2059 FRIDAY. THE WARRANT WAS OUT.
I decided to slow down on my
documenting my past.
Why?
Though I do feel like it was time
to tell my story- yet there is a balance- you don’t want to ‘glorify’ this
stuff- and when you tell stuff like this- there is a tendency to only tell the
‘good stuff’- that is- you rarely hear the side that makes the person look bad.
That’s why when I told the ones
that make you look like a tough guy- I also added the stuff that makes you look
not so good.
Ok- the past few days one of
buddies has been on the edge- so to speak.
He reads the site- so he’ll know
what I’m talking about.
The last week he has been in a fighting
mood- most of the people that know him have been saying ‘what’s going on with
him- what’s up”.
I’m really not sure- and I think
part of it might be the fact that we have become good friends- we hang out a
lot- and for the first time he has also seen my history.
So- he has been getting into it
with Dirk- Nascar- Matt [who I take to the meetings with me- but yesterday
Whistler almost got into it with Matt- I had to settle things down].
So- after Bucks memorial- right
there in the parking lot- it almost happened again.
The homeless crew were all there-
and the service for Buck was beautiful- but as the guys were in the parking
lot- and it started again- I told them ‘look- he’s going with me- were walking
away’.
So we took a ride for about 3
hours- came back to the house- put on a movie- and I let my buddy crash out on
the couch.
When we were at the memorial- and
things heated up- I told Walden ‘look- I’m gonna just keep him with me for a
few days- don’t worry’.
He said ‘you seem to be able to
control him’.
No- I’m not controlling him- we
are good friends- he has made more of the meetings I have been doing than anyone
else.
Ok- like I said I’m going to slow
down on my stories- and I want to make something clear.
I have not been operating like
this [losing my temper- getting into some of this stuff myself this last year]
for the past 25 years.
I think in my case- like I have been
writing- because I don’t drink- and because of all the other things that have
gone on- I sort of have had some type of breakdown.
Nothing ‘official’ but yes- last
year I’m sure you could have categorized it as some type of event- a confluence
of things- that finally set me off.
So no- some things have changed
[for good or bad- I don’t know?].
Anyway-Wednesday I went to the
mission- I saw Dirk sitting there- it was early.
Those of you who have read the posts
know Dirk ‘stabbed’ Tennessee a while back [I put quotes- because he never told
me he stabbed him- but that he fell on the knife- which of course sounds like a
story to me].
And Dirk has been on the outs
with a lot of the street crew because of this.
I have gone out of my way to
befriend the guy because of this- and we do go back a long ways- we have been friends
for 25 years- and others have said Dirk looks up to me.
So- I was not feeling to well-
and was going to try and take care of some stuff- and as I walked passed Dirk-
I said something to the effect ‘be careful- I might just kick your ass right
now’.
I went on a bit- and was mad- in his
face.
He has never seen me like this-
ever.
There was a reason to be mad- but
it was nothing big at all- I already thought I dropped it to be honest.
Dirk looked at me- I guess in
shock ‘John- are you kidding?’
I said no- walked back and
repeated it.
He just sat there- and didn’t
move.
I left- talked to a few other people-
and that was that.
Later in the day I realized I
needed to apologize as soon as I see him- which was yesterday.
Dirk walked up to the mission- I
was with Whistler- and we walked up to him.
He said ‘are you guys gonna kick
my ass?’
I said ‘no Dirk- I’m sorry about
yesterday- my fault’.
He said ‘that’s ok John- we all
have our bad days’.
Then I went and did one of our meetings
on the other side of town- though I was dead tired that day- got up at 1 am-
was busy the whole day- but felt like I should do the meeting.
Got home- was going to do some
bible reading- I try and set aside 5-7pm for my time- just r and r- prayer-
reading.
I hear my wife ‘John- you need to
come here’.
What Now?
I go to the front- there are 3
cop cars parked in front of my house.
