Stepping Beyond the Glass

 Ann Arbor, 

MicHIGAN 

Delonis 

Homeless 

Shelter

Today I stood on the other side of the glass on this December cold, wet and snowy day in Michigan. The glass really had a symbolic feature acting as a barrier from the world. The world had beaten these friends down. They have no where to go, no recourse and no where to go. To coin a phrase: They are throw away people. The glass room had many small groups of people that held maybe a 100 outdoor friends. They were there inside to receive a small respite from the cold: heads down on tables, tears in their eyes, and genuine sorrow everywhere I looked.

 It was the eyes that made me most sad because there was no seemed hope. I stood at the door with my small token and felt this overwhelming desire to help every one of them. Only a few friends came to the doorway of the shelter because they didn't want to lose their place in the shelter. I stood at the door trying to offer a shred of hope. See the hope I had to offer them was not in a sausage biscuit, a scarf, or some gloves; but the hope I have to offer is the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ.  

Today, we prayed with Keith. He asked for prayer for God to bless him. He stood there in the doorway desperate for a touch from the Lord as tears ran down his face. Bro. Mitchell and I laid hands on him and asked that God come right beside him. The power of the Holy Ghost came down in that small little doorway in such a mighty way. Others looked on with doubt and most looked the other way to hide their pain. But we came to offer hope and today I was a humble servant reaching for those lost sheep.

I cried all the way to church this morning. I could not escape the anguish and pain I saw in those hopeless and homeless eyes. The hopeless are around every corner if you actually stop and look in their eyes. They are searching for the truth! The only truth that there is; “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” Acts 4:12. How will they hear the truth unless we tell them? How can we reach them unless we go? What is the salvation plan?

Peter knew who Jesus was and because he knew who he was Jesus rewarded him with favor:

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:13-19

It was here that Peter was given the authority from Jesus Christ. This is an important element to understanding why Peter had the authority to tell the church how they must be saved. He had authority because it had been to him ordained from the Lord.

People asked how they might also be saved after the initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues; ^“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” Acts 2:4. The emphasis is on all and the Holy Ghost evidence in tongues.

So now we know that Peter had the authority and we know what the Holy Ghost is evidence of…

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:36-39

We the church has lost sight of what we are supposed to be doing. We have allowed the state to take over where we are supposed to be servants to the needy. There is no love and compassion from the state. There is no hope for change because the state can only offer basic needs. But we the church have the ability to meet their physical and spiritual needs. We are to go to the least of these because when we do we are indeed doing it as if it were Jesus.

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Matthew 25:33-46

Will you help me reach them? Will you go beyond the glass wall and be willing to step out in faith? Will you meet their physical needs and spiritual needs? We are the church this is our great commission. We are to feed the sheep! We are to go to the highways and byways reaching the lost and desperate. Will you step out beyond the glass?

If you are in the Detroit Metro Area I am collecting: 

Scarves

Gloves

Hats

Sweaters

Coats

Blankets 

Boots

Please contact me on Facebook or Maesong@gmail.com and I will come and pick up your gently used items. If you would like to donate for food please contact me as well! God Bless you! Let's make a difference together, In Jesus Name!!!