Psalm 136

His love endures forever!

His provision came through the donation of our church kitchen this week. Tonight we served a few hundred hot dogs, accompanied with fresh salad, home-made macaroni salad, and potato salad. Every once in awhile, the change up is nice. The donation was helpful, not only for our budget but for the sake of giving Amanda a break, as she's been carrying a heavy load lately.

Danna spent time with a gentleman named Frank. He's observed us over the time and finally came to speak with us this afternoon. Frank donated a bunch of clothing to the Ministry.

I'm confident to say that each member of our team has been called to this Ministry, and I thank GOD the Father for their faithfulness. This is a Ministry of love. That being said, GOD really stretches our patience at times to see how we will react to circumstances. I myself still struggle with certain people we serve, but by His strength I am able to endure.

What I noticed tonight was, more and more people are talking about GOD down there now. Before, the majority was about booze or whatever. It is a great honor to partake in such a cool change for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Amen!

He will never leave us nor forsake us, but will bless us...

I think every person in attendance, both volunteer and dinner guest would agree that last night was the most positive and peaceful night we've ever had. The waves seemed to calm, almost as if we were at a lake... the crowd stood silently as GOD's Word was shared. The sweetest and most genuine thing ever happened too... I'd shared a recent miracle that happened in my own life, and our neighbors applauded out of genuine sincerity. That alone was very touching for me.

We had extra hands on deck last night, which is always a blessing because the more Believers we have, the more we are free to mobilize and minister as lead by The Holy Spirit of GOD. We don't always have that capability, so it's really nice when we do. There is always a desire from the people to pray with them or simply sit back and allow them to share their story. Homeless or not, we all enjoy conversation, and this gives them an opportunity to partake in such.

We handed out 8 or 9 Bibles to those who wanted them. I'm thankful that we had some with us.

The worship music was amazing and encouraging as it grew into a small jam session with multiple instruments last night. Jason had his acoustic guitar, Eddie brought down his cajon, and one of our guests joined in with his tambourine and then some bongos, while the a handful of us sang praises unto The Lord.

Our gathering wasn't as big as last week, so a few people were able to have a second plate of food. I can't help but wonder what GOD has in store for this Ministry. Over all, majority of the attitudes (and hopefully the hearts) of the homeless community has changed for the positive having heard about Jesus and how He loves them.

Some still have their struggles to addiction, but now they have something hopeful to look forward to if they make the choice to change (surrender). GOD can not lie, what He says is a promise... and His Word says: "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)

Jesus ministered to so many....

The gathering tonight was a huge record breaking attendance: 204

Obviously we didn't plan for that size, but in all her wisdom from the kitchen, Amanda made additional pan of pasta, and that was perfect up until the very last plate... every person was able to eat tonight, and whether or not they chose to indulge in His Word, some feasted and some nibbled.

The things that Jesus does through this Ministry trip me out! Being that we are set up in the complete wide openness of Pacific Beach (one of San Diego's most popular beaches), we are constantly being observed by tourists on vacation, or the locals out walking their dogs... and so many people are totally blown away by what they see. It's really cool for us to not only tell them about Jesus, but it's something they can visually see too. It seems like every week, I meet a person or two who are interested in getting involved somehow/someway. Tonight I met a local couple who have a large amount of clothes they'd like to contribute towards the Ministry. They said they'd rather see where it's going, rather than hand it over to a charity.

Our guest line for dinner is possibly getting too big. I took a look while the food was being served and although we have the outcove as our stationary position, the line wrapped up the stairs and clear onto the boardwalk. I'm afraid that it's only a matter of time...

Talking with a brother from our church tonight, who came to bless us with some photos, he brought up a valid point that had never crossed my mind before. Yes there are those who walk by, and show signs of possible disapproval because it might possibly be due to self conviction.

I'm not an advocate for the Homeless population. I am an advocate for Jesus Christ and spreading His love to those the world has no pity on. I sincerely pray that GOD would have mercy on the souls of those who discriminate such people for their lack of shelter. Not all people on the streets are drug addicts, not all are drunkards, not all are Schizophrenic, not all are lazy, not all are violent... but yes, all of them need Jesus just like the person living next door to you, or the person standing in line behind you at Starbucks... and that is why we have been called.