Now- this past year I have had to
overcome a lot of ‘bad’ feelings with the cops-
So- it’s not good for me to see 3
of them- in front of my house.
Why were they there?
They did put out a warrant- on
Dirk- and they were taking him in- he was sitting in the cop car.
He told them ‘can I drop off my
dog at my friend’s house’ [I told Dirk when all this first went down- that I
would get his dog out of the pound if he ever gets arrested for the stabbing].
So the P.D. did him this favor-
and let him drop off Gunner at my house.
As a matter of fact- as I type-
Gunner is laying here on my couch- right next to me [I’ll post the pics].
I’m glad I apologized to Dirk
that morning- or else I don’t think he would have dropped Gunner off at my
house.
I told Dirk to put my name on the
visitors list- I’ll come see him.
Gunner was just in the yard with
me about an hour ago- I was doing my prayer routine- walking in the yard-
Gunner was out there- he’s getting used to my other 4 dogs- now I have 5.
Yeah- I also did my routine
prayer for the guys in jail- this time Dirk was in the group- and Gunner was
there too.
SATURDAY- Undercover sting
operation- for cigarettes?
I had a bunch of the guys over yesterday- I
let them use the shower- do laundry- and we either do a meeting [short bible
study- prayer] or sometimes just watch a movie.
I just bought the Robert Redford
movie ALL IS LOST.
If you haven’t seen it- it’s
good.
As we got back to the house- I
had Art- Lance, John and Whistler- we sat in my man cave [back sunroom] and the
guys just started talking.
Lance- a young kid- was talking
about girlfriend stuff- and Art was giving him some advice.
Art even quoted a bible verse-
and asked me to clarify- I did.
Now- some of these guys are
using- not around me- but just about every day they use [Meth].
I’m sure some of them had it in
their system right now.
Yet- I just let the guy’s talk-
for about an hour- because they were talking about real issues in life.
Art said he has been feeling that
time is short- 2 people at the mission died this week in a car wreck- Randy and
Tammy.
I told Art that has been a theme
all year- time is short- get your house in order now.
It was funny- John- an older guy
who I met this year- has quite a story.
He does not use drugs- seems to simply
be a lost soul- has a successful background- but for some reason wound up
living in his car- and being homeless.
John gave me a ride the other day
to get my car at the shop.
He carries 2 cell phones- and he’s
always looking when they ring- to see if it’s one of his girlfriends who lives
in Venezuela.
He’s funny- he has 3 ‘lady
friends’ [Rita- Iris and Margie] who I guess he has crushes on- none of them live
here.
He sends Iris candy packages- to
Venezuela [real charmer].
I kid John ‘you’re a real
Casanova buddy’.
He laughs- ‘no- not me’.
So- as where driving to get my
car- his cell phone rings [9 times out of 10 it’s usually a bill collector].
But he has to check- you never know-
it might be Iris!
So- he has his cell phones [2
mind you- I tell him he needs to downsize!]] on the dashboard- and sure enough
they ring- twice.
He has to scramble for the phone-
swerving all over the road [we were on top of the Oso Bridge].
I mean it was funny.
I told him ‘geez John- I survived
25 years at the Fire Dept.- I have recently been telling my war stories- life
on the edge- but who’d a thought that I might get killed- because you had to
answer the damn phone!’
He laughs.
The guys were talking about the
cops- their experiences and all.
John says he was at the park the
other day- and 2 girls came out of the police station and asked him for a
cigarette.
He says they looked young- he told
them ‘do you have I.D. - because I can get in trouble if I give you a cigarette
and you’re under age’.
They assured him they were 18-
but wait- the boyfriend came over later and said they were 16.
John thought he was being set up-
you know- a sting operation.
I told him ‘John- I really don’t
think the cops are worried about cigarette ‘dealers’’.
I mean we are sitting with guys
who have Meth in their system as we speak- I think the cops have more to do
than crack down on old guys giving smokes to underage kids.
So- it was funny.
I saw Whistler at Timons again-
he has been banned all week.
