Ernest and Sharon: Ready for God's exciting plan!

When you walk down the street with eyes peeled for someone who is hurting and in need of God’s loving touch, it is amazing how clearly they stand out. This morning, as I was waiting for the "walk" light at the intersection (I’m getting better about that), I spotted a young man walking up the adjacent street. My attention was so strongly drawn to him that I waited for him to reach the corner on the other side. I approached him, introduced myself to him, and asked how his day was going. I got the standard "pretty good" but I knew better. I said, "No, you can tell me. How’s it going?"

Then I got a more honest, "Not worth a ****."

"That’s more like it," I said. "Do you have a minute to talk."

Ernest said, "Of course I do." and we took our seat on a nearby bench as he began to lay out the story of his life. He is from Lumberton, NC, where he grew in a less-than-perfect home. He injured his back in a basketball mishap when he was a teenager and has lived with chronic pain since that day. Ernest became addicted to alcohol and various other substances years ago and found himself wandering across the country looking for–he doesn’t know what.

I asked Ernest if he had ever called upon the Lord for help. He assured me that he had, but it didn’t seem that God had done much to turn the tide in his life. "I guess this is just my life," Ernest told me, "maybe things are just the way they’re supposed to be." I asked where he lived and he told me he and his wife are living in "tent city" which is a place in the woods near "the Bridge" a few blocks away. His wife, Sharon, is an alcoholic as well, Ernest told me, and just can’t seem to go a day without drinking.

"God can help you, Ernest!" I assured him. "Your problems–the whole pile of them–is no problem to God. He made the universe and everything in it. He made you. He made Sharon. And he made you both for an incredibly wonderful purpose."

"That’s what the preacher-man in Texas told us," Earnest said, "but I don’t have any idea what that might be. What could I ever do that would make any difference?"

"Would you like to live a life that counts? Would you like to know that your being on this earth is having a good impact day after day?"

"Well, of course I would!" Ernest said this as though it had never dawned upon him that there was great value and great potentiality in his life. "Of course I would. I would love to be able to help somebody. If I could just help my wife overcome her alcohol addiction, I would be a happy man. We have our problems, but I love that woman," Ernest continued. "I don’t believe in divorce. I don’t care how bad things get, I would never leave her. My mother was married three times and my fathert two times. It had an awful effect on all us kids and I’m never going to give up on this marriage."

I said, "Earnest, you have to fall in love with Jesus so strongly that you would feel the same way about him–that no matter what happens, you are going to walk with Jesus for the rest of our life. And, if you’ll do that, there is nothing you can go through that he will not help you with." Then I asked him, "Are you willing to do that?"

And he answered, "Absolutely!" I knew the Holy Spirit was at work and right there on the bench on the sidewalk of Main Street, Ernest asked Jesus to take charge of his life.

He had told me earlier that the reason he was walking the street was to try and find something for his wife to eat. He was going to a soup kitchen and try to talk them into allowing him to take a plate to his wife. He said if he had to, he would get the plate as though it was for himself, then he would slip out and take it to her.
I said, "Ernest, would you like for me to go home with you. I’ll buy lunch."

He said, "Would you do that?"

"I would be honored to do that," I assured him. So we walked a few blocks to my car, drove to McDonald’s for a bag of burgers and headed for tent city. I have been wanting to visit this place, but never had an entree before. Now, Ernest was ushering me into a veritable jungle. It reminded me of places I have visited in Africa or India.

I asked Ernest to go ahead of me and announce that I was coming so I didn’t startle anybody. "Honey, we’re got company," he called out, and I followed him to their little hideaway. There I met Sharon, a gentle, soft-spoken woman, who immediately began to apologize for her appearance, her condition, and the surroundings.

"I’m happy to be here, Sharon. Not to worry, you look fine and besides that I’m here because God sent me here with good news for you." She told me of her life–much of which I had already heard from Ernest–and added that she had been beaten, robbed, and even raped in these woods. "It’s a tough world out here," she said, "so what’s the good news?"

I opened by cell phone Bible to Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

"How could any of that ever happen in my life," Sharon asked.

"It’s in the very next verse and the following verses–"In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you seek for me with all your heart, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore what you have lost." By this time, Sharon is beginning to cry. Earnest reached over and put his arm around her and I began to pray for both of them. I asked God to heal and restore them. I prayed that he would guide them and show them his wonderful plan for their lives. I prayed for the day that they would find themselves in His perfect will–being richly blessed and blessing everyone who came into their lives. What a meeting with God right there in "tent city" in the middle of the woods.

Sharon asked to borrow my cell phone to call her daughter and tell here what was happening. She called–no answer–so she left a voice mail. Half-hour later, her daughter called me to ask, "Is this for real?" I assured it that it was.

I believe God has begun a work today in Earnest and Sharon’s life. I promised them that many of my friends would be praying daily for them. Please don’t forget.

Tony: I’m going to keep trusting in God.

I took a walk with Tony today. He assured me that he is going to keep trusting God and walking with him. Don't forget to keep Tony in your prayers.

Tony: He never felt like he had a purpose!

We started the day recently (as we often do recently) on the top level of a parking deck in the center of Durham. It is always empty this early in the world and we can walk around the perimeters, look down on the streets of the city, and pray for God’s work in the lives of those who will walk those streets. The presence of God was particularly evident as Ron, Milton, and I prayed to be filled with the Holy Spirit for this day of ministry.

