Thankfulness

 Last month at Discovery Park I had the opportunity to talk to a homeless guy named Robert, my friend of a year now. It amazes me that the more of God’s word we have in the reservoir of our hearts and minds  that he is able to express his heart and mind to us in all situations. He draws from that reservoir ministering to us in each situation.

 Robert is one of the local guys who always shows up for our  Church on the Streets gathering, every Wednesday and every third Sunday of the month. Robert one of the friendliest guys out there. He has usually had too much to drink. The conversation usually stays on the surface, not going too deep. Today was different. God had other plans for Robert today. We sat saying hi to each other and talking about the whereabouts of other men we’ve made friends with. Then the sun broke out through some clouds. Robert made a comment of how good it felt. I was telling him how thankful I was about having the ability to experience God with all my senses. Then I was reminded about the 10 lepers in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus healed 10 lepers but only one returned to thank him for healing them. Robert listened intently as I told him the story. Then I told him about the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. I told him my story, how I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior when I was 18, and how thankful I have been each day since. I told Robert, who was sober as a nun today, how I cared for him, his safety; and for his health. Then I asked if he had ever asked Jesus into his heart the way I did when I was 18. He told me he had. I believe him. I got to pray for him that God would keep him safe and draw him to his heart and into an intimate relationship with him.

 Today was a good day. I looked around and saw others being prayed over. The Good News of Gods loving heart was being handed out today. Prayers were being answered today.

 We are blessed to be trusted to handle the only words that give life to a lost and dying generation. In all our frailty and personal struggles, the creator of the universe makes the choice to put such a treasure in jars of clay. What an unspeakable honor we have been trusted with. Look for every opportunity to give away what has been freely given to each one of us. His love.

I always want to have it in my heart to be thankful for  all things. I owe everything to Jesus and his love for me. His Sacrifice he made in giving his life so I can stand before a holy God and be free from the guilt of a sinful life.

 lets continually fill the reservoir of our lives with the words spoken to us by the Holy Spirit and study the Bible daily.

A Starving Man

 Today was the first day of our awakening fast. About 2 o’clock today I remembered a teaching from Pastor Eddie Rents when he spoke to our men at Man Camp last May. I was craving food that I would probably never eat today. I know 2 o clock sounds pretty wimpy; I agree and have no excuse. Pastor Eddie taught about feeding on the things of God. He spoke about how a starving person will eat anything to fill the hunger and stop the pain they are suffering, even if they are fully aware that what they are eating may harm them. He talked about how we are created with a void in our lives that can only be filled or satisfied with what comes from the one who created us. When we try to fill that emptiness inside our spirit we begin to fill it with the very things that will damage our lives and ultimately destroy us.

 On Saturday Guys Net of Real Life Church, our men’s group, went to Hawk Hill in Marin County. We experienced the sun rising over the Golden Gate Bridge as we dedicated our hearts and the year ahead of us.  I always stand in awe when I get a glimpse into how amazing it is to see the hand of God create a new day with the freshness and hope he places into each one with uniqueness. Like each new day the Lord tells us in the book of Lamentations that his mercies are new every morning and they never come to an end.”

The men who gathered on Hawk Hill reflected on the year that past and expressed a new hope for the New Year in front of us, as we all cried out to God in prayer, dedicating our hearts and our hopes to our God.

 After our time on Hawk Hill we joined Rodger Wong at the SF Mission in the “Tenderloin” area of the city where we bagged up groceries then headed to 4 separate old hotels that serve as subsidized housing for people who have become separated from life as you and I know it. There were three of us in our group who spent our time with one man named Luther, a Vietnam Vet. We shared God’s heart with him. We invited him to a church service that would be held at the mission, we were able to pray with him then gave him the groceries we showed up with. As we were headed down the stairs to leave I turned and noticed him standing watching us walking away. I noticed a look in his eyes that appeared as if he was longing for more time together. I stopped and went back to talk to him for a few more minutes. He told me more of his story about his Father who abandoned him, his brother and mother. He was the oldest. His life was catapulted into adulthood as a young man. He told me about taking on the responsibility imposed on him. I looked in his eyes and realized his life was taken from him, not in Vietnam but in California when he got home. He was 20 at the time. During our conversation I realized he had been starving all his life and was desperately trying to fill the chasm in his life with anything that would stop his pain. Now he just had given up and locked himself away from anything that could bring more pain to his spirit. He claimed to know who Jesus is. I asked him if he realized that Jesus felt and understood the hurt he lives with daily in his heart. With his empty eyes he just looked at me and said he knew God loves him but he isn’t ready for all that church stuff. I was able to pray with him once more and asked the Lord to touch the deep places that had been hidden from the light of his love.

 I wondered today about Luther as I was looking at all the snack food that was being consumed around me. I thought about how I allow myself to get hungry for the things of God and begin to fill that hunger with other things that don’t have the ability to satisfy my spirit but only leaving me with more hunger and a greater need for my King.

Colossians 3:16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

As brothers in Christ we have a responsibility to one another, we need to teach and admonish each other, we are suppose to sing, ha ha ha, yes sing, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other. We need to tell each other of the great things God has done in us and shown us.

That’s feeding on the things that will sustain us and the words of Christ will live in us in the richest way and lead us in to the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

Live strong and LEAD