MEN OF DESTINY

When I think about it, I am amazed at the number of African-American men that I have been blessed to see come to the Lord Jesus in the past three years alone. The number is in the hundreds and these men have come from varying backgrounds, cities and situation--but they are now all on their way to the desitiny that Christ has for their lives.

In 2003 as we were preparing to move from Texas to New Orleans, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart so plainly and said, "Go reach the African-American young men...and they will reach their city." Why would God give me that mandate? Couldn't he tell that I was white by looking at me? How would "I" reach someone that I did not look like and that did not come from the same background, or the same culture?

THAT was the reason! When it got done---God and God alone would be able to take the credit for seeing these hundreds of lives changed and transformed for His glory! It wouldn't be "Gospel Hip Hop," "An ex-gang banger" or "an athlete-turned-evangelist" that would take credit for this work---God would use a crazy white preacher so that there would be no question that it was strictly a JESUS THING!

With so many of our African-American young men either dead, incarcerated, homeless, drug addicted or uneducated---there is a terrible stereotype affixed to any man of color. This stereotype has created a terrible burden for them to bear and the weight of it has often drug them down with it. It is time for REVIVAL among out African-American brothers! It is time for there to be young men of God who will preach the Gospel with a fire, passion and integrity--unlike so-called "Reverends" like Jackson, and Sharpton who's action and lifestyle mock the Gospel that they pretend to represent.

I believe that in the next couple of year we are going to see great leaders coming from the ranks of these young men. These leaders will be standard bearers who stand for truth over tradition, power over the past, and righteousness over reason. We are going to see a "New Breed" who fear nothing but God and who will stand in the face of adversity and declare that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life! Men of Destiny!

(Above) I met Ron in the Washington Gardens Housing Project in Elkhart, Indiana recently. He was with a group of other young men that I approached around midnight as they stood in the shadows. I walked up on them and said, "HEY, I am out recruiting for my gang and I want you guys to be members!" What gang? they asked? "The GOSPEL GANGSTERS" I jokingly responded!

Of the four men that I was addressing simultaneously, Ron initially seemed the least interested and the most resistant. As the other men listened attentively as I shared the truth of God's Word he would look off and try to pursue other veins of conversation. Then when a couple of the young men peeled off from the conversation things changed and he began to open up.

Come to find out, this 24 year old young man had already spent five years of his young life locked behind bars. He had gotten ahold of a Bible while in prison and had read it frequently. He was now out and desiring to turn his life around for Jesus. I was blessed to share and minister to him for a long while that night before praying with him and giving him my contact information. Ron is the kind of guys that will be a tremendous "difference maker" for Jesus once his life gets solidified in Christ. Please pray for him. We need him to step into his destiny in Jesus.