“There is a disillusionment and emptiness in the average Christian’s life because they think that Christ suffered on the cross so that they can go to church every Sunday.” Jim Cymbala

If this is you dear Christian friend, then I have a solution:

Get to the streets

Seriously.

Christians think I am trying to condemn them when I say this.  Or force them to do something they don’t feel comfortable with.  But I am not.  Really.  I feel sorry for you if you don’t go. Truly, I am telling you that you are seriously missing out by not going.

Missing out on what? You may well ask…

Real life

Serious joy

Excitement

Fellowship

Fun

But most of all – the tangible, real presence of Jesus Christ.

If you are wondering WHERE JESUS IS – I am here to tell you that He is in the darkest, dirtiest, sin-ridden place in your city.  Yes He is.  He is there pulling people out of the darkness into the Light with His own nail-pierced hands.  But He needs us to go there with Him. He uses His Body to do His work with Him.

I can honestly say that the two places where I have been in His presence most (other than my own prayer closet), was in

1. a drug addict’s home and

2. on the city streets.

…..Next to homeless ice-addict Roddy.  Ruthlessly he was kicked out of my old church, (coincidence?).  I met him a while ago, but now he’s sleeping rough.  Now white stuff oozes from the corners of his eyes.  He talks and talks to me, very quiet. I can hardly hear what he’s saying, but he talks about Jesus.  He talks about speaking in tongues.  He keeps talking and talking even when I am no longer next to him.  To himself.  Oh Roddy… Jesus help this man.

Yes sir.  This is where Jesus is.

He is there when I am preaching.  He is standing right in front of me.  I am preaching to Him.  The bullets fly all around me, the looks of hatred, other looks too.

“You’re an idiot,” one guys says to me.  That bullet stings.  But Jesus is there.  I see Him, I feel Him.  I preach to Him.  I love Him.  He is there.

How people respond is not my problem, I preach to Him.  And He is happy.

Last night as I was preaching I saw out of the corner of my eye a man standing next to me, to my left.  He stood with me as the bullets flew.  Six foot 4 and built strong.

Afterwards he said to me that it was a war zone and he wanted to stand with me in the trenches.

I cried right in front of him because I suddenly realised that years before, when street-preaching was not an option for me, when it seemed impossible that I would ever do that, God had given me a vision of this very man standing next to me in the city as I preached.  God had shown me this man would stand next to me and protect me.

And there he was…..

 

But…hang on a minute…… did I really say FUN?

Yes.  Even in the midst of the spiritual battle.

The Public Safety Officers told us to move on.

Some guys came and set up a massive sound system next to us and blared their music whilst holding signs “Free Hugs”.

One of the young guys with us responded by making up a sign “Free Salvation”.  There they stood side-by-side.

We laughed and laughed.

And then the “Free Hugs” sign man came to me and said “I don’t believe in God, but you can try to convince me if you like.”

But that’s another story.

On the way home in the car I laughed with joy.

I felt so alive.

Oh Jesus, there’s nothing more important than You and Your Gospel.  May Your Body see that.

God bless you!