07/08/2010: "Two Gallons of Water and a Heart"

The Out-Team volunteer was driving to Atlanta to meet Eduardo and deliver 61 gallons of lemonade (left over from FreedomFest) to the homeless living on the streets. He was troubled. He had lead a man to Christ the week before at the same location. Joey, the homeless young man - a full blooded Cherokee, had expressed concern after praying the salvation prayer. He did not feel his salvation was complete without being baptized. Although the volunteer explained that baptism was only a public proclamation and did not affect his salvation and assuring him that he could get baptized later, Joey seemed to remain a little uncertain.

While driving the volunteer remembered the Great Commission whereas Jesus said to his disciples “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The volunteer thought about the matter for a few minutes and realized that if he was authorized by God to make disciples that he was also authorized to baptize them. After all, both commands were in the same sentence! He turned around and went to the nearest store and purchased two gallons of water.

Meeting Eduardo at the event site he discovered that there was no-one there to give a message to the more than 200 homeless people waiting on food to be distributed. So opening his bible up to Romans 7:18 he preached his first sermon ever. It was on Paul's words “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

Making it clear that he was not a Pastor the volunteer explained to the crowd that Paul was admitting he too was a screw-up, but God used him all the same. He told them about some of the other great men of the Bible and how they were murderers, adulterers and other unsavory sorts yet God had used them. He revealed to them of a few of his own many failures in life and set himself up as an example of what God can do with someone who was otherwise a failure. He pointed out that they were in the position to be perfect testimonies for Christ if they only had the faith to pull themselves up out of this hell-hole they now call home. The volunteer was a little shocked at the amens and hallelujahs coming from the crowd of homeless.

At the end of his brief sermon the volunteer approached Joey and asked if he was serious about getting baptized, to which Joey replied he was. The volunteer said “then let's do it now.” To the crowd the volunteer explained that he believed in baptism by immersion, but that he also believed that when their was insufficient water available that other forms of baptism by water was appropriate... that God would understand. Then in the dark of the dimly lit parking lot Joey knelt on his knees with his long hair draping over his shoulders and his tattoos barely visible while the volunteer prayed for him and baptized him in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit by pouring a cup of water over his head. The applause, shouts and cheers from the crowd was nothing less than shocking.

After giving Joey a hug and explaining that he would see him in heaven the volunteer asked if there was anyone else who had given their lives to the Lord and had not yet been baptized. First one came, then another, then another. When the parking-lot ceremony was complete, six people had stepped forward to be baptized. The volunteer performing two or three of the baptisms and Eduardo performing the rest in a skillful and compassionate manner.

The events of that night were carried out by a man who had no qualifications for the job he was performing. He had never preached a sermon at all.. and until this night never intended to. While it was him that stood there among the crowd of homeless and while it was him that opened his mouth, it was the Holy Spirit who did the talking. From the first night he and his wife stumbled upon this parking lot over a week ago to the night these events took place, everything was lead by God. Why? The volunteer is still asking himself this very question... over and over again.

For a while now we have been telling you that if you attend one of our HUG Cookouts that you may witness a miracle. The events of the Urban HUG Team are no different. The events may be in a different environment and they may be a little farther from home, but God can produce miracles anywhere... even in a parking lot in downtown Atlanta.

On Monday night, July 26, 2010, Eduardo will be delivering his message to the crowd of a couple of hundred homeless in the dimly lit parking lot at the corner of Peachtree Street and Trinity Avenue. Won't you be there to support him? I know one volunteer and one Cherokee who will be.

Eduardo would probably appreciate you helping prepare a little food in advance too. Two hundred people are a lot of mouths to feed. For more information call Eduardo at 678-544-1062.