The cops have been picking him
up- 6 times the other night.
They came down to the mission twice
since I’ve been there- and took him away.
He keeps telling me ‘don’t worry-
I’ll be back’.
Sure enough- I see him an hour
later- he was right.
When Timons [the mission] put a
no trespassing thing on him- the cop didn’t fill out the papers all the way.
I guess they do that so they
don’t have to do more paperwork- at least that’s what Whistler says.
So- he keeps the copy in his
pocket- and when they come to get him- he shows them how the officer did not do
it right- and they keep letting him go.
Like a Houdini type thing- they can’t
hold on to him.
Anyway- I finally put the movie
on- the guys crashed out.
I was glad Lance was here- he’s a
young kid- on a bad road. He said ‘well- at least I’m not where I was a few
years ago’ [he was involved in some serious crimes].
He says he still struggles with addiction-
but not the violent stuff he has done.
I told them how I had to apologize
to Dirk the other day.
Art said ‘Yeah- I saw that’ [when
I went off a bit on Dirk].
I didn’t realize anyone noticed-
it was early- but I guess a few saw the encounter.
I kidded John- I mean he really does
no fit the rough side of this crew.
I told him ‘John- don’t worry-
being I have confessed to lots of stuff recently- the street guys think it’s
you’ [being we have the same name].
I said ‘word on the street is
John’s a bit on the edge’.
Lance laughed ‘yeah John [not me]
you preached at Church Without Walls- they think your preacher John’.
He laughed.
Art said ‘John- the cat has been
out of the bag for a while- you just didn’t know’.
I guess the guys heard of some of
my story before- I don’t know from who- but word gets around.
I’m glad in a way- they can see
the good and bad.
A few posts ago I taught from
Isaiah 38- about king Hezekiah.
Verse 9 says ‘The writing of
Hezekiah- when he had been sick- and was recovered of his sickness’.
I think it’s important to record your
story- not just when your well- but when your ‘sick’ so people can see- real
time- how you recover- over time.
MONDAY-
‘THEY WERE SHOCKED THAT HE TALKED
WITH THE WOMAN’ John 4.
This week I want to teach a
little about the gift of prophecy and how it works.
The other day I mentioned how I walked
into a local business- the owner thought I was a ‘street guy’ and started
asking me about the Lord- in a good way- kind of trying to witness to me.
During our conversation he
realized that in reality I was sent to him.
At the end of our talk he handed
me his rap sheet- asked me to pray- he had a long rap sheet- on the last page
it showed he was arrested for felony murder.
Now- why did he show this to me?
As we talked I told him about the
many years of ministry- how I worked with lots of ex-cons.
At one point I said ‘the Lord led
me a few years ago to pray for the guys on death row’.
I told him that one of the first guys
I prayed for was a guy from San Antonio- I still remember his name- Frank
Garcia.
On the day of his execution I
prayed for him- not really thinking that it would have an effect- but I sensed
God telling me to do this.
The next day I read his ‘final
statement’.
It was amazing- as he entered the
death chamber- he began praising God- he asked forgiveness from the mother-
whose daughter he killed- he prayed for the prosecutor and all involved.
It was amazing that the paper
printed the whole thing.
He talked about fulfilling Gods
will this day- to face death and do it with joy and praise.
Now- obviously he was no martyr-
but because of the circumstances- this was the best he could do.
As I related the story to this business
owner- with the long rap sheet- that I didn’t yet see.
I said ‘Lon- it was amazing- even
the mother said ‘This was not the same man who killed my daughter years ago’.
Lon said- enthusiastically ‘yeah-
he was not the same man’.
Then he gave me his rap sheet-
even though I did not realize that this was a top priority in his life- trying
to get his record purged- yet because I brought up this story- on a whim- he
realized I was sent to him this day.
In the gospel of John we read a
few accounts where Jesus simply reveals a few ‘secrets’- things that only God
would know- and when he does this- the people he’s revealing it to- are amazed.
