Saturday, August 22, 2015

Soul Saving Center Street Journal 8/22/2015 Part 2

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14


Carpenter Street:  So much going on there....A lot of people needing Jesus....It broke my heart.

Tonight I got a chance to hold some babies and pray over their lives....the babies of young mothers....some were very childish themselves...even to the point where I walked away after feeling I couldn't get through to one of them.....But as I walked down the street, it was like I could see a score board....and the devil got an extra point....NO WAY!!!  I turned around and went back.  The one that was giving me the most resistance then came up with the story that she was Muslim.  I told her I have been to countries where the majority of the people are Muslim.  (She had no idea what or where Bosnia is)...I talked to her about what she supposedly believed in and how it cannot stand up to the truth that Jesus is the only one who can make sense out of her life...and I knew that she had a lot of fears....she quieted down and I asked her to let me pray for her....she said are you going to pray to Allah? I said, "No, I'm going to pray to the One who can set you Free, Jesus Christ!"  Surprisingly enough she allowed me to pray for her....and I pulled down strongholds in her life in Jesus Name!

I walked up to a car where some young guys were listening to music.....I asked them if they were original Trax and they told me no but they were musicians!  (Thank you Lord for that ice breaker!)  We had a chat about music and their dreams and I told them a little about me and sang to them....they were very impressed....I invited them to church but I left them thinking about how much further they can go in life if they give their lives to Jesus!

I walked up on a big group of people and singled one out, talked to her and then asked if I could sing to her....I sang and the whole group listened....I then told them they just heard a whole sermon in song..."Jesus Is The Answer".  I sang the whole song....that's a whole sermon!

Olive Street:  I walked up on a confrontation between two guys....But the one who was the most angry was respectful when he saw me....(I've spoken to him before)  I waited until it quieted down and most of the guys walked away to finish the intense conversation....but one guy stayed put.  He was the one the Lord wanted me to minister to tonight.....and he listened intently and told me he wasn't always hanging out here...he had promise all over him...I could see something in him that told me that he needed to start reconsidering his lifestyle...because God has plans for this young man.....It was a great encounter!


I walked further down Olive St. and there were a group of guys who told me they were in the "devil's lair"  I'm like, "Yeah, well here I come, Jesus living on the inside....angels all around me and the demons are shaking in their boots!  :-)  They all stopped and listened as I shared the truth of the devil's plan verses God's Plan....they were attentive and before I knew it, my voice was quite loud and I was focusing on the fact that this existence is not what God intends for them....It's nothing compared to the Life that can be their's through Jesus Christ!  I talked about the end of a sinful life and the consequences.....they heard me!  I talked them about the abundant life through Jesus and how every good thing in them came from God.....and they were made for good things!  But they'll never achieve these great things until they give their hearts to Jesus.

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I share all of this so that people will pray for Salem....and for the ministry....but also because it encourages me to record my encounters because this ministry is not easy.  Although I love it, The simplicity of the gospel is hid to them that are lost and it's a battlefield that requires a lot of intense prayer and asking God for wisdom and help every step of the way....I feel like my ministry is actually worthwhile when I read what happened.  And if I can show those who read my blog and follow the Soul Saving Center Street Journal how to be a witness for Jesus....how to answer as the Lord leads, how to respond to people who are of a different religion then this blog is not in vain! ...

Remember, Jesus is the truth, the Light and the Way!"  That's what you have on your side....the Truth...that will make men and women free!

It was a good night in the vineyard!  Thank you Jesus!

Soul Saving Center Street Journal Part 1 8/22/2015

This morning turned out to be quite fruitful in terms of the Kingdom!

Well, it really started this week.... a dear friend and Sister in the Lord, (I'm just going to mention her name and if she objects, I will delete it)  But Connie Call Grepo has been feeding the two gentlemen who lay under the tree on Soul Saving Center's property.  She has been doing this for a few weeks now and has a burden to really help them. But the best part of all of this is that she is a mighty prayer warrior!  She supports Soul Saving Center and she has been a great encouragement to me as I see her being used by God to show kindness and share the gospel with the type of people that many would bypass and turn up their noses!   Go for Jesus and for the Kingdom of Heaven Connie!!!

