Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I thank you for your prayers on my behalf. The Lord is good and I appreciate the people he surrounds me with prayers. Thank you.
Since the last time I wrote you, almost about 2 months ago, the state prison has finally permitted me to resume going back into the prison for ministry purposes. I praise God for this so much. Though I still was going into the Federal prison, I have a great joy to go into the state prison too and talk with inmates at their cold cells about the Lord Jesus and His Word. We know the Lord has total control of all situations even when we wonder what is going on. While I was not allowed into the state prison, I went out into certain neighborhoods and did door knocking evangelism on Saturday. This has proven to be so effective and a wise work. God gave me the privledge to talk to an abundant of people, and I was privledged to be a vessel in which God brought the truth to their questions and to see them believe on the Lord Jesus for salvation. So, I thank God that though He had me away from the prison, He still permitted me to be involved in soulwinning in the neighborhoods of San Diego.
The rest of this email pertains to the men’s discipleship home that God is permitting me to do. I felt impressed that I ought to write about it in a little more detail. I am going to write a little and divide it all up into four parts.
Bethesda Discipleship Home's Brief Testimony
The Lord many years ago put it on my heart to open up my home to men for the goal to disciple them. Colossians 1:28 is one of my life verses. "(Jesus) Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:" Through God's grace I have lived this verse through the means of 2 Timothy 2:2, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" as I claim the God's promise of Isaiah 43:4 to me, "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life." These three verses are my foundation for investing my life into the lives of other men. God used these three verses over years to bring about a mission for the vision of serving men in a structured, Christ centered, Bible based Home through the passage of scripture found in John 5:2-9, most notable John 5:3 "...In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water...."
Earlier this year the Lord privileged me to go through some mighty fires in life. Two other men had some troubles and in one day of March, 2010 the answer to all three of our problems happened to be a most simple answer, and as a result I chose to live at this very small apartment. I prayed to the Lord that if it would be His will for men to live with me at this moment of time in my life, that I was willing to be available to whatever He desired. A woman gave me a love gift and with that money I was afforded to buy a bunk bed set, mattresses, two awesome wardrobes, pillows, blankets, and sheets and with the store offering me an "unusual" discount. The next day a man moved into the home. A couple weeks later another man heard through word of mouth about my home and he moved in.
Since March, 2010 I have had four men live with me. I will be receiving a new man to live here with me in this tiny apartment in a week and half. He just got out of prison and in the process of getting to me.
I only permit men to live with me who have shown themselves to be Faithful, Available, Teachable, and Trainable. I serve men through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the principles and instructions found from the Holy Bible. God brought a man to be earlier this year who passionately assisted me to create the informative website www.BDHome.org . BDHome stands for Bethesda Discipleship Home. Though men are responsible to pay a monthly service fee, for some reason God has only brought men into my life who are presently unemployed and without a job. I still have taken them in and have believed the Lord will take care of us, and He has been faithful to sustain us. If a man does not have a job, then his full time job is to search for work. One man did not believe this so I unfortunately had to ask him to go on with his life without living here. I have determined to God that I will receive any man and disciple him if he makes himself available and proves himself to be faithful and has a teachable heart in the training of the Gospel.
We have Bible studies here, almost daily prayer meetings, and our Home is welcome for anyone to stop by and visit. A man a month and half ago donated to us a beautiful CD player so that anyone here can listen to sound doctrine preaching on CD's and Christ centered music. A month ago a woman stopped by and donated a bunch of Christian books for our library. God has been good.
Bethesda Discipleship Home's Future Concerns
I have lived here at this one bedroom apartment since March, 2010. God has been faithful to assist us in living here making sure that we keep the place very clean and to have unity amongst closeness. In December of this year we will no longer be able to use this one bedroom apartment for my living nor the men who live with me. Which is fine with me because we already need a much bigger place. At the current moment I am not sure what the Lord is going to do. I am hoping for a house with more rooms, so that we can welcome even more men to live with us and be discipled.
Bethesda Discipleship Home's Needs
I would be most honored and greatly appreciative if God may raise up individuals to be sponsors of certain things that we need each month. Those things which I see at the present moment that we need are as follows:
1. PRAYER and intercession
2. Bathroom toilet paper
3. Bathroom body soap
4. Bathroom toothpaste
5. Bathroom shampoo and conditioner
6. Kitchen can opener for can foods
7. Writing tablets for the men to take notes on
8. Ink pens for men to write with.
9. Christian books are always welcome for the library. This may include biographies of men of God from time past and books on fundamental teachings of our Faith.
10. Bus passes for men who currently are unemployed and have no money.
11. A House located in the Lemon Grove, Spring Valley, or Encanto area of town. There is an 8 bedroom, 6 bathroom house on an acre of land in Spring Valley right by my church that has everything we need for the BDHome. It is for sale at $499,999. I would love to buy it.
Bethesda Discipleship Home's Vision
The Bethesda Discipleship Home envisions immobilized men coming into the BDHome. We envision men spending daily time with Jesus and getting to know Him in a dynamic intimate way. We envision men learning to be transparent and to hold each other accountable and more importantly being accountable to God in all details of their lives. We envision men learning to humbly and joyfully serve their families, churches, communities, and employers with Godly character
Bethesda Discipleship Home's Mission
The Bethesda Discipleship Home exists to provide an environment in which men can grow spiritually to be -Christ-like leaders at home, at church, in the community, and at work by:
*Nurturing men into a loving relationship with God Almighty, Jesus Christ;
*Equipping men to use their God-given spiritual gifts;
*Serving men by building a change in character through discipleship, discipline, determination, and the
wonderful grace of God for strong male relationships and responsibilities.
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I hope that you have a productive day and that you may be filled with the knowledge and wisdom of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, as usual, if you have received this email by mistake or wish to longer receive such eNewsLetters from me from time to time, you may reply back to this email and let me know. Have a wonderful day.
Sincerely,
