Overwhelmed by the Spirit.

Before you read this let me encourage you to go a few posts back and read my "Let Grace Abound" blog. That blog was about a kid who I'll call "J".

This morning "J" showed up to Cross & Crown because he got suspended from school for 10 days. Any time a kid is suspended from school, which is often, we encourage them to come up to the mission and do community service. "J" helped carry out boxes all day. At the end of the day I was busy on a project and Ron came and pulled me aside. He took me upstairs and pointed into the sanctuary. There was "J" sitting in front of our baptistry reading the bible. He was reading Romans 6!

Luke, Ron and I started talked to him. I could seriously feel the Holy Spirit from the moment we sat down and I knew that something amazing was happening. This afternoon "J" made the decision to accept Jesus into his heart and tomorrow, on his 14th birthday he wants to be baptized in front of all his Rock Island friends.

The best part was that I got to explain to "J' how we had been praying for that very moment and decision since before he even knew us. I have been praying for "J" by name since I found out he was the kid who stole all the video systems from us. We got to tell him today that God had chosen him long before he even came to Cross & Crown. You should have seen the look on his face... every minute of chaos in ministry is worth that face and that smile. I'm crying right now as I write this and it's not because I'm upset with anything. It's because I am overwhelmed with the the transforming Spirit of God. I can't believe that I get the opportunity to witness the consuming fire of the Lord in such an intimate way.

"J" is perhaps the most charismatic kid in all of Rock Island and in the streets of NW OKC. I can't wait to see the fire that he lights within the ministry. The most unexpected of kids has risen up to lead. I can feel deep down that a revolution is about to rise up in Rock Island...just wait and see.