City of Brotherly Love

They refer to Philly as the City of Brotherly Love.


I definitely wasn't feeling the love as I walked around the city last night. In a city that size, I'm not sure that anyone can easily feel love. There's a constant sound of people beeping their horns. People on the sidewalk quickly rush along as if the other people around them don't exist. The homeless and less fortunate line the streets in tattered close, unkept hair and signs calling out to the people listing all of their misfortunes, but people walk passed them as if they are a part of the landscape. Whatever green areas exist are filled with a large variety of people. Skaters are filming mix tapes, couples are going on "romantic" walks, families are taking a break from touring the city, and the members of the landscape are sleeping on the benches and under the trees.


How anyone can find peace in such a hectic location will never make sense to me. I said hi to a few people as we made eye contact, but they quickly looked away without responding. I really wanted to find some gelato or ice cream, so I tried to approach a few people on the street to ask them if they could direct me towards some, and everyone seemed a little caught off-guard as I approached them. In a place where everyone standing around is seen as an object instead of a person, these people almost seemed that they had adapted to being a part of the landscape and being ignored. I decided the best people to ask were the people that weren't already set on doing something, which meant the best people to ask were the homeless people standing or sitting around throughout the city.


The first man I approached couldn't think of anything, but he seemed like a good guy and tried really hard to think of something and help me out. I gave him $5 then headed in a direction he told me I could go to find some ice cream. I made it over to that area but wasn't finding anything. I saw a couple guys on the side of the road asking for money that couldn't seem to sit still or keep their eyes open. I immediately decided they must be on drugs and walked right by. It's hard to admit that maybe I was wrong and maybe these two guys just really needed help, but I try to judge as best I can so that my money is going to a profitable place.


I left those two guys and ran into another guy who really wanted to walk me to get ice cream, but we first needed to stop so he could buy some beer. I talked to him a lot about Charleston. He was really interested about the women and the beach. He told me that he had recently gotten out of jail and was just living on the streets for a while until he could figure something else out. I told him that he just needs to get to Charleston before it gets too cold! He asked me my name and I said "Kevin". He stopped walking and just stared at me...
"Nawwwww!" I said "Yeah man, I'm not playin with you." Then he pulled out his ID and showed me that his name was Kevin too! Kevin Groomes. I wish I realized how special these moments are while I'm in them and I'd make sure to get named and pictures for all these people, but it's never until later that I realize I want to be praying for someone whose name I don't know and whose face is fading from my memory. Fortunately, he hooked me up before I've become disciplined enough to remember on my own!


After he got his beer he kind of forgot why I was with him. I gave him $10 as he dropped me off with a friend of his who told me he knew where I could get some ice cream. The man was 48 years old and had been living with his sister until he had gotten in an altercation with her boyfriend a few days ago. He was fresh on the street, but knew some of the other homeless guys as if he had been out there before. He also knew quite a few other people as we walked down the street. He was on a misison to get me some ice cream and was making me feel like a star in the process.


After a little while he got me to a gelato spot. I offered to get him some but he told me he had to watch what he eats. I went in and got a cup while he waited outside. While a lot of the other guys I was seeing were drunk or seemed to be on drugs, this guy seemed to have it together. I gave him $20 and thought he'd just be done with me at that point. I offered to go out to dinner with him if he was hungry, but he thanked me and told me he was alright for the night. After that, he started trying to get me back to the hotel. I had told him where I was staying and I knew how to get back, but he didn't want to leave me stranded so I just followed him wherever he led. We zig-zagged our way back to the hotel as he continued to ask everyone on the streets where the Sheraton was at. I knew he was enjoying spending some time with me and feeling needed so I just let him do what he needed to do. A couple times I tried to tell him I could get back, but he'd just say, "I can't just leave you out here on the streets. I'm going to make sure you get back to your hotel."


We finally made it back to the hotel, shook hands and went our separate ways. I went to the comforts of my $210 hotel room, and he went to find an alley to pee in and a safe place to sleep.