I have to admit that I am very outcome-oriented. I like to "close the deal" and see people make an overt commitment to follow Christ. Today, though, was more about sowing the seed in faith and trusting God to do his own work (I suppose He can handle that). We had the opportunity to share the gospel with a number of people and, near the end of the day, God allowed us to see one of those manifestations of grace that was just dramatic.

Milton and I were sharing with some men along Queen Street between Main and Liberty as my attention was being drawn to a man lying on the ground under a tree, apparently sleeping. It’s not my habit to disturb a man while he is sleeping, but I couldn’t ignore the drawing I felt toward this man. I asked the men we were talking with if they knew him. No one did. I asked if they had ever talked with him. They never had. In fact, they weren’t sure he could even talk. One man said, "He’s just crazy. You’d better leave him alone."

I couldn’t help but think, "What would Jesus do? Would he leave him alone? Or would he love him and reach out to him?" We know the answer to that. So I walked over to the man and he immediately opened his eyes. When I saw me standing close to him, he was struck with fear and said, "What is it? What did I do? What are you doing to do?"

I answered him, "You didn’t do anything and all I want to do is be your friend. Is there anything I can do for you?"

And again he asked, "What’s wrong? What have I done?" Milton came alongside me and assured him, "We are your friends. We want to help you if we can." We asked him his name and told him ours. He continued to look at us with fear and uncertainty.

Still lying on the ground in the same position in which we found him, Tony said to us, "Why are you doing this? And we assured him that it was simply because God had send us to his side to be his friends. This was the first time a faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "Really?"

"So tell us what we can do for you." He asked if I had a car. I told him I did and he said, "Would you take me to the store?" What could I say but "yes"? So we took Tony for a ride to the store. It was a ride Tony will never forget because God allowed us to be His mouthpiece to pour His love into Tony’s life. He listened intently as we told him how God had loved him from the moment of his conception in his mother’s body, that God had never once taken his eyes off him, and had been longing for relationship with him.

As I tried to tell Tony of the immeasurable worth he had to God and how much God had focused His love on him, Tony shook his head in disbelief. Tony told us how his parents had both died with he was a small child and he was raised by aunts and grandparents. "I have never felt like I had a purpose in life," he said, "I don’t even know why I am alive. I have been close to death several times, but I always come back."

"Who do think is bringing you back, Tony? Who is it who is determined to keep you alive?"

Tony said, "I guess it’s God."

"It IS God, Tony. God wants you alive so you can fulfill the wonderful purpose He has ordained for your life." The presence of the Holy Spirit was so powerful, it was almost overwhelming. I said, "Tony, will you give your life over fully to Christ today?"

"I don’t know," he said, "I would like to, but I don’t feel it. I don’t know if I can do it." I assured him that he didn’t have to have a feeling; all he had to have was a willingness to respond to the call of God.

"This is your day, Tony," I said, "God has set this moment up for you to come to him." And we began to pray over Tony. We took him by the hand, prayed for God to remove the scales from his eyes, illuminate his understanding, and show him His incredible love. As we continued to pray, Tony began to nod in agreement. Then he began to express verbal agreement. I led him in a prayer of repentance and commitment. Tony’s voice became stronger and stronger as he prayed along with me and then he punctuated the prayer with a hearty "Amen!"

We drove Tony back to the place we first encountered him. He hugged us, thanked us profusely, and promised us that he was going to walk with the Lord. And we promised Tony that we would pray for him, have our friends to pray for him, and we would follow up with him and help strengthen in his walk with the Lord. I’ll check on him tomorrow and he has firmly promised to join us in Bible study next week.

I love the wonderful thing God is doing!

Felix sharing Christ

So I’m on the streets of Durham this morning sharing Christ with as many people as I can and I run into a guy who is doing the same thing. I know this guy and so do some of you. In fact, some of you have prayed for Felix to grow in his faith and walk with God.

When I met Felix a few weeks ago, he was very drunk and not on his best behavior. I sat and shared with him, cried with him, and prayed with him and knew that God has touched his life. I have followed up with numerous meetings with Felix and the growth I am seeing in his spiritual life is amazing. God is already beginning to use him to spread the good news on the streets.

This morning, Felix asked if he could introduce me to some of his friends. I spent about an hour with him, meeting and sharing with more than half a dozen men and women who are ripe and ready for the gospel. This is almost too easy!

"So," I asked Felix, "What are you telling your friends about what God is doing in your life?" He says it better than I can . . .

Otis: He will remember this day forever!

One of the men I talked with today was Otis, a thin, soft-spoken man in his sixties. At first, we just talk in generalities–the beautiful day we were having, how hot the summer had been–and then I asked Otis, “How are you doing?” to which he replied, “I’m doing okay.”

His answer was less than convincing and I asked him, “Are you trusting Christ with the things you face from day to day?” And he said, “Yeah . . . there’s nobody else we can trust.”

I said, “Where do you life, Otis?” He answered, “I live here on the street.” And it was then that he broke into tears. “I’m from Rocky Mount. I could go home–they said I could come home–but I have this drug problem.” Otis went on to tell me of a twenty-year cocaine addiction that has cost him everything. He has struggled with it day after day, undergone treatments, participated in programs, but he hasn’t been able to break free.