We all need Jesus. Know Jesus, Know Peace... No Jesus, No Peace. Plainly put.

The battle belongs to The LORD...

A few interesting things, small as they might seem, are worth mentioning. Not because of the acts in which they happened, but to shed light into the fact that there is a spiritual war going on around us...

One of the regulars, came just shy of rebuking us (LTN) for being there while in route to the line... but once in the line, this individual was a completely different and grateful man... even thanking us for being there.

Another man, known to be a problem among the homeless community was violent and harsh. He jump down from above, behind our tables spitting and grabbing things that were not his. He even pulled a knife out when I asked to speak with him privately.

I thank the good LORD for keeping us safe and for not allowing us to see how much He protects us from the enemy.

Other than those two events, it was another night where Jesus was able to let His light shine through this Ministry.

Because love compels us...

This Ministry is such a blessing for so many.

When Amanda and I first started this, we agreed that it would be beneficial to not turn anyone who had the heart to help away, because of their belief or lack of, simply embracing the hope that in those encounters Jesus would be able to let His light shine and win others to Him.

Looking back now, GOD has worked so much through this Ministry, not only in the lives of those we feed, but for myself, Amanda, our brothers & sisters from church serving with us, and those who pass by and have it on their hearts to somehow help or contribute. It blows my mind. We are entering the 29th month of LTN's existence and I can not count how many lives have been changed.... GOD knows, and that's the only real thing that's of any importance anyways. Please keep it up Lord!

I bring all that up because some pretty cool things have happened the past few weeks, that I forgot to mention. I have no clue where the following people stand in their faith or beliefs, but something has stirred their hearts to partake in this...

One woman walking by noticed that in our gathering, there are a handful of dogs which belong to our friends living on the streets. This kind and thoughtful woman took it upon herself to buy dog food and distribute it out to the dogs while they stood in line. That (to me) is such an incredibly selfless act of kindness.

Another woman who was once just passing by, inquired what we're doing... for the past 4 weeks, she has been dropping off bags & boxes of pastries from Starbucks... then she casually walks off. She's like a vapor in the wind, I've yet had an opportunity to speak with her, even for a moment.

Tonight another woman passing by asked about getting involved. She confessed that she'd been watching us for a few weeks now and finally took the step to talk with us. For now, she's made plans to help serve next week. Praise GOD for everything!!!

There were no out of the ordinary events tonight... in fact, it all went rather smoothly. I shared with the group, my thoughts on the Ministry and how I feel it's becoming more & more like a church gathering. There were no objections, and I was encouraged as I noticed more people nodding in agreement if anything. After giving the message, I took a daring step and asked if anybody else would like to say grace and ask for GOD's blessing over the meal. (I say 'daring' because you do not know what to expect here.) and after a moment of hesitation... Michael came up and lead us in an amazing prayer.

The Lord's faithful provision allowed all attendees to leave with a full stomach and some warm clothing as the cooler nights approach the shore. Above all else, after the county wide power outage yesterday.... I'm thankful that we were even able to help do our part to physically pour out GOD's love on the community tonight. Had we not got the power back on, we wouldn't have been able to cook the dinner. It's time to start saving up for a generator just as a back up plan... plus it's just a smart thing to be prepared for anyways.

GOD is good all the time, and all the time GOD is good.
Amen!!!

Surreal (Friday)

GOD blessed us with an incredibly cool breeze that kept the area pleasant. Our gathering was lighter than usual.

I shared why it is good for us to meditate on His Word and the effect it will have in our lives. The verse focused tonight was from Philippians 4:8,9 -"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." It was received well.

There are lots of new faces coming through the line as we mark another season. For me, this so encouraging to see the growth from day one! I love having the chance to sit and speak with some of the new people and explaining why we are there.

One of the newer guys, Ricky, and I spoke the entire evening. He opened up with what he's going through. He's not like most of the people I run into. He genuinely does NOT want to be on the streets. He brought to me an incredible idea that has never been discussed before. "Why not come up with a list for those who actually want to find some work? If you have a list with names & numbers of guys you know that want to earn some money to make life more bare able... and happen to come across anybody looking for an extra hand, you could make some calls." It's genius! As Ricky and I talked, I was asking GOD to show me anything hidden in this man's words. I feel he is genuine and truly wants to work his way 'out of the gutter'. Ricky has fallen on hard times (due to discreet circumstances) and is ready to pick himself up and try again... he does no drugs, he is sane, and has a gentleness in his eyes.

