My Vision - Now a reality...

Greetings Friends,


Last night, Jeremy, David, Travis, Aaron, Monique, Noah and I headed to the inner city to meet with our homeless friends, on West 19^th street.  We had 15 pizzas, 2 bags of clothes, 2 trays of cupcakes, 6 cases of toothpaste, 4 cases of drinks, a new bible for Clifton and a message of hope for all who were there. 

The Lord has been faithful week in and week out to provide for the needs of these people.  For those of you who don’t know, “A Church Without Walls” has no pastor salaries, no mortgages for buildings, no light bill, no A/C bill, etc.  We believe that we have been called to use the resources that God has given us to provide for the basic needs of the poor and needy.  Our purpose is built on Matthew 25:35-36 – “For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was naked and you clothed me.”

As we arrived, the food line began to form.  Our friends began to greet us with handshakes and hugs.  Each of us moved to our position and began to serve. 

Our new minister Shacka:

Last week, while we were ministering in the streets, I was approached by a young lady who attended Norfolk State University.  She stated that her and a friend were driving by and noticed us gathered in groups praying for the homeless.  She asked if she could interview me about what we were doing, as she held out her video recorder.  She said that she was doing a project on homelessness for a class and she couldn’t believe what she saw when she drove by our location. 

After the interview, she asked how she could get involved.  I told her that we went out every Saturday night and she was welcome to join us anytime.  I sent her a text yesterday to let her know we were still going out and although she didn’t respond at first, she showed up with two loaves of bread, sandwich meat, some t-shirts and bottled water later that evening.  She ministered alongside of us and encouraged our friends.

Our message:

This week, as I was praying about what the Lord would have me share with my friends, I was led to John 5.  I was struck last week when one of the men told me that he had been homeless for 8 years.  I immediately thought about the man who lay at the pool for 38 years, before he encountered Jesus.  I drew attention to the fact that Jesus goes up to Jerusalem in this story for the feast of the Jews.  I found it interesting that Jesus wasn’t at the feast, being merry and eating, but rather he was at a pool where a multitude of invalids were.  Out of the multitude He was drawn to one man, who has suffered for 38 years.  Jesus asks him a sobering question, “Do you want to get well?”  The man replied with an excuse, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred and another always goes down before me.”  I simply used this message to ask my friends some sobering questions.  I asked, “Do you want to be well, do you want to get off these streets, do you want to be delivered from that addiction, do you want your marriage and family relationships restored, do you want to get a job, do you want to have food and shelter?”  

Many of them starred at me as if I had the magic answer that they all wanted to hear.  It’s as if I could see hope rising up in them as I imagined them wondering, if this was even possible and if I was going to tell me how…I shared passionately as I reminded them what Jesus said to the lame man at the pool.  I said, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk!” 

My vision – now a reality:

Last November, God began to stir my heart.  The theme of his message to me was that I had become a Sunday Christian, living a life of comfort and ease.  A scripture that the Lord has burned on my heart is found in Deuteronomy 8.  It says, “When you build fine houses and settle down and all that you have is multiplied, then you will forget the Lord.”  

I often, like to think about what the Lord has brought me out of and how he has radically saved me.  But for several months, I was convicted about going to church on Sunday and care group during mid week.  This verse in Haggai continued to confirm what the Lord was saying to me.  “Is it a time for you to build your paneled houses, while my house lies in ruins?”  

I knew God was speaking to me and this is what motivated me to start going to some of the darkest areas of our city, with a passion to share the gospel.  Before I went, the Lord gave me a picture of me preaching in Tidewater Park to the homeless.  That confirmed the name of our ministry “A Church Without Walls.”  I saw the picture as plain as day, it was a real church service, right there in the city park.  This week, unbeknownst to me, my friend Jeremy took some pictures of me preaching in the streets.  It was almost exactly what I saw in the vision the Lord gave me last November.  Here it is:

"A Church Without Walls"