Tag: Homeless

A Homeless Guy, a Recovering Christian, and a Christian Met One Night in a Bar

Wouldn’t you like to hear what the homeless guy said to the recovering Christian? Stay with me and I will tell you, for it is a compelling story.

Actually, it was on an afternoon, not in a bar, and on the steps of a house owned by the recovering Christian, a young man in his 40s. When asked what his religious background was, he said he was raised in the church, but he is now “a recovering Christian” (like a recovering alcoholic).

He cited two experiences that impacted him in particular. The first was when he was enrolled as a student at a Christian university and playing baseball. When the coach caught him and several other players smoking pot, he confessed and even said he had a joint in his dorm room. The next day, security officers searched his room, where they found the marijuana joint.

The other players were reprimanded, but stayed on the team and in school, while he was expelled. He pleaded for mercy from the college administrators, but they refused and expelled him.

Secondly, he mentioned seeing homeless people sleeping in the alcoves or on porches of churches who kept their buildings locked. He then referred to Jesus who said inasmuch as you did not give food, water, or shelter to the least of these, you did not give to Me. So he is a recovering Christian because of the traumatic ending of his college and baseball career, and the gap between what Jesus said and what he has seen in churches.

It is at this juncture that a homeless man chimed in. He told the homeowner that there is a big difference between true Christians who are members of the Body of Christ, and church organizations that place a higher priority on holding events for their members and maintaining their buildings than going out to win souls for Christ. He declared that the true church is not an organization with buildings and a sign that says church, but an organism with members from all countries who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. His final admonition was to not confuse the two, but focus on Christ who alone can set us free from sin and the fear of death.

The True Church in Communist Romania

This conversation brings to mind insights from Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, author of “Tortured for Christ”. Wurmbrand experienced months of solitary confinement, years of periodic physical torture, and the anguish of brainwashing by Romanian communist officials, all for the crime of public witnessing about Jesus Christ.

Wurmbrand described how believers would not build houses, because officials would then arrest them and take their properties. They could not gather in public or they would be arrested, so they would gather in basements or out in the forest at night – anyplace where they would not be detected.

So what if (or when) Christianity is outlawed in America, and we had to meet under a tree in the forest at night? There would be no buildings to maintain, lock, or worry about vandalism. If someone was sleeping under our tree, fine – we might sleep there as well. If someone came to worship with us, terrific, for they too are seeking the love and truth of Jesus, the only truth that can set us free. If we are sharing food and someone comes, fine, we share food with them JUST LIKE JESUS DID.

Everyone has a story – a story of their life, with successes, failures, hopes and fears. Everyone we see or meet is going through some struggle unknown to us, even if they say everything is “fine”. So let us reach out to them with the love and truth of Christ, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.                     Source of image: Shutterstock.com

To God be the glory

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

I Met a Homeless Guy and He Changed My Life

I never knew any homeless people in the small town in which I was raised. There were poor people, but they all had some kind of home, however small or decrepit. But one day I met a homeless guy, and as I got to know him, he changed my life, and how I look at homeless people today.

Every person we meet has a story, and his story is truly extraordinary. His life is a testimony to how the power of God can work through one human life, even when all the cards seemed to be stacked against him. His life expressed many paradoxes. Conceived out of wedlock and raised in a backwater small town, he never had any formal education, yet seemed very articulate and well spoken.

Although he was poor and never seemed to own anything more than the clothes on his back, he behaved as if he was the richest man in the world. Women were attracted to him, although he did not marry. He never had any kids, although he loved children, and they loved him. He did have a bunch of guys that he hung around with.

Being around him, I felt more alive than I have ever felt before, because he had an extraordinary presence, and I felt like I was somehow experiencing eternity. Even though I just met him, he seemed to know me at the very depths of my soul. He brought a peace and joy to those around him that was just profound, and attracted people from far and wide. There were even reports of his feeding thousands of people, and performing healings and deliverance from demonic spirits.

He radiated an absolute strength underneath the surface, and showed tremendous love and compassion to those around him. He also castigated the religious leaders of the day for their hypocrisy, corruption, and enslavement of the people with their false religious traditions.

Other than helping his stepfather, he never held a real job, Then in his early thirties, his life finally began to gel. When the wine was running low at a wedding feast in Cana, his mother persuaded him to intervene. That’s when Jesus – you guessed it – performed His first miracle.

He turned water into wine, launching His three-year career on earth that culminated in his crucifixion and resurrection. And all who received Him as Savior and Lord became set free from the bondage of sin and the power of death, our ultimate enemies. We can now encounter Jesus through His Word, which will delight us, terrify us, instruct us, and shape us.

Jesus, the Son of God, changed history forever (that’s why it is called HISTORY – HIS STORY). So the next time you meet a homeless person, just remember that he (or she) has a story. Ask him about his story, and you can tell him yours, and His Story. You might change his life, and he might change yours.

To God be the Glory