In John chapter one Jesus is
calling his disciples and Philip calls Nathanael and says ‘we have found the
Messiah- who Moses spoke about in the law’.
Nathanael comes to Jesus and
Jesus says ‘behold- an Israelite in whom is no guile’.
Nathanael is surprised- how does
Jesus know things about him?
Jesus says ‘before Philip called
you- I saw you sitting under the tree’.
Now- Philip is convinced ‘you are
the one!’
Jesus seems amused in a way- like
this one bit of insight- this one snippet of the gift of prophecy- blew him
over.
Jesus says ‘so- you believe
because of this little thing- hang on for the ride- you’re getting ready to see
a lot more’ [my own paraphrase].
In chapter 4 we read another account-
Jesus meets the woman at the well.
The bible says ‘he was weary with
his journey’- I mean some of the most effective meetings/ministry I have had-
are when I’m tired- things are flying off the hook- stuff going wrong- yet at
these times- God opens doors.
So- he sits at the well and talks
with the woman.
They were in Samaria- and because
of some Old Testament history [which I won't get into now] he is kind of
violating a cultural thing of the day- by talking to a Samaritan woman.
He’s also alone with her- I mean
the whole seen looks a bit risqué’ to be honest.
Never the less he is there with
the girl.
Now- as he engages in some deep
conversation- she actually brings up some religious stuff- hmm?
As this talk goes on- he says
‘Go- get your husband’.
Kind of strange for Jesus to
bring up the girls husband.
She says ‘I have no husband’.
Jesus says ‘you say the truth
dear- you have had 5 husbands- the guy your sleeping with now is not your
husband- so yeah- your right’.
Ok- this of course shocks the
girl- I mean how does he know this stuff? [of course we know that Jesus is God
incarnate- but in these scenarios he’s also ‘knowing’ these things thru the
gift of prophecy].
The conversation continues for a
while- and when he tells her he is the Messiah- she goes into the city and says
‘come- see a man that told me ALL THINGS that I ever did’.
Now- did Jesus tell her her whole
life story- all things?
No- of course not.
But like Nathanael under the
tree- the little bit that he did reveal- had such a major impact- that it
effected the recipients of the gift in a major way.
In the book of Revelation we read
‘the testimony of Jesus is the spirit [intent] of prophecy’.
We live in a day where American ‘prophecy preachers’ have all types of strange
‘end times’ scenarios going on- and to be honest- some of them are dangerous
[nuclear war- etc.].
But in the ministry of Jesus we
see that prophecy reveals the heart- in the letter to the Corinthians the
apostle Paul says that prophecy reveals the thoughts of people’s hearts- and
they fall down and worship God.
Now- when confronted by someone
with this gift- it can be scary.
Because we often hide our hidden
motives- we operate with a sense of manipulation.
All people that do this are not bad-
some people actually do it out of a sense of self protection.
Yet- when the prophetic gift is
operating- it kind of pulls the covers off of any hidden agendas.
The woman at the well was having
a serious discussion about religion and God.
And in the middle of it- Jesus drops
this bombshell- a personal thing that could have indeed blown the entire
conversation.
Some people get scared when they
feel that others might know more about them then they wish to reveal.
And if a prophet is actually
getting the information from God- then yeah- it can be scary.
Yet- the woman was having this engaging
conversation with some guy that she never met before- who seemed to have real
insights- I mean Jesus had ‘no guile’- what you saw was what you got.
After Jesus had this intense
conversation with the woman- the bible says his disciples came back [they went
to get food] and they were shocked that he was talking to her- yet they did not
question his motives.
Yes- Jesus did indeed break many
cultural barriers- to engage with her- but this might have been her only chance
to see this stuff- up close.
Yeah- Jesus took the chance-
rolled the dice- and in the end it worked out well- just like God wanted.
TUESDAY- BRANDY
I want to talk a bit more about
some of the things I have been reading in John’s gospel this past week.
