It's been awhile . . .

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! Wow - time has surely marched on since my last post! Colleen and I were at the end of our apartment's lease in mid-October and decided to look for new place (bigger!) in the district where my daughters could go to some very good schools. Well, seems God liked that idea too and a fine townhouse (bigger!) became available. After seeing it the first time, my wife's exact words were, "If we don't take it, we're stupid!" Since we're not stupid, usually anyway, we jumped on it and took a month to move. Immediately after moving, Colleen left for 16 days of work/vacation and is returning today - woo hoo! Yes, I have missed her intensely.

I plan to get back to my Street-Reading ministry either this month or next. Since God has put homeless people in my path recently, I decided to do some volunteer work at the Union Mission in downtown Norfolk. I'll be working a few hours each Saturday in December helping fill food baskets and, in late December, bringing the Word at Chapel one evening. I'm really excited to be doing something useful that meets peoples basic needs - Matt 25:35 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Since we're in a new location, I may try a different site for the Street-Reading. Then again, I feel compelled to go back to the same area I was working in. Ah well, maybe I'll do both. i need to pray about it. God Bless all who read this. Keep me and my family in your prayers and I'll do the same for you.

#7 The Art Fair 10/11/08

The OV Community Beach was the site of an annual Art Fair on Saturday. When I showed up about 1pm the place was packed. I got excited thinking how many people would hear the Gospel read to them. The day was absolutely gorgeous, but really windy. I read for about an hour before ending the session. A couple of folks approached me and took some literature, but nothing outwardly eventful took place. I say 'outwardly' because I'll never know who is listening to the Words as they walk by and what impact they may have on them.

As I was walking around checking out the art work, I ran into Yvette and Juan - the couple from Chicago that I took to the homeless shelter last week. They were doing great! Juan was working and both of them had qualified for food stamps. They had gotten bus passes and were hoping to save some money to buy a car. The only bummer was that Yvette had lost her ID card and would probably have to return to Illinois to get another one. As we were talking, Juan suddenly dropped his back pack and began running towards the bath house yelling something about his wallet. Unfortunately, he had set his wallet on a top ledge in the men's restroom and had forgotten it. Of course, it was gone by the time he returned. Along with the $24 he had, his ID, Social Security card and bus pass were gone. Distraught is a lame word to describe how he felt. We searched all the trash cans in the area, thinking that maybe someone took the money and tossed the wallet. We prayed for help but after an hour of searching with no luck, I gave them the last $8 I had for bus fare and took Yvette to the bus stop while Juan went to see his son. Please pray for them. I will check on them this week.

I spoke with George over the weekend (the Security Guard) and he's doing OK. He starts a new job this week. Please pray for him, too. Have a great week and God Bless all of you!

#6 Suicide, Police, Yvette & Juan 10/4/08

Another gorgeous Saturday at the OV Community Boardwalk! Lots of people walking around - and I was reading God's Word out loud to all the passersby. I am so blessed! A group of 'beach guys' was hanging out at the bench not too far from where I was set up. You know the kind; tall, tan, fit, and trim - guys that hang out a LOT at the beach. After a bit one of them came over and yelled out to me, "Read Psalm 24." I asked if that was a favorite verse of his. He said "Yeah" and tried quoting some of the 23rd Psalm - "yay, though I walk through the valley . . ." and couldn't remember it. I recognized what he meant and read it out for him, along with the 24th Psalm for good measure. Then I turned to the Gospel of John and he came over to me and asked if he could read some, too. I said, "Sure", handed him my Bible and stepped down from my stool. I told him to get up on the stool and he said, "No, I've been drinking." Well, I didn't quite know what to do so I just prayed for him while he read a few passages. After a moment, one of his buddies came over and also asked to read. He, too, had been drinking but somehow it seemed like this was supposed to be happening – that it was God-directed. After the friend finished, they told me what was going on.

