Not just ministering to the homeless, but the onlookers too...

Church Without Walls 2-22-13

God Turns Man’s Heart Like Water

Miracles happen every day, but sometimes they’re difficult for us to see.

It was one of those nights in Norfolk where the temperature was 40 degrees, but it felt like 27. We pulled up our hoods, and paced back and forth to keep warm, but God was ready to show us His work.

It was amazing a number of months ago when the security guards let us pray for people in a government building. We thought ‘what favor we have been shown.’ Tonight, however, God showed us that he was not done with his work. Over the past months, as we ministered to the homeless, God was ministering to one of the security guards.

What a blessing to come out last night to see the security guard come over with a bag full of McDonald Hamburgers, and start to hand them out to the homeless! Last week Jeff took off his shoes and gave them to homeless man. Tonight, the security guard goes to McDonalds and spends his own money to help ‘feed the 5000.’ How GLORIOUS is our God! He spent his own money. He took the initiative. He became a minister of the Gospel last night and it really was glorious to see. It just goes to show you that the Word of God does not come back void, but accomplishes its purpose for which it was sent forth – and God’s purposes are far beyond our expectations.

Aaron preached last night sharing from the Gospel of John. He preached a simple message of God’s love as the homeless gathered around to listen. Jeremy played worship songs and we all joined in. After the preaching of the Word the homeless men initiated a prayer circle, where the security guard joined us, and Aaron prayed for all of us. Jimmy shared a powerful word about Moses, the Lord parting the waters that stands in front those who were listening. It was full of hope with the promise of God’s power.

Debbie stood in the cold last night for over 2 hours ministering to Susan, a 61 year old homeless women who is largely deaf and has been on the streets on and off for 20 years. If you take a good look at Susan you can tell that she is a beautiful woman, a woman who is hurting, a woman who needs hope.

She approached Debbie and asked her for prayer to heal her eyes from the developing cataracts. They had a conversation about being mothers, and prayed for each other’s children. She asked for prayer, but in the Lord’s providence she received more than a simple prayer. She also got a friend with a listening ear, a tender response, and a loving Spirit.

It is easy to forget that the homeless are real people, with real dreams, and emotional and spiritual needs. Many of them love and serve our God. Debbie found out that Susan loves to worship and that she had written some worship songs. She sang part of one for Debbie. Her voice was sweet and the song was inspiring.

Like many of the homeless, Susan has a variety of needs, but she found family last night in the people of God, and a sister to speak with in Debbie.

Steve Zollos

In our weakness...He IS strong.

An Amazing Night

God never ceases to amaze me. I was getting ready to go out to serve the homeless today and found that all our supplies were locked away, and I didn’t have a key to get to them. Even our 5 gallon coolers for the coffee and hot chocolate were locked up.

I called Nick who usually comes out with us, but he was helping to oversee a major event at his church. He called me and told me that even with the event going on that he was able to locate two coolers and could make the coffee and hot chocolate. What a blessing. How amazing!

I went to Walmart to get supplies and picked up cups, sugar, half-and-half, stirring straws, and a variety of individually wrapped cookies and crackers that would be good with coffee or hot chocolate and headed out to the streets.

I was the first to arrive and I wasn’t sure if anyone else would be showing up. I put the table out and put the coolers out along with the other supplies. A few of the homeless guys came over to help out, and Patrick, a godly homeless friend was among them. Patrick agreed to help me out tonight because I wasn’t sure who else might be coming.

I asked him his favorite verse or story from scripture and he suggested Romans 8:25 & 26

if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

“Why don’t you preach tonight?” I asked.

“I’m not a preacher,” he replied. So I told him if he started off, then I would finish.

Just then Jeremy and Jeff showed up and the night really picked up. There was a lot of cussing going on tonight, but the Spirit was moving none the less.

One man had shoes that were so badly worn that the seams had popped three quarters of the way around both shoes and his socks could be seen almost all the way around. I inquired and he said that he wore a size 12 and that size was hard to come by. I asked him what kind of shoes he preferred, and he said sneakers were best for him. I took special note of it and went to serve some coffee. Not two minutes later Jeff walked up and asked him his shoe size. We laughed and told him that I had just asked the same question. Jeff said he wore a size 13, and not 15 minutes later the man was wearing Jeff’s brand new pair of sneakers that he had been given. Amazing, I’ve heard of giving someone the shirt off your back, but the shoes off your feet? Amazing how God sets our hearts to love one another.

As folks gathered around us to hear the Word, the man who had been doing most of the swearing stood right in the center of the group. I let the group know that Patrick had the Word for us this night, and immediately the man in the middle said, ‘go ahead and kick it Patrick.’

So Patrick read the verses above. He looked up and the man in the middle asked him to ‘kick it again.’ Patrick said I’ll pick up from there, but the man asked that he kick it from the beginning again. The Lord was already moving.

Patrick read verse 25 and 26 again and then a few more verses. No sooner did he finish than a man to his right began to explain that all we have is hope, hope in Christ. We may be hurting or down, but we have hope.

The man in the middle pushed in saying, ‘yeah, we get in trouble here or things are hard but we can always put our hand up to Him.’

‘That’s Right!’ shouted another. Then a fourth man began to explain how we all have a chance because of God, He is our hope.’

I wish I could relay the entire conversation. It was interactive preaching and one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. No sooner would one person stop talking than would the Holy Spirit move on another man to continue the preaching.

Finally a young man standing on the outside started in and told us how he recently got saved and how he had just got out of prison, and drank and drugged. He preached a word. When he finished the man in the middle said, ‘I can receive that,’ and fist bumped him and then hand shakes all around.

These are hard, streetwise guys, every one of them. To see and hear them bow their spiritual knees before the Lord is humbling.

I am so glad that I am part of a group of believers who love God so much that they can’t help but love people unconditionally. I was so blessed tonight, so refreshed by God’s love and mercy. I was ministered to by the homeless tonight as Jesus stood in our midst and shared his unending love with us.

Blessings in His Holy name,

Steve Zollos