The first miracle that Jesus did
was the turning of water into wine.
He was at a wedding in Cana of Galilee-
and they ran out of wine.
Jesus tells them to fill 6 pots
with water- then they serve the water- and it was wine.
The governor of the feast says
‘wow- most people serve the good stuff first- then after everyone’s a bit
tipsy- then they serve the bad wine- but you have SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST’.
Now- this story speaks about the
New Covenant- the New Wine [Blood of Jesus served for us] as being better than
the Old law [Old Covenant was based on works- the new covenant based on grace].
Once again- we see the images of
marriage/wedding/bride/bridegroom- and how God uses it for a spiritual lesson.
These last few months- since I
have been back from the NY city area- I have paid more attention to the bible chapters
that my friends bring up- if they mention a chapter or verse- I’ll focus on that
for the day.
Many of the teachings on this
site come that way.
So- I was visiting John David a
couple of weeks ago- and he brings up Hosea- the first 3 chapters [he called it
Hosanna- but I knew what he meant].
So I read it- I was familiar with
the story- but read it anyway.
Hosea is a prophet- and God tells
him to do something- that you normally would not do [he is God you know?]
He tells him to marry a
prostitute- and she will be unfaithful to him- and it will be a sign of how
God’s people too were unfaithful.
The book of James says when we love
the world- money seekers- it’s a form of spiritual adultery.
It says God actually gets jealous
over this ‘the spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy’.
Now- Hosea was to experience the
same thing- it would be played out as a sort of prophetic sign- so the people could
see what was happening.
Tough job.
The other day when I talked about
John the Baptist- I mentioned how John was losing his disciples to Jesus [John
chapter 3].
His men are worried- like they
are going to lose this great movement that John started [baptizing these converts
and stuff].
John says ‘that’s ok- I am just a
voice- I am not the bridegroom. I am a friend of the bridegroom- he must
increase- I must decrease. As the friend of the bridegroom my joy is fulfilled
in the fact that those who were following me- attracted to me- are now moving
on- they are now infatuated with the bridegroom himself’.
The purpose of the prophetic gift
is not to draw people to you- which is a real danger.
The bible says the gifts and
callings of God are without repentance.
Huh?
It means when God gives a gift-
he doesn’t take it back.
Ok- that sounds good.
Not always.
In some cases prophets can
‘prostitute’ the gift- they can use it for monetary gain [American
evangelicalism at times]. Or to simply attract people to you.
Prophets can use the gift- in
‘un-spiritual’ situations- the gift still functions.
Now- John the Baptist knew his purpose-
when the time was right- he walked away.
He understood that his gift
served its purpose- he had to let the bride go- to the bridegroom.
In the bible we read about
Eunuchs- they were men who were put in charge of the kings ‘women’ if you will
[you know the whole Harem thing].
Eunuchs were either unable
[castration] to ‘use’ the king’s women for their own desire- or were simply
trusted men- who would not take advantage of the bride.
In the New Testament we are
called the Bride of Christ.
Prophets- leaders in general- are
to be Eunuchs in a way.
When the Bride [people of God]
are in process of hearing the voice of God- often thru scenarios that some
people would never get to hear unless they have an encounter- like the woman at
the well- maybe an unexpected encounter.
Then the prophet has to recognize
when the encounter ends- when the time comes for him to decrease.
The Prophets are like Eunuchs in
a way- God entrusts them with his bride- the gift is intended to have a real
impact- it’s easy for the bride to mistake that- and to be drawn to the
prophet.
In Hosea's case- yes- God had the
prophet actually marry a prostitute- but it was not the norm- to say the least.
I like the old classic rock- I
have been listening to the classic song Brandy- from Looking Glass.
In the song it speaks of a
sailor- his love for the harbor and the sea [in the bible these are types of callings-
the sea represents peoples- nations. Ships- harbors- are ports of call-
destinies that God has for us in life].
Now- read the words in that
light.
Brandy in a way is the bride- the
church.
