How would most churches respond if there was a man sitting in the pews, or rather laying in the pews, so drunk that he would repeadedly fall off the pew and end up sprawling in the dirt? Let's back up a step? What would YOU do/think if you saw this in your church? Would questions like "why is this dude even here?" pop up in your head? Or would you be overwhelmed with compassion for someone who is caught up in a counterfeit, a cheap version of peace, a search for meaning that led to the most overwhelmingly lonely space on the face of the earth?
It's a legitimate question, and one that I must ask myself every day. Popularized by bracelets in the 90's, but no less true, What Would My Jesus Do?
Would he be worried about appearances, too caught up in His religious standing that he wouldn't help the man up, embrace Him, and tell Him of the Father's love for Him? None of this was sunning through my head that night, when I saw the very scenario I described unfold before my eyes. It was a knee jerk reaction. There was a man on the floor, and I knew that he needed love. So I helped him up, and threw my arm around his shoulders. And I sat there and interceded on his behalf during the whole church service. Not so that I could look super spiritual, or to make a good story. If that was my reason for being on the mission field, I picked the wrong thing to do with my life. So little of it has any glory, and recognition, anything that the world would call success.
But who decided that we have to have worldly success? Who decided that any time we bring Kingdom, and are the hands and feet of Jesus, that no matter what it looks like, we aren't succesful unless we get an article written about us, or something spectacular happens?
Again, a legitimate question.
The thing that blows my mind the most about this story, is that the Peruvians did not try to kick Ramone out of the church. And I knew that that was the place that Ramone needed to be the most. Even though he had no idea what God was doing in his heart, God was at work in his heart. There were several of us praying over this guy during the whole church service, and so even though we didn't see a dramatic change, and even though he wasn't set free that night, every time we speak truth over someone, something changes in the Spiritual realm. And so I felt led by the Holy Spirit to not only start declaring the truth of who Ramone is in Christ, but the identity that God has for him to walk in, and also to stand in the gap and be a voice of triumph, a voice of victory over Ramone, to do battle with the Holy Spirit against the spirits that had control of him.
And the Lord started to highlight specific spirits that were binding him and blinding his eyes. Ramone would be slumped over almost looking like he was asleep, but when I would speak out against specific spirits, he would jerk up and shoot me this piercing stare that had "I'm going to choke you to death" written all over it. That was what my spirit heard in that moment, and it terrified me, but I didn't quit praying.. He would slump over again, but every time the same thing would happen.
I thought I was about to see something dramatic happen, like demons being cast out of him, like victory over the darkness in his life. But he left just as drunk and confused as he came. But even still, I know that I did exactly what God had for me in that night, and that the truth that was spoken over him by the team was not void, because God's word never returns to Him void, and I stand on that truth with all my heart. Even though we may never see the fruit of that encounter, I know that somethign changed in that man's heart, and it's not my responsibility to worry about the outcome, but only to be faithful with the opportunities that God has given me.
I got the opportunity to be love, to be Kingdom to that man. In short, I got to worship with a drunk man. And maybe someday, he'll learn what it means to not be drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is my prayer for Ramone, and I hope that those who read this will join me in that.