I said to him, “Otis, you’re never going to be able to overcome the power of this addiction by yourself. We all have sin and bondage in our lives and apart from the power of God we will never be free. It’s not just a matter of asking God to help us be strong enough to overcome; we have to allow him to come into our lives and take complete control. Then, it’s not us but it’s Christ living and overcoming in us.”

Otis was listening to every word. “He has been wanting to do this for you since the day the addiction started. In fact, he has wanted to be the Lord of your life since before you were born. He picked you out when you were still inside your mother. He loved you and had a great purpose for your life, and it’s not to late for him to do that.

Otis was still crying as he said, “I’ve always wanted to help other people. I wish I could be a drug counselor and help other people get off drugs.” And I said, “You can, Otis! God can do such a wonderful thing in your life that you can help many people be free. There is a greater purpose in God for your life than you can possibly imagine.”

I was so conscious of God’s power right there on the street. By this time, I was crying with Otis. I began to pray, to rebuke the devil’s power, and to call the healing, delivering power of Christ into this man’s life. He agreed with me in prayer and promised me that he was going to call home and tell his family what had happened, then he was going to go home and serve the Lord.

Simple as that? Of course not. Satan doesn’t give up that easily. I promised Otis that I would pray for him and ask my friends to do the same. I gave him my cell phone number and he promised to call me. I will follow up with him to help him make connections with people who can encourage and strengthen him in his faith.

As we left, Otis said, "I'm going to remember this day--September 12--I'm going to remember this day forever as the day my life was changed." I believe he will! Put Otis on your prayer list.

Roy: Maybe I didn't try hard enough? Or was it too hard?

It was another great day on the streets of Durham. We had the privilege of praying with people to come to Christ, others to be restored to fellowship, and others to be healed by God’s power.

One such man was Roy. We met him at five points and struck up a conversation about all the people passing by and the games they might be playing. Roy seemed to have lots of insight into the lives of the people on the street; after all, he had been on the street himself for over ten years.

Roy told us stories of sleeping in a clump of trees right by the railroad track (he pointed to the spot) and how tough life really was. He would sleep for perhaps an hour at the longest, then he would get up and walk for a while. When he would get tired enough, he would lie down and sleep a little longer, then he would repeat the cycle. Finally, the long night would be over and he would face another day which, incidentally, wasn’t much better than the night. He would sit on a bench and watch the people. Then he was walk around the block and reclaim his bench and try to think of something with which he could entertain himself. Finally, Roy had enough and he found someone with whom he could share a room and now he has a bed to sleep on at night. Still, Roy acknowledged, his life is pretty empty.

And life wasn’t always this way. Roy recalled that as a young man he met a girl, fell in love, and got married. He got an apartment for the two of them and started his own business. He was doing well, enjoying his new wife, prospering in his business, and even taking an active role in his church. Life was good . . . but Roy wasn’t satisfied. To fill the empty spot in his life, he turned to alcohol and other things the world offered him. But, not only did they not satisfy his deep hunger, the robbed him of everything he had. He lost his business, his wife left him, his friends deserted him, and he found himself on the street with nothing.

“So, Roy,” I said to him, “Isn’t it time to come to the Lord with what is left of your life and allow Him to make of you what He has intended all along?”

Roy’s answer was, “I tried that. It didn’t work out.”

“So, why do you suppose it didn’t work out?”

“I don’t know,” Roy said, “Maybe I just didn’t try hard enough. I don’t know.”

“Well, how hard did you try?”

Roy assured me, “I tried pretty hard. I went to church, I read the Bible, I prayed, I tried to do good things, I tried to help people out, I tried not to drink . . . ” On and on Roy went. He convinced me that he had tried pretty hard.

Then I asked him, “Could it be that your tried too hard?” He looked at me with a very puzzled look. Nobody had ever suggested that he tried too hard. I said, “A transformed life is not about what you can do by trying hard enough; it is about what God can do by the power of His grace.” This seemed like a concept to Roy. He had always thought that being a Christian was about trying hard enough to be good enough to deserve God’s favor.

I shared with him for along time about God’s grace as opposed to human goodness. I reminded him of the truth of Romans 4:5 “People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” I said to Roy, “If you will fully give your life to Christ today and trust him to change you from the inside out instead of trying to change yourself from the outside in, you will see the difference you have always wanted to see in your life. Are you ready to do that?” Roy said he was. We prayed with him and he confessed faith in the finished work of Christ. Roy said, “I tried before and failed; God will have to do it this time.”

I think he got the idea!

Alan: Trying to get his life back on track

What an incredible day this has been! Pastor Ron Wesley spent much of the day with me on the streets of Durham, witnessing and praying with many people who were lost and bound by the power of Satan.


One of the men we prayed with today was Alan. As we greeted Alan and made eye contact with him, it was as though we might have none each other. Alan told me that he had been to the Bible meetings in the park for the past two Wednesdays, and although he hadn’t given any public response, he had decided it was time to "get his life back on track."

