good news!
the government just purchased the "Drake" hotel and strip club from the Hell's Angels.
this racy joint is on Princess and Powell-- smack dab in the middle of where all the girls are being prostituted.
we NiteLite girls, for the past two years, have been walking around that neighborhood a few hours every week. and every time we walk past the Drake, we pray that it will shut down. a few girl have gone INTO the club to order pops and pray, and were basically traumatized by all that they saw.
not ONLY is the strip club shut down, the entire building is being turned into affordable housing for the homeless! justice and mercy. hallelujah.
that's an example of winning plunder from the enemy after a victory.
of course, there is a concern in my head that the Hell's Angels now have $3.2 million on hand. maybe they'll donate it to the Salvation Army.
next target: the No. 5 Orange. this is another strip club owned by the Hell's Angels, just 4 blocks away from the Drake-- my next door neighbors. we've been praying that this place would shut down for just as long.
on our same block there is a Christian ministry called "Jacob's Well." they do dinners, Bible Studies, all kinds of things. they prophesied that the whole block would be owned by believers. when we moved in they were overjoyed, and it pumped up their faith a bit. they also prophesied that the No. 5 Orange would be a church. we've had similar pictures, during prayer, of the light bursting forth from the inside.
please pray for the women in my neighborhood.
speaking of all that good news:
how do we spread the good news?
what IS evangelism?
most of my life, i was taught that evangelism is this: you make friends with nonbelievers, and after a few years of hanging out with them, they'll ask you why you're so happy all the time.
okay, so i'm sure this works sometimes, but it certainly doesn't seem very proactive.
first of all, it's difficult to make friends with nonbelievers for the sole purpose of getting them saved, because you have an agenda. you hang out with them, but your motive is more than friendship, and they can tell.
secondly, this "sit back and be Christian" method of evangelism takes WAY too long! people die all the time, Jesus is returning soon, we've got no time to waste. if we all went out and made friend with a bunch of sinners today, most of them wouldn't be saved for years to come.
so i say, if you're already friends with nonbelievers, try and get them saved. relationship evangelism is not invalid.
HOWEVER-- since there is no fellowship with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14), and since Jesus is returning soon, perhaps we should focus our evangelism energy elsewhere.
do we undervalue cold-call evangelism?
what about asking someone if they want to be saved when you first meet them? or what about preaching on the streets?
evangelism is something that i have been struggling through for a couple years, and i've still only seen minimal fruit. what's it going to take?
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
promoted.
sad news from the Downtown East side:
there's an elderly native man who lives at Pigeon Park-- the sketchy corner where 614 does its open air meetings. his name is Rusty. he's got long stick straight hair, and he's constantly hunched over. he lives on one bench on the left side of the water fountain, and i've almost never seen him anywhere else.
last year, during a Holy session open air meeting, Rusty got saved. he sat, leaned up against the djembwe drum for the whole meeting, and at the end he requested Amazing Grace. he got up and started dancing, waving his arms around and weeping.
he never made it to our cell groups, and he never got a home off the streets. but Rusty was a believer, and there is no doubting that-- his church was our open air meeting. every week he joined us, and sang along, and requested Amazing Grace. he was full of love-- he gave out hugs liberally, he listened to our gospel shots, and his face was always lit up by the light of Christ.
Rusty was murdered last week, for no fault of his own. sometimes, down here, when someone is stabbed to death, everyone assumes it's because they didn't pay their drug dealer, or they stole some dope. but as for Rusty, everyone knows that's not the case. he was beaten, and his head was smashed into the pavement, by some angry man he didn't know.
obviously, i don't know the specifics of what was going through the enraged man's head, but whatever it was, he clearly did not think that Rusty's life was valuable enough to protect. Rusty was homeless, crippled, poor, previously a drunkard. i believe that somewhere in society's subconscious, we equate those things to equal worthless.
but it's not true. Rusty was a gem. a beautiful man, radiantly in love with His Saviour. he looked like Jesus-- he was humble, gentle, caring, zealous. he was the reason Christ came into the world.
i've been mourning about this deeply. but then, the Lord has used the tragedy to reveal to me something quite valuable: we're down here for a reason. i often feel like we fight hard, and press in, and sow and sow and sow...and we see so little fruit. but Rusty is some of our fruit. some of our fruit that remained to the very end. the Body of Christ has saved a man. we should be encouraged, and exhorted-- our fight is important.
and i know that now Rusty is more radiant then ever-- experiencing a healthy body, living in a mansion, and thriving in constant face to face encounters with the King.
hallelujah. promoted from Pigeon Park to Paradise.
there's an elderly native man who lives at Pigeon Park-- the sketchy corner where 614 does its open air meetings. his name is Rusty. he's got long stick straight hair, and he's constantly hunched over. he lives on one bench on the left side of the water fountain, and i've almost never seen him anywhere else.
last year, during a Holy session open air meeting, Rusty got saved. he sat, leaned up against the djembwe drum for the whole meeting, and at the end he requested Amazing Grace. he got up and started dancing, waving his arms around and weeping.
he never made it to our cell groups, and he never got a home off the streets. but Rusty was a believer, and there is no doubting that-- his church was our open air meeting. every week he joined us, and sang along, and requested Amazing Grace. he was full of love-- he gave out hugs liberally, he listened to our gospel shots, and his face was always lit up by the light of Christ.
