A couple weeks ago we were met with a challenging situation with a man who is very special to us, who has struggled with unbelief in God, as well as other demons. During a bold challenge to this man, Frank told him that God would reveal Himself as real to him within 24 hours. Well, you know God, when He's met with something birthed out of desperate faith, He's going to get the GLORY. Within 24 hours another believer had been compelled to reach out to this man, thus beginning a journey for him to start exploring the possiblity of there really being a God. It has been amazing watching God work in this man's life to bring him to realization that He is really a living and wonderful God!
Tonight we had our small group and since I pretty much feel like I was breathing under water from what seems like an asthma exacerbation from my exposure to some mustiness on the plane trip to New Jersey this past weekend, we decided to skip everyone coming over to my hurricane of a house and go to Applebees instead.
So while we are sitting there, this horribly smelly guy keeps coming in and out to smoke a cigarette and return to the bar. Since my lungs are on strike, I was especially sensitive to his odors. But God pointed him out to me and he was the "target" for the night. hee hee So we are sitting there, the 6 of us, having already finished eating, and we are talking about the ministries and etc that we are getting ourselves involved in, start talking about how the church has failed in so many areas in just reaching out to people, saved or unsaved. We also talked about a video by casting crowns for "Does Anybody Hear Her," which I will post the link too, you've GOT to see this. The song itself is gripping, but to see the video....tear drop city!
So while we are discussing it, I'm watching smelly dude off and on and God is saying, "Wait.......... wait......... wait.......... wait." Ever seen one of those well trained dogs that you can put a cookie on the top of his nose and say, "Wait....... wait........ wait........ wait......... NOW!" and the dog will sit there until you say "NOW" and then he will gulp down the cookie? It's always about cookies with me, isn't it?
So suddenly, I get the "NOW," and before I know it, I'm on my feet standing next to smelly dude, who has clearly had way too many trips to the bar, and I put my hand on his shoulder and look him in the eye. Naturally, he thought I was hitting on him since he was drunk, and didn't realize I was some old chick. So I'm asking him how many he's had and if he needs a ride home soon. He tells me just four beers and asks, "WHO ARE YOU?" I'm like, please, like you don't know WHO I am? Ok, well, he didn't.....having not heard of me in New Jersey where I am obviously famous, so I tell him I'm the angel that has come to keep him out of trouble tonight. He laughs. Jeesh. How rude.
So we chat a bit and I tell him that we want to drive him home when he's had all the drinks he's going to have. So he is like, "Who are you?"
Why am I only famous in my own eyes????
So we start to tell him that we are here because God wanted us to help him tonight. The dude is overwhelmed, I mean OVERWHELMED by the attention we are giving him....the love he is so definitely feeling, and says, "HOW? Who told you to come over here? How did you know to just come over here? I mean did you hear a voice, did you hear something? How does this happen?" I told him Jesus sent us, and that He loves him so much and when he's had all the beer he intends to drink, we are going to be takin' care of him. So he's like, "WHAT? How do you mean God told you to come over here?"
So I tell him, "Here's how it works. We sit, we eat, we wait on God, He highlights the person HE wants His loved expessed to the most, and YOU'RE the one He picked. So understand that we are here to help you get home because God loves you so very much." So then Frank starts to talk to him and I go back to my table and let Frank do his thing. This man was so overwhelmed by the love we showed him, that he could hardly believe it. We never condemned him for having too much to drink and even told him we would wait til he was done with his beer. So after a while Frank comes back to sit down and we talk with our friends some more and then this guy finishes his last beer.
Now our mistake here was probably in walking away from him while he guzzled down the rest of his drink, because then the little devils were encrouching upon him and he got nervous and intimidated out of nowhere and tried to sneak out. I caught him though. Aren't I mean?
So he said he had another ride and he'd be fine. No problem. So we go to leave, and I put my hand on his shoulder, shake his hand, look him deep in his eyes and tell him, "God loves you." He says, "Yeah, ok, thanks." So I say, "No, you're not gettin' it dude. You're pretty messed up right now so you can't comprehend what I'm saying, but that spirit-man that's deep inside of you (and I point to his heart) is gettin' this, and I am speaking to that man deep inside and telling you that God loves you and has sent us here to tell you that so you will know that forever in your heart and come to know Him."
hahahah JESUS GOT HIM! I could feel it. YAY God!!
So I'm convinced that something was happening inside there and God will germinate that seed that was planted, and He will get this dude. You know, that's all you need to do, just love on people, even drunk smelly ones, ESPECIALLY drunk smelly ones. And I am not going to accept that there will be no fruit from that. Frank delivered the Word to him, and God's Word will not return void and will accomplish everything It sets out to accomplish.