Sadly, one of their good friends and a member of the 'beach guys' club had committed suicide the night before and all his friends were gathered together mourning him. I felt so bad for them as they shared their loss with me. No wonder they wanted to read God's Word - they wanted some comfort and peace! After a bit they walked back to their friends and down the boardwalk. I pray they'll draw near to God during this very tough time.

After about 30 minutes, a well-dressed man came over and blessed me and put some money in my tract display and kept on walking. I yelled 'thank you and God Bless you' and kept on reading. Turns out it was $20! Well, I thought, God's got something in mind today. On occasion, I seem to be a conduit for money. At one point, a police car came rolling down the boardwalk and stopped right in front of me. I got down and offered them a Pocket Guide. They refused and said they just wanted to listen to me. So, I continued where I was and after a bit they yelled "Good bye" and drove off.

I was there about an hour when Robert came by - the young man who got saved a couple weeks ago and is a junior policeman. He was hungry and I had $2 that someone had donated and I gave it to him. He was tickled and went to get a burger. I thought about giving him the $20 bill I had gotten earlier, but God didn't prompt me to. I'm glad I was paying attention.

When I finished, I hung out at the beach for about an hour and just soaked up the sun and the water and just the magnificence of the day. As I was leaving, I was stopped by a small woman who had a story to tell: Her name was Yvette and she and her boyfriend Juan had come from Chicago in search of a better life. They had run out of money and had nowhere to stay. I called the Union Mission in downtown Norfolk and they asked to speak to Yvette. They asked her a few questions, said they had one bed left on the women’s side and that she could have it. On the men’s side, they had plenty of open beds so Juan would get one. They asked me if I could bring them down and I told them I’d be delighted to. As we drove down to the Mission, they told me more about their trip from Chicago and what they had encountered since they arrived here. Seems they were living in a small motel and Juan was working for the motel. But, after a full 12 hours of work, they didn’t give him any money – just allowed him and Yvette to stay in a room. Then I remembered the $20 bill and realized it was meant for them. They were so grateful! We got to the Mission and they checked in – relieved that they weren’t going to be sleeping on the streets and anxious to get a meal. Please pray for them . . .

It would appear that God is putting me in a position to help some of the homeless people I am encountering at the Community Beach – and there are more than a few. I believe He wants me to do some volunteer work with the Mission which I will be inquiring about later this week. Pray for me as I expand this ministry from reading the Life-Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to helping meet some people’s physical needs. God Bless!

#4 George and Forgiveness 9/23/08

The wind was really blowing hard on Tuesday night, but I felt compelled to go back to the shopping center at OV and read the Word while people shopped for their groceries, etc. I had a number of folks stop by from various churches and then I met the shopping center security guard – George. Retired military and an all-around great guy. We talked on and off when he would swing back by during his rounds. He had some really tough spiritual questions regarding forgiveness. I offered some input, but I don’t think it satisfied him. So, I’ll ask all of you and hopefully you’ll be able to shed some light that I can take back to him.

Some quick background: The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant Matt 18:21-35 – Jesus tells this parable after Peter asks how many times he should forgive his brother. After answering seventy-seven times, Jesus then states at the end that the Father had the unmerciful servant tortured until he paid back all he owed. Jesus said, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Also, in Matt 6:12, as Jesus prays what we call the Lord’s Prayer, he says “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” George’s concern is that he cannot bring himself to forgive someone who has hurt him deeply and continues to do so. He has confessed this sin of non-forgiveness to God, but is worried about his salvation, reasoning that if he cannot forgive this person, he will not be forgiven by the Father. So, what do you all say? Please respond with your thoughts and feelings and I will pass them along to George. I told him that since he has confessed his sin of non-forgiveness that God would take that into account. Beyond that, I’m at a loss. Help!

The night ended with our conversation and the joy of 2 Christians sharing Christ with each other. I think I’ll go back to the shopping center this weekend, unless God has other plans for me. God bless all of you, and keep praying for me as I pray for all of you. Amen.

