For those who wish to know what motivates me, or why I do this work and ministry, as I am the Founder of the STREET MINISTERS Project.
I believe I found the love of God in the gospel of Jesus and He showed me that He “..Requires mercy and not sacrifice”.
He showed me the love of a heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally. A real work of God’s Grace. This is what the Bible says to me that God wants of me as a Christian; to show my love, in being His hands and His arms and His mouth and His ears and His eyes, seeing where I can help my fellow man. And not just be like an empty religious leader preaching empty words to empty pews,
The Apostle James suggests it, like this, not to be like ’clanging gongs’ some are like that, talking about evangelism and preaching to others … but not showing a loving heart to others..
True religion (a Godward and manward loving heart) which is a holiness, wholeness, rather than a religiosity.
The holiness, which God requires from us seen in Godly merciful behaviour, is defined here in the book of Deuteronomy:
“..defends the cause of the fatherless and widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing”. [Deuteronomy 10:18].
You will also see this in a true prophet, Isaiah, also…
“Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wandered with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”. [Isaiah 58:6-8]
Also it is in Matthew's Gospel, if you care to read it…
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’.”. [Matthew 25:35-40].
Also in the Apostle James’ writings:
“..looking after orphans and widows in their distress.” [James 1:26:]
God has shown me love so deep, that I cannot fathom the depth of the mysteries surrounding this love that I have experienced, and I have a real relationship with Him through the love He showed me.
Nonetheless, I am so grateful for His love and the relationship we have, which I have not earned, or deserved. He loves me and I aspire to love Him back as a mere human, with all my faults and issues and brokenness.
I believe I have been adopted into God’s family, the family of believers, through the love of Jesus, who took my many sins upon Himself and reconciled me to God the Father.
I also now believe that I have become a son of God, who serves Him! I am in this unique position through the Gospel (or good news) of what Jesus has accomplished for me on the cross of Calvary, the justifying work of Jesus Christ. And I serve Him in all my weakness and humanity.
Soul Issues: In modern times it was Fairbairn (1955), who discovered that we really need relationship, not just desire it from the pleasure principle. Indeed it has been shown that the brain of a baby does not even grow without the touch and relationship contact with a primary caring other, such as a Mother/Father - Gerhardt (2003) and we note this from the experiences with the recent studies with Romanian orphans.
Human beings: We were made for relationship. I believe we were made in God’s image and likeness and it is my firm belief that our immortal souls need communion; and that is with the Father of all souls.
The Body: It is also my firm belief that my immortal soul will live on, but my body will die. The Human Spirit: I also believe firmly that my spirit was originally dead (in sins, not dealt with) and now my spirit has been revived by God, through the work of Jesus cleansing me, by paying the ultimate price for my sins and therefore justifying me before the throne in heaven.
Hell on Earth? Hell is not something I wish to contemplate, for I feel it is a terrible place, I believe many are experiencing Hell on Earth right now, as lives can be so devastatingly futile and meaningless and have so much suffering.
I therefore believe that we should try to help our fellow man to live out this often difficult and treacherous life. We should try to help one another and especially other believers and adopted sons and daughters of God.
The Bible speaks of God requiring mercy and not sacrifice, therefore we should surely offer others mercy and compassion as true Christians, ‘..surely, there but for the grace of God, go I..’! If you want to find God too, or are touched by the compassionate way of Jesus – You should look to the love of God found in God’s Son, the Saviour, Jesus Christ.
You will find the way of Jesus below if you read on…
The Bible tells us of God’s particular concern for the poor and the needy. Jesus came to bring good news of reconciliation to our maker ‘God the Father’ in heaven…
Did you know, that there are over 500 prophecies of Jesus in the Old Testament, that were fulfilled in the New Testament? And when Jesus arose from the dead over 500 people saw that happen. This should be the same as any admissible legal evidence, as ‘circumstantial evidence’, offered in any Court of Law today in England or Western countries.
The Gospel - The ‘good news’ of Jesus Christ. When Jesus came He fulfilled over 500 prophesies in the old testament regarding the Messiah coming to save His people. When Jesus was born, the Jewish people of the day did not see Jesus as a saviour initially (some also have problems with Him today).
You see the Jews were expecting a great Warrior, like King David, He would come from David’s line. They expected Him to rally the people and He would throw off and slaughter the Roman’s, for their oppression of the Jewish people and everything would return to a better life in the land flowing with milk and honey.
Immanuel, means God with us. The Gospels talk of Jesus coming to his own people and finding only rejection, the religious people of the day rejected Jesus. He was crucified He died and was buried and on the third day He rose again from the dead and became the saviour of His people.
You will find Him to be a loving saviour, as I have done, if you will accept Him truly as the Lord of your life today and walk in the way of Jesus.
Its not about just saying a little prayer like some of these silly tacts, that ask you to pray once and its all done and dusted. And then some tracts suggest that you may expect from that mental act, that you will have a new ‘get out of hell card’, and that everything will go well for you from now on.
