"Cap Nap"

II Samuel 18:32-33
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man”
The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he wept, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you-O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Dinner was over. The host of the party and guest assembled in the living room. We chatted idly before the conversation turned serious. We talked of personal setbacks and obstacles to success, and of the great need for courage and faith in overcoming such experiences. Can some of you remember your attitude toward Christ and His Church when you were beginning to grow up? Maybe this was not your case, but many can remember those times when you felt church was boring. Sunday School or Confirmation was not fun, and you did not want to go. However, you were fortunate enough to have parents or individuals in your life that said firmly, “Enough of that,” and off to church and Sunday school you went. Then came those years when the lessons learned under duress became precious to you. You came back to Christ and His Church,

One experience that I have seldom spoken about is when I was in an orphanage at the age nine due to my mother’s cancer illness. In order to adjust to my situation at the orphanage or change my scenery, I would often just write and image I was at another place and time with God. I wrote the following letter to God with the hope that he would relieve my mother of here pain. Help me receive bad news about her health in the “right perspective” and alleviate my difficult situation.

Dear God, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write, but my paper was destroyed the other day because of a fight with Billy he called me a racial name. God it’s hard for me to sleep at night because all of the kids here, yelling bad things about me; all I think about is my mother and her disease. I was wondering God if you could help my mother, she is in so much pain and is really sick. Thank you your friend Ronnie.

My mother die a year later of cancer and for me there was temporary loneliness. While I was often remind there is light at the of the tunnel, separation from her meant long nights because I thought we were separated forever. I turned my back on Christ and Hi Church. But my experiences at church as a youth with the promises in “God’s Word” to which have brought to me comfort and strength, I share this story and remind you that God always comes down for us during good times and bad.

I urge you to become part of a small group of Christian people- Christian people who know the Lord and walk with Him in a personal relationship. These are the people with whom you meet regularly to pray and study the Bible. As you meet with these people over a period of time, you share feelings. Without a doubt one of these feelings is loneliness. You can tell them what you are going through in the lonesome hours. Those hours will still be there, but it helps to share these times with a Heavenly Father who cares and with brothers and sisters in Christ who stand ready to help you.
Your Bible has powerful answers to difficult times. Open it daily and let God help you. God Bless You and this Ministry

“Always Faithful”

Most of us normally perform far below our capabilities simply because we lack faith in ourselves. This can be changed when we talk, hear, read about faith and grace, for me most of the time I refer to the greatest book ever written with the greatest teacher of the ages. He summed it up when he said, “Go thy way; and as thou believed, so be it done unto thee.”

This simple statement for me cuts both directions, like a double edge sword. Faith is in some aspects the key to unlocking your doors of successes. Or it could be the lock that imprisons and keeps you from experiencing change. What I mean by that is for those of us who stand on grace need to be very careful not to just stand on a life in Jesus that is mushy, lazy and easy, just because it is centered and grounded in love. Faith for me keeps the man who keeps his faith with action, which gives us courage to endure the present as we anticipate and adjust for the future.

To be a changed people it all begins with love. But, not for a moment do I think we should underestimate just how powerful that love could be. Love really does change everything. I don’t know why, but I think it is at least a little strange that I learned so much about what a powerful force love is from a former military person, my stepbrother, William (we called him Billy). He had served two tours in Vietnam as both a Marine and in the Army. Don’t ask me how we began discussing this, but before I knew it he was explaining to me the meaning of this Latin phrase. I don’t remember the exact words I just remember it meant, “always faithful.” My brother explained that, for a military person especially a Marine, this loyalty extends beyond just loyalty to country but to one another. He would say to me, “Ronnie if you can’t trust and count on someone or each other this thing faith is meanly ness.” Trust and absolute loyalty to one another makes it possible for people to do what they could never do otherwise.” That statement has influenced me throughout my life.

Yes, indeed. The Bible is full of stories about people whose lives were transformed when the God who loves them met them where and as they were; for example in Luke 19, when Jesus called little Zacchaeus down out of the tree. Zacchaeus thought he was going to get scolded because of his cheating ways but Jesus invited him to get a meal. So overwhelmed by such a surprise Zacchaeus gave Jesus his heart. That is why to me we need to be reminded of God’s love daily. God’s love gives us confidence and courage and inspiration to do things we would never do otherwise. The apostle Paul, who spent most of his letters clarifying the priority of grace and the message that it is Love that sets us free and for us to lead a life worthy of God. But we cannot stand on grace along we need action (the law) as well and that takes hard work.

Finally, faith to me is the promise of the realization of things hoped for and unseen. Faith comes by doing. We learn by doing. We don’t learn to talk by listening to others talk, but by talking. We learn to love not by discussing love, but by loving; we learn to hope by hoping. We learn to add to our faith by expressing faith; this needs to be effective, it cannot exist in the passive state. Faith must be applied! “So add to your faith by helping the least and doing Justice”. Now that you and Jesus have met, what in the world is holding you back?

God of heaven and earth, you are truly the Lord of our lives. Your love has changed us. Give us the courage to follow you, now, wherever you lead. Help us grow closer to you and clearer about what you are calling us to do and to be. Assist us to be more and more like Jesus every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen

God Bless You and This Ministry!