Ken Lovelace Ministries


THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD by Lygia Lovelace Several years ago, after coming home from the foreign mission field, we began searching for a house here in Dallas. It was an overwhelming process! We found a house we liked, and put a bid on it. Bracken and Brooklyn were particularly excited about it. However, several days later, we discovered that our bid was totally rejected. We were a little sad, when Bracken reminded us, "You know, maybe God didn't give us this house because it's in the wrong neighborhood." Knowing that we had chosen the neighborhood carefully, I looked doubtfully at Bracken. He continued, "Maybe THAT neighborhood was full of Christians. Maybe God wants us in a neighborhood where we can really minister and tell others about Jesus." From then on, we began re-directing our praying: Father, we want the house that will most glorify You. Send us to the neighborhood that needs You the most. We will be proud to move in and represent You. Here we are, send us… It wasn't long before we were moving into a different house -- one of God's choosing. We really had no idea about the neighborhood, but we liked the house. Shortly after our "move-in", we began knocking on doors, wanting to get to know our neighbors. Apparently, the word was already out that we were a Christian family -- and that Ken was a pastor. Doors shut in our faces, almost as quickly as they opened. A little discouraged, the children and I brightened one day when we saw a sign out in front of one neighbor's yard: FREE KITTENS. Great! We could go in, look at the kittens, and become acquainted with our neighbors in this way! We eagerly went up to the front door and knocked. When the lady answered, we smiled, and I said, "Do you have free kittens?" The lady inspected all of us and looked at me over her glasses. "Are you here to choose a kitten?" she asked me gruffly. "Well, not exactly…" I responded, "…but we'd love to meet you and SEE the kittens." "YOU CAN'T SEE 'EM UNLESS YOU WANT ONE!" the lady yelled, and she slammed the door in our faces. As we were walking away, the children were discouraged. "No one wants to meet us, Mom. That was rude! Why do we care about people like that?!" We stopped right there on the sidewalk, and prayed that God would give us His kind of love for our neighbors -- even the rude ones. We prayed that God would begin to literally OPEN some doors so that we could get to know our neighbors. We wanted so much for them to get to know Jesus. This was the beginning of many prayers! For years we have prayed, asking God to show us how to be a witness to our neighbors. If we saw an ambulance in front of someone's house, Ken would quickly go to the home and ask if he could pray with the family. If we saw a child outside, we would introduce ourselves and our children. We held Bible studies in our home. No neighbors came. We had garage sales. Few neighbors came. We even had parties in our front yard, inviting our neighbors. They stared -- some even came over to see what was going on…but no one lingered. Finally, after so many years of praying, God opened wide the neighbors' doors, and they started coming! We held a Summer Bible School for kids in our own front yard, and invited the teens over to play basketball in our back yard. We sweated, we swatted mosquitoes, and we prayed. Every day brought more kids and teens! It was so exciting to tell these children about Jesus when they had never even heard about Him! During that week, we talked about the birth of Jesus… "Do you know why we celebrate Christmas?" I asked. No one knew… "Do you know what gifts the wise men brought to Jesus?" I asked. No one knew…someone guessed…diapers? A Bible? "Do you know that God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to earth to die for you?" Astounded, everyone stared. One girl responded, "I never knew…God loves me? But…why?" We ended our week with Christ's crucifixion, and His resurrection. We carried crosses, we wrapped each other as Jesus' body was wrapped in the tomb. We burst out of those wrappings and cried "HE IS RISEN!" We celebrated Easter in the middle of August! Now, ever since that week, it has been a joy to have our neighbor kids and teens in our home. On Wednesday nights, they begin coming, even an hour early, to hear stories from the Bible. I love to sit among them and listen to their reactions as Ken tells them truths from God's Word. We have had the privilege of leading many of them to salvation in Christ, and now we are discipling them through God's Word. I remember a few weeks ago, Ken was telling them about Adam and Eve, and how Eve disobeyed, and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One neighbor kid, a new boy, stood up excitedly, "Wait! Wait! I know this story! She eats that poison apple, and falls into a deep sleep, then the prince comes…" Another neighbor kid jumps up and yells, "Sit down, you fool! That's a fairy tale! THIS is a story from the Bible!" Though they are an irreverent bunch, they hold God's Word as truth, and with reverence. They have taught me a lot -- about the hopelessness of a life without Christ, and about how obvious and bright TRUTH is in a world of darkness. Oh, how I love them! Oh, how I long for them to know and follow the Truth! Oh, God, let this be a new generation for You -- breaking away from the darkness and ignorance that plagues our country. Let these kids someday raise families for You. Just the other day, Ken walked out the front door to get something from the car. A man's voice sounded from across the street, "Hello, Pastor!" Ken raised his hand and smiled, in surprise, as he realized that one of the neighbor kid's dads had actually spoken a kind word. Then, at another time, and without warning, there was a knock at our door. We gulped as we saw the "kitten lady" standing out front. Ken answered the door while we all stood silently by. She stammered around a minute, then she said, "We were thinking about putting up a nativity set in our yard for Christmas…could you tell us where to put the shepherds? Where does the Bible say that the animals stood? And the wise men?" It's a start, don't you think? We won't stop praying for these parents, these adults of our neighborhood. Perhaps someday soon, they will come to Bible study with their children. Then they will hear of the Truth and Hope -- the Savior that loves them so much. They will learn to read His Word for themselves. Thank You Father, for saving us from that first house so many years ago -- it was in the wrong neighborhood. Thank You for this house, this neighborhood, this calling. Thank You for sending us.

THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD
by Lygia Lovelace

Several years ago, after coming home from the foreign mission field, we began searching for a house here in Dallas. It was an overwhelming process! We found a house we liked, and put a bid on it. Bracken and Brooklyn were particularly excited about it. However, several days later, we discovered that our bid was totally rejected. We were a little sad, when Bracken reminded us,

"You know, maybe God didn't give us this house because it's in the wrong neighborhood."

Knowing that we had chosen the neighborhood carefully, I looked doubtfully at Bracken.
He continued, "Maybe THAT neighborhood was full of Christians. Maybe God wants us in a neighborhood where we can really minister and tell others about Jesus."

From then on, we began re-directing our praying:

Father, we want the house that will most glorify You.
     Send us to the neighborhood that needs
     You the most. We will be proud to
     move in and represent You.

Here we are, send us…

It wasn't long before we were moving into a different house -- one of God's choosing. We really had no idea about the neighborhood, but we liked the house.

Shortly after our "move-in", we began knocking on doors, wanting to get to know our neighbors. Apparently, the word was already out that we were a Christian family -- and that Ken was a pastor. Doors shut in our faces, almost as quickly as they opened.

A little discouraged, the children and I brightened one day when we saw a sign out in front of one neighbor's yard: FREE KITTENS. Great! We could go in, look at the kittens, and become acquainted with our neighbors in this way! We eagerly went up to the front door and knocked.

When the lady answered, we smiled, and I said, "Do you have free kittens?"

The lady inspected all of us and looked at me over her glasses.

"Are you here to choose a kitten?" she asked me gruffly.

"Well, not exactly…" I responded, "…but we'd love to meet you and SEE the kittens."

"YOU CAN'T SEE 'EM UNLESS YOU WANT ONE!" the lady yelled, and she slammed the door in our faces.

As we were walking away, the children were discouraged.

"No one wants to meet us, Mom. That was rude! Why do we care about people like that?!"

We stopped right there on the sidewalk, and prayed that God would give us His kind of love for our neighbors -- even the rude ones. We prayed that God would begin to literally OPEN some doors so that we could get to know our neighbors. We wanted so much for them to get to know Jesus.

This was the beginning of many prayers! For years we have prayed, asking God to show us how to be a witness to our neighbors. If we saw an ambulance in front of someone's house, Ken would quickly go to the home and ask if he could pray with the family. If we saw a child outside, we would introduce ourselves and our children. We held Bible studies in our home. No neighbors came. We had garage sales. Few neighbors came. We even had parties in our front yard, inviting our neighbors. They stared -- some even came over to see what was going on…but no one lingered.

Finally, after so many years of praying, God opened wide the neighbors' doors, and they started coming! We held a Summer Bible School for kids in our own front yard, and invited the teens over to play basketball in our back yard. We sweated, we swatted mosquitoes, and we prayed. Every day brought more kids and teens! It was so exciting to tell these children about Jesus when they had never even heard about Him! During that week, we talked about the birth of Jesus…

"Do you know why we celebrate Christmas?" I asked.

No one knew…

"Do you know what gifts the wise men brought to Jesus?" I asked.

No one knew…someone guessed…diapers? A Bible?

"Do you know that God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to earth to die for you?"

Astounded, everyone stared. One girl responded, "I never knew…God loves me? But…why?"

We ended our week with Christ's crucifixion, and His resurrection. We carried crosses, we wrapped each other as Jesus' body was wrapped in the tomb. We burst out of those wrappings and cried "HE IS RISEN!" We celebrated Easter in the middle of August!

Now, ever since that week, it has been a joy to have our neighbor kids and teens in our home. On Wednesday nights, they begin coming, even an hour early, to hear stories from the Bible. I love to sit among them and listen to their reactions as Ken tells them truths from God's Word. We have had the privilege of leading many of them to salvation in Christ, and now we are discipling them through God's Word.

I remember a few weeks ago, Ken was telling them about Adam and Eve, and how Eve disobeyed, and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

One neighbor kid, a new boy, stood up excitedly, "Wait! Wait! I know this story! She eats that poison apple, and falls into a deep sleep, then the prince comes…"

Another neighbor kid jumps up and yells, "Sit down, you fool! That's a fairy tale! THIS is a story from the Bible!"

Though they are an irreverent bunch, they hold God's Word as truth, and with reverence. They have taught me a lot -- about the hopelessness of a life without Christ, and about how obvious and bright TRUTH is in a world of darkness.

Oh, how I love them! Oh, how I long for them to know and follow the Truth! Oh, God, let this be a new generation for You -- breaking away from the darkness and ignorance that plagues our country. Let these kids someday raise families for You.

Just the other day, Ken walked out the front door to get something from the car. A man's voice sounded from across the street,

"Hello, Pastor!" Ken raised his hand and smiled, in surprise, as he realized that one of the neighbor kid's dads had actually spoken a kind word.

Then, at another time, and without warning, there was a knock at our door. We gulped as we saw the "kitten lady" standing out front. Ken answered the door while we all stood silently by.

She stammered around a minute, then she said, "We were thinking about putting up a nativity set in our yard for Christmas…could you tell us where to put the shepherds? Where does the Bible say that the animals stood? And the wise men?"

It's a start, don't you think?

We won't stop praying for these parents, these adults of our neighborhood. Perhaps someday soon, they will come to Bible study with their children. Then they will hear of the Truth and Hope -- the Savior that loves them so much. They will learn to read His Word for themselves.

Thank You Father, for saving us from that first house so many years ago -- it was in the wrong neighborhood. Thank You for this house, this neighborhood, this calling.

Thank You for sending us.