FW: Please Pray for These Young Men

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From: "Raven Ministries" <ravenmail@cox.net>
Reply-To: <ravenmail@cox.net>
To: <mshanclan@hotmail.com>
Subject: Please Pray for These Young Men
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:18:08 -0500

Raven Ministries

Subscribe   Unsubscribe   Change E-mail   View Archive Please Pray for These Young Men Pastor Troy D. Bohn Mar 23, 2006

Sometimes the conversation on the street goes much deeper and involves a great more than what some would consider basic-evangelism. Because I have spent 90% of my ministry as a "pastor", I tend to evangelize from a pastoral perspective. This has served me well in two ways:

First, it has provided me the the persepective necessary for the "Church" to incorporate a soul-winning mentality into the the everyday life of the Body. Since, I planted and built churches I know that their must (and is) a practical way for church leaders to equip and release their body into "the work of the ministry" in their own neighborhoods and communities--as well as getting involved im mission work (both a home and abroad).

This pastoral experience and "flavor" has also enabled me to visit and minister in many churches and many different denominations--because I know the challenges that pastors have in regards to both the equipping and releasing of the saints of God in evangelistic endeavors.

Secondly, my experience (calling, gifting, or whatever one would term it), has allowed me to move beyond the sometimes superficial "get em saved and get em outta the way" mentality that has often stereotyped evanhelism and evangelistic minitries. I see people not just from the "fishermans" vantage point, but also from that of the & quot;shepherd" as well.

Having said that, I thought I would "introduce" you to two young men that I had the chance to minister to at length the other night. I'll call them "Tom" and "Bill" in this forum.

While these two young men may at first glance seem very different, when one looks beyond the surface elements of race and culture--you'll find two young men who are very much alike.

"Tom" the African-American young man was standing in front of a local club on Bourbon St the other evening when I approached him. I asked him, "Hey, what are you waiting for?" He looked somewhat puzzed and said, "What do you mean?" I replied, "Well, I have seen you standing in that same place the past 15 minutes and I thought you might be waiting for the same thing that I am." To which he relied, "What's that?"

I said, "Man, I am waiting for Jesus to come back!"

I then h ad the blessed opprotunity to talk and minister to this young man for the next 30-40 minutes there on the sidewalk. I found out that he was 22 years old and was a "Katrina Survivor." He and his family actually had to make (5) moves before they could find high enough ground to escape the floodwaters. He grew up in a local housing project but now had the opportunity to get out.

We spoke and he shared his dreams and desires about attending a Junior College in Southern California this coming fall and having the opportunity to realize another dream: to play college basketball. I prayed with him and he acknowledge his need to get back to where he needed to be with Jesus--then I asked him if we could take our picture together.

I told him as I showed him the picture above on the small screen of my digital camera, "One day, you and I are going to be standing center court in either a basketball arena, a stadium, or a church full of struggling inner-city kids and I am going to have the picture falshed on the Jumbo-Tron and tell those kids that "Tom" is proof positive that Jesus is still in the life changing business and you are going to share the testimoy of how Jesus met you right where you were on Bourbon Street one night and then you are going to share the same Gospel with them!

His face lit up and he began to see it in his own heart. Pray for him, that he will see the fulfillment of the destiny that God has for this young man.

The other young man, "Bill" was just (4) days from his second deployment to the Middle East. At first he was speaking with another of our team and they called me over to "hand off" this hard case to! (Thanks)

In fact though, he wasn't really hard, he was just working to keep the last bit of sanity and courage that he could--knowing that in just a few days he would be back in harm's way and away from the friends and family that he had enjoyed spending t ime with during this leave.

He too was a young man in his early 20's. You could see the grit and determination in his eyes that is often evident in those shapen for battle by the US Military. (A trait that should be in the eyes of those shapen by the Word of God and the passion of the Holy Spirit as well).

As we spoke, he at first sought to justify his evenings behavior (drinking, fornication, etc) but you could see that he was just grasping at straws. Even as the girl he was with tugged at his arm and gave us both dirty looks--he just couldn't find it in himself to walk away.

He offered excuse after excuse and justification after justification for his actions. He said to me, "I have gone to church much of my life and what you are telling me is so different than what other pastors have said. Are you saying they were all LYING to me?"

I told him, "I don't know what they told you. I don't know if you heard them right. All I know is what t he Word of God says and that is the standard by which all of us must one day stand before Jesus on."

He said, "Man your tough! You need to be debating Bill O'Reily of something." I told him, "No, I am not tough, I just love you enough not to want to see you go back to a place where you could possibly die--without first having the opportunity to hear the truth of God's Word."

With that he allowed me to pray for him and then walked over to my brother who had previously been talking with him and shook his hand and allowed him to pray for him too."

Please keep both of these young men in your prayers. The enemy desires to steal, kill and destroy their lives in different (but the same) way--but Jesus came that they might have life andlife more abundantly!

Let's Get Busy

Isaiah 61:1-6 says, �The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anoin ted me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.�

This is a word that the Spirit has greatly impressed upon my heart as the rally call. I believe that we have an opportunity for new beginnings, realized promises and manifest miracles in many lives!

