I went on a very cool “business” trip recently to work with Portland Rescue Mission in Portland OR. They are looking into small business opportunities to provide training services to the people they serve and generate the income to pay for it. My friend Eric Bauer (Executive Director) and a group of people from the community were discussing a BBQ Food Truck. Eric invited me up to share my thoughts.
God’s timing is so perfect. The trip was exactly what He needed me to experience and fill up my ministry tank for serving Jesus. Yeah, I went there to help them understand competition BBQ and the Sport of Pro BBQ, but what I walked away with is more passion, desire and energy to share Jesus. Some of you are thinking… oh no, it’s gonna get ugly if he gets MORE enthused… LOL.
The Portland Rescue Mission is all about serving the homeless population in Portland. What it boils down to is that we are ALL homeless to some degree. Those that we see on the streets are on one part of the scale, but we are ALL on the scale. The reality is that Jesus is HOME! Homelessness is a direct result of Jesuslessness. Every one of us has some level of needing Jesus to intervene in our lives for His mission in our lives, and we miss it everyday. When we find Jesus, the gap is filled and that part of our lives takes on a whole new complexion. People who end up on the streets are dealing with a very empty tank of Jesus, but it’s no different that what you and I deal with in certain aspects of our lives.
When people recognize their broken-ness, and the light of Jesus goes on, Lives change, people heal, people move upward and forward. Those that hit the bottom have the clearest picture of what a life of hopelessness looks like and when they find Jesus, they see the truth and the answer that we are all looking for… Jesus Saves.
Jesus calls each and every one of us to serve Him and His Kingdom. We are not to walk alone, or abandon the mission because it doesn’t feel good, or we don’t like to get dirty and messy in the process. He tells us:
'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 'I [was] naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed [You], or thirsty and give [You] drink? 'When did we see You a stranger and take [You] in, or naked and clothe [You]? 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of the least of these My brethren, you did [it] to Me.' [Mat 25:35-40 NKJV]
Today, we will have opportunities to tell people about Jesus and truth of His loving Grace for all of us, will we respond?
One tag line that I heard on my trip that really stuck with me was given to Eric from a social services mentor he had years ago by the name of Jack Ellis.
“We must meet people where they are, and walk with them at a pace they can sustain.”
If you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for? Give it to God.
-- Jeff Petkevicius
Give it to God
God’s timing is so perfect. The trip was exactly what He needed me to experience and fill up my ministry tank for serving Jesus. Yeah, I went there to help them understand competition BBQ and the Sport of Pro BBQ, but what I walked away with is more passion, desire and energy to share Jesus. Some of you are thinking… oh no, it’s gonna get ugly if he gets MORE enthused… LOL.
The Portland Rescue Mission is all about serving the homeless population in Portland. What it boils down to is that we are ALL homeless to some degree. Those that we see on the streets are on one part of the scale, but we are ALL on the scale. The reality is that Jesus is HOME! Homelessness is a direct result of Jesuslessness. Every one of us has some level of needing Jesus to intervene in our lives for His mission in our lives, and we miss it everyday. When we find Jesus, the gap is filled and that part of our lives takes on a whole new complexion. People who end up on the streets are dealing with a very empty tank of Jesus, but it’s no different that what you and I deal with in certain aspects of our lives.
When people recognize their broken-ness, and the light of Jesus goes on, Lives change, people heal, people move upward and forward. Those that hit the bottom have the clearest picture of what a life of hopelessness looks like and when they find Jesus, they see the truth and the answer that we are all looking for… Jesus Saves.
Jesus calls each and every one of us to serve Him and His Kingdom. We are not to walk alone, or abandon the mission because it doesn’t feel good, or we don’t like to get dirty and messy in the process. He tells us:
'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 'I [was] naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed [You], or thirsty and give [You] drink? 'When did we see You a stranger and take [You] in, or naked and clothe [You]? 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of the least of these My brethren, you did [it] to Me.' [Mat 25:35-40 NKJV]
Today, we will have opportunities to tell people about Jesus and truth of His loving Grace for all of us, will we respond?
One tag line that I heard on my trip that really stuck with me was given to Eric from a social services mentor he had years ago by the name of Jack Ellis.
“We must meet people where they are, and walk with them at a pace they can sustain.”
If you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for? Give it to God.
-- Jeff Petkevicius
Give it to God
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