The Word on the Street - 8.24.2022
We need to pray for peace on the streets of Harrisburg. Sometimes, the Devil tries to take control of the people we have come here to serve. We only had one table today and many people in line. A man wearing a black tank top, white pants, a blue hat and sandals, seeing that we had put out clothes, which we do not always have to put out, couldn’t wait his turn but moved ahead of others in line to see what we had to offer. The problem was he had a radio or some device loudly blaring music many found annoying before 8 am. The man in the maroon, long-sleeved shirt ahead of him said “Get that noise outta my ear!” in an angry voice. The man in the black tank top responded with a string of n-words. I thought to myself, well I may have to break up a fistfight or worse! I started praying for peace.
My prayer was answered immediately! An older black gentleman, with thinning hair and a yellow shirt, standing behind the man in the maroon, long-sleeved shirt, spoke up with a clear, calm voice. He asked the fellow in the black tank top to stop using the n-word.
He said that in the 60’s, during the civil rights movement, it was understood that black people would not use that word to talk about each other. How could they expect white people to respect them, if they did not respect themselves? I give praise to God for this man, may he be blessed as a peacemaker! What could have been an ugly scene just melted away into the morning.
The implication is the Lord was in that still small voice - some translations - a gentle whisper. May we all whisper of His love, peace, mercy and goodness to the people of this world until they all join us in a shout of praise everlasting!
We had to smile! Looking up from the table, we saw our good friend Marcos…driving a car! For a moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes, but he parked and came over to talk to us. This was a man who but a few short months ago had been homeless, down and out on the street!
He said that what he loved most about the new vehicle was that now he would be able to visit his children. Words caught in my throat, when he said that, but I offered that perhaps God also had given the car to him for another reason, that he might bring friends to church who didn’t have a car. He asked for the address of the church and Terry made sure he had it before he left.
My wife, Sheri, briefly met a very young girl at the table who said she was pregnant and was starting to show. I cannot imagine anything worse that giving birth on the street, though I know one young woman who gave birth to her child in a stable.
Lord Jesus, please help this young woman!
He lives for it! May the Lord draw us closer to the throne, that we might hear Him, from the bottom of His loving heart, pleading the case of poor George and Cinderella, the poor pregnant girl, the poor us!
John was also with us today. He asked me to read him a verse, so I picked up a Bible from the table and read him the verse he asked for:
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Mark 11:23
Faith, were it but a grain of mustard seed!
I also shared with John the verse that brought me to faith in Christ, back in the howling winter of 1994, when it would start snowing on Wednesday and not stop until Saturday. As though my sins were falling out of heaven to bury me. I was so tired in that season of death, but I picked up a Bible and started reading Romans until I came upon this verse, a jewel the Lord placed in my path!
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
All the snow melted away from my cold, dark heart with the rising of the Son!
Earl, in front of the camera,
instead of his normal place, behind it.
Earl and John then broke out into a chorus of Ah, Lord God!
Nothing Is Too Difficult For Thee,
Nothing Is Too Difficult For Thee;
Oh, Great And Mighty God,
Great In Power And Mighty In Deed,
Nothing, Nothing, Absolutely Nothing,
Nothing Is Too Difficult For Thee.
Amen!
I told Earl at the picnic this week if a picture is worth a thousand words, then he was contributing much more to our blog than I. Thank you, brother!
And that is the Word on the Street!
~Jeff Mason
For more information, or to learn how to join us in reaching people for Jesus, please email Living Water’s Director of Outreach, Mike Bongo, at mikeb@livingwatercc.com and he will get you plugged in! You will be blessed as you become a blessing to others!