Over all, there was a real peace covering us. GOD's love was present, people are praising Jesus together through Jason and his guitar. Our neighbors might not have a roof over their heads, but they have the Holy Spirit residing in alot of them.

Lemon Grove - expansion #1

This is the first of (prayerfully) many expansions from this Ministry. If this particular region continues from the team the Lord has chosen, they will be authoring/sharing what GOD, The Father is doing in Lemon Grove.... but as for now, I shall share what we experienced on this day.

Amanda, James, Dina, and myself all met with the home of The Brown family. There we met with their home fellowship group, eager to go out as foot soldiers for the sake of Jesus Christ. The previous night they had spend time building these goodie bags that we could easily pass out once we hit the streets. The Lord provided the following items for the packs: Socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, bottled waters, bars of soap, and of course small Gospel tracks, including the book of John.

Weeks before, I had 'scouted the land' and discovered that majority of the neighbors hang out near Food-4-Less, we once we were all prayed up, we made a caravan to see who was waiting for us. Our first encounter was with 3 gentlemen who were happy to meet us. Each received a bag and an invitation to dinner at a near by park. Then another guy showed up, got the exact same items and invitation too. There were close to 15 of us, so we decided to break up in groups and do some foot work spreading out.

My particular group did not have any more run-in's but other groups did and even got the opportunity to pray with some folks. After about an hour, I ran over to pick up a generous food donation from Papa Johns Pizza. Our rally point for dinner was a local park in the historical part of Lemon Grove. Once we got set up, slowly came walking around the corner was one of the guys who accepted the invitation for a free dinner. His name is Rick.

Rick was full of helpful information regarding the locals in the area. He confessed that nobody else would be attending our dinner, due to the location of the park behind next door to the Sheriff's station. (I understood why, but only because I have some time under my belt.) Our friends had a good time getting to know Rick. I hope that he felt comfortable with us. I know he enjoyed the hot pizza! He allowed us to pray for him and his physical healing.

We certainly did not want all this food to go to waste, so we opted to drive around and just depend on the Holy Spirit to direct us where He wanted us to go. By this time, the sun had set and the coolness of the night was starting to creep in.

We were led behind a liquor store. There we met a group of guys all drinking some booze. Surprisingly enough, they already had a Papa Johns Pizza box with them. The alpha of that group was named "T". He was very suspicious of us at first, even hesitant to accept anything from us, but eventually opened up and admitted that the pizza box was empty. He was hungry. One of the 4 men sitting with him, needed a blanket. Surely enough, one of the volunteers had one readily available to bless him. The man couldn't believe it. He even shouted out: Thank you GOD, and said he loved us. It was neat for our new team to see the pleasure that something so simple could bring to somebody who is in need. It's all done in love and under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our next encounter was our last for the night but only because it took a decent amount of time. We met 2 younger men slouched behind another liquor store beside a dumpster, drinking some beer. They too suspected us to be Police, but I assured him we are only there to love on them and tell them about Jesus. The first guy, Sean, claimed to be a Christian and a "weekend drinker". He wasn't really trying to hear what we were talking about. His friend, Henry, was more interested in hearing about this love we spoke of....

Henry has alot of hurt deep inside him. He told us that he tries to hurt himself when he drinks because he cares nothing about his own life. We prayed with Henry. As we laid hands on him, huddled around, he started to convulse and shake violently. I continued to pray without ceasing or interruption. I'm confident that something unseen and spiritual was happening in our presence. Henry broke down and started crying. I took a step back and wanted the other 2 men with me to experience this, as this would be their regional Ministry (if that's what GOD plans). Before we left for the night, Rudy told me that Henry and he prayed again. It was then that Henry fell to his knees. We do not know whether Henry will remember what he experienced this night, but we pray that GOD would make Himself known to Henry and to Sean.

This was a great experience for the home fellowship. I know that this Ministry can be a real culture-shock to most, but I guarantee that this group will never see "Homeless people" the same again.