Connie called me this morning (right after my blueberry pancakes) to let me know that one of the men we have been ministering to was hanging out at his usual spot.  She had already spoken with him and so I went to talk to him as he hung out on Broadway.  He said he has been offered a job!  He couldn't believe it!  He will be painting for a few weeks.  I asked him if he could handle climbing ladders and staying sober...he said, "I don't drink when I work!"  He was so happy!  And after his job is finished, he wants to go into rehab.

I've been talking to so many agencies to get help for him this week....and it has been one referral number after another!  No agency was available to just take him in....BUT...what I love about this whole thing, is that he felt that God really didn't care about him and I reminded him that he's been fed under a tree by Connie, I'm hooking him up with services and some other lady helped him get work!  He's been so polite and not at all the cynical guy I first encountered in the streets.
 I told him, "I told you Jesus Loves You!!!!"  He answered, "I guess so..."

After talking to him I went to some guys down the street on Broadway having beer for breakfast.  I've spoken to one of them before and the other told me how my Dad used to really talk to him about his soul.  The other guy remembered my Dad picking him up along with the rest of the kids in the big blue bus.  We talked about how they are still alive after all of the abuse they've done to their bodies and how people around them have gone on, but they are here.  I asked each of them why did they think they were still here....Their answer made me smile!!!  :-)

They realized that God was giving them time to come to him.  The one guy told me how God was waiting for him.....and the other guy knew Bible verses and stories and I just looked at him and got mad at the devil for blinding him to the life he could be living accepting Jesus! (That just makes me dig in more when I'm sharing the gospel of Jesus!)   The devil is a deceiver but Jesus is the Deliverer!

I told them how my Dad got saved in his car.  They were shocked!  They thought he got saved in church....At the end of our conversation they were telling each other in no uncertain terms that they were coming to church tomorrow and they looked at each other like...."You're coming with me!"  I loved it and then prayed and put angels on guard to prevent the devil from putting any obstacles in their way.

Across the street there were some young men, one of whom told me he was the grandson of a pastor.  I knew his grandfather, and he proceeded to tell me (with hazy eyes early in the morning)  that what I was explaining to him ,he was 3 or 4 steps ahead of me....I responded that knowing about Jesus and living for the devil is like not knowing about Jesus at all....there are parts of your life that you allow the devil to control...and so he has full control....It's all Jesus or all the devil...no part time Salvation.  I love the young men that I meet on the streets....all they need is Jesus!

Next I met our precious young lady who gave her heart to the Lord at church a few weeks ago.  She still comes to church and she is so blessed.....Pray that she is able to move forward in her life and that I can help her get her credentials in order so that she can have a better life....a part from the system.....Pray that her faith in God stays strong so that God can do exceedingly abundantly above all she could ever ask or think!  In Jesus Name!

Going back out in the streets this early evening!   God is at Work in Salem, NJ

Friday, August 7, 2015

Soul Saving Center Street Journal 8/7/2015

"But I'm Muslim...."  "Okay, But I'm telling you that God loves you!....I've been to countries where the majority of the people are Muslim and I told them the same thing....there is an evil force at work in this world and the only thing that can deliver you from this evil is Jesus!  And the devil also believes this and trembles.  God Loves You so much that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for us all.  All we need to do is believe."  This is the truth in the face of any belief system.  The Absolute Truth!  So I preach this in the streets....because it's the powerful truth!  This sums up a few of my encounters tonight.

One thing I realize is that when people are being eaten alive by their lifestyle and the devil has them in bondage....they may believe what they will, but the truth of the gospel always outshines whatever systematic belief is at work in them.....Know why?  Because it's not working!  There is no light in them, they are in a dungeon of sin, prisoners....I can see darkness in them.   But all they need is to believe the truth...and the truth will set them free.

