Thursday, October 30, 2014

2080- This week I want to teach a little from Luke chapter 9- but let me start [end?] with one last note from my month in the NYC area.

On this trip there were many prophetic events- meaning lots of supernatural stuff.

Over the years I have had lots of these things operate in my ministry- but when you read the blog it’s hard to include many of these things- because frankly- people think your nuts.

Ok- Daniel- my atheist friend, I probably spent more time with him than anyone else.

Many of the people I met while sitting at Burger King were people Danny would introduce me to as they walked in.

So- in a sense- Danny saw me ‘in operation’ alot- to be honest I think he liked seeing this stuff.

At the end of my trip- while doing an off the cuff teaching- quoting and stuff.

Danny stopped me and said ‘John- I notice when you quote the bible like this- it’s like you go into a TRANCE’.  He said it’s like you’re actually ‘bringing’ up the pages as you speak.

Now- to some of my Christian friends the word trance sounds a bit like an occult thing.

Actually the bible talks about the apostle [Peter?] going into a trance- if I remember right you find the account in Acts 10- when Peter had the vision of the un-kosher animals coming down [meaning God was accepting the Gentiles].

The bible speaks of signs and visions- and a Trance is a higher form of a vision.

Now- I was actually not going into a Trance- as I just described- but Danny was simply seeing a person testifying about Christ- under the anointing.

Danny does have a background in the bible- I could tell as I did my off the cuff teaching- he would add parts of the story- and ask stuff.

Danny used to say ‘do you know the word hell is not even found in the bible’.

I would correct Danny about this- many times.

I even taught him the 3 words used for hell in the bible [1 from the Old testament- in Hebrew- and 2 in the New Testament].

I told Danny the most common one was used by Jesus himself- and it was actually a word that the people of his day used to refer to the city burn heap- a place outside of the city where stuff was burned [you know- the image of fire and all].

Danny said ‘hell is separation from God’ [Atheist?].

I told him that actually is the best definition- theologically- of hell.

Even though I told Danny- many times- that he was wrong about the word not being in the bible- yet it never ‘stuck’.

But one day- when teaching the subject- I quoted a verse from Revelation ‘death and hell were cast into the lake of fire’.

He then looked at me- and said ‘oh- hell is in the bible’.

I mean he was surprised.

The point is- when the word of God is spoken [quoted- read- etc.] it has power.

Danny saw me ‘in a trance’ many times during this trip- interacting with him and others- and it was the testimony- of Jesus- which the bible says is ‘the spirit of prophecy’ that affected him.

WEDNESDAY-

I’ve been back in Texas for about a week- and before I came back I felt God was telling me to take- at least- one week off before jumping back into the routine.

In January of this year- when I got back from another New Jersey trip- I started some home groups.

At first- I thought I’d give it a shot- not really sure how well they would do.

To my surprise- they went well.

I do about 5-6 a week- in various towns- once a month we go [or did?] to San Antonio- so- these were [are] fun.

I never told our groups- but I committed [to God] that I would do them- for 1 year.

I actually planned on going to New Jersey at the end of this year- and after some time away- then re-evaluate the meetings.

So- I’m a bit early- but I’m in that process now.

I also have heard some words/verses- that things will change-

Many of the people I worked with on the streets for years- said ‘we never knew you could do this stuff’.

Many never heard me teach- and I’m grateful for the compliments.

Why am I debating if I should keep doing them- besides the fact that I felt I had some words about it.

Most of the people in my meetings are people I have worked with- for many years- on the streets.

In the gospel of John we read an account where Jesus fed the people [noble thing- like Timons ministry- a feeding mission].

Jesus goes to another place- and the crowds find out where he is- and they follow.

Jesus says ‘are you seeking me because I fed you? Seek for the true bread’.

In the bible there are many teachings about helping the poor- the downcast.

But- we also read ‘if a man does not work- neither should he eat’.

Over the years I have had many people tell me I’m wasting my time with the homeless.

I always realized that there were some who were not sincere- but many are true friends- and I don’t devalue that.

But- many who come to the free food programs- they are simply getting a free meal- and the money they save is spent on drugs or alcohol.

In these cases- they are like the ones Jesus rebuked- they didn’t want change- just free food.


Ok- as of now I already decided that I will only go to the mission/streets- on the days I do meetings.

But- if after this time of re-thinking stuff- if I don’t do the meetings any more- then I think my years on the streets will be over.

This would not be easy at all for me- and I’m not sure yet if this is what I will do.

These past few days I have gone back and forth on this- reading- praying.

Some mornings I can’t wait to get back in the routine- others I see a change of lots of things- and am excited about both options.

As I type- I’m sitting at the local coffee shop.

Yesterday one of the kids I met before I took my trip wanted to talk.