Rusty was murdered last week, for no fault of his own. sometimes, down here, when someone is stabbed to death, everyone assumes it's because they didn't pay their drug dealer, or they stole some dope. but as for Rusty, everyone knows that's not the case. he was beaten, and his head was smashed into the pavement, by some angry man he didn't know.
obviously, i don't know the specifics of what was going through the enraged man's head, but whatever it was, he clearly did not think that Rusty's life was valuable enough to protect. Rusty was homeless, crippled, poor, previously a drunkard. i believe that somewhere in society's subconscious, we equate those things to equal worthless.
but it's not true. Rusty was a gem. a beautiful man, radiantly in love with His Saviour. he looked like Jesus-- he was humble, gentle, caring, zealous. he was the reason Christ came into the world.
i've been mourning about this deeply. but then, the Lord has used the tragedy to reveal to me something quite valuable: we're down here for a reason. i often feel like we fight hard, and press in, and sow and sow and sow...and we see so little fruit. but Rusty is some of our fruit. some of our fruit that remained to the very end. the Body of Christ has saved a man. we should be encouraged, and exhorted-- our fight is important.
and i know that now Rusty is more radiant then ever-- experiencing a healthy body, living in a mansion, and thriving in constant face to face encounters with the King.
hallelujah. promoted from Pigeon Park to Paradise.
Friday, June 15, 2007
always full, always hungry
i have returned, safe and sound and full of love, from my journey.
3 weeks: London (Ontario), Toronto, New York, Hershey (Pennsylvania). people keep asking me, "how was your trip?" well the answer is: it was so many things. highs, lows, joys, sorrows, you know. blessed times, overall, i could blog on all that happened, but it would take too much time. sorry.
so, instead, i'll blog on my thoughts these days. two things:
1.) i am so THIRSTY for more of Jesus. yet, i know Him more deeply than ever. my experience is that the deeper i go with Christ, the deeper i need to go. back when i was stuck in sin, rebelling against God, and never talking or listening to Him, i didn't feel a compelling desire to know Him. i was empty, but i didn't hunger as intensely as i do now.
now that i commune with Him constantly, now that i hear His voice, now that nothing is blocking our relationship, i feel SO hungry for more! the more i drink of the Spirit, the thirstier i get; the more i eat of the Bread of Life, the hungrier i get. and i LOVE IT! my hunger for Him is His gift to me.
2.) i often hear of weary believers who "burn out" because they minister so much. missionaries, officers, war college students, you name it.
but i have to say: i don't think we ever have to come to a place of burnout. this is from experience, and Scripture (and reason of course, that's what i've already outlined) (and tradition!-- think of the saints before us who were persecuted, who continued to fight everyday until they were promoted to glory. their life was not an easy one, but even THEY never burnt out).
experience:
when i am operating in my gifts, among the poor and the lost, i feel absolutely ENERGIZED. i love it! it doesn't drain me, it pumps me up. i am co-operating with Jesus, following Him wherever He goes, and every moment of it is communing with Him. i feel drained when i have to deal with believers who are apathetic, but i don't feel drained when i am fighting.
of course: i understand physical fatigue. oh, do i ever understand it. i recognize that is completely valid, and we need to rest.
i also recognize that we can't be loving people if we are not abiding in Christ. we can't give out oil and wine that we don't have. if we are not continually and constantly drawing from our Wellspring of life, the Source, then we'll be dry, and literally have nothing left to give.
Scripture:
"They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion."
(Psalm 84:7)
"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
(Isaiah 40:28-31)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
(Hebrews 12:1-3)
"Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."
(John 5:17)
so there you have it.
fight on.
3 weeks: London (Ontario), Toronto, New York, Hershey (Pennsylvania). people keep asking me, "how was your trip?" well the answer is: it was so many things. highs, lows, joys, sorrows, you know. blessed times, overall, i could blog on all that happened, but it would take too much time. sorry.
so, instead, i'll blog on my thoughts these days. two things:
1.) i am so THIRSTY for more of Jesus. yet, i know Him more deeply than ever. my experience is that the deeper i go with Christ, the deeper i need to go. back when i was stuck in sin, rebelling against God, and never talking or listening to Him, i didn't feel a compelling desire to know Him. i was empty, but i didn't hunger as intensely as i do now.
now that i commune with Him constantly, now that i hear His voice, now that nothing is blocking our relationship, i feel SO hungry for more! the more i drink of the Spirit, the thirstier i get; the more i eat of the Bread of Life, the hungrier i get. and i LOVE IT! my hunger for Him is His gift to me.
2.) i often hear of weary believers who "burn out" because they minister so much. missionaries, officers, war college students, you name it.
but i have to say: i don't think we ever have to come to a place of burnout. this is from experience, and Scripture (and reason of course, that's what i've already outlined) (and tradition!-- think of the saints before us who were persecuted, who continued to fight everyday until they were promoted to glory. their life was not an easy one, but even THEY never burnt out).
experience:
when i am operating in my gifts, among the poor and the lost, i feel absolutely ENERGIZED. i love it! it doesn't drain me, it pumps me up. i am co-operating with Jesus, following Him wherever He goes, and every moment of it is communing with Him. i feel drained when i have to deal with believers who are apathetic, but i don't feel drained when i am fighting.
of course: i understand physical fatigue. oh, do i ever understand it. i recognize that is completely valid, and we need to rest.
i also recognize that we can't be loving people if we are not abiding in Christ. we can't give out oil and wine that we don't have. if we are not continually and constantly drawing from our Wellspring of life, the Source, then we'll be dry, and literally have nothing left to give.
Scripture:
"They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion."
(Psalm 84:7)
"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
(Isaiah 40:28-31)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
(Hebrews 12:1-3)
"Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."
(John 5:17)
so there you have it.
fight on.
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