Part 3

As the music played and all the formalities of a church service went on I was getting kinda nervous because I didn't know how people would react to this, I had never preached looking like a homeless man. I had never preached where everybody didn't know I was the speaker, and I had to hide who I really was. It was just everything all wrapped up into one that made me anxious about the whole situation. The announcements were made and I could tell that everybody that normally sat where I was didn't sit there today because I was almost alone in my row. After a few songs were sung it was greeting time and I was anxious to see how people would or would not greet me and still didn't know how people would react. The offering came and the usher on my side didn't even offer me the plate to put money in. However when there was a kid's offering later they did offer it to me. I found that interesting.





I don't know if you have seen the cardboard testimonies video on Youtube but you should!! They did their own version of the video on there and each person came out with their cardboard and showed who/what they were before they were saved. Then on the back who/what they were after they were saved. It was pretty moving and I wanted to cry however I didn't want to blow my cover so I remained calm. After this I knew I was on, so the Pastor got up and began to speak and I got a few butterflies in my stomach. He said that there was somebody who was at the outreach yesterday and that we had got to know each other and he invited me up.





I walked up there as Perry, and he continued on and said that they had a nick name for me and it was Perry. However that my real name is Nick Jones and that I was a Nazarene evangelist and the guest speaker for the day. The faces were priceless, mouths dropped, eyes got bigger and you could almost see the gears turning in their heads thinking "Did I talk to this guy? If I did what did I say?" In fact there was one guy who was sitting up a little bit from my wife and he actually said out loud "WOW."



I began to speak while unpacking some of my bag onto the altar "There were some of you that talked to me yesterday and today, and those of you who did gave me a lot of things." I placed those "things" on the altar as I listed them off. I continued on and said "You even told me when and where church was and invited me to come to church. However NOT ONE of you said anything to me about Jesus! I found this shocking and disturbing." I then read the verse out of Matthew 25:40 “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.’ You could hear a pin drop on the floor and it was carpet. I then proceeded into my sermon and gave my testimony.



As I was giving an altar call I noticed a few people coming up and didn't think anything of it, that was pretty much the way they went. However about the point where I was about to stand up and give a closing prayer or have the Pastor do it, I look up and there he is. He started to say that he was nervous and didn't want to say what he was about to say but felt God leading him to do so. I started to freak out a little because I didn't know what he was going to say. He then proceeded on to talk about a man that was down at the altar and that his name was Joe. Joe had taken care of his mother for 3 years until she died and now was homeless. The Pastor had talked with Joe the day before and said that Joe had got saved. Now he was down at the altar praying for God to be Lord of all in his life.

The Pastor then went on to say that Joe needed help and asked them "What are we going to do to help Joe out?" It was very silent and I could hear that pin drop again. After a few minutes he asked everybody to come forward and form a circle around Joe and the entire church prayed for this man. It was not light fluffy prayer (if there is such a thing), but deep heart felt prayer that caused tears and sobbing to occur. I was taken back because for the first time (maybe ever) I was witnessing a New Testament Church showing what should be done for somebody in need. They asked what he needed and he had only the clothes on his back. So I gave him my backpack with food and a blanket in it. They asked what size shoe he wore and it was a 12, well I wear a size 12 so I took the shoes I was wearing off and gave them to him. Another man asked what size shirt he wore and gave him the shirt he was wearing (he was wearing an undershirt, don't worry no nudity in the church). The Pastor offered Joe to come to his house later and take a shower and shave. It was amazing to watch the selfishness that we all seem to have dissolve away because the Holy Spirit was on fire inside.

Lunch was awesome, a group of us stayed at the church and had KFC to eat with Joe and it was nice to fellowship with him and find out his likes and stories. Later on that night the church raised enough money for Joe to stay in a hotel room for a week and people were donating clothes and food left and right. They also bought him a cooler to keep all the food in and I believe there was even a bike that was donated. Now I look back at that situation and wonder how many churches would have done the same thing? Would your pastor have taken it upon himself to feel the movement of God enough to say something like that? Would your congregation have been as selfless as this one was? Would something like this bring you together more, or split you apart? Why is it so much of a shocker and a rare occurrence that things like this happen? Shouldn't we be expecting things like this to happen, and shouldn't it happen more often? I hope and pray you are encouraged not only to look at people in a different way, or witnessing in a different way, but that you will want your church to catch fire like this one did/has. What A Jesus!!!

Part 2

Well my aunt dropped me off in front of the church at 8 or so and I walked to the front door to setup shop there. I pulled out of my bag my blanket, a sign I had made that said "Homeless and need help. Please spare change. God Bless." I had a cup we had picked up at Tim Horton's and I put out my little Gideon Bible. I then put my book bag next to me and sat down, covered up, and leaned on the church to fall asleep. Not long after I did this I heard something going on inside the church and voices were getting closer. I didn't move, some because I was still tired, but mostly so that it looked like I slept there all night. After a few minutes a guy opened the front door and and asked if I wanted to come in and get warm. I declined the offer and told him I was fine out there. He asked if I wanted some coffee (which I don't drink anymore) but I thought sure that would warm me up so I accepted. I gathered up my things and put them in my back pack and walked in behind him. Nervous looking and surveying every room I walked slowly with a slouched body language and a head hung as of a broken man. He took me into the Pastor's office and the Pastor introduced himself again and said that they would see what they could do for me and so I was taken into a large room where socials are held and given some coffee and cookies. After a while the guy who invited me in brought me a half eaten bag of Frito Twists and a can of Vienna Sausages. I quickly put them in my bag and held onto the coffee for warmth. There was also a Sunday School class being held at the tables where I was seated and the Sunday School teacher had looked on my website and found that I was going to be at that church so he called the Pastor and found out, but he kept it hush hush. So as people came into class they introduced me as Perry and said I was at the Block Bash that they had held the day previously. Kind words were said but they were few and quick because I definitely was stinking and probably wasn't the person they thought of when the word "visitor" was said. So I went through Sunday School class and since I had been sitting there for 2 hours my seat was starting to hurt my butt so I squirmed and scooted around to make it a little more comfy. At one point the guy sitting next to me offered to share his Sunday School and when the teacher got up and went to look for another one the guy sitting next to me patted my leg and after his hand left there was a $20 bill!! I didn't say anything and just put it in my pocket and was amazed that somebody would do that!! The Sunday School teacher came back unsuccessful but the guy next to me offered me his book to share so I looked at it and it was so hard not to say something because it was about scripture, my favorite topic!! After Sunday school the guy who was sitting next to me offered to take me into the sanctuary and wanted to know if I needed to use the restroom so I said I did. I still had the coffee that I don't drink, so I dumped that into the toilet and took a break for a second and straightened up my back for a second because it was hurting to be slumped over all that time. As I came out of the bathroom I just walked past everybody and tried to sneak into the sanctuary. However I was stopped by a couple of greeters and they handed me a bag of goodies for being a visitor. I had talked previously with the Pastor about where to sit to see who would feel uncomfortable with me around. He told me and I headed that way as I entered, however they were already there, so I sat in front of them, I figured if nothing else they would at least smell me! As the service started a few people greeted me but the music started and the service was about to begin everybody took their seats....