I think discipleship is becoming a lost art in the church today. We have exchanged discipleship for programs and instead of speaking what the bible actually teaches many just leave the scriptures open for interpretation while allowing for an already confused individual to find their own way. There ceases to be correction and direction when there should be. I look back now and I see what God had blessed me with. I believe my life would have turned out much different then it has and the choices I make today are the direct result of what I received from this couple.
When I had moved in I was pointed to this scripture verse. It wasn't in such a way that was blatantly obvious but in their teaching and discipleship I can point to this scripture verse below as perhaps the main focus of discipleship received.
but the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. ~2 Thessalonians 3:3-5
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition you received from us. For you yourselves know, how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idol when we were with you, nor did we eat someone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor, we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ~ 2Thessalonians 3:6-12
I have been involved with Street Ministry for 15 years now and have seen and experienced a lot. I have also worked in various areas throughout Vancouver involved in various forms of security and so I have engaged in conversation and interacted with those who were homeless and drug dependent in various ways, sometimes in uniform and sometimes not. I can recall my first experience in seeing the night life of Vancouver. Here I am, I'm 18 years old and fresh out of high school. I grew up and lived in a very small and very conservative town where everybody knew my name, I was practically related to just about every person in the suburb. The town was not only ultra conservative but also very homophobic and along with that, a church on every corner just about, the town was riddled with churches. In high school there existed a lot of bullying especially if you an effeminate type male. If you were a lesbian then you were practically praised but if you were a guy and gay well that was just taboo. I know men today who are active in the gay lifestyle who for the most part still has not opened up to folks in this small town. And with me having been sheltered from a lot I didn't know anything about the gay community.
My understanding was actually very limited back then. I mean, I knew and I had seen part of the gay subculture but I didn't know that what I had seen had been part of the gay subculture. I loved the music that permeated the gay subculture and quite honestly when I mixed within the gay community it became the only place I didn't feel like the odd one. It has to be said that when I "mix" with people I no longer feel like the odd one and the majority of those I hang out with are really straight and never struggled with their sexual and/or gender identity and to me I just readily see the commonality that we all share in our humanity and in our humanity none of us share the exact same experiences but back then I didn't necessarily understand that. So, pretty ignorant of many things about the gay subculture in the 80's and 90's and encountering Vancouver's city night life for the first time at the age of 18 I can recall a moment of perhaps the most extreme culture shock I could have ever experienced in my life. As I climbed out of my friends car I saw what looked to be this 6'5" tall lady. I looked and couldn't believe her size and hight and when I looked back at my friend I said, "woh, did you see the size of that chick!?" my friend began to giggle as he said, "umm, that aint no chick," I don't think I could have been more stunned in my life. I couldn't grasp it. I mean, I saw this on tv but I didn't think it was a reality. So I looked over towards my friend and responded, "say what!? that aint no chick!?" My friend goes on to explain to me that I had seen a Drag Queen. I was so ignorant I had to ask what a drag queen was. I seriously had no clue.
Occasionally I get to hear some good news. Throughout the years there has been a lot of bad news. People I have known eventually passed away, some would move away from the area completely because that was the only way they could get clean.. but then there are those who sorta disappear but one day re-appear. The first guy I knew that sorta disappeared but re-appeared later. He was an alcoholic, this older man by the name of Peter. Peter's story is one that always encouraged me. He constantly struggled as an extreme alcoholic who to this day can't use scope because of the alcohol content in it and because of his personal history of using mouth wash to get drunk off of. I never thought in a million years I'd ever see Peter sober. When I first met him he was siting in his own vomit getting sick from all the mouth wash he just drank. Over the years I'd see him experience periods of being sober but then falling off the ban wagon again and it just seemed like this vicious cycle he just couldn't get free from but then one day I saw him sober again and so I decided to chat with him. By this time I had been with the blue bus for about a year... perhaps a couple of years and perhaps this was after my first year at Bible College as well. Peter began to share with me a promise he believed in his heart that if Peter committed his life to Jesus and trusted in Him for his sobriety then the Lord would bless him and that he would prosper. I thought of Jeremiah 29:11 where the Lord says, "I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord... " He shared with me that story and he was happy. I never saw him filled with such joy, I knew the Lord was with him and that the promise was a very real promise. About a year and a half passed since that conversation and Peter had disappeared and at times he had come to mind and now whenever he comes to mind I pray for him. As I came walking out of the skytrain and saw Peter panning for money. I could smell the mouth wash as I approached. Instantly what came to mind was the conversation that we had the year before. As I approached I asked the Lord for a word to give.. to do or say something that have eternal weight behind it, something that may enable Peter to really see the Lord was for him and not against him. What came to mind was the time when the Apostle Peter in Acts 3:6 encountered a crippled man begging for money or food. Peter said, "silver or gold, I do not have but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth get up and walk," And so I sat next to Peter on the concrete steps, I prayed for the Lord to enable Peter to, if nothing else, remember what it was that I felt I needed to say. As I sat next to Peter I said, "silver or gold I do not have but I give you what I do have... Peter, do you remember when you told me a promise you believe the Lord gave you that if you remain sober then the Lord will prosper you. I don't know much but what I'm convinced about is that a promise is a promise and when a promise is given from our Lord He is faithful to keep his promise as He is faithful to his word. The Lord wants to prosper you in all areas of your life if you will let him. I think I'm suppose to just remind you that God is faithful, He always has been and always will be and He is true to His word. That was the last I had seen from him in quite a few years. When I had seen him again he was sober, happy and filled with joy. I gave him a great big hug with this sense of being in awe of God and how He can transform the life of anybody who will place their trust in Him. Again, catch up time. This time around... he started up a moving business that was thriving and growing and he was engaged to get married and there was something very different about him... he was marked by the Lord and he began to see the promises God gave him of prosperity begin permeating through his whole being and life.
Just today after work I had an encounter with this young girl. I guess she is about 5'5".. petite punker with the piercings, the buzz cut hair with the mohawk, and multiple color eye shadow. From the corner of my eye I saw this girl wave her hand in my direction. I was about to just ignore what I thought happened but wasn't sure but I sensed that I needed to approach her so I did. She did look familiar to me so it wasn't like I was approaching this complete stranger. It turns out, just over a little bit of a year she was out on the street panning for money and occasionally I would stop to talk to her and her punk squeeggie kid friends of hers. There was something different about her though. She was clean and honestly she had better clothes then what I have and again, she was clean but still sporting the mohawk, piercings, and artistic flare of makeup. The first thing she told me after explaining to me who she told me she finally got off the streets. I sensed in her hope for a better future. And I pray the same kind of victory and prosperity that came to Peter would also be given to this girl the friends she's living with.
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ ~ 1Thess 3:5
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