#3 The Shopping Center & Lee

Saturday 9/20 was a blustery, overcast day, so I knew the Boardwalk wouldn’t be a good site for reading God’s Word. I went anyway, though, just to confirm my doubts. Sure enough, no one was out there (or so I thought). At the end of the boardwalk, under the big screen-less gazebo, was a wedding party waiting for the bride. I set up in the grassy are in front of the parking lot thinking whatever passers-by there were would hear the Word. After about 10 minutes, the bride and her daddy passed by and we exchanged smiles. A few minutes later I got the strong nudging from God that my efforts were being wasted and I needed to move across the street to the Shopping Center. I packed up and headed that way and was stopped by a lovely woman who said that my words “did not fall on deaf ears.” She had gotten a blessing. We talked for a few minutes and she told me she was a Christian and was at the beach front relaxing. I thanked her for the encouragement and headed across the street. I decided to set up between the Farm Fresh and the Dollar Store, knowing full well that this was private property and I might be booted out at any time.

Once again I was so tickled to see how many kids would come right up to me and listen and take some of the Pocket Guides and Gospel tracts. (My Pastor had given me a whole box that weren’t getting used) Throughout my time there, I observed:
A man who stood to my left for a long time just listening.
A man who came right up to me and checked out my Bible and said he was just making sure I was reading the “real thing.”
A very drunk man, smiling from ear to ear, who took some of the literature and said he would read it because he wanted to get right with God. My past experiences have taught me to never try and talk about God with a drunk. He was very pleasant, though. I will pray for him.
A woman who passed me as I was reading about adultery and its troubles. She stopped about 15 feet from me, turned around and yelled something out. I stopped reading and asked her to repeat herself. She said, with a very angry voice and facial expressions, “It’s all about Jesus! It’s all about Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins – and forgiving us, right?!” “Yes,” I replied, “and thank you.” She turned away and stormed off. Hmm, I said to no one, and wondered what she might be thinking.
Various folks walking together and, after passing me, repeating some of the phrases I had just said.

No question that God is using His Word to move in the hearts of people. After about 90 minutes, I packed up and went back to my car. There I saw the lovely woman I had met earlier and we proceeded to have a fabulous conversation about just everything. Her name is Lee and she is having some difficult times. Her husband was a Ford employee who lost his job when the plant closed. They lost their house and are now living apart, while he works 2 jobs. My heart goes out to her and all those folks who lost good jobs when the Ford plant closed. In spite of this, Lee was praising God. I told her about the angry woman I had encountered earlier and she said, “Oh, the Holy Spirit convicted her!” I hadn’t thought of that. She may be right. Funny how God’s Word is joyful to some and painful to others. Guess it’s that double-edged sword thing at work. Anyway, I started telling her about the great experience I’d had last Saturday with Matthew and Casey and Robert. I was explaining how I hadn’t even had the opportunity to meet Robert and was wondering how he was when, you guessed it, he showed up riding his bike! I was flipped out! I introduced him to Lee and asked him if he had gotten saved that day. He said “yes” and had gone to church that following Sunday. Turns out he’s a junior policeman at the beach and was working. As he pedaled off, I looked to Heaven and smiled as I thanked God. What a blessing!

Update on Matthew and Casey from last week – Matthew and I have talked several times and he is growing in the Lord. He went to a Bible study mid-week and said a man had told him that God thinks of him as a precious jewel, like a coveted pair of cufflinks that God is proud to wear. I love that image. Matthew is a great guy. Casey’s phone has been disconnected and I don’t know what’s happened to him. He did say that he would be going to New York (Syracuse, I think) where his girlfriend was. I pray that God looks after him, but will keep trying to get in contact with him. Please keep all these folks, and me, in your prayers. God bless you – I’ll be back with more soon. Amen.

#2 Matthew and Casey (& Robert?)

Have I said before how amazing how God is? Am I being redundant? Well then, so be it – because the power and mercy of our Creator IS undeniably amazing! Okay, here’s what happened on Saturday 9/13/08 . . .

I went back to the Ocean View Community Beach boardwalk where I was last Sunday. I had with me my daughter Toni, a friend of hers from Youth Group – Trey – and Toni’s friend Jackie. They went to the beach to sun and swim while I set up to read. It was a hot day and I was grateful for the shade I was able to find. After about an hour, Trey got bored and came to hang out by me. My voice was much stronger and never did strain even after almost 2 hours. I’ve been doing these vocal chord exercises with my tongue that has made a big difference.

During my reading, a man and woman approached me and, while offering words of encouragement, put $10 in my hand. I thanked them and said, “God Bless you!” I thought, ‘Well, I’ll use that money to buy more Pocket Guides.’ But God had other plans, as I was soon to find out.

Just before I finished reading, I noticed a man standing by the edge of the pier. When I stopped reading and was sitting on my stool stretching out my back, he approached me and said, “Going fishing are you?” I was caught off guard and wasn’t sure what he meant so he said it again. Then it dawned on me he was talking about the Word of God. I acknowledged that and we introduced each other and started chatting. His name was Matthew and he began to tell me about his life and the tough times he had endured. He had been anointed by a preacher about 9 years prior and was to be “a prophet of God during the end times” but had strayed from God. He told me he had some serious anger issues that he was getting a hold of and, up until a couple of weeks ago, had been homeless. He said that as I was reading the Scriptures, he was saying the words in his mind and that he knew that God had brought him to the Community Beach for a reason. He was supposed to be there to hear those magnificent words. It became clear that his heart was ready for Jesus again and so I asked him if I could pray for him and he agreed. After I prayed, he said, “Mark, I want to pray now.” And we held hands as the Spirit of God moved in our hearts, with the complete assurance that Jesus Himself was right there with us. (Matthew 18:20) Matthew prayed that God would forgive him and fill him with His Spirit and give him the direction he needed. Glorious! That’s what it was to be in the midst of the most incredible miracle that can occur – the redeeming of one’s soul! We were both overwhelmed and I reminded Matthew of the angels that were rejoicing in Heaven right at that moment. (Luke 15:7)

After just a few moments, hardly enough time to catch our breaths, another man approached us and wanted to know “what this was all about.” I took a deep breath and explained what Matthew and I were doing and he began telling us about his life. It seems he, too, was homeless and had just come to the Beach to take a shower. (I did finally notice he was wet) He said his name was Casey and had been watching us after he came out of the shower. He didn’t know why, he said, but he felt “compelled to see what we were doing, and strangely drawn to us.” When I heard that, I knew God had put him in the right place at the right time. Though guarded and a bit defensive, Casey was nonetheless very forthright about his situation, saying that he had had a great job and had gotten laid off and was living in his car. He made a point of saying that he didn’t want to take any literature and didn’t want our money (though we hadn’t offered) that he “just needed to know what was going on.” I opened my mouth to speak, but it was Matthew who took over and began to minister to Casey. Wow! The Word came pouring out of him as he spoke with boldness to Casey and related to him in a way that I couldn’t begin to. On two occasions Casey used the word ‘foundation’ as he was talking about his life. After awhile, I felt God nudging me to get to the point - his Son. I told Casey that Jesus was the foundation that he needed and asked him if he believed that he was a sinner and that Jesus came to earth to die for him? He said “yes.” And then I asked him the ‘question of all questions’: Was he ready to ask God into his heart? He looked me straight in the eyes and said “yes” again. So, Matthew and Casey and I linked hands to pray. I told Casey I would pray first, and then he would repeat after me the prayer to invite Jesus into his heart.

But wait! Just before we started praying, a young man in a bathing suit came over and joined us. Casey said his name was Robert and that they had met last week. Robert joined hands with us and, as I led Casey in the sinners prayer of repentance, Robert prayed also, as did Matthew – once again for good measure. It was an extraordinary worship experience. Robert left just as quickly as he had come. Meanwhile, Casey and Matthew and I exchanged numbers and I invited them to my church the next day. Just before Casey left, I yelled out and said “Here! This is for you!” I dug into my pocket and gave him the $10 I had gotten earlier. He protested at first, but I convinced him that the money had been freely given to me, to give to him. (1 Corinthians 2:12) See, I told you God other plans for that money . . .

What a day! I really hadn’t thought that God would use this ministry quite like this. I thought that my sister Annette was right on target when she said, “You may never know who you will impact with the Word until the day you’re in Heaven, and all the truths are revealed.” And so, that’s what I anticipated. I figured that I would read the Word and God would use it as He saw fit. I didn’t dream that He would bless me – a simple, undeserving man struggling with his share of ugly sins – with the joy and awe of seeing Him move in the hearts of people, and save their souls from despair and eternal damnation. As one prayer states: ‘I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I will be healed.’ I am not worthy to behold God’s greatness in this way when there are so many people who do so much for God and never see the fruits of their labor. I can only get on my knees and thank Him for allowing me to see these miracles and, even more astounding, be a part of the process! My spiritual father and great friend Dick Waters used to always say, “Get plugged in to the Power Source!” Well, I’m plugged in, folks. And God is moving in a mighty way. Please pray for Matthew and Casey and Robert – and for me – and I’ll keep reading the precious and powerful Word of God. If God wills, I’m going back Tuesday evening and hope to see Robert. God Bless!

My first experience! Sunday 9/7/08

To God be the glory for the things He has done! I had a ball out there yesterday! I went to the Ocean View Community Beach and set up just off the main walkway not far from the restrooms. The day was gorgeous so there were a lot of people coming and going throughout the almost 2 hours that I was there. It took me a few moments to get started, once I laid everything out. Along with my stool I brought a small wooden table on which I placed a stack of "The Church Guide" newspapers. It's a great Christian publication run by an inspiring man with a real heart for God and winning souls here in Hampton Roads. He, Ray boetcher, has motivated me on more that one occasion.

Anyway, along with the papers I placed a small display of the Pocket Testament Guides for people to take with them. I also had 2 bottles of water and 2 Bibles - the NIV and The Message. I had already mapped out the scriptures I was going to read. When I finally got up on my stool and opened my NIV Bible, I hesitated a moment and then plunged in with my best, most dramatic voice and away I went. About every 10 minutes I stopped for water and to see who was doing what around me. Most people just walked on by, but some looked over for a moment. Some people watched while their kids or spouses used the restrooms and almost all of the kids that passed by watched. Some of them would approach me and then their parents would call them back.

Though I have a loud voice, I quickly learned that I couldn't compete with the jets that flew overhead from time to time. Also, when the Ice Cream truck showed up with his musical sounds, I had to take a little break. 2 people engaged me while I was there - 1 woman pushing her baby in a stroller wanted to know "what book and passage are you on?" When I told her she nodded and took a Pocket Guide and a paper. Another woman came over to offer encouragement and while she got a Pocket Guide and a paper she said "Keep it up, you're doing great." I thanked her and kept on reading - affirmed and energized.

After about an hour, I was reading along and out of the blue I got very emotional. The Word just filled my heart and overwhelmed me. I was kind of surprised and then I realized, Hey this IS the Word of God I'm reading - the same Word that saves and convicts and inspires and teaches. I felt like a child, grateful. After about 90 minutes my voice started to strain and I decided to stop for the day. I'm learning some vocal chord exercises and will be taking some throat lozenges with me in the future. A grat first experience!

I am energized and motivated to know that while I was doing my part, God was doing His. As I read the Word aloud, He was able to use it and put folks in a position to hear just what He wanted them to hear at just the right moment. As I said, most folks just walked on by, but even they heard some of the Creator's Words. I am motivated by Isaiah 55:11 "So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

I am awed and humbled that I can be a part of the process whereby God uses His Word to accomplish His desires. I love knowing that I am participating in something that has eternal possibilities. I am so grateful that God put this in my heart. And I am grateful to all of you who are reading this and praying for me - for you, too, are participating as well! God Bless You!

I'll write more later . . .