Alan shared his story with us. He was born and grew up in New York City. He had enjoyed a decent life, grew up, got married, had a good job, and was involved in his church. As time went on, Alan got careless with his life and began indulging in things he knew were not right. In the course of time, problems developed in the marriage and Alan and his wife split up. This bothered Alan, but not enough to cause him to bring his life back in order so he continued to live life on his own terms. The result was that things went from bad to worse. The bright spot was that he wife decided that she was ready to give the marriage another chance. She moved to the Durham area, got a job and a place to stay, and invited Alan to come and join her. He did, but because he was still living a self-absorbed, out-of-control life, it was only a short time before the marriage had failed; this time is was permanent.

Now, things really went downhill for Alan. He found himself without a wife and family, without a job or a home, and without a purpose for his life. He has lived this way for more than ten years. "But I’m ready for all of that to change," Alan announced. I’m finally doing something about it. He named several support groups he had joined to help him with his addictions and his inability to control his anger.

As Alan continued, it became obvious that this wasn’t his first attempt to rehabilitate himself. He had started this process again and again. He had enrolled in programs, participated in groups, applied many techniques and methods to try to get his life in order and had failed each time. "What is the missing ingredient here?" Well, Alan said maybe he hadn’t really tried hard enough. Or maybe he hadn’t really gotten into the right program yet. But the answer was clear from his conversation: Alan had been trying in his own strength to do what only God can do. It takes the power of God to set us free.

So, we asked Alan, "Are you ready to admit that you can’t free yourself from the bondage that is on your life? And are you ready to turn to God for deliverance and cleansing?" And, without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely.""Then, let’s pray," I said and as we began to pray, Alan humbly came to Christ, admitting his helplessness to change himself and asking to be cleansed, delivered, and healed by the power of God. As the three of us stood there, hand-in-hand, calling on the Lord, the Holy Spirit touched Alan and he was instantly and visibly changed by God’s power and grace.

Sometimes I wish they were all this easy.

Jack: Satan loses another battle!

Among the numerous spiritual encounters we had today, there is one that I will remember for a while, both for the circumstances that were prevailing and the straightforward way God had me approach the man I will call Jack (not his real name).

My friend Eric and I were witnessing to some men on Queen Street when I noticed a man sitting on a ledge nearby who seemed to be seething with anger. His anger was so conspicuous that I wouldn’t have approached him except for the strong leading of the Holy Spirit. Thinking back, my question was a little foolish; I asked, “Are you okay?” to which Jack said, “H*** no, I’m not okay! Do I look like I’m okay?” Well, I agreed with him; he didn’t look okay. Then he said, “You’d better just move on. I’m too #$*@ mad to talk to anybody.”

That should have been enough to let me know my timing was bad but I couldn’t let it go. I said, “I don’t know what is going on with you right now but there is an answer and I can help you find it.” At this, Jack just sat and glared at me. I accepted his invitation and sat down beside him. “God loves you and cares about what’s happening in your life right now,” I said, “and if you’ll let me, I’ll pray for you and God will give you peace.”

I was almost surprised with Jack said to me, “Well, go ahead.” And I did. I put my arm around Jack and prayed, “God you love this man. You loved him before he was ever born and had a great purpose for him on this earth. You have been longing to have a close personal relationship with Jack and you brought me into his life today. Now, I am asking you to touch this man and give him peace. Help him to open his heart to you now and allow you to do what you have always wanted to do in his life.”

As Jack looked up at me, he seemed as angry as ever. He told me about the woman he had been with for eight months. He had loved her and trusted her. Yesterday, after a work of very hard work, he got his paycheck. He was so pleased and knew she would be as well. He cashed the check, kept out $40 and gave the rest to his girlfriend to keep for them. “This morning,” he said, “she left with my money and another man. I am so angry right now, if I find them, I’m going to kill them both. I have access to a gun and I am going to kill them before this day is over [expletives deleted].”

I said, “Jack, if you could do that, would it get your money back?”

“No.”

“Would it restore your faith in this woman?”

“No.”

“Would it make your life better in any way?”

“No.”

“Then, why do it? Why put your own life in jeopardy, go to prison, and worst of all dishonor God by taking this matter in your own hands and trying to get revenge?”

This conversation went on for a long while. Eric and I took Jack to lunch and reasoned with him from every conceivable angle with little effect. Finally, I said, “Jack, I want to pray with you again (this was about the third time) and I want you to pray. I led Jack and he followed in a prayer asking God to forgive him, receive him into His family, and change his life.

“Now, Jack, I’m going to pray that God will set you free from this anger and give you grace to forgive both the woman and the man she is with and leave the vengeance with God. Jack bristled at the idea, but I prayed, “God, you have forgiven Jack for every sin he has ever forgiven. Now, give him the grace to forgive everyone who has sinned against him. If we want you to forgive us, we have to forgive others.” I continued to pray and release grace and forgiveness in Jack’s life.

Finally he relaxed and said, “Okay, let’s do it.”

“Do what?”

“Forgive them. Let it go.” and Jack prayed a prayer casting the anger and concern over on the Lord. The release was obvious on his countenance. Then Jack prayed on his own, “Thank you God,” he said, “for bringing these men into my life today. If it had not been for them coming along, I would be in jail before tonight. Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Eric called me tonight, still overflowing with joy over what the Lord has done. Another victory for Christ’s kingdom!

Washington: I love divine appointments!

I met Washington on the street in Durham. Asked if I could walk with him and talk for a few minutes. He was a little taken aback but said it was okay. Washington said he didn't know if there was a God but "there ought to be." That's what he said. He had never talked to God but had wondered sometimes if there might be one. I walked and shared with him for about an hour. He was nice enough to hear me out, but I still didn't know if I had made any progress with him.