I started thinking about my adventurous trip around Philly as I headed up to my room. First, I was thinking about how I left the hotel with the intent of spending less than $5 on some ice cream but returned $41 poorer. I knew it was God calling me to empty out my wallet though so I got over all of that pretty quick! Then I got to start thinking about how cool it was to step through the invisible veil that separates the busy city life from the "members of the landscape." God really showed me that relationships can be made anywhere if the effort is made. Even in a place where it seemed that no one cared about anyone other than themselves, I found a man who walked over a mile with me just because I asked a simple question.


I found adventure in a city! I didn't enjoy the city, but as soon as I was willing to step slightly out of my comfort zone, God had an adventure planned for me that took over an hour! I love meeting new people and getting the opportunity to interact with people in different walks of life. I was hoping to somehow portray how amazing it was through this blog entry, but I haven't been able to even come close to explaining how much it blessed me.


I hope your adventure is going well!


Love you all!

Energy Toward the Cause

Zeal is defined as having great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause. 

I've been hosting a weekly men's Bible study at my house. We've been reading through Romans, which led us into the 10th chapter last week. Reading this chapter led me into a lot of thought about different things, but two main things I wanted to write about are the number of "Christians" in the South and the fact that I so often hear people say "the hardest thing to pray is that God would use you in whatever way He might want."

Romans 10:1-4 (NKJV)

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

James 2:19 (NKJV)

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!"

The scary truth that I've thought about so many times is that there are so many lost people around me, but they don't know that they're lost. They think that by believing in God, they've somehow obtained salvation. They call themselves Christians and even attend church. Some of them are involved in their churches and talk to their friends about Jesus. James 2:19 reminds us that to believe in God is purely to believe in a truth. Believing in God is not the criteria for salvation as many want to believe. James says that even the demons believe! If our faith, our religion, lies solely in the fact that we believe in God, then we are no greater than the demons that are against Him. 

Luke 4:41 (NKJV)

"And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!""

The demons proclaimed, in front of a crowd, that Jesus was the Son of God! Based on this verse, I believe it's possible that someone could devote their life to foreign missions and ministry, yet still miss the gift of salvation. James talks about the fact that it is not works that earn salvation, so there is still something more important than believing in God and proclaiming the name of Jesus that is a necessary criteria for salvation. How many people stop here? How many people around us are calling themselves Christians because they believe in God and talk about Jesus? Maybe it's us.

Let's revisit Romans 10. In the first verse, Paul mentions that it is his heart's desire to see Israel be saved, so they must not be saved yet. The second verse tells us that the Israelites have a zeal for the Lord. They're excited about God. They talk about Jesus with a smile on their face. They laugh and show joy when talking about God. They are the last person in church Sunday morning talking about all that God is, yet... Paul is telling us he wants to see them be saved. How is it that someone can have a zeal for God, but not be saved? How many people around us love the idea of God so much that it brings them joy and excitement, yet they fail to meet the criteria in verse 3?

I believe that the number of "Christians" in the South is actually a huge mission field. Verse 3 teaches us that the way to break away from having the faith of demons is to submit ourselves to the righteousness of Christ. A lot of people fail to submit to Christ, because they want to have control of their own lives. We teach churches full of "Christians" that it's a hard prayer to tell God we submit our lives to Him, when in reality, it's the only prayer that makes us different from demons. But, there's nothing to be scared of... God tells us He loves us as His own children! Consider the greatest parent on the planet, then multiply them in greatness as far as you can imagine... that's our God! There's no reason to continue searching out and seeking our own righteousness, when something far greater is available to us. God promises to bless us in so many ways, just as a earthly father would bless his children. Here is a list of verses referring to blessings composed by Rick Warren: BLESSINGS

When we submit to the righteousness of Christ, we are filled with His Spirit. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, a person should experience the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If these traits are not part of who we are, then we are failing to submit something to Christ. If any part of our life still looks like the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21 as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, or revelries, then we are still trying to obtain our own righteousness in an area of our lives. 

I typically write about adventure, which is easily seen as an escape from a cityscape into the landscape and the wilderness, but there is a great adventure in submitting to God and following Him where He leads. I never know what's around the next corner. I don't know what tomorrow brings, and even if I plan it, God's plan may be different. I'm always ready for a change of plans, because I know that my Father would never lead me into something that He hasn't already prepared and equipped me for. I don't know where I'm going, but I sure know it's going to be a wild adventure!

Love you all!

I hope you enjoy your adventure!