Beer drinking, cussing and promiscuity

Dear Brothers & Sisters:

As I sat there, the people all around me with beer in their hands, I
wondered what I had done to be able to fit in with this group. Earlier,
I had already witnessed the frustration of a police officer as he
talked to the owner of a truck that was "blocking" traffic while it
unloaded materials for a building site. The ongoing conversation of
somebody obviously "under the influence." The woman was just trying to
achieve some peace. A girl trying to find love by promiscuous acts. The
workers that had just been cited by the government for some illegal
"activity." And here I was right smack in the middle of it, just trying
to be a friend.

I wrote yesterday about the heathen being our inheritance.
Yeah-sometimes they take advantage of it, but the fact of it is, they
is what they is. It is why I am no longer surprised when they sin. When
I realized my life was not my own, I realized I could spend time with
them. In many respects it is a parish on the street. I have spent much
time on evangelism programs and study, but the reality of it for me is
that people just want to "hang out." These people wanted to tell me
about their successes and cry about their failures. One of them was a
bit surprised when a guy was introduced to me as a minister(His
guardian angel) and he saw the beers in everyone's hands. Why? Probably
because I was just enjoying being their friend. I was not drinking or
cussing, but I did not Lord it over them. Occasionally they apologized
for some swearing, but not because I asked them to. (It's harder when
it is the people of God with the profanity but that still is not my
problem.) They were just chilling out after a rough day. The TGIF crowd.

When I first gathered with these folks, it was to say "hi." Hours later
it was to be their friend. I watched emotion after emotion bubble to
the surface. I listened about the pet that had passed away. I heard
about the legal troubles that had come. One of the people asked me if I
would begin to network businesses again as I had in the past. God was
important to them in this group though they may not have understood it.
A young woman came up and began to tell me about her child who lay in a
hospital in Connecticut and the doctors could not figure out what was
wrong. "I will pray for her" is all I could say. (And did.) I endured
the jokes about God and satan from one man. Because I sense a tipping
point here for him.

The world is looking for an answer. I mentioned yesterday that they
were looking for a pointer. They are looking for a solution to their
lack of peace. If we do not do it, it appears that no one else will. We
have a wonderful opportunity to be a friend to the people seeking Him.
More people will be converted by friendship and love than they will by
crusades and programs. Am I the only one who remembers being in a
church when I did not love God and wanting to get out? Am I the only
one who felt embarrassment? Am I the only one who felt angry? I am not
sure worship services are for the unbeliever (Otherwise would they not
be full of them?). We love worship and we want everyone to embrace it,
but remember that the unsanctified mind is enmity, at war with the
worship of God. How much is a hand upon the soldier of a grieving pet
owner?

I think we could do more good by investing in people differently than
we do. Do we not see how many people we have in our churches who are
out in the world day in and day out. They live there. I think we have
almost got by the shock of hanging out with the drinkers, but what
about the druggers? What about the mentally ill? Or the prostitute I
occasionally talk to? Are we partied up with them? What about the
youth?(What is their sin-youthfulness?) Are we going to where they are?
When was the last time you had a skateboarder(Board in hand and wasn't
your child.) sitting in the chair next to you? Did he bring his
friends? How about the homosexual trying to find peace? Do you know I
live in a community with a greater population than most large churches.
We all watch them gather on Sundays at yardsales, auctions, beaches,
picnic areas and the like. Could it be that this is where we are to be,
to see this harvest? I am not sure about you, but I already have people
who are in the world. Would it not make more sense to "educate" them
and throw our money behind them? Why would I take a business person and
ask him to something he may not be gifted for? Why not throw money into
his workplace? What about the employee who works with 20 co-workers?
Wouldn't it be cool to put a together a dinner for them because our
brother said these people are a fantastic bunch but will not go to
church?

We have all gone through stages of desert in our life. There is great
blessing and miracle in this place, but while we are there we often
become disappointed before this happened.And part of that is real in
the sense that God is trying to get us to change. He loves us so much
He can not and will not leave us here. (Or there!) How many of us
really know about the plight of an unwed mother? Or the parent of a
handicapped child? Are we there? If just going to church could win the
war, I think we would have already won. WE have all felt rejection at
the hand of a brother. We have all felt apart from God at one point or
another. We have all felt like we could have done more in some area of
our life. Most of us have lost a family member and remember the
feelings. It is sometimes tough to look around and realize we are all
we have. But it is truth. Our highest "horizontal" relationship(with
others) dictates the level of our "vertical" relationship (with the
Lord). How little we love one is how how we get with Him.

God speaks to us in terms of loving one another (There are an awful lot
of "one anothers" in the Bible.) and being friends to one another. (I
used to have a button I made-it said "Church is not for Sundays")
Relationship is the heart cry of the church I see. I run into person
after person who is looking for relationship...and this is the church!
God tells me to esteem you higher than myself. (Whoa!) To believe the
best about you. (Hold on here.) To love you when you are unlovable.
(This can't be true.) In service that he who is least will be amongst
the most. (You have gone too far.) Or when we have legal entanglements
to choose one least thought of to arbitrate. (Not the leaders?)

We must look to God to love like that. How does this reach you? Where
is God in your love life with others? What happens when we love like
God does? I believe we have seen pockets of it. Transformations of
whole businesses, communities and even nations. I want to dance like
David did, but I want to love like Jesus did. Our earth is in crisis.
We have fuel problems and war problems. People want to kill us for what
we believe. Where is the love? I believe the loving power of the
Godhead dwelling in us gives us the ability we need to love.

Imagine a church where people loved inward and outward. A church that
moves into a community or a neighborhood by relationship and love. A
church that confronts the powers of evil by undermining them in love. A
church that wears a towel of humility and servant hood here on earth
while wielding a weapon of mass destruction throughout the heavenlies.
A church empowered by the lover Himself.

We thank you for your prayers and your love!

Blessings,
lee

Deeper Relationships meeting on Tuesday night at 6.

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