As we were about to part, I said, "Washington, thank you for listening to me today. I needed to talk and you're been a good listener. I feel like I've made a new friend. And, Washington," I said, "I don't think it was by mere chance that we met, I think God brought us together." When I said that, his head turned quickly and he looked me in the eye. "Do you really believe that?" he asked. I said, "I am absolutely confident of it. And then the Holy Spirit fell--I knew the moment it happened--and Washington's heart was pricked. He said I could pray with him and he responded. He made some promises that will remain between him, God, and me.

Pray for Brother Washington to grow in his walk with God. Washington offered ME money (just a little change). Broke my heart. Maybe I should have taken it. :-)

Willie, Marlo, Frank, and James and my first poker game

My friend, Pat Sorentino, brought a big bag of bread (about two dozen loaves) to my house this morning and asked if I could use it. What am I going to do with that much bread? Oh, so I took the bread to the hood and gave it out, using it as a tool to witness. Just an example:

I found four men–Willie, Marlo, Frank, and James–who were in the middle of a poker game. I gave them all some bread and they seemed very happy to get it. Then, after chatting for a few minutes, I told them I had some more bread that w...as much better, but it was bread they couldn’t see. They looked at me funny, then I asked them if I could give them some of that bread. They reluctantly agreed.

I shared with them (Psa.139) that before they were even born, God saw them, loved them, and had a great plan for their lives. Then, I assured them (Jer.29:11) that God’s plans for them were good, plans to bless them and give them a wonderful future. One in the group (James) became very hostile and profane and began telling me what I could do with my religion. Marlo saved the day; he said, “You shut up and let ‘rev’ finish what he is saying.” Thank you, Marlo. I finished by giving them the next verses (Jer.29:12), “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” I urged them to seek the Lord and assured them that they would find him.

Arthur "Appleseed"?

I preached at Lenoir Community Church in Lenoir, NC, this morning. After lunch, I asked the pastor where some poor and needy people might be found. He showed me a bridge where they tend to congregate, so I went and looked but didn’t find anyone there. As I was traveling on I-40 to return home, I was disappointed and wondering where I might find someone with whom I could share the gospel. I thought I would go through the downtown area of Winston-Salem or Greensboro and ask the Lord to lead me to someone. Before I knew it, I was passing a man sitting by the interstate with his duffle bag, sleeping bag, and a cooler. It’s like the Lord said, "That’s him!" and I quickly pulled over and backed up to where he was. I got out and met Arthur. He was a gentle Native American from Arizona.
Arthur and I began to talk about a whole range of things from wildlife to Indian culture to astronomy. By this time we were approaching Greensboro and I told him I had arranged to stop and have something to eat with my sister, Sarah, and then we would continue on to Hillsborough. Arthur said, "I’ll just wait out here for you to visit with your sister." But I said, "No, you will have dinner with us." So we share meal at Panera Bread and talked about the origin of the universe, the earth, and mankind. It was amazing how God was opening the door for the gospel! That’s when I put out the call for prayer and could feel the prayers of my fb friends as we shared God’s love with Arthur.

As we got back in the car and headed east on I-40, the Holy Spirit continued to work in Arthur’s heart. By the time we got to Hillsborough, I asked him if I could pray with him, and he said, "I was just about to ask you if you would." We prayed beside the road and Arthur tearfully surrendered his life to the Lord. After I prayed, Arthur said, "I’d like to try and pray." And did he ever! He said, "God, this is a historic day in my life. I will never forget it and I will thank the Good Lord until the day I die that David picked me up today." He said, "Lord, now I know that you love me and you will be with me 24/7 for the rest of my life." We hugged and rejoiced on the side of the road and Arthur’s parting words to me were, "I’m going to tell people about this. I’m going to spread this like Johnny Appleseed spread them apple seeds!"

Chris: Meeting him was no accident.

Chris is from Durham. He has been out of work for a couple of years. He as pretty much given up on finding work and has simply been searching for peace and contentment. Today, I had the privilege of telling Chris where peace and contentment can be found! Chris and I prayed right there on the sidewalk. He said this our meeting up today was no accident . . . I agree! I love those divine appointments.
Chris's father died about six months ago. He would like a prayer for his mother and his family, and that God would guide him on his way.

Simon Peter . . . always wanted to meet this guy.

This is my new friend and brother, Simon (Simon Peter, actually). Simon is from London, England. He came to the States for a visit a year or so ago, came upon hard times, and wound up on the street. He really likes it here and would like to stay. He has heard of Jesus, but doesn't know very much about him. When I told Simon that Jesus knew ALL about him, he was pretty impressed. He said that if God know him, loves him, and is able to change his life into something meaningful and good, he thought he should let Him take over his life...I agreed! I prayed with Simon right there on the street corner and he wasn't one bit ashamed (and neither was I)! What a great encounter. Simon said he would show me around tomorrow and introduce me to some of his friends. Can't wait.

Simon would like prayer that God would help him get a "green card" so he can stay in the US. If God is willing, I would love to see that happen for Simon Peter. With a name like that, who knows how God might use this man!!

Dwight gets a new start!