The truth is rather, that you may well have begun a life journey with Jesus and need to embrace a real relationship with God the Father through His only begotten Son ‘Jesus’.. the Christ! – God with us!
If you put your faith in Jesus to take away your sins, you will gain life eternally. You need to take Jesus and belive that He wss who He said He was, The son of God and the Son of Man, both.
When you choose Him as the King in your life, the Lord of your soul, the one true lover of your life and if you commit to follow Him for the rest of your days, you will find life and life in abundance.
Jesus suggested that if you are try to hold onto your old life you will lose it, but if you are prepared to lose your old life and exchange it for a liufe following Jesus, then you will find it. That is a true life, of worth, value, purpose and meaning and not just a substitute useless life.
You will find a relationship where you will be loved and cherished by God. You will not be able to do anything that will make Him love you less (as your heart will be changed forever) and you will not be able to do anything that will make Him love you more (as His love is complete and full).
Jesus said in effect, of the women who kissed his feet and dried His feet, with her hair, that ‘..she is forgiven much, because she loves much’. You see, what Jesus meant was, that woman had understood the love of the Father, in Jesus Christ, for her own life. Her witness was simply to love Him back. When your heart has been touched by the depth of love from God, it melts your hard heart and gives you a heart of compassion.
Has your heart been melted by the love of God?
Has your heart become softer and compassionate towards your fellow man and especially to others in God’s household who have experienced that same love and the grace that accompanies it?
Have you become a lover of the ‘spirit’ of God’s word, or a stalwart of the ‘letter’ of the word like the Pharisees of Jesus day?
As the Bible suggests ‘the letter kills, but the spirit gives life’!
Go to Jesus and confess your sins and ask Jesus to come into your life today.
The word says: Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
This is to do with sins heavy effects and the responsibilities that it brings, keeping you separated from the Father God.
If you seriously believe that God is your heavenly Father and that Jesus is His only Son. That Jesus was born supernaturally, through a virgin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
You must simply bow the knee to God in humility and say you are sorry for all the things you have done wrong in this life so far, you can be assured, that if you truly turn away from the old sinful and wrong ways in life, and choose to follow the way of Jesus, you will find that God will meet you in your weakness and will show you love that will reach down to the depths to find you and raise you up to a new life.
No matter how far you have fallen, Jesus can make the journey and lift you up once more. He will give you rest for your souls.
Jesus has won the power over death and punishment for you and I. If only we will turn from sins effects and towards Him in repentance and faith in Him. He will save us from ourselves and from our many sins, if we allow Him.
No sin is too great that Jesus will not be able to save us from it. We will find our sins totally wiped away.
We have still the responsibility of past sins catching up with us and we will need to accept the responsibility of our actions, but in spiritual terms, God has forgiven us and the work is complete, through the cross of Christ.
He is a gentleman and will not go against our will, so we must be willing and not passive in our acceptance of Him. We must be willing to shout it from the rooftops or we are not serious about accepting the call and bowing the knee to the new King over our life.
Talk to God today, tell him how you feel and ask Him to help you and show you the way.
Read your Bible and find out more about Jesus.
Find out what he said about life and the way to live in this world today. If in doubt, find a true gospel church – not one that just talks about being saved but one that has a real heart for the lost and the lonely, the alien and the outcast, the widows and the orphans.
If there is no social care in a church, its because they are not on the right track, they are all about the structure of the church and the should’s and the should not’s, and not the journey.
Find a church that really is plugged into the love of Jesus and that cares about loving, and doing unto others, as they would like it done to them. Jesus told us to.. ‘love God and love your neighbour as yourself’.
If you need more information you may write to us and we will put you in touch with a local church, but you will need to check for yourself if they are really following Jesus, by reading the Bible for yourself.
You see we have religious people today who do not really know Jesus. They are similar to the leaders of Jesus’ day, who actually crucified Jesus as the King of Glory, and now, as in all post Jesus times, there are religious hypocrites, some who even call themselves prophets of God, (Ed: God please have mercy on their souls) and who are much more intent on criticising others and their own distorted, so called, ‘Christian’ (Ed: far from the truth) dogma, church structure, legalism and judgemental attitudes.
These religious Zealots today will cast stones at and openly reject a merciful work of God and criticise others at every opportunity, more fool them.
Prayer: Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.
Look to Jesus, the great physician of our souls, He will show you the love of the Father, walked out in His ministry, every day of His life. At the age of 12 he had to be about His Fathers business, first of all finding out just how to live by reading and finding Godly wisdom to live and thereby, becoming a master of God’s word for Himself.
I pray you find the love of God, as I have done, as it changed my life for the better, but more importantly, hopefully, for those around me or who God sends to me. So I pray that you will find God’s grace and in abundance, both to love and be loved by Him. Amen.