She becomes fascinated with all
the sailors stories- the guy comes into port- meets Brandy at the local pub.
He’s there for a season in time
[like John] and then sails out [John Decreased].
Plus- the song sounds good too.
There's a port on a western bay
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes
And there's a girl in this harbor
town
And she works layin' whiskey down
They say "Brandy, fetch another round"
She serves them whiskey and wine
And she works layin' whiskey down
They say "Brandy, fetch another round"
She serves them whiskey and wine
[Chorus]
The sailors say "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"Yeah your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea"
The sailors say "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"Yeah your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea"
Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of the man that Brandy loves
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of the man that Brandy loves
He came on a summer's day
Bringin' gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn't stay
No harbor was his home
Bringin' gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn't stay
No harbor was his home
[Chorus]
Yeah, Brandy used to watch his
eyes
When he told his sailor stories
She could feel the ocean foam rise
She saw its ragin' glory
But he had always told the truth, lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand
When he told his sailor stories
She could feel the ocean foam rise
She saw its ragin' glory
But he had always told the truth, lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand
At night when the bars close down
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who's not around
She still can hear him say
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who's not around
She still can hear him say
[Chorus]
"Brandy, you're a fine
girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would
be" (such a fine girl)
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
WEDNESDAY- WHAT A TELESCOPE!
We had a good meeting in Bishop
yesterday- I was worried that I wouldn’t take at least 2 guys from the Bluff.
My regulars weren’t around- but I
managed to still take a few locals [when I make the ride I want to have at least
2 from the area go].
Actually- Huey did some talking-
maybe I’ll get to it in a moment.
I spoke at Church Without Walls
for the first time this Sunday.
Now- lots of the people there-
who have known me for 25 years- had no idea I could ‘do this’.
Do what?
In many ways the ministry I do is
unique [obviously] - but when I ‘preach’ I simply quote lots of verses- I never
use notes or sermon outlines.
But I try and connect- and this
was how I did radio- just sat and looked out the window- and talked.
We call that Prophecy in a way-
speaking ‘off the cuff’.
So- I did get a few compliments-
lots of the street crew were surprised- as well as the pastor of this ministry-
who too has known me for many years- but never heard me speak.
But- right before I spoke- Don
[Metal head] walked up to me- drunk- and said ‘you got my bike in your garage’.
What?
Don just got out of doing 30 days
in jail- for starting a fight- at this very spot- last month.
He took a swing at a cop- and
that was all she wrote.
So- I guess they sold/pawned his
bike when he was in jail- and when he asked where it was- someone must have pointed
at me and said ‘he’s got it’.
I told Don I had no idea what he
was talking about- but right before I spoke- he came up to me again- and it
looked like he was gonna take a swing.
Now- I just sat there- kind of
amused- but C.J. walked over and ‘escorted’ him away.
I spoke- and that was that.
But later in the day I was a
little pissed off about it to be honest.
And thought ‘well- if he does
this again tomorrow at the mission- I’ll tell him one last time- and then I’ll
have to hit the guy’.
Now- I actually did not want to
do this- because I don’t want to give the cops an excuse to arrest me on an
assault charge.
Don is harmless- a severe drunk.
We are friends- but he is always
drunk.
I even decided if it comes down
to it- I’ll just walk him behind the mission- and if he won't stop- I’ll just t
him in the gut- and that would be it [people do lose their breath and fall from
this- and I did not want to hurt Don].
So- I went back and forth all
day- it bugged me- and that’s what I thought [he was in my face- and I really
was not mad- but did not know what to do].
Then I thought ‘you know- I went
off on Dirk a lot worse the other day- I should just blow it off- who knows-
maybe he will apologize like I did with Dirk’.
Sure enough- Don saw me the next
day and did apologize- C.J. and Clare told Don I was a ‘preacher’ and that I
didn’t have the bike.
It all worked out well- Don told
me ‘John- I have known you for all these years- I knew you were a firefighter-
but never knew you were a preacher’.
