Code Blue

It’s time to now live out Christmas! It’s a new year. A time to reflect on last year’s victories and challenges. Time to ask God to give you new visions and use you like never before because there is a world of people in the world waiting to hear and see the Gospel of hope, encouragement and life everlasting. The testimony of Christmas and Jesus coming to earth as a fulfillment of scriptures to be our Messiah, but now we have to live the testimony out for ourselves and others. The week before Christmas was very cold and Code Blue was called when the temperature dipped below 25 degrees. When a Code Blue is called it is a very busy time, but quite frankly it’s easier, because we have an answer for our homeless. We can open the shelter at Tabernacle of Praise Church, make a good dinner, fellowship with the guests, provide them case management, etc. However, the harder part is when the temperature rises to 28-30 and there is still homeless. Before the Code Blue shelter was called and it was 28 degrees, a young man came to the Christian Caring Center outreach center seeking shelter but the temperature was not cold enough yet. That night as he went to a friend’s house to sleep on their couch, he was killed in a drive by shooting in Browns Mills. During the days of December 21-23, we had three people overdose on heroin. Thank God all were given Narcon and all survived. We were able to shelter 16 unduplicated single men and women. We are called to believe the Christmas testimony, Easter Testimony and the above scripture that God is still breaking dramatically into people’s lives, still invading and calling people today that are in sin, darkness and lost. There is no greater time to share that it’s not always going to fine, but Hebrews 13:5-6 “… For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? {Amplified} He broke into my life, and Moses, David, and Paul’s lives. It matters that we still believe that God will invade lives and that we are still ambassadors for Christ and we need to share. I can tell you that God is still reaching out to people, still using us to intercede, to love, to give, etc. We have opened the shelter again and we had another 13 people sheltered. So far God has reunited 2 with family, 3 found housing, 1 went to mental health/rehab, 1 went to jail, and 9 are still homeless. I know that all of us cannot have the opportunity to serve in this manner, but we are all called to intercede and if able to support. It does take many dollars, supplies, food, etc. to be there and maintain the facilities and staff to minister. I personally could never thank you enough on behalf of each one, but let me express my thanks to you for your continued support.