One man I encountered tonight has been in Salem since I was a little girl, most from Salem would recognize him if I stated his name....living "that" life and making babies...I remember girls fighting over him....tonight as I met him on Broadway he had a cane....he had his bottle in his hand and looked 3 times older than his age.  I stopped him and said, "Aren't you _____?"  He said "Yes"  I asked him if he remembered me...he said he did....and I asked him how many times had my father talked to him about his life....he replied many times.  And so I felt led of the Lord to just let him have it right between the eyes.  I lit into him with the gospel....no smiles, no ice breakers just the truth of where he was in life and what was ahead for him if he didn't give his life to Jesus.   There was an urgency and a pleading with him to examine his life and face the fact that if he checks out....he's wasted his life and his reward is eternal damnation.  He responded, I know....I know....So I left him with a warning....Time is winding up for him.

I walked a bit and came across some young women sitting on a porch.  A few of them knew me and one young girl was very dear to my heart when I used to substitute teach in the schools when I would be home from the road.  Her mother is in the hospital and so I asked her if I could pray for her mother....well all of the young ladies wanted in on the prayer...so we stood and held hands and I prayed.  Afterwards one of them said, "I know I need to be saved!"  Immediately I got so excited!   I began to tell her she could not come to Jesus unless He was drawing her and He is definitely drawing her!  I invited her to give Jesus her heart right there.  She said she already asked Him into her heart...but now what?  The Lord gave me what to say to her and she understood that she cannot change herself....this is not a 12 step program...Jesus said "If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature....behold all things are passed away and all things have become new....I broke it down so she could understand and invited them all to church....they asked me to sing...so I sang "Yes Jesus Loves Me."  The Lord had instructed me to sing that song when I was asked to sing....I understood why afterwards.  He was reinforcing His love tonight.

I walked further and coming towards me was a man who was using a walker....I recognized him as my mother told me how he used to really love Jesus at one point in his life and he left Jesus and now he was not well mentally.  I began to rebuke the devil and ask God to hold them back so I could give him the Word. He smiled as I talked to him about returning to Jesus...that Jesus has never left him....and as I talked to him quietly, he smiled, nodded and said, "I will be there Sunday."  I thanked God for giving him clarity to think and process what I was telling him.

Finally I encountered two young men from the Kensington section of Philly....who now live in Salem... I've shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with them before so when they saw me...they just hugged me....and began telling me their life story all over again....I interrupted them and reminded them that Jesus can fix all of their drama!  And they've got major drama!  I love those young men....all they need is Jesus.  Two young ladies walked by and they stopped them and started talking to them about going to church at Soul Saving Center and believing in Jesus.  I just listened to them repeat what I said to them to the girls.....I pray
that Jesus saves them because they are bold and they can talk!

I invited many people in the streets to church tonight....but I also dealt with some demonic forces that were no match for the angels that were with me.

I'm grateful for all that God is doing....for my friend that the Lord is using to minister to the 2 men under the tree....they will be saved.....to the Glory of God!

I just know it!!!

Saturday, August 1, 2015

...But God sent me to pull you in the other direction!

Soul Saving Center Street Journal 8-1-2015

Tonight the streets were flooded with young people.....hanging out because the temperature cooled down.  It was a good night to share Jesus and invite them to church.  Some saw me and asked for a song...."O Happy Day"  The guys shooting craps stopped to listen.  And tonight there was absolutely NO resistance to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I kept it short but so many of them have seen me in the streets I just remind them that the devil is pulling you downward to death, but God sent me to pull you in the other direction!  To Life more abundantly!

The girls are the most resistant on any night but tonight they too listened when I reminded them that they have God given gifts and abilities....But they will never realize them until they give their lives to Jesus!  They were all hanging out sitting on a church on Walnut St and someone from the church drove up in their van.  He looked at me like he didn't understand why I was doing what I was doing....Hopefully he will encourage his church to minister to the young people that congregate in that area.  The harvest is right there!  That would be awesome!

The older men....they break my heart.  A guy who knew me back in High School happened to see me sitting with the two guys under the tree on Soul Saving Center's Property.  He said, "I knew you were giving them the Word."  and he himself was so drunk he could barely get it the words out.  I was more blunt with him and other's his age who I have spoken to over and over again about their lives....and not only me.....My Father also talked to them about their souls....Tonight I was a reminder that God isn't letting up on them....they still have breath so they still have hope.

Tonight the message was to remind them that God is pulling them in another direction because He Loves Them!  I must have said that 100 times tonight.

Oh How He Loves You and Me!

The Irv Grip!