

I didn’t ask to pray. I never even said anything about the Lord, or Christianity, or being a disciple, or the gospel. God knew these people needed a blessing more than they needed food, which they were desperate for.

I prayed for them and they thanked me. On the way home I thanked the Lord for not letting me miss church this week. I was humbled, heartened, and grateful for having met these children who are so dear to God.

Have you been to church this week? God is waiting for you … out in the field.

"A Church Without Walls"

There is power in the name of Jesus!

Greetings Friends,

The Lord reigns!  Let the earth be glad!  Once again, the Lord did not disappoint tonight at "A Church Without Walls."  I'm eager to share the testimonies from today.  There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain!

Childlike faith:

Many of you will remember last weeks post, where Steve listed several prayer request from our friends in the city.  Things like size 13 boots for Jeff, 3X hoodies for Allen and Nikita, cloths for Tracy, etc.  The Lord did not disappoint!  We received a generous financial gift in the mail this week. 

Today, at around 3 pm Noah and I went to the Salvation Army to see if the Lord would provide for the needs of these people.  Before we went in the store, Noah and I prayed and asked God to provide.  As we were entering the store, Noah looked at me and said with a very serious voice, "God will provide, Dad, even if it's at another store."  I appreciated Noah's faith as it inspired me to believe. 

Well, we didn't find a size 13 boot, but we found several clothes that would meet the needs of my friends.  We approached the counter with a pile of cloths.  The estimated cost was around $60-$70. 

While we were being cashed out, another lady (store clerk) approached the register.  She looked at the gal ringing me up and said, "There is a man outback dropping off a wash machine and there are no men working to help lift it."  I looked at her and said, "I'll help ma'am."  She said, "Really?  I'll give you a discount if so..."  Noah and I went to the back of the store to help off load the wash machine.  When we were finished we went back to the register.  The lady said, "Okay, all you owe is $15.35.  I smiled and looked at Noah and said, "You were right son, God did provide!" 

This was huge, because although we couldn't find a pair of size 13 boots, we were able to save so much money on clothes, we had enough to buy Jeff a brand new pair of boots for $24.99 at Marshalls.  God is good!

The Lord sends Laborers:

I was prepared to go without Steve tonight, as I knew he had a speaking arrangement today, basketball and a couple of other commitments.  However, I received a call from my friend Jeremy and he informed me that he received a call from Aaron - who works at the gym we go to - stating that he wanted to go out with us tonight.  Aaron came over around 4:45 and rode down with me.  DeDe and Anrde also came, for which I was grateful.  What's funny is Aaron attends the same church that I attend.  I know him primarily through the gym, but it was cool to know that we attend the same local body.

Prayer Room:

Many of you know that one of my new found treasures is the prayer room.  It's there were God gives me direction and clarity as to where and how I am to minister.  There is something about being alone in His presence that I can't explain.  I went to the 9 pm to 11pm set last night and the Lord gave me a message that I was to deliver tonight.  It was found in James 2 and James 5.  James 2 warns us about being a "hearer" of the word and not a "doer."  The hearer is defined as an unstable, double minded man.  Then I found chapter 5...this is where the Lord began to speak.  Chapter 5 says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." 

So, what a better way to be a "doer" than to just start putting actions to these verses.  As I started reading the word, many gathered.  They were interested in hearing the word of God.  After explaining the word of being a doer and not a hearer, I said, "So, is anyone among you suffering?"  Then, I prayed for those who identified.  We moved on to "Is anyone among you cheerful, let him sing."  Then, I pulled a bottle of oil out of my pocket and prayed for the sick.  We prayed for four people, who were suffering from physical sickness and anointed them with oil and prayed a prayer of faith over them.

A women at the well moment:

After, our message and prayer time we just sat down on the curb and talked with the people.  I had an opportunity to share my testimony with Allen and Tony.  There, we sat on a curb on a downtown city street talking about our lives, families, dreams, failures, etc.  I looked over and saw Aaron talking with Chris, DeDe and Andre talking to Jermaine, Daniel and Phillip.  It was a perfect picture of a typical day in the life of Jesus.  These men and women were pouring out their hearts to us and it was sweet.  We had plans to go to the Cedar Grove bus stop, but we didn't make it.  We stayed talking, praying and sharing the word with our friends on W. 19th until after dark.  When we were leaving, many people thanked us and some of them hugged me and told me that they loved me. 