I was talking with Simon Peter (not the one from Galilee--the one from London) and was encouraging/exhorting him on the corner. I assured him that a lot of people were praying for him that God would strengthen him in his faith and guide him along this new path he has taken. As I was talking with Simon, a young man was slowly making his way up the sidewalk on crutches. He “happened” to be passing just as I was saying to Simon, “I’m praying for you and so are lots of other people.” He stopped and said to me, “Did you say ‘pray?’ Do you know how to pray?” and Simon answered for me, “Of course, he does!” And Dwight said, “Will you pray for me?”

Dwight was struck by a car in 2004 and the doctors told his mother he could not live. After several months in the hospital, they conceded that he might live, but he would never walk or talk. But, Dwight believes that God spared his life for a purpose; he’s just not sure what that purpose was. He has many residual effects from his accident, including a debilitating head injury, but he is alive, walking, and talking.

Now, here’s what happened this morning just before Dwight and I met: Dwight had been “hanging out” with a woman he has known for a while. While he was visiting the rest room, she stole his stuff. Dwight was very angry and had it in his mind to “do something terrible” to her. But he said something told him to just leave, walk up the street, and cool off. He walked up the street and we met at the corner of Main and Blackwell. Dwight said to me, “I’m going through hell right now. I don’t feel like I can take much more. Can you pray for me? And do you think it will help?” I assured him that God would come to him and help him with anything that was happening in his life, but most of all, God wanted to be in a close, wonderful relationship with him. We prayed and God touched his life in a powerful way.

I shared with Dwight my vision to have a meeting place at “the bridge” and asked him if he would come. He said, “I’m already there!” We both cried and promised to meet again soon. Pray for Brother Dwight–I assured him you would.

John, a man with whom I shared the gospel and prayed recently, introduced me to Paul. He said, "You ought to talk with Paul and tell him what you told me." So I sat down for what would be a very interesting conversation.

Paul grew up in Durham, wasn’t raised in church, but he went a few times. Once when he visited a church (he had long hair) and they asked him if he was a boy or a "fag" (don’t know what kind of evangelism you call that). He went again, but he felt like he was at a fashion show and was shamefully underdressed. It seemed that every time he showed up at church, he felt like he was crashing somebody’s party and he lost his nerve to go again.

With no church and no spiritual training at home and a rough neighborhood, it’s not too surprising that Paul wound up in prison. It was there that he first heard the gospel. But by this time his heart was pretty hard and the environment so non-conducive to spiritual growth, Paul never made a heart response to the call of God. When he got out of prison, he was marked with a criminal record and it was difficult for him to get a job, so he wound up on the street.

Paul has tried church a few times after getting out of prison, but has never been able to link up. He said he didn’t want to be critical and he knew what happened to blasphemers, but he would have to say, "There is less b.s. on the street that in church. If someone does you wrong on the street, you get in their face, you beat their tail or they beat yours, then it’s over with. But it seems like in church, if you do something wrong they never let you live it down." OUCH!

Are we like that? Are we unforgiving? And judgmental? And proud? And full of b.s.? (sorry) I’m really getting to like these street people a lot! Maybe that’s why Jesus was a street guy--so he could hang out with people who, although they were screwed up, at least they knew they were screwed up.Paul welcomed me to pray with him and even said, "amen." He said he’d like to talk again and, when we get a place to meet, he’ll sure as h*** be there! I will definitely see Paul again.

Seems like I’m meeting all the apostles...Thomas, Simon Peter, James, John, and now Paul.

John: We can learn something from each other.

I met John on Main Street in Durham. He is very "street smart" and told me a lot I didn’t know. He even filled me in on some of the street jargon. "On vacation" means you are locked up. "Bahamas" is code for a local or county jail. "Poconos" refers to prison.
So . . . I helped him with some terms he wasn’t familiar wit...h, like "lost" means we have strayed from the path God intended for us and can’t find our way back no matter how hard we try. "Rescued" means God came seeking us in the person of His Son Jesus and he won’t be satisfied until we come to love him. "Forgiven" means our sins are gone–cast as far from us as east is from west and will never be held against us anymore. And "Heaven" means we can live forever with Christ simply by trusting him and giving him our lives completely.

John and I prayed and promised to meet again. I will seek him out on Monday, give him a Bible, and encourage him in his faith. Now, this is church!

In the past few days, I have shared the gospel with Simon Peter, James, John, Thomas, and Paul. Who should I meet today but Nathaniel. I’m serious! I found Paul this morning and he had with him Nathaniel and Virgil (was he one of the twelve?). I shared the good news with them for about half an hour and then prayed with them. They promised to walk with the Lord, pray everyday, and seek to grow in their faith.

Nathaniel is a small but forceful man from Kentucky, known on the street as “Little Man.” He has been on the street for nearly twenty years. After his parents died, he had no one else with whom he had a healthy relationship, thought there was no place for him there, so he started traveling. He traveled all over the country and wound up in Durham about two years ago. He manner was brash and his language profane, but I sensed in him a hunger for something real.

Nathaniel told me about his memories of revival meetings in a warehouse when he was a kid. Although he never came into a real relationship with Christ, the seeds of the gospel were always in him. He started asking questions about Jesus and it was my joy to tell him that God had been following him all of his life and wanting to become his best friend. Nathaniel allowed me to pray with him and confessed faith in Christ. Lift him up faithfully in prayer that he grow in his walk with the Lord.

