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"