As I pulled away in my van, Aaron looked at me and said, "Wow, this is awesome!"  To which I responded, "This is our God, awesome and mighty!"  I'm not quite sure what the Lord is going to do with our ministry, but regardless of where he leads, I know that he is working in the lives of these men and women.  I'm excited to be apart of the work!

For the sake of His great name,

"A Church Without Walls"

Church on the Streets

Church on the Streets

Last night at A Church Without Walls husband and wife team Andre and Dee joined us to minister to the homeless of Norfolk. We bought 10 pizzas, a cooler full of soda, homemade brownies (complements of John Murray who was unable to come in person tonight) and a pot full of coffee.

Spring brings a real change of seasons for the homeless as the shelters that are open for the cold weather of winter are now closed and most have no choice but to live in bushes and other makeshift homes. They told us that it has been a very difficult week because of the night time drop in temperatures combined with the high winds.

Food and Conversation

As we served the food and drinks on

19^th Street

about 10 homeless men stayed to talk. For me it was another moment that I wondered what I was to say. I would be heading home to my warm bed tonight. How could I relate to these men? Luke 12:11-12 encourages all believers saying, “do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say , for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say," and I was reminded that Easter was this Sunday.

“Who knows what tomorrow is?” I asked a group of 5 men. “Sunday?” said one questioningly. Blank stares from others, until one man said softly, “Easter.”

“That’s exactly right, it’s Easter Sunday tomorrow,” I said encouraging conversation. “What happened on Easter? Why do we celebrate it?”

“Jesus died on the cross, right?” said one. The rest were interested and the circle tightened.

Easter Service on the Streets

Next I was able to present a gospel message, the whole gospel message in a way that the group could relate to, and interact with. I told them that we celebrate 2 major events, Christmas (the birth of Jesus), and Easter (the resurrection of Jesus). “It’s easy to understand why we celebrate Christmas,” I explained, “but why Easter?”

From there the conversation walked through the birth of Jesus, through his healing ministry, to his death on the cross, that we might be declared righteous, and then to the resurrection that we might live as the very children of God.

I told them how cool it was that Jesus went to the blind men who called out on the streets and made them whole, how he healed the man with the crippled arm on the Sabbath despite the outcry from the Pharisees. How he didn’t care if you were rich or poor, black or white, on the streets or in a home, that he came to make us whole, to make us children of God.

As we finished our discussion I realized that I had just given these men the Easter church service that they would not have otherwise received. A message of hope, faith, and love.

Ministering to David

I noticed a younger man eating pizza by himself so I approached him. I could tell he hadn’t been on the streets too long because he still had nice teeth. We talked about Easter too and the conversation led to baptism. I encouraged him to be baptized so that through his confession of faith the Holy Spirit would dwell in him, and would ‘lead him in the way of all truth,’ and give him insight into the truth of scripture and Jesus Christ.

He was seeking God and had considered a wide number of faiths. The Word of the Lord that came to me for David was, “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.”

A New Field

We still had pizza so we packed up and went to one of the outdoor bus stations. Here we ministered to a ‘rougher’ crowd. Jimmy rightly discerned that the people at our first stop were completely humbled and broken people, desperate for help. Here though, the people were younger, on the streets for a shorter time, and were not yet fully aware of their desperate situation.

We opened the van and they began to come. Suddenly a prayer line formed and Jimmy was commanding an arthritic hand to be healed. When others saw the faith and ferver of the prayer they came to ask for prayer as well. A woman named Dee pulled me aside and asked for prayer. She made me promise not to share with anyone the details of her life, so I won’t. I prayed for a new day for Dee. For protection and commanded demons to flee. I encouraged her to draw close to God, that He is her loving Father. That she should trust God and that He will lead her.

Messengers of Hope and Faith

We ran out of everything but coffee tonight and the Lord made us messengers of hope and faith. We couldn’t have done all we did without Andre and Dee tonight. They came right along side of us and fed people, ministered to peoples’ spirits, and loved those who had been unloved.

As you can image there is great need for certain items for these folks. Here is the prayer request list from last night:

* Jeff needs a pair of size 13 boots

* Allen need a 3x hoodie

* Nick needs a 3x hoodie

* Tracy needs clothes (a man)

* We are in need of 3-4 backpacks

* Tony needs a job (I will be speaking to someone this week so pray for favor)

Thank you Jesus for your love, your grace, and your unending mercy.

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

We're opening a Thrift Store!

