"I want these streets"--(the heart of an evangelist)

...we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. 2 Cor 5:16-20 The Message

e·van·ge·lism Noun  /iˈvanjəˌlizəm/

1. The spreading of the Christian gospel by preaching or personal witness.
2. Zealous advocacy of a cause.

Years ago I had a dream, and in this dream I was sitting on the altar at Christ's Church with my Pastor and he said, "This is what I want you to preach." and he wrote a sermon title on a piece of paper. The pen in his hand was black but as he wrote the words were in red...It said, "Giving God's Word wings." I looked up and the walls of the church were gone, the colorful stained glass windows were flowing in the wind and I could see the streets of 2nd ave. I woke up with a message and a heart cry...I want these streets. 

Several years later as I was writing my book, Peter's Freedom Walk the 12 steps of Acts 12, I was on step 11 which is Evangelism and I kept hearing "Giving God's Word Wings." I was praying about how to illustrate this message and as I was driving the Lord spoke very clearly to me and said, "Look at the Dandelion" I have to admit I was quite puzzled and intrigued by this...I mean what does this little yellow weed that everyone is trying to get rid of have anything to do with evangelism. 

I began to do a little study of dandelions and discovered that there was more to them than meets the eye. They are more than a weed, EVERY part of the dandelion is useful the root, the leaves, the stem and the flower. They are used for food, medicine, even dye for coloring. It has also been used to cure heart trouble...Wow who knew. I thought it was just a pesky little weed whose picture often graced the label of weed killers. 

As I was reading all these interesting facts about the dandelion I couldn't help but think, "What does this have to do with evangelism Lord?" and then I saw...That little yellow flower becomes the little blow thingies we used to love as a child. No wonder dandelions reproduce like CRAZY!! After they die they take on a new form and when the wind blows hundreds of seeds are spread for up to 5 MILES!!! Then that seed takes root and the process starts over...that dandelion spreads 5 miles....and so on and so forth...Isn't this what God told Adam and Eve to do..."Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." (Gen 1:28)

People may look at me as a weed, as something they just want to get rid of. But what I have inside (Christ) brings healing, and it cures the heart, and I intend to take it to the world.... Just recently God has begun to stir something inside of me, He's reminding me of that battle cry that he placed inside of me years ago... As I remember that dream, I can't help but see the Church without walls...The walls that too often keep Church in and the streets out, (not because we want them separated--they just sometimes are) I want to see those walls removed, I want those on the outside to see whats on the inside...Hear my heart...I WANT THESE STREETS!! 

Pastor Brandiilyne