1670  UNTO YOU IS BORN…IN THE CITY OF DAVID…

Had a few things I wanted to share.

These past few months- helping with the halfway house has been ‘cool’.

Just a few notes;

I was telling my partner- John David [partner in starting the house!]

That the Lord has been confirming lots of stuff- when I’m helping with the guys the Lord opens doors that I have been trying to ‘open’ for years.

On Facebook- over the years- I have had a few old friends that I wanted to find.

One of my original buddies I came to Texas with was Miguel Rodriguez.

We were best buddies as kids growing up on the streets of Jersey.

So- I ‘led’ him to the Lord and he became part of the little church I started in Kingsville.

Eventually he went back to Jersey- married a great girl- and came back to Texas.

He had some boys [I had 4 girls] and we were all friends- doing ministry- stuff like that.

He went back to Jersey again and settled back home.

One day I got a call from his wife- my friend had died.

It was sad- but I knew it was coming.

So- over the years- as sort of a ‘pact’ I promised my friend that I would try and keep in touch with his wife and kids.

As you can imagine- they were some of the first people I looked for when I got on line.

Could never find them.

So- as I have been helping at the house- who my buddy David started- I kept telling him that the Lord has been blessing me ‘in the House of David’ [a spin-off from the last couple of months posts- you’ll have to read them to get the full idea].

So- I tell David I was listening to some radio preacher and he quotes the famous Christmas verse ‘for unto YOU is born this day in the CITY OF DAVID a Savior’.

I told him I felt the Lord was saying ‘see- I’m blessing you- fulfilling promises to you in David’s house/city’.

Okay- I got it.

Then I tell him I was sitting at my house- thinking the guys would text me- someone always needs something- but no texts- huh?

So- it was a Sunday- I was doing my normal fasting thing- trying to not eat till at least 3- praying and reading and stuff.

To be honest- I felt like it was a waste of time.

Then finally- my phone does the buzz sound- you know- when someone text’s you.

Finally- a bite!

I look at the phone- it says ‘LuAnn Rodriguez sent you a friends request’.

I was shocked.

I’m now friends with her and her boy Joshua- yeah- I kept the pact.

So- I tell my buddy John David about the verse and how the Lord worked it out.

He tells me ‘hey- just yesterday some neighbor gave me a card with that verse on it’.

Sure- it’s common on Christmas cards.

He gets the card- he really does not know the people- even their last name.

I open the card- it was the verse I associated with the above family- and the card reads ‘Merry Christmas- from the Rodriguez family’.

Okay- one more.

I was at the halfway house the other day- and somehow we started talking about past experiences of drugs- and bad experiences.

One of the things David shared reminded me of a bad overdose on acid as a kid- the story was almost identical to David’s.

I shared what happened- and then mentioned another incident about a friend of mine at the time.

Now- I haven’t told this ‘war story’ in years- but I got into a very bad fight with my friend- and almost killed the guy.

I saw him a few years later and he has permanent scars from that night.

So- for some reason I was sitting at the halfway house and it came up.

About 10 years ago I got an email from a mutual friend of ours- he knew us both- and remembered him going to the hospital after that night- and he wanted me to know that now he was in prison for a very serious crime.

I read the crime on line- and it reminded me of the old days- I even read the quotes from his cousin- who I also knew- and it was like I was there.

So- he joined some biker gang- they planned a bad crime- and there was an FBI undercover agent in the gang.

He got busted with his cousin on the night of the attempted crime- right where we grew up- on 70 something street in North Bergen.

So- I wrote him a couple of times in prison- we made up after the fight years ago- and he was real glad to have been in touch with me.

I sent him some old radio tapes of me preaching and he got a kick out of hearing my voice- we never actually spoke in 25 years- just a couple of letters.

So- I haven’t heard from him in years.

The next day- sitting at the halfway house with the guys- my phone rings.

Now- those who know me know I never answer my phone.

For some reason I get it- its ‘C----h’.

I couldn’t believe it.

He just got out of prison- and of all things- he’s in a halfway house in Newark- N.J.

I was telling David that I wanted to try and branch out into N.J.- but I don’t know anyone with the experience of being in a house in Jersey- someone I can visit and check out the scene and all.

Well- not until now.

So- these are just a few of the things that have been goin on.

Yeah- for unto you is born- ‘THIS DAY- IN THE CITY OF DAVID..’

Yeah- I like the ‘City of David’.

How bout you?

www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Facebook] - I have posted lots.