“A Church Without Walls Thrift Store”

‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’

Good evening friends,

I hope that you are enjoying the grace of God in tangible ways, today.  I have some new and exciting news about our ministry.  We will be opening a thrift store effective immediately! 

One of the things that our ministry has been blessed with from day one has been donated items.  Awhile back, the Lord gave me an idea of operating a thrift store and using the funds to support the ministry.  We were getting several items donated to give to the homeless, but occasionally cloths wouldn’t fit or things were not practical.  I didn’t want to turn anything away, as I believed that God provided each and every item, but I didn’t have the room to store things and I was unsure of what to do with things.

I thought…I’d like to use every item for something, so I had an idea that whatever the homeless community couldn’t use, I would sell and use the funds to purchase things that they needed.  However, again, I didn’t have a lot of room in my house, garage, attic, etc.  I have literally been online, recently, searching for stores that I might rent out in order to start a thrift store and in my mind…I was committed to doing it.

However, our goal from day one of starting “A Church Without Walls” is we use the resources that God provides for the sake of His great Name and those who are lost and need a Savior.  We don’t use money for buildings, salaries, benefits, etc.  We sow every seed given into the lives of those who need Jesus.  Therefore, as Steve and I were discussing the thrift store, Steve had a great idea…

We’re starting a craigslist thrift store.   Here’s why we like this idea:

1.       No overhead and this will allow us to continue to meet the needs of our homeless, less fortunate friends by maximizing the use of our resources and eliminating unnecessary expenses.

2.       It allows us to use the resources from the WHOLE Body of Christ, not just ones in our churches or our area.  For example:  If Sally has a couch in Syracuse, NY she’s not using or going to throw out, I’ll put it on the Syracuse Craigslist and sell it locally.  No transportation cost or obstacle of getting it to me. 

3.       Craigslist also has a “free” page and there are often items on there that are in great condition that people just don’t want.  We find those items and resell them. 

How it works:

1.       If you have an item you want to sell, please take a picture of it and email it to me at jimmy@acwow.org.  Please also include your phone #, so I can have people call you to inquire on it.  I’ll do all the posting and everything else once you send the pic and info. 

2.       We will not charge a set price for anything and we will only accept donations for items.  If someone needs something bad enough, we want to just give it to them and we also feel like this approach will make buying our items more appealing.  We’ll trust God to move on the buyer’s heart, with how much they’ll spend.

3.       If you need a lesson on craigslist call me at 704-582-3821, it’s simple and I’ll walk you through it.

4.       Please search the “free” pages in your area and see if God provides something you think you can resell at a good value.

5.       Once you sell an item you can go to the BLOG and click on the “donate” link.  I have created a Pay Pal account to make this easy and it’s free.

Let me know if you have any questions.  We’ll keep you posted on the progress and remember…This is all about “One Thing” men and women whose lives are broken being restored to God.  The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Let’s be workers and lovers of God!

Walking in His resurrection power,

“A Church Without Walls"

Christian or a Disciple?

Becoming A Disciple

This Saturday Jimmy and I went to Richmond to visit the Richmond Outreach Center Church. We had heard that they had an exceptional ministry to the poor and marginalized people of Richmond in what is promoted as ‘the fastest growing church in America.’

Pastor Geronimo’s message focused on being a ‘peculiar people’ as he began a series on the difference between being a Christian ‘consumer’ verses a Disciple of Christ. The interesting thing about the message is that it was in many ways reflective of a message the Lord gave us as we began to step out of the comfort of our church pews to take the gospel to others. That message was, that “it’s not easy to be a Christian.”

Both in the message that the Lord gave us, and the message presented by the pastor of this ministry driven church, was the fact that there is always a ‘cost’ to be a disciple. Pastor Geronimo emphasized that no matter what the cost is to do the will of the Lord the value of your obedience is always greater. In other words, sacrifice what is of value here in order to gain true treasure in heaven.

That’s what ‘A Church Without Walls’ is all about. Getting up and out of your comfort zone and rejecting the very thought of being a consumer ‘Christian’. Instead decide to pick up your cross and follow Christ, and become a disciple.

We were excited to see that the Lord is sharing this same powerful message with others and that ministries like ‘A Church Without Walls’ and the ‘Richmond Outreach Center Church’ are being blessed by the Lord. God is doing a new thing in the church and in the world and we are grateful to have even a small role in what His Holy Spirit is doing.

Let me encourage you to make a decision today to pick up your cross and become a disciple too.   

Walking in His Resurrection Power,

"A Church Without Walls"