I have been a follower of Jesus for roughly ten years now and I’ve had the privilege of sharing His Gospel, His power, and His love in some extremely dark spiritual places. Places like third-world country ghettos, red-light districts, spiritual festivals, a porn convention, gay pride parades, prisons, jails, rehabs, and so on. It's a privilege, not a notch on the belt, and it's all about revealing His truth in LOVE!
Personally coming out of drug addiction, alcoholism, porn addiction, cigarettes, and more, I can say that Jesus truly does save, heal, and deliver. But the more I live passionately for Him, the more concerned I get for American Christians. Yes, there is a long list of amazing things that God is doing through Christians in America. It is a privilege to be a small part of it, and God's Kingdom is only going to increase in the USA. That being said, this is not me focusing on the problem but a concerning observation about many people that claim to represent the King of Kings here in the USA.
Once a person surrenders their life to Jesus they lose their right to pick and choose who they love and when they love. Choosing how and when I love people is more of a representation of religion, not Jesus. As a faithful churchgoer if anyone at any time walks through the doors of the church it is the member's duty to love them right where they are at. That includes the people with whom you disagree with their lifestyle, that includes people whose life is a mess, and that includes the people who are often difficult. Christians, our lack of stepping up to the plate and willingness to seek out the lost, broken, addicted, and hurting have actually sent the people who need God the most to the world for answers. And although I know many good-hearted people that have dedicated their lives to helping hurting people, it’s the power and love of God that truly heals the broken person. Forgive me, but oftentimes it seems that many Christians would rather point fingers at those whose lifestyles they disagree with than enter into relationships with those same people and show them real love and walk them into freedom and healing. When we state how bad the world is without taking action it’s the equivalent of critiquing your own poor job performance. Our cities are dark for one reason and one reason only, those carrying the Light of the World are not entering into relationships with those stuck in darkness and walking them into freedom. I have sat down with, ministered to, and done coaching with people that have more money than they can spend, and I’ve also done the same with people that stink of urine and are living on the streets holding a used syringe. Sometimes people with money are more internally sick than the homeless.
Regardless of someone’s economic status, if the Holy Spirit isn’t alive and well on the inside of them they are not fully healed and healthy inside. It’s our job to intentionally seek out those people, enter into their mess and process and give them Jesus, not opinions or judgment. As long as the majority of the American church has a higher value for hiding in Sunday morning church than they do going into the dark, we won't see the change that is possible and that God desires. Your dark neighborhood is your job to light up! God put you next to a neighbor that struggles with alcohol (or whatever issue) because you signed up to love people when you gave your life to Jesus. He expects you to love them, not hide from them and judge them. The world is tired of boring and judgmental religious churchgoers, and so is God! God is looking for those people that will surrender to Him, carry His presence, love without an agenda, sacrifice their comfortable conveniences when need be, and purposefully seek out the hurting and bring them, Jesus. I can say I’ve had the privilege of praying for thousands of people in public places over the last ten years. I can remember a handful of times in all ten years when people told me, “no you can’t pray for me,” or got angry with me.
The world is seeking and the world is more open than we think. They want the real Jesus, and they’re waiting for YOU to give Him to them. God is looking for a people that live a daily lifestyle of power and love. The world needs you to be who you are created to be!
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