Virgil is a local man. His wife died about two months ago and he lost his home and transportation shortly thereafter. He has been on the street for about six weeks. He is still grieving over the loss of his wife and, at the same time, trying to get his life back on track. Virgil believe God had us meet this morning and is calling him back to Himself (Virgil has had some relationship with God in the past). I prayed for him for the healing of his heart and that God would give him wisdom and strength to get back on solid ground.

Both Nathaniel and Virgil asked for prayer that God would help them get their own place and start living a positive, productive life. I told them you would.

Mike: It's time for a new life!

I met Mike at the corner of Main and Mangum, just across the street from the site of our Wednesday Noon Bible Study. As he began to tell me his story, it was obvious that the world had not been kind to Mike. He has been beaten and robbed more than once. He was stabbed and left for dead once and was struck by a car, lan...ding him in the hospital for several weeks. Mike said he didn’t even understand why he was still alive. When I assured him that God has spared his life fo a great purpose, he seemed surprised, but intrigued with the idea.
Mike said he couldn’t really see a good reason for God to keep sparing his life and I told him that God made him and had kept him alive so that He (God) could have a wonderful, loving relationship with him (Mike). He seemed totally puzzled by that idea. Mike, as most people I know, has a hart time grasping the idea that he is so important to God that God would go to great lengths to get close to him. He has always believed that God was “up there somewhere” but to imagine that God was thinking of him and wanting to get close to him, was more than he could grasp. I assured him that this was true and asked if I could pray with him. He immediately reached out and took my hand and as I prayed with him, he humbly promised to yield his life to Christ in the very best way he could. I invited him to the Wednesday Bible Study and he promised me he would be there.

Mike was hungry, so I had the pleasure of taking him to lunch. His shoes were completely worn out and I told him I would meet him back in the same spot with some shoes. He could use a change of clothes as well, so I'll see what I can find. I feel as though I have an opportunity to put some shoes on Jesus’s feet. This is awesome!

Pray for Brother Mike.

Antonio: Nuevo hermano en Cristo

The streets were almost deserted today–like it was a holiday or something. As I approached five-points on Main Street, I encountered a middle-aged Hispanic gentleman who appeared to be looking for something. Soon after striking up a conversation with him, it was obvious that, as much as anything, he was looking for a friendly smile and a listening ear.

He told me his name was Antonio and he was from Mexico. He and his brother-in-law had come to the states looking for work. He had been able to get job at Burger King and a one-bedroom apartment on Chapel Hill Road which he and his brother-in-law have been sharing for several months. Antonio lost his job at Burger King a month ago and Rene (his brother-in-law) had gone to eastern North Carolina where he was told he might find work on a farm. He found work, but unfortunately he found something else: trouble.

Antonio started to cry as he told me how Rene was a nice person until he started drinking, then he lost his head. He wasn’t sure what charges his brother-in-law was facing and had no idea how the legal system worked. I invited him to come and take a seat with me on a nearby bench. I made a few calls for him and got details about the charges, the court dates, and the times Antonio could go and visit.

“Why are you doing this for me?” he asked. And I simply explained to him that God had brought me there at that very moment because He loved him and knew he needed a friend. He looked a little puzzled, then he literally laid his head on my shoulder. I said, “You have no idea how much God loves you, Antonio, and how close He wants to be to you.” I asked if I could pray with him and he immediately took off his cap and bowed his head. I prayed that God would grant his peace and give him direction for his life. I led him in a prayer to give himself over to God’s control and he freely prayed after me.

After spending more than half-an-hour with Antonio, I said goodbye, gave him my cell phone number, and assured him that I would see him again. He seemed reluctant to say goodbye and I asked him if he wanted to walk with me for a while; so I had a partner as I made my rounds through the downtown streets. I had the privilege of introducing Antonio to several of my new brothers before taking him home. On the way to his apartment, I phoned my friend, Mainor, and put Antonio on the line. Mainor welcomed him to the family and encouraged him in his faith. I also hooked him up with Jerry Leon who will be encouraging him as well.

Pray for Antonio, that he will grow strong in his new walk of faith and for Rene, that he will find Christ and his life will be transformed. I am looking for someone in or near Columbus County (Whiteville), NC, who knows the Lord and speaks Spanish to visit Rene and share the Lord with him. Any leads would be appreciated.

Tony: A new beginning

Tony is a middle-aged man who suffers chronic pain from some severely ruptured discs in his lower back. He tells me that he has abused his body with hard living since he was a teenager and is suffering the consequences every day.

Tony grew up in Charleston, SC, where he and his brother got involved in quite a lot of mischief when they were young. As they grew older, the only thing that changed was that their misbehavior became more and more serious, reaching its culmination one night when Tony’s brother killed a man against whom he was carrying a grudge. Tony vows that not only was he not involved in the murder, but he tried to persuade his brother against the idea. Tony says that his brother, in an effort to avoid the death penalty, implicated him in the crime. They both went to prison–Tony for 18 years and his brother for the rest of his life. Tony says the hardest thing he has ever done in his life is to forgive his brother.
After Tony shared his story with me, I told him a story: the story of a man named Joseph, who became a slave in a far-away country because of the betrayal of his brothers and went to prison for a crime he never committed. I talked with him about the providence of God in Joseph’s life–how God brought him out of prison, healed his painful memories of the past, gave him grace to forgive his brothers, and ultimately brought him into his destiny. I assured Tony that God could take everything that had happened in his life–the wrong that had been done to him, the pain he had suffered, and even his own misdeeds of the past–and redeem all of that to fulfill His purpose for his life.