Yeah- now I have blown my cover
[I actually like not being seen as a ‘preacher’ so the guys are more real when
they are around me].
The other day I was with a
friend- and we went to some guy's house- who is not a street guy.
My friend was venting about- well
let’s say a ‘local business’.
His brother has been banned from
purchasing ‘items’ from this place- because of various reasons.
So- his brother asked him to get
the stuff for him- and he said no.
Anyway- as I’m sitting there-
with the other guy who I just met- I mean I’m dressed in black- and people have
told me I do look like a cop.
But my friend is talking openly
about the ‘business’ and this new guy must have been thinking ‘shut the hell
up- this guy is a cop’.
So- I said ‘look- I’ve been
around a long time- I do ministry with these guys- I’m the only ‘non user’ in
the group’.
So- he let his guard down a bit.
Then yesterday we went by his
house- another friend had to pick up his guitar- and I took him to the bishop
meeting.
This is the 2nd time I
met this guy [who had the guitar] and we talked a bit more about how I know the
local scene- and yes- the ‘sellers’ and all- really no big deal- by now the guys that know me realize ‘no- John’s
for real- not an undercover cop’.
The guy actually invited me to do
a meeting at his place- most everyone has a past experience with God.
And this guy did.
So- in a way- I did some ministry
right there.
By the way- in his yard he has a
giant telescope- he is an amateur astronomer.
I told him I have been ‘star
gazing’ this area for years- when I get up at 3 a.m. and pray.
He lives just a few blocks from me-
he gave me his phone number and wants me to go over early in the morning and
check out the planets.
We hit it off well- it was a God
thing.
At the meeting in bishop – one of
the guys slipped- and mentioned a pastor that we both know.
He said ‘you know- people think
he’s clean [not using drugs] but he’s not’.
It came out when my friend was sharing
a story- but over the years I have had more than one person pull me aside and
say ‘John- I need to tell you about brother #%$@.’
I have always said ‘no- I don’t need
to hear it’ every time.
But- my buddy slipped- and then
said ‘Keep this to yourself’ [well- I’m trying!]
I knew it already- some of it-
but did not know he was still using drugs.
Last year- before I left to New Jersey-
I dropped off my library of books to this pastor- who also has a street
ministry.
I left a note- sort of a goodbye
note to Henry [a homeless friend who we both know].
And a 50 dollar check- written
out to Henry Shultz.
Anyway- when I got back to Texas-
Henry never got the note- or the check.
Oh well.
John David [who has told me that
this pastor has a history of not being honest with money] said ‘John- I would
go over there and get the 50 back- tell him it was for Henry- not him’.
No- I let it slide.
On the way back from Bishop-
another younger kid was with us- who too is using drugs.
He heard the other guy spill the beans
on brother *&^%- and I don’t know if the younger kid- who knows the
preacher- knew about this.
So- I told the guys ‘you all know
I have had my failures- but I want you to know I have no hidden stuff going on-
I don’t drink- use- or anything. I smoke cigarettes- as you can tell- and I
have anger issues- but that’s it’.
I wanted the other guys to know
that we are not all out as crooks- or scam artists [Dirk has told me all
preachers are fakes- except me- he said he thought I was for real. I say that because
I guess he knew about the preacher as well- and he always refused to sit in the
meeting when he preaches- he just eats the food later].
Now- I just started working with
this street ministry- I felt God told me to help him.
Did I change my mind because of
what I just found out?
No- this might be the very reason
I’m helping- God works in multiple ways- and I think I just made a new ‘street
friend’ in a way.
WARNING- Those of you who have
read this site for a while know I ‘tell it like it is’ about myself- as well as
the experiences I have. I do try and not use names- when talking about stuff
that could get people in trouble- but these past 2 years I have been blogging
as openly as possible- so that when you read stuff like this remember- we are
trying to be honest about our failures- and being open helps.
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 [FaceBookl]
- I have posted lots.
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