Consider this: When Jesus launched into His public ministry as recorded in Luke 4:18; it says that Jesus begin to teach in the synagogues and that on this occasion the Book of the Prophet Isaiah was handed to Him and He read from this portion of scripture.

From this point forward, there were things that characterized the message and ministry of our Lord and Savior. He spoke the Word in power, authority and in boldness and He moved in mighty miracles that served to confirm His Gospel.

I believe that God has been speaking to my heart that this year will truly be a breakout year for REVIVAL across this nation and beyond and all who would dare believe!

Jesus said in John 14:12, �...I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and gre ater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.�

What were these works that He did? I believe we are given the basis for them right in Isaiah 61:1-6: He has �anointed� (or set aside for service) me to:

Preach - Bind up - Proclaim
Release - Comfort - Provide
Rebuild - Restore!

This is quite a spiritual laundry list in regards to the things that He has destined for us! They should serve as the description of what our personal and corporate ministries should reflect and be characterized by in this fresh opportunity!

Why should this time be any different that any other? There is really only one necessary reason to expect it: The returning of the Lord Jesus is nearer now than ever before in history!

We are primed for REVIVAL! Look at the headlines of recent years:

�Tsunami Claims 150,000 Lives�
�Dozens Die in Bomb Attack�
�Hurricanes destroy G ulf South�
�Same-Sex Marriages Legalized In Several States�
�Catholic Church Rocked By Sexual-Abuse Scandals�
"War lingers on in Iraq"

These are just a few of the headlines that have been blazed across this nations newspapers in the past couple of years. Something is happening unlike anything and at anytime. There are birth pangs reverberating throughout the world. It is time for a move of God to return the Church to it true place and back to the true heart and purpose that Jesus died for!

Consider just how relevant the words of Charles Finney, great evangelist of the second Great Awakening, are today (almost 200 years later!)

�When there is a lack of brotherly love and Christian confidence among believers, then revival is needed. Then there is a loud call for God to revive His work. Expect a revival when there are dissentions, jealousies, and evil rumors�These things show that Chris tians have grown far away from God. Revival is needed when there is a worldly spirit in the church. The church has sunk into a low and backslidden state when you see Christians conform to the world in dress, parties, seeking worldly amusement and reading filthy novels. When the church finds its member falling into gross and scandalous sin, then it is time to wake up and cry to God for a REVIVAL��

This could just as easily be a description of the modern church as it was of the churches contemporary to Mr. Finney (1800�s).

Divisions, bitterness, worldliness, scandal and immorality have run rampant through the professing church.

Many pastors, fearing that they may lose popularity, membership or money have chosen to turn a blind eye from the obvious and have become partakers in the offence! Most churches operate like the world�s system rather than the KINGS SYSTEM! I have heard of dear men of God being fired from churches because their image didn�t reflect the new direction that their church was going!

Now, rather than praying until God speaks and imparts vision to the Church, we hire outside consultants to bring their slick salesmanship and market research into our churches to increase our numbers and devise strategies to fill church coffers and build more buildings to house more dead, powerless psuedo-believers.

I believe that in the coming months, that we will begin to see the TRUE CHURCH (not the true organization) begin to rise up from the ashes of complacency, compromise and self-absorption.
God is calling us to �seek Him while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near.� He is �returning the hearts of the fathers back unto their children.�

VISION is the bridge that God gives to carry us to the destiny that He has set before us. Bridges span things. They are vehicles that enable one to get to a place that might otherwise pr ove to be impossible.

For many years God has been speaking into my Spirit things that He has called us to do; not only in the City of New Orleans, but also in other places that He might direct from time to time.

In giving me VISION, I have seen the hand of God serve to span places, obstacles and circumstances that seemed far too enormous to be accomplished in the natural. It was only through supernatural empowerment and divine intervention that these things were done.

VISION is truly hearing the heartbeat of Jesus for a world largely deafened by its own cares and callousness.

It causes one to know and to realize that what God says is more real than what one sees!
VISION is not obstructed or diminished by our personal limitations, but just the opposite! True, God-birthed VISION will always cause you to look far beyond the parameters of what you can do on your own. It demands the �waling by faith and not by sight.�

God is also showing me that VISION in forward looking and contagious! It never looks back or measures itself by what was, but instead by what shall be! It can also be �spread around� like a virus!

A cold can be �passed� through personal contact with others. It multiplies and effects the other person the same way that it effected you!

Over the years I have seen people �catch� VISION. We have taken people into the streets to see them get a dose of compassion for the lost. We have seen people �stricken� with a heart to feed the hungry or to preach the Word of God as we have shared and demonstrated the passion that God has placed in our hearts.

Most of us are familiar with the passage from Proverbs 29:18 that says, �Where there is not VISION the people perish.�

Another rendering of that is, �Where there is no VISION, the people cast off restraint.�
This restraint ca n be likened to the bridle that guides and serves to control a horse. Without a bit and bridle, the horse is of little value.

It may be beautiful to look at. It may be powerful and valuable, but without a bridle or something to guide and restrain it� the horse will never get to its destination or realize its full potential.

VISION is the bit and bridle that keeps us on course and directs us in those things that God desires for us to do for His Kingdom.

Let�s Get Busy!

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