I've been meeting with Dean (not his name) in the Whatcom County Jail for several months now. When we first met and talked about Jesus, his language sounded like a Sunday school idea of God being out there somewhere and prayer being that thing you said before you went to bed, if you said it at all.
As we have talked and I've shared stories with him about the beautiful, radical, supernatural things Jesus is up to, Dean has been drawn in to a deeper engagement with Jesus. Today as we talked, I felt Jesus wanted to lift some burdens off of him. We read Matthew 11:28-30 -
Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon yourself and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
We talked about the things he was carrying and I asked him if he wanted to exchange his burdens for Jesus' burden. Sure. So we did a meeting place - if you could meet with Jesus anywhere, where would that be - imagine it. If Jesus were there, what would He look like? How would He greet you? And so on. We've done this before and Dean usually meets Jesus in the same place - in the woods.
As he did, I asked Jesus, "Jesus, if there is a place You'd like to meet Dean that is different that what he is imagining, will You take him there?" There was several minutes of silence and I asked Dean what was going on. He said it was the most incredible thing. When I had asked Jesus that question, the meeting place changed.
As he had been walking on a path in the woods, suddenly he was walking on clouds. He was carrying a backpack full of his burdens. As he unpacked it, he found it was full of glass spheres, each with a name of a burden. He handed each one over to Jesus and they disappeared. Then Jesus gave him a very large glass sphere with the word "sobriety" on it.
Dean was blown away as we talked about how he had encountered Jesus there in a 3x4 concrete room as we prayed over the visitor phones. I just love how Jesus loves him and makes Himself known. We prayed into the vision for Jesus' strength and presence to be with him as he receives the burden of sobriety.
Monday, March 15, 2010
A Word from the Lord
Last week at the Underground Coffee project (www.undergroundcoffeeproject.com) (our gathering for ex-offenders, gangsters, and addicts), Nicholas came up to me and said, "Check out what God is saying." He starts to read 2 Corinthians 8:10-12, but his bible is King James Version and when he finishes, I tell him, "Dude, I have no idea what you just read."
I open my bible and begin to read, And in this manner I give you my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do but also to desire it. So now finish doing it...
This is completely out of the context the Apostle Paul is writing about, but as I read it the Presence of God came into the basement so strongly that I had to stop reading and close my eyes and worship. God was highlighting a word for me. A year ago was when He told me to "plant a church." As I began to think about it then and desire it, even to start planning, I felt Him tell me, "No. Wait."
I moved to a chair and Nicholas is praying over me as I continue to read: ...so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have.
Again, the Presence of God rushes in and I am compelled to stop and worship.
I have had worries about the endless possibilities of what it should look like and whether I can do this or that or the other thing, and feeling like I have to have it all figured out before we start. God was speaking directly into all of it. He says that the Word will be accompanied by signs to confirm it. He is so good!
Amen and amen.
I open my bible and begin to read, And in this manner I give you my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do but also to desire it. So now finish doing it...
This is completely out of the context the Apostle Paul is writing about, but as I read it the Presence of God came into the basement so strongly that I had to stop reading and close my eyes and worship. God was highlighting a word for me. A year ago was when He told me to "plant a church." As I began to think about it then and desire it, even to start planning, I felt Him tell me, "No. Wait."
I moved to a chair and Nicholas is praying over me as I continue to read: ...so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have.
Again, the Presence of God rushes in and I am compelled to stop and worship.
I have had worries about the endless possibilities of what it should look like and whether I can do this or that or the other thing, and feeling like I have to have it all figured out before we start. God was speaking directly into all of it. He says that the Word will be accompanied by signs to confirm it. He is so good!
Amen and amen.
Nick at Night
We are not a recovery house. We are learning, but it is painful. Two and half months ago, we scooped up Nick getting out of prison after 3 1/2 years. Several men took him away to a mountain cabin and prayed with him and showered him with the Father's love and adoption. Nick came back to stay in our building and be in our community. Though the possibility of relapse was there, Nick was getting back in touch with his 8 year old son. He was deciding what he wanted with his life.
But he was also struggling - Romans 7 struggling. I do not do what I want to do; in fact, the very thing I do not want to do, that is what I do...
One night he decided to visit his old girlfriend and relapsed. When he called the next day, he just wanted his money, so he could get high, but we wouldn't give it to him. He came by and said he didn't want us to pray for him or get spiritual. When he tried to leave, Chris kept stepping in his way and praying. We worshipped and prayed and eventually Nick calmed down and stayed.
But we are not a recovery house and keeping a constant eye on Nick took its toll on the four other men living in the building. Nick relapsed several more times. Each time he would return, repentant. At one point, I took him to a doctor's appointment. He told her he was tired of people keeping an eye on him all the time, treating him like a child. She was a straight shooter; she said, "You're right. We are keeping an eye on you. You are acting like a child." As she was leaving she stopped and said, "You have a lot of people putting themselves out there for you. Take advantage of it."
But heroin and meth play a mean fiddle and Nick dances. Relapse, detox, etc. He is now in a treatment facility for 90 days. We are not a recovery house, but we are learning what we can do and what we can't.
But he was also struggling - Romans 7 struggling. I do not do what I want to do; in fact, the very thing I do not want to do, that is what I do...
One night he decided to visit his old girlfriend and relapsed. When he called the next day, he just wanted his money, so he could get high, but we wouldn't give it to him. He came by and said he didn't want us to pray for him or get spiritual. When he tried to leave, Chris kept stepping in his way and praying. We worshipped and prayed and eventually Nick calmed down and stayed.
But we are not a recovery house and keeping a constant eye on Nick took its toll on the four other men living in the building. Nick relapsed several more times. Each time he would return, repentant. At one point, I took him to a doctor's appointment. He told her he was tired of people keeping an eye on him all the time, treating him like a child. She was a straight shooter; she said, "You're right. We are keeping an eye on you. You are acting like a child." As she was leaving she stopped and said, "You have a lot of people putting themselves out there for you. Take advantage of it."
But heroin and meth play a mean fiddle and Nick dances. Relapse, detox, etc. He is now in a treatment facility for 90 days. We are not a recovery house, but we are learning what we can do and what we can't.
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