3/18/2024
Monday morning, the undercover police called me for a FaceTime chat about Michael’s gang. They mentioned seeing him with the 12 boys at the park. I informed them that all their parents had called. They were worried because their boys had left. The boys had run away due to their parents’ strictness. The undercover police asked me to see what they could do to help the boys.
Before I reached the park, Michael called me to say that all the parents wanted to meet me and that they had given them my ministry card. It was interesting that the boys didn’t spend the night with their parents last night; instead, they stayed with their grandparents. They asked me to meet the gang and their parents at the park at 11:00 AM, and I agreed.
I them that the parents had called me on the speakerphone, saying they would give me time to pray with you guys. I arrived early at the park because my King wanted me to anoint the park before anyone arrived.
11:00 AM came quickly and as the boys arrived first, they were both crying and excited to be going home. Jerome expressed his gratitude, mentioning a scary encounter with some gang members who had asked if they were runaways. The boys were relieved when I was already there. They were eager for me to meet their parents, who were due any minute. Sonny humorously noted that the boys looked like ‘little rascals,’ which made them laugh, as they had anticipated the nickname.
The boys shared that they had a good talk with their parents, who had arranged counseling with their pastor. As the parents started arriving, they started walking towards the boys and then began running to embrace them. I gave them some time alone. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to meet all their parents.
I asked the boys to line up, which they did promptly, and I posed a significant question about their spiritual commitment. I asked, “Do you want your names in the Lamb’s Book of Life?”, and they agreed. They believed Jesus is the Son of God, that He died and rose on the third day, and affirmed they wanted to be born-again Christians.
Turning to their parents, I asked, “Would commit to raising their sons as Christians and teaching them God’s Word?” All the parents agreed.
I led the boys in prayer to accept Jesus into their hearts, and they wept. I assured them their names were now in the Lamb’s Book of Life and encouraged them to make disciples wherever God lead them.
Afterward, the boys began playing basketball in the park. I turned to their parents and said, “I emphasized the need for a change in how you treat your sons now that you have rededicated your lives to Jesus Christ”. The parents replied that they had arranged counseling with their pastors and expressed the same concerns for their sons.
When the boys stopped playing basketball, they introduced me to the other things I do with their parents. They explained that I minister to gangs everywhere, prostitutes, the homeless and financial support for families in the ghetto. The parents were astonished. I further explained that I minister to those just on the streets. They were curious how I met their sons.
I said, “I remembered that your sons liked to play baseball. God told me to buy a basketball before I came to the park, so when I saw the boys playing, I knew the basketball was for them.” They replied, “We praise God you came and found our boys.”
I said, “It was God who told me to come here.” They replied, “It was a miracle.”
I said, “It was a miracle. They were about to meet bad gangs. If they had gone to the park a few blocks from here, they would have run into them.” One of the dads said, “Sonny, my whole life flashed before my eyes when my boy ran away from home. All our families were so scared. We have all been praying.”
I said, “There is power in prayer, and God heard your prayers. Thank you for your prayers; God gets all the glory and the victory!”
Could you just imagine waking up in the morning and you are in your own bed, and the peace the parent felt with their sons at home. It could only be amazing.