Another Holy Spirit led evening with the Jesus Freaks.

First above all else, all honor and praise to God our Father through Jesus Christ who lives and unifies each of us in one body.  Friday night we met up with the Jesus Freaks in North Minneapolis, after joining in one voice of prayer asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I had the privilege of partnering up with Al and Kyle.  We made a house call to visit Greg and his family.  We brought quilts, hotdogs, chips, crackers, but above all else the love of Christ. 

A couple of months ago, We felt the Spirit leading us a block or two off of the beaten path to reach out to a family we saw.  Greg, was less than welcoming at first, but we had a burden for his 6 kids and felt we had to try.  The Lord opened the door by the end of the first night, and we have been able to go back and visit several times. 

Greg was raised by his Grandma and who took him to Church every Sunday, but when she died, violence consumed his life and everyone around him.  He turned to what he felt was the only way to survive and began gangbanging.  He makes attempts from time to time to get away, but feels like every time he makes one step in the right direction, something terrible happens that brings him right back;  from burying 4 of his brothers/friends/cousins in one month to violence, to having his sister and cousin shot in a drive-by just a couple of weeks ago, to robberies and beatings, the list goes on. To see the children so young and being brought up seeing that lifestyle is heart wrenching, and burdensome for us as well as Greg…but there is good news! The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.. 2 Peter 3:9 Hallelujah! Praise be to God, whose mercies endure for ever!

                God is reaching out to Greg and his family, and using every willing part of the body of Christ to do so.  It was apparent that the spirit of God went before us and prepared the way.  This was so exciting to see, from a sister of Greg’s giving him a Bible when he left Chicago, to his brother who was visiting that night who began to quote scripture, reinforcing the message that we were there sharing, to Al, Kyle and myself being welcomed with open arms and being filled with Christ’s love and scripture that flowed seamlessly through no effort or skill of our own.  The Spirit led the conversation, the scripture, the prayer, and we were each humbled to be used, and see our God in action!  We ended our time with a couple of rounds of prayers over Greg, his brother, wife and kids,  that was accepted and needed in order to cover every member of his family. 

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:7 I am so glad God’s will is not dependent on my abilities, and that He only required our obedience to show up and hand the steering wheel over to Him Friday night.  Walking away that night with my brother’s in Christ, and as I write this now, my eyes began to water as I am over-filled with compassion and the love of Christ, for Greg and his family.  Jesus loves them so much and wants them to spend eternity in Heaven with Him and so do I.