In a way, drunk people are easier to minister to. Certainly easier than "religious" people. Their flesh is so plastered that you are really able to get down to the spirit-man of the person, KWIM? The Word digs in deeper past all of the thoughts and fears, right to the heart. Their flesh is unable to reject the Word with a coherent thought, and later, God does His thing in them. I have read stories about people who have been stoned beyond reason or drunk out of their mind and get ministered to, and a year later you find them completely saved and changed and out on the streets doing the same thing you did with them, and this is without the follow up of the initial ministering person! That's good news to me! That's encouraging to me to know you're not just wasting your time with 'em. And truthfully, anytime you SPEAK the Word to anyone, it's never a waste of time. Ever. So speak it!
With this particular fella, he was totally receiving the Living Word that is inside of us, (no tract necessary here!!) and there was breakthrough happening. But we walked away from the bar and went back to our table to wait for him to be ready. Something I think was a mistake in this case, but that's ok, God has His way even when we mess it up a bit. I literally saw the demonic come over him like a cloud, surrounding him as a buffer to our efforts, and his personality changed. He was no longer receptive but instead was trying to get away, he even broke a 20 ounce glass on the bar trying to leave. Then he was embarrassed because all of his 'friends' were laughing at him. You know who wasn't laughing at him? The Jesus freaks. Then when we went to leave and he had gotten himself another ride (he wanted to go to Lime Light, which is another bar, and we wanted to take him home, not to another bar, so he found someone to take him to L.L.), he was being more influenced by the devil at that moment, that's why he was indifferent suddenly, but when I came over and laid my hand on him again, it's like turning a light on and the dark just goes away. It was pretty cool, and INSTANT. Seriously, you have more power in your pinky than the devil has in his entire fleet of fallen angels. The Holy Spirit that is within me inundated him with His Presence, and the devil must flee! And again, I had a breakthrough with him and got to his deep parts of his heart and he knew and understood that love of God that was reaching out to him. I can't really explain it good, but the battle between the good and evil, or the flesh, the devil, and big, big God, is a might good fun to watch. hee hee Because the Light belongs in the darkness!
With this particular fella, he was totally receiving the Living Word that is inside of us, (no tract necessary here!!) and there was breakthrough happening. But we walked away from the bar and went back to our table to wait for him to be ready. Something I think was a mistake in this case, but that's ok, God has His way even when we mess it up a bit. I literally saw the demonic come over him like a cloud, surrounding him as a buffer to our efforts, and his personality changed. He was no longer receptive but instead was trying to get away, he even broke a 20 ounce glass on the bar trying to leave. Then he was embarrassed because all of his 'friends' were laughing at him. You know who wasn't laughing at him? The Jesus freaks. Then when we went to leave and he had gotten himself another ride (he wanted to go to Lime Light, which is another bar, and we wanted to take him home, not to another bar, so he found someone to take him to L.L.), he was being more influenced by the devil at that moment, that's why he was indifferent suddenly, but when I came over and laid my hand on him again, it's like turning a light on and the dark just goes away. It was pretty cool, and INSTANT. Seriously, you have more power in your pinky than the devil has in his entire fleet of fallen angels. The Holy Spirit that is within me inundated him with His Presence, and the devil must flee! And again, I had a breakthrough with him and got to his deep parts of his heart and he knew and understood that love of God that was reaching out to him. I can't really explain it good, but the battle between the good and evil, or the flesh, the devil, and big, big God, is a might good fun to watch. hee hee Because the Light belongs in the darkness!
And you never know, we might have been this man's "24 hours"....just like someone was for our dear friend. And I don't ever want to miss an opportunity to be the light in the darkness. Do you? Go somewhere and turn on the Light!
Here's that link to that Casting Crowns Song. Now every time I hit this link it says it has been removed, but I find it again, post it again, then it's been removed again. So if this one doesn't work, go to You Tube and type in Casting Crowns and look for Does Anybody Hear Her. It's the video BY Casting Crowns, with that group singing in it. It is gripping and relevant to what happens today.
Here's that link to that Casting Crowns Song. Now every time I hit this link it says it has been removed, but I find it again, post it again, then it's been removed again. So if this one doesn't work, go to You Tube and type in Casting Crowns and look for Does Anybody Hear Her. It's the video BY Casting Crowns, with that group singing in it. It is gripping and relevant to what happens today.
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