Church Under The Radar

If you were one of the people of God living in Bethlehem between the years 1 BC and 1 AD, do you think you would notice if God incarnate came to visit your town?  What would that look like?  A young homeless couple, pregnant under suspicious circumstances, who can’t find lodging for the night when passing through?

If God sent out invitations for the birth of his own Son, do you think he would make a point to invite the High Priest and aristocratic families in Jerusalem, or do you think he would invite a bunch of lowly shepherds (bums who couldn’t get a better job) tending flocks in the night and a handful of hippie-astrologers from back East?  And if a couple of strange hippies and shepherd-bums showed up at the Temple, or your synagogue, inviting big shots to come down to the barn and see God, do you think the religious leaders of that day would drop what they were doing and run off to follow?

What if you were a Christian, church member (or pastor) in Lubbock, Texas 2018 years later?

Well, let me tell you my story before you answer.  But when I tell it, be honest.

A few readers here following this blog with regularity will remember my recent posts about Agent Mamma DJ and Agent V.  My most recent post about them highlighted acute overwhelming challenges amid their chronic overwhelming challenges, and some of you sent money to help totaling $500!

Thanx for the help!  and Praise God!!!

Here are links to those posts:

https://fatbeggars.wordpress.com/2018/02/23/can-i-give-her-your-number/

https://fatbeggars.wordpress.com/2018/03/24/3061/

https://fatbeggars.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/news-flash-prayer-request-4-8-18/

https://fatbeggars.wordpress.com/2018/04/15/i-stand-in-the-presence-of-god/

 

Let me fill you in now on what has happened since I last published a report.

Agent V sat in jail, first in Lubbock and then in Midland where her warrants originated.  Five hundred dollars came rolling in in the meantime.  I took the money to Agent Mamma DJ who immediately paid bills which began piling up at the same time.  (For those of you out there who insist that if you give money to a needy person, they will waste it on drugs or booze, let me tell you… I made no stipulations on how it should be spent.  The only thing I said to DJ on that subject was that God is gracious and that I did not care how she used it.  I just said that it should benefit Agent V as well, and that if V asked me, I would tell her that $500 was given to them both.  And what do you know??? DJ used it to pay bills!  Ha!)

But then late last week, DJ called to tell me that V was released in Midland, that she would stay there one night, but that she needed a ride back to Lubbock the next day.  DJ arranged to get a ride, but she needed to raise gas money.  I had $9 to offer to help.  Only nine.  Seriously, it was pathetic.  I had prayers too, but seriously… $9 and a prayer puts my participation in the back seat. No?

So, Agent Mamma DJ and Agent GL managed to rob Peter and pay Paul and get a tank of gas and head off to Midland to retrieve Agent V.

I was busy with babies here at the Fat Beggars Home for Widows, Orphans, and Sojourners.

Late in the day I got a text message.  Agent V was on her way home!  Yay!  It was hours later before I had time to call.

Finally, I called, and Agent Mamma DJ eagerly put Agent V on the phone.  She had news to tell.

It turns out that during the two weeks Agent V spent in jail, starting in Lubbock and winding up in Midland (120 miles away), our little needy person, the recovering drug addict, the humble lady walking along the side of the road two hours to get to her minimum wage job, and now jail-bird, suddenly went into missionary mode.

No really.  I’m not making this up.  Nor was I there to direct it, take credit for it, or get in the way of it.

She started talking to other humble people locked up in jail (strangers and old friends alike) telling them how she has this new thing in her life.  A ministry for Jesus that reaches out to the homeless to love them, pray with them, and celebrate Jesus with them.  How it’s called Fat Beggars School of Prophets, and how excited she is to be part of it.

And the people responded to her!

She even reconnected with a minister in Midland she knew from times gone by.  And the minister there became excited about this ministry and wants to see it expand to Midland where there is a sizable homeless population.

Yeah.  Almost like Jesus showing up in a manger in the barn to hang out with shepherd/bums and hippie astrologers, he seems to be slumming it with the Fat Beggars in county jails around the state of Texas.  Something special happened there.  Something really, very special.

But if you wanna know about it, you either head down to the barnyard with the humble people and see for yourself or you read about it in Holy Writings.

So… if you were a Christian, church member (or pastor) in Lubbock, Texas in 2018, do you think you would know or care if Jesus was in the barn or jail?

Be honest.

It’s church down under the radar.