Tony assured me that he was all for that. He said that if God could take the rest of his life and do something with it, he was welcome to it. And I said, “Tony, that’s all God is waiting for. If you really mean that, tell God right now that you give him your life without any reservation and then follow up on that commitment by following Christ for the rest of your life.” Tony agreed and I prayed with him right there on the street. I prayed for Tony’s healing as well, asking God to touch him and relieve his pain. I’m going to follow up with Tony and encourage his faith. Pray for Tony that God will give him an Ephraim (a fruitful new beginning) and a Manasseh (the power to forget his painful past).

Thomas: A Miracle in the Making

Thomas is a man of about 40 years, very thin with faltering steps and a very sad countenance. Was standing in front of a store window on Chapel Hill street at Five-Points just across from where my friend, Milton, and I were witnessing to a couple of men in the park. He kept looking at us, almost as though he might be waiting for us to come to him. I said, “Milton, there’s a man God wants us to minister to.” and we crossed to street to where he was. He almost seemed on the verge of tears as we approached him.

“How are you doing?” I asked. And he immediately said, “Not too good.” His hand was bandaged from a fall he had taken a few weeks ago when he had some sort of seizure. His face was also bruised from the fall and his overall appearance was one of a wounded, defeated man. “How can we be a blessing to you today?” I asked Thomas, and he told us he hadn’t eaten anything for a few days and if he could get a couple dollars, he would go and find something to eat. Milton and I told him we would do better than that; we would take him to dinner and get anything he would like to eat. He immediately accepted our invitation and we went to Blue Coffee, a restaurant in the central square.

As Thomas ate his meal, he freely told us his story. He came to Durham to be near his grandfather after his parents died. He dabbled in drugs and alcohol as a teenager and by the time his grandfather died when Thomas was in his early twenties, he was a full-blown alcoholic. He has been on the streets since that time and is now living in an abandoned van a couple of miles from downtown Durham.

Thomas has had a hunger for God since he was a child, but has always felt helpless to “fight off the demons” as he puts it, and live the live he knows God wants him to live. “I know this is not what God intended for me,” Thomas said, “this ain’t living. I get a little money and need to get some food in my body, but instead I go and buy alcohol. I know I’m destroying myself and I want to stop, but everything I try to change the way I’m living, the demons in me seem to overpower me and I don’t have any help overcoming them.”

We assured Thomas that there was one who could and would help him–that is the one who has already defeated Satan on his behalf and would be delighted to give him the power to defeat his demons and live a powerful overcoming life. Thomas clung on every word. This is obviously what he had been longing for all his life. He said to us, “If God would do that for me–if he would heal me and set me free–I would live for him and try to do his will.” As we continued to encourage Thomas and assure him that Jesus would be his savior and deliverer and that we would be his friends, he reached out his hands to us and said, “Will you please pray for me?” We were going to get to that, but Thomas was ready now! We prayed with Thomas and he cried out to the Lord for forgiveness and deliverance.

I don’t know that I have ever seem a more dramatic change in a man’s countenance than I saw in Thomas’s. He was powerfully touched by the hand of God. I felt strongly led to suggest a Christian recovery ministry called “Bethel Colony of Mercy” in Lenoir, NC. Thomas said he would love to go to a place like that and learn how to grow in his faith. I made the call and we have started the process to get Thomas into the program. Pray for Thomas and pray that God will provide the funds to get into Bethel. I believe Thomas is a miracle in the making. You haven’t heard the last of Thomas!

Aaron comes back!

Aaron grew up in Morehead City, NC, in a large, very religious family where going to church every week was just something they did. Every time the doors were open, Aaron and his family were there and, as a child, he made a confession of faith and was baptized. But, for Aaron, it was like the choices were already made for him and his only option was to go along with the program. Though he believed in God and called himself a Christian, he never really came into a living personal relationship with Jesus and never decisively lived out his faith. His was kind of a second-hand faith.

When Aaron was old enough to make his own choices, he decided that he had had quite enough of religion and church and could get along just fine without either, so he walked away from the faith of his childhood. The problem is Aaron was also walking away from God. He “kind of felt bad about it” but he thought he was quite capable of making his life work just fine without God. Little did he imagine the downward spiral his life was take. His sin and self-indulgence took him farther from God than he ever intended to go and cost him a bigger price that he ever intended to pay. He has been on the street for several years, just surviving from day to day.

Aaron told me today, “I’ve been thinking more about God recently and trying to do little things to work my way back to God.” I told him that as good as his intentions were and as noble as his deeds may be, he could not work his way back to God—and he didn’t have to! That God has made a way through Jesus Christ and all we have to do is come to him in faith and surrender and God would bring us back to himself. Aaron agreed that he wasn’t making much progress and agreed to give up control of his life to God. We prayed together right there on the park bench on Main Street and Aaron asked Jesus to be the Lord of his life.

Aaron is one of those guys I believe God will use to help bring a revival of faith to the streets. God is up to something wonderful!