I’ve spoken to him a few times [I actually have another one who bums cigarettes off me! Yesterday I told him ‘last one’- yeah- like being on the streets. Actually in one of my ‘funny home videos’ I took while in North Bergen- some guy walked up and bummed one when I was filming- I invited him to sit- I smoked with him- and finished the clip- when I later reviewed it- that clip never filmed].

Drew asked me about the site and all [he sees me working on it].

And I did bout a 20 minute teaching- you know- like I was doing in North Bergen. These are all college grads- or students- they have asked me if I just teach ‘religion’ only. I say no- but Philosophy- other subjects- when I engage with these smart kids- in all these subjects- It opens a door for the ‘religion’ too.

Some of the others who have seen me come in these past few months never heard me say anything.

So- in a way- even as I re-evaluate the whole meeting thing- yet- new ones seem to pop up anywhere I go.

Funny in a way.

Ok- that’s it for now.

THURSDAY [10-30-14]

Today instead of doing our weekly teaching- from Luke 9- let me share about transition.

Every year when I go to New Jersey- I attend the Mass at the old Catholic church that I went to as a kid.
Even though I’m not Catholic- yet I will read and follow the chapters that the priest spoke on for the week- and I do get direction from them.

About 3 years ago I stopped the street ministry in Texas for about a year.

I thought I was going to move back to North Bergen- and one of the key verses that God used about transition- came from Luke.

It said ‘NO MAN-HAVING PUT HIS HAND TO THE PLOUGH- AND LOOKING BACK- IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM’.

I journaled that year- I still have that journal by the way- and as the year moved along- I would look back on that verse- and I knew God wanted me to follow thru with the change- to move.

Now- I went- and was willing to do it. I stayed 3 months in North Bergen- and it was a sort of an Abraham/Isaac experience.

He was willing to offer up his Son- and yet God changed the plan- at the last minute.

I came back to Texas- and never thought I would.

So- this one verse- was a challenge to me- to move along in new things- make the commitment- and then see what lies ahead.

I did look for that verse in the Mass readings while in New Jersey- it’s somewhere in Luke [it would be easy for me to find it- but I wait till it pops up instead].

There were readings from Luke in the Mass this last time- yet it didn’t ‘pop up’.

When I got back to Texas- I went to Rock City church- and the message was very prophetic- it spoke about much of what I just did in North Bergen.

I usually pick one verse from the message- and read that chapter during the week.

Sure enough- it was a verse from Luke 9- and the last verse in that chapter is my Ploughman verse.

This week I have debated about making some changes- I have not been on the streets all week- and I felt I wasn’t supposed to jump right in to the routine when I got back.

This year I have been doing home groups all over South Texas- 5 or 6 a week.

I felt God wanted me to do them- and they went real well.

I’m praying about whether or not I should keep doing them.

There are 2 ways I could read the Ploughman verse- one is ‘keep doing everything you are doing- don’t look back’.

But another way I could take it- is ‘keep moving along the new path- hearing my voice- even in the midst of change- you’re on a journey- don’t look back’.

As of today- that's what I’m leaning towards.

I have spent many years on the go- and I am revaluating many things.

I do feel the meetings I held this year were important- many of my friends were never really part of my teaching ministry- they never heard me speak.

And it was important for me to have made this deposit.

It’s not hard for me to teach- I don’t really have to prepare much at all- I just read the chapter at the house- and speak ‘off the cuff’- and it goes well.

But- I’m not sure- as of today- that it was meant to go on forever.

In the New Testament the apostles spoke for a season- and moved on.

I wrote a lot about this in the past- but there are times when you speak to groups- cities- and then the job is one.

I will text our home group leaders today- and let them know I will make a decision next week.

I actually got a call last night from one I do on Wednesday- I told Angel I was going to text everyone today- they were waiting for me to show up last night.

I wanted to write on all of this- so people can follow the story- in the bible we read the stories of the men and women- not just what they taught.

You see the up’s and downs- the real life struggles that they had.

My atheist friend Danny- who I spent a lot of time with in North Bergen- God actually uses him by the statements he makes.

He does not know this- but this happens more with him than anyone else in that area.

He was talking to an elderly lady about the stairs in their building- he said ‘you know- as I get older- coming down the stairs is harder than going up’.

I have a hard time ‘slowing down’ it takes more effort for me- then going up.

This week I’m trying to slow down- re-evaluate some stuff- Danny was right- again.

"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos and memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.





http://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/north-bergen-10-14-menickdanny-green-pumpkin-and-bobby-whistle.zip [The Green Pumpkin video I took in North Bergen- being it’s Halloween- thought it fit.

facebook.com/john.chiarello.5
ccoutreach87.wordpress.com

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