Preparation

So I have been using the past few days to get prepared for my first Street Reading experience - tomorrow after church 9/7. I went through the Gospels and some of the Old Testament and put together a pretty impressive list of excellent passages and stories that I could read. Not sure about the time factor - how long it will take me to read them all. I'm hoping I've got enough to last about an hour or so. I think that's a good time frame, but I'll let Jesus be my guide. I'm not sure where my first location will be, I'll let Jesus guide me there, too.

Get up and get going!

I've been reading a great book for the past month or so and God has used it to inspire me to get up and get going! (The Book is 'Starving Jesus' by Craig Gross and J. R. Mahon and I highly recommend it!) I have theatrical talents and have used them for many years in Christian theater. The last 6 or 7 years have been kind of dry, though. God has been closing doors. Finally, one opened up. I hear his voice telling me to read his Word on the street corners of my city - Norfolk, VA - and this week I will start doing just that. I bought a simple but sturdy stool to stand on and will carry a snack tray to set a small display on. Recently I joined the Pocket Testament League, an incredible soul-winning organization formed over 100 years ago, and I'll be giving away the Gospel of John pocket guides that I've purchased from them. They're beautiful and have the entire Gospel of John, plus information on why and how one must be saved. I'll display them on the table. Anyway, I've renamed this blog and will be writing about my experiences. Yes, I'm a little fearful. I've been praying about this and feel ready. I'll post again after my first reading. Pray for me.

The New Rebellion And The Red Pill

To rebel is to be motivated to action because of a painful dissatisfaction with the way things are.

To swallow the red pill (ala The Matrix) shows a powerful desire for truth – the dirty, bloody, painful, soul-wrenching, and liberating truth. (To be distinguished from the froo froo, pixie kind of la la truth)

And so, the New Rebellion Handbook (the 2006 book authored by GRQ, Inc and published by Nelson Books) calls for today’s emerging generation to join the uprising and connect to the power source that is the Son of Man - Jesus. We have to swallow the red pill in order to join. That is, we cannot be a part of this rebellion with half-opened eyes and a weak stomach. No, we must be intensely mindful of the obstacles and possess the immediate desire to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. Why? Why join this revolt? Why bother with the Kingdom? Why face the ugly truth about ourselves and our country and our planet? Why indeed . . .

• because we’ve been lied to and manipulated by people and entities we trust
• because we’ve been overloaded by so much sex that it permeates our daily lives and media choices and we wind up spending inordinate amounts of time thinking about and pursuing this insidious fixation
• because our minds and hearts have been distracted and congested with useless crap that disguises itself as intelligent thought
• because our apathy is debilitating
• because our materialism is destructive
• because our souls are empty
• because we don’t know how to love - really love - unselfishly and with sacrifice

I’ve swallowed the red pill and am ready to prepare for battle. Not with guns and violence, but with the full armor of God – starting with a commitment to “establish the redemptive purposes and culture of heaven upon the earth”. Starting with our generation. Starting now. If you see yourself in here - stay tuned, stay hungry.
Part 1

Quote is from the New Rebellion Handbook, page 14

Time to ring the bell!

In my play, This Train, Mo Wilkerson says to his distraught wife, "I understand. Like all those before me who fulfilled their destiny, it's my turn - my turn to ring the bells of freedom and truth." He was trying to communicate to her a recurring vision he was having that he believed God was using to outline his new mission.

And so, this blog is born out of my desire to begin ringing the bells I have been committed to ring. After many years of preparation, it’s my turn. I will share the direction of rebellion and redemption that the Master has placed on my heart and call for you, the emerging generation, to respond to it. Go crazy - please! Tell me what you think. Tell me where you are in your life. Tell me what God is doing with you and how God is moving in you. Tell me if you think I’m out in left field somewhere. I believe we are being called to a life of rebellion and redemption. In their book, The New Rebellion Handbook (which I highly recommend), the authors outline their convictions about this rebellion. I, too, will have plenty to add as I travel this path. I hope to hear from you along the way. RR