Marathon For Souls!

TODAY WAS A FANTASTIC DAY IN AND FOR JESUS!! WE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR MARATHON TO THE STREETS OF OUR INNER-CITY PROJECTS. IT WAS BETTER THAN WE COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED! WE HAD A TEAM OF ABOUT 12 AND WE TOOK THE STREETS BY STORM. WE ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON GARDENS AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 A.M. AND WE THE STREETS. THERE WERE NOT MANY OIT...YET..., BUT WE DIDN'T ALLOW THAT TO STOP OR DISCOURAGE US.

AS SOON AS WE EXITED THE VEHICLES, THERE WAS A YOUNG COUPLE ON THERE STOOP AND WE IMMEDIATELY APPROACHED THEM AND BEGAN TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF OUR SAVIOR WITH THEM. COURTNEY WAS VERY RECEPTIVE AND WAS EAGER AND READY TO HEAR WHAT WE HAD TO SAY. SHE WAS RIGHT WHERE SHE NEEDED TO BE TO ACCEPT JESUS....AND ACCEPT HIM SHE DID!!!

AFTER WE ENCOURAGED THE TWO OF THEM FOR A GOOD 30 MINUTES OR MORE, WE BEGAN OUR "MARATHON" AND TOOK THAT PROJECT BY STORM. NEXT, WE APPROACHED A DEAR SISTER WITH 2 OF HER 4 TEENAGE GIRLS. WHAT A TIME THAT WAS. PASTOR LANCE AND MYSELF ALONG WITH AMANDA & BRANDY TRULY ENJOYED OUR TIME WITH THIS SISTER. SHE WAS SO ACCEPTING OF WHAT WE HAD TO SHARE AND ENDED OUR TIME WITH HER BY RE-DEDICATING HER LIFE TO THE LORD!

AS THIS CONVERSATION CAME TO A CLOSE, I AND AMANDA APPROACHED TWO MORE YOUNG WOMEN - YOLANDA (AGE 16) AND JACQUELINE (17). WOW!! THEY WERE SO AWESOME. THEY HAD SUCH GENTLE SPIRITS. WHAT AMAZED ME WAS THAT JACQUELINE PRAYS EVERY NIGHT, BUT HAD NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE JESUS HER LORD AND SAVIOR. WHEN I ASKED HER ABOUT THIS AND EXPLAINED THAT IT IS SIMPLY ASKING HIM TO COME INTO HER LIFE AND BE HER SAVIOR - HER RESPONSE WAS "THAT'S IT? THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO DO?" IT LITERALLY BROUGHT AMANDA TO TEARS. IT WAS AS IF A LIGHT CAME ON IN HER SPIRIT AND SHE RAN AT IT!! BOTH GIRLS ACCEPTED JESUS RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET IN THE PROJECTS!! ALL GLORY BE TO THE KING!!

MANY MEMBERS OF THE TEAM HAD GREAT ENCOUNTERS WITH MANY SOULS TODAY. BRENDA AND DIANE HAD ONE WITH A SISTER THAT HAS BEEN CLEAN FROM HEROINE FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS! AT FIRST SHE WAS VERY STAND-OFFISH, BUT BY THE TIME THEY WERE DONE SPEAKING WITH HER SHE WAS HUGGING THEM AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO COME BACK REAL SOON. PRAISE GOD!!

PASTOR LANCE AND JEFF SPENT A LOT OF TIME MINISTERING TOGETHER AND PRAYING WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. ONE SUCH PERSON WAS MIKE. HE WAS YOUNG MAN WHO DESPERATELY NEEDS JESUS. HE RECENTLY MOVED HERE FROM CHICAGO TO ESCAPE HIS BAD SURROUNDINGS AND CONNECTIONS. HE HAS SEEN MOST OF HIS FRIENDS MURDERED BECAUSE OF THEIR LIFESTYLE CHOICES!! THEY SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WITH HIM, BUT IN THE END, HE REFUSED TO PRAY - HE SAID THAT HE JUST WASN'T READY YET. WE PRAY GOD'S MERCY UPON HIM AND THANK GOD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPART HIS INCORRUPTIBLE SEED INTO HIS LIFE! THEY ALSO SPENT SOME TIME TALKING TO A SISTER IN THE LORD WHO SAW SO ENCOURAGED BY WHAT WE WERE DOING THAT SHE GAVE $40.00 TO US TO BENEFIT THE CAUSE!!! THIS WAS A HUGE GIVING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS SO LITTLE. MAY GOD BLESS HER ABUNDANTLY!!

BY THE TIME WE FINISHED WALKING AND WALKING THE AREA, WE HAD WALKED20 OF THE REQUIRED 26 MILES OF THE MARATHON. SO, WE TOOK OFF ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE WE WERE AND WALKED ANOTHER 10 MILES! WE ENDED UP BACK OVER BY THE "TOLSON CENTER" WHICH IS A COMMUNITY CENTER LOCATED ACROSS FROM WASHINGTON GARDENS. THERE WE RAN INTO A GROUP OF 6 BOYS WHO WERE JUST HANGING OUT AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK AND SHARE WITH THEM. WE HAD SUCH A GREAT DAY!!!

ALL IN ALL, WE HAD ONE OF THE BEST DAYS IN THE MINISTRY AND OF MINISTRY THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD!! NEVER HAVE I EVER SEEN SO MANY HUNGRY AND WILLING HEARTS GATHERED IN ONE LOCATION. IT WAS AS IF GOD JUST OPENED UP ALL THE DOORS AND PUSHED THEM RIGHT INTO OUR PATHWAY!! THE FIELDS ARE TRULY WHITE UNTO THE HARVEST! WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT GOD HAS FOUND US FIT AND WORTHY TO BE USED IN THIS WAY - FOR HIS HOLY PURPOSE. OUR GOD IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! ALL GLORY AND PRAISE BE TO HIS HOLY NAME!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL.