With the overwhelming homeless population living on the streets of our cities today, you would think anyone who tries to help them would be applauded---even supported.
Well, you would be wrong.
A Christian coffee shop in Colorado faces continued attacks from communist and LGBTQ protestors who desire to shut down the establishment that was created to help the homeless.
Here's the story.
Be informed, not misled.
Jamie Sanchez, founder of Recycle God’s Love, shared that he launched his coffee shop, the Drip Cafe, to help the homeless.
“The Drip Cafe is basically an idea from our project where we’re helping homeless people get out of homelessness, to break the chains that are holding them down with homelessness,” he says. “One of those important areas is to have a real job, to build a resume, to get work experience, to get used to socializing in a normal setting.”
The coffee shop's mission is to help the homeless through the affiliated Project Revive. Sanchez also shared that Drip Cafe gathers with community members for prayer and encouragement.
So, what's wrong with "prayer and encouragement?"
Faithwire is reporting the cafe has faced protests from LGBTQ and communist protestors who want to shut it down.
Why? Well, Sanchez and his colleagues are not the right kind of people to be helping the homeless. They're Christians, and they are talking about their beliefs out loud.
Even though Sanchez and his group are actually helping people get off the street and have a life---they must be shut down.
Homosexuality.
“Homosexuality: This organization is opposed to homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. Additionally, this organization holds that a homosexual lifestyle is contrary to God’s Word and purpose for humanity (1 Timothy 1:10). The Bible instructs that it is a sin that leads to death,” the ministry statement reads.
Sanchez says the protests have been going on for months. And they haven't ceased.
They say it's about a statement on the ministry's website.
He says he has tried to clarify exactly where the ministry is coming from by clarifying the statement:
The original statement read:
Homosexuality: This organization is opposed to homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. Additionally, this organization holds that a homosexual lifestyle is contrary to God’s Word and purpose for humanity (I Timothy 1:10). The Bible instructs that it is a sin that leads to death. Moreover, this organization is instructed to love those living such lifestyles, while abhorring their sin. 1 Cor. 6:9 says the following: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.” Members of the church are forbidden to practice such sin. Any member found to be in such sin and unrepentant shall be subject to dismissal.
“Moreover, this organization is instructed to love those living such lifestyles, while abhorring their sin. 1 Cor. 6:9 says the following: 'Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.' Members of the church are forbidden to practice such sin. Any member found to be in such sin and unrepentant shall be subject to dismissal.”
You can read the changes Sanchez made to the statement of faith here.
The communist party in Denver has joined the homosexuals.
The communist party's Facebook page is also advocating to shut the place down.
While the protests were once weekly, they’ve now moved to monthly events.
Sanchez says, “It’s a spiritual warfare going on. By now, they should realize they’re not affecting us the way that they thought they would. Their goal is very clear; it’s on their site; it’s on their posters. They want to shut us down.”
He said these protestors show up claiming the cafe hates gay people and seeks to exploit the homeless, with Sanchez accusing them of “making up all kinds of lies.”
“They stand outside with a blow horn and they’re screaming,” he said. “If a customer tries to walk in the door that just is a regular person trying to come in, they will scream in the blow horn and say, ‘Don’t go in there! Don’t go in there! Literally, scare them from even wanting to come into the cafe.”
Who is Jamie Sanchez?
Sanchez is a widower with young kids. He says he has been the subject of personal attacks, including some surrounding his late wife.
“They’ve even actually gone as far as attacking me personally and saying that I’m using my late wife’s death as a tool to get people to feel sorry for me,” he said, noting such attacks “hurt” but help confirm he’s following God’s call on his life. “It’s also a confirmation of how powerful my testimony is that Christ has given me through my life — that the enemy would try to pull that out and use it as a tool against me.”
He says it's spiritual warfare.
Sanchez said that rather than give up on the Drip Cafe, he has persisted, trusting in the Lord throughout the journey and focusing on the broader mission.
“For me, the cafe is not mine. I don’t really see it as my cafe,” he said. "I don’t see it as Recycle God’s Love’s cafe. I see it as God’s cafe. He gave it to us; if He wants it to go away, then He’ll make it go away.”
Sanchez said he will keep doors open until God says otherwise. In fact, despite challenges, he said the cafe is preparing to hire its first homeless staff member — something he’s elated about.
“We’re going to be able to take someone who essentially is … hopeless — they feel like no one cares about them, no one loves them,” he said. “We’re gonna be able to just pull them out of that, show them that Christ loves them.”
Sanchez said he’s hoping to give people struggling a “fresh start.”
Takeaway
The next time you drive through your city and see miles of tents and mountains of squalor, remember leftist policies created the mess, but ministries like this one are presenting the real solution.
Jesus is the answer.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Hopeful. Be Prayerful.