It is intense. I found truth with the crippled man begging for money on the promenade.
I have been approached countless times by these people with little index like cards on 3td St. Promenade. They ask if i am interested in any of the questions printed on the card, such questions as "Does God exist?", "Is there a spiritual world?, "Is there an afterlife?", and so on. Once i pick a question they then ask me what i think or believe about the chosen question. Despite my answer, they always invite me back to their "center" on 4th street to learn more.
I always try to start a conversation with these people, wanting to know what they are trying to get me into. It sounds like some sort of Christian group. Yet i always get the same response. They are reluctant to really share anything with me, but just kept insisting i go to watch the introduction video at the "center". Talking to more and more of them it started to sound like they are Christians, referring to the Bible and all, and so one day, when i did not have an excuse not to go, i went along with one of them to watch the introduction video.
Well. They are not Christian. They sure do talk a lot about the Bible, and the fall of man, and knowing God, but it is definitely not Christianity. It almost sounds like something the Anti-Christ has started, haha...but seriously.
They want me to make appointments to watch the video series that explains their beliefs, but i feel i have gotten enough from the intro video and from reading stuff on their website. It is interesting because this thing, which supposedly has expanded to other countries, was started right here in Santa Monica. Perhaps God wants me to bring an end to it...somehow.
Another interesting thing that goes on down on 3rd street is this group of Hindu like clad people singing and dancing and playing instruments of sorts. Interested in what exactly they were i stopped to talk to one of their group who was passing out pamphlets. He explained that they are worshiping God, which kind of struck me. Alex was with me and we explained that we were Christians, and i think he sort of tailored his speech to appeal to us. What he said sounded a lot like Christian beliefs, but after reading the little booklet he gave us, again, was shown the truth.
It is crazy, they say Satan works in cunning ways. I think these are prime examples of how people can be lead astray by things that sounds good, and are close to the truth, but are not the truth. So it surprised me where i found Jesus on the promenade.
I started reading in Acts again recently and i get so excited. It is the church's birth, and people coming to Christ because of the miracles being performed before their very eyes. And i began to wonder where that is in the church today. Why aren't there miraculous healings happening every day in the church for non-believers to see that the power of Christ is tangible and real? You hear of the occasional miracle, but not like the body of Christ in Acts. And then i thought of this man i see down on 3rd St. Promenade from time to time. He has crippled hands and a sign that explains that he needs money for surgery to fix the arthritis that as deformed him. I felt that God wanted me to pray for him...and i knew that God would heal him.
Alex and I went down to the promenade earlier this evening so he could check out some stuff at Barnes and Nobles and guess who we saw. The crippled man with his sign. As we walked in his direction i felt that familiar prodding of the Lord. God was telling me to pray for him. Of course i began to resist as usual. But as we walked past him i began to feel super convicted. It was as if God was saying "It appears you don't have faith in my healing power." So i turned to Alex and i asked him if he would like to pray for the man. Alex, surprisingly, was willing. So we turned around and approached the man and asked if we could pray for him.
It was the most amazing thing. It turned out the man, whose name is John, actually began to minister to us! He is a believer, and a very solid one at that. We had a nice long conversation about what it means to be a Christian, how Christians are now-a-days, and about miracles and having patience when it comes to the Lord. We did pray for him, i was shaking like usual when i know i am praying for what God wants me to, and i was really expecting his hands to straiten out right beneath my hands. That did not happen, but the encounter was definitely of God.
It is so crazy how you can go through life and find God in the least suspected place. It is also amazing how God can teach people about His character through a crippled man begging for money on the streets. It was a great experience for me, and i think it meant a lot to Alex too. I know i will be seeing John again in the future, and i look forward to having more conversations with him. I also know i will pray for him each time i see him. Perhaps God will heal him miraculously on 3rd St. and we can bring hundreds of people to Christ right there. But then again, perhaps God will listen to the prayers and send some money to John so he can get the surgery he needs. Either way, i know God is working, and it is all in his timing.
